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U.S. announces additional security assistance to Ukraine

Xinhua) 10:18, July 02, 2022

WASHINGTON, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The United States on Friday announced a new round of security assistance to Ukraine that included advanced anti-aircraft and aerial defense systems as well as additional ammunition for advanced rocket systems.

Totaling 820 million U.S. dollars, the new weapons came in two parts, according to an announcement from the Department of Defense. Fifty million dollars' worth of aid, of which additional ammunition for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems is a part, will be drawn from the presidential drawdown authority that authorizes President Joe Biden to directly tap into existing U.S. weapons inventories.

The remaining 770 million dollars falls under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, through which the U.S. government contracts with arms manufacturers to make weapons for Ukraine. In this part, the United States will provide Ukraine with two National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, 150,000 rounds of 155mm artillery ammunition for the howitzers and four counter-artillery radars, the Pentagon said.

The United States has now committed 6.9 billion dollars of security assistance to Ukraine since Russia launched the special military operation on Feb. 24 and a total of 7.6 billion dollars since the start of the Biden administration.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Bianji)
YEREVAN, JULY 2, ARMENPRESS. Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Government Affairs Director Tereza Yerimyan shared findings from her recent, three-person ANCA fact-finding mission to Artsakh in testimony submitted this week to the U.S. Senate panel drafting the FY23 foreign aid bill, ANCA reports.

Yerimyan underscored the longstanding calls for to end all U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan and the delivery of an urgently needed $50 million aid package to Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh).

Having recently returned from a fact-finding mission in Artsakh, I can bear witness to the devastating humanitarian impact of Azerbaijans aggression against Artsakhs civilian population, stated Yerimyan. As many as 100,000 Armenians were displaced. Many schools and hospitals, destroyed during the war, remain in ruins. Countless homes remain uninhabitable. The maternity ward of the state hospital has been rendered completely unusable. In addition to losing at least 70% of their indigenous lands, the Armenians of Artsakh now live upon a landscape littered with landmines and, especially, unexploded ordinance, posing a threat to the daily lives of children and families.

Yerimyan continued, Azerbaijan, for its part, continues to illegally hold and abuse Armenian prisoners of war, in contravention of the ceasefire agreement and Bakus own commitments under international law. During our recent ANCA visit to Artsakh we interviewed a repatriated POW  an 80-year-old female civilian who was captured in her village home, witnessed the beating of her husband, and was tortured herself.

Yerimyan made the case that Congress should hold the Aliyev regime accountable for the ethnic-cleansing of Artsakh and Bakus ongoing occupation of sovereign Armenian territory by cutting off all U.S. military aid to its armed forces. She also pressed for a long-term developmental investment in Artsakh, to help its families rebuild their lives and resettle in safety upon their indigenous Armenian homeland.

In May, Yerimyan, ANCA IT Director Nerses Semerjian, and Programs Director Alex Manoukian were joined by ANC Internationals Gevorg Ghukasyan in a week-long fact-finding mission to Artsakh. While there, they worked closely with the ANC of Artsakh, which was launched in September 2021, to focus on protecting the rights of Artsakhs citizens, securing international recognition of the Artsakh Republic, and restoring Artsakhs territorial integrity.

The ANCA team discussed Artsakhs geopolitical challenges with Foreign Minister David Babayan and learned new details about the plight of the 100,000 Armenian refugees forced from their ancestral homes during the 2020 war from Artsakh Republic Minister of Social Development and Migration Armine Petrosyan. Artsakh Human Rights Ombudsman Gegham Stepanyan discussed the effects of Azerbaijans ongoing attacks on border villages and the water and gas challenges facing the Artsakh population. During meetings with Vardan Tadevosyan, the founder and director of the Lady Cox Rehabilitation Center, the ANCA team learned more about the life-changing assistance the center provides for soldiers and civilians injured during the 2020 Artsakh war, while working with children and adults with physical and mental disabilities. The ANCA team also met with representatives of The HALO Trust, whose demining efforts have saved countless lives in Artsakh for over two decades, in part through ANCA-supported U.S. assistance.
The leaders paid 'special attention to further development of mutually beneficial ties in the economic sphere'

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and reiterated the need for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the Ukraine crisis, as New Delhi said both leaders discussed ways to enhance bilateral trade between their nations in agricultural products, fertilisers and pharma. Both also discussed the global energy crisis even as, according to global media reports, India is now importing huge quantities of Russian oil at discounted rates.

Russia, in its statement, said that at the request of Mr Modi, President Putin briefed him on the key aspects of the Russian special military operation, emphasising the dangerous and provocative nature of the line of the Kyiv regime (Ukraine government) and its Western patrons aimed at escalating the crisis and disrupt efforts to resolve it politically and diplomatically.

The leaders paid special attention to further development of mutually beneficial ties in the economic sphere and noted with satisfaction the significant increase in bilateral trade, including mutual deliveries of agricultural products, Moscow said, adding that they expressed mutual intention for the comprehensive strengthening of the special and privileged strategic partnership between Russia and India.

Saying the current state of affairs in the global food market was touched upon as well, Russia also said Mr Putin drew attention to the systemic mistakes made by a number of states, which led to the disruption of the entire architecture of the free trade of food products and provoked a significant increase of their cost, an obvious reference to the West and Ukraine. Further noting that illegitimate sanctions against Russia have exacerbated an already difficult situation (and that) the same factors had a negative impact on the global energy market, President Putin told Mr Modi that Russia has been and remains a reliable producer and supplier of grain, fertilisers and energy carriers, including to the Indian partners. Both leaders agreed to continue personal contacts, as well as interaction at other levels, Russia said.

The conversation comes amid increasing Western sanctions on Russia and days after the two leaders participated in the Brics virtual summit hosted by China. Russia indicated that during the recent Brics summit, both leaders decided they would have the phone conversation soon.

The Prime Ministers Office said: Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a telephone conversation today with His Excellency Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation. The two leaders reviewed the implementation of the decisions taken during President Putins visit to India in December 2021. In particular, they exchanged ideas on how bilateral trade in agricultural goods, fertilisers and pharma products could be encouraged further.
The court noted that on her complaint a person has been arrested, but despite multiple FIRs she has not yet been touched by the Delhi police

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday came down heavily on now suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, saying that she and "her loose tongue" has set the entire country on fire and is responsible for the "unfortunate" incident and violence in Udaipur. Further, the apex court bench said that Ms Sharma should apologise to the whole country.

Refusing to entertain her plea for the clubbing of all the FIRs filed across the country in the wake of Ms Sharmas offensive remarks about Prophet Mohammed and the same being investigated by Delhi police, a vacation bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and J.B. Pardiwala said, "The way she has ignited emotions across the country. This lady is single-handedly responsible for what is happening in the country," and the "unfortunate" incident in Udaipur.

Dismissing the petition by Ms Sharma as withdrawing, the court said, "The conscience of the court is not satisfied. We cant mould the law accordingly."

As senior lawyer Maninder Singh appearing for Ms Sharma referred to a law laid down by the top court in its 2020 judgment in the Arnab Goswami case, where the court had clubbed all the FIRs lodged against him across the country and handed over the investigation to Mumbai police, the court, making a distinction between a journalist and a spokesperson of a political party, said, "journalist stand on a different pedestal" and pointed to Ms Sharma making "irresponsible statements without thinking of their repercussions" adversely affecting the fabric of the country.

Reacting to Mr Singh's argument that Ms Sharma was being investigated in the said matter by the Delhi police and probe in other FIRs too be entrusted to it, the court, in an observation reflecting on the way law-enforcing agencies were presently operating in the country, said, "What has happened in the investigation so far? There must have been a red carpet for you there."

The court also noted that on her complaint a person has been arrested, but despite multiple FIRs she has not yet been touched by the Delhi police.

When the court was informed that Ms Sharma is a lawyer with 10 years of standing at the bar, the bench wondering over her temerity in approaching the top court after making irresponsible statements disturbing peace in the country said, "We saw the debate on how she was inciting. But the way she said all this and later says she was a lawyer with 10 years standing? It is shameful. She should apologise to the whole country."

When Ms Sharmas lawyer told the top court that she is joining the investigation and not running away, the bench remarked, "Dont make us open our mouths."

"There must have been a red carpet for you. A red carpet," Justice Kant said.

Later in the day, a letter petition was filed before Chief Justice N.V. Ramana seeking the withdrawal of adverse remarks made by a Supreme Court vacation bench against Ms Sharma while declining her plea seeking clubbing of the FIRs against her at various places over alleged controversial remarks made on the Prophet.

The letter petition, filed by Delhi-based Ajay Gautam, who claims to be a social activist, said, "Issue appropriate orders or directions... to withdraw their observations in the matter of Ms Sharma so that Ms Sharma gets a chance of fair trial."

The letter petition said that it be treated as a PIL and the adverse remarks made during the hearing be declared as "uncalled for".

The FIRs were lodged in the wake of her remarks during a TV channel debate about Prophet Muhammad which led to violent protests and riots in many states.
Senior Punjab BJP leader Harjit Singh Grewal on Saturday claimed that a decision in this connection has been made

Chandigarh: Former Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh is likely to merge his party Punjab Lok Congress with the BJP after his return from London, where he is recovering after a spinal surgery.

Though there is no word from the party, senior Punjab BJP leader Harjit Singh Grewal on Saturday claimed that a decision in this connection has been made.

Before departing for London, Singh had conveyed his intention to merge his party with the BJP, Grewal said, adding the former chief minister will announce the merger on his return.

Singh, the scion of the erstwhile Patiala Royal family and a two-time chief minister, had floated the PLC after he quit the Congress following his unceremonious exit as the chief minister last year.

The PLC contested the 2022 state assembly polls in alliance with the BJP and the Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa-led Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyuk).

However, none of the PLC candidates could register a win, with Amarinder himself losing from his home turf Patiala Urban seat.
Claiming the support of 170 MLAs, Shinde exuded confidence that he will win the floor test comfortably

Mumbai: The newly elected Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde will face the floor test on July 4. Claiming the support of 170 MLAs, Mr Shinde exuded confidence that he will win the floor test comfortably.

A special two-day Vidhan Sabha session will be held on July 3 and 4. While the all-important Speakers election will be held on the first day of the session, Mr Shinde will table a motion of confidence on July 4.

"The rest of the MLAs will come to Mumbai on Saturday (July 2). Weve 170 MLAs and are increasing. We have a comfortable majority in the Assembly," said Mr Shinde on Friday.

Meanwhile, BJP MLA Rahul Narwekar filed his nomination for the post of Assembly Speaker. The position has been vacant since Nana Patole of Congress resigned from the post in February last year.

The election for the Speaker has assumed significance due to the vertical split in the Shiv Sena. The Speaker is likely to play a crucial part in deciding the legislative party leader and whip of the Uddhav Thackeray-led party.

Mr Narwekar is the son-in-law of senior NCP leader Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar. Earlier, he was a member of the Shiv Sena, which he left after the party denied him a ticket in the 2014 Lok Sabha election. He joined the NCP and contested the general election from Maval, which he lost.

Meanwhile, though Uddhav Thackeray greeted Mr Shinde on being elected as the CM, he said the rebel leader does not belong to Shiv Sena anymore. "We dont consider him as Senas CM. Without the Sena, how can he be a Sena CM?" he asked.

Earlier, he had congratulated Mr Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis by tweeting, "Best wishes to newly appointed chief minister @mieknathshinde ji and deputy chief minister @Dev_Fadnavis ji. I wish you do a good job for Maharashtra."

Continuing its legal fight against the Shinde faction, Shiv Sena has asked the Supreme Court to restrain the rebel MLAs from participating in Assembly proceedings.

"The delinquent MLAs who have been acting as pawns of the BJP, thereby committing the constitutional sin of defection, ought not to be allowed to perpetuate their sin even for a single day by permitting them to continue as members of the Assembly," Sena said in a petition to the Supreme Court on Friday.

Soon after the rebellion by the Shinde faction, Shiv Sena MLA Sunil Prabhu, who had been appointed as the chief whip by the Uddhav Thackeray supporting MLAs, moved the SC seeking the disqualification of Mr Shinde and 15 others.

The rebel MLAs then went to the Supreme Court, claiming any move to disqualify them would be illegal. The court set Monday for a hearing on the disqualification matter.

"Suspend the 16 rebel MLAs against whom disqualification proceedings are pending as an interim measure. Restrain them from participating in any of the house proceedings," Mr Thackerays lawyer Kapil Sibal told the SC.

"Despite the rebellion carried out by the Eknath Shinde faction, the original Shiv Sena political party remains under the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray, who was elected president of the Shiv Sena way back on 23.01.2018 when the organisational elections of the party were conducted and the same was communicated to the Election Commission on 27.02.2018," Team Thackeray told the Supreme Court today.

In another development, Mr Shindes first decision on assuming the CMs reign was to revive the Metro car shed project in Aarey Colony in Mumbai. The project was shelved by Mr Thackeray, who had ordered the relocation of the metro car shed from Aarey to Kanjurmarg.

According to the sources, Mr Shinde has asked the state administration to direct state advocate general Ashutosh Kumbhakoni to submit in court that the Metro car shed would be built at Aarey Colony as planned in 2019 by the then BJP-led government.

Mr Thackeray slammed the move, saying he was saddened by the new governments decision to relocate the Metro-3 car shed from Kanjurmarg to Aarey Colony in their maiden cabinet meeting.

"The government should not "project anger for me on Mumbaikars" and they should not toy with Mumbais environment," said Mr Thackeray.

The Maharashtra Congress said that the new government has given a blow to Mumbaikars by announcing that the Mumbai Metro car shed will be in Aarey. "Mumbaikars and environmentalists had protested against the then Fadnavis governments decision to set up a car shed in Aarey. But by using police force, the Fadnavis government cracked down on the protesters and cut down thousands of trees overnight," said Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole.
The fact remains that over the past 37 years the anti-defection law has failed to fulfil the foremost objective for which it was enacted

The coup detat in the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra leading to the ouster of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government once again underscores the complete redundancy of the anti-defection legislative mechanism. (PTI Image)

The coup detat in the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra leading to the ouster of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government once again underscores the complete redundancy of the anti-defection legislative mechanism. The first private members bill that I had moved when I entered Parliament was to relax the rigours of the 10th Schedule of the Constitution of India colloquially called the anti-defection law.

Seeing the whip-driven tyranny that drove legislative process had convinced me very early in the day that though well-intentioned this particular legislative fiat had backfired. It had sucked democracy out of the legislative institutions. No longer could Parliamentarians or legislators exercise their judgement according to the dictates of their conscience, constituency or even common sense. They were prisoners of a rather quixotic system where the electors who had put them into public office had no influence upon the legislative choices they were compelled to make.

A brief background may just be in order. The Constitution (Fifty-Second Amendment) Act, 1985, added the Tenth Schedule to the Indian Constitution to proscribe the increasing propensity of party-hopping and defections by elected representatives post elections. The introductory delineations of the statement of objects and reasons of this anti-defection legislative instrument bemoaned this rather sordid situation vividly. It stated, the evil of political defections has been a matter of political concern. If it is not combated it is likely to undermine the very foundations of our democracy and the principles that sustain it.

The original anti-defection legislation of 1985 chastised acts of individual defection. It conversely acknowledged the norm of differences in political parties. It mandated that if one-third of the members of a parliamentary or legislative entity created a separate faction or even merged themselves into an analogous political outfit, their membership of whichever legislative organ they were elected to would continue without interruptus.

Why the bar for defections to be legitimate was set at one-third was elucidated in paragraph three of the Tenth Schedule. It can be described as the doctrine of honest dissent, i.e., not less than one-third of the strength of a parliamentary or legislature party could collectively have reservations about the ideological or political direction adopted by their original political party and, therefore, may decide to go their own separate way. However what this law accomplished in reality was transmuting a retail malady into a wholesale malaise. The reasons for splits continued to remain opportunistic not ideological.

The NDA government tried to plug this loophole vide the Constitution (Ninety-First Amendment) Act, 2003. It deleted paragraph three from the anti-defection law that permitted one-third of the elected representatives to separate from original political outfit. The Amendment Act, however, allowed paragraph four to hold the field. It authorised two-thirds of the elected representatives of a political party, should they choose so, to merge with an existing political party or form a new political party as a consequence of such a merger. This would not impact their legislative status under the 10th Schedule. Effectively what this constitutional amendment achieved was raising the bar of wholesale defections from one-third to two-thirds.

All this Constitutional jiggery-pokery, however, does not answer a fundamental question. Did the founding fathers who wrote the Indian Constitution countenance a paradigm whereby the right to choose a representative would vest in an individual elector but what he does with his elected status on a legislative platform would be hostage to the ditkats of a political party?

Given that in Re. Kesavananda Bharti, the Supreme Court by a 7-6 majority held parliamentary democracy to be basic structure the 10th schedule of the Constitution, it negates very tenet of the basic structure doctrine, i.e., parliamentary democracy both in letter and spirit. The little person who stands in the scorching sun to press that EVM button to elect a representative has really no role for the next five years.

Coming to the private members bill that I had introduced in 2010 and have reintroduced again in 2020, labelled The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (Amendment to the 10th Schedule), it envisages that whips can be issued only for that legislative business that threatens the stability of government. It would perhaps be instructive to reproduce the salient aspects of the Statement of Objects and Reasons of the 2010 Bill which are pari passu with the 2020 bill. The disqualification of a member of a House should be only on the grounds that he votes or abstains from voting in the House with regard to a confidence motion, no-confidence motion, adjournment motion, money bill or financial matters contrary to the direction issued in this behalf by the party to which he belongs and in no other case.

The core of the bill states: A person shall cease to be a member if he votes or abstains from voting in such House with regard to a motion expressing confidence or want of confidence in the Council of Ministers, motion for an adjournment of the business of the House, motion in respect of financial matters as enumerated in Articles 113 to 116 (both inclusive) and Articles 203 to 206 (both inclusive), a money bill, contrary to any direction issued by the political party to which he belongs or by any person or authority authorised by it in this behalf. This would free up the legislative space for better and more diligent lawmaking.

However, even with these proposed amendments to the 10th Schedule, the fact remains that over the past 37 years the anti-defection law has failed to fulfil the foremost objective for which it was enacted, i.e., proscribing the menace of defections.

It has, in fact, created another problem by vesting arbitrary discretionary powers in the hands of the presiding officers of the legislative institutions in terms of deciding petitions under the anti-defection law. These presiding officers are not at all autonomous much as the Constitution would want them to function independently. At the end of five years or six years they have to seek re-election on the ticket of the political party that has put them there in the first place. Anti-defection petitions keep languishing without a decision for years on an end if it suits the convenience of the ruling party or the personal predilections of a particular presiding officer as legislators keep merrily party-hopping at times changing multiple parties during a five-year term.

The time, therefore, has come to rip the veneer of this legislation-driven morality. The 10th Schedule must be repealed. Parliament must apply itself to a new modus vivendi for enforcing political probity.
by Nirmala Carvalho

Archbishop Moolachira makes an appeal. So far, some 31,000 people have been affected by the floods in 25 districts with 159 reported deaths. Displaced people have found shelter in Catholic parishes, schools and other facilities. The aid has gone especially where government assistance has not yet arrived.

Guwahati (AsiaNews)  The Catholic Church is urging its members to help the victims of floods that have recently hit the State of Assam.

The natural disaster has affected more than 31,000 people in 25 districts, reportedly causing the death of 159 people thus far.

The situation is terrible, says Archbishop John Moolachira of Guwahati. Several presbyteries, schools and boarding houses are under water.

The heart-wrenching losses in the diocese are huge. Every congregation and every parish are committed to helping those affected, he added. The prelate goes on to urge Catholic organisations to take in displaced people.

In the districts of Nagaon and Morigaon, the archdioceses social services unit has delivered aid and relief to many families who found refuge in its shelters. So far, 2,253 families have received dry food rations and personal hygiene material.

Help has been provided to everyone irrespective of religion, caste, race or tribe, reaching mainly the villages where government relief has not arrived yet.
by Stefano Caprio

Moscow today is complaining that its culture is being ostracised. Yet as early as during Kyivan Rus, the Russians have removed any reference to the Mother Church in Byzantium, already victim of an ancient cancel culture. East and West, Russia, America and Europe, are all united by the self-destructive madness of rewriting history, and the ongoing war is nothing more than everyone punishing everyone else.

In a sensational interview, Hermitage director Mikhail Piotrovsky defined war as a nations self-assertion, lashing out at cancel culture, which he claims is victimising Russia. This follows the decision to exclude Russias main museums from the Bizot Group, an international group of organisers of major exhibitions, which includes the directors of the Musee dOrsay, the British Museum, the Prado, and several others.

Other institutions also said that they would no longer work with the Hermitage, Russias largest museum and one of the most important in the world.

On 25 March, Russias Cultural Workers Day, President Putin struck out against the attempt to cancel Russia, citing as examples the ostracism against Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, Rachmaninoff, excluded from concerts in the West, as well as the censorship imposed on Russian books and writers, starting with Dostoevsky.

In Italy the attempt to block a course on Dostoevsky by writer Paolo Nori, who lectures at Milans Bicocca University, sparked a controversy that that raised the profile of his latest book.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova and writer and Member of the Duma Zakhar Prilepin made similar accusations, as did Russias representatives at UNESCO who levelled a strongly worded attack, as reported in the Signal column of the Meduza website.

During the recent St. Petersburg Economic Forum, a conference was held on Cancel culture: unprecedented challenges facing the media industry. National information policy in the era of post-truth. In the West, replacement culture involves condemning public figures for their statements or actions, which part of society considers amoral or offensive. As a result of campaigns, certain people deemed beyond the pale are excluded from cultural debates and find themselves threatened with dismissal from their jobs and lawsuits.

For Russians, the problem is much broader and concerns, to quote Putin, cancel culture as the public ostracism, boycotting and even complete silencing of people who do not fit into modern templates, no matter how absurd they really are.

That said, Putin was not concerned about the fate of Pushkin and Tolstoy, but rather about the failure to acknowledge the heroic deeds of the Red Army in the fight against Nazism, and the replacement by American merits, i.e., rewriting of history.

Rewriting history is also one of Russias specialties, since olden times. As far back as in Kyivan Rus Prince Yaroslav the Wise had a local clergyman, Ilarion, appointed Metropolitan of Kyiv, thus bypassing Constantinople. He entrusted him with the Laudatio of his father, the baptiser, Vladimir the Great. Ilarion responded by delivering a wonderful Sermon on Law and Grace, one of the foundational texts on which the self-determination of the Russian people is based.

In the Sermon, Ilarion compared the founder of the Kyivan state to Constantine the great, the equal-to-the-Apostles, omitting however to tie him to the "new Rome" of Eastern Empire. Thus, Rus is put on the same level as the original Churches:

The country of Rome, with laudatory voices, praises Peter and Paul through whom it believed in Jesus Christ, the Son of God; Asia, Ephesus and Patmos -- John the Theologian; India -- Thomas; Egypt -- Mark; every country, city and nation honours and praises its own teacher who taught it the Orthodox Faith and praises its own teacher who taught it the Orthodox Faith. [. . .] The faith of Grace is spreading and has come to our Rus () nationand has covered the whole earth, and has flowed even to us.

There is no mention of Byzantium as the Mother Church", at that time already a victim of cancel culture, replaced by Russia. It is not surprising then if Moscow and Constantinople have cut ties over Kyiv, in an ecclesiastical dispute that has justified three years later the ongoing special defensive operation.

The apostolicity of the Byzantine Church was also used in one of the most symbolic fake news of ancient history, namely the story of the journey by Peters brother, St. Andrew the Protoclete, who, on the Asian coast, allegedly prophesied the birth of a future capital of the Christian world.

In order not to miss anything, the ancient Russian texts expand the legend of Andrew, protector of the Church of the East, as well as the story of his journey, to the hills above the Dnieper, home of another prophecy, which some Nordic variants portended as far as the great lakes of the lands then colonised by the Varangians, where Novgorod, the new city, rose, a challenge to Kyivs primacy over ancient Rus.

These dual capitals find an echo in modern times in Moscow and St Petersburg, with the latter serving as Russias window to Europe, with its sumptuous imperial palaces that rival those of Versailles, home to the Hermitage now repudiated by Europe itself.

Russia has always tried to bend events to its advantage and erase dissident voices within its own culture, which is what happened to Pushkin, Dostoevsky and Tolstoy and to many other writers and artists during its peak period.

Already at the end of the 15th century, an "ideologue" monk, Joseph of Volokolamsk, who still inspires visions of the moral superiority of Orthodox Russia, wrote an official cultural manifesto condemning heretics of his time, the tonsurated and Judaisers who introduced into holy Russia demonic temptations, starting in 1300, designed to reform the Church and rediscover the Jewish roots of European culture.

In his work, The Enlightener (Prosvetitel), Joseph called for vigilance, standing firm against the words of heretics even when they seem to agree with the true doctrine. We must, he wrote, search in their soul and reveal their error" in order to properly punish them, which is what is happening today, not only to those who dare criticise the government and the army for its war in Ukraine, but even those who only show a hint of doubt in their faces, punishable for passive support discrediting the Armed Forces.

Joseph embodies the principle of the Russian Church as instituting the state, gosudarstvo-ustanovitelnaya, one of the favourite expressions of the current Patriarch of Moscow Kirill. Not surprisingly, The Enlightener is one of the most lavishly republished and circulated classical texts in the age of Putin and Kirill, along with many others that validate the historical bases of Russias salvific mission to the whole world.

Thus, it is not Western "malicious interpretations" of Russian culture, like in the current campaign of de-colonisation in Ukraine, which has led to the demolition of monuments and the purging of all references to the occupiers (Russian) culture, a process called Leninopad, Leninfall, starting with the destruction of the numerous statues of the revolutionary dictator still left in the country.

Ukrainians know well that even the most harmless writers and poets can be used as tools of imperial propaganda; Piotrovsky himself noted that art is a lethal weapon in Russias war around the world.

If this should be followed to its logical end, Ukrainians should also cancel the grotesque and impetuous genius of someone like Nikolai Gogol, son of the Ukrainian land whose soul he wanted to describe, but ended up exalting Russias unstoppable race towards its destiny, towards glory or ruin, like the hero Chichikov, in Dead Souls, who sought success in falsehood, finding no path to redemption.

The cultural history of Russia and all other countries is a field where one can continually rediscover the voices of the spirit, personal and collective, and recognise that so many of its main players may be subject to favour or repudiation, often during their own lifetime or after their death.

As much as one might try to cancel and reject Russia for so many reasons rooted in its past and present, this would be akin to amputating a part of oneself and cutting out a piece of ones heart, just like Putins brutal armies are doing, bombing and destroying the land where Russia was born.

East and West, Russia, America and Europe are joined together by the self-destructive madness of contemporary cancel culture, and the ongoing war is nothing more than the great punishment of everyone against everyone.

In concluding, the Signal piece cites an episode from 1968, when the Soviet State Symphony Orchestra was playing to a full house in London on 21 August, its members dejected. Just the previous evening, the Soviet Union had invaded Czechoslovakia to put an end to the "Prague Spring, a forerunner of todays special defensive operation.

Yet, as soon as Mstislav Rostropovich started playing, the audience burst in a wild applause, taking in the entire cello concerto by Czech composer Antonin Dvorak. With tears in his eyes, Rostropovich played all evening. He was not replaced.

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This is the conclusion reached by a United Nations investigation. If confirmed, this would breach Security Council Resolution 2231. However, the UN team could not determine whether the weapons were transferred directly from Iran.

New York (AsiaNews/Agencies)  Missiles used by Yemens Houthi rebels against Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are Iranian-made, this according to a United Nations fact-finding mission.

The conclusions reached by the UN team are based on the wreckage of nine ballistic missiles, six cruise missiles and some drones.

The mission focused on missile attacks launched by pro-Iranian Houthis against Saudi and Emirati targets in the past two years.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates lead a coalition of Gulf states that militarily supports Yemens internationally recognised government, which is opposed to the Houthis.

If confirmed, Iran's shipment of weapons to the Houthis constitutes a breach of UN Resolution 2231, which backs a 2015 international agreement on containing Iran's nuclear programme. Iran is currently seeking to renegotiate that agreement with the United States.

However, the UN team could not determine if the weapons were transferred directly from Iran, and if the transfer was done after 16 January 2016, the date on which Resolution 2231 came into effect.
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SUV







Some people even said theyd take the SUV to the junkyard. As you may have figured out already, this simple social media post didnt go well.



After seeing the comments  some downright mean, others unexpectedly creative  BMW M modified its post on the social network and turned from a question to a mere description. Now it says: Attention grabber. The BMW Concept XM. That it sure is. It did a whole lot of attention-grabbing!



BMW M might prove haters wrong - again!



Fortunately, those behind the BMW M account have some sense of humor, and the photo hasnt been deleted. You can see it down below.







If BMW decides to go ahead with the Concept XM and introduce it as a production series SUV that will be called



At the end of the day, the fans must remember that

BMW M followers continued the bashing and said the SUV is made for the incineration plant only (whatever that might mean), while others said Citroen has the real XM and the Bavarians shouldnt try to bastardize the denomination used for the little French hatchback.Some people even said theyd take the SUV to the junkyard. As you may have figured out already, this simple social media post didnt go well.After seeing the comments  some downright mean, others unexpectedly creative  BMW M modified its post on the social network and turned from a question to a mere description. Now it says: Attention grabber. The BMW Concept XM. That it sure is. It did a whole lot of attention-grabbing!Fortunately, those behind the BMW M account have some sense of humor, and the photo hasnt been deleted. You can see it down below.At the end of the day, BMW s idea of forwardism in design might not be such a bad thing. Even though their newer vehicles are polarizing at first, people get used to the looks and end up liking the products. Lets remember what happened with the X7, M3, and M4 when they first got introduced as production series vehicles  nobody liked the big grilles. Social media channels were flooded with jokes and memes. But now look at the sales numbers, at the most popular social media posts involving those three vehicles, and youll find a completely different story.If BMW decides to go ahead with the Concept XM and introduce it as a production series SUV that will be called X8 or something else, we should expect it to be successful. It might become a niche choice, but people in search of grandeur will scoop them up even if the price tag will be obscene.At the end of the day, the fans must remember that BMW M is still a for-profit company, and it has to cater to those customers who order new cars and dont wait 15 years to get their favorite high-performance German sedan, convertible, or SUV.

Whats your dream road trip in the BMW Concept XM? asked BMW M its fans on Facebook. The question was posted together with a photo of thethat showed the big grille and imposing stance. Granted, the rear quarter might be a bit too hard to swallow. Overall, this concept SUV looks exactly like what the North American market looks forward to owning. Dont worry; Europeans are getting the taste of absurdly big SUVs as well.People didnt waste any time and answers poured by the hundreds in just a couple of hours. Among the most upvoted ones, there are some comments that state the XM should be driven off a cliff or to the Porsche dealership to trade it for a well-designed vehicle. One man even went as far as saying that hed rather drive a Yugo. That remains up for debate, but it shows that not all people are ready for such a sharp change in the design language.BMW M fans from India or Pakistan got unexpectedly vocal at this Facebook post, and many said that they would exchange the Concept XM for an X5. Others from the U.S. or UK argued that BMWs designers are on the payroll of Audi and Mercedes.People kept hinting at the fact that the Concept XM is not as good-looking as the designers and those behind the project might think. They understood the time was right to make their own little clever jokes and didn't want to miss this opportunity.One fan, however, got so triggered by this post that he was ready to commit insurance fraud. He said hed crash the Concept XM into a tree to request the insurance money for the SUV and get a proper M car in exchange like the 1999-2006 BMW M3 (E46).
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The controversy broke in February this year, when word got out that Oceanco Shipyard had filed a petition asking that Koningshaven Bridge be dismantled to allow Y721 passage to sea trials. The bridge, known as De Hef among Rotterdam residents, is a decommissioned railroad bridge that was also the first monument restored after the Nazi destroyed most of the Rotterdam city center in WWII. Aside from its historic importance, it is widely regarded as a symbol of rebirth and resilience.De Hef may be all these things, but what is certainlyis tall. Or, at least, its not as tall as Oceanco would need it to be: Y721, once completed, will be the worlds second largest superyacht and the largest sail-assisted yacht ever. As one, it has masts  three of them  measuring 70 meters (230 feet) in height, while De Hef only provides a 40-meter (131-foot) clearance. Oceanco said that taking the hull without masts under the bridge, and assembling it once the bridge was cleared was too costly. It offered to pay for the dismantling and reassembly of the bridge.The people of Rotterdam were not pleased.The dismantling of the bridge was comparatively cheap (some $100,000, peanuts to the $500 million total cost of the megayacht) and it was only a days affair, but the mere act of it stood for something else: their government giving in to some rich dude whose megayacht builders did not consider the low clearance of the bridge ahead of the actual build. It spoke to them of lack of respect and, ultimately, the abyss that separates the worlds richest from regular people. So, they opposed it.The dismantling of the bridge was politicized: some said that history and national heritage should outweigh Bezos financial pull, while others pinpointed that The Netherlands, and Rotterdam in particular, was the capital of the maritime industry. Thousands of jobs had been created by Y721 alone. The issue even caused unrest among citizens  one of them went viral for his suggestion of a protest rally where they would pelt the megayacht with rotten eggs as it passed by.it passed by.Earlier this week, after some time of relative quiet, an expose by the Financial Times revealed that the issue was far from over. Oceancos petition was still ongoing, and sources within the Rotterdam administration said that the shipyard must have some unwritten agreement with the city because, otherwise, why would they start building such an expensive vessel if they didnt have a sure way of getting it out to sea?We might never know the answer to that question, but we do know this: whatever was happening with Oceanco doesnt matter anymore, because the shipyard has decided to halt plans for the dismantling of the bridge. For now. Local publication Trouw informs that documents filed with the municipality, which they obtained through a freedom of information act, mention the social unrest and security fears as reasons for the decision.In other words, Oceanco heard what the people were saying and didnt like it. They also feared retaliation from citizens (and even mentioned that their staffs safety was at risk), so they are no longer asking for permission to bring down De Hef for the vessel to pass.The FT report mentioned that Oceancos plan B was to take the hull under the bridge and the masts on a separate trip, and then assemble everything at another location closer to the sea. The latest round of documents doesnt say whether this is now officially plan A, but its probable. Y721 is scheduled to begin sea trials in August.But maybe this isnt a victory for the people of Rotterdam, or at least, not the one they expected. The Trouw report mentions this at the end: An agreement has now been drawn up with shipyards in the Rotterdam region. The intention is that, should De Hef be dismantled, it will go out twice a year for a maximum of three weeks. First, a permit must be applied for. That is to say, the Y721 controversy has set a precedent, and it might have exactly the result the people of Rotterdam were hoping against.
The tiny house movement is stronger than ever, with more and more people choosing to go smaller for various reasons. Some hire a contractor to get the job done, and others choose to take the building process into their own hands. Those in the latter category need all the help they can get to pull it off and that is exactly what Uber Tiny Homes is here to offer.Uber Tiny Homes is based in Byron Bay, Australia, and describes itself as a construction company that designs and builds various types of mobile, tiny houses . You can either choose to go with one of the designs on its website or pay for a custom design specifically tailored to your preferences.I just covered one of their popular designs called the Ying Yang RV , a dual-loft tiny home adapted to RV specs, but there are plenty of other designs in Uber Tiny Homes portfolio. One, in particular, caught my eye, as it looks simply adorable both in and out. It is called the Paddys Spanish Casa and is a variation of another Uber Tiny Homes design, namely the Patara model.The Patara is also a double-loft tiny house that measures 9.6 m (31.5 ft) in length, without the window box, and 3 m (9.8 ft) in width. It has a lot of space to move freely from one loft to the other without having to crawl. Its bathroom is also generous in size and able to fit a full-size bathtub.Uber Tiny Homes custom design alteration of the Patara is just a bit tinier, at 8.4 m (27.5 ft) long. It is just as wide and measures 3.7 m (12.1 ft) in height on top of the trailer. The reason why this tiny house is called a Spanish casa is that it includes a lot of Spanish elements. For those who are unfamiliar with Spanish houses, they come with some specific characteristics such as prominent arches and tile roofs, elements you can easily recognize in our Paddys design as well.The A-frame roof has exposed rafters and a lounge underneath, contributing a lot to that cozy vibe of the house. And so does its beautiful deck.The Paddys Spanish Casa comes with a walkway that leads to its single loft and also gives you access to a wardrobe. Theres a laundry room that is accessible from outside, a generous bathroom with a vanity, toilet, and shower, and a stylish kitchen with generous counter space as well as space for a dishwasher.Just like with all the other Uber Tiny Homes models, the exact blueprints for the Paddys Spanish Casa are also available to purchase for USD100. For this amount you get everything from detailed floor plans for the deck, downstairs, and upstairs area, to the elevations of interior and exterior, the electrical plan showing recommended switch and light locations, as well as 15 high-quality renders.All the designs provided by Uber Tiny Homes can be replicated anywhere in the world.As for the actual building process, you can save between 30 to 50 percent of the cost by building the tiny house yourself, which, according to Uber Tiny Homes, means you get to save an average of more than $50,000 on a single build.And while it might seem like a scary, overwhelming job, Uber Tiny Homes can help you with that, too. The Australian company offers online courses on how to do just that so you can join the Uber Tiny School and become a skilled tiny house builder in no time. You can find all the available pricing options on the companys website
If youre reading this, you probably know all about the Monza and how special it is. All Ferraris are special in their own way, which has allowed them to become virtual status symbols in the world of auto enthusiasts. But the Monza is all this with a cherry on top: introduced in 2018 as the first entry in the Icona Series, its a modern speed demon hiding in the body of a barchetta of the 50s, the same one that earned Ferrari a spot among racing legends. The Monza has two models, the SP1 and SP2, and both are powered by a V12 engine that develops 799 hp. The one-seater SP1 and two-seater SP2 are both roof-less, and just 499 units combined will be produced. Put it in much simpler terms, a Monza is as exclusive as Ferrari gets: only special Ferrari clients can get one, and only if they have over $2+ million to dispose of.This week, the 2022 Ferrari Cavalcade kicked off on a very high note after a 2-year absence, and the fact that there were some 70-80 Monzas in attendance was just one of the reasons  but arguably the most spectacular. Now, imagine seeing all these Monzas in different liveries roaring down the streets in Italy, a most unique tribute to automotive excellence.Picture now the same Monzas soaking up the rain, because organizers didnt think to plan for bad weather. The SupercarBlog and vlogger Varryx report that this is exactly what happened as the Cavalcade reached the Fiorano track, where attendees were supposed to go for a demonstrative drive. This meant that all those top-less Monzas were left in the pouring rain as people ran for shelter, because organizers didnt think to include some form of protection from the elements, just in case. The video below shows the moment when the storm sets in, and one Ferrari employee apparently tries to stop whoever is filming from (duh) filming.Both reports use strong words to describe the incident, including how Ferrari ruined and damaged the Monzas. Ferrari , for one, is yet to address this publicly, but one thing is for sure: a $2 million car designed on purpose without a roof or any other type of top is definitely not meant to be kept outside when its pouring rain.
EV

SUV

Even though the economy is not looking like its going to head in the right direction anytime soon, Fisker decided to not break its promise. The automaker that made a comeback for theera is now sending out an invitation to 5,000 lucky reservation holders. If youre among those that made the first step early, then something might soon arrive in your electronic mailbox.Fisker confirmed that it has sent out the first invitations. The company is taking its time with the process. It wants to see who responds and who doesnt. E-mails are sent to specific groups. The automaker wants to make sure that the 5,000 Ocean One units will go to those that are ready to pull the trigger and agree to a pre-order.The process of finding 5,000 reservation holders that will want to go further with the acquisition and be patient about the delivery is happening in groups. Thus, if you didnt receive an invitation yet, just wait a couple of days or weeks. Its entirely possible many early reservation holders will give up and youll be able to replace them.The Fisker Ocean One is presenting itself as a fully loaded all-electric. It includes a special digital signature unique for each of the 5,000 vehicles, a cool badge, 22-inch three-spoke wheels with aerodynamic design, and an eco-friendly MaliBlu interior made from recycled plastic bottles and polymers. It will also include a rotating infotainment screen!Customers that want to pay for a pre-order must be ready for a price tag of $68,999. Unfortunately, this sum is so low because it does not include delivery, finance, and governmental costs. Moreover, maintenance isnt part of the deal. The manufacturer will also offer customers the opportunity to customize the SUV as it gets closer to production. All this means that, in the end, almost nobody will pay $68,999  it will be a lot more than this.All the 5,000 Fisker Ocean One models will be consecutively numbered. The company is moving away from the confusing strategy previously used by carmakers like BMW or Mercedes. They wont use 1/5000. Youll know exactly the number of your special, zero-emission SUV.If youre still excited, then make sure you have access to your e-mail and the $250 reservation made almost three years ago. The process began in late 2019 and it will continue for at least six more months. Fisker recently confirmed at the Deutsche Bank 2022 Global Auto Industry Conference that it has 51,000 reservations for the Ocean SUV. Production is scheduled to begin in November this year at Magna Steyrs facility in Austria where they hope to have an output of at least 40,000 units per year.Fiskers CEO said the company wont change the price for the first 40,000 reservation holders that will go through with pre-ordering an Ocean.
VTOL

AV

A few of them were lucky enough to survive after their respective projects were canceled. Luckily enough, we can find them in museums several decades later. The National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, for instance, has a few weird warbirds on display. And it's home to what must be the most unusual aircraft ever commissioned by the U.S. military: the Avro Canada VZ-9 Avrocar.Like many weird military contraptions, the Avrocar was born in the early years of the Cold War. A-type (vertical take-off and landing) aircraft, it was the brainchild of John Frost.A brilliant engineer, he previously worked on pioneering supersonic aircraft in Britain and then spearheaded Canada's first jet fighter project, the CF-100.The roots of the Avrocar lie in Project Y and Project Y-2, a couple of experimental aircraft that explored not only VTOL technology but also the Coanda effect. Frost was also experimenting with a new type of engine layout with the flame cans lying directly outside the outer rim of the centrifugal compressor.Drawing power from a new type of turbine similar to a centrifugal fan rather than a pinwheel-like design and using gearing rather than a shaft to drive the compressor, the engine looked like a large disk. Frost called it the "pancake engine."With the powerplant still in development, Frost proposed building a smaller "proof-of-concept" test vehicle in 1958. He pitched the idea to the U.S. Army, which was already experimenting with smaller VTOL aircraft to use as a "flying Jeep" at the time.Claiming a 10-minute hovering capability and a 25-mile (40 km) range with a 1,000-pound (450-kg) payload, Frost convinced the U.S. Government to approve a $2-million joint-services contract. The agreement required Avro Canada to build and test two Avrocars. The army dubbed the aircraft VZ-9-As the project moved on, Frost received additional funding of more than $2 million. He also became more confident of the Avrocar's potential and projected a maximum speed of 225 knots (259 mph / 417 kph), a 10,000-foot (3,000-meter) ceiling, and a 130-mile (290-km) range.Unlike Project Y, the Avrocar was a disk-shaped aircraft. Built around a large equilateral triangle as a main structural truss, the disk was 18 feet (5.5 meters) in diameter and 3.5 feet (1.1 meters) thick.Placed in the center, the 124-blade rotor was powered by three Continental J69-T-9 jet engines, each paired to their fuel and oil tanks.The first Avrocar was completed in May 1959 and began testing in June the same year. Several issues that caused reduced maximum lift at higher altitudes out of the ground effect were discovered, and the vehicle was sent to NASA for wind tunnel testing.Avro finished the second prototype in August 1959, and testing commenced a month later. Severe stability issues prompted a series of modifications, and the first free flight did not occur until November 1959.But the Avrocar was still far from what Frost had promised it would be. Unstable at speeds higher than 30 knots (35 mph / 56 kph) and with overall engine thrust (and power) greatly reduced by the ring below the annular flap, the Avrocar was redesigned several times through 1960.Modifications made following testing at the NASA Ames Research Center paid off, and the Avrocar was tested with much better control in hover mode and significantly improved lift.It was also able to travel at up to 100 knots (118 mph / 190 kph). However, it remained unstable in pitch, and the attempts to add a T-tail and a wing proved unsuccessful.Yet another improved version with General Electric J85 turbojets and a larger-diameter rotor was used to successfully traverse a ditch six feet (1.8 meters) across and 18 inches (460 mm) deep, but the Avrocar continued to display a range of control problems. In addition, flight above the critical altitude proved dangerous due to inherent instability.Both Avro and USAF test pilots all described the flying disk as tricky to fly, while one NASA pilot said flying the Avrocar was like "balancing on a beach ball."Making matters worse, the prototype could not lift itself safely more than just a few feet off the ground. The extreme heat in the cockpit and the high exhaust noise also made it impractical for military use Despite all these issues, Frost was still confident that the design could work. But the U.S. military did not agree and canceled all VTOL-related programs in December 1961, rendering the technology a failure.Even so, Avro's flying saucer inspired the Moller M400, a VTOL-style flying car (that has yet to achieve flight), and spawned many patents that established the pivotal role of Frost's research into VTOL technology.What's more, some argue that the Avrocar was only a rubber skirt away from becoming one of the world's first hovercrafts , a concept that also took off in the late 1950s.Now a failed experiment that's spending its retirement years in a museum, the Avrocar was the closest thing to having flying saucers in the sky. Aside from all the controversial UFO sightings, that is.
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Email Dan Walters of CalMatters at dan@calmatters.org. CalMatters is a nonpartisan, nonprofit journalism venture committed to explaining how Californias state Capitol works and why it matters. For more columns by Walters, go to calmatters.org/dan-walters.
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Police are asking the public to assist detectives with an ongoing homicide investigation.

No arrests have been made in the fatal June 24 shooting of 35-year-old Beaumont resident Ronald Bob. And now, police are asking community for the community's help.

Police received a call at 1:13 a.m. for shots fired in the 200 block of Alabama Avenue -- shortly before Bob died on the scene. Now, police have released a photograph of Bob and are asking for any information that could lead to an arrest in connection with his death.

"BPD Detectives are asking anyone in the area of the 300 block of Alabama as well as the 200 block of Garland (and surrounding streets) to search surveillance cameras on June 24 between the hours of midnight and 2 a.m. for any footage that could assist the investigation," police said Friday. "This could include a person on foot or a vehicle in the area."
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NEW ORLEANS (AP)  President Joe Biden's administration on Friday proposed up to 10 oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico and one off the Alaska coast over the next five years  going against the Democrat's climate promises but scaling back a Trump-era plan that called for dozens of offshore drilling opportunities including in undeveloped areas.

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said fewer than 11 lease sales  or even no lease sales at all  could occur, with a final decision not due for months. New drilling off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts would be blocked, after being considered under Trump.

President Biden and I have made clear our commitment to transition to a clean energy economy. Today, we put forward an opportunity for the American people to ... provide input on the future of offshore oil and gas leasing, said Haaland, whose agency oversees drilling on federal lands and waters.

The proposal brought immediate backlash from both environmentalists  who accused Biden of betraying the climate cause  and oil industry officials and allies, who said it would do little to help counter high energy prices. Gasoline prices averaged $4.84 a gallon on Friday, a strain on commuters and a political albatross for Bidens fellow Democrats going into the midterm elections. That has left the White House scrambling for solutions, including Bidens call last week for suspension of the 18.4 cents a gallon federal gas tax.

The Interior Department had suspended lease sales in late January because of climate concerns but was forced to resume them by a U.S. district judge in Louisiana.

The Biden administration cited conflicting court rulings about that decision when it canceled the last scheduled lease sales in the Gulf and Alaska during the previous offshore leasing cycle. That prior five-year cycle, a program adopted under former President Barack Obama, expired on Thursday.

There will be a months-long gap before a new plan can be put in place. The oil industry and its allies say the delay could cause problems in planning new drilling and potentially lead to decreased oil production.

Theres unlikely to be an offshore lease sale until well into next year, said Frank Macchiarola, senior vice president of the American Petroleum Institute, the industrys top lobbying group.

And, he said, administration officials went out of their way to say there might not be any lease sales at all.

Its very important for the administration to send a signal to the global oil markets that the United States is serious about increasing supply ... for the long term, he said, repeating a longtime claim by industry officials and Republicans that ties uncertainty over oil supply to high prices.

Biden in recent weeks has criticized oil producers and refiners for maximizing profits and making more money than God, rather than increasing production in response to higher prices as the economy recovers from the pandemic and feels the effects of Russias invasion of Ukraine.

The leasing announcement was a bitter disappointment to environmentalists and some Democrats who rallied around then-candidate Biden when he promised to end new drilling in federal lands and waters.

The proposal comes a day after the administration held its first onshore lease sales, drawing $22 million in an auction that gives energy companies drilling rights on about 110 square miles (285 square kilometers) in seven western states. The sales came despite the administrations own findings that burning oil and gas from the parcels could cause billions of dollars in potential future climate damages.

Our public lands and waters are already responsible for nearly a quarter of the countrys carbon pollution each year. Adding any new lease sales to that equation while the climate crisis is unfolding all around us is nonsensical, said House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Raul Grijalva, D-Arizona.

Cynthia Sartou, executive director of the environmental nonprofit Healthy Gulf, called the lease-sale plan a huge loss for Gulf residents, American energy policy and the global climate.

Moderate Democrat Joe Manchin, who chairs the Senate energy committee, welcomed the proposal as a chance to get our leasing program back on track.

While Americans everywhere are suffering from record high gas prices and disruptions in the global oil market caused by (Russian leader Vladimir) Putins senseless war in Ukraine, the Department of the Interior hasnt held any successful offshore lease sales since November 2020, the West Virginia lawmaker said.

Under the Trump administration, Interior officials had proposed 47 sales, including 12 in the Gulf of Mexico, 19 in Alaska and nine off the Atlantic coast that were later withdrawn. Trump lost the 2020 election before the proposal was finalized.

The current format of holding Gulf-wide sales was put in place under Obama because of dwindling interest in offshore leases. Prior to that there had been decades of regional sales.

Fridays announcement opens a 90-day public comment period, then a final plan must be submitted 60 days before it goes into effect.

The government held an offshore lease auction in the Gulf of Mexico in November that brought $192 million in bids. A court canceled that sale before the leases were issued.

Haaland has said previously that the industry is set with the amount of drilling permits stockpiled and at its disposal. She testified during a House hearing in April that the industry has about 9,000 permits that have been approved but are not being used.

Oil production has increased as the economy recovers from the coronavirus slowdown, but its still below pre-pandemic levels. Energy companies have been reluctant to ramp up production further, citing a shortage of workers and restraints from investors wary that todays high prices wont last.

Major oil companies reported surging profits in the first quarter and sent tens of billions of dollars in dividends to shareholders.

Athan Manuel of the Sierra Club said delaying offshore sales until next year is an important step toward protecting communities and climate, and we urge the administration to finalize a plan that commits to no new offshore drilling leases, period.

__

Brown reported from Billings, Mont. Associated Press writer Matthew Daly in Washington contributed to this story.
NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (AP)  The U.S. Coast Guard on Saturday suspended its search for a fisherman believed to have fallen overboard from a trawler off the Massachusetts coast.

The man was reported missing early Friday morning by his crewmates on the Susan Rose, a 77-foot-long fishing vessel based in Point Judith, R.I. The Susan Rose was near Martha's Vineyard on a course for New Bedford at the time of his disappearance.
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When our newsroom shares what's trending in San Antonio every morning, I was shocked to see "Carl twinkly cow Beaumont Texas" trending. First of all, it's Carl "Twinly."

Why are people searching for this infamous Twinly and what does he have to do with a cow? The story goes, Twinly dressed up like a cow to sneak into a milking competition for... sexual gratification.
Has the Second Amendment to the Constitution become a license to kill?

A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.

It is just one sentence. The amendment was meant to protect the nation. It is not complicated. The Amendment does not say to hunt, defend yourself or to protect your home. If the Founding Fathers intended to mean something other than  ... the security of a free state ...  they should have written it in the amendment, but they did not. I care not what others may say, this is what they wrote and passed.

A well-regulated militia ...  By definition a militia was a force that is not part of a regular army, subject to call for emergency service by the nation. The individual states provided their militias whenever needed by the nation. The militia personnel consisted of only white males between the ages of 18 and 45. They were required to bring their weapons, single-shot muskets, with them when called. Weapons of mass destruction were provided by the U.S. military. These are the people who were granted the right to keep and bear arms.

Regulating weapons to only those 21 and above would be unconstitutional. And regulating arms to only white males between the ages of 18 to 45 would also be unconstitutional. This amendment is out of date and outmoded. We no longer have militias. It needs to be updated, yet updating the amendment would be a disaster. We would never get consensus.

With as many brains as we have in this country, one would think we could solve our problem with weapons of mass destruction.

Armando Gaytan, Port Arthur
Under the Banner of Heaven Review  One of Us

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A murder in the heartland has a detective questioning his faith. Check out the One of Us crews Under the Banner of Heaven review.

Based on the famous true crime novel by Jon Krakauer comes an adapted mini series created by Dustin Lance Black. Detective Jeb Pyre (Andrew Garfield) and partner Bill Taba (Gil Birmingham) are investigating the grisly murder of Brenda Lafferty (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and her infant daughter.

They discover she may be the first of many victims written by a mad man. A mad man who allegedly hears the voice of god commanding him to carry out the ancient practice of blood atonement. Their hot pursuit brings them to the Lafferty family whom are considered Latter Day Saint royalty in the state of Utah. Pyre, a practicing Mormon himself, has his faith tested as duty and dogma collide when Pyre realizes the pursuit of truth and justice may expose all the skeletons in the closet of his churchs violent historical beginnings.

Under the Banner of Heaven Review

Bradly fellowships with Justin and Eliot as they discuss the true crime genre, ponder the facts behind fiction, and wonder how big of a chip the former Latter Day Saint Dustin Lance Black still carries on his shoulder.

Podcast Link 

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Bradly Martin

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Eliot Nelson

We are The US  We are one- Geeks of the world, unite!

For too long, the geek community has divided into factions. The internet has furthered this division by dedicating sites to just one subset or another. We dont believe in leaving you out. Were not going to tell you if youre cool or uncool based on what youre passionate about. We believe in mutual respect and sharing our geekdoms with each other. We believe in having a hell of a good time. Does this sound like you?

In that case, you are ONE OF US. Join us on Twitter and Facebook!

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Author: Christopher Cox Chris has dabbled in everything from plumbers assistant to sandwich maker, from band, to bar management. An opportunity to see theatrical release films for free by becoming a critic on a local public access show called The Reel Deal turned into a full-time job when Chris and his friends decided to take it to the internet and built Spill.com. He currently runs One of Us - a podcast staffed by community of critics.

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And so, goodbye. After 46 years as The Eagles classical music critic, Ive put down my pad and pen. I wont be covering Tanglewood this summer. Or concerts beyond that.

I havent lost my appetite for music. But after all those concerts night after night followed by the rush to the computer morning after morning, there comes a time when the body says: No more. Give it up.

Music critic might seem a narrow specialty. Not entirely. Exploring and sharing the subtleties of a great art form is a challenge and a satisfaction. Everything from joy to sorrow, love to death, is in that music, waiting to be more deeply experienced.

Although I majored in music at Dartmouth and played clarinet and piano (both badly), I didnt set out to be a music critic. I had been an editor at The Eagle for seven years in 1974 when the then-critic, Jay Rosenfeld, died (reportedly after 55 years on the job).

Quote Agreement or disagreement with the critic isnt the point. If I made people think about what they heard or were about to hear, I did my job.

Looking for a diversion, I volunteered for the extra duty and began working four weeknights and some days at the desk and spending weekends covering Tanglewood or other musical assignments. For 11 years, I was able to handle both jobs. But Tanglewood was growing.

A GROWING CAMPUS

In 1975, when I arrived, there was no midweek recital and chamber series. There was no Bernstein Campus, Ozawa Hall or Linde Center for Music and Learning. Like today, there were eight weeks of three Boston Symphony concerts in the Shed, each with its Prelude concert. There were student concerts and occasional guest recitals. But that was all.

The midweek series began in the old Theater-Concert Hall in 1978. Now you could hear one or more concerts up to six days and nights a week. Beginning in 1994, Ozawa Hall and the Linde Center, which followed in 2019, provided more modern venues. In terms of both programming and audiences, momentum picked up.

Contrast that with the upcoming season. With Ozawa Hall, Linde and the 5,000-seat Shed in full operation, concerts, rehearsals, classes, discussions and other presentations, some involving crossover attractions, are scheduled one after another  up to three a day  on most days. It can be a dizzying assortment, with broad popular appeal, all preceded and followed by a heavy-hitting Popular Artists season. Under the new management team headed by President-CEO Gail Samuel, the BSO seems to be casting the net ever wider for audiences.

Is this a critics dream or a critics nightmare?

CHRONICLING HISTORY

At Tanglewood, I chronicled all this concert-giving and property expansion, plus the departure of two music directors  Seiji Ozawa and James Levine  in disfavor, even disgrace. Outside of Tanglewood, I toured with the BSO, freelanced for The New York Times and other publications, and covered the opening of Ozawas Saito Kinen Festival in Japan. Along the way, I wrote three Tanglewood-inspired books about music and musicians. I was now so busy that after 11 double-duty years I left the editors job and went freelance.

The young Ozawa trailed brilliance and promise when he arrived at Tanglewood as BSO director in 1974. I arrived a year later, which means I covered all but the first year of his 29-year reign.

His last years went sadly downhill. In 1996-97, he ousted the four highly-respected leaders of the Tanglewood Music Center, the festivals renowned academy, accusing them of disloyalty. Faculty protests and resignations ensued. The malaise seemed to spread. BSO performances turned routine. Ozawa resigned soon after and left in 2002.

After an interregnum, Levine arrived, setting the place on fire with his programming and performances. Sadly, he trailed physical problems and rumors  later confirmed by investigation  of sexual misconduct. The combination of liabilities did him in. After ever-increasing absences and cancellations, he was told to go.

Not exactly the kind of backstage machinations you expect at a festival known for its bucolic picnicking scene on the lawn as music from the Shed wafts by.

My reporting on the Ozawa spat got Clarence Fanto, then The Eagles managing editor, and me put through a BSO public-relations wringer, including a confrontation with Ozawa in Boston. Im proud that my coverage  based on off-the-record sources, of probably the lowest moment in Tanglewood history  has held up despite strenuous denials. The music center, fortunately, stabilized under new leadership.

Now its Andris Nelsons turn. In his eighth season as music director, he and the BSO seem to be still forging a partnership. In the BSOs partnership with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, he has also taken on the German orchestras direction. Meanwhile, Gail Samuel, who was formerly president of the Hollywood Bowl and CEO of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, has succeeded BSO President-CEO Mark Volpe. Tanglewood is likely in for further change.

BERNSTEIN, OZAWA

Nobody could be around Tanglewood during the Leonard Bernstein years without being aware of his dominance during his two-week residencies. With his hugging, kissing, cigarettes and rehearsal and personal demands, he virtually took over the place. Excess ruled.

Bernstein could be hard to take with his grandstanding, but his concerts with the student orchestra and BSO were electric. Already dying, he could barely make it through to the end of his final BSO concert, in 1990, which was also his final concert anywhere. His death was a great loss.

Bernstein and Ozawa were responsible for the four most memorable concerts I heard at Tanglewood. Bernstein gave me my first live performances of Mahlers Ninth Symphony and Beethovens Missa Solemnis.

To this day, the Mahler Ninth is so sublime yet so painfully death-haunted that I am simultaneously drawn to it and repelled by it. After the revelation of the Beethoven mass, I made a vow to myself that I would listen to it at least once a year, on recording if not in concert. To me, it is probably the greatest single work ever composed (you are free to disagree).

Ozawa was masterful in two works by Benjamin Britten. He led the profoundly pacifist War Requiem with conviction born out of his growing up in wartime Japan (he said he actually saw the pilot of an American fighter plane as it flew by low overhead). Similarly, Brittens opera Peter Grimes, with alternating student casts, drew an unforgettably anguished picture of the fate of the loner in society.

CODA

It takes a combination of arrogance and modesty to be a critic. You sit in judgment of those who know more about music than you do, yet out of study and experience you can hope to enlarge peoples understanding of great music. Agreement or disagreement with the critic isnt the point. If I made people think about what they heard or were about to hear, I did my job.

To musical institutions championing a great tradition in a time of COVID, I say: Keep up the good work. To musicians I may have wronged: Apologies. To readers who put up with me: Thanks.
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GREAT BARRINGTON  Amid short bursts of light rain, the voice of the late David Grover emanated from the grandstand behind Town Hall.

Singing along was his wife, Kathy Jo, and one of his grandchildren, Althea. With a multi-piece band, they and others who loved the local musician held a memorial concert and park dedication late Saturday morning.

I love the earth. I love the sky. I love this day we share together, went the lyrics.

This day will pass, and so will I, sang Grover on the amplified recording. But the earth and the rocks will live forever.

Grover, 69, died in November after a car crash, but his legacy thrived at the park around the gazebo, which is now called Grovers Corner.

Althea told the crowd it was never bothersome when it rained at one of his past performances there, because it just brought them all together closer under the gazebo, listening to an acoustic set.

For decades, Grover sang to children and adults, many of whom are now grown, including Cassandra Johnson, 24, of New York.

After joining Kathy Jo at the gazebo to sing a verse of You Are My Sunshine, Johnson said shed watched Grover there as a child, for just about as long as she could remember. She recalled his warmth and generous energy.

Those memories are still who we are today, Johnson said.

A musician for about 50 years, Grover toured with Arlo Guthrie, and had his own musical outfit, called the Big Bear Band. He created a PBS television childrens show about music called Grovers Corner in 1989, and a special called Chanukah at Grovers Corner, about the Jewish festival of lights.

Grover turned much of his attention to entertaining and inspiring children after the birth of his own child, said Kathy Jo. Perhaps, she said, he wanted to give young people the childhood that he himself did not have.

But for certain, Grover wanted children to feel comfortable in their own skin. And he wanted to teach them to be good, like citizens. To care for the planet, and to care for each other, Kathy Jo, who played with her late husband for decades, said. All the things that he believed.

Several generations of children grew up with Grover, she said.

I meet them all the time, said Kathy Jo. Many of them have become musicians. Its great. Its great to see. Some of them have not  theyre lawyers or doctors  but they are still David Grover fans.

Not only are they fans of the music, she said, but the messages that Grover wanted to imbue through song seem to have stuck.

They are people who do care about the planet, and do try to make the world a better place and, and took the messages of the David Grover songs with them as they became adults, she said.

Focused on helping to form and encourage youth, Grover was never preoccupied with being rich or famous, said Kathy Jo, describing her late husband as a really sweet, unassuming, open, welcoming guy.

As Kathy Jo and Althea sang with the accompaniment of musicians who also played alongside Grover for years, people young and old filtered through Grovers Corner, with a core group of about 50 people watching, and sometimes dancing and singing along. Birds chirped in the trees overhead.

Hes just beloved by everyone. Myself included, said Kathy Jo.
Sales associate Elsworth Andrews arranges guns on display at Burbank Ammo & Guns in Burbank, Calif. State officials spelled out for licensing authorities and law enforcement agencies how the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that struck down New York's concealed-carry gun licensing law applies to Massachusetts law.
Sin is often defined as the actions or habits that contravene Gods law. We break the commandments; we commit murder, theft, or adultery. These actions disrupt our faithful obedience and create a spiritual separation between us and our Lord. Sin, however, is not solely about the wrongful actions of our lives; sin also pertains to our inclinations and attitudes.

A spirit of pride is, perhaps, one of the most destructive attitudes we can cultivate. Pride destroys our life with God. It fundamentally disrupts our vision of Gods identity, Gods good creation, and even ourselves. Ultimately, pride will always lead us to ruin.

The tale of King Belshazzar, found in the book of Daniel, is a great example of this. God acts against Belshazzar and brings his reign to an abrupt end because of his prideful arrogance. Belshazzar, therefore, stands as a warning to the destructive nature of pride.

Pride Denies Gods Sovereignty

We first meet King Belshazzar in the fifth chapter of Daniel. The Babylonian king throws a banquet for his nobles. This was a common occurrence of the day. These parties were large and extravagant, designed to illustrate the opulence of the King. Belshazzar, however, takes things too far. As the party goes on, the King orders that the holy goblets, taken from the temple in Jerusalem, be brought to the party so that his wives and concubines might drink from them (Daniel 5:4). This is the height of Belshazzars arrogance. Belshazzar takes what belongs to God and uses it for his own pleasure.

This may not seem like much, but the goblets of gold and silver had been previously consecrated to the Lord. This means they were to be used exclusively for ritual worship. They were objects set apart to bring glory and praise to Yahweh. To take Gods holy vessels as a means for human drunkenness displays a complete and utter disrespect for that which belongs to God. Belshazzar assumes that he is of such an exalted status that he may use, or misuse, Gods good creation for his own personal enjoyment or pleasure. Belshazzar sees himself as the rightful owner of holy things.

Daniel charges Belshazzar with not humbling yourself but setting yourself up against the Lord of heaven (Daniel 5:23). This is what pride creates in our spiritual lives. While we may not use sanctified objects as vehicles for human drunkenness, we can similarly misuse Gods good possessions for our own purpose or glory. Whenever we act disdainfully toward that which God calls holy, we set ourselves up against the Lord of heaven and earth. We assert that our pleasure overrides Gods sovereignty in life. To do so is to deny God as the rightful King over heaven and earth.

Pride Leads to Idolatry

As if drinking from the holy vessels were not enough, Scripture relates that Belshazzar and his companions praise the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone (Daniel 5:4). In doing so, Belshazzar did not honor the God who holds in his hand [his] life and ways (Daniel 5:24). Belshazzar denies the power of Yahweh in his life. He believes that it is his material possessions that give him life and protect his future.

This act of praising material possessions is a direct violation of the first commandment. The commandment to have no other gods but me (Exodus 20:1), stands as the foundation of our life with God. This commandment is rooted in Gods identity as the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. Attributing salvation to any other being, particularly those who cannot see or hear, or understand (Daniel 5:23) is an insult to Gods lordship in our lives.

What does this have to do with pride? When Belshazzar heralded the gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron wood and stone, he was not bowing down to a pantheon of gods. The Babylonian god was primarily Nebu  known to be son of the god Marduk. Nebu and Marduk were the gods of vegetation, literacy, and art, not the gods of wealth. Thus, in praising the wealth before him, Belshazzar was essentially praising himself. Belshazzar saw himself as the arbiter of his life, the one in control of his future. His possessions, wielded by his own mastery, were the testament to his god-like status.

Pride leads us to exalt ourselves. Our focus turns inward as we view ourselves in the place of God. This has always been a temptation for humanity, and stands behind the first great sin. The serpent in Genesis tempts Adam and Eve under the promise that eating the forbidden fruit will make them like God, knowing good from evil (Genesis 3:5). When we live from prideful arrogance, we exalt ourselves above God. We are tempted to see our own plots and strategies as that which secures our earthly and heavenly futures. Instead of salvation being received as a gift from God, given in grace and mercy, we see salvation as that which we earn or achieve by our own effort. Such an attitude completely disregards the activity of God, and the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

Pride Leads to Ruin

Belshazzars pride convinced him that he would never suffer the consequences of rejecting the power of God in his life, even though this had been witnessed in the past. Belshazzar was keenly aware of the plight of Nebuchadnezzar.

Nebuchadnezzar was also a prideful king, one who saw himself in godlike ways. He continually abandoned the way of God, even erecting a stature of himself for all to worship. God humbled this arrogant king and drove him into the wilderness where he spent his days eating grass like cattle (Daniel 4:32). It was only when he acknowledged the sovereignty of God that Nebuchadnezzar comes to his right mind. In fact, the last words recorded by Nebuchadnezzar are I Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. Those who walk in pride he can humble (Daniel 4:37).

Although Belshazzar knows the history of his ancestor, he believes that such humbling will never happen to him. In pride he believes himself immune from the Lords rejection. This, of course, is not the case. In in response to his arrogant pride, Daniel declares that God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end (Daniel 5:26). That very night, the kingdom is taken aways from Belshazzar and placed in the hands of another.

The book of Proverbs declares the well-known truth that pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before the fall (Proverbs 16:18). Pride leads us to abandon the ways of God and thereby step away from the source of eternal life. When we assert that the life before us is under our own mastery, we walk in the way of destruction. We cannot help but fall.

Pride Is Damaging

The story of Belshazzar depicts the damage that pride can do in our lives. We can look at Belshazzars folly, therefore, as a way to assess our faithful witness of the Lord. For example, are we tempted to deny or misuse that which God loves? Do we see others as mere pawns for our own enjoyment? Does our devotion to God become coloured by our desire for prestige or greatness? These questions are challenging but important as they potentially expose deep or hidden sins and temptations within us.

As followers of Jesus, the servant-King, we are called to reject a spirit of pride. Our attitude should be that of Christ, who being in the very nature of God did not consider equality with God as something to be grasped, but humbled himself (Philippians 2:6-7). The way of self-aggrandizing arrogance is completely antithetical to the way of Jesus. Jesus did not come to be served, or to tout his own might and prowess, but to give his life as an offering to the world. This is the way of Christ and the very path we are called to walk.

Photo credit: Getty Images/OSTILL

Reverend Kyle Norman is the Rector of the Anglican Parish of Holy Cross in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He has a doctorate in Spiritual Formation and is often asked to write or speak on the nature of the Christian community, and the role of Spiritual disciplines in Christian life. His personal blog can be found here.
BOISE  A woman from Star, Idaho was sentenced to 14 months in federal prison for falsely claiming that a business she controlled qualified as a service-disabled veteran-owned small business. By making the false statements, she made it appear that her business was eligible for more than $11 million in government procurement contracts at two military bases.

According to court records, between October 2012 and May 2018, Vicki Rice, 61, of Star, Idaho, willfully made materially false certifications that her business, CAM Services, Inc. (CAM), was qualified to compete for and obtain government contracts set aside for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses. While CAMs organizing documents supported Rices assertion that it was owned by a service-disabled veteran and that it qualified for the contracts, investigation revealed that the business was not, in fact, qualified. Rice, who is not a service-disabled veteran, actually controlled the business. And she willfully made the false certifications to make the business seem eligible for the government contracts.

The Defendant made her false statements in the System for Award Management, which is a database for federal contractors operated by the General Services Administration. Contractors must certify that they are qualified to compete for and receive federal procurement contracts in the System. In addition, contractors must annually certify their continued eligibility for government contracts set aside for service-disabled veteran-owned businesses.

On behalf of CAM, Rice submitted bids on commissary contracts at two military bases. Both contracts were set aside for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses. CAM was awarded the contracts, which had a combined value of over $11 million over five years, and tax returns showed that Rice earned $480,039 from CAM between 2012 and 2019.

In addition to the 14-month sentence, Senior U.S. District Judge Bill R. Wilson, from the Eastern District of Arkansas, sitting by designation, ordered Rice to pay the $480,039 she reported earning from CAM in restitution to the Department of Defense and to serve three years of supervised release following her prison sentence. Rice pleaded guilty to the charge on April 12, 2022.

Service-disabled veterans deserve better than to lose out on government contracts because someone else cheats the system, said U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit. Our office will vigorously investigate and prosecute those who unlawfully subvert the government contracting process for their own personal gain.

Fraudulent schemes such as this fleece the government and deserving veterans who served our country, said Special Agent in Charge Terry Pfeifer of the GSA Office of Inspector General. GSA OIG will continue working with law enforcement partners to combat federal contract fraud.

This case demonstrates the commitment of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General's Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), along with our law enforcement partners, to aggressively pursuing those who undermine the integrity of government-sponsored small business initiatives, said Michael Mentavlos, Special Agent in Charge of DCIS's Southwest Field Office. Individuals who engage in activity that deprives legitimate program participants of valuable economic opportunities will be thoroughly investigated and held accountable.

Falsifying documents to gain access to SBA program funds intended for the nations small businesses is reprehensible, said SBA OIGs Western Region Special Agent in Charge Weston King. Our Office will remain relentless in the pursuit of fraudsters who seek to exploit SBAs vital economic programs. I want to thank the U.S. Attorneys Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and commitment to seeing justice served.

U.S. Attorney Hurwit, of the District of Idaho, made the announcement and commended the following agencies for cooperative efforts that led to the prosecution of this case: the General Services Administration Office of Inspector General, the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations.
American families must continue to suffer under record gas prices because "the future of the Liberal World Order" is on the line in Ukraine, according to the White House.



"What do you say to those families that say, listen, we can't afford to pay $4.85 a gallon for months, if not years?" a CNN host asked Biden advisor Brian Deese on Thursday.



"This is about the future of the Liberal World Order and we have to stand firm," Deese responded.





CNN: "What do you say to those families that say, 'listen, we can't afford to pay $4.85 a gallon for months, if not years?"



BIDEN ADVISOR BRIAN DEESE: "This is about the future of the Liberal World Order and we have to stand firm." pic.twitter.com/LWilWSo72S  Breaking911 (@Breaking911) July 1, 2022



According to his bio, Deese worked for BlackRock before joining the White House in Jan 2021.



Biden himself on Thursday also said that Americans need to accept paying a premium at the pump for "as long as it takes" to stop Russia from defeating Ukraine.





: NY Times' Jim Tankersley asks Biden, "How long is it fair to expect American drivers to pay that premium" for the war in Ukraine?



Biden: "As long as it takes." pic.twitter.com/PnRX95xT48  John Cooper (@thejcoop) June 30, 2022



Biden also blamed high gas prices on "Russia, Russia, Russia" rather than the US's endless sanctions targeting Russian gas and oil.





BIDEN: "The reason why gas prices are up, is because of RussiaRussia, Russia, Russia. The reason why the food crisis exists, is because of Russia, Russia..." pic.twitter.com/8F0y0rKbPn  Breaking911 (@Breaking911) June 30, 2022



Trump's "Russia, Russia, Russia" meme has been made manifest.



As I reported in May, polls found that Americans turned against US involvement in Ukraine when it was explained to them that US intervention could trigger a greater war between the US and Russia and lead to further economic hardship at home.



The reason the US is sending CIA agents over to Ukraine along with some $60 billion in arms and bribes to keep the war going in perpetuity is not to ensure Ukraine wins the war but instead to drag the war out for months or years in the hope it becomes an Afghanistan-esque quagmire bogging Russia down and lays the groundwork for regime change in Moscow.





"For god's sake this man can not remain in power!"



After denying NATO enlargement has anything to do with destabilizing Russia, Biden closes his Poland address with a stentorian demand for regime change in Moscow.



Washington's ultimate goal, made plain. pic.twitter.com/vjg6Vxs7dw  Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) March 26, 2022



The Biden regime is crashing the global economy just to stick it to Putin and they don't give a damn how many Americans and Europeans have to suffer.



You must be made to suffer for as long as it takes to secure the future of the Liberal World Order and ensure every town, city, state and nation throughout the world can host a Gay Pride Parade.



Soon, the Biden regime may have to reinstitute the draft to find the cannon fodder for the three simultaneous wars they're preparing to fight against China, Russia and Iran.



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Just one day after taking possession of the property, Brandons Hindu community turned out in droves to open their new temple on Friday.

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Just one day after taking possession of the property, Brandons Hindu community turned out in droves to open their new temple on Friday.

What was formerly Central United Church on Eighth Street was consecrated in a ceremony presided over by Hindu priests referred to as saints  visiting from Toronto and New Jersey.

According to the temples assembly co-ordinator, Deep Patel, members of the new temple spent time rearranging benches, hanging garlands and banners and laying out offerings to the gods.

"It was kind of a rush," he said. "We had to modify according to our needs. We had to put up the garlands and decorations. Luckily, we had so many volunteers around and wed planned everything before."

Those offerings were placed in front of large altars set up on a stage at the front of the main hall, which depict Hindu gods as well as gurus who laid the foundation for the denomination of the religion practised at this new mandir, which is called Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Santha (BAPS).

CHELSEA KEMP/THE BRANDON SUN Patel Janki, Patel Charu and Patel Bijal pose for a photo outside the temple Friday.

Mandir is a Hindi or Sanskrit word meaning "temple." Patel explained that the images of people like the gurus are important to display because this denomination of Hinduism celebrates not just gods, but their most devoted followers as well.

Patel said it took 20 people to carry in the largest piece of the altar. He explained that while some Hindu temples are dedicated only to one of the religions gods, Brandons temple will be open to worshippers of all of them and idols will be introduced to the building as the year goes on.

The consecration of this temple is part of a larger effort across Canada to build 11 temples in honour of the centenary of Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the former head of BAPS, who died in 2016. Patel referred to it as the guru leaving his body in accordance with the Hindu belief of reincarnation.

Visiting from Winnipeg for the occasion, Dharmik Patel said its important for members of the faith to continue to act in accordance with their former gurus motto: "In the joy of others lies our own."

It was fitting, then, for the first event at the temple to be a prayer for peace and health for people of this community and those around the world.

"We have people from all over Manitoba here," Dharmik Patel said. "It really helps, especially with younger children to really connect with their roots here in Canada. Canada is an inclusive country for everyone, especially since there are so many immigrants. The children need to be connected to their Indian, Hindu roots. This mandir serves as a place to fulfil that goal."

CHELSEA KEMP/THE BRANDON SUN Volunteers serve lunch at the opening of the temple Friday.

The purchase and consecration of the building means Hindus in Brandon finally have their own place of worship after years of renting space from the East End Community Centre and the Knox United Church, though Dharmik Patel thanked the church for being gracious hosts who were interested in learning about them and offering insights into their own faith.

"Although we liked holding our assemblies there, its always good to have your own place of worship so you can install idols of God," he said. "The thing is, we have to offer prayers on a daily basis, so about a year back we started to think we needed a place of our own."

It also provides more room for the 500 to 600 members of the community to express themselves. By comparison, Deep Patel said the East End Community Centre could only hold 50 people at once.

Many of those in attendance on Friday were dressed in bright, colourful clothing. With visitors asked to take off their shoes before entering, a sea of footwear swelled in size to the right of the front door as more people arrived.

While July 1 is Canada Day, this year it also happened to be the date for Rath Yatra, a Hindu festival of chariots. After a sermon and prayers from the assembled saints, a video from the celebration of the festival taken in 2019 was projected to the audience.

Asked what event he was most excited to celebrate at the new temple over the next year, Deep Patel said its Diwali, the annual festival of lights.

This year, the festival is scheduled to take place from Oct. 21-25.

 cslark@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @ColinSlark
The Manitoba government is awarding more than $1 million in funding for 35 fish and wildlife improvement projects this year.

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The Manitoba government is awarding more than $1 million in funding for 35 fish and wildlife improvement projects this year.

In an announcement made by Natural Resources and Northern Development Minister Greg Nesbitt, the province said the funding will be given to projects from the Fish and Wildlife Enhancement Fund (FWEF).

In 2020, the government made a $20-million investment toward a partnership that would serve to support the anglers, hunters and trappers of the province while at the same time protecting Manitobas natural resources.

"This significant investment will support projects that will benefit anglers, hunters and trappers while protecting Manitobas fish and wildlife populations."

The program is funded by annual revenues from the $20-million endowment, which is managed by The Winnipeg Foundation. Ten per cent of the annual fees collected from angling, hunting and trapping licences also fund the endeavour.

Nesbitt said its important to think ahead when it comes to conservation, to ensure Manitobas natural resources will be a source of livelihood and enjoyment for residents of the province and visitors to it in the future.

"We have to think about tomorrow rather than today. Manitoba is a province with an abundant amount of lakes and hunting and fishing habitats."

The recent COVID-19 pandemic made many Manitobans realize just how important conservation is, as they enjoyed the provinces lakes, rivers, forests and parks.

"The pandemic drove home that people could have a staycation at home, and a lot of them took up fishing, boating, hunting, and continue to do so," Nesbitt said, adding that with the price of fuel, likely a large amount of Manitobans will continue to want to spend their leisure time in the province.

He also hopes that tourism to Manitoba will pickup again soon as COVID-19 restrictions have eased.

"Manitoba is very well-known for its world-class fishing and hunting. We have a lot of Americans coming up, and we hope that, post-pandemic, those people can make it up into the province, because they contribute a lot to Manitobas economy."

Nesbitt, who was sworn in as natural resources and northern development minister three weeks ago, is excited to see what else can be done for conservation in the province.

Carly Deacon, managing director with the Manitoba Wildlife Federation, shares Nesbitts enthusiasm. She said the announcement of funding to the FWEF is very important in the world of conservation.

"Its a massive contribution, and it funds very much-needed conservation, research and education projects and essential conservation work on a high level provincewide, but also at a community grass-roots level as well."

Deacon said its important to understand the role hunters, anglers and trappers play in conservation in Manitoba.

"When you have multiple stakeholders sharing a resource, enjoying hunting and angling either for recreation or for livelihood purposes, its important that all groups come together and share that so that our resources in fish and wildlife are sustained and managed appropriately."

The FWEF will use the funding for projects that support habitat conservation and sustainable use of Manitobas fish and wildlife populations. Non-profit groups, academic institutions and community organizations can apply for funding toward eligible expenses for projects such as fish and wildlife population enhancement, monitoring and research, hunter, angler and trapper education and more.

James Montgomery, general manager of the Riverbank Discovery Centre in Brandon, said hes interested in the potential of some projects there applying for funding from the FWEF. Hed like to see the installation of fishing nodes at the Riverbank Discovery Centre for members of the public to enjoy.

"Weve been looking at improving public [fishing] access, in conjunction with the City of Brandons parks department since last summer," Montgomery said. "Anything that enhances fish and wildlife is welcome, and Riverbank Discovery Centre is interested in looking further into this to see if anything is a good fit for us."

 mleybourne@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @miraleybourne
Canada is an ever-growing cultural tapestry, weaving together vibrant histories and experiences from people across the world for more than 150 years. Newcomers have helped build a thriving cultural mosaic across the country.

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Canada is an ever-growing cultural tapestry, weaving together vibrant histories and experiences from people across the world for more than 150 years. Newcomers have helped build a thriving cultural mosaic across the country.

Brandon is a community that has grown through the arrival and support of new Canadians, many of whom are eager to share their stories in celebration of Canada Day.

In pursuit of the Canadian dream

Sagree Mudaly and her family moved from South Africa to Brandon in December 2017, looking to pursue the Canadian dream. They initially settled in Virden for 10 months before moving to the Wheat City.

"Its a perfect size. We just said This is it, we will live in Brandon," Mudaly said. "We wanted a part of that, to be a part of this community where we can have peace and safety and quiet. We really love it here."

They appreciated what Brandon had to offer for their children in terms of extracurricular activities and education. Mudaly said she heard stories of parents walking their children to school and other intimate experiences made possible in the rural Manitoba town.

Brandon has proven to be the ideal home for her husband Shashen and children Aayushan and Sahaana.

The family hails from the third-largest city in South Africa, located next to the ocean. She described it as a city that never sleeps, but there was often a feeling of isolation.

When they arrived in Brandon, her family was immediately struck by the slower pace and how quickly they could make friends in a community that strived to make them feel included.

"They opened their hearts and they opened their homes to us. Being so far away from your extended families, it feels good to have that," Mudaly said.

Mudaly and her family were motivated to attain their citizenship, she said, because they want to start new lives in Canada.

"We want to embrace Canada as our home and this is part of that journey."

Mudaly recently completed her citizenship exam. She and her husband diligently studied a 68-page workbook in preparation for the test, knowing they had to get at least 15 of the 20 questions correct.

They passed their tests with flying colours.

"It was a very enriching learning experience. I feel that I learned so much about the history of Canada, the geography of Canada, and Canadian governance. I wouldnt even have imagined some of the stuff in there," Mudaly said. "Were looking forward to becoming Canadian citizens, its so exciting."

Around 75 per cent of Canadas population growth is rooted in immigration, according to Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada. It is anticipated by 2036, immigrants will represent up to 30 per cent of the countrys population.

The Canadian Real Estate Association reported international immigration added 4,589 people to Manitobas population in the first quarter of 2022  an increase of 18.2 per cent in comparison to the same period in 2021.

CHELSEA KEMP/THE BRANDON SUN Jerome Jimeno moved to Brandon from the Philippines and hopes to bring his family to the city soon.

And, according to Statista, there were more than eight million immigrants with permanent residents living in Canada as of 2021, accounting for about 21.5 per cent of the total Canadian population.

In search of a better future, Jerome Jimeno made the life-changing decision to move from the Philippines to Brandon to work at the Maple Leaf Foods plant. He arrived in Manitoba three months ago.

It is hard work being a meat cutter, Jimeno said, but he appreciates the money he earns and saves because it directly benefits his familys future in Canada. He looks forward to bringing his wife Rochelle and children Alaine Jewel, 11, and Juliana Chloe Jimeno, 8, to Brandon so they can begin building memories together. Their ultimate goal is to one day become citizens of Canada.

It can be challenging to get ahead and build a future in the Philippines because in his experience, opportunities are limited and life is expensive. He described it as a life of living paycheque to paycheque.

"Living like that is not living," Jimeno said.

He is enjoying life in Brandon, even though it is not what he expected. He researched the city before his arrival to get an idea of the culture, Jimeno said, but nothing beats exploring the city on his motorized longboard to learn more about it.

"I love it," Jimeno said. "There are friendly neighbourhoods, people are always greeting and friendly."

There is a strong and friendly Filipino community in Brandon and this has helped him settle, Jimeno said.

"They helped me a lot, because when youre new in a place you dont know anything, and [when] its not your first language, its hard to communicate."

Jimeno recently launched the YouTube channel Brandon Boy (youtube.com/c/BrandonBoyPH) to help promote the city while helping his fellow newcomers navigate life in Canada. He hopes to inspire others to move to Brandon so they can call it home as well.

"Now that Im here I dont want to go back."

Laying a foundation for the future

Coming to Canada proved to be a life-saving decision for Sagar Jethva and Jalpa Vajas three-year-old daughter Vainavi Jethva.

Vainavi was born in Canada in May 2019. She was almost immediately diagnosed with cystic fibrosis because the province screens for the degenerative disease.

"In India, nobody knows about cystic fibrosis," Vaja said. "Now, Im an expert."

It was a scary time, Vaja said, but they were overwhelmed with the support and care the doctors provided. They cried many times in the early days of her diagnosis, Jethva added, but slowly they grew more confident through the incredible aid they received from Canadian health-care professionals.

Being a Canadian means Vainavi is more likely to have a positive health outcome because she was diagnosed early on and received robust treatment for the illness, Jethva said.

It would be a different story if they still lived in India, where the cost of treating the disease would have been nearly unattainable for the family.

CHELSEA KEMP/THE BRANDON SUN Sagar Jethva, left, Jalpa Vaja and Vainavi Jethva, 3, visit the North Hill playground Tuesday. The couple moved from India to Brandon but their daughter was born in Canada.

"It was the destiny," Jethva said. "Canada chose me to come here and now we are happy because she doesnt have many issues and her body is checked up every two months."

At 22 years old, Jethva arrived in Canada on a student visa to pursue an education in animation and digital arts in 2013. He moved to Brandon in 2016 and began working full-time to gain permanent residency, which he achieved in 2020.

He has only returned to India once since coming to Canada, to marry Vaja in 2017. Vaja joined him in Brandon eight months later in August 2018.

The family plans on staying in Brandon because it is the perfect place to raise a family, Vaja said. It is a safe environment that gives Vainavi a better quality of life.

"Brandon is home," Vaja said.

Jethva said he appreciates the small East Indian community and the support they have provided to help the family feel settled and welcomed in the Wheat City.

Jethva and Vaja are eligible for citizenship and will soon apply, he said.

"Im happy that we are in Canada," Jethva said.

Gemma Bashford lives in Inglis, the first town she ever visited in Manitoba. Her parents moved from England to Canada in pursuit of a "better farming life" in 2013. Bashford followed in 2015.

"People like farmers better in Canada  people are passionate about Canadian farming," Bashford said with a laugh. "Its a respected lifestyle, business choice, while in England we were the strange ones because we lived on a farm."

Bashford initially had no intention of following her parents to Canada. She came for a three-month vacation to visit and see the country and never went back to England. As she spent more time with her parents, Bashford began to see Manitoba as home.

"I think I genuinely probably would have gone back to England in February when I had my flight booked back if it wasnt for working at Asessippi Ski Resort  it made winter fun," Bashford said.

It was always a major goal for the family to become Canadian citizens, Bashford said.

Bashford received her citizenship in April 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was an interesting situation, she added, as her family received their citizenship before her when in-person ceremonies were still possible.

"I went through the ceremony and all the excitement with them for theirs and mine was very different because it was right in the middle of COVID," Bashford said.

Her family had a beautiful outdoor ceremony on a warm day in Wasagaming, surrounded by other new Canadians from across the world.

Bashford had a more low-key event over Zoom while sitting alone in her office at work. She described it as a typical Zoom meeting  she could see everyone on the computer screen and they were dressed in their best regalia to honour the moment.

Bashford had a special memento with her for the ceremony  a candle from the Inglis Grain Elevators she purchased during one of the familys journeys to Manitoba.

CHELSEA KEMP/THE BRANDON SUN Kerselin Fumier moved from Mauritius to Brandon in 2008.

"It felt full circle that I visited Inglis in Manitoba so many years ago when I was much younger and Im doing the citizenship ceremony in the same town."

Leaving a legacy

When choosing Brandon as his permanent home, Kerselin Fumier was driven to give back to the community that supported him when he was a newcomer.

Fumier moved to Brandon in June 2008. He originally hails from the island of Mauritius and felt connected to Canada because both countries are members of the Commonwealth.

He viewed his journey to Brandon as an adventure. He had never flown anywhere or been outside his home country. He took a chance and applied to work at the Maple Leaf Foods plant.

"We were the first group of Mauritians that landed in Brandon," Fumier said. "So, when we moved here in Brandon, the first day was bitter and sour because we did not know anything."

He arrived in the province with a group of 40 skilled workers in March. Fumier knew none of his co-workers but they quickly became friends.

The beds in their apartment were all they had, he said, and at first, it was difficult to settle and make the space feel like home. It was hard and only heightened his feelings of homesickness.

This all changed after the St. Augustine of Canterbury Roman Catholic Church community rallied to help bring all the essentials one could need for a home.

"When we get off work at 4 oclock we came back to the apartment [and] it was full of everything: furniture, TV, cutlery, pots, pans, blankets, everything," Fumier said. "Thats when we decided to stay. When we get that help  we said Hey, we can do this."

In 2009 Fumier helped create the Mauritius Culture Association of Brandon Manitoba. In 2010 they began participating in the Lieutenant Governors Winter Festival, now known as the Westman Multi-Cultural Festival Society.

The multi-cultural festival is essential because it serves as a taste of different Canadians experiences and cultures while showcasing those who make up the cultural mosaic of Brandon, Fumier said.

He received his Canadian citizenship in 2015. Between his Canadian and Mauritian passports, Fumier can travel almost anywhere without a visa.

He has made a point to be active in the community helping committees and fundraising in any way. He is currently vice-chair of Westman Multi-Cultural Festival, vice-president of Mauritius Culture Association, a member of the Knights of Columbus and more.

The goal is to help the community as much as he can because of the aid he has received.

"My adventure turned out to be my whole life," Fumier said. "Im not going anywhere. This is my town. This is my home."

Sunday Frangi initially moved to Canada as a refugee fleeing civil war in Sudan.

"Being an immigrant, its not by choice. Its not by choice at all, its by force  its not always a happy moment when you have to leave behind everything that is you  your culture, your childhood friends, your home where you grew up. Everything," Frangi said. "But, I feel like Im exactly where I wanted to be, where I need to be to help."

CHELSEA KEMP/THE BRANDON SUN Sunday Frangi moved from Sudan to Brandon in 2004 and became a Canadian citizen in 2011.

He first arrived in Winnipeg on Feb. 12, 2004. He later moved to Brandon in January 2017 with a focus on embracing small-town life.

"Growing up in a Third World country, people always look for better opportunities. Sudan had a civil war that lasted over 30 years," Frangi said. "During that time when the civil war started, life was not easy. Life was tough."

When Frangi arrived in Canada, he spoke Arabic but no English. Learning to communicate was one of the biggest adversities he faced, he said, but he was persistent and committed to learning English so he could integrate into the community.

"If I wanted to be part of this community then I had to learn," Frangi said. "Every year I saw progress."

He has had many proud moments and milestones on his path to becoming and serving as a Canadian citizen  including getting his Canadian high school diploma and graduating from the University of Manitoba with a degree in political science.

"From my arrival, I just wanted to do better and better and one day gives back to this community."

He became a Canadian citizen in 2011.

His citizenship ceremony was a day of incredible joy that marked a new beginning as a Canadian citizen. He described it as empowering because he knew his voice would be heard in the community, including at all levels of government.

He first wet his toes in the political sphere in 2014 in Winnipeg as a volunteer door-knocker for the Liberal party.

"That not the way politics is back home  people dont go door-knocking. Politicians dont waste time talking to people," Frangi said. "Here politicians have to be out there talking to people telling them this is what they have to offer. People have a voice in this country."

After moving to Brandon, Frangi ran as a provincial Liberal party candidate for Brandon West in 2019.

That didnt pan out, so he ran for city council and became the first Black councillor in Brandons history after securing the Meadows-Waverley ward in the 2021 byelection.

Frangi wanted to be at the decision-making table to talk about the community and help fix the issues Brandon faces, he said. One of his major goals was to bring inclusivity and diversity to the city council.

"If you want to have a voice in your community you have to be involved."

Frangi also serves as the case manager team lead with Western Immigrant Services. He views it as an opportunity to give back to a community that has supported him and offer a helping hand to those new to the area.

He described being Canadian as a "gift" and he is thankful he can call it home.

"Its a sharing of culture and celebrating who we are as diverse people, people that accept each other," Frangi said. "Thats the strength of who we are  everyone celebrating every culture. That makes me proud to be Canadian."

 ckemp@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @The_ChelseaKemp
Soon enough Im sitting at a table in the dining hall with Tuuli Narkle, who plays the younger version of Mary, the beloved character created by Tasma Walton. Loading I was really lucky to work with Tasma early in my career, just out of drama school in 2019, in a play called Winyanboga Yurringa, she says. Tasma and I have a lot in common in that were both fair-skinned Indigenous actors and we share a similar lived experience growing up in rural Western Australia, and we found those connections in the character of Mary. Tasmas been so supportive and generous in handing this role to me, so it feels like mine, but at the same time its terrifying because I respect her so much as an actor. So, for lack of a better term, I dont want to shit the bed with it. From watching Narkle in action on set theres no danger of that. Shes a powerful mix of defiance and vulnerability on screen. Narkle studied characteristics that Walton brought to Mary, from the way she rolls the word blackfella around in her mouth, to the way she always crosses her arms whenever Jay approaches. And like every Indigenous actor I spoke to on the set, she feels the responsibility of being a part of this franchise.

I truly believe Mystery Road is integral to the Australian Indigenous film canon, she says at the end of our conversation, before being taken off to make-up and filming another scene. In the tourist mines hall of fame, which is a cavernous, high-ceilinged, hangar-like space, there are a number of sets  police holding cells, an interrogation room, a hospital corridor, a mineshaft. A familiar rumbling, raspy voice emerges from the corridor outside the bars of the jail, repeating lines in a few different takes. Eventually the owner of that voice comes around the corner and theres veteran actor Steve Bisley. Sideburns and a mo are the markings of a `90s outback cop, says Steve Bisley, who plays Sergeant Peter Lovric in Mystery Road: Origin. Credit:David Dare Parker Hes playing Sergeant Peter Lovric, the head cop in Jardine. He does a quick tally in his head and says its the 15th cop hes played on screen, including memorable roles such as Goose in Mad Max, Senior Sergeant Kevin Nipper Harris in Police Rescue and Detective Jack Christey in Water Rats. For Mystery Road hes a laconic smalltown cop whos got the slow-moving swagger of a goanna and an impressive walrus moustache. I was flying from Queensland to Perth, where my partner lives, and after the plane landed my phone dinged when I turned it on again, he says. The message said Id been offered the role on Mystery Road. I just about screamed. I really wanted to be in this series.

Later I looked in the mirror and contemplated my face like a Kabuki actor. And I thought, What says 1990s cop? So I shaved off my beard, but left the sideburns and the mo. Theres a mix of youth and experience on the set. Production designer Herbert Pinter keeps saying hes going to retire but the man responsible for the look of Australian classics such as Gallipoli, Breaker Morant and Picnic At Hanging Rock couldnt resist working on Mystery Road. Mark Coles Smith in a scene from Mystery Road: Origin. Credit:David Dare Parker Director Dylan River is only 29. But then, he does come with some heritage. His grandmother, Freda Glynn, co-founded the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association, the countrys largest Indigenous broadcaster, and his father is director Warwick Thornton. We sit on the balcony of one of the local pubs in town and order steaks as he explains the thinking behind this season. Were essentially making Batman or Spiderman or Superman, but without the comic book element, he says. Its telling the origin story of this character that audiences know. Whats quintessential about this series is Jay having to straddle the two worlds he inhabits as a black cop.

Origin is very much him learning about those two worlds, and going back to his hometown and dealing with the relationships with his father and his brother. There are a lot of ideas and dialogue in there that anyone who knows me will recognise as connecting with my own life. I made him 29 because Im 29. Mystery Road is also very much about place. Season one was filmed in Kununurra, Wyndham and the Kimberley. Season two was filmed in and around Broome. The settings are almost like characters in each story. Aaron Pedersen stamped his mark indelibly on the role of police detective Jay Swan across two movies and two series in the Mystery Road franchise. We looked at other coastal locations in WA for this season, says River, who is from Alice Springs, but with me being from the desert, I wanted red dirt and a dry, dusty place. And thats why we came to Kalgoorlie. Its hard to shoot in a place like this, and weve had everything from hail storms to dust storms, but it sings on screen. It certainly does. The shots of Jays Falcon tearing along a dead straight dirt road that cuts across endless salt flats on either side are spectacular. And the nearby country town of Coolgardie, which seems frozen in time from a few decades ago, easily doubled for late-90s Jardine.

When I finally get to sit down with the star of the show, its at the end of a 10-hour work day. Mark Coles Smith is sitting cross-legged on a stone bench overlooking that pond where Id spotted him earlier. Hes wearing a T-shirt, shorts, thongs and a peaked cap. Hes 33, but looks younger, definitely young enough to play 29. Ive got a baby face, he says, grinning. Black dont crack, man. I got it from my mama. Loading Hes quietly spoken and theres an intensity about him, but hes quick to smile. Ironically, for some years he has been touted as the next Aaron Pedersen. He laughs. Ive got my hands full just figuring out who I am, let alone trying to be somebody else, he says. I first met Aaron in The Circuit (2007), which was shot in the Kimberley. Hes always checked in on me since then to make sure Im all right. Aaron really left an imprint on me at the beginning of my career and I hope Ive carried that into this role. Did Pedersen offer any advice about playing Jay Swan? I did ask if he had any tips, and he said, Nah. Just listen to country while youre out there. He wanted me to do my own thing. I familiarised myself with the previous seasons and with the way Aaron played Jay. And then I let it go.

I did hear through the grapevine that some of the crew who had worked on the show before saw some of my early scenes and were saying, What the fuck? He is Jay. Its like watching a young Aaron. That got back to me and I thought, OK, it looks like Im in the ballpark. When we speak, filming is about to wrap on the series in a few days. How will it feel when this 10-week adventure comes to an end and he heads back to his home in Broome? It will be absolutely bittersweet, he says, looking off towards the sunset. Mystery Road is such a big thing for all of us. I had the opportunity to fly back to Broome at the end, but Im not going to do it. Im going to drive back and take five days or so. Listen to some podcasts. Listen to some music. Take it slowly. You get the feeling that he also needs the time to shake off the hat, the boots, the dust and the character of Jay Swan, so he can become Mark Coles Smith again. Mystery Road: Origin is on ABC, Sunday 8.30pm, and iview.
There are persistent cliches about public servants  they are mousy and pernickety; they love rules more than people. Charles Dickens satirised the bureaucracy brilliantly in Little Dorrit, inventing a department called the Circumlocution Office, whose officials existed to obfuscate and obstruct.

But public servants can be quietly noble too, and recent examples abound. Take the case of Wandrea Shaye Moss, and her mother Ruby Freeman, two ordinary American women who were working as electoral officials in Georgia during the 2020 presidential election.

Wandrea Shaye Moss, a former Georgia election worker, is comforted by her mother Ruby Freeman, right, while giving evidence. Credit:AP

Many state electoral officials have testified at the Congressional Hearings into the storming of the Capitol building on January 6th, 2021. But Moss and Freeman struck me as the bravest because they were low-ranking and had much to lose.

The hearings have shown how relentlessly Trump and his political henchmen pressured officials to overturn the democratic results of the 2020 election. Bennie Thompson, the Democratic chair of the January 6 committee, says that pressuring public servants into betraying their oaths was a fundamental part of the playbook for Trump in his insistence on taking illegal power.
One of a raft of commuter car parks promised by the Morrison government in Melbournes east was so unpopular that 81 per cent of residents rejected the project before funding was axed suddenly in the lead-up to the May federal election.

Unpublished documents drafted by Boroondara Council in March, obtained by The Sunday Age under freedom of information, reveal the projected cost of another car park, in Hawthorn, had blown out to double what was initially set aside by the former federal government.

An artists impression of the Glenferrie Station commuter car park in Hawthorn, which will no longer go ahead. Credit:Boroondara Council

Then-treasurer Josh Frydenberg announced in March that four commuter car parks would no longer go ahead in his former electorate of Kooyong, following community consultation, three years after they were promised during the 2019 election campaign. The Australian National Audit Office had critcised the former governments allocation of money from the fund for favouring Liberal seats.

The Boroondara documents reveal, for the first time, the extent of community opposition to the car parks.
An unlivable Redfern terrace that a squatter once tried to claim the rights to sold for $1,025,000 on Saturday, less than it traded for in 2017.

The dilapidated two-bedroom terrace at 544 Elizabeth Street sold to a builder after its auction, having passed in at $1 million despite interest from six registered bidders.

An unlivable terrace in Redfern sold for $1,025,000. Credit:

While a sizeable result given the condition of the home, the price tag was $85,000 below the $1.11 million the terrace previously traded for in 2017.

It was one of 599 auctions scheduled in Sydney on Saturday. By evening, Domain Group recorded a preliminary clearance rate of 55.8 per cent from 385 reported results, while 123 auctions were withdrawn. Withdrawn auctions are counted as unsold properties when calculating the clearance rate.
Paris: As far as symbolism goes, Anthony Albanese couldnt have hoped for much better.

Over the past 12 months Australias standing on the international stage had fallen to new lows. With Europe now at war and growing tensions in the Indo-Pacific, the nations diplomatic efforts had stumbled at a time when it could least afford it.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his partner Jodie Haydon enjoy the sunshine with French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte outside the Elysee Palace in Paris. Credit:Alex Ellinghhausen

So, here was the prime minister, just six weeks into the job, attempting to patch things up in a very public way. Foreign affairs have never been at the forefront of Albaneses interests, but he prides himself on his relationships.

In truth, as Malcolm Turnbull pointed out earlier this week, not being Scott Morrison in this scenario was always going to be advantageous.
Rupert Murdoch told his fourth wife, former supermodel Jerry Hall, that their marriage was over by email, according to reports.

Hall, who celebrated her 66th birthday on Saturday, was said to have been devastated by the message in which she was instructed to only contact the 91-year-old media mogul via lawyers in future.

Rupert Murdoch and Jerry Hall at their wedding in London in 2016. Credit:Facundo Arrizabalaga

On Friday (US time), Hall, who lived with Mick Jagger for 22 years, filed divorce papers in California citing irreconcilable differences with Murdoch.

The couple have been married for six years and Murdoch said he was the happiest man in the world at their wedding in London in March 2016.
In 1982, appalled by the march of liberalism and the expansion of government in the 1960s and 70s, a group of law students and academics from Harvard, Yale and the University of Chicago founded the Federalist Society. Among them was Antonin Scalia, who would sit on the Supreme Court from 1986 until his death in 2016. Its members believed the judiciary had no role in interpreting the Constitution beyond seeking to understand and reflect what its authors had intended when they drafted the document in 1787. This idea became known as originalism or constitutional literalism, and for years its adherents were dismissed as cranks by Americas legal establishment. It was, after all, fairly clear to most observers why the founding fathers had not addressed in the Constitution matters such as the right of the federal government to regulate carbon emissions via the Environmental Protection Agency in order to combat climate change.

Loading But the Federalist Society found powerful friends among the political right  which believed in small government  and among that movements wealthy backers. Early donors included the Koch family foundations, established by the oil rich family, which has long backed small government and libertarian causes. By the time George W. Bush took office in 2001, the Federalist Society had influence in conservative politics. Bushs administration routinely appointed its members to federal court benches. Today the group boasts 70,000 members and chapters in 200 American law schools.

Loading As the Federalist Society set about reshaping the judiciary, the Republican Party focused on the Supreme Court itself. Ronald Reagan was the first president to understand fully the raw political power of the Roe v Wade decision. He realised that the support of Catholic and Baptist voters, who had not traditionally voted as a bloc, could be secured by a party willing to champion this single issue. By 2016 Evangelical preachers urged their flocks to vote for Donald Trump on the grounds that he would appoint judges to the Supreme Court that would ban abortion. Trump, you will remember, is a man who during an interview in 2015 declared that the Bible was his favourite book, but could not name a verse in it. The Bible means a lot to me, but I dont want to get into specifics, he said.

It was during the Trump administration that the Republican Partys ruthless determination to create a conservative bloc on the Supreme Court was revealed most starkly. In the final year of the Obama administration Scalia died and Obama nominated a replacement, the famously moderate jurist Merrick Garland, who now serves as attorney-general. In order to prevent a Democratic president from making a nomination to the court as the Constitution dictated, the Republican Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell refused to even grant Garland a confirmation hearing. He argued that because Obama was up for re-election in a year, the nomination should be postponed until the next president was elected, in order to give voters a say. In 2020, when Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died four months before the end of Trumps term in office, McConnell shamelessly fast-tracked confirmation hearings for Amy Coney Barrett, a favourite of the Christian Right.

Loading The Republican Partys determination to forge a court in its image has worked. As the writer David Daley notes, five of the six conservative justices on the current bench were appointed by presidents who lost the national popular vote, and though Republicans have won that popular vote just once since 1988, they have appointed 16 of the last 20 justices. This is the court that is now radically reshaping American society in keeping with its originalist worldview. As a result, laws drafted to address life in a modern world are being assessed by the standards inscribed in a 250-year-old legal document. This week we have seen the obvious results. Guns are addressed in the Constitution, so they are in. Abortion is not, so it is out. This point was addressed in the sombre dissent written by the courts three remaining liberal judges - Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan - this week, who noted that the drafters of Constitution, did not perceive women as equals, and did not recognise womens rights.

With sorrow  for this Court, but more, for the many millions of American women who have today lost a fundamental constitutional protection  we dissent, they wrote. It is not yet clear how far the decisions handed down by the court in recent days will reverberate. In curtailing the EPAs authority to regulate carbon emissions, the court has opened the door to challenges to the work of a swathe of federal government agencies. In his concurring opinion overturning Roe, Justice Clarence Thomas states bluntly that the court should in future reconsider rulings granting access to contraception, gay sex and gay marriage. As the court has radicalised, its popularity has fallen. Where once it was widely viewed as sitting graciously above partisanship, it is today increasingly seen as a political actor. The concerns of the originalists are, after all, eerily in alignment with those of the modern Republican Party. Not long after a draft version of the courts decision striking down Roe leaked in May a Gallup poll found that faith in the court had fallen to its lowest level in history. In 1988, 56 per cent of respondents said they had a great deal or quite a lot of faith in the court. Today that figure is 25 per cent.

The court is out of step with Americans on abortion, which is supported by 60 per cent of Americans. On guns, it is out of step with New Yorkers, 76 per cent of whom supported their states concealed carry law. More dangerously for the courts moral authority, and therefore for the stability of American democracy, the court is increasingly seen as acting in lockstep with the Republican Party. The political implications of this are not yet clear. Though he did more than any other individual to shape the court that overturned Roe, Trump himself is aware of the dangers of the victory.

For more than a generation, abortion has been the pole star that kept the Christian Right in line with mainstream Republicans. It is possible that with Roe off the table, their loyalty will wane. Last week The New York Times reported that Trump had privately told supporters he feared the issue would now become a similarly powerful electoral tool for the Democratic Party. It is also yet to be seen how long Americans will tolerate a Supreme Court bound by an ideology that is so out of step with the concerns of modern life. Revered as the founding fathers were, ancestor worship is hardly a unifying theory of governance. Down the hill from the Supreme Court lies the Jefferson Memorial, and carved into its walls there is a quote from a letter he once wrote to a friend.
State-run power giant NTPC's arm, Ltd ( NREL), has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the government to develop 10 GW ultra mega power parks (UMREPP) in the state.

The power PSU in a statement said that Group has set a target of 60 GW capacity by 2032.

"As a step towards achieving this target, the Renewable Energy Ltd (NTPC REL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of NTPC, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Government of for development of 10 GW Ultra Mega Renewable Energy Power Park in Rajasthan," the statement said.

The company said that in less than 2 years since its inception, NTPC REL has won 4 GW renewable energy capacity by bidding in various tenders which are under different stages of implementation.

Additionally, NTPC REL is developing one UMREPP of 4.75 GW capacity in Rann of Kutch, Gujarat, and NTPC REL has also entered into a joint venture agreement with DVC for developing RE parks and projects.

(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.)
leader met the family members of Kanhaiya Lal, a tailor who was brutally hacked to death in Rajasthan's Udaipur, and announced a financial help of Rs 1 crore collected through a fundraising initiative.

After paying floral tributes to Kanhaiya Lal and meeting his family at his residence, Mishra told reporters that he had set a target of collecting Rs 1 crore through the fundraiser but Rs 1 crore 70 lakh have already been collected and people are still contributing.

He said that Rs 1 crore will be transferred to the family of Kanhaiya Lal which will be used in repaying home loan and for expenditure of studies of his sons.

Mishra said that Rs 25 lakh will be given to Ishwar, who was also present in Kanhaiya Lal's shop and sustained injuries.

Apart from this, Rs 5 lakh will be given to constable Sandeep, who was injured by a mob in Rajsamand district on Wednesday when the police tried to stop an agitated mob moving towards a religious place with an intention of attack.

Two men hacked to death Kanhaiya Lal with a cleaver at his shop before posting videos online saying that they were avenging an insult to Islam.

The leader said that a financial assistance of Rs 30 lakh will also be given to the family of Umesh Prahladrao Kolhe who was killed in Amravati in Maharashtra.

(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.)
Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya suspended three senior at the Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL) and also pulled up the Drugs Controller General of India, V G Somani, after an investigation revealed that fake antivirals were sold during the second wave of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, according to a report in Mint.

The CDL is India's apex lab, responsible for conducting quality checks on drugs and vaccines. It has now come to light that the three suspended deliberately delayed carrying out similar checks on Remdesivir, said government officials. The development comes at a time when a bribery allegations have rocked the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).

Hailed as a wonder drug at one point in time, the submitted their findings on to CDSCO after the sample's expiry date. In 2020, the drug regulator granted restricted emergency use of for Coronavirus patients. An injectible, Remdesivir was first used by former US president Donald Trump after he contracted the virus before the WHO issued a warning against its use.

In an interview to Mint, one of the govt officials stated, "CDL Kolkata is an apex lab for quality check of life-saving drugs, medicines and vaccines. They have to submit a quality compliance report to the CDSCO in a timely manner. However, during the covid pandemic, such reports were allowed to be submitted in a fast-track manner." He further added that in the case of Remdesivir, the report was delayed intentionally for a period of nine months.

The health ministry received a tip off regarding the same last month, following which an investigation was ordered by Union health minister Mandaviya. During the investigation, it was revealed that Remdesivir sample was spurious and the three suspended scientists were trying to conceal the report.

A strict warning has now also been issued to the DGCI, directing that such incidents should not happen again. Further, the health ministry has also ordered V G Somani to regularly monitor the work of central labs, those responsible for the quality check of life-saving drugs.
Any attempt to slander "one country, two systems" doomed to fail: spokesperson

Xinhua) 10:21, July 02, 2022

BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhua) -- A mainland spokesperson on Friday said that any attempt by diehard elements seeking "Taiwan independence" to slander the "one country, two systems" policy is doomed to fail.

Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, noted that facts have proven that "one country, two systems" has great vitality, and it is a good policy to ensure Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability and to safeguard the well-being of Hong Kong compatriots.

On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, diehard elements seeking "Taiwan independence" slandered the successful practice of "one country, two systems," which has fully exposed their nature of seeking "Taiwan independence," Zhu said.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Bianji)
The financial services sector holds out an exciting prospect of closer exchange between India and the UK with a (FTA) being negotiated between the two countries, according to British Chancellor .

In an interaction with reporters ahead of India Global Forum's UK-India Awards celebrating Indian diaspora success within the UK-India corridor on Friday, the senior British Indian Cabinet minister said he sees enormous opportunity for both countries in areas such as fintech and welcomed the opening up of the Indian insurance market.

The minister also expressed his confidence over the Diwali timeframe for an FTA draft to be ready.

There's good progress being made and I think one of the exciting things for me in my role is financial services, he told PTI.

Financial service is an area where there's an enormous opportunity for both of our countries. India's goal is to spread insurance across the entire economy because insurance is a great thing for enabling protection for individuals and growth. We can help with that in the UK because we have a fantastic insurance industry. And bit by bit we've been able to provide more of those products, services and expertise to Indian firms and citizens and companies, he said.

He also referred to India's plans for a Sovereign Green Bond and the UK having gone through that journey would want to help India raise that capital.

It builds on a tradition of us helping provide capital to India from across the world because one of the defining movements of capital of our time will be the flow of capital from the west into fast growing India. That's an incredibly exciting and significant event. And the UK can really help be the place which allows India the access to the biggest pool of capital on the best possible terms to drive its growth, he said.

In the interaction with the Indian Journalists' Association (IJA), the senior Cabinet minister said he is very supportive of India playing an increasingly influential role in the region, and indeed, in the world as a massive economy and the world's largest democracy and an FTA would prove a greater champion of that cause.

The 42-year-old UK-born Indian-origin minister, who said he is looking forward to a visit to India with his family soon, also highlighted the important role to be played by the Indian diaspora in strengthening a partnership of equals between the two countries.

The UK doesn't have a monopoly on opportunity. There's an enormous amount of opportunity in India, we also want to make sure that if this living bridge is going to be a real thing, we have got to make it easier for people in the UK to go to India, to study at world-class institutions to go work in all these amazing start-ups, he said.

The minister pointed to reforms in the visa system to make it easier for talented Indians to come to the UK and said there are several categories now open to talented Indians, including the new High Potential Individual visa.

Our plan over time is to expand what we consider to be markers of high potential individuals. So that the qualifying criteria for that visa will expand over time. But that visa applies to people at the university. So, it will benefit Indian nationals it's an incredibly generous and powerful visa which will benefit Indian citizens who are studying at any of these [global] universities., he said.

And, asked if he sees himself as the first British Indian Prime Minister of the UK, he spoke of Britain's openness and tolerance that someone like him was the incumbent of No. 11 Downing Street in one of the senior-most posts in the UK government.

We need to make sure that's not the end of the British Indian story. There's lots more we can achieve. There's lots more we can do. And that's why I'm really excited about the future, Sunak, the son-in-law of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy, 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.)
The will directly transfer its contribution to the bank accounts of apprentices through the Skill Development Corporation, an official statement said on Saturday.

The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship announced that the Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) will be a part of Direct Beneficiary Transfer (DBT) scheme.

Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship said the first set of apprentices have received stipend subsidy in their accounts through DBT under the NAPS.

"Earlier companies used to pay apprentices the entire amount and then seek reimbursement from the . With the launch of the DBT scheme, the will directly transfer its contribution to bank accounts of apprentices through Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), 25 per cent of the stipend payable up to Rs 1,500 per month," the statement quoted him as saying.

The NAPS was launched on August 19, 2016, to promote apprenticeship training in the country and to provide financial support to establishments undertaking apprenticeship.

The programme aims to motivate employers to hire apprentices and aid them in discovering the right job roles while maximising their potential through in-depth skill development.

As of today, more than 12 lakh apprentices have been engaged with various industries.

"The dream of India becoming the 'Skill Capital of the World' seems to be on the path to fruition with the introduction of various apprenticeship reforms aimed at building a skilled manpower. It is envisioned that these schemes will be further scaled up in the coming years and all contracts will be DBT contracts," the statement 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.)
on Saturday reported 580 COVID-19 cases, which took the tally to 12,33,242, while the remained unchanged at 10,947, a state health department official said.

The recovery count increased by 391 during the day to touch 12,18,817, leaving the state with an active caseload of 3,478, he said.

Ahmedabad reported 236 new cases, the highest in the state, followed by Surat with 106 cases, Vadodara 36 and Mehsana 29 cases, among other districts, he added.

A government release said 11.15 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered so far, including 39,438 on Saturday.

The adjoining Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu has 16 active cases, comprising 11 in Daman and five in DNH, local officials said.

Gujarat's COVID-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases 12,33,242, new cases 580, 10,947, discharged 12,18,817, active cases 3,478, people tested so far - figures not released.

(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 the wake of recent controversies surrounding the Central Drugs Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO), the Union is learnt to have been taking steps to improve compliance and crack down on corruption.

Sources in the know said that an internal e-mail was circulated among CDSCO officials earlier this week which explicitly stated that a no tolerance policy would be followed in cases of corruption. The surveillance mechanism too, is being revamped  including regular close-circuit television monitoring, visitors register monitoring etc, the source said.

In its FIR, the had stated that Dinesh Dua, director, Synergy Network had met Joint Drugs Controller Eswara Reddy on June 15 in his office in connection with approval of Biocon Biologics files, and later in the day it was approved by the subject expert committee.

The CDSCO thus plans to monitor visitors to any of its officials closely, and avoid any casual visits.

Meanwhile, the Centre has decided to introduce QR codes for ensuring authenticity and traceability for 300 common drug brands including analgesics, vitamins, diabetes and hypertension medicines etc. This step is aimed at preventing spurious drugs from getting into circulation.

The Union Ministry of Health has made necessary amendments to the Drugs Rules, 1945, to implement this. In March the ministry had asked the department of pharmaceuticals (DoP) to shortlist the 300 drug brands that can be included for implementation of mandatory QR codes. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) had identified the list of 300 drugs which include widely used medicines like pain-killers, contraceptives, vitamins, blood-sugar and hypertension medicines, etc.

Popular brands like Dolo, Allegra, Asthalin, Augmentin, Saridon, Limcee, Calpol, Corex, Thyronorm, Unwanted 72 etc were identified. (see list) These high selling brands have been shortlisted based on their moving annual turnover (MAT) value.

According to reports, the has suspended three scientists associated with Central Drugs Laboratory, Kolkata, India's apex lab, responsible for conducting quality checks on drugs and vaccines in relation to fake remdesivir sales. These scientists submitted their report to the CDSCO after the batch of remdesivir drugs expired. An investigation by the had revealed that the sample of remdesivir was spurious, and thus the three accused were trying to conceal that in their quality report to the CDSCO.

Interestingly, remdesivir does not feature in the list of 300 brands that would bear QR codes.
In India a party in power believes that every governmental action is entitled to judicial endorsement and the opposition parties expect the judiciary to advance their political positions and causes but the "judiciary is answerable to the and alone" Chief Justice of India N V Ramana said on Saturday.

He also expressed disappointment that even after 75 years of Independence people have not understood the roles and responsibilities assigned by the to each Institution.

"As we celebrate 75th year of Independence this year and as our Republic turned 72, with some sense of regret I must add here that we still haven't learnt to appreciate wholly the roles and responsibilities assigned by the Constitution to each of the Institutions.

"The party in power believes that every Governmental action is entitled to judicial endorsement. The parties in opposition expect the judiciary to advance their political positions and causes", the said at a felicitation function organised by the Association of Indian Americans in San Francisco, USA.

He added that this flawed thinking of all hues flourishes in the absence of proper understanding among people about the Constitution and the functioning of the democratic institutions.

"It is the vigorously promoted ignorance among the general public which is coming to the aid of such forces whose only aim is to run down the only independent organ i.e., the judiciary. Let me make it clear. We are answerable to the Constitution and Constitution alone, he said.

Ramana said that to enforce checks and balances envisioned in the Constitution, "we need to promote Constitutional culture in India. We need to spread awareness about the roles and responsibilities of individuals and institutions. Democracy is all about participation".

He quoted Abraham Lincoln and said, under the Constitution of India, it is the people who are entrusted with the task of passing judgment on the rulers, once every five years.

"...the people of India have done their job remarkably well so far. We should have no reason to doubt the collective wisdom of our people. Significantly, the voter in rural India is more proactive in discharging this task when compared to their urban, educated and well-to-do counterparts", he added.

Raman said both India and the United States are known for their diversity which needs to be honoured and cherished, everywhere in the world.

"It is only because the United States honours and respects diversity, that you were all able to reach this country and make a mark through your hard work and extraordinary skills. Please remember. It is the tolerance and inclusive nature of American society that is able to attract the best talents from all over the world, which in turn is contributing to its growth", CJI Ramana said while addressing the Indian diaspora.

He added that honouring qualified talents from diverse backgrounds is also essential to sustain the confidence of all sections of the society in the system.

"This principle of inclusivity is universal. It needs to be honoured everywhere in the world, including in India. Inclusivity strengthens the unity in society which is key to peace and progress. We need to focus on issues that unite us. Not on those that divide us. In the 21st century, we cannot allow petty, narrow and divisive issues to dictate human and societal relationships. We have to rise above all the divisive issues to remain focused on human development. A non-inclusive approach is an invitation to disaster, he said.

The CJI told the audience that they might have become millionaires and billionaires but to enjoy wealth, they need to have peace around them.

"Your parents back home also should be able to live in a peaceful society which is free from hate and violence. If you cannot take care of the well-being of your family and society back home, what is the use of your wealth and status here? You have to contribute your own way to improve your own society. What really matters is the honour and respect that you command in your homeland. This is the litmus test for your true success, he said.

The CJI said that the Indian Diaspora in the United States has played an active role in building modern America from modest beginnings; they have transformed not only their identities but also the face of this nation.

Highly skilled Indian professionals in diverse fields are found today across the globe, the CJI said, adding that the unprecedented opportunities offered by the IT sector to women have changed how Indians perceive the role of women in our society.

Noting that more and more women from India found their wings in the emerging sector that helped them become empowered, independent and self-reliant, he said an empowered woman changes the dynamics of the family and society positively. "As they say, 'If you empower a man, you empower an individual. But, if you empower a woman, you empower a family and the nation'.

(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.)
Noting that Minto Bridge is among the worst sites in Delhi, Lt Governor V K Saxena on Saturday flagged technical flaws in the drainage system there and warned of strict action against engineers concerned in case the issue recurs, an official statement said.

Saxena inspected Delhi's chronic sites - Indraprastha/WHO stretch, Railway underpass at Pul Prahladpur and Minto Bridge and instructed officials to make the water drainage system fool-proof.

Reviewing long-term solutions that have been placed at each of these sites to prevent and flooding, Saxena said any negligence will be viewed seriously and action will be taken against the erring officials.

Saxena appreciated the work done at Indraprastha and Pul Prahladpur but 'expressed displeasure' at the water drainage system developed at Minto Bridge that is among the worst waterlogging sites in the capital, it said.

He flagged technical flaws in the drainage system developed at the site and warned that engineers concerned will be held responsible and strict action will be taken in case waterlogging takes place at the site, it added.

During the inspection, the LG was informed that a new underground pipeline has been installed to drain out the rainwater from Minto Bridge to Bhavbhuti Marg towards New Railway Station.

The new pipeline is connected to a bigger PWD drain. He was also informed that four pumps of 75 HP each have been automated at this site and with increasing level of water, the pumps automatically become operational, the statement said.

He, however, pointed out that the single outlet was insufficient to drain out the huge quantity of water coming in from four heavy duty pumps installed at the site. Earlier, the entire water from Minto Bridge was diverted towards DDU Marg.

The LG was also unhappy with the garbage dumped in the sump at Minto Bridge and issued strict instructions to remove all garbage and sludge in three to four days and report it along with photographic and video evidences, the statement said.

At Indraprastha and Pul Prahladpur too, the LG directed officials to immediately remove all debris and sludge lying near the drains so that they do not flow back into the drains along with the water and further choke the drains, it said.

At each of these sites, Saxena instructed the engineers to ensure proper gradient of the new pipelines so as prevent the backflow of water from the bigger drains.

The LG first visited the IP-WHO stretch on ring road where four pumps of 100 HP each have been installed to clear the water from the roads and store it in a newly constructed sump adjacent to the Ring Road.

Further, the water from the sump will be channelized into the Yamuna through two separate underground pipelines of 650 meter length each that can collectively carry nearly five lakh liters of water. The entire mechanism to clear waterlogging was tested successfully during the heavy rains on June 30, the statement said.

The LG instructed officials to utilize the 5 lakh liters of water stored in these pipelines for greening purposes after the rainy season, the statement said.

At the railway underpass at Pul Prahladpur that witnesses nearly 5-6 feet deep waterlogging during the monsoon, the LG inspected the newly developed pumping station where six pumps of 100 HP capacity each have been installed to clear the overflowing water, it said.

At this location, the water pumped out from the road and collected in a 6-lakh litre capacity sump, will be channelized into an MCD sewer at a distance of 200 meters from the pumping station. The LG was informed that two pumps at this site have been made operational while the remaining pumps will be made functional within a week, it added.

Saxena has been regularly taking stock of monsoon preparedness measures by various agencies.

He has instructed officials to put in place a comprehensive plan comprising long term measures to deal with the problems of waterlogging rather than dealing with the issue in a 'Crisis Management Mode' as has been happening till now, it said.

He also stressed on devising long-term strategies to recharge Delhi's groundwater by using this surplus water.

He was accompanied by chief secretary and senior officials of various government departments and traffic police during the inspection.

received its first monsoon showers on Thursday morning which provided respite from the oppressive heat, but brought woes for commuters as they battled traffic snarls and waterlogging.

(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 man was arrested in Assam's Hailakandi district for allegedly supporting the brutal killing of the tailor in Rajasthan's Udaipur, police said.

Samsul Laskar, a resident of Katlicherra area, was arrested for a comment in a social media website, in which he allegedly supported the killing, they said.

Laskar was arrested on Thursday, and a case was filed against him under various sections of the IPC and the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act after Hailakandi's Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) president Milan Das filed a police complaint.

Das, in his complaint, accused Laskar of making the comment on a post by a person named Abu Choudhury who demanded capital punishment for the culprits involved in the of Kanhaiya Lal, the tailor, police said.

Two men, identified as Riaz Akhtari and Ghouse Mohammad, allegedly hacked Kanhaiya Lal to death with a cleaver at his shop in on June 28 and posted videos online saying they were avenging an insult to Islam.

They were arrested and the case was transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

(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.)
Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Friday removed Eknath Shinde who revolted against him and succeeded him as the new Maharashtra Chief Minister from the post of Shiv Sena leader. Shinde has been removed for indulging in "anti-party activities", said a Shiv Sena statement.

Prime Minister spoke with Russian President on Friday during which he reiterated India's long-standing position on the situation, favouring dialogue and diplomacy. During their telephonic conversation, the two leaders reviewed the implementation of the decisions taken during President Putin's visit to India in December 2021, a statement from the Prime Minister's Office said.

The two-day (BJP) National Executive meeting will start in Hyderabad today. The meeting will be attended by national president JP Nadda, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Ministers of 19 states and other senior leaders at Hyderabad International Convention Centre. The entire city of Hyderabad has donned a saffron hue with the flags and banners ahead of the party's mega show.
A team of the anti-terror probe agency NIA on Saturday visited Maharashtra's to probe the killing of a chemist, officials said, after it emerged the crime might be linked to his social media posts supporting BJP leader Nupur Sharma who was suspended from party for her remarks on Prophet Mohammad.

The chemist, Umesh Prahladrao Kolhe, was killed on June 21, a week before the killing of a tailor in Rajasthan's Udaipur by two men who claimed they were avenging an insult to Islam.

A Home Ministry spokesperson tweeted that the probe of the case relating to the "barbaric killing" of Kolhe has been handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

The federal probe agency would thoroughly investigate the conspiracy behind the killing and involvement of organisations and international linkages, the spokesperson said.

An NIA team has reached Amravati, said a senior police official in Mumbai.

The NIA is also probing the killing of the Udaipur tailor, Kanhaiya Lal.

Days before his killing, the Udaipur tailor had told the local police that he had received threats over a social media post shared from his account, apparently supporting BJP leader Sharma's remarks on Prophet Mohammad.

The Police have arrested five people in connection with the killing and are looking for one Irfan Khan, who runs an NGO and is alleged to be the prime accused in the case.

Kolhe was killed between 10 pm and 10.30 pm on June 21 when he was returning home on a two-wheeler after closing his shop.

"Kolhe ran a medical store. He had allegedly shared a post on some WhatsApp groups in support of Nupur Sharma for her comments (against Prophet Mohammad)," an official of the City Kotwali police station said.

Khan allegedly hatched a conspiracy to kill Kolhe and roped in five others, promising to pay them Rs 10,000 and safe escape in a car after the killing, he said.

Police arrested Muddsir Ahemad (22), Shahrukh Pathan (25), Abdul Thoufique (24) Shoaib Khan (22) and Atib Rashid (22), all residents of and daily wage workers.

They also seized the knife used in the crime and obtained CCTV footage that captured the sequence of events.

The BJP on June 5 suspended its national spokesperson Nupur Sharma and expelled Delhi BJP media head Navin Jindal after their alleged derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammad led to outrage in India and also in some Muslim countries.

(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.)
leaders in on Saturday refuted the allegation levelled by the Congress that the main accused in the Kanhaiya Lal murder case in Udaipur was a member.

After a few photos showing accused Riyaz Akhtari with some local leaders of Udaipur emerged, Mohammad Sadiq Khan, state president of the BJP Minority Morcha, said the pictures could not be taken as proof that he was a BJP member.

In one of the photos, the accused is seen with the leader of opposition Gulab Chand Kataria, who also belongs to Udaipur.

Khan said Congress wanted to shift the blame on the saffron party in order to divert public attention from the "failures of the Ashok Gehlot government" which, he alleged, did nothing for minorities in three-and-a-half years.

"Anyone can have a photo with any leader. It does not mean that he is a member of the BJP," he told reporters in Jaipur.

"He might have gone to some party programme to carry out a recce and got photos clicked with local leaders. Since it is a normal trend to upload photos with leaders or celebrities on Facebook and other social media platforms, he might have also uploaded the photo but it does not mean that he is a BJP member," Khan said.

The BJP leader said the murder highlights the state government's failure as it did not provide security to Kanhaiya Lal despite a clear threat.

Khan said Akhtari's vehicle number was "2611", which he obtained by choice in 2013, and this indicated his radical ideology.

Kataria issued a video statement saying many people take pictures with him during public events and it is not in his hands.

A photo mine with that criminal is being talked aboutI am with BJP since 1974, have been an MLA and a minister. BJP has its minority morcha and my presence in their programme is not a crime, he said.

I must have gone to the programmewho stands with me in the photo is not in my hands.

''Despite that, if someone thinks that some crime has happened because of that, then a criminal case be lodged against me and if the law considers my presence in the photo a crime, then take action against me, I have no problem with that, he said.

In another photo, Riyaz is seen with local leader Irshad Chainwala.

Reacting to the charge, Chainwala said, I have no association with him. He was introduced to me by someone else. The accused is also not a worker or member of the party.

Earlier in the day, the Congress alleged that Akhtari is a "BJP member" and sought to know whether the Centre had moved quickly to transfer the case to the NIA due to this reason.

Kanhaiya Lal, a tailor, was killed on Tuesday afternoon by two cleaver-wielding men, who posted online a grisly video of the crime and said they did it to avenge an insult to Islam.

Akhtari and another accused Ghouse Mohammad were arrested hours after the incident while fleeing on a motorcycle.

Two more people, who were allegedly involved in a recce of Kanhaiya's shop and in the alleged conspiracy to kill him, were also arrested later.

(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.)
VIJAYAWADA: Three MLAs of Andhra Pradesh have got infected from Covid-19. They are Mangalagiri legislator Alla Ramakrishna Reddy of YSR Congress, former home minister Mekatothi Sucharita and Gannavaram TD rebel MLA Vallabhaneni Vamsi.

After testing positive for Coronavirus, Ramakrishna Reddy said he is taking treatment under home isolation. He requested those who have come into contact with him in past few days to get themselves tested.

Former home minister and MLA Sucharita is also in home isolation after testing positive for Covid-19. TD rebel MLA Vamsi who got infected by the virus is undergoing treatment in Hyderabad.

The news of Covid cases among ruling party legislators is a cause for worry, as it comes before the YSRC plenary scheduled on July 8 and July 9. Party leadership has issued instructions asking all its MLAs to get tested before attending the plenary.

The TD rebel legislator had gone to Punjab, where he took ill. After reaching Hyderabad, he tested positive for Coronavirus and has gone under home isolation.
Prime Minister will be addressing a public meeting titled as 'Vijay Sankalpa Sabha' at Parade Grounds in Secunderabad here on July 3.

As the title of the meeting suggests, PM Modi may sound the poll bugle for the 2023 Assembly polls in Telangana to prepare the cadre for the electoral contest.

Modi, who landed here on Saturday to attend the BJP's two-day Executive Committee meeting, will address the rally on Sunday evening.

During his last visit to the city on May 26, Modi, indirectly referring to TRS party, lashed out at family politics saying 'parivaarvadi' is democracy's "greatest enemy".

He had expressed confidence that the would storm to power in the state in the next assembly elections.

According to political pundits, Modi is expected to continue his tirade against Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and the ruling TRS.

Rao, popularly known as KCR, on Saturday in a party meeting in support of opposition parties' presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha slammed Modi and demanded that the PM should answer questions being raised by "people" in his public meeting on Sunday.

Police Commissioner C V Anand, who oversaw the arrangement of the meeting, on Friday said over 3,000 police personnel including Special Police, Greyhounds and Octopus, will be deployed for the meeting.

He also said officials of Cantonment Board and the civic body have made arrangements for parking of vehicles that ferry public for the 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 a bid to facilitate Amarnath pilgrims to stay connected with their families back home, the Smart City Limited (JSCL) on Saturday set up WiFi zones at three vital locations including the base camp Bhagwati Nagar here, an official said.

The two other locations where the WiFi zones were established are railway station and the main bus stand, the official said.

The official said the three locations were among over two dozen already identified places in the city where the WiFi services are planned to be installed under the smart city mission for the benefit of the students and the business community besides the visiting tourists.

JSCL, a special purpose vehicle constituted in August 2017 by the and Kashmir government for the implementation of smart city development projects in Jammu city, had signed an agreement with service provider LMES to install WiFi hotspots at 20 more locations in November last year.

The officials said any user can avail the facility which is free of cost up to 500 MB after a login and validation through a One Time Password.

Amarnath pilgrims camping in Jammu have welcomed the facility and said this will enable them to remain connected with their families back home.

"The prepaid mobile SIM connections are not working in Jammu and Kashmir once you enter the Union Territory. The installation of the WiFi facility is a welcome step by the government," Arjun Kumar, a pilgrim, said.

Meanwhile, Amarnath pilgrims reaching Jammu from different parts of the country demanded opening of many more counters to facilitate their smooth registration.

Six counters including the one for Sadhus are already functional for Tatkal' registration of pilgrims intending to pay obeisance at the 3,880 metre high holy cave of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas.

The 43-day-long started on June 30 from the twin routes traditional 48-km Nunwan in south Kashmir's Pahalgam and 14-km shorter Baltal in central Kashmir's Ganderbal.

Five counters have been established for Tatkal registration of the pilgrims



at Vaishnavi Dham, Mahajan Sabha, Panchayat Ghar and two at Geeta Bhawan and Ram Mandir for the registration of Sadhus, while a token counter has also been established at Saraswati Dham for the convenience of pilgrims and crowd management.

Many pilgrims complained about standing in long queues for hours and demanded the setting up of more counters.

Deputy Commissioner Jammu Avny Lavasa on Saturday paid a surprise visit to the Jammu railway station to inspect the arrangements for the Yatra.

The Deputy Commissioner visited the RFID centre established at the Tourist Railway Centre building within the premises of Railway Station.

She also inspected the Volunteer Help Desks established by district administration, in addition to counters and help desks established by Government Railway Police, at different places in the railway station to guide and help yatri passengers, an official spokesman said.

The Deputy Commissioner also reviewed the security and other arrangements including token and registration services at the railway station, Vaishnavi Dham and Panchayat Bhawan.

(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 group of rebel Maharashtra MLAs and Independents led by Chief Minister on Saturday evening left for from in a chartered flight.

The MLAs, led by Shinde, left for the airport at Dabolim from the starred hotel in Dona Paula where they had been camping since June 29 in two buses.

The chartered flight took off at 7:10 PM, airport officials said.

In Mumbai, security has been tightened at the airport to avoid any untoward incident against the backdrop of protests by cadres in the recent past.

These MLAs are expected to attend the special two-day session of the Maharashtra Assembly beginning July 3 during which a new Speaker will be elected and the newly-formed government will face the vote of confidence.

The breakaway MLAs had landed in from Guwahati with Shinde on June 29 amid the political crisis in Maharashtra.

On Wednesday, the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government collapsed following the resignation of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray a day before the floor test.

Shinde took oath as the CM on Thursday with Devendra Fadnavis of BJP as his deputy.

(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.)
district in has reported 546 new positive cases, taking its infection tally to 7,28,511, a health official said on Saturday.

With the addition of these cases on Friday, there are now 5,110 active cases in the district, he said.

As one patient died due to the infection during the day, the fatality count reached 11,907, while the number of recovered patients has gone up to 7,10,948, the official added.

(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 hike in import duty on gold is designed to dampen import demand. The basic duty hike to 12.5 per cent from 7.5 per cent also has a load of 3 per cent goods and services tax (GST). In an exclusive interview with Shrimi Choudhary and Arup Roychoudhury, Union said the Centre had kept the promises made to states and hence there was trust at the recently-held GST Council meeting. On broader economic issues, Sitharaman said while there were still uncertainties on the expenditure side of things, she was confident of a healthy tax revenue buoyancy in FY23



is the route to economic revival, says FM



The government would depend on its public capital expenditure programme to revive demand in the economy and might not go for sector-specific fiscal measures, told Business Standard on Friday. In a wide-ranging interview, Sitharaman said the Centre would finalise the privatisation of a public sector bank soon. Also, the fiscal deficit and growth situation were very comfortable this year in spite of continuing external headwinds, she added. Read more

Trust between Centre and states intact in GST Council: FM Sitharaman

In an exclusive interview with Shrimi Choudhary and Arup Roychoudhury, Union Nirmala Sitharaman said the Centre had kept the promises made to states and hence there was trust at the recently-held GST Council meeting. On broader economic issues, Sitharaman said while there were still uncertainties on the expenditure side of things, she was confident of a healthy tax revenue buoyancy in FY23. The FM said the high level of government debt-to-GDP ratio should not be a concern against the backdrop of two years of the Covid-19 pandemic. Read more

Profit at country's top-10 biz groups grows at 30.6% CAGR to Rs 2.57 trn

The past three years have been among the best for India's top business groups in terms of margins and profits. Six of the country's top ten business groups by revenue reported 35 per cent-plus annualised growth in their group profits during these years. The top gainers were groups with a big play in industrial metals such as steel and non-ferrous metals. Read more

Import duty hike likely to weigh on stocks of gold jewellery retailers

The hike in import duty on gold is designed to dampen import demand. The basic duty hike to 12.5 per cent from 7.5 per cent also has a load of 3 per cent goods and services tax (GST). This hike is designed to ease pressure on the countrys trade account and the rupee. Gold is the second biggest item on the import list and accounted for $46 billion in financial year 2021-22 (FY22), up from $34.6 billion in FY21. Volumes rose to at least 842 tonnes, according to latest official data between April 2021 and February 2022, versus 642 tonnes in FY21 (April 2020-March 2021). Read more

Coal India, the producer with no experience in importing supplies

One of the quirky elements of the coal supply crisis is that the government has nominated a company with no experience of importing coal as a sort of canalising agency to import for government- and private-owned power generation companies. This is state-owned Coal India Ltd (CIL), the worlds largest producer and monopoly domestic supplier. It is unclear why the coal ministry decided that it would not be useful to rope in specialised state-run importers such as MMTC. Read more

20 yrs of privatised Delhi discoms: Leap in tech but feet tied in populism

At the dawn of this century, the Sheila Dikshit-led Delhi government of the time took the bold decision of privatising the power distribution business in the national capital. A similar model was shaping up only in two other cities  Ahmedabad and Surat. This made the Delhi model the largest and also the most politically sensitive. During the two decades, Delhis electricity sector has never been out of the news. In the initial years, the Bharatiya Janata Party used it to attack Dikshit with charges of crony capitalism, and since 2013, it is a populist tool for the current Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. Read more
Riaz Akhtari and Ghouse Mohammad, who allegedly hacked tailor Kanhaiya Lal to death in Udaipur, will be produced before a special NIA court on Saturday.

According to sources, the accused will be produced before a special NIA court which is likely to seek their custodial remand for 14 days.

A Pakistani national had sent Ghouse Mohammad a message saying "Kuch kar ke dikhao", which meant now execute the killing, they said.

Both the accused were also in touch with Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

"Ghouse was in touch with nine Pakistani nationals having terrorist background. He received a number of calls from Pakistan during the . His Pakistani handler had given him more terrorist task to accomplish. He was also asked to kill a businessman in sector 11 of . Two persons -- Mohsin and Asif -- were asked to conduct a recee of all the targets," said the sources.

In 2014, Ghouse had gone to Karachi where he came in contact with the Dawat-e-Islami organisation. Since then he was in touch with them. He took training in terrorism there.

The gruesome act was recorded at the behest of a Pakistani handler claiming it to be a revenge for insulting Islam. Later, they posted the video on social media to enable terrorist organisations across the world access it.

In the viral video, one of the two accused could be heard saying: "I will make the video viral when I accomplish my goal to teach a lesson to the accused who has shown disrespect to our God."

The incident sent panic wave across the country and Rajasthan Government immediately shut down internet service for a day to avoid untoward incident.

--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.)
Minister of State for IT met UK Prime Minister on Friday and discussed future collaborations and partnerships between India and the UK in and sectors, according to an official release.

Briefing reporters later, Chandrasekhar said both India and the UK want to dramatically expand the economy, the release said.

"Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information on Friday met UK Prime Minister along with a delegation of Indian startups, unicorns and innovators," it said adding that they both discussed future collaborations and partnerships between the two sides on and the sector.

Chandrasekhar also met Paul Scully, British MP in this regard.

"We want to take the digital economy to be 25 per cent of the total economy. The UK government also wants to expand the slice of that pie too," Chandrasekhar told reporters.

He also held ministerial roundtable discussions with Priti Patel, Home Secretary- UK, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board of Trade- Government of UK and Chris Philip, Minister for Technology and Digital Economy UK at the India Global Forum.

Chandrasekhar outlined the rapid strides taken by India in the field of technology, and informed that the country is designing gear and manufacturing devices that go into making of products.

Chandrasekhar also attended a session on the Future of Digital at the IGF, UK where he spoke on the rapid digitalisation and the need for safeguarding 'Digital Nagriks' against user harm.

He called for collaboration among counties, especially like-minded democracies, to ensure safety and trust for the users in the boundaryless domain of cyberspace. Safety and trust would be paramount, he said adding that India is keen to work with partner countries in shaping the future of a secure internet.

"The data economy has created an awareness that something needs to be done for the safety of user citizens. We as policymakers, have to look at data from the prism of user safety. In the growth of the internet and big tech influence, we are at an inflection point," the minister said.

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The on Friday introduced new assessment guidelines for government, government-aided and recognised unaided schools in the national capital in which students will now be assessed for the impact of mindset curricula in their behaviour, along with other scholastic subjects.

This will be a supplement to the evaluation norms that already exist and are based on co-curricular and academic activity.

This academic year, the Kejriwal Government amended the assessment criteria, and going forward, students will also be evaluated on their competencies in addition to their knowledge of key courses. Incorporating assessments of competencies learned through these curricula is being primarily done to emphasise the growth of social, ethical, and emotional capacities in addition to cognitive abilities. These objectives are consistent with the pedagogy and objectives of the mindset curriculum as envisioned in the NEP 2020.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who also holds the portfolio, said in a statement, "In order to prepare students for real-world challenges in a world driven by information and technology and to maximise their innate potential, schools must prioritise competency-based learning.""The new assessment standards will also motivate students to contribute to society's advancement. As the curriculum has been in use for some time, it is appropriate to include it in the assessment process at this time. Further, no weightage of marks obtained will be calculated for the promotion of a student to the next higher class," he added.As per the new assessment guidelines, students of classes 3-8 will be assessed for Happiness and Deshbhakti curricula, while students of Class 9 and Class 11 will be assessed for Deshbhakti and Entrepreneurship Mindset Curricula. It is to be noted here that students of Class 11 will have an additional criterion for assessment, which is their participation in Business Blasters.

Further detailing the procedure of assessment, Sisodia added that "question papers will be set in a manner where students will have to answer questions based on the application of concepts of this curriculum in real-life/unfamiliar situations.

Along with that, he said students will also have unique project works based on the curriculum.

"This new process of assessment will further strengthen the critical thinking and analytical abilities of the students. It will also help them get rid of the need for rote learning methods that create excessive and unnecessary stress on students during examinations," Sisodia added.

As per the new assessment guidelines of the Directorate of Education, in the academic session 2022-23, the mid-term examination will be conducted in September/October and Common Annual School Examination (CASE) will be conducted in February/March. The question papers for the mid-term examination will be set out of the syllabus supposed to be covered up to the midterm exam.The question papers of annual examinations will be set out from the syllabus as prescribed by CBSE and the Directorate of Education, Delhi. Also, question papers in mid-term, pre-board and annual exams shall be set in a manner to assess the comprehension, competencies and other skills as required. The pattern of questions particularly in secondary and senior secondary classes shall be the same as that of the questions set at the CBSE Board examinations.

The new guidelines said a greater number of competency-based questions or questions that assess the application of concepts in real-life/unfamiliar situations will be part of the question paper in mid-term, pre-board and annual exams.

The result of each examination shall be analysed and difficult topics/chapters in different subjects will be identified for arranging the remedial and enrichment programmes.

Further, a summary of the analysis of class-wise and subject-wise results shall be prepared and kept on record to serve as an input to academic enrichment and remedial purposes.

Lastly, examinations shall be conducted in such a manner that chances of copying, favouritism, injustice and victimisation shall be reduced to the minimum.

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A high-level US delegation met with senior representatives in Qatar to discuss concerns about expanding restrictions on the rights of Afghans and issues concerning the continuing presence of terrorist organizations in the country.

In a meeting that was held in Doha, US officials led by Special Representative for Thomas West covered matters like earthquake relief, economic stabilization, and counternarcotics.

"The reiterated their pledge to not allow the territory of to be used by anyone to threaten any country. US officials expressed concern regarding the continuing presence of al-Qaida, ISIS-K, and other terrorist organizations in Afghanistan," the US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement.

"The expressed condolences for the loss of life and suffering in caused by recent earthquakes and outlined robust U.S. support, including USD 55 million in new assistance from USAID for the delivery of life-saving shelter, sanitation, and hygiene materials for affected populations, and to support the ongoing crisis across the country," he added.

Price said the two teams discussed the community's humanitarian support for Afghanistan, including over USD 774 million provided by the since August 2021.

In the meeting with the representative, the US registered its concerns regarding increased interference by the Taliban in the delivery of humanitarian assistance. Both sides agreed on the critical importance of maintaining uninterrupted access to basic healthcare throughout the country while addressing concerns regarding transparency in the delivery of services.

Regarding economic stabilization, the welcomed a recent payment of arrears owed to financial institutions and discussed US support for steps to enhance the availability of afghani currency in the economy.

The two sides discussed in detail US actions to preserve USD 3.5 billion in Afghan central bank reserves for the benefit of the Afghan people as well as steps to build confidence in the central bank, Da Afghanistan Bank.

Price said the Taliban's ongoing and expanding restrictions on the rights of Afghan women and girls was a central focus of US officials' engagement with the Taliban.

"The United States supports the Afghan people's demands that girls be allowed to return to school and that women be allowed to work, contribute to the country's economic growth, and move and express themselves freely, lines of effort that Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls, and Human Rights Rina Amiri is leading in coordination with her inter-agency colleagues," the State Department spokesperson said.

Price stated that US Special Representative West made clear the critical linkage between progress on the protection of Afghans' rights and steps toward normalizing America's ties with the Taliban.

The two sides noted an interest in additional exchanges regarding counternarcotics, and disaster response preparedness.

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Covid-19 infections are rising again across the as an estimated 2.3 million people or one in 30 has the virus, an increase of 32 per cent on the week before, says a new report.

According to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the rise is being driven by two new fast-spreading sub-variants of Omicron called BA.4 and BA.5, reports the BBC.

People can be infected even if they have had Covid-19 before, but jabs are helping to protect against serious illness.

Health officials are urging anyone over 75 who has not had a vaccine or booster in the past six months, to get one, the report said.

"Across the we've seen a continued increase of over half a million infections, likely caused by the growth of BA.4 and BA.5 variants," Sarah Crofts, from the ONS, was quoted as saying.

In its analysis of England, it found infections were going up in all regions and all age groups. In Scotland, which has had the highest Covid-19 rates in the since the end of May, the rise in infections may be slowing slightly.

The number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care has reached 211 in England, which is an increase from 111 at the start of June.

Back in January 2021, more than 3,700 people needed this type of care at a time when intensive care units were in danger of being overwhelmed.

--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.)
Four workers of Imami Agritech Ltd, an edible oil factory, fell seriously ill after they were exposed to noxious gases while cleaning the drainage area of the plant at Pantapalem in Muthukuru mandal. (DC representational Photo)

Nellore: Four workers of Imami Agritech Ltd, an edible oil factory, fell seriously ill after they were exposed to noxious gases while cleaning the drainage area of the plant at Pantapalem in Muthukuru mandal on Friday.

The workers were shifted to a corporate hospital in Nellore for treatment and their condition certified to be stable.

The oil refining unit processes palm oil. Workers rushed out when they felt suffocation while cleaning the sludge that had been separated from oil and deposited in tubs.

Police said three workers fell unconscious while another complained about giddiness. They were shifted to Nellore for treatment. A case has been booked against the oil firm.

District collector Chakradhar Babu has asked the RDO, Nellore, to probe the incident.

Nearly 10 oil refineries exist close to Krishnapatnam port and the local population has been expressing concern over the lack of safety measures in these units.

Locals said such incidents are common in the area.

Political leaders who visited the spot said workers saved their lives by running away from there. They said the management of these plants should ensure safety of their workers as also the local population.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the US has offered a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to the arrest of 'Crypto Queen' Ruja Ignatova.

The FBI, which added her to its 'Ten Most Wanted Fugitives' list, said that Ignatova is being sought for her alleged leadership of a massive fraud scheme that affected millions of investors worldwide.

In 2014, Ignatova and her partner founded OneCoin, a Bulgarian-based company that was marketed as a new virtual currency that would be the "Bitcoin killer".

Ignatova allegedly made false statements and representations about OneCoin to draw people to invest in OneCoin packages.

According to investigators, Ignatova and her partner also promoted OneCoin through a multi-level marketing strategy that urged OneCoin investors to sell additional packages to friends and family, the said in a statement.

"OneCoin claimed to have a private blockchain. This is in contrast to other virtual currencies, which have a decentralised and public blockchain. In this case, investors were just asked to trust OneCoin," said Special Agent Ronald Shimko.

Ignatova capitalised on the excitement surrounding cryptocurrencies to draw in new investors.

While the company is said to have used many of the terms associated with virtual currencies, investigators believe that OneCoins were not mined in the way traditional to cryptocurrencies.

In addition, the value of OneCoin was determined by the company rather than market demand, said the .

Throughout the scheme, OneCoin is believed to have defrauded victims all over the world out of billions.

Ignatova targeted individuals who may not have fully understood the ins and outs of cryptocurrencies but were moved by her impressive resume and the marketing strategies used by OneCoin.

"There are so many victims all over the world who were financially devastated by this," Shimko said. "We want to bring her to justice."

Ignatova is only the 11th woman to have been selected to be on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list in its 72-year history.

"She is currently 42 years old and has brown eyes and dark brown to black hair. Investigators, however, believe she could have altered her physical appearance," said the FBI.

--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.)
The Japanese government for the first time in seven years has requested that businesses and households begin a three-month period of conserving electricity to avoid a power crunch as temperatures have hit record highs during a scorching .

The government did not specify an exact target for a reduction in power use through September, but urged people to lower power consumption levels without causing disruption to firms' operations or the daily lives of citizens, Xinhua news agency reported.

The government on Friday said that between 5 p.m. to 8 p.m, when solar power generation declines, it would be particularly important for people to take energy-conserving measures to avoid a power crunch.

Temperatures topped 40 degrees Celsius at a record six locations across Japan, according to local media, and hit 37 degrees Celsius in Tokyo on Friday, breaking the country's "extreme heat" line of 35 degrees Celcius for the seventh straight day.

As a result of the unusually hot temperatures for this time of year, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) urged people to continue using air conditioners amid concerns over heatstroke and other heat-related illnesses.

METI said rather than switching off air conditioners, other power conserving measures could be taken such as switching off lights and unnecessary electrical appliances.

Japan's weather agency issued a heatstroke alert on Friday for wide swathes of the nation spanning the Kanto-Koshin to Kyushu regions, as hospitals have seen a spike in heatstroke cases.

With the scorching heat set to continue, Japan's Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Seiji Kihara also urged the people to remove face masks when outdoors to help prevent heatstroke.

"We are asking the public to take off the masks except for when talking at a short distance," Kihara told a press briefing on the matter.

--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.)
Japanese Ambassador to Mizukoshi Hideaki on Friday said that is ready to support for its economic programme with the Monetary Fund (IMF) and for the development activities of the country.

In a statement, the President's Media Division said that during the discussion between the Japanese Ambassador and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Hideaki said that continuous efforts will be made to further strengthen the economic, social and cultural relations with island nations, Daily Mirror Online reported.

Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa during the discussion expressed his deep appreciation to for its support to Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, the Japanese Embassy in a statement on their FaceBook page said that is closely paying attention to the current difficult economic situation in Sri Lanka and the severe humanitarian situation accompanying it.

"Considering such a situation, the Government of Japan has decided to provide Emergency Grant Aid of USD three (3) million through UNICEF and WFP in order to provide medicine and food in a manner that would directly benefit the Sri Lankan people. Japan sincerely hopes that this assistance will be of help to overcome the hardship faced by the people of Sri Lanka, Japan's long-standing friends," the Embassy said as quoted by Daily Mirror Online.

The statement further added that the Japanese government would like to consider its further contribution to Sri Lanka in consultation with the Government of Sri Lanka and other developing partners while giving attention to the situation of Sri Lanka and the negotiation progress between Sri Lanka and IMF. Earlier also, Japan had come forward and helped Sri Lanka. Even Japan had joined hands with Sri Lanka to address the crisis in Sri Lanka.

Both the countries reached this agreement after the meeting on May 24, on the sidelines of the powerful regional grouping, the 'Quadrilateral Security Dialogue' (QSD) meeting, Colombo Gazette reported.

"They also discussed the situation in Sri Lanka and confirmed that they will cooperate with each other in light of the current economic crisis and deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the country," the Japanese Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Earlier in May, the Japanese government came forward to help Sri Lanka by providing USD 1.5 million for essential medicines through UNICEF to meet the urgent needs of the population.

The contribution of USD 1.5 million will help UNICEF to procure the medicines for over 1.2 million people including 53,000 pregnant mothers and nearly 122,000 children in immediate need, Colombo Page reported.

Deputy Ambassador of Japan in Sri Lanka, Katsuki Kotaro said, "It is our great honour that Japan will be providing USD 1.5 million emergency grant assistance to the people of Sri Lanka to procure the most urgently needed 25 types of medicines within the next two months through UNICEF. We believe that this will help improve access to essential life-saving medical services, especially for pregnant women and children, who are most likely to be affected by the economic crisis."

Presently, Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis since independence with food and fuel shortages, soaring prices, and power cuts affecting a large number of the citizens.

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French President met Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to discuss the future ties between the two countries after the submarine row.

The French presidential palace, the Elysee, on Friday said Macron and Albanese reaffirmed their commitment to build a "closer and stronger bilateral relationship based on mutual trust and respect".

"The new position, proactive, ambitious, offers us an opportunity to move forward together on new projects within the framework of initiatives launched these recent years," the French President said.

For his part, the Australian Prime Minister noted that his visit "represents a new start for our countries' relationship".

"Australia's relationship with matters. Trust, respect and honesty matter. This is how I will approach my relations," he said.

In response, Macron said to the press that "we will speak about the future, not the past".

The relationship between and deteriorated when in 2021 cancelled a multi-billion-dollar order for submarines with French-owned shipbuilder Naval Group, Xinhua news agency reported.

--IANS

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The World Health Organization's chief warned Friday that monkeypox cases in the region have tripled in the last two weeks and urged countries to do more to ensure the previously rare disease does not become entrenched on the continent.

And African health authorities said they are treating the expanding monkeypox outbreak as an emergency, calling on rich countries to share limited supplies of vaccines to avoid equity problems seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.

WHO chief Dr. Hans Kluge said in a statement that increased efforts were needed despite the U.N. health agency's decision last week that the escalating outbreak did not yet warrant being declared a global health emergency.

Urgent and coordinated action is imperative if we are to turn a corner in the race to reverse the ongoing spread of this disease, Kluge said.

To date, more than 5,000 monkeypox cases have been reported from 51 countries worldwide that don't normally report the disease, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Kluge said the number of infections in represents about 90% of the global total, with 31 countries in the WHO's European region having identified cases.

Kluge said data reported to the WHO show that 99% of cases have been in men the majority in men that have sex with men. But he said there were now small numbers of cases among household contacts, including children. Most people reported symptoms including a rash, fever, fatigue, muscle pain, vomiting and chills.

Scientists warn anyone who is in close physical contact with someone who has monkeypox or their clothing or bedsheets is at risk of infection. Vulnerable populations like children and pregnant women are thought more likely to suffer severe disease.

About 10% of patients were hospitalized for treatment or to be isolated, and one person was admitted to an intensive care unit. No deaths have been reported.

Kluge said the problem of stigmatization in some countries might make some people wary of seeking health care and said the WHO was working with partners including organizers of gay pride events.

In the U.K., which has the biggest monkeypox outbreak beyond Africa, officials have noted the disease is spreading in defined sexual networks of gay, bisexual, or men who have sex with men. British health authorities said there were no signs suggesting sustained transmission beyond those populations.

A leading WHO adviser said in May that the spike in cases in Europe was likely tied to sexual activity by men at two rave parties in Spain and Belgium.

Ahead of gay pride events in the U.K. this weekend, London's top public health doctor asked people with symptoms of monkeypox, like swollen glands or blisters, to stay home.

Nevertheless in the WHO says that according to detailed data from Ghana monkeypox cases were almost evenly split between men and women, and no spread has been detected among men who have sex with men.

WHO Europe director Kluge also said the procurement of vaccines must apply the principles of equity.

The main vaccine being used against monkeypox was originally developed for smallpox and the European Medicines Agency said this week it was beginning to evaluate whether it should be authorized for monkeypox. The WHO has said supplies of the vaccine, made by Bavarian Nordic, are extremely limited.

Countries including the U.K. and Germany have already begun vaccinating people at high risk of monkeypox; the U.K. recently widened its immunization program to mostly gay and bisexual men who have multiple sexual partners and are thought to be most vulnerable.

Until May, monkeypox had never been known to cause large outbreaks beyond parts of central and west Africa, where it's been sickening people for decades, is endemic in several countries and mostly causes limited outbreaks when it jumps to people from infected wild animals.

To date, there have been about 1,800 suspected monkeypox cases in Africa, including more than 70 deaths, but only 109 have been lab-confirmed. The lack of laboratory diagnosis and weak surveillance means many cases are going undetected.

This particular outbreak for us means an emergency, said Ahmed Ogwell, the acting director of the Centers for Disease Control.

The WHO says monkeypox has spread to African countries where it hasn't previously been seen, including South Africa, Ghana and Morocco. But more than 90% of the continent's infections are in Congo and Nigeria, according to WHO director, Dr. Moeti Matshidiso.

Vaccines have never been used to stop monkeypox outbreaks in Africa; officials have relied mostly on contact tracing and isolation.

The WHO noted that similar to the scramble last year for COVID-19 vaccines, countries with supplies of vaccines for monkeypox are not yet sharing them with Africa.

We do not have any donations that have been offered to (poorer) countries, said Fiona Braka, who heads the WHO emergency response team in Africa. We know that those countries that have some stocks, they are mainly reserving them for their own populations.

Matshidiso said the WHO was in talks with manufacturers and countries with stockpiles to see if they might be shared.

We would like to see the global spotlight on monkeypox act as a catalyst to beat this disease once and for all in Africa, she said Thursday.
T. Raja Kumar of Singapore has been appointed as the president of (FATF), the anti-money laundering watchdog.

Kumar has replaced Marcus Pleyer who was holding the post till now, and will discharge his service for next two years.

"Raja Kumar starts as President today. He will focus on enhancing the effectiveness of global anti-money laundering & counter-terrorist financing measures, improving asset recovery and other initiatives," tweeted while making the announcement on Friday.

Kumar has been working against global terror financing for quite a long time.

Soon after taking over the charge, Kumar presented his objectives for the coming Plenary period (July 2022 -June 2024) to strength the .

"During the Singapore Plenary years, the FATF will prioritise work in strengthening Asset Recovery, countering Illicit Finance of cyber-enabled crime, increasing Effectiveness of Global AML Measures, Reinforcing FATF Partnerships with FSRBs. During the Singapore Presidency, the FATF will continue its core work of identifying and analysing money laundering and terrorist financing methods and trends, developing and refining the FATF Standards, and evaluating and supporting the assessments of countries within the Global Network," Kumar said.

Raja Kumar holds an LLB (Hons) degree from the National University of Singapore and a Master's degree in Philosophy (Criminology and Law) from the University of Cambridge. Kumar also attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard University in 2006.

Kumar had been assisting the Ministry of Home Affairs, Singapore and the Singapore Police Force for over 35 years.

--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.)
on Saturday issued the third-highest alert against a scorching on Saturday, 18 days earlier compared to last year.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety issues the alert when the daily temperature ceiling in over 40 per cent of the country reaches 33 degrees Celsius or higher for at least three straight days, reports Yonhap News Agency.

Under the heat alert, the Ministry is looking at measures to support workers who are vulnerable to inclement weather, including construction workers, elderly farmers and senior single-person households.

--IANS

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Even though the pandemic decimated its ridership, ride-hailing platform has recorded 998 incidents, including 141 rapes, in the US in 2020.

Following a CNN investigation into and abuse on the ride-hailing platform four years ago, the platform has released a 78-page report regarding safety incidents, which covers 2019 and 2020.

The company said it received 3,824 reports of the five most severe categories of sexual assault, which range from "non-consensual kissing of a non-sexual body part" to "non-consensual sexual penetration," or rape, reports CNN.

That is down from the 5,981 reports it recorded in 2017 and 2018, per its first report released in December 2019.

said that riders were the accused party 43 per cent of the time in incident reports, similar to its previous report (45 per cent).

Notably, Uber's total number of US trips over the two years fell to 2.1 billion down from 2.3 billion in the first report, and average trips fell from 3.1 million to 2.8 million per day.

The company noted that the rate of sexual assault reports decreased by 38 per cent from the first report to the second.

The 141 rape reports in 2020 mark a decline from 2019, in which it recorded 247 reports. During the same period, total trips in the fell to 650 million in 2020, from 1.4 billion trips in 2019, according to the report.

When it comes to rape reports, such incidents made up 0.00002 per cent of total trips.

About 91 per cent of the victims of rape were riders and about 7 per cent of the victims were drivers. Women made up 81 per cent of the victims while men comprised about 15 per cent (nearly double that of the first report).

--IANS

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pressed on with his campaign to obtain support from Latin America with calls Friday to the leaders of and .

"I continue to establish relations with an important region Latin America," Zelenskyy wrote on social media.

The conversations with Alberto Fernndez of and Gabriel Boric of came a little more than two weeks after Zelenskyy spoke with Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso and Guatemalans President Alejandro Giammattei.

At the time, Zelenskyy said in a speech that the conversations with Lasso and Giammattei marked "the beginning of our new policy of restoring relations with Latin America."



Fernndez held a 35-minute call with Ukraine's leader, in which he offered help in any negotiations that may take place with Russia, Argentina's government said in a news release.

As the current head of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, Fernndez told Zelenskyy, "Latin America is a continent of peace that rejects the use of force and promotes dialogue to resolve conflicts," according to the release.

Before the war, Fernndez was moving to improve relations with Russia. In a sit-down with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in early February, Fernndez said should become the "entry door to Latin America" for Russia. Fernndez later condemned Russia's invasion.

Boric wrote on social media that in his convesation with Zelenskyy he "expressed my solidarity and our willingness to support the condemnations of the invasion in organizations."



" has a friend in South America," Boric added.

Zelenskyy wrote that he thanked Boric for his country's support in the United Nations and "discussed the possibility of involving Chilean specialists in demining.
A conference warned Friday that measures needed to protect the world's oceans are lagging and urged countries to accelerate their implementation.

More than 6,000 senior officials, scientists and activists from more than 120 countries attended a five-day UN Conference in Lisbon, Portugal.

A declaration published on the final day said delegates were deeply alarmed by the global emergency facing the ocean, whose sustainability is critical for the planet.

The declaration said that action is not advancing at the speed or scale required to meet our goals.

Greater ambition is required at all levels to address the dire state of the ocean, it concluded.

The oceans are under threat from global warming, pollution, acidification and other problems.

A key step is a new agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction, also known as the Treaty of the High Seas.

That treaty aims to establish a comprehensive legal framework for the high seas, which cover some 70% of the earth's surface and provide food and livelihoods for billions of people.

After 10 years of talks, however, negotiating countries still haven't clinched a deal, frustrating activists. A fifth round of talks is scheduled for August in New York.

Greenpeace said words were not enough.

Laura Meller from the environmental group's Protect the Oceans campaign, said that if declarations could save the oceans they wouldn't be on the brink of collapse.

The crunch will come at next month's talks, when governments aim to finalize the global treaty that, at a minimum, seeks to ensure the protection of 30% of the world's oceans by 2030.

Anything less than that is just not enough, Meller said.

French President Emmanuel Macron and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres attended part of the conference.

Guterres blamed the egoism of some countries for the failure to strike a global oceans agreement so far.
HYDERABAD: The Bharatiya Janata Partys national executive meeting has strongly endorsed the Garib Kalyan-oriented schemes and programmes of Prime Minister Narendra Modis government, and praised the government for steering the country to stay on a path of growth amidst difficult circumstances sparked by the Coronavirus pandemic.

On Saturday, the first day of the two-day conclave of the BJP, the partys national executive that began its meeting after Modis arrival in the afternoon at HICC  the venue for the meeting  passed a resolution on the economic situation in the country, according to Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who briefed media on the subject.

The resolution was proposed by Union defence minister Rajnath Singh and was seconded by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Union minister for textiles, commerce and industry Piyush Goel.

Pradhan said the national executive praised the 8.7 per cent growth the country has achieved despite the challenges posed by the pandemic that adversely affected the economies of several other countries. Saying that double-digit growth for the country is not very far away, he added that the resolution praised the Modi governments work during the Covid pandemic and made a special mention of how the Central government spending Rs 2,60,000 crore over the past 25 months, has been supporting and helping nearly 80 crore poor people by providing them with free rations to help them negotiate the challenging times and emerge from the stress and strain of the adversities with hope for the future.

He said that during eight years of the Modi government, exports from the country increased, as did foreign direct investments in India. A host of initiatives, from GST and PLI to PMAY and Har Ghar Nal Mein Jal, were employed, he said, which helped India achieve the status of the sixth robust economy in the world.

He said that the national executive also discussed the Agnipath scheme and the filling up of 10 lakh vacancies as announced by the Central government recently.

The effective leadership of the Modi government increased the Prime Ministers acceptance among people, particularly in light of the management of the pandemic, which saw the Indian economy stay strong, he said. Pradhan added the Modi government does not and will not compromise on its promise of ensuring the welfare of the poor and the middle class.

Earlier in the day, Union minister for women and children Smriti Irani said that BJP president J.P. Nadda also praised the BJP government and took note of important milestones of the eight years of Modi as the Prime Minister, including the abrogation of Article 370, Modis determination to implement Antyodaya  making the fruits of development reach those at the very tail-end of the development spectrum.

She said Nadda made special mention of sacrifices made by BJP workers in West Bengal, where they were butchered, in Kerala, where they have been attacked and killed, and in Jammu and Kashmir, where they stood up bravely in face of severe adversity to uphold the Constitution of India and the one-country, one-rule principle.

She also said that Nadda complimented the Prime Minister for nominating Droupadi Murmu as the NDAs Presidential poll candidate, demonstrating Modis commitment to the role of STs, and women in the country.




president on Friday removed Eknath Shinde who revolted against him and succeeded him as the new Chief Minister from the post of leader.

Shinde has been removed for indulging in "anti-party activities", said a statement.

The political crisis in was created by a revolt in Shiv Sena led by Shinde who stayed in Guwahati with other MLAs supporting him. resigned on Wednesday.

Earlier on Friday, former Chief Minister lashed out at the BJP for giving the Chief Ministerial slot to Eknath Shinde, a rebel Shiv Sena leader, and said that had the former ally partner agreed to this earlier, there would have been no Maha Vikas Aghadi in the state.

The Shiv Sena and BJP had parted ways after the 2019 Assembly elections in the state after the former demanded 2.5 years of Chief Ministership each for both the parties during the term of five years, which the latter had not agreed to. Shiv Sena had then stitched an alliance with rival NCP and Congress to form the government.

Talking about the swearing-in ceremony of Shinde who was appointed as the Chief Minister and Devendra Fadnavis who was sworn in as his Deputy, Thackeray said, "About what happened yesterday, I had told Amit Shah earlier as well that there should be a Shiv Sena CM for 2.5 years (during Shiv Sena-BJP alliance). Had they done this earlier, there would have been no Maha Vikas Aghadi."

Hitting out at Shinde, who led the revolt against him for over a week which culminated in the resignation of Thackeray from the office, the Shiv Sena chief said that the new CM is not from his party which the BJP has aimed at making. He said that he had told Union Home Minister Amit Shah in 2019 about the distribution of the Chief Ministerial post for 2.5 years each.

"The manner in which government has been formed and a so-called Shiv Sena worker has been made CM, I had said the same to Amit Shah. This could have been done respectfully. The Shiv Sena was officially with you (at that time). This CM (Eknath Shinde) is not a Shiv Sena CM," Thackeray said.

The Eknath Shinde's government in Maharashtra will face a Vote of Confidence on July 4, to prove its majority in the State Assembly.

The Special Session of the Maharashtra Assembly will be held on July 3 and 4.

(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.)
Zee Media Corporation on Friday announced that Sudhir Chaudhary has tendered his resignation from the position of chief financial officer (CEO) of the company with effect from 1 July 2022.

Chaudhary also ceased to be key managerial personnel of the company from the same date.

The company said that it has initiated the process for nomination of Abhay Ojha, chief business officer of the company as the key managerial personnel in place of Sudhir Chaudhary.

Zee Media Corporation is mainly engaged in the business of broadcasting of satellite television channels i.e. news / current affairs and regional language channels and sale of television programs.

On consolidated basis, the company reported a net loss of Rs 51.45 crore as against a net profit of Rs 10.50 crore in Q4 FY22 over Q4 FY21. Net sales rose 35.4% to Rs 247.73 crore during the quarter.

Shares of Zee Media Corporation rose 0.94% to Rs 14.03 on Friday.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

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Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders joined the pourakarmikas (municipal workers) who are protesting at Freedom Park demanding redressal of their problems.

Speaking to reporters, Karnataka AAP president Prithvi Reddy said, "AAP in Delhi and Punjab has encouraged pourakarmikas to participate in the elections and win them. This has given political strength to the sentiments of pourakarmikas. However, in Karnataka, BJP has turned blind to the problems and pains of pourakarmikas. The BJP government is stubborn by not responding to repeated protests of pourakarmikas."

The AAP leader said the state government must provide safety shields, retirement facilities, equal pay for equal work, gratuity, maternity allowance and holidays to pourakarmikas.

"Direct job recruitment must be done. Wherever necessary, toilets must be built. If holidays are not provided, additional payment should be made for extra work done. Government must at least now work on fulfilling the demands of pourakarmikas," Reddy said.

AAP state vice-president Bhaskar Rao said that protesting pourakarmikas have complete support from the party. He demanded that the jobs of pourakarmikas must be made permanent.

"If pourakarmikas refuse to work even for a single day, waste disposal problem will worsen and people will have to close their noses. Sanitation workers, including cleaners and sweepers, are paid a meagre salary. They are unable to meet their basic needs with this salary. So, their jobs must be made permanent," said Rao.

In 2017, he said the Siddaramaiah government had proposed in the cabinet to regularise pourakarmikas, which was approved but implementation failed. None of the subsequent governments paid any attention to it.

"Under the Special Recruitment Rules 2017, only those who clean roads were treated as pourakarmikas. Sewage cleaning workers, garbage collectors, garbage truck drivers, garbage loaders and helpers are working on a contract basis. Government facilities must be made available to them," emphasized Bhaskar Rao.

(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.)
Chief Minister reached on Saturday to attend the National Working Committee meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

After leaving for Hyderabad, Adityanath tweeted, "Departed from Lucknow today to attend the two-day national executive meeting of the being held in while cherishing many sacred memories of Sanatan culture."



UP Deputy Chief Minister tweeted, "The lotus (BJP) will definitely bloom in the assembly elections in 2023."



Maurya also shared a picture of UP Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak with him from on Twitter.

In the Hyderabad meeting, many important issues, including the Lok Sabha elections to be held in 2024 are likely to be discussed.

spokesperson Harishchandra Srivastava told PTI that National Working Committee members from all over the country have participated in the Hyderabad meeting and prominent people of have also gone there.

He said organisational plans of the state can be discussed in this meeting in view of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

(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.)
NDA's Presidential candidate called on BJP allies here on Saturday and garnered their support.

During her near three-hour stopover here, Murmu met the leaders of AIADMK-- K Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam, Tamil Maanila Congress president G K Vasan, and Pattali Makkal Katchi president Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, who all extended their support.

"Though your victory becomes almost imminent, you have come all the way to Chennai to seek the support of MLAs and MPs from Tamil Nadu. It shows your simplicity and humility," Panneerselvam said during the interaction with her.

The leader, who greeted her separately along with his followers, said had former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, an embodiment of women's empowerment, been alive, she would have been very much happy to see Murmu as the next President of India.

Palaniswami, who is being projected as the next single leader of the by apparently sidelining Panneerselvam, was the first leader from the State to greet Murmu with a shawl and a bouquet. He wholeheartedly pledged the AIADMK's support for Murmu in the July 18 Presidential poll.

Palaniswami and Panneerselvam, who are at loggerheads over their party's single leadership issue, met Murmu separately along with their supporters.

Murmu was accorded a warm reception at a five star hotel upon her arrival.

Union Minister L Murugan, BJP president K Annamalai and party's legislator and BJP Mahila Morcha president Vanathi Srinivasan were among those present when Palaniswami greeted the Presidential candidate.

With her election as President of India, it will be for the first time that a woman from Scheduled Tribe would be getting a chance to occupy the highest chair of India, Panneerselvam said.

"It shows the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji towards the empowerment of women and downtrodden," he said while extending his wholehearted support for her victory.

With her diverse administrative experience as Minister in the Odisha Government and as Governor of Jharkhand in the past, there was no doubt she will function as President "effectively and efficiently in accordance with the Constitution of India," he added.

PMK President Anbumani extended support to Murmu's candidature to "uphold social justice," a party release said.

While the AIADMK, Tamil Nadu's main opposition has a strength of 66 MLAs in the 234-member house, allies PMK and BJP have 5 and 4 legislators, respectively, putting the NDA's strength in the state at 75.

The Presidential election will be held on July 18, 2022, with the opposition putting up former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha as its common candidate to take on Murmu. She had earlier in the day met the AINRC-led ruling NDA members at the neighbouring Puducherry union territory.

(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.)
If does not withdraw his decision of removing Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde from the position of ' leader', then the latter would challenge the move legally, a rebel Sena MLA said on Saturday.

president and former chief minister Thackeray on Friday removed Shinde from the post of ' leader', accusing him of indulging in "anti-party activities".

In a letter, Thackeray said Shinde had "voluntarily" given up the membership of the party, therefore "in exercise of powers vested in me as Shiv Sena party president, I remove you from the post of Shiv Sena leader in the party organisation".

Deepak Kesarkar, who is the spokesperson of the Shinde faction, told reporters in Goa, where they are currently camping, that if Thackeray doesn't reverse the decision, then legal action would be taken.

"All elected MLAs have appointed Shinde as the group leader. His removal as the Legislative Assembly group leader has also been challenged in the Supreme court. We will respond to Thackeray legally," Kesarkar asserted.

He added that Shinde, as chief minister, was now the leader of the Legislative Assembly.

"We have decided that we will not respond to any statements from . He is our leader and we respect him," the Sawantwadi MLA said.

The Shinde faction is expected to be back in Mumbai tonight to attend the special session of the Assembly beginning on Sunday.

(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.)
BJP leader was in the loop all along and aware of the developments taking place in the State said sources on Saturday and added that he accepted the post of the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra to honour the call of the top party leadership.

"Devendra was aware of every development that was happening in Maharashtra and without him and his sharp political acumen this could not have really happened. Therefore, it is too far-fetched to say that Fadnavis was not kept in the loop," a top functionary of the party told ANI.

Fadnavis went ahead and took oath as a Deputy CM after a call from PM Modi on at least two occasions, sources told ANI. Also, an appeal was made to Fadnavis on Twitter by BJP national president JP Nadda as well as Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

"There was no instruction given to Fadnavis and nobody knew that he would make an announcement that he will not be part of the government," a top leader of the party told ANI.

The sources further said that Fadnavis was asked to reconsider his decision after he made the announcement.

"Fadnavis has been a top administrator and an upright leader therefore he would be a huge addition to the government and the moment the party realized that he had made a surprise announcement he was asked to reconsider his decision within a couple of hours," the sources added.

"Devendra has been a loyal party cadre, who has risen from the ranks and therefore he understands the discipline in the system," a senior party functionary told ANI.

The sources also praised Fadnavis and said it was because of his leadership as the Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly that the party was able to win the third Rajya Sabha seat recently and also stage a massive coup against the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena government in the state.

On Thursday evening, Eknath Shinde took oath as the 20th Chief Minister of Maharashtra and Fadnavis took oath as the Deputy Chief Minister.

Meanwhile, with other contours to be settled and ministries to be declared, has decided to skip the BJP national executive meeting in Hyderabad and focus on 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.)
After long deliberations and discussions with the leaders in Delhi, the party is all set to move with the collective efforts to win the upcoming .

chief DK Shivakumar and legislative party leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah held meetings along with other leaders with the top leadership of the party at the residence of Rahul Gandhi for two days to chalk out future strategies for the upcoming polls. AICC Karnataka in charge Randeep Surjewala was also present in the meeting.

According to sources, one of the factions of state leadership wants the party should not declare face for the Chief Ministerial candidate and should go with the collective leadership in the upcoming polls.

Congress feels that this time collective efforts are much needed to take on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state and it is very necessary to go united in the poll battle to win the important state in the South, said sources.

Karnataka Congress will soon be launching the campaign programme in the state.

The Assembly elections in Karnataka are slated for next year.

Notably, BJP won three Rajya Sabha seats from Karnataka, the Congress got one seat and the Janata Dal-Secular drew a blank in the results of the biennial elections to the upper House. Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh was elected to Rajya Sabha. However, the second candidate put by Congress lost the election.

(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.)
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief on Friday said has set an example of party loyalty and commitment by taking over as deputy chief minister of the state despite being the frontrunner for the top post.

In an open letter to Fadnavis, Thackeray said the senior leader was expected to return as the chief minister of Maharashtra, but that did not happen.

"You were the chief minister for five years. To form this government you took enormous efforts and despite that you accepted the post of deputy chief minister as directed by your party, casting aside your own aspersions," Thackeray said.

"Your act has shown that the party is above any individual. This is a textbook example of loyalty to one's party. This is something every office bearer of other parties must note," Thackeray said, adding that he didn't want to get into the discussion on whether the post deputy CM was a promotion or demotion.

"When you pull the string of the bow back to aim with an arrow, that is not called a setback, said Thackeray, who also told Fadnavis he has to undertake a longer political journey and that he has proved himself before Maharashtra.

In a stunning turn of events on Thursday, Fadnavis, who was seen as the frontrunner to head the government to be formed by the with the Shiv Sena rebels led by Eknath Shinde, took oath as deputy CM while the latter got the top post.

national president JP Nadda later said Fadnavis, who had earlier announced he would not be part of the new government, was requested by the central leadership to join as Deputy CM to steer the new dispensation with his vast experience.

(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 on Friday dubbed the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government in Maharashtra as a "two-wheel scooter" whose handle is in the hands of the pillion rider and demanded the rebels apologise to party president .

State spokesman Mahesh Tapase said the BJP had termed the erstwhile Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government as a "three-wheel auto-rickshaw" pulling in different directions when the new dispensation headed by Sena rebel Shinde itself resembled a two-wheeler. Shinde took over as the chief minister on June 30. The MVA consisted of the Shiv Sena, the and the Congress. "The new government is a two-wheel scooter whose handle is with the pillion rider," he said, apparently referring to BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, who has been appointed the deputy chief minister. Tapase said the Uddhav Thackeray-led party is the "real Shiv Sena" and the rebel MLAs should go to 'Matoshree' (private residence of the Thackeray family in suburban Bandra) and seek forgiveness for raising a banner of revolt, which brought down the MVA government. He said NCP president Sharad Pawar has been served a notice by the Income Tax department, while leaders Sanjay Raut and Anil Parab are being "hounded" by the ED. "Is it just a coincidence that the MVA government has collapsed?" he asked.

Referring to the proposed move by the Shinde-Fadnavis government to relocate a Metro car shed in Aarey Colony, declared a reserved forest, he said the previous MVA regime had decided to shift the depot to another site (Kanjurmarg) to protect Mumbai's environment. He said the CAG had made several negative observations against the Jalyukt Shivar, a water conservation scheme which was discontinued by the MVA administration, but is being revived by the new government. "The scheme is being revived now to fulfil personal ambitions," the NCP spokesman said. The scheme was launched when Fadnavis was the chief minister (2014-19).

(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.)
Hyderabad: After five days, senior resident doctors in the state have called off their strike over unpaid stipends and other issues, after health minister T. Harish Rao and director of medical education Dr K. Ramesh Reddy agreed to their demands on Saturday.

The doctors were assured that all pending stipends would be credited within a week and the stipend for May 2021 would be as per attendance received from respective colleges.

Regarding clarity on completion of senior residency, which the doctors were seeking, Dr Reddy assured the doctors that he would give 12 months valid seniority certificate from the date of joining of senior residency.

The DME also considered the doctors demand of being made eligible for regular recruitments to Assistant Professor posts. In light of the above, the Telangana Senior Resident Doctors Association (TSRDA) called off the strike.
Rebel MLAs who support Chief Minister returned to from Goa on Saturday evening on the eve of a special two-day session of the state legislature which will see election for the post of Assembly Speaker as well as a floor test of the new government.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar claimed that Narhari Zirwal, the deputy Speaker, can still perform officiating Speaker's duties even though a no-confidence motion is pending against him. The post of Speaker is vacant since last year.

Earlier in the day, Sena MLA and Uddhav Thackeray loyalist Rajan Salvi filed his nomination as the candidate of the Shiv Sena-NCP- Congress coalition for the Speaker's election, which will be held on Sunday.

He will face off with first-time BJP legislator Rahul Narvekar who also filed his nomination.

On July 4, newly sworn-in Chief Minister Shinde will take a floor test.

As many as 50 MLAs who support Shinde, including 39 rebel legislators of the Shiv Sena, on Saturday evening flew to from Goa by a chartered flight. Shinde, who had flown to Goa in the morning, accompanied them back.

The MLAs were camping at a starred hotel in Dona Paula since June 29 after flying to Goa from Guwahati. Many of them had left on June 21 along with Shinde.

After landing in Mumbai, the rebel MLAs would be staying in a hotel before they attend the special session on Sunday morning, sources said.

In Mumbai, security had been tightened at the airport to avoid any untoward incident in the wake of the recent violent protests against rebel MLAs by cadres in some parts of the state.

On Wednesday, Thackeray resigned as chief minister after the Supreme Court refused to stay the floor test ordered by the governor and it became apparent that Shinde had support of the majority of Sena MLAs.

Shinde took oath as CM the next day with BJP's Devendra Fadnavis as his deputy.

The post of Assembly Speaker has been lying vacant since Nana Patole of Congress resigned in February 2021 to become his party's state unit president. Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal was officiating as acting Speaker in the meantime.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar, meanwhile, said there would be a long legal battle ahead for deciding which faction of the would be considered as the 'original' party.

"The court will have final say is what I feel, he told reporters in Pune.

On Friday, Uddhav Thackeray, who heads the Sena, removed Shinde as 'Shiv Sena leader' for "anti-party activities". MLA Deepak Kesarkar, a Shinde supporter, said the chief minister will challenge the decision in a court.

Earlier, Thackeray had appointed Ajay Chaudhary as the party's group leader in Assembly, replacing Shinde, which was approved by acting Speaker Zirwal.

On the other hand, several Independent MLAs who support Shinde also moved a motion of no-confidence against Zirwal.

Pawar claimed that the no confidence motion "does not restrict him (Zirwal) from serving the office" and he can still perform the duty of acting Speaker.

The Shiv Sena on Saturday said Fadnavis, a former chief minister, taking oath as deputy CM was a "shocking climax" to the drama of political instability in the state, and questioned the BJP why it did not show a "big heart" by honouring the pact of rotational CM in 2019 when the Sena had demanded the CM's post for two and a half years.

(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.)
RJD leader on Friday attacked the government over the law and order situation in .

In a Facebook post, he said that leaders including Deputy Chief Ministers, MPs, MLAs and MLCs are not safe under the government, and the situation has reached such an extent that they do not believe state police would provide security to them and hence, were given central paramilitary force cover.

"If the Deputy Chief Minister, MPs, MLAs and MLCs are not feeling secure with their own government, how could they provide security to the common people of The leaders are making themselves secure on the money of taxpayers. This is the real sacrifice of leaders," said.

Noting that the NDA leaders talked about 'Susashan' (good governance) during elections, but once the polls get over, they start taking potshots at each other and using abusive words on each other, he said that now, they have taken central paramilitary forces security.

"Central government should explain the reasons why it has given Y-category security to one dozen BJP leaders who are also in the ruling party. The BJP leaders spoke about the 'jungle raj' of the RJD. The BJP, which is part of government for 17 years, is running 'Mahajungle Raj' and 'Rakshas Raj' in . Hence, they are not secure with their own government," said.

Y-category security has been given to 10 BJP leaders including its state President Sanjay Jaiswal, Deputy Chief Ministers Tar Kishore Prasad and Renu Devi, and 7 other s in wake of the Agnipath protests when mobs attacked their properties. Jaiswal, in particular, was furious and alleged that the Bihar Police had deliberately not given security to BJP leaders.

--IANS

ajk/vd

(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.)
Many of the reforms triggered by the crisis made economic growth more sustainable and more resilient in the region, with stronger banks, more reserves and much stronger supervision

Jul 16, 2022 10:00 AM
Photo: Contributed Moon Mist ice cream

Food is a central part of many celebrations, and there are days even dedicated to celebrating specific foods.

Did you know that there is a Tapioca Day, Bologna Day and even Sneak Some Zucchini on Your Neighbours Porch Night? That got me thinking, with Canada Day yesterday, is there a food that represents Canada?

What is the quintessential food that Canadians consume on our national holiday?

The essence of Canada is tied intrinsically to its complex roots and multi-cultural mosaic of people, all woven into one delicious buffet. There is no one answer to what represents Canadian food.

But, in case you are looking for a new idea of something to sample or wondering what else is on the list besides your favourites, here is some food for thought (or celebrating).

Many of the celebrated food days are linked to American businesses but they are simple associations. There is no political or historical significance to National Butterscotch Pudding Day (Sept 19, in case you are a fan).

But back to Canada, July is Hot Dog Month. But those are known to be almost as American as apple pie, right?

Many people outside Canada think poutine is the quintessential Canadian food. It is classic in Quebec, but in the Maritimes they would instead be having a lobster roll or hodge podge (stew with local baby potatoes). Blueberry grunt, a sort of sweet dumpling with stewed fruit and Moon Mist ice cream are sweet specialties. A combination of banana, grape and bubblegum is certainly unique, although I am not sure it represents a complete cross-section of Canada. (No offence meant to any fans of this concoction.)

The Canadian version of apple pie is to have it with cheddar cheese. You have probably heard of Montreal smoked meat and flipper pie, and there is sugar pie and Red Rose tea (Only in Canada, you say? Pity!  remember those TV ads?)

There are foods from the western part of the country we could pick. Some classics are wild rice from Manitoba, Saskatoon berries, Nanaimo bars and butter tarts. Even the Bloody Caesar cocktail. (It was invented by a bartender in Calgary in 1969, but I guess a cocktail is not really food.)

How about jam busters? These delicacies, also known as jam-filled donuts outside of the Prairies, were a favourite of mine when I was little. Maybe we could at least have a National Jam Buster Day?

You can incorporate some of Canadas blend of cultures if you enjoy a Chinese buffet or a Lumberjacks breakfast. Both of those were invented in the 1870s in the shantytown of Gastown (Vancouver) when men from various European backgrounds worked in the city long days and wanted a hearty meal.

Any way you slice it, I think the important thing is to remember to celebrate and appreciate the food and share it with those we love.

Just watch out for your neighbours zucchinis lurking on your porch on the night of Aug. 8.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
Photo: Eugene Hoshiko, The Associated Press Rock legend Randy Bachman, right, and Japanese musician Takeshi exchange Gretsch guitars during a performance at the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo on Friday.

Guitars arent merely six strings and a bunch of wood. The bond between player and instrument is very real  which is why Randy Bachman, of Bachman-Turner Overdrive and the Guess Who, never stopped searching after the loss of one of his most prized guitars.

Remarkably, the 46-year search has come to a happy, Hollywood-style ending. The Sidney-based rocker now has the orange 1957 Gretsch guitar, which was stolen from Bachmans Toronto hotel room in 1976, back in his hands. How it got there is a remarkable journey  and one that involves participants from across the world.

The guitar was returned to him on stage on Friday during a Canada Day concert organized by Ian McKay, Canadas ambassador to Japan, in a theatre housed within the Canadian embassy in Tokyo.

It was absolutely the perfect setting and time and day to do that, Bachman told the Times Colonist from Tokyo.

This is probably Canadas most famous guitar, aside from my 1959 Les Paul that played on American Woman.

Bachman said he never stopped looking for his first love, on which he wrote Shakin All Over with the Guess Who and Takin Care of Business with Bachman-Turner Overdrive, among other hits.

It made my whole life. It was my hammer and a tool to write songs, make music and make money, Bachman told the Associated Press before Fridays handover.

When it was stolen, I cried for three days. It was part of me, he said. It was very, very upsetting. Bachman ended up buying about 300 guitars in unsuccessful attempts to replace it, he said.

He would watch MuchMusic and MTV religiously, hoping to see a musician with his guitar using it in a music video. At one point, he was certain a member of 1980s hitmakers the Thompson Twins had it, but his music-video muckraking never produced a positive match.

The guitar was eventually found by William Long, an amateur internet sleuth based in White Rock. Bachman said the key to the discovery was a distinctive mark in the wood near his guitars master volume knob, which gave Long something tangible to look for as he canvassed the internet looking for clues.

Long, who did not know Bachman, used a still image of him playing the guitar, taken from a 1976 Bachman-Turner Overdrive video on YouTube, to aid him in the search.

He came across a 2019 video of the Japanese artist Takeshi playing a guitar which very closely resembled Bachmans missing Gretsch. After emails between Takeshi and Bachmans daughter-in law, Koko, who is Japanese, Longs suspicions were confirmed.

He had found the guitar.

Bachman said Takeshi had bought the Gretsch years earlier, from a dealer in Japan, unaware of its history. He may never know the full story of how it was shipped overseas. We did a couple of Zoom [meetings], I agreed that it was mine, and he told me he would give me it back, if I could find its sister guitar.

Seeing his guitar through their virtual meeting was an emotional moment for Bachman.

I was crying, he told AP. The guitar almost spoke to me over the video, like: Hey, Im coming home. 

Bachman, one of the worlds foremost authorities on guitars, said he made one phone call to Garys Classic Guitars in Loveland, Ohio, and found a 1957 Gretsch that was made in the very same week as his, with serial numbers in the same sequence.

To find my guitar again was a miracle, to find its twin sister was another miracle, Bachman said.

The two guitars were traded on stage during Fridays concert, with a documentary film crew filming the handover.

My girlfriend is right there, said Bachman, 78, as the Gretsch was handed to him by Takeshi.

The exchange was supposed to take place in May, but travel restrictions and health issues kept Bachman at home in Sidney. Bachman had expressed through the media at that time that he wanted to go to Tokyo, and reunite with his guitar, which resonated with McKay.

I probably knew every word to every Guess Who and BTO hit, and probably still do, the ambassador told the Times Colonist from his office in Tokyo.

I grew up on their music, so I knew immediately it would be something that we should look into doing here in Tokyo. It was lot of moving pieces, and an enormous amount of people were involved.

The story captured the attention of people in Japan, where McKay has been based since 2021. The former CEO of the Liberal Party of Canada, who was born and raised in Penticton, said he has been inundated with calls from the media since word spread that Bachman would finally have his guitar returned to him.

Ive had terrific experiences [in my life], but nothing is going to top this, McKay said.

Takeshi told the AP he decided to return the guitar because, as a guitar player, he could imagine how much Bachman missed it.

I owned it and played it for only eight years and Im extremely sad to return it now. But he has been feeling sad for 46 years, and its time for someone else to be sad, Takeshi said. I felt sorry for this legend.

He said he felt good after returning the guitar to its rightful owner, but it might take time for him to love his new Gretsch as much as that one.

Its a guitar, and it has a soul, Takeshi said. So even if it has the same shape, I cannot say for sure if I can love a replacement the same way I loved this one. There is no doubt Randy thought of me and searched hard [for the replacement], so I will gradually develop an affection for it, but it may take time.

Bachman said he and Takeshi are now like brothers who own guitars that are twin sisters.

Bachman intends to lock up the guitar in his home so he will never lose it again. I am never ever going to take it out of my house again, he said.

 with files from Mari Yamaguchi of The Associated Press
Two Indian women were arrested at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport on charges of smuggling after 109 live animals were found in their luggage, media reports said.

The wild animals were discovered following an x-ray of two suitcases of the women travelling to Chennai, CNN reported citing Thailand's Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.

The inspection of their luggage found two white porcupines, two armadillos, 35 turtles, 50 chameleons and 20 snakes.

The suitcases belonged to two Indian women who were identified as Nithya Raja, 38, and Zakia Sulthana Ebrahim, 24.

They were due to board a flight to Chennai, Tamil Nadu, the report added.

Nithya and Zakia have reportedly been charged with violating the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act of 2019, the Animal Disease Act of 2015 and the Customs Act of 2017.

More than 70,000 native and exotic wild animals -- including their body parts or derivatives -- were discovered in 140 seizures at 18 Indian airports between 2011 and 2020, according to wildlife trade monitoring agency TRAFFIC.

TRAFFIC, the Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network, states that wildlife trafficking around the world hurts animal populations and is a billion-dollar effort that fuels criminal networks.

Notably, Thailand, with the help of its international parts, fights wildlife trafficking and has several efforts to deter wildlife crime, protect endangered species from extinction and reduce the demand for illegal wildlife products.

"Wildlife trafficking threatens security, hinders economic development, and undermines the rule of law," the US Department of Justice says. "The illicit trade in wildlife is decimating many species worldwide and threatens iconic species such as rhinoceroses, elephants, and tigers with extinction."

(ANI)
A three-year-old Pakistani child who inadvertently crossed the International Border (IB) was handed over to security personnel of the neighbouring country by the Border Security Force (BSF), the officials said on Saturday.

BSF informed that on Friday at about 7:15 pm, troops of 182 Bn BSF, Ferozepur Sector apprehended one Pakistani child aged approximately 3 years while he crossed the border and entered Indian territory.

The said child was unable to reveal anything and was kept under safe custody of BSF, the statement read.

As it was a case of inadvertent crossing, BSF further approached Pak Rangers and at about 9:45 pm, said Pakistani child was handed over to Pak Rangers as a goodwill gesture and on humanitarian ground.

"BSF always takes a humane approach while dealing with inadvertent border crossers," it read.

(ANI)
National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday took custody of the two men, who beheaded a tailor in Udaipur, from Ajmer's high-security jail to bring them to Jaipur to produce before NIA court.

Both accused Riyaz Akhtari and Ghouse Mohammad were brought to Ajmer high-security jail amid tight security on Friday.

After the order issued by the Udaipur Court on Saturday, both the accused are being taken to the Jaipur High Court for production.

The beheading of tailor Kanhaiya Lal in Udaipur by two men for allegedly posting content in support of suspended Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Nupur Sharma, had sparked public outrage across the country.

The assailants identified themselves in the video as Riyaz Akhtari and Ghouse Mohammad.

In the video, Riyaz was seen attacking 47-year-old Kanhaiya Lal with a sharp-edged weapon while the other, Ghouse, recorded the crime on his mobile phone.

The victim reportedly had recently shared a social media post in support of Nupur Sharma-- former BJP leader who had made controversial remarks against Prophet Mohammad.

Riyaz and Ghouse were arrested from Bhim in the Rajsamand district.

Kanhaiya Lal was cremated on Wednesday in Udaipur in the presence of a large number of people who raised slogans demanding capital punishment for the accused. His last rites were performed amidst heavy police security.

Rajasthan Police on Wednesday said that the main accused involved in the killing of the tailor in Udaipur were in touch with Pakistan-based organisation Dawat-e-Islami and one of them also went to Karachi in Pakistan in 2014 to meet the organisation.

Rajasthan Director General of Police (DGP) ML Lather said that besides the main accused police have also taken three other people into our custody, with whom they were in contact.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday took over the investigation of the brutal murder of a tailor Kanhaiya Lal in Rajasthan's Udaipur who was hacked to death inside his shop by two men in broad daylight.

The incident took place in Udaipur's Maldas area. Soon after committing the crime, the two accused posted a video on social media boasting about the "beheading" and threatened

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's life as well, police said. The two accused were arrested within hours of the incident.

NIA on Thursday said it suspects the role of a "terror gang and not a terror outfit".

The anti-terror agency, however, made it clear that there is a role of a bigger gang behind the brutal killing and that it was not just an act done by only two persons, who were arrested by state police after the incident.

As per the agency, the accused, both residents of Udaipur, will be questioned at NIA's Jaipur office and not be brought to Delhi.

(ANI)


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The Boyd's Speedway kicked off the 4th of July Weekend racing conjecture, with the Valvoline Iron-Man series Super Late Model showdown, hosting a $5,000 to win 50 lap event Friday night.

26 racet eams entered, with Alabama's Sam Seawright grabbing the pole position and setting the pace early in the race. Donald McIntosh of Dawsonville, who's been out of racing, since his Blount Motorsports team shut down in late 2021, wielded Cleveland's Lamar and Tammyfaye Scoggins owned #32 "Wildside Custom Trailers and Conversations, Taylor Sheet Metal. Team Auto Inc." sponsored Longhorn.

Taking advantage of a lap 14 restart, McIntosh passed leader Seawright on the outside for the winning move of the race. Seawright faded to fourth behind fast qualifier Vic Hill of Mosheim and "Big-Mack" McCarter of Seymour. Canadian Ricky Weiss rounded out the top five respectfully.

Boyd's Speedway Late Model points leader Robby Mason of Hixson was tenth, with his points challenger Tod Hernandez of Rossville 12th. Heath Hindman of Signal Mtn was 15th, with Seawright's older brother J.T. returning to racing after a three year hiatus, finished 17th overall.

Local action heats up Saturday night at Fort Payne Motor Speedway in Northeast Alabama outside Chattanooga with another $5,000 to win Super Late Model "Firecracker 50" event. Sunday Tazewell Speedway in East Tennessee near the Kentucky border hosts a third and final 4th of July Weekend racing $5,000 to win Super Late Model showdown, at their ultra high-banked 1/3 mile dirt track.

Next weekend Boyd's Speedway hosts Sprint Cars both Friday and Saturday nights as the USCS series brings the 360 Winged Outlaws to town. Details can be found at Boydsspeedway.com and on their social media Facebook page.
Elvis Stunned Liza Minnelli When He Burst Into the Room to Show Her Karate

As someone who grew up in and around show business, Liza Minnelli met a number of legendary performers, including Elvis Presley. She explained that she first met Elvis at one of her own shows in Las Vegas. Afterward, Elvis invited Minnelli and some of her friends to his place. The group, which included several other celebrities, was surprised when Elvis treated them to an impromptu display of his Karate moves.

Elvis and Liza Minnelli | Archive Photos/Getty Images; Bettmann/Getty Images

Elvis practiced Karate for years

In 1958, the United States Army drafted Elvis. He was stationed in Germany when he first began learning about Karate. Per Graceland, he began to train with a man named Juergen Seydel at his off-base housing. When Elvis left the military and returned to Memphis, he continued training in Karate. He earned his first-degree black belt while training with Hank Slemansky.

Elvis earned his eighth-degree black belt in 1974. He also opened the Tennessee Karate Institute in Memphis that same year.

Elvis surprised Liza Minnelli and others when they first met

Minnelli explained that the first time she met Elvis, he came to watch her show in Las Vegas.

I had two dancers in my show, two beautiful lady dancers, she said on The Graham Norton Show in 2011. It was us three women. I think he kind of liked one of those ladies. So, he came backstage and said, Can I watch the show from back here? I said, Sure.

Afterward, Elvis invited Minnelli and her backup dancers to his place.

His suite, it was just incredible, she said. Incredible.

She explained that a number of other famous faces were present, including Alice Cooper, Chubby Checker, and Linda Lovelace. According to Minnelli, Elvis stepped away from the group.

Were all just kind of sitting there, and [Elvis has] disappeared, so were kind of trying to chat, she said. Suddenly, the door flies open and I hear Hi-yah! and hes in the room in full dress.

The group was surprised, but they were even more stunned when another man  Minnelli assumed it was Elvis teacher  burst in from the other side of the room.

Were all going, Gee, thats  great. Do you do this every night? she said. What do you say? I couldnt believe it.

Liza Minnellis close family friend Frank Sinatra couldnt stand Elvis

Minnelli was a bit bemused by her encounter with Elvis, but she wasnt left with the same distaste for him that her family friend Frank Sinatra had. He described rock n roll as the most brutal, ugly, degenerate, vicious form of expression it has been my displeasure to hear.

Elvis felt inclined to respond to Sinatras comments, noting that he admired the other man, but he didnt think his stance was justified. Later, Sinatra began to recognize that rock music was there to stay. It was better to embrace the trend than lose fans by battling it.

He performed with Elvis on The Frank Sinatra Timex Show: Welcome Home Elvis. Each man sang portions of one anothers songs, and Sinatra seemed to genuinely enjoy performing with Elvis.

RELATED: Frank Sinatra Made a Phone Call Trying to Help Elvis: Hes Too Young to Die
Psychic medium Matt Fraser from E!s Meet the Frasers has talked to a slew of fans who didnt get tickets to one of his shows because they could only find seats in the back  and thought sitting far from the stage meant they would be less likely to receive a reading.

The biggest misconception and what I think is the saddest thing is people will say to me, Oh Matt I didnt get tickets because all that was left were the balcony and theres absolutely no way hes going to find me up there, Fraser told Showbiz Cheat Sheet.

And the truth is that during the event, I get off stage and I go where the spirits pull me, Fraser shared. So one minute I can be talking to somebody in the front row that had lost their mom. The next thing you know, being in the back with somebody who had lost their son, the next thing you know, being up on the balcony with someone who had lost their daughter. So the truth is, is that Im all over the room, so it doesnt matter.

Matt Fraser said his team expects the unexpected during his shows

Fraser laughed that because he follows the spirits inside the venue, his team never knows where hes going to go. It drives my team crazy, Fraser exclaimed. Because theyre like, Give us a sense of direction, like, where are you headed? When are you going to go upstairs? What are you going to do? Im like, I have no idea. I dont know if Im going to be in the front row, back row  you have to follow my lead because I have no idea.

Matt Fraser | Matt Fraser Instagram

So the key is like I guess really just knowing the venue really well to get to where it is that you need to be, he said. Because for example, I was just in Houston, Texas, and I literally had to take the elevator all the way up to the balcony to get to the people up there, because there were souls that were trying to come through and reach me.

What can you expect during a Matt Fraser show?

Fraser is giving live readings on tour beginning July 8 in Flagstaff, Arizona. Seating is limited, but as he said, any seat in the house is good.

He said the tour readings are similar to what fans have seen him do on TV. Its a true group experience, he explained. During these events, theres a secret. And the secret is, is that it doesnt matter where you sit, it just matters that youre there. Because when youre there, your loved ones in spirit are there.

And whats so amazing is how Ill do soundcheck and the room will be completely silent, he shared. Therell be no one there. Not a soul there. And then literally the moment that people start to enter the room, the room starts to fill with the voices of those in spirit. Because remember, you bring your loved ones to me. I dont bring your loved ones to you. I just tell you what theyre saying, but theyre with you all the time. So when you attend an event, not only are you there, but your loved ones in spirit attend with you.

Fans should come prepared for anything to happen

Fraser added that fans should prepare to be surprised during his show. He knows that most of the people attending his show may want to hear from a specific soul. I will tell you that not everybody does get a message. It all depends on the souls that come through, he said.

But what happens if someone comes who is grieving and wants to hear from a specific loved one? As a medium, I talk to my loved ones all the time, but they dont talk back to me, he said. I dont hear from my loved ones every single day. Its the same thing, with the people that I read for. It all depends on what souls want to come through. Sometimes souls will come through right away. Sometimes theyll take a little while. Some souls will choose not to speak or come through at that time, but when the time is right, those messages will come and messages will be delivered.

Fraser said that some fans will receive a reading from a loved one they didnt anticipate hearing from at one of his shows.

Tickets are selling fast. To purchase tickets and tour dates click here.

RELATED: Matt Fraser and Wife Alexas Unborn Baby Psychic? It Freaked Me out, Matt Said [Exclusive]
TL;DR:

A popular event for When Calls the Heart fans returns in 2022 after a three-year hiatus

The Hearties Family Reunion  now called Hope Valley Days: A Hearties Reunion  will take place in September 2022.

Past events have featured cast meet-and-greets and set visits.

Hrothgar Mathews and Loretta Walsh in When Calls the Heart Season 9 | 2022 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: David Astorga

A special event for When Calls the Heart fans is returning after a three-year hiatus. Fans of the feel-good Hallmark Channel drama will be gathering this September to celebrate their favorite show. Heres what we know so far.

When Calls the Heart fans will celebrate their favorite show in September 2022

Starting in 2016, super-fans of When Calls the Heart began gathering in Vancouver to meet the shows cast, visit the Hope Valley set, and connect with others who love the Hallmark series. The most recent of these multi-day gatherings  dubbed the Hearties Family Reunion  was held in October 2019.

Now, after a three-year pause, the Hearties fan event is back, though with a twist. Its now known as Hope Valley Days: A Hearties Reunion. The 2022 event will take place on September 23 and 24.

More details about Hope Valley Days: A Hearties Reunion are coming soon

RELATED: When Calls the Heart Star Erin Krakow Is Thrilled About Season 10 Renewal

So far, we dont know much about Hope Valley Days: A Hearties Reunion, other than the dates. It sounds like the event will again be held in Canada, as a tweet announcing it urges people to dust off your passport.

We cant wait to celebrate together again in Hope Valley, the tweet continued. Details COMING SOON to the updated website!

The Hope Valley Days name is a reference to a season 9 episode that saw newly-elected mayor Mike Hickam (Ben Rosenbaum) organizing a new town festival that celebrated multiple holidays over the course of several days.

Past Hearties fan events have featured appearances from stars such as Erin Krakow

Erin Krakow in When Calls the Heart Season 9 | 2022 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: David Astorga

If Hope Valley Days is anything like past events, fans who attend will be in for a treat. The 2019 event featured appearances from many When Calls the Heart cast members, including Erin Krakow, Pascale Hutton, Kavan Smith, Chris McNally, Kevin McGarry, Jack Wagner, Andrea Brooks, Aren Buchholz, Loretta Walsh, Ben Rosenbaum, and Javien Natt. Author Janette Oke, who wrote the original When Calls the Hearts books, was also in attendance, as were producers Brian Bird and Michael Landon Jr.

A highlight of past Hearties Family Reunion has been a visit to the Jamestown Movie Set  the real-life Hope Valley. Visitors can see the church/school, water tower, Elizabeths cottage, Abigails Cafe, and other Hope Valley landmarks.

For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, subscribe to Showbiz Cheat Sheets YouTube channel.

RELATED: When Calls the Heart Exec on Future of Hallmark Series: We Dont See the End
Two Cherokee Nation citizens were selected to the second annual Native American Writers Seminar through Native American Media Alliance.
Cheshire just held its annual Memorial Day Parade, approximately a month ago, and this coming week numerous Connecticut communities will set their marching orders to celebrate the Fourth of July. From now through the end of the summer, youll be able to hear the sounds of bands and fife and drum corps up and down the East Coast and throughout the rest of the country.

Americans do love their parades.

In Cheshire, the only parade held per year is for the before-mentioned Memorial Day holiday. But that doesnt mean its the only parade ever held in the community. In fact, one of the biggest in Cheshires history had nothing to do with a state or federal holiday. It did have everything to do with a certain piece of local history.

In June of 1962, the Town of Cheshire celebrated the Golden Jubilee anniversary of the communitys fire department. To mark the 50-year anniversary, the town planned a huge celebration, one they expected to be the biggest in Cheshire history.

In the June 21, 1962 edition of The Cheshire Herald, a front-page article announced the particulars. The parade was planned for the weekend, a carnival would be held in the days preceding it, and the community was awaiting the arrival of some honored guests. More than 30 musical groups were expected to take part, all hailing from around the state. Fifty-four volunteer fire departments would be marching, composed of over 1,500 firefighters, all in uniform. Participants would begin marching down the 2.5-mile parade route  from Maple Avenue to the site of the carnival at the Cheshire Shopping Center  at 5:30 p.m., with everything expected to last approximately three hours.

The community was preparing.

In that June 21 edition, The Herald dedicated pages and pages to the history of the Cheshire Fire Department, as well as old photographs from the departments many years of service. As an article on page 9 of that weeks paper indicated, it all started, not surprisingly, with a fire:

Following a disastrous fire which destroyed the old Waverly Inn or Scotts Hotel, early in the year of 1912, a citizens meeting was held on February 13, 1912 for the purpose of discussing the matter of adequate protection for the town. On February 27, 1912, a second meeting was held at which time the Cheshire Fire Department was organized with officers being chosen.

That initial department, the article went on to explain, was manned by 27 volunteers. The first apparatus purchased were a 60-gallon Chemical Cart and a Hook and Ladder Truck, both of which were hand-drawn. The first fire call occurred some two months after the department was established, on April 23, 1912. The first loss of life due to a fire, after the establishment of the Cheshire PD, happened in 1916.

The Herald article was full of all sorts of interesting nuggets of historical interest, from the fact that the department was first able to purchase motorized equipment  an Oldsmobile auto  in 1916 and have it turned into a useable fire truck for approximately $1,000, to the first light-weight Ford fire truck being purchased for approximately $2,000 in 1922, to the fact that the lowest fire-loss year, in terms of dollars and cents, for the Town of Cheshire was in 1931, when less than $2,000 worth of damage was reported for the entire year.

But perhaps of most interest to those picking up a copy of The Herald that week were the pictures that filled up eight pages. There, readers were treated to the first images of the Department, from the 27 inaugural members to the Ford fire truck that carried the volunteers from blaze to blaze in the 1920s. There were action photos, such as one from a fire that destroyed the Haywards Barn on Maple Avenue in January of 1952, to the volunteers fighting a fire that ended up destroying the Chipwich Caterers, Inc. building on West Main Street in 1959. Currently, Ye Olde Station Autosales resides on that very site.

In the June 28, 1962 edition of The Herald, a front-page article explained how the festivities had gone:

Although the rain threatened most all day Saturday, the luck of the Cheshire Fire Department held until their Golden Jubilee parade was safely over, and up to about 10 oclock in the evening when the carnival held on the Cheshire Shopping Center parking area was dampened by a light shower.

The parade, which was scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m., got underway only 15 minutes late and went off without a hitch. Led by Cheshires own firemen the column of over 200 units marched the three-mile route to the music of many fine bands and fife and drum corps, and passed in review before a stand set up in the High School yard. In addition to the judges the parade was reviewed by the Cheshire Board of Selectmen and the life members of the Fire Department.

Thousands lined the parade route.

Of special interest were two ancient pieces of fire fighting equipment; a hand-drawn piece exhibited by New Milford which won the prize for the best appearing parade carriage, and an old-time horse steamer which won a special award for Branford.

The article went on to list the numerous other awards handed out after the parade had concluded, including such prizes for best appearing ladies auxiliary, which went to Southbury; best appearing apparatus, which was awarded to Southington; best fire department or fire department-sponsored musical unit, which was handed to South Meriden; and special award for Interlachen Fire Department, which saw Interlachen, Florida named the winner.

This year marks the 110th anniversary of the Cheshire Fire Department. Over the 60 years since the Golden Jubilee was celebrated, many more men and women have been named members, put their safety on the line to help extinguish blazes, and worked to keep residents as safe as possible. So while this year will not be marked by a major parade or festivities, its a good time to reflect on how important the Department and its members remain.
Christian bishop appeals for peace after Muslim men murder tailor, post killing on social media We stand for religious tolerance among all communities

The Catholic bishop of Indias Udaipur city has appealed for peace as authorities impose a curfew and block access to the internet following violent protests that broke out after two Muslim men murdered a tailor and posted a video of the killing on social media.

The Muslim radicals attempted to behead the Hindu tailor for supporting a politician from the countrys ruling nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party who had spoken against the Islamic prophet Muhammad on television.

I condemn the incident, Bishop John Ganawa told AsiaNews Friday, days after the victim, identified as 48-year-old Kanhaiya Lal, a tailor in Udaipur city in the western Rajasthan state, was killed Tuesday.

The accused, identified as Gos Mohammad and Riyaz, entered Lals shop and slit his throat with a cleaver, Indias NDTV reported, adding that they attempted to behead him but couldnt, according to the police.

As a representative of the Christian community here in Udaipur, I appeal for peace and harmony among all the communities, the bishop said. We stand for religious tolerance, dialogue and peaceful co-existence among all the communities. I pray that good sense may prevail among us all.

The two filmed the murder and posted it online where it went viral. They also threatened to attack India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In response to the comments made by the former BJP politician about the Islamic prophet, both the Islamic State and al-Qaeda terror groups have threatened to launch attacks in India, according to The Telegraph.

Lal had posted statements in support of former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, who had provocatively spoken against the Islamic prophet last month, leading to widespread criticism in India and Muslim majority countries.

The murder also led to violent protests in India and vandalism of public property.

The city has been on high alert since the incident, and authorities have imposed a curfew and blocked the internet as preventive measures.

Indias central government is treating it as a terror attack being investigated by the countrys security agency, the National Investigation Agency.

Its an unusual incident, as, normally, Muslim and Christian minorities are attacked by Hindu nationalists and the tensions in the city could spill over to Christians' homes and businesses.

Lynchings and hate speech targeting Muslims have regularly made headlines since 2014 after the BJP swept to power at the deferral level, according to the BBC.

That the Muslim killers of the Hindu tailor have been arrested is certainly a just response by the Indian government, the U.S.-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern said in a statement.

Unfortunately, the government has not been so quick to act on behalf of Christian victims. We pray that this discrimination would cease, and that the Indian government would serve and protect its Christian communities, ICC added.

For Indias Christians, 2021 was the most violent year in the countrys history, according to a report by the United Christian Forum, which recorded at least 486 violent incidents of Christian persecution last year.
Just over half of US pastors plan to honor America in Fourth of July weekend services Survey sees slight drop from 2016

Fewer pastors say they will incorporate patriotic displays and messages into their Sunday services this Fourth of July weekend, but overall a slight majority still plan on honoring both God and America at church.

A Lifeway Research study found just over half (56%) of Protestant pastors support showing patriotism at church during Independence Day weekend. Of those, 27% strongly support such displays.

Roughly two in five pastors (42%) disagree, and a small fraction  2%  say they arent sure.

That marks a slight decline from a similar study conducted by Lifeway Research in 2016, which found 61% of pastors supported using patriotic displays in their worship services.

The study, released June 28, surveyed 1,000 U.S. Protestant pastors in September 2021. Each interview was completed by the senior or sole pastor or minister at a church, and responses were weighted by region and church size to more accurately reflect the population.

Pastors with graduate degrees were less likely to use patriotic elements in their services compared with pastors who either had no degree (70%) or a bachelors degree (67%)

Denominational pastors, meanwhile, were also less likely (48%) to incorporate patriotism into their worship services compared with 64% of Evangelical pastors, according to the survey.

Among the denominations, Pentecostal (77%) and nondenominational (70%) churches were more likely to display some form of patriotism in their Sunday services, compared with Methodist (52%), Lutheran (48%), and Presbyterian/Reformed (44%).

But the younger pastors aged 18-44 were the most likely (65%) to avoid the use of patriotic additions to their worship services.

When it comes to how churches honor America, there is far greater diversity in pastors responses, with a majority (58%) taking the time to recognize all who served in the U.S. military or families who have lost a loved one in service (54%).

About 30% say they use other means to show their patriotism.

While not a date on the Christian calendar, most Protestant churches adjust their worship services to acknowledge the birth of the United States each July, said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. For most churches, it isnt just tradition. The majority of pastors agree its important to incorporate it into the worship experience.

In addition to the Fourth of July weekend, roughly 67% of all Protestant pastors in the U.S. support displaying the American flag in their churches year-round, while another 28% disagree.

Five percent of all pastors arent sure whether they support flying the American flag year-round.

Similar to the slight drop in pastors planning to incorporate patriotism into their church services, the overall number of pastors supporting year-round flag displays dropped about 7% from Lifeways 2016 study.

Some denominations offer specific guidance regarding displaying the American flag, but most congregations decide on their own whether its present, McConnell said. Because a national flag is a symbol, it often means many different things to different people. So discussions around the reason for its presence in many churches can be just as diverse.
Seattle police arrest street preacher for reading the Bible: Risk to public safety

Seattle police arrested a street preacher on charges of being a risk to public safety for reading his Bible aloud at a public park near an LGBT pride event.

Matthew Meinecke, who identifies himself as The Seattle Preacher on Twitter, was surrounded by Seattle police officers as he was reading his Bible and was subsequently arrested and fingerprinted at a police station before being released.

SPD has enough resources to send 10 police officers to arrest a preacher reading his Bible in a public park. Because it's such a horrible crime now! Meinecke wrote on Twitter, posting a video showing his arrest.

#EXCLUSIVE: Earlier today, @SeaCityAttorney not filing obstruction charge against street evangelist @mattteamjesus. He was arrested twice last week for preaching during #RoeVsWade rally + #SeattlePride. Far left extremists ripped up his Bible and assaulted him. But they got away. pic.twitter.com/S4rFlHnKaH  Jonathan Choe Journalist (@choeshow) June 29, 2022

So at this point, we can no longer stand by. The risk that you pose for public safety by remaining here can be mitigated if you leave. Its your last chance, a police officer can be heard saying.

The preacher told the officers, I dont want to leave because Im not in danger.

I was at the Seattle Center, reading the Bible, not aggressively preaching, not stirring people up, not anything. People throwing things. People vandalizing our property. I think about 10 police officers showed up," the pastor told journalist Jonathan Choe with the Discovery Institute.

Your job is not to silence me and move me. Why are they so offended by words? I just believe in using the word of God.

The preacher also posted a video showing a protester seizing his Bibles and ripping pages while shouting, Get the f--- out of here! Get your holy water off my ovaries, b----! Get the f--- out!

Another person shouted at him, saying, Forget about your imaginary fairy in the f---ing sky.

Meinecke said he saw a bunch of naked people walking around over here, not even 200 feet away.  Naked grown men around little children.

Last weekend, Meinecke was also arrested during a Roe v. Wade protest, Choe added on Twitter. Far-left extremists ripped up his Bible and assaulted him. But they got away.

In a video Meinecke shared online, he added: Weve got a city full of crime. Weve got needles all over the place. Lawless homeless camps everywhere. Weve got assaults. Weve got broken glass. Weve got Antifa running the place. But theyve got time to send in 10 police officers to arrest a street preacher reading his Bible in a park.
'Imperialism of woke culture' is greatest threat to religious freedom worldwide: ADF president

The head of a noted religious freedom advocacy organization cited the dominance of woke culture that thinks its OK to silence people who disagree as the greatest threat to religious freedom in the United States and around the world.

Michael Farris, president and CEO of Alliance Defending Freedom, discussed the state of religious freedom at home and abroad in an interview with The Christian Post ahead of his moderation of a panel at the second annual International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington, D.C., Thursday.

Explaining that many people, especially Christians, find themselves on the receiving end of efforts to silence them, to cause them to lose their careers and not have the ability to even get their opinions out in public society, Farris said the dominance of woke culture that thinks its OK to silence people who disagree is very dangerous in many respects for freedom of speech and freedom of religion in the U.S.

Farris told CP that in some sectors of the world, the greatest threat to religious freedom is the same as the United States, specifically, the imperialism of woke culture. He maintained that the totalitarian mood behind woke culture extends to the dominant orthodoxies in other countries as well: In India, for example, Hindu nationalism operates on a very, very egregious basis and tries to close down people that are differing.

I was in India just a few weeks ago and met with a young man who was beaten by the police for simply praying out loud on a neighborhood balcony of an apartment, he said. He was charged with a crime of forcible conversion. All he was doing was praying for his uncles healing.

Farris cited the intolerance of Hindu nationalists in India as well as woke culture in the U.S. as examples of how were in a mood of the world where diversity of opinion is not being tolerated. Theres [pressure] to adhere to whatever the prevailing viewpoint is in a particular country, whether thats Hindu nationalism or left-wing cultural wokeism.

Get in line or face the consequences is the mood in way too many places in the world, he said, stressing that its relatively a small, very vocal, very vicious minority that wants to silence people, especially in this country.

I dont think that the majority of Americans support this, he added, noting that waking up the big middle of the country to whats happening is a necessary step in reversing the trend of intolerance because most Americans still believe in their heart that everybody should be able to say whatever they want and not suffer the consequences of being subjected to mob violence.

Farris recalled that earlier this year, one of his colleagues, ADF General Counsel Kristen Waggoner, had a mob try to drown her out as she addressed students at Yale Law School. At the same time, he expressed hope that America can listen to its better angels and not listen to people who really want to pursue what I believe to be an un-American position of silencing those that you disagree with.

Agreeing that Christians who hold biblical views on sexuality, gender and abortion are not being tolerated in the public square, Farris identified most college campuses or most public schools as the most hostile environments for those with such beliefs: It is very, very difficult to be able to communicate your views as a Christian and there is punishment being metered out.

Now, the good news is were winning a number of those battles in court, but the culture is pretty oppressive right now, he added. Whereas, the ultimate victory in the courts is improving.

Farris elaborated on his concerns with American education, noting that he had been litigating cases involving a tug of war between parents and schools and teachers over what is taught in public schools surrounding sex and gender for 40 years. There has been some level of this thats been going on at least that long, he asserted.

Its gotten a lot worse. Its a material increase and probably the most significant fact is a lot of parents, millions of parents became far more aware of what was going on in public schools by watching what their kids were learning over the internet during the COVID shutdowns. That has resulted in a huge increase in parental awareness and parental involvement. I think that the changes that were going to see in education policy as a result of that are going to be pretty significant over time.

Farris said one change in education policy that has already materialized is a doubling of the homeschool population in the last couple of years: It went from 5 percent of the school-aged population to about 10 percent.

Theres a certain segment that will probably return, but the presence of critical theory, both critical race theory and critical gender theory, in the public schools has grown so rapidly that I think that the net trend is going to be more and more homeschooling, he predicted. This is a phenomenon thats here to stay, and as long as the public schools decide that they are more about indoctrination than they are academic excellence, homeschoolings going to continue to flourish.

Farris attributed the ascendance of critical theory and other concerning curriculum in schools to the fact that school districts are organized in a way that the teachers union has an outsized influence in a number of ways. He also explained that the general education establishment, if youre starting with the teachers colleges in the country that control a lot of what happens downstream, [has] pretty much bought into the culturally woke agenda.

Theyve accepted critical race theory as their framework, Farris added. Describing universities and the teachers unions as true believers in that ideology who have an outsized impact on education in the U.S., he cheered the emergence of more and more parents who are independent. He also emphasized that parents need to speak up and stand up for their kids.

I just think that the education establishment needs to wake up and realize that their customer base, if you will, doesnt share their ideology. If they dont want to lose the whole power that they now possess entirely, they need to change course, Farris contended.

Farris also said that public schools are to blame for causing a spike in culturally-induced transgender incidence by embracing the tenets of the culturally woke agenda and critical theory. Far too many kids are being told by their public school that because youre a white Christian kid, youre an oppressor and the only way out of being an oppressor and being labeled a villain is to become a sexual minority, he warned.

Alliance Defending Freedom has represented parents in many cases involving parental rights: There have been so many incidents that weve been involved with where kids are momentarily confused, induced by a lot of this teaching. And then, once you get it away from them for a little bit, their head clears. They go, What was I thinking? That doesnt mean that there arent kids with genuine mental health issues arising out of sexual confusion. But people with mental health professions need to be helping parents with that.

Farris insisted that the schools have no business intervening in this medical situation where that is legitimately an issue with a child, adding that the surge in the number of children with gender dysphoria is induced by the peer pressure and the faddishness thats going on.

And so that is the issue, and the ability of parents to be able to make decisions for their kids and not lose control of that, because of the wokeness that has entered into the medical profession is, I think, an important component of parental rights as well.
Houston pastor was fatally shot after 10-second road rage argument, police say

The late East Bethel Missionary Baptist Church pastor, Rev. Ronald K. Mouton, was fatally shot in the chest last Friday after an argument with another driver that lasted just 10 seconds along the Gulf Freeway in Houston, Texas, police revealed Wednesday.

Investigators from the Houston Police Department said surveillance video from the incident shows the pastor, who was driving a BMW, and his suspected killer, who was driving a black Honda Accord, stopped along the freeway before the shooting, KPRC reported.

Police say the two appeared to argue for about 10 seconds before the driver of the Honda shot the pastor in the chest and caused him to crash his vehicle.

Mouton, 58, crashed shortly after 5 p.m. at 6400 Gulf Freeway near Gould Street along the southbound lanes police. The pastor leaves behind his wife, four children and 10 grandchildren.

Police say surveillance video also shows several vehicles stopped behind the two cars. Investigators hope that someone may have seen the suspect or the suspects license plate.

During a press conference held at East Bethel Missionary Baptist Church on Wednesday, faith leaders, elected officials and Moutons family members called on his killer to come forward and take responsibility for the murder.

Authorities also announced that a reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspect had been increased from $5,000 to $25,000.

Were not looking for revenge ... but I think there is something we are owed, and that is justice, the late pastors twin brother, Roland Mouton, who is a pastor in Louisiana, said at the press conference, according to The Houston Chronicle.

If you got a heart, if you got a conscience, ease our hurt and help us take away our anger and give us the justice that we deserve.

U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, who asked everyone at the press conference to face the pulpit and honor the late pastor with a moment of silence, said there were not enough words to express the magnitude of the loss felt by Moutons family and wider community as a result of his death.

I want the community to know the magnitude of our loss. It is unspeakable. It cannot be defined. It cannot be crafted, it cannot be described and it cannot fit inside this room, Jackson Lee said.

You killed a pastor, a person whose every (instinct) is to come to you in your time of need, she continued, aiming her comments at the unidentified killer. You have taken that away from the membership of the East Bethel Baptist Church.

Crime Stoppers of Houston pledged a $15,000 reward for information leading to the shooters arrest. Billionaire businessman Tilman Fertitta also pledged an additional $10,000 towards the reward on Wednesday morning, HPD officials said.

At 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 3, faith leaders, family members and other community members are expected to hold a prayer march for justice at Palm Center. A celebration of Moutons life will occur at Community of Faith Church on July 8, while East Bethel Missionary Baptist Church is expected to host another memorial service for Mouton on July 9.

Anyone with information that can help with the arrest of the suspect is asked to call HPD or Crime Stoppers of Houston at 713-222-TIPS (8477). Information can be submitted online or through the Crime Stoppers mobile app.
Concurring (in part) with the dissent of the Dobbs decision

There are four big takeaways from the Courts decision in Dobbs overturning Roe v. Wade. 1. Justice Blackmuns contrived 1973 opinion, being improper judicial legislation, is not legal precedent. 2. Roes artificial viability test is itself no longer viable. 3. The 14th Amendment never contemplated abortion as a fundamental liberty. 4. There being no constitutional protection, the power of individual states to decide questions of abortion is now fully restored.

Coming as no surprise, dissenting Justices Breyer, Sotomayor, and Kagan took issue with all four points, focusing on 1. the Courts failure to recognize the right of women to control their own bodies; 2. the potential harm to women who, for the past almost 50 years, have relied on the legal option to have an abortion; and 3.  ominously  the threat this decision poses to other highly personal issues such as contraception and same-sex marriage.

While the majority and concurring opinions went to great pains to say that overturning Roe did not portend a reversal of decisions giving constitutional protection to the use of contraceptives and same-sex marriage, the dissenting Justices were adamant that the majority Justices were being either illogical or hypocritical in denying that possibility. Indeed, Justice Thomas said such cases should be reconsidered (without resort to substantive due process, his pet peeve).

The nub of the issue comes where the Court places great weight on the fact that, when the 14th Amendment was ratified in 1868 (ensuring rights for emancipated slaves but evolving into a suitcase full of protected liberties), abortion was not recognized as a fundamental liberty. The dissenting Justices insist that the inescapable logic of such reasoning likewise leads to there being no constitutional protection for contraceptives and same-sex marriage, since neither was considered a fundamental liberty in 1868.



About that, the dissenters are half right.

Since heterosexual marriage (with mixed-race unions being a separate issue) has always been protected by law  inferentially including decisions about procreation  there is no legal reason why the 14th should not protect the use of contraceptives (being only slightly less straightforward for unmarried couples).

By contrast, same-sex marriage doesnt fit with the fundamental liberties encompassed within the Amendment. The institution of marriage, rightly recognized in the gay marriage case (Obergefell) to be a fundamental right as a matter of history and tradition, could not possibly include same-sex unions. Despite ancient Greek pederasty and Nero marrying his slave, never in human history has any significant culture  Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, or atheist  given official sanction to same-sex marriage.

That its the dissenting Justices who point out the logical extension of the majoritys argument is ironic.

The majority Justices may not be hypocritical, but they are certainly inconsistent in maintaining an impenetrable constitutional wall around same-sex marriage while tearing down Roes rickety constitutional fence around abortion. And all the more so, given that the case affirming same-sex marriage was significantly reliant on Roes now-debunked rationale.

It took judicial courage to overturn Roe. It will require extraordinary courage, not likely found in this Court, to take the next logical step. Maybe in another 50 years  if our morally confused nation still survives.
(THE CONVERSATION) Employers looking for ways to support their workers seeking abortions in states where its now illegal or soon will be dont have it easy.

From an employers standpoint, abortion is considered a type of health care benefit  and the rules that apply to that benefit are shifting rapidly from state to state. Abortion is also a political flashpoint guaranteed to produce controversy. And the problem is not going away anytime soon.

Some companies are vowing to cover the cost of traveling out of state to get the procedure where it is still legal. Others are emphasizing that their insurance plans explicitly cover abortions.

As a legal scholar specializing in employment law, I believe theres also a third option that may not be as generous but is less likely to run into legal problems  and will help more workers, especially those with low incomes.

Covering medical costs directly

As of 2020, the median cost of an abortion was US$500 to $600 in the first trimester, and around $900 in the second trimester.

Although most women seeking an abortion pay for the procedure out of pocket, some companies cover abortion in their health plans. In a recent statement, for example, Uber touted that its employee health plan includes abortion costs. And employers in a handful of states such as California and New York are required to include abortion in any health plan they offer.

However, other states outlaw health coverage for abortion under state insurance laws. Even before the recent Supreme Court abortion decision, 11 states including North Dakota and Texas had already prohibited or limited private insurance from paying for the procedure.

Companies that fund their own health benefit plan may be in a better position to avoid restrictions in state insurance laws. But switching to a self-funded plan is unaffordable for most small or medium-sized businesses. And self-funding may not protect companies if states decide to criminalize abortion.

In other words, companies do not have a lot of room to maneuver when it comes to covering abortions in states that are determined to prohibit the procedure.

The travel expense option

Microsoft, Citigroup and at least 50 other U.S. companies have pledged in recent weeks to reimburse workers for travel expenses associated with out-of-state medical care, including abortion.

Kroger and Dicks Sporting Goods, for example, offered employees up to $4,000 to cover such expenses, while Zillow said it would reimburse up to $7,500 when travel is required for abortion or certain other medical procedures.

Nevertheless, I suspect many companies may shy away from adopting similar policies. A survey in early June found that only 14% of companies already had a policy in place to reimburse abortion-related travel expenses, while another 25% said they were considering it.

Although those numbers could grow, leading law firms have cautionedthat such policies could create legal risks similar to those involved in covering health care costs.

Anti-abortion states could even directly prohibit travel reimbursement for out-of-state abortions. Texas lawmakers, for example, are already threatening to pass a law that would bar companies from doing business in Texas if they pay for residents of the state to receive abortions elsewhere.

And while there are reasons to believe interstate travel would be constitutionally protected, any ensuing litigation would take years to resolve.

As a result, many companies may simply decide against offering abortion travel benefits to workers in states where the procedure is banned.

A simpler solution that helps everyone

This doesnt mean that companies are completely powerless to help workers in an anti-abortion state.

Workers who need to drive hundreds of miles for care unavailable in their state will  at a minimum  need time off work. And while most workers have some access to paid leave, those benefits are predominantly available to high-wage earners. By contrast, roughly half of workers on the low end of the wage scale lack paid sick leave or vacation time.

These workers are left in an impossible position if they need to travel for an abortion. They generally arent even entitled to unpaid time off, unless they are covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act and their condition qualifies as a serious health condition. Instead, they are left to cajole co-workers to cover their shifts and hope managers cut them a break.

And every hour a worker without vacation or sick leave spends driving to another state for medical care is an hour they arent being paid. An employee making $15 an hour who loses a week of work for an out-of-state abortion stands to forgo as much money as the cost of the procedure itself. In other words, the workers who can least afford to forgo wages for an abortion are most likely to be put in that position.

If companies are reluctant or unable to pay for travel expenses  or the procedure itself  they can at least pay workers for the time they are away from work.

Expanding sick leave and vacation leave to a broader swath of workers may also avoid some of the pitfalls of other corporate interventions. Even if state legislatures pass draconian laws such as the Texas law that prohibits aiding and abetting, companies rarely know exactly how workers spend their time off  particularly when it comes to vacation time. Its harder then to pin liability on the employer.

More privacy, less controversy

For the same reason, sick leave and vacation policies also provide workers with a measure of privacy. Unlike policies involving travel or health benefits, employees can often avail themselves of time off without providing receipts or documentation.

Finally, a quiet expansion of the companys paid time off enables employers to help women without attracting controversy. Companies are already nervous about abortion-related discussions at work. They may not want to generate more internal conflict at a time when partisan rancor is at a fever pitch.

And while expanding paid time off may not seem like a lot, it would be one less hurdle for women experiencing nothing but hurdles.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/abortion-benefits-companies-have-a-simple-and-legal-way-to-help-their-workers-living-in-anti-abortion-states-expand-paid-time-off-185917.
President Cathy Jo Littleton-Wahl called the in-person meeting at Hamiltons to order at noon June 24.

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited, followed by the first verse of "America."

Volunteers included greeters Joey Henry and Jan Ryan; Bertie Robinson and Jean Hembrough, 50-50; David Fisher and Linda Grojean, sergeants-at-arms; Cathy Jo Littleton-Wahl, Reflections; Craig Albers, Rotations and tech set-up; song leader Lynne Sheaff; Stanley Wahl, food delivery; and note taker Maryjane Bradbury.

Announcements:

Cathy Jo noted that Polio Plus Jars are on the table. Lisa and Rick Kluge have opened their home for a social tonight. Par-Tay!

Positive Impact is canceled for tomorrow. Next week is the Independence Day parade. Thanks to all who have signed up. The foundation board meeting will be July 8. Jenna Tucker reported that our new youth exchange student is Anna from Denmark. She, who has two older sister and likes sports, cooking, painting, drawing and writing short stories. Jenna also announced that Cass Comm is the wheel sponsor this week. Joey Henry attended conference and presented the 2022-2023 IMAGINE scarf to new President Lisa Kluge. Samantha Boston shared that Todd Evans will present a foundation update/overview at next weeks meeting.

Visitors were welcomed with the Song of Welcome, including Rotarian Betty Richardson of Austin, Texas; Zuzana Killam, the guest of David Fisher; Rick Kluge, the guest of Lisa Kluge; and Robert Seufert and Rebecca Houston, the guests of Diane Seufert.

June Birthdays were acknowledged with a hearty round of the Happy Birthday song.

Lori Hartz was presented with a Paul Harris plus 3 pin and Joey Henry was presented with a Paul Harris plus 4 pin. Congratulations!

New Rotary member inductions included Rebecca Houston, sponsored by Diane Seufert; and Zuzana Killam, sponsored by David Fisher. Welcome!

Rotations: Tiffany Warmowski announced that she, Steve, and Nicholas are taking a gap year and traveling the world. She plans to visit all the Rotary clubs she can during their travels. She is not certain where they will land at the end of the year (writer's comment  hope, hope, hope the destination is Jacksonville). Samantha Boston shared that her daughter (well, and Scotts, too) soon will be going to Edinburg  very exciting! Gina Hayes thanked Noel Beard and Dave Fisher for working the Ferris wheel on Fathers Day, when the scheduled operator was unable to report because of illness. District Gov. Ryan Byers reported that the new district governor will be installed Saturday and Ryan invited all the join the 6460 Facebook page if they have not already.

Cathy Jo thanked all outgoing board members and welcomed all incoming board members. Cathy Jo gifted our new Rotary president, Lisa Kluge, with keys to the garage.

Stanley Wahl drew unsuccessfully for the 50-50 drawing. The meeting was closed with the Four-Way Test.

 Submitted by Maryjane Bradbury

Jacksonville Sunrise Rotary Club

On a cool June morning that foretold the pleasant day ahead, nine Rotarians and two guests gathered in the Holiday Inn Express meeting room. Those in attendance were President Jane Becker, Don Pigg, Sonie Smith, Sarah Edmiston, Linda Meece, Sarah Robinson with daughter Ellie Robinson, Pat Pennell, Jay Jamison, Cindy Boehkle, and visiting Rotarian and Asst. Gov. Dan O'Brien. The new Polio Plus jar was passed as everyone caught up since last we met. All visiting and jokes ceased when President Jane Becker rang the June 28 meeting to order  it was her last meeting as president, but who is counting  followed by Sonie leading the Pledge of Allegiance, Don leading the recitation of the Four-Way Test and Pat giving the morning prayer.

Rotations were made by Sarah Robinson, Jane, Don and Jay. Since it still was June, Jay did an excellent job of handing out the Recogitions that Brittany Nickel had clipped from the newspaper, even making sure that her dues made it to the treasurer.

Next, Don presented Sarah Robinson with a Paul Harris Fellow award, in recognition of her service above self, as well as her willingness to join Sunrise Rotary. Don pinned on Sarah's Paul Harris pin and presented her with a certificate (suitable for framing). Pictures were taken. The Passing of the Gavel dinner was reviewed for those who could not attend. Jane announced that Sunrise Rotary had collected more than $500,000 in savings for military personnel through the Troopon coupon project.

Sonie suggested planning a potluck so members could look over the photo albums that she, as club archivist, has carefully preserved, and reminisce, passing memories and history of this more than 25-year-old club on to the newer members. Then Jane reminded members of the upcoming Fourth of July parade on July 2. There was discussion on where to meet and when, until it was settled that Rotarians would meet at Jane's home, then arrive en mass at the starting point at the nearby fairgrounds. Once that was settled, the club moved on to another fairground-related topic  working the gates during the upcoming Morgan County Fair. Sarah Edmiston, Sarah Robinson, Cindy and Linda agreed to sell tickets on either Friday evening or Saturday.

Ellie took the podium to thank the club for her scholarship and tell us about her continuing plans for college at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and her future career as a teacher. She hopes to get a job teaching elementary school. For now, she will be student teaching in the Edwardsville area, first in the third grade and then fifth grade. Ellie is happy to be taking classes in person again after taking classes over the internet. She is working at a daycare during the summer, gaining valuable skills as she works with the younger set. Since Ellie had already received her scholarship check, Brittany's dues envelope was pressed into service for the scholarship pictures that followed, proving that Rotarians are nothing if not resourceful.

Dan took the podium to give a few appropriate remarks, doing his best to persuade Ellie to include Rotaract or Rotary in her future plans. We learned that women in Rotary (not as an auxiliary club) is a relatively new enterprise. Dan even attended the oral arguments at the Supreme Court over the subject in 1988. And now, Rotary had just sworn in its first female international president during the International Convention earlier this month in Houston. Sonie gave us insight into how it was before ladies joined Rotary.

Finally, President Jane rang her last meeting to a close at 7:55 a.m. The next Sunrise Rotary meeting is at 7 a.m. July 5 in the Holiday Inn Express meeting room. Incoming President Linda Meece will preside. All guests and visiting Rotarians are welcome.

 Submitted by Sarah Edmiston
FRANKFORT  Want to get a first look at the possible designs for Frankforts next public restroom projects?

The City of Frankfort Lake Michigan Restroom Subcommittee has planned a community open house from 5-7 p.m. on July 13 in the cafeteria of the Frankfort Elementary School, located at 613 Leelanau Ave. in Frankfort. Light refreshments will be provided.

The open house will be an opportunity for the Frankfort community to review and provide written comment on three different restroom facility designs on the Lake Michigan beach and three different restroom facility designs at Cannon Park.

Each design will include a 3D rendering of the building, as well as a detailed site plan which demonstrates how the building interacts with existing site components, including water, trees, recreation and pedestrian elements.

The open house will not feature a formal presentation. City staff, representatives from Cornwell Architects and representatives from the subcommittee will be on hand to orient attendees to each station, answer questions and ensure all feedback is collected.

This is an opportunity for the community to provide feedback on the three designs for the beach bathroom and the Cannon Park bathroom, said Josh Mills, superintendent for the city of Frankfort. Weve been trying to minimize the impact of the beach bathroom and have come up with creative designs that make it look like it is part of the beach.

The open house is the last in a number of public hearings on public restroom facilities at the beach and Cannon Park that have taken place over the past decade as city officials try to find a location and design that best fits the community.

The beach bathroom has been in Frankforts master plan since the 90s and all of its subsequent updates, Mills said. The Cannon Park bathroom has been in the master plan since 2015.

Mills said the open house is a way the public can help the beach bathroom committee make the final decision.

An online survey will be released after the open house, to allow for individuals who cannot attend to provide their input on the same concepts.

The subcommittee will host additional in-person and online opportunities later in the summer and early fall.

Mills said he hopes the city can start construction of the beach bathroom in 2023. City officials have already procured several grants to build the beach bathroom.

The location and design of a beach bathroom has been a conversation officials from the city of Frankfort and the community have been in for over a decade, according to previous reports from the Record Patriot. Officials have been close to choosing a design and location in the past, but members of the Frankfort community called for more discussion.

The open house is the latest in an ongoing effort to try get as many people involved in selecting the bathroom location as possible.

The subcommittee meets at noon on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month at Frankfort City Hall in downtown Frankfort.

Members of the community are welcome to attend these meeting in person or via Zoom. Specific invitation details are available at the City of Frankfort website at frankfortmich.com.

The subcommittee encourages any member of the community who is interested in this project and would like updates, to submit their name and email address to elise@statecraftmi.com.
MEXICO CITY (AP)  The daughter of a reporter slain earlier this week in the northern Mexico border state of Tamaulipas died Friday of wounds suffered in the attack that killed her father.

On Wednesday, Antonio de la Cruz became the 12th journalist killed so far this year in Mexico, when a man on a motorcycle fired at him in his car outside his home. His daughter Cinthya de la Cruz Martinez, 23, was with him in the vehicle and was also shot.

On Friday, the newspaper De la Cruz worked for, Expreso, reported that the daughter had died of her injuries at a hospital in Ciudad Victoria, where the attack occurred. She had suffered a bullet wound to the head, according to the newspaper.

Also Friday, the governor of the western state of Jalisco said the director of a university radio station in the coastal city of Puerto Vallarta had been stabbed in what he described as an attempted robbery.

Gov. Enrique Alfaro said Susanna Carreno was in stable condition after undergoing surgery.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Thursday that federal prosecutors have taken over the investigation of the killing of de la Cruz as a crime against freedom of expression.

One of the reporters colleagues said De la Cruz had once been asked, apparently by state authorities, to remove some of his tweets.

On Twitter, Antonio criticized the state government a lot and criticized the government, said fellow reporter Carlos Manuel Juarez. He even told me at one point that they had asked him to take down some critical tweets that he put up.

De la Cruz, 47, was a reporter for the local newspaper Expreso for almost three decades.

This is clearly an attack on freedom of expression, said Expresos director, Miguel Dominguez.

Almost all of Tamaulipas recent governors have faced accusations of corruption, ranging from money laundering to aiding drug cartels.

Expreso has been targeted over the years. In 2012, one of the worst years of drug cartel violence, a car bomb exploded in front of the newspapers building. In 2018, a cooler with a human head inside was left at the newspaper, with a warning not to report on violence in the city.
MONROE, La. (AP)  A former north Louisiana police officer pleaded guilty Friday to kicking a man in the face as he lay on the ground with his hands behind his back during an arrest in 2020, federal prosecutors said.

Jared Desadier, 44, of Monroe, entered the plea before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Foote to a charge of deprivation of rights under color of law, U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown's office said in a news release.
AP

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP)  A person using a flamethrower set fire Saturday to a Pan-African flag flying on a pole outside the headquarters of the Uhuru Movement, a Black international socialist group based in Florida.

Security video released by the group shows the driver of a white Honda sedan pulling up outside the group's St. Petersburg headquarters, removing a flamethrower from the trunk and shooting a tower of fire at the flag flying about 30 feet (9 meters) above the ground. The group says the man stopped when a worker inside the building yelled at him. The video shows him putting the flamethrower back in the trunk and then driving away. A photo supplied by the group shows the flag with a large hole.
DOVER, Del. (AP)  A former Delaware police officer charged with evidence tampering and lying to investigators in connection with his shooting and wounding of a carjacking suspect has lost a bid to dismiss the case.

A Superior Court judge on Friday refused to dismiss the indictment against former Wilmington police officer James MacColl, or to exclude statements he made in internal affairs interviews after the 2019 shooting.

MacColl is charged with felony counts of tampering with physical evidence and making a false statement to law enforcement, and a misdemeanor charge of official misconduct.

Prosecutors claim MacColl changed the barrel of his department-issued handgun sometime after shooting 18-year-old Yahim Harris in February 2019. Harris was shot several times while running from a stolen car. He survived his injuries and sued Wilmington police, claiming they used excessive force and violated his rights after he alighted from the vehicle, helpless, unarmed, and non-threatening.

The lawsuit was settled earlier this year.

The indictment alleges that MacColl, knowing his gun would be confiscated by investigators, reinstalled the factory barrel and then lied about modifying the handgun without authorization.

MacColl argued that, under a 1967 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, the state is prohibited from prosecuting him for statements he made during internal affairs interviews because he made them under penalty of termination. He also argued that forms he signed before the interviews explained that any admissions he made would not be used in any subsequent criminal proceeding. The defense also argued that any incriminating statements in the internal affairs files are protected from disclosure by Delawares Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights, or LEOBOR.

Superior Court Judge Charles Butler rejected those arguments, noting that the Supreme Court ruling protects only truthful statements made by police officers under penalty of termination. The judge also refused to accept MacColls argument that any statement he made in the interviews should be inadmissible.

MacColls statements are not admissions, Butler wrote. ... Admissions acknowledge truth. MacColls statement are allegedly false.

Butler also said MacColl, who was terminated from the police force for an unrelated violation, lacked standing to bring his LEOBOR claim.

MacColl argued that LEOBOR prevents prosecutors from requesting, and the police department from disclosing, internal affairs files.

Butler noted that LEOBOR rights apply only to police disciplinary proceedings, and that MacColl directed his LEOBOR claim against prosecutors who subpoenaed the internal affairs files, not the police department.

Notably, he did not sue WPD for wrongful termination or for violating LEOBORs disciplinary procedures, the judge wrote.

A ruling that excludes evidence or dismisses an indictment in a criminal case due to a LEOBOR violation would grant a law enforcement officer immunities afforded no other class of citizens anywhere, Butler added.

The Delaware Department of Justice cleared MacColl of any criminal wrongdoing for using deadly force against Harris. A report issued in November 2019 noted police had been told by a dispatcher that the carjacking suspects were armed, and that MacColl did not fire his weapon until Harris, who had been driving the stolen vehicle, turned toward him and extended his arm while holding a black object in his hand.

While being questioned by police after the shooting, Harris denied being the driver of the vehicle and said he ran because he was on probation at the time. He also told investigators he had a cellphone in his hand as he ran and denied hearing any commands from MacColl.

MacColl told investigators that while officers were rendering first aid to Harris, he asked Why did you shoot me? I didnt have the gun anymore.

Investigators found that MacColls recollection of events was corroborated by surveillance video and medical records of the injuries to Harris. They also noted that a handgun was found underneath the passenger side of the stolen vehicle. A juvenile who was a passenger in the car was later found delinquent in Family Court for possession of a firearm by a prohibited juvenile.

A ballistics report issued about two weeks after the shooting matched spent shell casings at the scene to MacColls handgun but found that markings on the bullets recovered at the scene did not match the rifling of the barrel on the weapon MacColl turned in.

Authorities have said MacColl previously admitted replacing the standard issue barrel on his gun with an aftermarket barrel in 2017 to improve his firing accuracy, but that he denied switching barrels after shooting Harris.

Prosecutors dropped charges against Harris in March 2020, noting that MacColls total lack of candor during the shooting investigation called into question his credibility as a witness.
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ATHENS, Greece (AP)  Greece is receiving European assistance for the summer wildfire season, with the first group of firefighters arriving in Athens.

The 28 Romanian firefighters were welcomed Saturday by Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Christos Stylianides and the leadership of Greeces Fire Service. A total of more than 200 firefighters from six European countries will eventually be deployed to Greece.

Romania is happy to join the pre-positioning program with a specialized firefighting force, Romanian team leader Col. Alexandru-Adrian Csilik said. We have a previous experience here in Greece."

The Romanians, along with other countries, including Russia and Turkey, helped Greece fight widespread wildfires in August 2021, which broke out across the country and devastated the northern part of Evia, Greeces second-largest island, as well as the southern Peloponnese peninsula.

This year, the EU has set up a pre-positioning pilot project designed to lead to a permanent Europe-wide cooperation program.

We are scaling up preparedness to #forestfire season in Europe. As of today, +200 (firefighters) from around Europe will be strategically positioned in Greece to quickly join national forces before (fires) could get out of control, Janez Lenarcic, Stylianides successor as European commissioner for crisis management, tweeted Friday.

The Romanian firefighters, who brought five fire engines along, will operate in the Attica region, which includes the capital Athens, until July 31.

Those who arrived Friday will be relieved by an equal number of Romanian firefighters on July 15. Their place will be taken in August by a 25-strong French contingent.

A team of 16 Bulgarian firefighters, with four fire engines, also arrived Friday in the city of Larissa, in central Greece, and was welcomed by local authorities and Fire Service officers. The Bulgarians will stay in the area throughout July.

On July 15, 16 German firefighters will start operating in the Peloponnese; they will be replaced in early August by 14 Norwegian and 24 Finnish firefighters, who will be relieved once, in mid-August, by an equal number of their compatriots.

Wildfires are frequent in Greece, helped by the hot and dry weather and frequent high winds. Climate change also means that wildfire seasons are also getting longer.

Greek authorities say higher fuel costs have added to challenges facing the fire service, which relies heavily on water-dropping planes to battle blazes in the mountainous country.

Greece will begin using fire retardant chemicals in water drops this year and will also use starting fires tactically to fight larger blazes.

Four of the six leaders of the foreign contingents watched a live firefighting exercise west of Athens on Thursday. The leaders of the German and Norwegian teams watched the exercise online.

A study by an international consortium of research institutions shows that the expanded wildfire seasons and intensity of the fires will also negatively impact efforts to limit carbon dioxide emissions because of dwindling forests, which are normally effective carbon absorbers. The study even suggests that the intensity of wildfires could progressively exceed current firefighting capabilities.

___

Lefteris Pitarakis contributed to this report.
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RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  The marshal of the U.S. Supreme Court has asked Maryland and Virginia officials to enforce laws she says prohibit picketing outside the homes of the justices who live in the two states.

For weeks on end, large groups of protesters chanting slogans, using bullhorns, and banging drums have picketed Justices' homes, Marshal Gail Curley wrote in the Friday letters to Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and two local elected officials.

Curley wrote that Virginia and Maryland laws and a Montgomery County, Maryland, ordinance prohibit picketing at justices' homes, and she asked the officials to direct police to enforce those provisions.

Justices' homes have been the target of abortion rights protests since May, when a leaked draft opinion suggested the court was poised to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion nationwide.

The protests and threatening activities have increased since May," Curley wrote in a letter, and have continued since the court's ruling overturning Roe v. Wade was issued last week.

Earlier this week, for example, 75 protesters loudly picketed at one Justice's home in Montgomery County for 20-30 minutes in the evening, then proceeded to picket at another Justice's home for 30 minutes, where the crowd grew to 100, and finally returned to the first Justice's home to picket for another 20 minutes," Curley wrote in her letter to Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. This is exactly the kind of conduct that the Maryland and Montgomery County laws prohibit.

In her letter to Jeffrey McKay, chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, she said one recent protest outside an unspecified justice's home involved dozens of people chanting, no privacy for us, no peace for you!

The letters from Curley were dated Friday and shared with reporters by a spokesperson for the Supreme Court on Saturday.

Curley's request came about a month after a California man was found with a gun, knife and pepper spray near the Maryland home of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh after telling police he was planning to kill the justice. The man, Nicholas John Roske, 26, of Simi Valley, Calif., has been charged with attempting to murder a justice of the United States and has pleaded not guilty.

Youngkin and Hogan, both Republicans, have both previously expressed concerns about the protests. In May, they sent a joint letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland asking for federal law enforcement resources to keep the justices safe and enforce a federal law they said prohibits picketing with the intent to influence a judge.

The direct request by the court puts it at odds with the Justice Department, which, while providing U.S. marshals, has not taken steps to limit the protests as long as they are peaceful.

Hogan spokesman Michael Ricci said in a statement Saturday that the governor had directed state police to further review enforcement options that respect the First Amendment and the Constitution. He also said that had the marshal taken time to explore the matter, she would have learned that the constitutionality of the Maryland statute she cited has been questioned by the state Attorney General's Office.

Elrich said he had no recording of having received the letter addressed to him and questioned why it was released to the press. He said he would review it and was willing to discuss it with Curley, but defended the job Montgomery County Police have done so far.

In Montgomery County we are following the law that provides security and respects the First Amendment rights of protestors. That is what we do, regardless of the subject of the protests, he said.

Youngkin spokesman Christian Martinez said the Virginia governor welcomed the marshal's request and said Youngkin had made the same request of McKay in recent weeks.

The Governor remains in regular contact with the justices themselves and holds their safety as an utmost priority. He is in contact with state and local officials on the Marshals request for assistance and will continue to engage on the issue of the Justices safety, Martinez said.

Youngkin in May pushed for a security perimeter around the homes of justices living in Fairfax County, but McKay rebuffed that request, saying it would infringe on First Amendment protest rights.

McKay said Saturday that the county's position on the issue was unchanged.

The law cited in the letter is a likely violation of the First Amendment, and a previous court case refused to enforce it. As long as individuals are assembling on public property and not blocking access to private residences, they are permitted to be there," he said.
WASHINGTON - Serving in Congress for almost a decade, Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Mo., finally sees the opportunity to move antiabortion legislation that she has proposed one step closer to becoming law.

Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Ind., is hoping to advance her legislation that would increase reporting about abortion pills, while also beginning to look at what other regulations can be used on such drugs.

And freshman Rep. Julia Letlow, R-La., reminded colleagues last week that the Supreme Court ruling overturning the right to an abortion means that Republicans should go beyond protecting the unborn by also proposing policies that support women and their families.

After last week's Supreme Court ruling, some Republicans leaders immediately called for codifying a nationwide ban on abortion, arguing that it was the logical next step in the right's multi-decade quest to outlaw abortion. But if Republicans retake the House in this year's midterm elections, they will likely need the backing of a key group of lawmakers to enact any new antiabortion legislation: the women in the House Republican conference.

It's something Republican women have done before.

In 2015, House GOP leaders had to pull a 20-week abortion ban bill from consideration after about two dozen Republicans, most of them women, objected to a provision that dictated exemptions would only be given to women who had reported a rape to law enforcement. The likelihood of that bill becoming law also was nonexistent under Democratic President Barack Obama, making it a feckless exercise that could have hurt Republicans in the 2016 election, Republican women said at the time.

"I wouldn't call them 'women's issues,' but they're issues that we live every single day, and I think it's going to bring a breadth and depth to our conference that we haven't seen in a very long time," Wagner said in an interview. "When you come at something as a mother and a grandmother, you come there from a completely different perspective."

There are 32 women in the House GOP conference, the largest number in history after 11 women flipped Democratic-held seats in 2020. And their ranks are only expected to grow: Almost 300 women filed to run in Republican House primaries, according to the National Republican Congressional Committee, at a time when the election cycle is favorable to Republicans. The GOP only needs to net five seats in the midterms to regain the House majority.

But, of the roughly dozen House Republican women who spoke to The Washington Post about current plans, few wanted to discuss the possible legislative implications of the recent Supreme Court decision. Nineteen offices did not respond to requests for interviews.

That lack of detail has not insulated them from criticism from the left.

"I'll put it to you this way: It's an anti-woman, anti-people of color platform. It's taking us back to the days, the heydays, of the KKK without the hoods and where women are people to be controlled. That's their vision for the entire country," Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, said.

Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in his concurring opinion that the Court should reconsider "substantive due process precedents" decided in landmark cases, specifically those that paved the way for contraceptives access, same-sex marriage and decriminalizing sodomy. Democrats have zeroed in on those comments, accusing Republicans of wanting to impose a nationwide abortion ban without exceptions, limit access to birth control and possibly risk women's lives if they cannot abort ectopic pregnancies  all questions House Republicans may have to address if they regain the majority next year.

"I mean, every woman should have access to birth control," Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., said in reaction to hearing Thomas's concurrence.

Others were quick to attack Democrats' efforts as fearmongering, without explicitly stating whether the cases Thomas mentioned should be revisited.

"The [majority] opinion was very explicit that it does not go into any of those areas [that Thomas detailed] whatsoever. The opinion couldn't be more plain in terms of some of these other areas," Wagner said. "These are scare tactics, and I find it, frankly, egregious that they're trying to conflate the two."

Most Republican women interviewed were united in their belief that those nuances should be left for state lawmakers to decide.

Asked whether she would support a federal ban on abortion, freshman Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, said it's a decision that "belongs in the states." Pressed on whether she supports exceptions in the case of rape and incest, she again pointed to state lawmakers' acting based on what their constituents say is the best course of action.

"I think, at the end of the day, this was a ruling that gave the power back to the states as it should be. That's really, I think, the precipice for this entire discussion," Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., said. She did not respond to follow-up questions about whether Republicans could codify other restrictions to potentially sweeping antiabortion legislation.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., also skirted questions during a news conference last week, noting: "The Supreme Court is a separate branch of government. They take their own positions."

Republicans have not introduced legislation that would criminalize miscarriages or bar access to birth control or in vitro fertilization, and several GOP aides, who were granted anonymity to discuss private deliberations within the conference, said there is little support for voting on issues that are not divisive, like access to birth control.

"We've been clear on the pro-life, abortion issues for decades. . . . No current legislation, or anyone in leadership, is for criminalizing miscarriages or banning birth control," one senior GOP leadership aide said.

Several women in the conference have also publicly stated support for antiabortion legislation if it includes exceptions. Earlier this year, Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, said she backed a bill in her home state that banned abortions once fetal cardiac activity is detected, but included exceptions for pregnancies resulting from rape and incest or if the life of the woman is at risk. Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., whose mother was advised to terminate her pregnancy for the sake of her health, says she supports rare exceptions for a woman's health and rape and incest when such a circumstance is reported to law enforcement.

Mace, at a roundtable conversation last month, said she has privately heard female colleagues agree with her position, that they would not support legislation if it didn't include such exceptions.

"I can imagine that in a Republican-controlled Congress you'll see some guardrails put in, but I don't think it would be an extremity. I think it would just be guardrails, making sure we have exceptions in there," she said.

Walorski, who was one of the women who had concerns over the 2015 legislation, is co-sponsoring it. The legislation, known as the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, is currently being amended by Rep. Christopher Smith, R-N.J., to ban abortions beginning at 15 weeks, down from 20, but it still includes the exceptions that faced backlash seven years ago. Leaders have said the legislation would be one of the first antiabortion bills a GOP majority would consider on the House floor.

Another bill that could be considered is Wagner's Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act legislation, which would force health-care practitioners to care for a child who survives an abortion. Republicans are also seriously discussing voting on another bill Smith has introduced that would "ban the use of federal funds for abortions or for health coverage that includes abortions"- often referred to as the Hyde Amendment - and also prohibit abortions from being performed at federal health-care facilities or by a federal employee.

As Letlow mentioned moments after the Supreme Court ruling came down, women in the conference are also looking to pursue legislation they consider pro-family. Hinson has stressed the need to expand maternal health access in rural areas, where women often drive significant distance to get care. Rep. Carol Miller, R-W.Va., is looking to tweak provisions in the Social Security Act to help redirect state funds toward online portals that connect families in need to organizations that can provide services, such as churches, foster care and donation centers.

Mace also plans to introduce legislation that would create a first-of-its-kind website, Life.gov, a central location for people all over the country to find family planning services, including where to get birth control, health services and information on how to put a child up for adoption.

Walorski, who could become chairwoman of the Worker and Family Support subcommittee in a GOP House majority, hopes to keep pushing bipartisan work, including reauthorizing funding to help and mentor women in need with young children. She also says her legislation dealing with expanded access to child care and paid family leave is part of a GOP task force's recommendations that Republicans hope to introduce in the majority.

Because control of the Senate is in flux and Biden will still be president, there is a recognition among Republicans that any legislation must be nuanced and likely will need bipartisan support, even if the GOP takes back the House. But Democrats are asking where this bipartisan spirit was when Republicans voted against expanding the Child Tax Credit, increased funding for baby formula, and paid family and medical leave.

"The arsonists now want us to trust them to put out their fire? This is insulting. Republicans have been on a 50-year extremist crusade to snatch away a woman's right to make decision about her own reproductive health. Voters won't be fooled by Republicans' hollow attempts to hide their dangerous plan to ban abortion nationwide," said Helen Kalla, deputy communications director at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Right now, Republicans are opting to leave the difficult questions regarding abortion laws to the states. But how far they may go and the barriers the women in the GOP conference may pose to a blanket nationwide ban remains to be seen.

"I think this is just the beginning actually, so states get to make their laws," Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said last week. "I think that's a huge win for the life movement and the unborn and for mothers. So we'll see, we'll see where things go from here."

- - -

The Washington Post's Leigh Ann Caldwell contributed to this report.
China-Laos Railway transit yard put into operation for transporting goods to Thailand

Xinhua) 10:22, July 02, 2022

VIENTIANE, July 1 (Xinhua) -- A freight transit yard of China-Laos Railway was officially put into operation on Friday with the first railway containers heading to Thailand's Laem Chabang port.

This makes the international logistics channel of land-sea intermodal transport more convenient.

The China-Laos Railway adopts international standards while the Thai railway currently uses 1-meter gauge system. Railway freight transport between Laos and Thailand requires reloading operations.

The freight transit yard of China-Laos Railway's Vientiane South Station is expected to work to improve the efficiency of freight transport between China and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries.

The freight transit yard will greatly benefit Laos given its significant role in bolstering the transport of goods, Lao Deputy Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone said during a speech delivered at the opening ceremony held on Friday.

Laos always attaches great importance to and supports the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), said the deputy prime minister, adding that the initiative is in line with Laos' strategy to transform the country from being landlocked to a land-linked hub in the region.

"I believed that the railway would create more business opportunities and bring great benefit to Laos. The railway is significantly cutting the time and logistics costs for cargo transportation," said Sonexay. "The railway will result in the growth of many industries like trade and investment."

"From now on, the cross-border freight train operated by the China-Laos Railway can, to the north, reach China's Chengdu, Chongqing, Wuhan, Xi'an and other logistics distribution centers, and be connected to the China-Europe Railway Express network, and, to the south, reach port cities such as Laem Chabang of Thailand and Singapore," Yuan Minghao, general manager of the Laos-China Railway Co., Ltd. (LCRC), a joint venture based in Vientiane responsible for operating the Railway's Lao section.

The LCRC is also investor of the transit yard located in Thanaleng Dry Port on the outskirts of the Lao capital Vientiane.

"Gradually, a new international land-sea logistics corridor will take shape, which will further enhance the status and role of the China-Laos Railway, and reduce cross-border logistics costs. It will provide reliable transportation support to Lao and ASEAN people and enterprises," Yuan said.

Chanthone Sitthixay, chairman of Vientiane Logistics Park Co. Ltd., a local company running the Thanaleng Dry Port where the transit yard is located, said the freight transit yard will create more favorable conditions for expanding economic and trade cooperation.

He added it will provide cost-effective services for the shipment of products to regional markets and beyond.

So far by June 30, the China-Laos Railway has carried 3.36 million passengers with the railway's Lao section carrying 0.48 million passengers, 4.69 million tons of freight and 0.77 million tons China-Laos cross-border goods.

The China-Laos Railway is a docking project between the China-proposed BRI and Laos' strategy to convert itself from a landlocked country to a land-linked hub.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Bianji)
WASHINGTON - A drumbeat of revelations from the House Jan. 6 committee has revealed two dueling identities of the Secret Service under former president Donald Trump - gutsy heroes who blocked the president from a dangerous plan to accompany rioters at the Capitol and political yes-men who were willing to enable his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

The new depiction of the Secret Service - which has endured a decade of controversy from a prostitution scandal and White House security missteps during the Obama years to allegations of politicization under Trump - has cast new doubt on the independence and credibility of the legendary presidential protective agency.

On one end of Pennsylvania Avenue, Trump unsuccessfully cajoled his agents to drive him to Capitol Hill, where he would have joined a mob of his supporters descending violently on the grand symbol of democracy. Some 45 minutes later on the other end, former vice president Mike Pence refused a request of his security detail to get into an armored car - concerned, according to testimony, that his protectors would take him away from the Capitol and prevent him from carrying out his duty to oversee the final count of electoral college votes.

Earlier that day, according to former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson, Trump had complained that the Secret Service's "mags," used to screen people for weapons, were preventing armed supporters from entering his "Stop the Steal" rally on the Ellipse.

"Here you have the Service thrown into a day that was crazy Banana Republic stuff," said Bill Gage, a former counterassault agent in the Secret Service who protected presidents George W. Bush and Obama. "My God. What would have happened if the agents had let Trump go to the Capitol?"

At the center of the current storm is one key agent - Tony Ornato - who held a highly unusual role in Trump's orbit. The onetime head of the president's security detail temporarily left his Secret Service job to work as deputy White House chief of staff. The political assignment was unprecedented in the Secret Service, as Ornato effectively crossed over from civil servant to become a key part of Trump's effort to get reelected.

Through an agency spokesperson, Ornato has denied Hutchinson's blockbuster claims given under oath Tuesday that he told her that Trump had lunged at the steering wheel of the Secret Service vehicle carrying the president away from his Jan. 6 rally and that he had reached toward the head of his detail, Robert Engel, in a fit of rage over not being taken to the Capitol.

Ornato and Engel were previously questioned by the committee about that day, and both had confirmed that Trump demanded to be taken to the Capitol and was furious about being told they would not do so, according to people familiar with their testimony. Neither had been asked about Trump's alleged physical altercation in the car, according to two people briefed on their testimony.

But the aftershocks of Hutchinson's appearance have continued.

Lawmakers on the committee said Ornato had said in his initial testimony that he was unable to recall other actions and statements by Trump on Jan. 6 that other witnesses had described in great detail. Both have told their superiors they would be willing to deliver sworn testimony to the committee, and people with knowledge of the committee's deliberations said they expect the agents to be called soon.

As Ornato and Engel watched Hutchinson's testimony Tuesday, they immediately disputed to agency officials that Trump had lunged at the steering wheel and Engel, and Ornato insisted he had not told Hutchinson this, according to two law enforcement officials. The Secret Service prepared a line-by-line public statement that afternoon to counter specific points, the officials said, and also note that the committee never asked Ornato and Engel about this allegation.

But on Tuesday evening, officials at the Department of Homeland Security, the parent agency of the Secret Service, instructed the Service not to issue a public statement and to instead offer the agents as witnesses to give testimony under oath, according to three people familiar with the decision.

DHS officials did not respond Friday to a request for comment.

Ornato and Engel did not respond to requests for comment. Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said agents performed their job on a day under unprecedented challenges, and yet none of the nation's leaders were harmed.

"The sworn and professional men and women of the Secret Service execute our mission in an exceptional manner with the highest levels of distinction," Guglielmi said. "This was no exception on Jan. 6, 2021."

Former Secret Service agents and national security officials emphasized the even more horrible events that could have unfolded on Jan. 6 if either Pence's or Trump's detail leaders had made different choices. They described the unimaginable scenario in which the president and vice president set out on a violent collision course at the Capitol, two leaders with opposing goals meeting up, accompanied by their dueling security guards and Trump's chaotic army of protesters. Trump, after all, had been pressuring Pence to refuse to go along with the final count of electors, and some rioters were chanting, "Hang Mike Pence!"

Agents who had sworn to protect the president's and vice president's lives with their own made choices on the fly that day - refusing a direct order from Trump and acceding to the vice president's wishes. Together, the agents' game-day decisions helped keep democracy on the rails, several former agents said.

"Bobby Engel did the right thing and says, `No sir, this is a dangerous situation, we're not taking you to the Capitol'," said Jim Helminski, a retired Secret Service official and former head of Biden's security detail when he was vice president. "If they had [taken him], there would have undoubtedly been a potentially dangerous confrontation between the vice president and the president."

"If the president finds Pence and they get into an argument - it really is scary," Helminski added. "Does the vice president's detail now protect the vice president from the presidential detail?"

People briefed on the two detail leaders' accounts of Jan. 6 to the congressional committee said both Trump's and Pence's detail leaders were making decisions in a myopic vacuum: They were solely focused on the immediate security risks to the national leader they were charged with protecting, and yet their choices aided a peaceful transfer of power.

"Our history would be so changed if things had happened differently," Gage said. "What if Engel said, `We can make this happen for you Mr. President?'"

Yet the Secret Service's claim of being politically independent - illustrated by the familiar agents' maxim "the people elect 'em, we protect 'em" - was tested by Trump's tenure in the White House.

Trump had relied on Ornato to carry out plans that many agents complained put them, the public and the president in danger, according to interviews with more than a dozen Secret Service employees and administration officials and internal records. That included using the Secret Service staff to travel to massive campaign rallies as deadly coronavirus cases surged in the summer of 2020, and to forcibly clear peaceful crowds from Lafayette Square in June 2020 so Trump could appear tough on Black Lives Matter protesters for a photo op.

On Jan. 6, Trump's ability to make Secret Service leadership bend to his will had created significant doubt for several Trump administration officials about the motives of senior Secret Service agents, according to committee testimony and Washington Post interviews with officials.

With an hour-long speech on the Ellipse that ended just after 1 p.m., Trump had fomented a mob-like march to the Capitol that he hoped would help him block the certification of Biden's victory. Before he had finished speaking, a small band of protesters had already begun breaking down outer barricades at the Capitol and marching up the steps toward the halls of Congress.

Pence and his team worried his own Secret Service agents might block him from his goals. Despite an armed mob breaking through the windows of the Capitol, the vice president insisted on remaining in the Capitol so he could finish the job of formally approving the results of the presidential election. As rioters stormed through the hallways, Pence's detail leader insisted on taking a reluctant Pence from a hidden office to the Capitol basement. But Pence refused his top agent's recommendation to climb into his armored limousine, for fear agents might drive him away from the building.

Keith Kellogg, a Trump aide who then was working as Pence's national security adviser, had stressed to Ornato that the vice president intended on staying inside the Capitol to finish the job, according to the book "I Alone Can Fix It." He told Ornato the Secret Service detail had better not try to forcibly remove Pence from the building.

"I know you guys too well," Kellogg said. "You'll fly him to Alaska if you have a chance. Don't do it."

Ornato, through a Secret Service spokesperson, has previously denied that this conversation took place.

If Ornato and Engel testify before the Jan. 6 committee, they could face a wide range of questions not only about Trump's behavior that day but more broadly concerning the extent to which they served the interests of the presidency - or the man who was president.

Two former Trump White House aides took to Twitter Wednesday to say Ornato has a pattern of denying conversations that they know took place.

"Tony Ornato lied about me too," tweeted Alyssa Farah, former White House communications director. She said that she spoke with Ornato and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows before the forcible clearing of Lafayette Square in June 2020, in which they refused to warn reporters who were staged at the park that they needed to move.

"Tony later lied & said the exchange never happened," Farah wrote.

Olivia Troye, a former senior national security aide to Pence, took to Twitter as well to express her views of Ornato.

"Those of us who worked w/ Tony know where his loyalties lie," she wrote. "He should testify under oath."
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  The largest electric provider in New Mexico on Friday outlined the savings that customers will see from the closure of a coal-fired power plant as part of a filing mandated by state utility regulators.

The document was required to be submitted by July 1 as part of a financing order related to the San Juan Generating Station. The plant was set to shut down at the end of June, but regulators are allowing Public Service Co. of New Mexico to keep open one unit through September to meet peak summer demands.

The utility is appealing the final order, warning that applying the short-term credit now would result in higher rates later.

Consumer advocacy groups praised the Public Regulation Commission's decision to force the utility to apply the credit as the plant shuts down rather than wait for the next rate case.

They say the first rate credit would provide a reduction of about $1.76 for residential customers on their monthly bills. The second credit of about $6.43 would come in October when the plant is no longer producing electricity for PNM customers.

Under the commissions ruling, utility customers would see a total rate reduction of about 10%.

Mariel Nanasi, the executive director of New Energy Economy and a consistent critic of PNM, said the credit allows customers to enjoy the rewards of moving from fossil fuels to solar and battery storage operations.

While New Mexico law requires investor-owned utilities to be carbon-free by 2045, Nanasi and others have pushed for a faster transition, arguing that customers would benefit from cheaper renewable generation.

However, supply chain issues have delayed the installation of the solar and battery storage systems that the utility had hoped to have online in time for the retirement of the San Juan plant.

PNM executives have described it as a significant challenge, saying nearly half of the solar generation and battery storage that was scheduled to be online by early next year likely wont be available until after summer 2023.

The other problem is that additional solar generation expected to replace electricity that will be lost when leases expire for the Palo Verde nuclear plant in Arizona likely will be delayed until 2024.

PNM has warned regulators and customers of the potential for rolling blackouts this summer and in 2023.

Industry groups have complained that the solar sector is being slowed by supply chain problems due to a U.S. Commerce Department inquiry into possible trade violations involving Chinese products.

The Biden administration tried to address the problem earlier this month by declaring a two-year tariff exemption on solar panels from Southeast Asia. Some domestic producers have said the actions would help Chinas state-subsidized solar companies at the expense of U.S. manufacturers.
PERRY, Fla. (AP)  A teenage girl was seriously injured when a shark attacked her off Florida's Gulf Coast, authorities said.

The attack occurred Thursday afternoon off Keaton Beach, according to a Taylor County Sheriff's Office news release.
BERLIN (AP)  Fearing Russia might cut off natural gas supplies, the head of Germany's regulatory agency for energy called on residents Saturday to save energy and to prepare for winter, when use increases.

Federal Network Agency President Klaus Mueller urged house and apartment owners to have their gas boilers and radiators checked and adjusted to maximize their efficiency.

"Maintenance can reduce gas consumption by 10% to 15% , he told Funke Mediengruppe, a German newspaper and magazine publisher.

Mueller said residents and property owners need to use the 12 weeks before cold weather sets in to get ready. He said families should start talking now about whether every room needs to be set at its usual temperature in the winter -- or whether some rooms can be a little colder.

The appeal came after Russia reduced gas flows to Germany, Italy, Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia earlier this month, as European Union countries scramble to refill storage facilities with the fuel used to generate electricity, power industry and heat homes in the winter.

Russian state-owned energy company Gazprom blamed a technical problem for the reduction in natural gas flowing through Nord Stream 1, a pipeline which runs under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany.

The company said equipment getting refurbished in Canada was stuck there because of Western sanctions over Russias war in Ukraine.

German leaders have rejected that explanation and called the reductions a political move in reaction to the European Union's sanctions against Russia after its attack on Ukraine.

Germany is dealing with a quasi economic warfare conflict against the backdrop of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, said Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, who is also Germanys economy and climate minister and responsible for energy.

The Russian calculation is to destroy the unity and solidarity of the country through high energy prices in Germany, Habeck said at an event organized by the weekly newspaper Die Zeit on Saturday, according to German news agency dpa.

Habeck warned last month that a blockade of the pipeline is possible starting July 11, when regular maintenance work is due to start. In previous summers, the work has entailed shutting Nord Stream 1 for about 10 days, he said.

The question is whether the upcoming regular maintenance of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline will turn into a longer-lasting political maintenance, the energy regulator's Mueller said.

If the gas flow from Russia is to be lowered for a longer period of time, we will have to talk more seriously about savings, he said.

According to Mueller, in the event of a gas supply stoppage, private households would be specially protected, as would hospitals or nursing homes.

I can promise that we will do everything we can to avoid private households being without gas, he said, adding: We learned from the coronavirus crisis that we shouldnt make promises if were not entirely sure we can keep them.

He said his agency does not see a scenario in which there is no more gas coming to Germany at all.

Also on Saturday, German chemical and consumer goods company Henkel said it was considering encouraging its employees to work from home in the winter as a response to a possible supply shortage.

We could then greatly reduce the temperature in the offices, while our employees could heat their homes to the normal extent, Henkel CEO Carsten Knobel told daily newspaper Rheinische Post.

Hamburg's state governments senator for the environment also expressed concern and said he couldn't rule out that the northern German city would need to limit hot water for private households in the event of a gas shortage.

"In an acute gas shortage emergency, hot water could only be made available at certain times of the day, Jens Kerstan told weekly newspaper Welt am Sonntag.

Last month, economy minister Habeck activated the second phase of Germanys three-stage emergency plan for natural gas supplies, warning that Europes biggest economy faced a crisis and storage targets for the winter were at risk.

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Follow APs coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
SLAUGHTER BEACH, Del. (AP)  As many Delawareans flock to Rehoboth and Dewey beaches this time of year, one of the states lesser-known coastal towns is experiencing revived tourism.

For some, Slaughter Beachs horseshoe crabs, red knots and other wildlife win out over shopping, the boardwalk and nightlife.

A town with only two businesses, the northern Sussex County spot is experiencing an uptick in visitors interested in ecotourism, according to Mayor Bob Wood, who said its popularity is unlike anything he has seen since hes lived there.

Mayor Wood, originally from Baltimore, bought a Slaughter Beach house with his wife in December 1999, vacationing at the home before moving there permanently in 2016. He said that, though the town has been gentrified over the years, the recent boost of ecotourists mirrors an early boom in the areas history.

He hearkened back to when the town was incorporated in the 1930s.

Youve got to think, there was no Bay Bridge back then, and Rehoboth was really still a religious destination at the time. In Slaughter Beach, there were hotels, a dance hall, a boardwalk that people in this area wanted to go to, Mayor Wood said.

People came to visit Slaughter Beach during that time, but as Rehoboth comes along, as the Bay Bridge comes along and as Ocean City (Maryland) gets more and more popular, our beach went back to being that sleepy, fishing village type of place.

The 250-resident town, founded in 1681 and incorporated in 1931, has remained that type of destination for ecotourists who visit year-round. Mayor Wood said that, during the summer, Slaughter can see 800-900 visitors at any given time and that he has noticed more day-trippers in the last year than ever before.

Sixteen residents rent their homes during the summer, Mayor Wood said, speculating that many ecotourists use these accommodations.

The mayor first realized the rise in such tourism as the calendar approached horseshoe crab-mating season, typically between May and June. He said that, walking through town, he noticed that all the rentals were full and some visitors had created campsites.

After talking with locals, he learned that the campers were bird enthusiasts, searching for some of the regions most notable shorebirds, like sanderlings, semipalmated sandpipers and red knots.

The ecosystem in this area is very unique. Each species works together and plays their role, like the horseshoe crabs will bring in the red knots, sanderlings and other shorebirds. The horseshoe crabs and the red knots are the rock stars, but ultimately, people come here to see the nature, Mayor Wood said.

Though there will always be an audience for the towns wildlife, he said the increase in ecotourism could be attributed to recent efforts to protect the environment in Slaughter Beach.

In August 2021, a study by the University of Maryland Environmental Finance Center found that Delawares Mispillion and Cedar Creek watersheds  which encapsulate much of the Milford and Slaughter Beach area  provide millions of dollars to nearby communities and their residents via wildlife viewing and outdoor recreation. Specifically, the report said that Milfords Abbotts Mill Nature Center generated up to $6.3 million annually from visitor activity and that Slaughter Beach wildlife activity generated more than $1 million.

The study was led by The Pew Charitable Trusts in collaboration with the Waterways Infrastructure & Investment Network, which aims to capitalize on the economic value of the two watersheds by exploring investments to protect them and encourage ecotourism. The network consists of stakeholders in the Resilient and Sustainable Communities League, including Delaware Sea Grant, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary and the Delaware Department of Transportation.

WIIN will develop management plans and potential investments to protect the area from dangers created by climate change, such as reduced coastlines that increase flood risk. These projects will be funded through a federal grant provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and match dollars from Delaware Sea Grant, The Pew Charitable Trusts and others, totaling over $220,000.

For Danielle Swallow, Delaware Sea Grants coastal hazards expert and WIIN project manager, the support from Delaware Sea Grant and other RASCL partners will provide a lot of help.

Our whole job is to support the capacity of Delawares communities and undertake planning to be more resilient to weather and climate changes. Were about capacity building. Milford and Slaughter Beach are relatively small towns in Delaware, and when you have a town like Slaughter Beach, where its mostly a volunteer government, they dont have the capacity to go after major federal grants and implement projects, so RASCL and WIIN go a long way in bringing partners to the table to help them, she said.

The area surrounding the Mispillion and Cedar Creek watersheds  which cover nearly 130 miles of the states coastline  is one of the largest, undisturbed tracts of natural resources in Delaware, Ms. Swallow added. And in addition to being a horseshoe crab sanctuary, Slaughter Beach is in the path of an internationally recognized flyway for migrating birds, who feast on those animals eggs.

Ms. Swallow said it is important to secure funding to build resiliency to climate change, as well as encourage economic opportunity in the region through nature. In Milford, this includes capitalizing on the Mispillion River by expanding the community and inviting commercial development. In Slaughter, initiatives focus on eco-friendly investment.

She said WIIN isnt just looking at typical economic indicators but also intrinsic values the ecosystem brings to communities like Slaughter Beach.

After examining these factors, a variety of eco-friendly investments will be considered, like more kayak launches on the Mispillion River, a more consistent bike route between Milford and Slaughter Beach, birding platforms throughout the towns and environmentally friendly businesses, Ms. Swallow said.

The stewardship of residents in these small communities shows how much Delawareans care about the states wildlife and natural resources, she added.

Were a conduit to demonstrate the value and the opportunity that exists to invest more into Slaughter Beach and in the area because there will be a great return on investment if we protect those natural resources, Ms. Swallow said.

In towns like Slaughter Beach, they are very, very environmentally conscious. They really care for wildlife; theyll flip over the horseshoe crabs when needed, and theyll maintain the health of their resources. Theres a certain way of life that people in these communities are really keen to protect, and I think its important for us to always try to support these small towns and the rich, natural resources that are around them.

According to Mayor Wood, though Slaughter may not be bustling with tourists, it offers a different encounter vacationers will not get anywhere else.

Its a different vibe, for sure. Its a different type of relaxation; some people like going out on the boardwalk or partying, while others may enjoy looking at nature. There is nothing wrong with either, but it gives people the option to see the natural beauty in our state, he said.

You can have a different experience in Slaughter Beach, and I think people have realized that, when you think about beaches in Delaware, its not all just Thrashers, Dolles and Candy Kitchen.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP)  A state senator has dropped a challenge to his one-vote defeat in the Republican primary.

State Sen. Tom Whatley withdrew before the latest re-hearing in the dispute, party officials said. Auburn City Councilman Jay Hovey is the Republican nominee in the race. He will face Democratic nominee Sherri Reese in November.

Whatley filed a challenge after losing the primary race by a single vote. Party officials then declared the race a tie, overruling local officials over the eligibility of a voter who maintained she was wrongly left off voter rolls. Party officials planned to decide the race by a coin flip.

The party scheduled a re-hearing at Hovey's request after the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said they had no record of the woman completing the voter registration process. Whatley withdrew before the re-hearing was held, party officials said.

Patsy Kenney had cast a provisional ballot for Whatley. She said she registered to vote when she went to get her Alabama driver's license. The law enforcement agency said she did not complete the process of getting a license and voter registration is sent only after, the credential is issued and the customer signs the required declaration.

A lawyer for Kenney said she is reviewing options.
WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court's chief security officer penned letters requesting that top Maryland and Virginia officials direct police to enforce laws that she says prohibit picketing at the suburban homes of Supreme Court justices, following weeks of demonstrations for abortion rights.

In four separate letters addressed to Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, R; Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, D; Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, R; and Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeffrey McKay, D, Supreme Court Marshal Gail Curley said protests and "threatening" activity have increased since May at the justices' homes.

"For weeks on end, large groups of protesters chanting slogans, using bullhorns, and banging drums have picketed Justices' homes in Maryland," the letter to Hogan said. "Earlier this week, for example, 75 protesters loudly picketed at one Justice's home in Maryland for 20-30 minutes in the evening, then proceeded to picket at another Justice's home for 30 minutes, where the crowd grew to 100, and finally returned to the first Justice's home to picket for another 20 minutes. This is exactly the kind of conduct that the Maryland and Montgomery County laws prohibit."

The marshal cited Maryland law, which states that a "person may not intentionally assemble with another in a manner that disrupts a person's right to tranquility in the person's home" and that law "provides for imprisonment for up to 90 days or a $100 fine."

The Maryland letters, reviewed by The Washington Post and dated July 1, also cite a Montgomery County law that says a "person or group of persons must not picket in front of or adjacent to any private residence," as well as a law that says a group can march in a residential area "without stopping at any particular private residence."

The response from officials, however, was mixed.

Michael Ricci, Hogan's director of communications, pushed back against Curley in a response Saturday afternoon on Twitter. "Had the marshal taken time to explore the matter, she would have learned that the constitutionality of the statute cited in her letter has been questioned by the Maryland Attorney General's Office," he wrote.

Ricci noted that Hogan and Youngkin had written previously to Attorney General Merrick Garland "to enforce the clear and unambiguous federal statutes on the books that prohibit picketing at judges' residences." Garland declined, Ricci said.

"In light of the continued refusal by multiple federal entities to act, the governor has directed Maryland State Police to further review enforcement options that respect the First Amendment and the Constitution," he wrote.

Elrich, meanwhile, said in a statement that his office "does not have any record of having received this letter."

"This public discussion regarding safety and security of Supreme Court members is counterproductive, and using the media only further draws attention to the security of the Justices' homes and neighborhoods," he said. "Quite frankly, discussing security concerns publicly is irresponsible and disappointing behavior."

Elrich said Montgomery County is following the law "that provides security and respects the First Amendment rights of protesters."

Nadine Seiler, a Maryland resident, was among the 75 protesters referenced in the marshal's letter to Hogan, after demonstrating Wednesday outside the homes of Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh. She said the protest groups that go out on a weekly basis are normally as small as 15 people, but this week's crowd swelled because of the court's overturning of Roe v. Wade. Some neighbors, Seiler said, came out of their homes to join the demonstrations.

Police have handed out documentation of the protest laws, and to maintain them, protesters walked in a single-file line up a sidewalk but did not stop in front of any specific home, Seiler said.

"We are within the law," she said. "They're proving us right -- that we need to be out there to maintain our First Amendment right, or else we wouldn't have it."

The letters to Youngkin and McKay were released by the court Saturday.

Gov. Youngkin's spokesperson Christian Martinez said in a statement that Youngkin "agrees with the Marshal that the threatening activity outside the Justices' homes has increased" and the governor is in regular contact with the justices.

The statement also said the governor made a request of Chairman McKay of Fairfax to "enforce state law as they are the primary enforcement authority" for the law. He also said Attorney General Garland should "do his job" in enforcing federal law.

"Every resource of federal law enforcement, including the U.S. Marshalls, should be involved while the Justices continue to be denied the right to live peacefully in their homes."

Abortion rights advocates had originally taken to the streets outside the justices' houses after the draft of an opinion by the Supreme Court signaling that it planned to overturn Roe v. Wade was leaked to Politico in May. Protesters continued gathering outside the homes again in June when the 49-year-old decision that guarantees a person's constitutional right to abortion was officially overturned.

Following the release of the leaked draft, but before the court issued its opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, a California man was arrested near Justice Kavanaugh's home in Chevy Chase and charged with attempting to kill a judge. Nicholas Roske, is accused of flying to Maryland with a gun and burglary tools with plans to break into Kavanaugh's home to kill him. Prosecutors said he was angry over the leaked draft and the recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Roske has pleaded not guilty.

"Maryland and Montgomery County laws provide the tools to prevent picketing activity at the Justices' homes, and they should be enforced without delay," said one of the letters from Curley, who is also leading the investigation into the Politico leak.

The ongoing demonstrations outside of justices' homes have sparked legal debate over whether laws banning picketing outside of the private homes of judges are constitutional.

"The Montgomery County Department of Police is committed to preserving the first amendment rights of all individuals wishing to participate in peaceful, lawful, protest and assembly," the police department website says on its homepage. It also links to a list of protest laws "to assist in educating the community," including those cited in the Supreme Court marshal's letters.

"Peaceful, lawful protest and assembly is a cornerstone of our democracy," the document on the county police website reads.

A group of no more than 20 people, many organizers who weekly protest outside justices' homes, marched down the sidewalk outside of Kavanaugh's home Saturday afternoon in single file while reading the First Amendment in unison, with some beating makeshift drums and holding signs for abortion rights. About 20 law enforcement officers lined the front lawn of the justice's home, staring ahead.

"Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble," the group read aloud.

Michelle Peterson, an organizer with Our Rights DC, said the group held the impromptu demonstration in direct response to the letters from the marshal. The protests are meant to give people in the community an opportunity to "express our grievances directly," said fellow organizer Sadie Kuhns.

"It's for us to express what they do to us," Kuhns said. Protesters chanted "Our rights are not up for debate," and "No privacy for us, no peace for you."

A neighbor passing by the group nodded to them and said, "Keep it up." Some homes had yard signs reading, "Chevy Chasers for choice."

Curley's letters quoted previous comments from Hogan and Elrich regarding protests at justices' homes, including a statement from a Hogan news release saying, "We will continue to partner with both federal and local law enforcement officials to help ensure these residential areas are secure."

In the letter addressed to Elrich, Curley said a request was made in May to the county police department about enforcing the Montgomery County ordinance. Elrich said he spoke with Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus Jones, who was "not aware of any requests for additional security assistance."

On Saturday, after about 30 minutes of marching, chanting and reading the First Amendment, protesters outside Kavanaugh's home decided there was only one thing left to do: dance.

From a loudspeaker, the group headed home to the lyrics of "Respect" by Aretha Franklin.
HARTFORD  A woman shot during a dispute with neighbors about her dog died from her injuries Friday, according to the Hartford Police Department.

Nikia Rankins, 27, was one of three who died as the result of an incident on Fathers Day. Donovan McFarlane, 31, the father of her 3-year-old daughter, claimed he fatally shot Chase Garrett, 39, and Christine Dang, 27, in self-defense, according to a police report.

McFarlane was charged with criminal possession of a firearm in connection with the incident. He was released after posting $400,000 bond. He is scheduled to next appear in court in Hartford on July 6.

McFarlane was also struck by gunfire in his right shoulder, according to his attorney. His injury was not life-threatening, police said.

Police were called to the multi-family home on Franklin Avenue just before 9:10 p.m. on June 19. At the scene, officers found Garrett, Dang and Rankins unresponsive and suffering from gunshot wounds. Garrett and Dang were pronounced dead at the scene, according to police.

Rankins, who was shot in the neck and stomach, was taken to an area hospital where she underwent surgery. She was initially listed as being in critical condition before she succumbed to her injuries Friday, police said.

McFarlane told police that the confrontation occurred when he went to pick up his daughter from Rankins at the Franklin Avenue home. He said an ongoing feud between Rankins and Dang escalated and Garrett shot Rankins three times. McFarlane then said Garrett pointed the gun at him while Dang reached for a weapon of her own, a police report said.

When McFarlane was shot, he pulled out his gun and fired at Garrett and Dang. They were each shot in the head as the couples 41/2-month-old baby was strapped to Dang in an infant carrier, a police report said.

Though the baby had blood on his clothes, he didnt appear to be physically injured, police said in the report. The baby has been placed in the custody of the state Department of Children and Families.

McFarlane told police he grabbed his daughter and fled the scene before authorities arrived. He dropped his child off to be with his mother, the police report said.

McFarlane and his lawyer, Robert Pickering, went to the Hartford Police Department two days after the incident and spoke with detectives. He has been cooperative with the investigation, police added.

The dog that sparked the feud, which police described as a small pit bull puppy, is with a family member, a neighbor said.

Police continue to investigate the incident and have said that more charges could be filed.

This story included reporting from staff writer Christine Dempsey.
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  The U.N. General Assemblys first high-level meeting on road safety called Friday for global action to cut the annual toll of nearly 1.3 million deaths and 50 million injuries in traffic crashes by at least half by decade's end.

The political declaration adopted by consensus on the final day of the two-day session says traffic deaths and injuries not only cause widespread suffering for loved ones but cost countries an average of 3% to 5% of their annual gross domestic product.

It says that makes road safety an urgent public health and development priority.

The delegates urged all countries to commit to scaling up efforts and setting national targets to reduce fatalities and serious injuries as called for in the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030.

Addressing Thursdays opening session, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that road accidents are the primary cause of death globally of young people ages 5 to 29, and that nine out of 10 victims are in low- and middle-income countries.

Road fatalities are closely linked to poor infrastructure, unplanned urbanization, lax social protection and health care systems, limited road safety literacy, and persistent inequalities both within and between countries, he said. At the same time, unsafe roads are a key obstacle to development.

The U.N. chief called for more ambitious and urgent action to reduce the biggest risks  such as speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol or any psychoactive substance or drug, failure to use seatbelts, helmets and child restraints, unsafe road infrastructure and unsafe vehicles, poor pedestrian safety, and inadequate enforcement of traffic laws.

He urged increased spending on improving infrastructure and implementing cleaner mobility and greener urban planning, especially in low- and middle-income countries.

The UN Road Safety Fund, which was established in 2018 to help cut road deaths and injuries in low- and middle-income countries, held its first pledging event Thursday and said 16 countries and private sector donors had pledged $15 million.

The fund said it is financing 25 high-impact projects in 30 countries and five regions around the world and more money is needed.

Jean Todt, the U.N. special envoy for road safety, said, More funding can and must be channeled towards road safety solutions to stop the senseless loss of lives still occurring on our roads each and every day.

General Assembly President Abdulla Shahid said Friday that in most countries, investments in road safety remain underfunded.

Some countries dont have the resources or the know how to design safer roads or vehicles, or to inculcate safe road use behavior, he said, which is why the declaration calls for delivering road safety knowledge to all road users in the world.
LOS ANGELES (AP)  A Virgin Orbit rocket carrying seven U.S. Defense Department satellites was launched from a special Boeing 747 flying off the Southern California coast and streaked toward space Friday night.

The modified jumbo jet took off from Mojave Air and Space Port in the Mojave Desert and released the rocket over the Pacific Ocean, northwest of Los Angeles.

The launch was procured by the U.S. Space Force for a Defense Department test program. The seven payloads will conduct various experiments.

And there we have it, folks! the company tweeted shortly before 1 a.m. local time, about an hour after the rocket separated from the 747. NewtonFour successfully reignited and deployed all customer spacecraft into their target orbit.

It was Virgin Orbit's fourth commercial launch and first night launch. The launch was originally scheduled for Wednesday night, but that attempt was scrubbed due to a propellant temperature issue.

Virgin Orbit named the mission Straight Up after the hit on Paula Abdul's debut studio album Forever Your Girl, which was released through Virgin Records in 1988.

Virgin Orbit was founded in 2017 by British billionaire Richard Branson. It is headquartered in Long Beach, California, and currently conducts launches from the Mojave airport but is planning international missions.

Later this year, the company will launch two satellites on a mission flying out of Newquay Airport in Cornwall, England. The satellites will conduct radio signal monitoring tests in a joint project of the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defense and the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office.
Roe v Wade is no more. Pro-life Americans view the Supreme Courts decision as the answer to decades of prayer and activism. Others see it as an infringement on the right of women to self-determination.

A CBS/YouGov poll found that 59% of all Americans disapprove of the ruling, while 67% of women disapprove. The Supreme Courts decision underscores our nations political polarization. That same poll revealed that 83% of Democrats disapprove, while 78% of Republicans approve.

The results of a poll conducted by NPR/PBS/Marist found that 57% of Americans believe Roe v Wades reversal was politically motivated and not motivated by the law of the land. I agree. The Supreme Court as now comprised isnt some august body far removed from the din and clamor of partisan politics. Its merely the judicial wing of the Trump-McConnell Republican party.

You say you want proof of my accusation? In March of 2016, President Obama nominated Merrick Garland for a seat on the Supreme Court. Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell blocked Garlands nomination on the grounds that 2016 was a presidential election year and no nomination should be made before the election was held.

When Ruth Bader Ginsburg died on Sept. 18, 2020, however, Mitchell and the other senate Republicans had no problem confirming Amy Coney Barrett, Trumps nominee to succeed Ginsburg. The vote to confirm Barrett was held just days before the 2020 presidential election. Such hypocrisy!

Trumps other two Supreme Court appointments  Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh  lied under oath during their confirmation hearings regarding Roe v Wade. Gorsuch stated that the 1973 decision was a precedent of the United States Supreme Court. It has been reaffirmed. A good judge will consider it as precedent of the U.S. Supreme Court worthy as treatment of precedent like any other."

None of this troubles right-to-lifer Republicans, however. Theyre ecstatic that states can now ban abortions. Yet, I wonder whether outlawing abortion is really about saving the lives of babies. In a series of tweets in May, Leila Cohan made the following points:

If it was about babies, wed have excellent and free universal maternal care, she noted. You wouldnt be charged a cent to give birth, no matter how complicated your delivery was. If it was about babies, wed have months and months of parental leave, for everyone.

If it was about babies, wed have free lactation consultants, free diapers, free formula. If it was about babies, wed have free and excellent childcare from newborns on. If it was about babies, wed have universal preschool and pre-k and guaranteed after school placements.

If it was about babies, IVF and adoption wouldnt just be for folks with thousands and thousands of dollars to spend on expanding their families.

Its not about babies, Cohan concluded. Its about punishing women. and controlling our bodies.

Cohans tweets describe a best-case scenario for mothers, babies and children. The current reality, however, is quite different.

The Feb. 18, 2020 issue of The Lancet, a medical journal, contained an article that ranked 180 countries based on a child flourishing index determined by the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) and The Lancet. The index is based on data such as child survival rates, years of school completed, teen birth rates, maternal mortality, prevalence of violence, children's growth and nutrition and nations projected rates of carbon emissions.

Readers should be dismayed to learn that the United States ranked 38th for overall child health and well-being. Norway, South Korea, The Netherlands, France and Ireland occupied the top five spots on the list for ensuring that children have ready access to early education and health care. Millions of American children are without health insurance.

I think Cohan is right. Outlawing abortion is all about controlling women. I have some advice for American women who are dismayed by this ruling. The Trump-McConnell Supreme Court indeed restricted your reproductive rights, but your voting rights remain intact. Vote Democratic this November.
WFO NEW YORK CITY Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, July 2, 2022

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Upton NY has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Central Fairfield County in southern Connecticut...

Southwestern New Haven County in southern Connecticut...

Eastern Putnam County in southeastern New York...

* Until 700 PM EDT.

* At 559 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Pawling,

moving east at 35 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Minor hail damage to vehicles is possible. Expect wind

damage to trees and power lines.

* This severe thunderstorm will be near...

New Fairfield around 605 PM EDT.

Danbury and Brookfield around 615 PM EDT.

Newtown and Bethel around 620 PM EDT.

Redding around 625 PM EDT.

Monroe around 635 PM EDT.

Shelton and Trumbull around 640 PM EDT.

Seymour and Derby around 645 PM EDT.

Milford and Stratford around 650 PM EDT.

Orange around 655 PM EDT.

New Haven around 700 PM EDT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO BINGHAMTON Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, July 1, 2022

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Binghamton has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Northern Sullivan County in central New York...

* Until 730 PM EDT.

* At 650 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Fosterdale,

or 12 miles southwest of Liberty, moving northeast at 35 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and half dollar size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage

to roofs, siding, and trees.

* Locations impacted include...

Liberty, Bethel, Neversink, South Fallsburg, Cochecton,

Jeffersonville, Parksville, Swan Lake, Loch Sheldrake and

Hurleyville.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO NEW YORK CITY Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, July 2, 2022

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Upton NY has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Central Suffolk County in southeastern New York...

* Until 400 PM EDT.

* At 316 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Calverton, or

near Riverhead, moving east at 15 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Minor hail damage to vehicles is possible. Expect wind

damage to trees and power lines.

* Locations impacted include...

Riverhead, Calverton, Hampton Bays, East Quogue, Flanders,

Aquebogue, Jamesport and Laurel.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

Large hail and damaging winds and continuous cloud to ground

lightning is occurring with this storm. Move indoors immediately.

Lightning is one of nature's leading killers. Remember, if you can

hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning.

Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to

flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO BROWNSVILLE Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, July 1, 2022

_____

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT

Special Weather Statement

National Weather Service Brownsville TX

557 PM CDT Fri Jul 1 2022

...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northwestern Kenedy

and northeastern Brooks Counties through 645 PM CDT...

At 556 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near

Airport Road Addition, or 7 miles east of Falfurrias, moving east at

10 mph.

HAZARD...Winds in excess of 30 mph and half inch hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around

unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is

possible.

Locations impacted include...

Airport Road Addition and Flowella.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.

Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe

shelter inside a building or vehicle.

LAT...LON 2726 9799 2721 9798 2721 9797 2723 9795

2724 9792 2724 9786 2725 9785 2713 9783

2712 9811 2726 9812

TIME...MOT...LOC 2256Z 265DEG 8KT 2724 9802

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN

MAX WIND GUST...30 MPH

The National Weather Service in Corpus Christi has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Southeastern Duval County in south central Texas...

Southwestern Nueces County in south central Texas...

Southwestern Jim Wells County in south central Texas...

Northwestern Kleberg County in south central Texas...

* Until 630 PM CDT.

* At 559 PM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line

extending from 6 miles south of Alfred to near Bishop to near

Ricardo, moving east at 30 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and penny size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees.

* Locations impacted include...

Kingsville, Alice, Robstown, Driscoll, Bishop, Ben Bolt, Palito

Blanco, Alice Acres, Banquete, Kingsville Naval Air Station, Agua

Dulce and Petronila.

This includes the following highways...

US Highway 281 between mile markers 676 and 696.

US Highway 77 between mile markers 672 and 698.

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
Country singer Dallas Smith returned to the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium, Thursday night, for a night of high energy entertainment. The Canadian performer had a banner year in 2021 winning the Country Music Awards entertainer of the year, as well as the single of the year. The band is cu
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.
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A new study concerning human and octopus DNA has revealed how both species have the jumping gene in their genetics. Most invertebrates are more intelligent and display human-like intelligence by a mile. This discovery points out an existing analogy that this cephalopod, in particular with humans.

Human and Octopus Evolutionary Similarities

As reported by Science Alert, two such different species are transposons that replicate and move about in the genetic material. These particular genes will be the raw material for evolutionary processes if they are not active. The new study says these genes are part of the Long Interspersed Nuclear Elements (LINE) family that has been found in cephalopod brains tasked with cognitive perception. It's in the same place in human brains.

Giovanna Ponte from the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn research center in Italy characterized how, when observed under the microscope, a powerful signal of activity of this factor was seen in the vertical lobe, a part of the brain that, much like the human hippocampus, the seat of the octopus's cognition capabilities that is influenced by transposons.

Research has shown that LINE transposons a very controlled in the human brain that is connected to aspects of learning and memory present in human and octopus DNA. This is possible due to how they are most active in the hippocampus part that has governance of the learning process, according to Cell.

Read Also: DeepSqueak AI Revolutionizes the Study of Marine Animals Calls in the World's Oceans of Sounds

Cephalopod Species With the 'Jumping Genes'

Scientists have found that two cephalopod species have this specific characteristic in their brains, the common and Californian octopus, in particular. It could be why these specific members exhibit high intelligence compared to most marine animals.

These genetic components use molecular copy and paste and cut and paste processes that lead to more complexities in what is happening. It points to a possible direct relationship and how less simplistic a nervous system is, especially the brain, that needs more explanation.

Significance of the LINE Family

According to computational genomicist Remo Sanges, "It is important that an element from the LINE family has been found to be active in the brains of the two species of octopuses since it facilitates the presumption that these elements represent purposes other than simple copy-and-paste."

Furthermore, Consider that what we may be witnessing is a case of convergent evolution, which occurs if similar traits arise independently in species that are incidental to each other and end up serving the same adaptive role this case, outstanding cognitive skills.

More instances of evolutionary tricks and neurological responses make cephalopods seem superior despite being invertebrate animals; the sharing of the structure and responses of a mammalian brain is an exception.

Biologist Graziano Fiorito remarked that a cephalopod brain just works like a mammal brain. This is the reason why the LINE element is a standout candidate to understand how intelligence does evolve related to the study, noted BMC Biology.

Establishing that human and octopus DNA have the jumping gene called transposons involved in the evolution of intelligence is an important discovery.

Related Article: New Study Reveals Convergent Evolution Misleading, Says Evolutionary Tree Needs Revising

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President Harry Truman gives a speech from the back of a railroad car with a crowd below. The presidential seal is on back of the car. Two microphones, one reading KVOR and one KRDO, are in front of the podium. The caption under the photo reads: Approximately 5,000 persons turned out Monday afternoon at the Denver & Rio Grande Western railroad station to hear President Truman in a brief campaign appearance. The top photograph shows the president during an impromptu talk. Others in the picture (left to right) are Governor Lee Knous; Louis Poe, El Paso County Democratic Chairman; President Truman; Senator Ed C. Johnson; John Marsalis, Pueblo, Democratic congressional opponent of Rep. J. Edgar Chenoweth. The photo appeared in the Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph on Sept. 21, 1948, Page 1. PHOTO BY STANLEY L. PAYNE, COURTESY OF PIKES PEAK LIBRARY DISTRICT, 004-2268
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Beijing and Moscow want an expansion of BRICS to counter the influence of western G7 nations, with more member states foreseeing the arbitrariness of its rules-based order coming to an end.

The German Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung stated that BRICS is made up of five emerging nations hoping to become a powerful equivalent to the western alliance. It includes China and Russia, which want to expand to admit India, Brazil, and South Africa; this bloc is envisioned to knock the wind out of the Group of Seven.

Rise of Another Economic Bloc To Challenge the West

According to a report published on Wednesday by Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Moscow has been attempting to strengthen and expand its alliances with nations in Asia, Africa, and Latin America since the beginning of Russia's offensive against Ukraine and the establishment of sweeping Western sanctions reported RT.

Since being expelled from the former G8, the Kremlin is said to have nurtured the idea of making BRICS an alternative to the G7.

As of last Monday, Argentina and Iran had submitted applications to join the alliance, according to Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, noted the Press United.

She wrote on her Telegram channel that while the White House considered what to cut off, forbid, or ruin in the world, cited Mass News.

In a full rebuke of the US and its allies, Tehran and Buenos Aires intend to be part of BRICS as full members.

Russian senator Aleksey Pushkov, the former head of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the State Duma, commented last Monday; about what he thought of the matter. He stressed even if BRICS does not speak openly of it, it could be another option for the G7 nations. Beijing and Moscow will be leading non-western nations into a strong bloc against the west.

Read Also: Donald Trump Net Worth 2022: Did Trump Get Richer Since Leaving the US Presidency?

The US-led allied tries to sanction strong-arm weaker nations that reject them. Extending a political and economic bloc to nullify the west will weaken the Group of Seven.

In the meantime, ten more countries, including Mexico, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, can join the BRICS in the years ahead, experts referenced by Russia's RIA Novosti news agency, mentioned NDTV.

Other Nations To Join G7 Alternative

China, one of the Founding members, wants to add more members to the alternative to the Group of Seven. These countries are Indonesia and Egypt, and Russia sees the potential to be a mirror of the seven allied nations.

Establishing this goal, the outlet, Chinese president Xi Jinping made an alternate schedule for a virtual summit from July 4 to June 23. One of the reasons for moving up is to begin before the G7 Summit in Bavaria and a NATO summit in Madrid set for late June.

China said the report may have asked 13 guest nations to be part of the BRICS summit to highlight its increasing influence. The invite list includes Egypt, Fiji, Algeria, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia to part of the summit.

BRICs, an alternative, will give economic might and free other nations from the tentacles of the west that co-opts these nations as colonies they exploit.

Beijing and Moscow, with the BRICS, realize that other nations can form an economic and political block to lessen the influence of the G7 that depends on food and resources that they don't have in abundance.

Related Article: International Peace, Stability Won't Happen Without Russia's Support

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Rukmini Sen

Academic Rukmini Sen, a member of the Indian Association for Womens Studies and a close friend of activist Teesta Setalvad, witnessed the arrest on June 25, just a day after the Supreme Court verdict in the Zakia Jafri case. Offering an account of the days events, she noted something peculiar  she had travelled with Setalvad to Ahmedabad, and was with her when she was produced before the magistrate. Even before the magistrates order was passed, there were news reports about it. And she received links to them on her phone while still at hospital with Setalvad.According to Sen, when the magistrate asked if Setalvad would like to go through medical examination again, after that initial Covid test and examination at the Siddhi Vinayak Hospital, Ahmedabad, she responded that she would indeed like that  she was taken by evening to the Civil Hospital, where x-ray confirmed that there was no fracture. She had earlier said that she had been pushed to the wall in her Mumbai home, and been held and hurt by police personnel who barged into her bedroom. She was left with a big bruise on one arm.Rukmini Sen mentions that the police attempted to take possession of Setalvads phones, without panchmama. She only got them back when she agreed not to use them. Police personnel then asked why she needed her phone at all, if she was not going to use it. Setalvad explained that it was a matter of protecting her privacy; besides, if the police were not going to use her phones, why would they need them?One peculiarity that Rukmini Sen noted was the timing of the first news reports of the setting up of the Special Investigation Team to probe the conspiracy case against Setalvad and former police officers Sanjiv Bhatt and RB Sreekumar. The Hindus Mahesh Langa tweeted this information at 5.39 pm on June 26. ZeeNews website had a report even earlier, at 4.50 pm. Sen received links to these while she was still with Setalvad at hospital  the magistrate had not yet passed his order!Poet Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) in a tweet on June 27 noted the unusually prompt action on the part of Gujarat Police: Efficiency thy name is Gujarat police. The ink had not dried on the paper on which the verdict was written and they were at Teestas house with a long list of charges in perfect legal language. As if their sixth sense had told them the verdict much before it was given.A trend of news reports and documents being made available to the media before the lawyers of the accused have access to them was noticed in the case of AltNews co-founder Mohammad Zubair, who was arrested two days later, on June 27, in Delhi, on charges of promoting enmity between religious groups. Republic TV was among the first to report that it had accessed Zubairs remand copy  even his lawyer Vrinda Grover had not seen it until then, and mentioned in court that junior lawyers active on social media had downloaded it for her.Officials who owe their allegiance to the Constitution, not the government of the day, are clearly throwing the procedure established by law to the winds.Sociologist and scholar of human rights Kalpana Kannabiran, in a comment in The Hindu on June 30, 2022 remarks about the struggle against impunity: The question that is foregrounded in Zakia Jafris case is not about the state  that is already in the realm of established facts. It is about the recovery of lost ground by constitutional courts. For the Constitution belongs equally, if not more, to the people. It is a shared commons. And we the people shall not be dispossessed of our Constitution so easily.But if the legislature, executive and judiciary are now all seriously compromised; if the professionalism of the armed forces is eroded; if the bureaucracy and the media have succumbed, where can victims of state violence turn for help?The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind.---
The US is getting bested in research and development of advanced technology that needs enormous investment in the cold war with Beijing.

In regards to the expenses made on these vital technologies have increased from 2020 to 2021, starting from $60.7 billion in 2017 to $117.2 billion by 2021. But China has prioritized its R &D with more money on the table to get farther than Washington.

US Spends in Top-Notch Research

It cannot be denied that bleeding-edge technology is what the Department of Defense should trailblaze in. A new report says Washington needs to do a lot more to keep in stride with China's edge in robotic intelligence and machine learning, in particular, reported Sputnik News.

Data analytics firm Govini conducted a study called the National Security Scorecard: Critical Technologies Edition, covering tech from hypersonic weapons to artificial intelligence lagging compared to its rivals.

One conclusion by the firm is that the Biden administration has the tools to develop these technologies and the military aspect.

Cover in the study is the list of essential technologies that need the office of the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering that was published earlier this year. The range of the list includes 14 technologies related to space to biotech; if not satisfied will be a loss for the United States.

Tara Murphy Dougherty, CEO of Govini, stated bluntly that the United States should shape or lose big time, based on the report cited by Business Wire,

Read Also: Xi Jinping Net Worth 2022: How Wealthy Is China's President

Is US Investment Enough To Keep Up With China?

A major weakness is the US DoD prefers to work with prime integrators and services companies instead of startups and innovators. It fails to take advantage of new advanced technologies coming to the fore that needs a huge investment.

China will grab the chance to stump America in quantum computers, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, crucial tech that is not prioritized.

If the government does not top up expenses in AI/ML seen via drones, that will be a dominant factor in a future fight, but China is leading the charge.

Importance of Biotech

Details reveal that because of the COVID-19 pandemic has shown a focus on spending for emerging biotechnology done by non-government entities, not the US DoD. The total expense is $40 billion in 2021, as reported by a source.

The US Army has also spent $20 billion on biotech in 2021, which was the most expensive for the armed forces. Federal expenses confirmed for $50 billion used for AI/ML and $12 billion left for 2021. All the needed investments for AI/ML had increased investments.

One pressing comment is that the DoD is not ready to commit to AI/ML, which future conflicts rely upon. The DoD is investing more in artificial intelligence, and the Pentagon wants more money for R&D in 2023, primarily for AI. Also, the Pentagon has several projects for AI, even an agency to manage its development.

Expenses for space-related tech were neglected from 2017 to 2021, highlighted in the study. It is quite clear the firm show what must be done, said Govini chairman Bob Work, although China has a significant lead.

The United States gap in Advanced Technology research is hampered by an unwillingness to commit to this huge investment, even as China has hypersonic missiles, a working space station, and developing anti-satellite tech.

Related Article: Chinese Researchers Develop AI System Capable of Hunting Satellites Through Deceptive Strategies

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The Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter that is supposed to give the US air superiority to replace the F-22 by 2030 costs almost four billion dollars.

The NGAD is a large-scale, multi-faceted effort to develop next-generation tactical air combat capabilities specifically designed to fight deep in contested areas.

More Advanced Than 5th generation Fighters

The sixth-generation fighters will be very different and be capable of commanding drones and have a suite of weapons, sensors, and networking tech, with battlefield management capacities unlike before, reported EurAsian Times.

According to Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, the new plane will have changes like no new version every five years, and not too exotic designs for the participating contractors, noted Air Force Magazine.

The expenses for the 6th gen plane will not be financially sound when Mr. Kendall spoke to the House Armed Services Committee. No amount was given, but it will be the most expensive plane ever designed. One characteristic is that it can do short takeoffs and vertical landings for carrier use, citing Defense News.

The F-35A is supposed to be a cheap 5th gen plane for the US and its allies, which can be bought in numbers. Each costs $80 million and is the most acquirable among the variants.

Fourth-generation and fourth-gen ++ fighters are the F-15 and the Eurofighters that are not as capable, only with standard capabilities minus the stealth to make it cheap.

For many, the F-35 was too costly to maintain and could not dogfight that Pentagon officials did not like it, so they bought fewer units.

Read Also: PAK-DA Stealth Bomber: Is Russia's Answer to the B-21 Raider Just as Capable

Official Response to the NGAD Fighter's Expensive Cost

According to EurAsian Times, during the nearly two-hour House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness hearing on April 28, US lawmakers chastised the F-35 Joint Program Office for the lack of performance of the F-35 stealth fighter jets.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, the mission-capable minimum performance objective for the different variants in FY2021 was not fulfilled by at least nine percentage points.

One comment said that if a plane can fly and accomplish even one mission, then the mission is capable.

While the F-35 is currently manufactured at a rate of almost 150 fighters annually, the forthcoming sixth-generation fighter could only produce less than 200 fighters overall and even less than 100.

The F-35 is designed with air-to-ground attack operations, which are best for air defense suppression but fell short as air defense networks have gotten better but not minding what happens in a dogfight.

But the J-20 has better performance as an air superiority fighter than the F-35 ends up on the wrong end. The 5th gen jets like the Su-57 are delayed, but some units exist, and the MiG 1.42 program is canceled.

In service is the J-20 Mighty Dragon that is in production and squadron level ready, it is a threat to the US at the peer level. The NGAD is its intended target. The USAF will be troubled if the J-20 and Su-57 Felon have more numbers.

The Next Generation Air Dominance fighter has hit a hitch and has to adjust to a different parameter which is a serious setback. Retiring the F-22 and fewer F-35s with the J-20 and FC-31, Su-57 having more numbers will not be suitable for the US.

Related Article: Russian Su-35 Flanker Shots Down Ukrainian Air Force MiG-29 Over Zelenodolsk in Quest for Air Superiority

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  Cybersecurity experts say the California Department of Justice apparently failed to follow basic security procedures on its website, exposing the personal information of potentially hundreds of thousands of gun owners.

The website was designed to only show general data about the number and location of concealed carry gun permits, broken down by year and county. But for about 24 hours starting Monday a spreadsheet with names and personal information was just a few clicks away, ready for review or downloading.

Katie Moussouris, founder and CEO of Luta Security, said there should have been access controls to make sure the information stayed out of the reach of unwanted parties, and the sensitive data should have been encrypted so it would have been unusable.

The damage done depends on who accessed the data, she said. Criminals could sell or use the private identifying information, or use permit-seekers criminal histories for blackmail and leverage, she said.

Already some are attempting to use the information to criticize gun control advocates who they say were revealed as having concealed carry permits. An online site called The Gun Feed included a post calling out a top lawyer for the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. But the center said the site had the wrong person  someone with the same name as its lawyer.

Five other firearms databases were also compromised, but Attorney General Rob Bonta's office has been unable to say what happened or even how many people are in the databases.

We are conducting a comprehensive and through investigation into all aspects of the incident and will take any and all appropriate measures in response to what we learn, his office said in a statement Friday.

It said one of the other databases listed handguns but not people, while the others, including on gun violence restraining orders, did not contain names but may have had other identifying information.

The volume of information is so incredibly sensitive," said Sam Paredes, executive director of Gun Owners of California.

Deputy DAs, police officers, judges, they do everything they can to protect their residential addresses, he said. "The peril that the attorney general has put hundreds of thousands of people ... in is incalculable.

Attorney Chuck Michel, president of the California Rifle and Pistol Association, said he has been fielding hundreds of calls and emails from gun owners looking to join what he expects will be a class-action lawsuit.

The improper release came days after the U.S. Supreme Court made it easier for people to carry hidden weapons, and as Bonta worked with state lawmakers to patch California's newly vulnerable concealed carry law.

No evidence has so far revealed that the leak was deliberate. Independent cybersecurity experts said the release could easily have been lax oversight.

Bonta's office has been unable to say whether and how often the databases were downloaded. Moussouris said the agency has that information if it was keeping access logs, which she called a basic and necessary step to protect sensitive data.

Tim Marley, a vice president for risk management at the cybersecurity firm Cerberus Sentinel, questioned the speed of the agency's response to a problem with a website that should have been constantly monitored.

Given the sensitive nature of the data exposed and potential impact to those directly involved, I would expect a response in much less than 24 hours from notification to action, he said.

Bonta's office said it is reviewing the timeline to see when it discovered the problem.

The design of public websites should always be done with an effort to design security into the process, Marley said.

Developers also need to properly test their systems before launching any new code or modifying existing code, he said. Yet often organizations rush changes because they are focused on making it work over making it work securely.

Every Republican state senator and Assembly member called on Bonta, a Democrat running for reelection, to increase his disclosures about the information lapse, which they said violates state law. They also asked for specific information about the release and investigation, and senators criticized the department for an apparent lack of testing and security.
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LONDON (AP)  Hundreds of thousands of people turned out on the streets of London on Saturday to mark the 50th anniversary of the U.K.'s first Pride parade, filling the streets of the British capital with color.

A vibrant crowd turned out to either take part in or watch the festivities, forming a spectacle of rainbow flags, glitter and sequins. After two years of cancellations because of the coronavirus pandemic, the parade came a half-century after Britain's first march to celebrate Pride in 1972 in London.

Saturdays procession took on a similar route to the original, starting outside Hyde Park and touring the streets towards Westminster. The London mayor's office said that more than 1 million revelers attended the celebrations, which also included a concert in Trafalgar Square.

Chris Joell-Deshields, the director of organizers Pride in London, said momentous rights and freedoms had been earned since the inaugural event, but there is more to be done.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan hailed a beautiful day of unity, visibility, equality and solidarity as he joined in the celebrations.

More than 600 LGBTQ groups were expected to take part in the march, which was headed by members of the Gay Liberation Front from the 1972 protest.

Organizations ranging from charities to universities to the emergency services were also represented. But uniformed officers from Londons Metropolitan Police force weren't among them, as has been the case in previous years.

The move came in response to LGBTQ campaigners raising concerns over their confidence in policing, in particular the quality of the police force's investigation into murders carried out by serial killer Stephen Port. In 2016, Port was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the murders of four young gay men whom he met online.

Members of the police force were able to join Saturday's march of their own accord.

I think the police have been sensitive to the issues raised by the community, Khan said. And there will be uniformed officers in and around Pride to make sure were all safe, to make sure this parade is a success.

Those taking part had been urged to take a COVID-19 test before the march with virus cases on the rise across Britain. The U.K. Health Security Agency had issued a similar caution for people showing possible symptoms of monkeypox.
With abortion now or soon to be illegal in over a dozen states and severely restricted in many more, Big Tech companies that collect personal details of their users are facing new calls to limit that tracking and surveillance. One fear is that law enforcement or vigilantes could use those data troves against people seeking ways to end unwanted pregnancies.

History has repeatedly demonstrated that whenever people's personal data is tracked and stored, there's always a risk that it could be misused or abused. With the Supreme Court's Friday overruling of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion, collected location data, text messages, search histories, emails and seemingly innocuous period and ovulation-tracking apps could be used to prosecute people who seek an abortion  or medical care for a miscarriage  as well as those who assist them.

In the digital age, this decision opens the door to law enforcement and private bounty hunters seeking vast amounts of private data from ordinary Americans, said Alexandra Reeve Givens, the president and CEO of the Center for Democracy and Technology, a Washington-based digital rights nonprofit.

IT'S ALREADY HAPPENING

Until this past May, anyone could buy a weekly trove of data on clients at more than 600 Planned Parenthood sites around the country for as little as $160, according to a recent Vice investigation. The files included approximate patient addresses  derived from where their cellphones sleep at night  income brackets, time spent at the clinic, and the top places people visited before and afterward.

Its all possible because federal law  specifically, HIPAA, the 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act  protects the privacy of medical files at your doctors office, but not any information that third-party apps or tech companies collect about you. This is also true if an app that collects your data shares it with a third party that might abuse it.

In 2017, a Black woman in Mississippi named Latice Fisher was charged with second-degree murder after she sought medical care for a pregnancy loss.

While receiving care from medical staff, she was also immediately treated with suspicion of committing a crime," civil rights attorney and Ford Foundation fellow Cynthia Conti-Cook wrote in her 2020 paper, Surveilling the Digital Abortion Diary. Fisher's "statements to nurses, the medical records, and the autopsy records of her fetus were turned over to the local police to investigate whether she intentionally killed her fetus, she wrote.

Fisher was indicted on a second-degree murder charge in 2018; conviction could have led to life in prison. The murder charge was later dismissed. Evidence against her, though included her online search history, which included queries on how to induce a miscarriage and how to buy abortion pills online.

"Her digital data gave prosecutors a window into (her) soul to substantiate their general theory that she did not want the fetus to survive, Conti-Cook wrote.

Fisher is not alone. In 2019, prosecutors presented a young Ohio mothers browsing history during a trial in which she stood accused of killing and burying her newborn baby. Defense attorneys for Brooke Skylar Richardson, who was ultimately acquitted of murder and manslaughter charges, said the baby was stillborn.

But prosecutors argued shed killed her daughter, pointing in part to Richardsons internet search history, which included a query for how to get rid of a baby. She was later acquitted.

INDUSTRY RESPONSE

Technology companies have by and large tried to sidestep the issue of abortion where their users are concerned. They haven't said how they might cooperate with law enforcement or government agencies trying to prosecute people seeking an abortion where it is illegal  or who are helping someone do so.

Last week, four Democratic lawmakers asked federal regulators to investigate Apple and Google for allegedly deceiving millions of mobile phone users by enabling the collection and sale of their personal data to third parties.

Individuals seeking abortions and other reproductive healthcare will become particularly vulnerable to privacy harms, including through the collection and sharing of their location data, the lawmakers said in the letter. Data brokers are already selling, licensing and sharing the location information of people that visit abortion providers to anyone with a credit card.

Apple and Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Governments and law enforcement can subpoena companies for data on their users. Generally, Big Tech policies suggest the companies will comply with abortion-related data requests unless they see them as overly broad. Meta, for instance, pointed to its online transparency report, which says we comply with government requests for user information only where we have a good-faith belief that the law requires us to do so.

Online rights advocates say that's not enough.

In this new environment, tech companies must step up and play a crucial role in protecting womens digital privacy and access to online information, said Givens of the Center for Democracy and Technology. For instance, they could strengthen and expand the use of privacy-protecting encryption; limit the collection, sharing and sale of information that can reveal pregnancy status; and refrain from using artificial intelligence tools that could also infer which users are likely to be pregnant.

WHAT ABOUT PERIOD APPS?

After Friday's Supreme Court ruling, some period-tracking apps tried to assure users that their data was safe. But it helps to read the fine print of the apps' privacy policies.

Flo Health, the company behind a widely-used period tracking app, tweeted Friday that it would soon launch an Anonymous Mode intended to remove personal identity from user accounts and pledged not to sell personal data of its users.

Clue, which also has a period tracking app, said it keeps users health data  particularly related to pregnancies, pregnancy loss or abortion  private and safe with data encryption. It also said it uses auditing software for regulatory compliance and removes user identities before their data is analyzed by the scientific researchers the company works with.

At the same time, the company acknowledged that it employs some carefully selected service providers to process data on our behalf. For those purposes, it said, we share as little data as possible in the safest way possible. But Clue offered no further details.

BURDEN ON THE USER

Unless all of your data is securely encrypted, theres always a chance that someone, somewhere can access it. So abortion rights activists suggest that people in states where abortion is outlawed should limit the creation of such data in the first place.

For instance, they urge turning off phone location services  or just leaving your phone at home  when seeking reproductive health care. To be safe, they say, it's good to read the privacy policies of any health apps in use.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation suggests using more privacy-conscious web browsers such as Brave, Firefox and DuckDuckGo  but also recommends double-checking their privacy settings.

There are also ways to turn off ad identifiers on both Apple and Android phones that stop advertisers from being able to track you. This is generally a good idea in any case. Apple will ask you if you want to be tracked each time you download a new app. For apps you already have, the tracking can be turned off manually.

___

Associated Press Writers Amanda Seitz and Marcy Gordon contributed to this story.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP)  Conservation officers located two lost hikers after a long search in the Charles C. Deam Wilderness of Hoosier National Forest, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources said Friday.

Monroe County dispatchers received a 911 call around 6 p.m. Thursday from Jason Craig, 44, of Valparaiso, requesting help because he and his wife were hiking in the southern Indiana wilderness and became lost.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  New Mexico will pay the federal government more than $19 million to settle a claim by the Department of Agriculture that the state mishandled the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and overpaid some needy families in 2014 and 2016, a newspaper reported Tuesday.

The Albuquerque Journal said in a copyright story that the state has agreed to spend about $15.8 million over the next three years to strengthen administration of the SNAP program.
The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm for parts of the region on Saturday.

The watch, issued at 2:38 p.m., is in effect through 9 p.m., in Fairfield, Hartford, Litchfield, New Haven, New London, Middlesex, Tolland, and Windham counties in Connecticut, as well as Orange, Putnam, Rockland and Westchester in New York
Russian forces fired missiles on civilian buildings early Friday in the Odesa region in southern Ukraine, killing at least 21 people, according to authorities.

The missiles were fired from planes in the Black Sea and hit a nine-story apartment building, Sergei Bratchuk, a spokesman for Odesa's military administration claimed.

Authorities reported 30 injuries from the missile strike. Three more children were recovered from the rubble, and at least two of the dead were children. The burned-out remains of buildings in the little village of Serhiivka were seen in a video of the attack taken just before dawn.

Ukrainian officials regard the Russian missile strike as retaliation as Moscow's troops were forced to pull out from Snake Island, a small rocky island south of Odesa, according to a report from USA Today.

Ukraine Claims Russia Now Targeting Civilians

For Moscow, the pulling out of troops from Snake Island on Thursday is a "gesture of goodwill" in response to allegations that it is preventing grain exports from Ukrainian ports. While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky describes the event as a strategic victory for his forces, as per a Reuters report.

Zelensky admitted that "it does not yet guarantee security" and it does not assure that "the enemy will not come back."

"But this significantly limits the actions of the occupiers. Step by step, we will push them back from our sea, our land, and our sky," he said in his nightly address.

The missile attack on civilian buildings happened four days after Moscow fired missiles at a crowded shopping center in central Ukraine that killed 19 people and resulted in a massive fire.

Read Also: Xi Attends Hong Kong's 25th Handover Anniversary, Claims City is Moving 'From Chaos to Governance'

Kyiv claimed that, in recent days, Moscow has drastically increased its long-range attacks on civilian sites distant from the front lines, which it has labeled as a war crime. But Russia claims to have been targeting military facilities.

Thousands of civilians have died since Russia started attacking Ukraine on Feb. 24. Ukraine views the invasion as an unprovoked act of aggression, while Russia says it is a "special operation" to expel nationalists.

Ukraine's EU Membership Is 'Within Reach'

In other news, per VOA, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, informed the Ukrainian parliament on Friday that membership in the EU was "within reach" but urged them to move forward with anti-corruption reforms.

Via video link, Von der Leyen acknowledged Ukraine's efforts in curbing corruption, saying that its lawmakers "have created an impressive anti-corruption machine."

Von der Leyen emphasized that Ukraine's fight against the ongoing Russian aggression and its efforts to be "reunited with our European family" had the full support of Brussels and the EU member states.

President Zelensky stated that the European Union's formal acceptance of Ukraine's application to join the 27-nation bloc marks a new chapter in their shared history.

The Ukrainian head of state remarked: "We made a journey of 115 days to candidate status and our journey to membership shouldn't take decades. We should make it down this road quickly."

Meanwhile, Western elites, including U.S. officials, attended the NATO summit in Madrid. United States President Joe Biden reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Ukraine militarily and financially.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson's office stated that the additional $1 billion in aid from Britain would be used to purchase air defense systems, unmanned aerial vehicles, and essential supplies for the Ukrainian military.

Related Article: Russia-Ukraine War: Vladimir Putin's Troops Take Over Lysychansk Oil Refinery, But Lose Snake Island in Big Win for Ukrainians

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SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP)  Savannah's police chief says he soon will step down to focus on his nomination to serve as a U.S. Marshal, an announcement that comes amid scrutiny over recent local police shootings, including the death of a Black man at the hands of a white officer.

Police Chief Roy Minter said Thursday that he will resign at the end of July to focus on the confirmation process for his nomination to serve as U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Georgia. Minters last day with the Savannah Police Department will be July 29, The Savannah Morning News reported.

Minter, who has served as chief since 2018, had been facing criticism from religious leaders who have called for both his resignation and a federal investigation into recent fatal police shootings, including the June 24 shooting of Saudi Arai Lee, 31.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which has launched a probe into the case, said officers spotted Lee walking around midday in the middle of a street. Authorities said Lee immediately showed them his wallet, saying it contained his weapons permit, and then lifted his shirt and removed a weapon from a holster. Investigators said a short chase followed and that Lee was shot by Savannah Police Officer Ernest Ferguson, who is white.

Lees killing was the fifth officer-involved death in the city this year, according to The Savannah Morning News.

Elder James Johnson of the Racial Justice Network said there were too many police shootings under Minters watch and he also has questioned the training of officers in the field.

In response to Minter's announcement, Savannah City Manager Jay Melder said the city was grateful for Minter's service.

"Chief Minter is the definition of a professional police chief, and I thank him for his tireless service to the City of Savannah, our residents, businesses, and visitors. I wish him well in the confirmation process and in all future endeavors, and I look forward to working with him in his new capacity, he said.

In a statement, Minter said: Being Savannahs police chief has been an honor and I look forward to the potential opportunity to continue my service to this community and all of southeast Georgia."

Melder has appointed Assistant Chief Lenny Gunther to serve as interim chief effective July 30. Gunther has served the department since 2001. The city will launch a nationwide search for Savannahs next chief, but the final decision rests with Melder.

Mayor Van Johnson said he had mixed emotions about Minter's announcement, but noted it wasnt unexpected following the news of Minters nomination in May.

I knew that this day was going to come once it was announced that he was nominated, Johnson said.

Johnson said he wants to give Gunther an opportunity to see what he can do in his new role.

I dont want to rush so quickly to a national hire and we miss a local opportunity, he said. Chief Gunther was raised in the Savannah Police Department and so, I would be interested ... in giving Chief Gunther an opportunity to see what he can do.
The concealed carrying of firearms in "critical locations," such as Times Square and all forms of public transit, would be prohibited, according to legislation passed by the New York State Senate on Friday.

In a special session earlier in the day, the bill was introduced. Before going to the governor's desk, the law must now be approved by the State Assembly. The bill was passed after the Supreme Court struck down a state statute that only let those with "proper cause" to get concealed carry permits.

New York Passes Sweeping Gun Control Bill

The law states that carrying a gun is prohibited in sensitive areas such as the subway, trains, buses, and ferries, as well as public buildings, places of worship, schools, libraries, public playgrounds, public parks, zoos, homeless shelters, and voting stations.

We refuse to stand idly by while the Supreme Court attacks the rights of New Yorkers.



I am issuing a proclamation to add equal rights to the legislatures extraordinary session agenda  to enshrine the right to abortion access in the State Constitution. pic.twitter.com/M3LIMkYAOT  Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) July 1, 2022

On Wednesday, Kathy Hochul, the governor of New York, stated that lawmakers intended to create "sensitive places" legislation. During a special session that began on Thursday and was convened by Hochul, the measure was submitted in the state Senate.

The measure also aims to outlaw the possession of guns on any private property by default, unless the owner of the land has posted signs allowing firearms or has otherwise given their agreement.

Law enforcement, peace officers, active duty military members, and security staff are exempt from this rule and are permitted to carry firearms in sensitive areas. Guns may be carried in sensitive areas by people who are lawfully hunting. The bill would make it a criminal penalty to carry a gun in a prohibited place, according to ABC News.

The proposal was anticipated to be approved by the state Assembly and delivered to Hochul's desk later on Friday or early on Saturday. The military and law enforcement personnel will be excluded from the restriction, along with other professions that the state will designate, as per NY Post.

Repeat offenders might face further felony penalties in addition to up to a year in prison, probation, or fines. The new law is anticipated to have a significant negative impact on the financial viability of companies like 221B Tactical in Midtown.

Read Also: Bradley Cooper for US Vice President? Howard Stern Reveals Bold 2024 Presidential Plan

Times Square Would Be Gun-Free Zone

Sen. Brad Hoylman stated, "I consider this to be a return favor to the Supreme Court of the United States for what they have attempted to do to New York State's concealed carry law. The Empire State strikes back today."

Per CBS News, Hoylman is especially happy that legislators were able to come up with a proposal to designate Times Square as a gun-free area, ensuring the safety of its estimated 50 million yearly visitors from the risks of gun violence. Additionally, the law forbids carrying firearms on public transportation, and:

prohibits those with a history of dangerous behavior from obtaining firearms licenses,

background checks are necessary for ammunition purchases,

updated firearms storage regulations, and

updated firearms storage regulations, and prohibits firearms in pubs and restaurants unless a notice authorizing them is posted.

Republicans opposed the legislation, claiming it wouldn't shield New Yorkers from the scourge of gun violence afflicting the streets. They attempted to pass a bail reform amendment, but were unsuccessful.

Sen. Pamela Helming stated, "They expect us to be leaders who prioritize public safety. They want us-no, I take that back-they are imploring us-to lay aside party politics and protect their families by adopting serious legislation that will halt the awful gun violence."

The abortion resolution, which would include the right to an abortion in the state constitution, is anticipated to be discussed by the Assembly once the gun legislation is passed. It still has to be approved the next year in order to avoid a general election in November 2023.

Related Article: New York Mom, Teenage Son Arrested in Barbaric Killing of 7-Year-Old Girl Tortured, Beaten to Death

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The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) will be giving more money for emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments in July, Governor Greg Abbott stated on Friday.

About 1.4 million households in Texas will get emergency SNAP food assistance totaling more than $301.8 million. This comes on top of the $7.2 billion that has already been given since April 2020.

How To Be Eligible For Texas SNAP Benefits?

Based on family size, the HHSC provides grantees with the maximum amount of benefits that are permitted. All SNAP households will get emergency allotments totaling at least $95 each. By July 31, this extra emergency allocation ought to be visible in beneficiaries' accounts, according to MSN.

The US government gave HHSC official clearance. All SNAP households will receive a minimum of $95 in emergency allotments, and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) will increase the maximum, allowable amount of SNAP benefits to recipients based on family size. The emergency July allotments are in addition to the more than $7.2 billion in benefits that have already been given to Texans since April 2020, as per Houston Chronicles.

SNAP, a federal program administered by HHSC, offers food assistance to qualified low-income families and individuals in Texas. Texans in need can apply for benefits, such as Medicaid and SNAP, at YourTexasBenefits.com or manage their benefits using the Your Texas Benefits smartphone app.

Read Also: Gas Tax Rebate: These States Provide New Stimulus Checks for Eligible Residents

Delaware To Provide More SNAP Benefits

Meanwhile, the Delaware Division of Social Services announced on Wednesday that eligible households would receive emergency benefit checks as part of the state's ongoing response to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Benefits will be distributed through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and General Assistance programs as well as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (GA). To qualify, you must be enrolled in one of those programs, as per GoBangkingRates.

According to the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, the SNAP emergency food benefit will be accessible on claimants' Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards on Thursday, June 30. (DHSS). On or after Thursday, June 30, eligible TANF and GA families will receive a check for an emergency cash payment.

Every household with an active SNAP application will get emergency food assistance totaling at least $95. They will be distributed as follows:

SNAP families who get a prorated initial payment or the maximum food benefit amount for their family size will receive $95 in emergency food assistance.

SNAP families will get an emergency benefit boost of $95 if their estimated emergency food benefit is less than that amount.

SNAP families will continue to receive the calculated emergency benefit amount to increase their monthly benefit up to the maximum benefit amount for their household size if their calculated emergency benefit amount is $95 or more.

A household's monthly benefit for each program will rise thanks to the emergency aid payments for TANF and GA families, up to the maximum benefit level appropriate for the size of the household. The June emergency cash payments are not available to households that already receive the maximum TANF or GA benefit amount, or who get a prorated benefit in June.

Since March 2020, the DHSS has provided qualified households with monthly emergency benefits. She stated that although there was no specified time frame, the emergency benefits will eventually come to an end.

The current maximum benefit amount for the household size is deducted from the household's existing monthly benefit amount to arrive at the household's monthly emergency benefit. According to the current USDA restrictions for SNAP benefits, a family would get $150 in emergency assistance ($250 maximum benefit less $100 monthly benefit) if it received $100 in regular monthly benefits.

For a SNAP family of two, the maximum payout is $459. For a household of three people, the cost is $658; for a family of four, it is $835; for a family of five, it is $992; for a family of six, it is $1,190; for a family of seven, it is $1,316; and for a family of eight, it is $1,504. Families with more than that receive $188 for each new member.

Related Article: SNAP Benefits 2022: Here's How To Get Extra $95 Each Month!

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Ukraine needs "hard work, determination" to join EU, says von der Leyen

Xinhua) 10:25, July 02, 2022

BRUSSELS, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine's bid to join the European Union (EU) is "within reach" but requires "hard work, determination and above all unity of purpose," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday.

Addressing the Ukrainian parliament via video link, she said the path towards EU membership required reforms in many areas including tackling corruption. She also took note of the steps Ukraine had already taken in this direction.

"You have created an impressive anti-corruption machine. But now these institutions need teeth, and the right people in senior posts," she said.

Von der Leyen said Ukraine should appoint new heads for the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office and National Anti-Corruption Bureau as soon as possible.

She also highlighted the need to reform Ukraine's constitutional court, which requires legislation outlining selection procedures for judges, in line with the recommendations of the Venice Commission.

"Many of the laws and institutions you need are already in place. Now is the time to translate rules and bodies into positive and enduring change," she said.

Von der Leyen was addressing the Ukrainian parliament following the approval of Ukraine and Moldova as candidates for EU membership on June 23.

Ukraine applied for EU membership shortly after the conflict with Russia had begun at the end of February. The country handed over its application on Feb. 28, while Moldova applied for EU membership on March 3.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Bianji)
An amateur astronomer has done something that could earn the envy of his fellows.

Giuseppe Donatiello, a skywatcher, was recently reported by Space.com to have found a fossil galaxy that could help experts understand what galaxies looked like in space's earliest days.

Experts who followed up on Donatiello's findings gave the fossil galaxy the name Pegasus V.

Pegasus V Discovery Facts

Pegasus V was discovered against all odds by Donatiello when he spotted found the fossil galaxy by chance by pointing out a "smudge" in data in an image from a Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Legacy Imaging Surveys image, per NOIRLab.

Experts who heard about Donatiello's observations then studied the region using Gemini North, a telescope located in Hawaii. to confirm it and found the dwarf galaxy found by the skywatcher.

Michelle Collins, an astronomer from the University of Surrey in the UK who led the follow-up research on Donatiello's observations, calls the discovery the first time such a galaxy was discovered using an astronomical survey that wasn't specifically designed for the task. She also added that Pegasus V's stars formed very early in the history of the Universe.

Collins' statement was issued by the National Science Foundation's National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory (NOIRLab), which operates Gemini North.

Read More: The Sims 4's Upcoming Expansion Pack Brings You Back to High School

The follow-up observations by Collins and those at NOIRLab revealed faint stars in Pegasus V, confirming that it is an ultra-faint dwarf galaxy on the outskirts of the Andromeda galaxy.

Collins and those at NOIRLab found Pegasus V to have an extreme deficiency in heavier elements compared to similar dwarf galaxies, making it very old and likely to be a fossil of the first galaxies in the Universe, per Science Daily.

However, the DESI isn't the first instrument that found the dwarf galaxy - data gathered by the Victor M. Blanco Telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile holds that honor.

The skywatcher was reportedly taking part in a search for Andromeda dwarf galaxies conducted by David Martinez-Delgado of the Instituto de Astroficisa de Andalucia, Spain when he spotted Pegasus V.

What Is A Fossil Galaxy?

Fossil Galaxies or Fossil groups are galaxies that consist of a large, isolated elliptical galaxy inside an extended halo of X-ray emitting gas the size of a galaxy group, per the Swinburne University of Technology.

Although finding one is difficult to say the least, Liverpool John Moores University's Ricardo Schiavon says that astronomers have to look at the detailed chemical make-up and motions of tens of thousands of stars, which they did when they discovered the Heracles fossil galaxy inside the Milky Way.

These fossil galaxies are said to be glimpses of what the Universe was in its earliest days.

Collins hopes that further study of Pegasus V and other similar fossil galaxies' chemical properties will provide clues into the earliest periods of star formation in the Universe, per Sci Tech Daily. Fossil galaxies can also help astronomers understand how galaxies form and whether humanity's current understanding of dark matter is correct.

Related Article: NASA's DART Asteroid Mission Risks Deforming the Moonlet Dimorphus When They Collide
I will always remember the day they took away the history books. My small boarding school, on a rain-lashed Devon hilltop, had until that day taught us about the glory and grandeur of English history. It was a story of courage, freedom and the defeat of foreign threats.

But these volumes, their pages soft from use, their illustrations in wistful black and white, were no longer acceptable. They were gathered up and carted off. Instead, we were given glossy, brightly-coloured replacements with larger print and supposedly exciting photographs of a brave new world.

Luckily for me, the change came just too late. I had already absorbed all the old stuff and I would never be able to regard the 1945 Labour Government as being as exciting or interesting as the Battle of Trafalgar. I thought then, as I think now, that this country had indeed had a Glorious Revolution in 1688. Significantly, it was about the same time that they began to inflict the New Maths on us  but once again I had been lucky enough to learn my times tables by heart long before then.

A parent at Haberdashers Hatcham College, an academy in South-East London, was concerned about what her teenage daughter was being taught. She found she had been exposed to all kinds of violent and dubious material, including politicised rap music

I should stress that this was a private school mainly attended by the sons of naval officers and prosperous farmers. Id guess it was round about 1963. Yet even we, in that lost era, could not escape the rising flood of indoctrination which has been washing over British education ever since.

How deep and nasty that flood is we may never know. Its victims, the school pupils dont know that they are the victims of propaganda, since they have no way of telling when they are being brainwashed. Parents only discover by accident what their children are being taught, then are refused permission to see what is going on. For, as we have learned in recent weeks, the level and nature of propaganda in schools is an official secret, as closely-guarded as our nuclear launch codes.

A parent at Haberdashers Hatcham College, an academy in South-East London, was concerned about what her teenage daughter was being taught. She found she had been exposed to all kinds of violent and dubious material, including politicised rap music. An assembly was held to discuss white privilege, in which pupils were told that people perpetuated their privilege just by being white.

And of course (as usual) there was sex education which was more about spreading liberal immorality than anything else. The only unusual thing about this is the determination of the parents involved to find out the facts, and good luck to them.

How deep and nasty that flood is we may never know. Its victims, the school pupils dont know that they are the victims of propaganda, since they have no way of telling when they are being brainwashed, writes Peter Hitchens (pictured)

Most parents have neither the time nor the energy to take this up, and many will reasonably worry that, if they make a fuss, their child will suffer in some way. Are they wrong to fear this?

From my correspondence over the years, I am pretty sure modern education, state and private alike, is filled with radical, politically correct propaganda. This includes the curriculum. And the effective nationalisation of all state schools by the academy programme has if anything made them even more secretive than when they used to be run by local government.

This indoctrination works. If you go on social media and engage in debate on some subjects, especially illegal drugs or the sexual revolution, it is amazing how uniform and instant the response is to any conservative or Christian argument.

Someone has taught them to say these things. This conformism is combined with almost total ignorance of history, English literature or anything else worth knowing. The great thinker, academic and author CS Lewis used to ask What do they teach them at these schools? I think we now have a pretty good idea, precisely because they wont tell us.

Still blind to killers drug abuse

As we recently saw in Texas, most Americans miss the point about rampage killings. They are so anxious to blame gun laws, exclusively, that they actually suppress evidence that the killers are crazed by drug abuse, as the New York Times did over the Uvalde killer. They shockingly deleted accurate information that he was a marijuana user.

In Europe we have a similar problem, as governments and media are determined to blame Islamist terror, exclusively, for all such events.

So you probably wont know that the alleged Oslo murderer, who is accused of killing two and wounding 21 others in the Norwegian capital, is on record as having mental problems (common in marijuana users) and has also been convicted for drug possession. As usual with such people it is very hard to see how his crime could possibly have helped any cause.

Yet the Oslo Police have said they consider the attack as an act of extreme Islamist terrorism.

When the authorities are in the grip of this sort of crazy misunderstanding, there is little hope that anything will be learned from such episodes. So they will keep happening.

Gosh, its long but Elvis film has a message

The new film about Elvis Presley lasted so many hours that my beard was visibly longer and bushier at the end of it than it had been at the beginning. Other members of the audience were actually brought meals on trays by cinema staff, to sustain them during the screening. I wouldnt have been surprised if stretcher-bearers had been called before the end, to carry away the stunned and the exhausted.

Which is a pity, because we need to know about Elvis. Like the Beatles, he was as important as Lenin and Mao in overthrowing the existing order. Human behaviour, especially in Western countries, changed totally, especially in its attitudes towards sex and marriage, thanks to such people.

The world after Elvis was utterly different from the world before him. The crabby old Southern politicians and police chiefs who tried and failed to stop him or to control his concerts were pretty unlovely, but they instantly understood that this was a revolution.

But it wasnt conscious on Elviss part. I dont think he had much in the way of politics and as far as I know, he wasnt exactly liberal in his views. I dont think the Beatles or the Rolling Stones started out with any opinions, either, though they certainly developed them later. What was it that made girls scream and grab at Elviss pink suits? Im not sure, though Frank Sinatra had the same effect on an earlier generation, and he was never accused of doing wild things with his hips, as far as I know. So did the Beatles, and they also are not famous for wiggling their pelvises. Yet the screaming and loss of control at their early concerts was so wild that nobody could hear what they were singing. My suspicion is that centuries of Christianity had more or less buried fierce passions that were well-known to the ancient Greeks and Romans.

And that somehow, maybe just in the curl of a lip or a surly scowl, or in some rediscovered combination of sounds, Sinatra, Presley and the others unlocked those passions again, so accidentally transforming the world. We will find out in time if our ancestors had good reasons for trying to keep such things under control, for the post-Elvis age has really only just begun.

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Early in 2020, Boris and a number of senior aides gathered in Downing Street to discuss a potential reshuffle.

As they went through suitable names for a possible chief-whip, somebody mentioned the Prime Minister's close ally, the Foreign Office Minister Chris Pincher.

'Boris said, 'The thing about Chris is he's handsy. That's a problem,' ' a senior member of the Prime Minister's inner circle, who was present at the meeting, told me.

'Then he [Boris] said, 'Pincher by name, pincher by nature,' ' my source added.

On Thursday it was announced Chris Pincher had resigned from his position as deputy chief whip after groping two men in London's exclusive Carlton club.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Pincher wrote: 'Last night I drank far too much. I've embarrassed myself and other people, which is the last thing I want to do, and for that I apologise to you and to those concerned.'

As they went through suitable names for a possible chief-whip, somebody mentioned the Prime Minister's close ally, the Foreign Office Minister Chris Pincher. 'Boris said, 'The thing about Chris is he's handsy. That's a problem,' ' a senior member of the Prime Minister's inner circle, who was present at the meeting, told me. 'Then he [Boris] said, 'Pincher by name, pincher by nature,' ' my source added

A witness told me: 'He was completely wasted. He couldn't talk. He was swaying. He was being completely inappropriate.'

After being told to leave, and refusing, Pincher had to be physically removed from the premises by a fellow MP.

The incident, and the resignation that followed, brought an end to months  actually years  of speculation and investigation.

Multiple reports about Pincher's conduct had been made to journalists and the Tory whips' office from numerous sources.

I've personally heard them from parliamentary researchers, Government advisers, MPs and Ministers. Pincher had already been forced to resign as a whip on a previous occasion after a former Olympic rower made a complaint about an unwanted sexual advance. He was cleared of wrongdoing after an investigation by police and an internal investigation by the Conservative Party.

But this time the facts were not in dispute. The events had occurred in public, in front of multiple witnesses. Pincher had acknowledged his wrongdoing, and had resigned. Boris had accepted his resignation.

And then, after the truth had finally emerged, Downing Street embarked on a bizarre operation to cover it up again. Boris responded directly to Pincher's resignation letter. But the contents of his response would not be made public, the Press were told. No10 then stated Boris had not been aware of any specific allegations regarding Pincher. And that even if he had been, he couldn't deny him a job based solely on unsubstantiated allegations.

Pincher (pictured) was invited into Downing Street for the appointment to be confirmed. But there was a furious backlash from Boris's senior aides, who reminded him about specific allegations against Pincher

Let's be clear, rumour is the currency of Westminster. And much of that currency is counterfeit. When it was first reported that an MP had been caught watching porn in the House of Commons chamber, for 24 hours everyone I spoke to confidently told me they knew the name of the offender. The name they had was wrong.

As one Tory MP who has no great love for Boris told me: 'To be fair, a lot of what everyone hears turns out to be rubbish. What people around here think they know and what they actually know isn't the same thing.'

But on this occasion the reports and rumours were in alignment. And as we have seen, despite the false denials, Boris wasn't just aware of them  he believed them, and circulated them himself.

What's more, the Prime Minister  in line with established practice by his predecessors  consistently made Cabinet appointments based on precisely this sort of unverified intelligence. Another member of Boris's inner circle recalled a conversation he had with him when he was discussing names for his first Cabinet. 'I don't think so,' Boris had said disapprovingly of one candidate. '[The candidate has] a problem with girls.'

This is precisely the reason that in the last reshuffle Boris backed off from appointing Pincher as chief whip and appointed another close ally, Chris Heaton-Harris.

In February 2022 he finally decided to ignore the allegations, and give Pincher the position as his top enforcer. Pincher told friends he had been offered the role by the Prime Minister, and he had accepted. He was invited into Downing Street for the appointment to be confirmed. But there was a furious backlash from Boris's senior aides, who reminded him about specific allegations against Pincher. I'm told the haggling over who should be given the post lasted almost six hours. Eventually the Prime Minister backed down.

And then, having backed down, he made the situation even worse.

If Boris really felt the man he privately referred to as 'Pincher by name, pincher by nature' was due a presumption of innocence, he could have appointed him to any role in Government. But by appointing him deputy chief whip he staggeringly chose to place him directly in a position where he was the point-man for internal Tory investigations into sexual impropriety by Conservative MPs.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Pincher wrote: 'Last night I drank far too much. I've embarrassed myself and other people, which is the last thing I want to do, and for that I apologise to you and to those concerned.'

Several months ago a senior staffer to a Tory MP approached a Minister and claimed they had been subjected to sexual harassment by their employer. What should they do about it, they asked? 'The Minister said I should go and speak to Chris Pincher,' the adviser told me, 'because he was the person in the whips' office who had responsibility for dealing with sexual complaints.'

Last week, in the wake of the Tories' crushing by-election defeat in Tiverton, I wrote this: 'What Tory MPs need to realise is things are not going to change under Boris. Because for that to happen it would require Boris himself to change. And he can't.'

Seven days later here we are again. The lies emanating from Downing Street. The dysfunction at the heart of Downing Street. The stench of decay wafting through Downing Street.

In the wake of Partygate, Boris told his MPs that he had learnt his lesson. The Augean Stables would finally be cleansed, he pledged. A major reorganisation of his political operation would take place.

And what was one of his key moves? The appointment of Chris Pincher.

How much longer is this going to go on? The Owen Paterson affair. The Abba party. Wallpapergate. Carrie Symonds' Foreign Office chief-of-staff job. Pincher.

Actually, let's not lump them all together. The events of the past 72 hours are not about sleaze. Or interior furnishings. Or nepotism. Or parties and cake.

They are about sexual harassment. They're about how the Prime Minister knowingly placed someone with a reputation for sexual impropriety in a position where he had direct responsibility for managing allegations of sexual misconduct within the Conservative Party.

How, when that man was finally exposed for engaging in sexual impropriety himself, the Prime Minister fought to protect him for almost 24 hours by arguing he should retain the Conservative Party whip. And how that Prime Minister constructed a tissue of lies about what he personally knew about the perpetrator, what he was told, and when he was told it.

'A fish rots from the head,' a Tory grandee told me yesterday.

The Pincher case stinks. And the responsibility for that rests with Boris Johnson.
For the moment, it is just a plan. But it could soon become reality  and permanently change the way British governments are elected.

For this is the likely result if a coalition of centre and centre-Left parties is forged as part of a deal between Labour and the Liberal Democrats to try to exclude the Tories from power for ever.

The initial effect of such a deal could be to create a weak Labour government led by Sir Keir Starmer but at the constant beck and call of the Lib Dems and the Scottish National Party. The cost to our country would be enormous.

First, to sign up to the deal, the Lib Dems would almost certainly demand an irrevocable change to the electoral system.

And in return for their support, who can doubt Scotlands First Minister Nicola Sturgeon would demand a referendum to break up the UK for ever?

Sadly, this nightmarish prospect has been conjured up following the two recent by-elections  won by Labour and the Lib Dems after both parties co-operated to prevent the Tories holding the seats.

For the moment, it is just a plan. But it could soon become reality  and permanently change the way British governments are elected

Neither party currently has a realistic chance of getting a Commons majority.

But together, they could put Sir Keir Starmer into No 10 and change the electoral system in an effort to ensure their coalition remained in government in perpetuity.

Both parties deny a deal might be struck but it has been reported that the Lib Dems have already named their price: a new proportional representation voting system imposed on the country without a referendum about what would be a major change to a structure which has worked well for decades.

The result would be a revolution in the way we choose our governments  but without so much as asking the publics permission.

Supporters of the idea pretend this would be fairer and more democratic. I think it is outrageous.

It would mean secret horse-trading after every General Election, putting the highest bidder into Downing Street. The public would have no say in the outcome.

Make no mistake, this would create chaos for the country  and it would be a disaster for Labour.

While millions of former Labour voters are crying out for serious leadership that can earn the publics trust, and for a party capable of winning elections, Sir Keir would stumble into power helped by all the minor parties.

For this is the likely result if a coalition of centre and centre-Left parties is forged as part of a deal between Labour and the Liberal Democrats to try to exclude the Tories from power for ever

Promises made in their separate manifestos and upon which voters had made their choice would inevitably be torn up as private deals were struck.

Whats more, fully aware this would happen, political parties could promise the Earth during election campaigns, confident that they could claim afterwards that they had been forced to sacrifice those pledges by their coalition partners. What would that do for trust in our political system?

Using their leverage, too, the minor parties would force their own policies on to the statute book.

The SNP would surely demand as many referendums as it took to break up the United Kingdom. We would be stuck in a protracted constitutional wrangle  a so-called neverendum  and sooner or later, the Scottish people would have had enough and vote to become an independent nation.

The greatest country in the world would be torn apart.

The initial effect of such a deal could be to create a weak Labour government led by Sir Keir Starmer but at the constant beck and call of the Lib Dems and the Scottish National Party. The cost to our country would be enormous

Meanwhile, I believe that Prime Minister Starmer would be forced to rely on Labours hard Left to keep him in power. To be fair, he and most of his team are better than Jeremy Corbyn and the crazy communists who supported him.

No one could say that Sir Keir is an extremist, still less an anti-semite. But he has not yet cleaned out the Labour Party and until he does, the public would worry about him being held hostage by a bunch of Trotskyites.

Many Labour MPs are sensible and moderate but there are enough on the hard Left to hold Sir Keir to ransom. Thirty-five are members of the Socialist Campaign Group. What bargains and concessions would Sir Keir have to offer to keep them onside?

Sir Keir may be a patriot but who thinks the hard Left would support military action to stand up for our values, fight Putin or defend our countrys interests?

Im sure they wouldnt stand up to the trade unions either. And what would happen about Brexit?

The SNP and the Lib Dems have never accepted the 2016 referendum result and they fought tooth and nail to prevent Brexit.

Neither party currently has a realistic chance of getting a Commons majority. But together, they could put Sir Keir Starmer into No 10 and change the electoral system in an effort to ensure their coalition remained in government in perpetuity

A Shadow Minister recently suggested that a Labour government could negotiate a closer deal or even rejoin the EU.

Increasingly, I believe that the public will become more aware of this undemocratic attempt to give Britain a permanent rag-bag coalition by stealth.

Whereas former Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair had the confidence to plant his flag in the centre ground and used his position to govern for the country as a whole, Sir Keir would be reliant on the support of Labours hard Left.

Of course, this presents him with a paradox.

The more it looks like Sir Keir is in cahoots with other parties, the less likely it is that the public would vote for him.

Soon enough, the Conservatives would be running advertisements depicting Sir Keir in Nicola Sturgeons pocket.

Boosted by last months by-elections  where Labour beat the Conservatives in Wakefield while the Lib Dems ousted them in Tiverton and Honiton  many in both parties seem to be convinced that there is a majority in the country ready to stop another Tory government.

And in return for their support, who can doubt Scotlands First Minister Nicola Sturgeon would demand a referendum to break up the UK for ever?

Its a fact  and one that many Labour and Lib Dem activists might not like  that the United Kingdom is a small-c conservative country.

People are currently concerned about the rising cost of living, not about trendy obsessions and bizarre debates about trans rights, whether only women have a cervix or if men can get pregnant.

Millions of former Labour voters want strong political leadership and big, bold statements which show that Sir Keir Starmer understands their concerns, can earn their trust and is capable of running the country.

But time is running out for the Labour leader. He has no chance of becoming Prime Minister if the ambition is to limp across the doorstep of No 10, pushed into a weak and unstable coalition by the SNP and Lib Dems.
With its supple, black exterior, chunky gold-and-silver chain and discreet magnetic clasp, it looks and feels like any other It bag coveted by celebrities and wealthy shoppers the world over. But what makes this 1,995 half-moon clutch so groundbreaking is that no cow was harmed to make its leather.

The must-have Stella McCartney accessory began life as a mushroom  one that was cultivated in a huge indoor farm in the Netherlands before its fibrous roots were turned into a durable, ultra-desirable fabric.

When the Frayme Mylo goes on sale on Thursday, it will set a new fashion watermark as the worlds first handbag made entirely from mushrooms.

McCartney, 50, says her design  which has an initial limited-edition run of 100  will help shoppers make conscious choices.

When the Frayme Mylo goes on sale on Thursday, it will set a new fashion watermark as the worlds first handbag made entirely from mushrooms

McCartney, 50, says her design  which has an initial limited-edition run of 100  will help shoppers make conscious choices

I want to make it easier for people to make responsible fashion moves, while never compromising on beauty or desirability, she says.

The Prince of Wales, a fellow devotee of sustainable farming is already a fan. He and McCartney discussed her vegan range at the Cop26 climate change summit in Glasgow last November, and he reportedly found her exhibition enlightening and inspiring.

Motivated by her late mother Linda, a passionate animal rights activist, McCartney has not used fur, leather or any animal skins in her label since it launched in 2001. Now the rest of the fashion industry is following her commitment to sustainable, cruelty-free fashion with a trend that is set to revolutionise how clothes are produced, and hugely reduce the industrys impact on the planet.

Following McCartneys ground-breaking mushroom bag, animal-free belts, bags, wallets and shoes will follow from next year, by the likes of Hermes, high street chain H&M and French luxury giant Kering, which controls prestigious brands such as Gucci, Saint Laurent, Balenciaga and Bottega Veneta.

And the menu of materials being used to make them reads like a shopping list from the fruit and vegetable section at Sainsburys: as well as mushrooms, clothes will soon be spun from pineapples, apples, bananas and coconuts  even grapes left over from winemaking.

Pioneering bio-tech companies are committed to the same cause of sustainable fashion, but shun the label vegan leather and instead make the material from cells taken from cows and fish and cultivated in a lab. Silicon Valley firm VitroLabs  which is backed by Kering and Hollywood actor and environmental campaigner Leonardo DiCaprio  is taking cell samples from living cows and turning them into leather in a San Francisco laboratory.

The process is similar to brewing: cells grown inside vats of nutrient-rich liquid are then spread out on racks where, over four weeks, they form into hide-like textiles.

Announcing his investment in May as part of a 39 million funding round, DiCaprio said: Cell-cultivated leather rivals the qualities of animal leather while having a positive impact on climate change.

The level of research and refinement done to bring this product to life makes this an exciting industry moment.

Fashion made from pineapple fibres, by a company called Pinatex are now in vogue

VitroLabs chief executive, former fashion designer Ingvar Helgason, believes that growing leather in a lab is the future of the fashion industry.

Not only will it prevent cows, pigs and goats being slaughtered for the hides that are in such demand by luxury fashion houses, but it will also use less water and harmful chemicals in the tanning process.

Helgason says: The opportunity for alternative materials is huge. We see it as the size of the leather goods industry, worth $400 billion (330 billion) globally. Any technology takes time to scale up, but the consumer demand is there and brands are responding to that.

McCartneys mushroom bag is made from mycelium  the fine, branch-like fibres that act like roots as they sprawl through soil.

They are turned into a material called Mylo by California-based Bolt Threads, which is also developing mushroom products with Kering, Danish label Ganni, and sportswear brands Lululemon and Adidas.

Its fungi are cultivated on vertical indoor farms in the Netherlands that are powered by renewable energy and take up a fraction of the land required to rear a cow for its leather.

Producing the base material for the textile takes less than two weeks, compared to several years it can take to raise cattle.

Jamie Bainbridge, Bolt Threads vice-president of product development, says: The mycelium grows into a foamy layer on huge trays  imagine a big bag of smashed marshmallows.

We then process and dye that sheet of mycelium, and it becomes the Mylo material that gets used to make footwear, handbags, wallets, phone cases and other gorgeous products.

Other brands piling in to this already crowded field include Ananas Anam, which makes Pinatex fabric from waste pineapple fibres

A team of around two dozen scientists  including physicists and chemical biologists  are trying to perfect the formula for Mylo to make it even more hard-wearing.

Bolt Threads has created prototype mushroom trainers for Adidas, and eventually hopes to produce clothing made from the mycelium fibres, following the unveiling last year of a sample outfit of black corset top and trousers  which was modelled for McCartney by US actress and musician Paris Jackson.

Hermes, the maker of the Birkin and Kelly handbags, has closely followed the fungi-fabric trend. It is working with US firm MycoWorks to make its Victoria bag from another mushroom-based material, Reishi.

MycoWorks chief executive, Matt Scullin, says: From the Stone Age and the Bronze Age to the Iron Age, great eras in human history have been described by a key material. We are in the early days of the Biomaterials Age and MycoWorks and our partners are leading the new materials revolution.

Other brands piling in to this already crowded field include Ananas Anam, which makes Pinatex fabric from waste pineapple fibres bought from farmers in the Philippines.

It has been used to make Paul Smith and 115 Nike trainers, upholster a chair by designer Tom Dixon, and decorate the Hilton hotel chains first-ever vegan suite, on Londons South Bank.

And eco-brand Pangaia, based in the capital, uses fibres from bananas, pineapples, bamboo and even nettles and seaweed as an alternative to cotton.

Next month, Stella McCartney plans to unveil a range of shoes and bags made partly from grape fibres, as well as the fruit skins and stalks discarded during winemaking. Fashionistas convinced that sustainable fashion is a good look will no doubt drink to that.
Before speaking out last week about the menopause revolution, I was, I'll admit, apprehensive. I've been targeted by HRT campaigners before. It feels like every time I write about evidence-based menopause treatment, they accuse me of being ill-informed, even spreading misinformation.

That it happened again was predictable. After all, I was talking about my fear that some women were being encouraged by celebs and private doctors to take HRT they didn't really need.

I went as far as to say the relentless focus on the negative aspects of the menopause amounted to scaremongering and made women think it would always be hellish, when in fact it is not.

This didn't go down well with Davina McCall, who has become a tireless advocate for HRT after her own positive experience.

She wrote on Instagram that my article was 'factually inaccurate'  but wouldn't say much more.

Feel free to get in touch, Davina, if you find something that needs correcting.

Before speaking out last week about the menopause revolution, I was, I'll admit, apprehensive. I've been targeted by HRT campaigners before. It feels like every time I write about evidence-based menopause treatment, they accuse me of being ill-informed, even spreading misinformation, writes Dr Ellie Cannon

Sexual health expert Samantha Evans, a former nurse who featured on Davina's C4 documentary, Sex, Mind And The Menopause, weighed in too: 'Dr Ellie Cannon often gives incorrect menopause advice in the Mail... she seems to really dislike the menopause community.'

These comments  and there were many more like them  seemed to ignore the fact that I argued for a nuanced, individualistic approach that might include HRT and might not.

As I said, they weren't unexpected. But this time something else happened, too. There was a huge groundswell of support from the medical community and women in general.

I received numerous messages from doctors who admitted they shared my concerns. There were posts online from patients who said they felt 'guilty' or 'anti-feminist' for not taking HRT in this new era of medicalising menopause, and a torrent of emails from readers with similar views, all of whom applauded The Mail on Sunday for highlighting what has become a highly contentious issue.

On Twitter, University College London's Professor Joyce Harper, a leading voice on women's health, wrote: 'I think we've got ourselves in a mess with HRT. Yes it's terrific for some women. But not all women need or want it. And some can't take it. I agree with Dr Ellie.'

She later added: 'Many women don't want to take HRT and we shouldn't be guilted into it.'

Davina McCall (above, at a rally outside Parliament) has become a tireless advocate for HRT after her own positive experience. She wrote on Instagram that my article was 'factually inaccurate'  but wouldn't say much more. Feel free to get in touch, Davina, if you find something that needs correcting

Catherine Harland of the Menopause Mentor website added: 'It's no wonder women are confused thanks to the conflicting menopause narrative. There's evidence-based info and then there's scaremongering. It makes me livid.'

And nutritionist Jackie Lynch wrote that it 'echoed many of my thoughts,' adding: 'I'm concerned about the fearmongering messaging around the menopause. While HRT can be life-changing for some, it's not appropriate for everyone, nor the panacea it may seem.' I couldn't agree more.

Lots of people pointed out, too, that my article did not mention the long-term benefits of taking HRT  and there was a reason for this.

Social media has been awash with claims that these drugs, which top up levels of the female hormones oestrogen and progesterone, can stave off some of the worst diseases of ageing.

Campaigner Kate Muir, who produced Davina's documentary, wrote on Instagram that my piece 'fails to understand the long-term benefits of body-identical HRT [a common form prescribed on the NHS]  reducing osteoporosis, colon cancer, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and dementia.

'Not recognising that HRT can give women a healthier and less pain-filled later life is either ignorance or medical gaslighting.'

It's claims such as these that have, undoubtedly, ignited business for the country's private menopause specialists. It's impossible to know how much the industry is worth today, but one very vocal menopause GP, Dr Louise Newson, has admitted she has a waiting list of more than 8,000 women at her Newson Health practice. An initial appointments there is 295. I'll leave you to do the maths.

Dr Newson told a webinar last year for the International Menopause Society that HRT 'reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by about 50 per cent'.

She added: 'If you compare the benefit of using a statin or blood pressure lowering drug with the numbers for risk reduction taking HRT, the one that wins is HRT.'

They are sensational claims. But how true are they?

NHS guidelines make it clear that HRT should be prescribed for severe menopause symptoms, and to younger post-menopausal women at risk of osteoporosis. A statement issued by professional bodies representing experts in menopause care  the British Menopause Society, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Society for Endocrinology  is very clear on this, too.

It says: 'For most women, HRT has a favourable benefit/risk profile. However, HRT should not be used without a clear indication, and should not be used for the sole purpose of disease prevention.'

In other words, unless your menopause symptoms are affecting your quality of life, you should not be taking it.

Why? Well, for that we have to look at the evidence.

It's very easy to cherry-pick studies that look like they prove what you want to hear. But the fact is that, in analysing any of the reported benefits, there's only one study we have that is considered the gold standard  a huge American clinical trial of 27,000 women called the Women's Health Initiative, which divided women into three groups to receive HRT in several forms: either oestrogen and progesterone, oestrogen alone, or a placebo pill.

What about the claim that HRT works better than statins or blood pressure drugs for reducing heart attack risk? It's just not the case. As I've said, there's some evidence that HRT might provide some protection, but hundreds of clinical trials have shown the same thing: statins and blood pressure drugs reduce the chances of suffering a heart attack and stroke for pretty much whoever takes them, says Dr Ellie (pictured)

It began in 1992 and has been following women up ever since. And it's good news when it comes to bone health. For women with osteoporosis, fractures were a third less likely in those treated with either oestrogen HRT alone or oestrogen plus progesterone.

But the picture with everything else that's claimed is murkier.

Let's start with the cardiac benefits. There's no doubt menopause is bad news for the heart. The drop in oestrogen levels changes the way we store fat, which increases women's risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. And it can cause insomnia, again a risk factor for heart problems.

The question is, can HRT protect against these changes?

The answer is yes, in women under 45 who have a premature menopause due to illness or a hysterectomy. But analysis by medical review body Cochrane Collaboration found in women aged 50-59 who took HRT, ten in 1,000 ended up with heart disease, compared with 18 in 1,000 in those who did not take HRT.

It's a fact One hormone replacement therapy drug, called Premarin, is produced from the urine of pregnant horses.

The body produces three main types of oestrogen: estradiol during reproductive years, estriol during pregnancy and estrone after menopause. Advertisement

The authors say it's too small a difference to mean anything. Women on HRT in this age group were also more likely to have blood clots  11 in 1,000 compared with six in 1,000 not taking HRT.

And the older you are, the fewer those heart-related benefits and the greater the risk of strokes and blood clots  a risk that increases the longer you stay on HRT, the Cochrane study found.

More recent evidence suggests these risks are greatly reduced if you take oestrogen alone as a patch or gel, but we don't have a long-term picture for these drugs.

Obviously, if you're struggling with severe symptoms, HRT will be life-changing. But experts agree: you should not take HRT just to stave off heart disease.

What about the claim that HRT works better than statins or blood pressure drugs for reducing heart attack risk? It's just not the case.

As I've said, there's some evidence that HRT might provide some protection, but hundreds of clinical trials have shown the same thing: statins and blood pressure drugs reduce the chances of suffering a heart attack and stroke for pretty much whoever takes them.

There is no comparison, and frankly I and many of my medical colleagues have been horrified that a doctor would suggest it. As one cardiologist told me: 'HRT is not going to lower blood pressure and it won't prevent a stroke.'

It's the same problem with claims about HRT staving off type 2 diabetes. Lots of clinical trials have suggested it might delay the onset of the disease by protecting against the accumulation of fat around the middle  a risk factor for type 2  but also improving how the body uses insulin.

Kate Muir's book Everything You Need To Know About The Menopause cites a review of the evidence to back up this claim  but that study makes it clear HRT should not be used to protect against diabetes.

Another big claim is that HRT staves off dementia  a feature of Davina McCall's documentary. She refers to a US study of 400,000 women that found those using HRT were 58 per cent less likely to develop Alzheimer's. But the study should be read with caution: women who can afford HRT in the US private health care system are wealthier, healthier and less at risk of dementia.

And in 2002, women with any form of heart disease or risk factors for heart disease were advised not to take HRT. This was because some evidence  now disproved  appeared to show it could increase heart problems.

Heart disease also raises the risk of dementia. So those studied  a group with healthier-than-average hearts  will have already been at much less risk of Alzheimer's.

Another study cited, KEEPS (Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study), looks at the effect of HRT on the brain and the development of tell-tale plaques that can be a signature of Alzheimer's. It found HRT may preserve brain volume and lead to fewer plaques.

Although interesting, it's too early to make conclusions as no participants have dementia  and plaque doesn't always lead to the disease.

The Women's Health Initiative study also looked at dementia risk but found nothing significant.

Science moves on. Regulators adapt to new evidence. Perhaps the benefits above will be proven by solid, long-term data.

Perhaps newer formulations of HRT will be found less risky.

We just don't know that for certain, yet. For now, my best advice is that any women taking hormone replacement therapy and hoping for the elixir of eternal youth may end up disappointed.
Health chiefs are poised to roll out a life-saving Covid drug designed to protect vulnerable patients who don't respond to the vaccine, The Mail on Sunday has learned.

Government experts have been assessing the medication and Ministers are now considering advice from doctors on 'the most appropriate option for the NHS'.

Evusheld, developed by AstraZeneca, was approved by drug regulators in March after a study showed it reduced the chances of Covid infections by 80 per cent.

The drug, which works by attaching itself to and inhibiting the Covid virus's ability to bind with healthy cells and infect the body, can also reduce hospitalisations and deaths by 50 per cent.

Based on these impressive results, 28 countries, including France, America and Israel, have snapped up millions of doses since January  but up to now, the Government has refused to cover the 800-a-dose cost.

Health chiefs are poised to roll out a life-saving Covid drug designed to protect vulnerable patients who don't respond to the vaccine. The move will come too late for some, including the devastated family of cancer patient Michael Warren, who died of Covid in June - a few months after walking daughter Chelsea (pictured with him) down the aisle

Charities and patient groups, backed by this newspaper, have been calling for the rollout of Evusheld  and in the clearest indication that there is hope is sight a Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: 'We have been assessing Evusheld, and asking clinicians to advise on the most appropriate option for the NHS in line with all available data.

'Ministers are considering the advice which has been presented to them.'

Evusheld is given via an intravenous infusion once every six months, and could provide a lifeline for the estimated 500,000 Britons who are still at risk from the virus, despite having been jabbed  in some cases, up to five times.

These are primarily blood cancer and transplant patients who take medications that suppress the immune system. These same medications render the Covid vaccine less effective.

Evusheld, developed by AstraZeneca, was approved by drug regulators in March after a study showed it reduced the chances of Covid infections by 80 per cent

Since January, roughly five per cent of people dying of Covid have blood cancer  of which leukaemia is one type  according to the charity Blood Cancer UK. It is a striking figure, because blood cancer patients account for less than 0.004 per cent of the population.

Professor Hugh Montgomery, an intensive care expert at University College London, said: 'I've got friends who are immunocompromised who are still locked in the house and terrified to go out. This drug could help set them free.'

Despite this, the move will come too late for some  including the devastated family of cancer patient Michael Warren, who died of Covid in June.

It's a fact Covid infections have jumped by 32 per cent in a week, with 2.3 million cases currently recorded across the UK. Advertisement

Diagnosed with leukaemia in March last year, the 59-year-old from Birmingham 'did everything he could' to avoid the virus after doctors warned him that the combination of the cancer and the chemotherapy needed to treat it would leave him extremely vulnerable.

He'd already had two Covid jabs by that time, and in October received a third dose, but was advised to keep shielding.

Jayne, his partner of 30 years, and their children Chelsea, 28, and Georgia, 24, rallied to his side, staying with him at home, wearing masks when they went out and taking daily Covid tests. But none of it was enough.

In February, just weeks after finishing a course of chemo, he tested positive. For three months the 59-year-old battled the virus as he was admitted to hospital four times  yet his already ravaged immune system could not cope.

Michael, once an amateur boxer, died at the beginning of June. A final PCR test showed he was still Covid positive.

Still reeling, his daughter Chelsea, who is expecting her first child with husband Andrew, said: 'Dad was meant to be here  he was so excited to be a grandad.

'The cancer was a shock but we thought he'd turned a corner. Last year he walked me down the aisle at my wedding. Everyone tested beforehand to keep him safe, and it made me so happy to have him there. The worst part is he caught Covid just weeks after he finally finished his chemo.

'He was planning to go back to work and go on holiday with Mum. It doesn't seem fair.'

She added: 'Knowing this drug was out there, but Dad couldn't access it, makes me so bitter.'
A row of luxury 'healing' creams is guarded by a locked glass cabinet, gilded in gold trim.

The packaging is stylishly minimal  clean and white with small black typeface  and beside the tubs sit decorative, artificial fruit and images of sprawling fields, with a small flyer to remind customers of the high-quality, organic nature of the products.

I spot one pot  a snip at $43, or roughly 35  that is specifically designed for 'replenishing and rejuvenating' tissues in the, er, vagina. Alongside me, expensively dressed customers peruse the goods, clutching colourful iced smoothies and juices.

I'm in upmarket Beverly Hills in Los Angeles, California, in one of the area's many so-called 'wellness' shops, just a stone's throw from designer boutiques such as Gucci and Saint Laurent. It's a far cry from Holland & Barrett, not least because all the products here at the Serra boutique contain high-grade, genetically engineered cannabis.

There are balms and lotions, things to eat and, of course, to smoke. One display cabinet showcases dozens of dried cannabis flowers, each bud sitting in its own pretty porcelain dish, labelled according to its supposed benefit: happiness, creativity, relaxation.

Mail on Sunday deputy health editor Eve Simmons in the marijuana-growing section of a cannabis shop 'dispensary' called Traditional in trendy downtown LA, which London Mayor Sadiq Khan recently visited on a 'fact finding mission'

In another cabinet is a perfect grid of individual chocolate truffles, priced up to 5 a pop, a bit like something you'd find in the food hall in a department store. Only these sweet treats are laced with 10mg of THC, the psychoactive component in the marijuana plant.

Recreational use of cannabis, which is classified as a class B drug in the UK, possession of which could land you with up to five years in prison, has been legal in California since 2016. Two decades earlier it was made available to buy, via a doctor's prescription, to treat a variety of minor ailments from back pain to anxiety.

Today, about one in five people in California use cannabis regularly, and it has become something of a health trend  not simply legal and above board but, judging by the stylish throng at Serra when I visited, practically de rigueur.

The sales assistants  who all look like Hollywood star turned health guru Gwyneth Paltrow  tell me of the variety of uses: aching muscles, headaches, anxiety, insomnia, arthritic pain and many more.

'I take a very small dose every day, just to calm any nerves I might be feeling,' one willowy, tanned brunette tells me. 'It's definitely changed my life for the better.'

Out on the streets, billboards advertising cannabis shops, or dispensaries as they are officially known, which makes them sound very medical, are on every corner, inviting customers to try 'alternative healing'.

Some shops are also art galleries, while others sell hipster favourites such as artisan coffee.

I'm in upmarket Beverly Hills in Los Angeles, California, in one of the area's many so-called 'wellness' shops, just a stone's throw from designer boutiques such as Gucci and Saint Laurent. It's a far cry from Holland & Barrett, not least because all the products here at the Serra boutique (above) contain high-grade, genetically engineered cannabis, writes Eve

In Serra (above), there are balms and lotions, things to eat and, of course, to smoke. One display cabinet showcases dozens of dried cannabis flowers, each bud sitting in its own pretty porcelain dish, labelled according to its supposed benefit: happiness, creativity, relaxation

And you don't have to smoke the cannabis. You can eat, drink and bathe in it, rub it on your sore spots and even brush your teeth with cannabis toothpaste.

It's an industry that turns over roughly 8 billion  and rakes in more than 2.5 billion in tax revenue  every year.

And I must admit, the way it's all sold, as some kind of divine health-giving elixir, certainly makes the idea of dabbling more palatable. But I am not here to partake. Because behind the shiny pots and serenely smiling assistants, a far more disturbing picture is emerging.

Over the past few years, doctors in California have begun to voice concerns about the repercussions of increasing cannabis use. In particular, how the laissez-faire approach is fuelling a surge in addiction and mental illness.

Many are particularly concerned about Los Angeles, where teenagers use the drug more often than in any other Californian city.

I spent a week travelling across LA and beyond, meeting emergency doctors in the eye of the storm, as well as devastated parents who say their families have been torn apart by cannabis.

Part of my journey followed in the footsteps of London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who recently visited a number of LA's dispensaries on a 'fact finding mission'. He announced that a new group would be set up to look at the benefits of legalising cannabis in the UK, although Home Secretary Priti Patel dismissed the suggestion, saying he had 'no powers' to make any such changes.

Perhaps Khan would benefit from a chat with Dr Roneet Lev, an emergency doctor at Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego, who tells me: 'We've been seeing the problems for a while now: depressive breakdowns, psychosis, suicidal thoughts, all related to cannabis. The patients are regular people, not down-and-outs.

'I want people to know the truth about this drug. We've been sold a lie, that cannabis use is harmless and even has a multitude of health benefits. It is exactly the same as what happened with tobacco. The industry told the public it was good for their health at first, before it was proven to be deadly.'

In California, hospital admissions for cannabis-related complications have shot up  from 1,400 in 2005 to 16,000 by 2019. In California, and the other 18 states that have legalised cannabis, rates of addiction are nearly 40 per cent higher than states without legal cannabis, according to research by Columbia University.

A study published on Thursday suggested recreational marijuana users were 25 per cent more likely to end up needing emergency hospital treatment. And, according to data from the US Fatality Analysis Reporting System, the risk of being involved in a cannabis-related accident is significantly higher in states where the drug is legal.

Michelle Leopold, 57, from San Francisco, has fallen victim to the worst possible consequences of the normalisation of cannabis use. In 2019, her 18-year-old son Trevor (together, above) died after dabbling with prescription painkillers  and unwittingly taking a tablet of powerful opioid Fentanyl  following four years of addiction to cannabis

There are other concerns too, not least about the black market that has grown by nearly 100 per cent since cannabis laws were relaxed, as bootleggers sell products at a lower price, undercutting the registered shops.

Experts say these problems are mostly down to record levels of cannabis use  with roughly 40 per cent of Californians now saying they've dabbled at least once, according to a California Department of Public Health survey.

UK laws around the medical use of cannabis were relaxed four years ago, allowing specialist doctors to prescribe medicine made from the drug to some patients with epilepsy, or to treat vomiting related to cancer treatment and symptoms of multiple sclerosis.

Just last week, The Mail on Sunday revealed that 9,000 Britons are regularly prescribed the drug by private doctors, in some cases outside of official rules.

Pro-drug legalisation campaigners have long seen medical use as a way to gain a foothold in public acceptance. And perhaps it's working. Polls show that between 30 and 40 per cent of Britons are in favour of full legalisation  with research suggesting six million would smoke cannabis if it was legalised.

As it is, about a third of Britons say that they've used cannabis, according to data by research firm Statista.

California became the first US state to authorise the sale of cannabis for medical reasons in 1996 after a handful of studies showed small doses of the drug were beneficial for patients suffering cancer pain.

At the time, health chiefs were desperate to find a solution to the record-high numbers of Americans addicted to prescription painkillers: opioids such as oxycodone and methadone. Cannabis was touted as a less harmful alternative.

'Suddenly it became a health product which doctors were giving out, and people trust doctors,' says Scott Chipman, chairman of American lobby group Citizens Against Legalizing Marijuana.

'People thought, well if it helps people who are dying of cancer and in pain, we support the use of it.

'The state ruled that doctors who prescribed it would have to have a special licence, but no one checked. Within two years we had 240 stores in San Diego prescribing and selling medical cannabis, and not one of them had a licence. It meant anyone could walk in and get a prescription if they said they had insomnia, anxiety or even an ingrown toenail.'

Other experts I spoke to describe similar scenarios, with private doctors offering 'medical marijuana cards' which entitled patients to walk into any dispensary and buy the drug, no questions asked.

When full legalisation came into force a decade later, the 'health halo' of cannabis spread further.

'Dispensaries look like Apple stores now,' says Chipman. 'They are a very nice place to be.'

The benefits of cannabis are said to be down to two key elements. First, cannabidiol, or CBD, extracted and put into body oils, candles and a host of other wellness products available in the UK. Then there's tetrahydrocannabinol, THC, which affects brain chemicals and is responsible for the 'high'.

It's a fact Last year, 27,304 Britons were treated on the NHS for cannabis misuse, according to Government figures.

The UK is the world's largest producer of cannabis for medical and scientific uses, harvesting 320 tons in 2019, a UN report revealed . Advertisement

Last month a major review of 25 studies concluded there was insufficient evidence for the long-term pain-relieving effect of cannabis.

As for mental health, a 2020 review by psychiatrists at the University of Melbourne concluded the evidence is 'too weak' to prove cannabis helps anxiety, depression or insomnia.

Scientists overwhelmingly conclude that frequent use of the drug is not worth the risks.

THC stimulates areas of the brain involved with mood, attention and memory, while triggering the release of the hormone dopamine, responsible for feelings of reward and pleasure.

Small, infrequent doses have little long-term impact, according to studies. But with prolonged, regular use, signals in these key brain areas can start to go awry.

Studies have shown that frequent ingestion of cannabis can increase the risk of serious mental illness like psychosis and schizophrenia, as well as insomnia, social anxiety disorder and suicidal thoughts.

Physicians across the US are seeing a lot more patients who have gone from smoking once every few months to using cannabis every day, and they dont realise the harms, says Dr Ziva Cooper, who runs the Center For Cannabis And Cannabinoids at the University of California in Los Angeles.

Frequent and heavy use is becoming normalised in LA, those who have cannabis use disorder [addiction] might not realise it because the hallmarks of it - problems at school, work or at home - have become normalised.

Experts say another serious consequence of legalisation is the increasing potency of cannabis.

Plants are bred and chemically treated so they contain ever more THC. While an organic cannabis plant produces flowers with about four per cent THC, the items in most dispensaries today range from about ten to 98 per cent.

A similar pattern is happening in the UK's illegal market, with average THC levels in cannabis at roughly 14 per cent, according to a King's College London study.

Regular use of quantities above ten per cent are linked to a higher risk of addiction, violent behaviour and a newly recognised condition called cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, or 'scromiting'.

'It means screaming and violent vomiting,' says Dr Lev. 'I call it the audible cannabis condition, because I hear the violent screams down the hall before I see the patient.'

Before 2016, Dr Lev rarely saw patients with this problem. Now she sees at least one per shift. Symptoms can continue for days, or weeks, and there is no effective treatment.

Three young men have died from complications of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome since it was first identified in 2004. In Colorado, emergency admissions for the condition have doubled since cannabis was legalised in 2012.

At the dispensary visited by Mr Khan earlier this year, called Traditional in trendy downtown LA, I'm intrigued by a tiny pot of crystals, which look like broken-up sugar lumps. The shop assistant explains they are called edible cannabis crystalline. According to the label, it is 95 per cent THC. 'This will give you a really intense high, so we wouldn't recommend it for someone who isn't experienced,' they add.

Experts describe these highly concentrated products as 'the crack cocaine of cannabis', and say demand for ever-stronger stuff is another by-product of legalisation.

'Because so many Californians have been using for so long, they develop a tolerance and go in search of more powerful highs,' says Kevin Sabet, a former White House drugs policy adviser who runs the anti-cannabis legalisation group, SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana).

'So the industry has to keep inventing more products to keep them hooked.'

As for the belief that legalisation and regulation will eliminate the criminal element: the illegal cannabis market in California is booming, estimated to be worth 6 billion  twice that of the legal industry.

Scott Chipman of Citizens Against Legalizing Marijuana says: 'These operations charge far less for high-potency products because they have no overheads, which is popular with customers.'

Michelle Leopold, 57, from San Francisco, has fallen victim to the worst possible consequences of the normalisation of cannabis use.

In 2019, her 18-year-old son Trevor died after dabbling with prescription painkillers  and unwittingly taking a tablet of powerful opioid Fentanyl  following four years of addiction to cannabis.

'The only reason he touched those pills was because he was searching for stronger highs,' says Michelle, who owns a chain of hardware stores with her husband Jeff, 56. She believes studious nature-lover Trevor would never have smoked in the first place had it not been for the relaxed laws.

When Trevor's habit began in 2014, cannabis was 'everywhere', she says. 'At that time it was permitted for medical reasons  but regulation was a farce. He wasn't yet 16 but he and his friends could log on to a website, say they had anxiety, and get marijuana. I don't think the potential harms were on his radar.'

Saying no to drugs: Eve with Compton residents and community activists James and Charmaine Hays

Within a few weeks, Trevor was smoking most days after school. 'We very quickly realised that this was not the same stuff we'd seen people smoking at college. It didn't make him mellow or relaxed, it made him angry and violent.'

Michelle's 'adorable' son began punching walls during screaming arguments with his parents.

'He broke cell phones and computer screens in anger, ' she adds. 'He started skipping school and his grades plummeted. He was a bright, studious kid before. We tried therapy, raiding his room and tough love. Nothing worked to get him to stop.'

Trevor enrolled in three rehabilitation programmes, at a total cost of more than 100,000, but none worked. Then, in 2019, shortly after Trevor turned 18, a medical marijuana card arrived in the post.

'Trevor suffered with terrible anxiety about his final exams in his last year of high school, and everywhere you look there are messages telling you cannabis helps you de-stress,' says Michelle.

'We obviously confiscated it, but every time we did he'd order another one.'

That September, Trevor began reading business studies at Sonoma State University, just outside San Francisco. On the evening of November 17, 2019, a friend gave Trevor four painkiller pills, one of which was Fentanyl.

The drug carries a high risk of respiratory failure, where patients become so sedated they stop breathing. Trevor's body was found by his roommate the next morning.

Michelle says: 'After it happened, we couldn't be quiet any more  it's a matter of saving lives. The industry is doing its best to drive a false narrative about the raft of health benefits of cannabis. Meanwhile, there are hundreds of parents like me who are losing their children.'

After speaking with Michelle, it is hard to imagine any benefit of legalising cannabis that would be worth the risk. Said benefits are supposedly freeing up police time to deal with more serious crimes, and generating Government income via high taxes on cannabis products. Advocates also say legalisation reduces opioid dependence, as chronic pain patients are self-treating with cannabis instead.

But two 2019 analyses concluded that the tax revenue from Californian dispensaries was 'far lower than expected'.

As for freeing up police time, a 2020 report by the US Department of Justice found legalisation did not have a 'consistently positive' impact on public safety.

I hear first-hand about this when I visit Compton, in the south of Los Angeles. The area is known for its history of drug-related gang warfare and violent crime, and here it remains illegal to sell cannabis.

The area is unique, in that local politicians must ask residents for permission to pass certain laws, regardless of what the state rules. In 2018, the community voted against legal cannabis sales.

Spearheading the anti-weed campaign were lifelong Compton residents James and Charmaine Hays, who I meet at their home.

James, 65, who owns a biomedical firm and ran for local mayor twice, explains: 'The majority of residents here own their home and are bringing up children. They don't want drugs in the neighbourhood.'

He says many still recall the crack cocaine epidemic in the 1980s which hit Compton badly, killing thousands of young locals.

His concerns about cannabis grew shortly after legalisation came into play in California and drug dealers began operating out of abandoned local shops, posing as legal dispensaries.

'Whenever there are drugs around, there are gangs trying to steal them, and that's when you get the violence,' he says. The father of-two adds: '[Cannabis] has been portrayed as this harmless product with health benefits which doctors give out.

'Residents received leaflets from the local cannabis industry, telling them how much income dispensaries would generate. But there was nothing about the potential harms. When we made clear to neighbours that this was a drug, they voted against.'

I ask him what he makes of the claims of some advocates: that legalisation of cannabis would reduce the number of black and Latino Americans in US prisons, who are more likely to be jailed for cannabis-related crimes.

'It is a total lie,' he replies. 'Most people who are in prison for cannabis-related crimes are in jail because they have done something serious. Either they've tried to smuggle tons of it across borders or they have been involved with other illegal drugs.

'Saying to these people, run a shop instead but be subjected to regulation and taxes, won't work.'

Just outside Compton, on the way home, I pull up at traffic lights beside a line of ten abandoned cars at the side of the road.

I open the window and see the vehicles have smashed windows and flat tyres, and are surrounded by a flood of rubbish, with urine marks staining the pavement.

A group of dishevelled men wander along the street. Some hang out of the cars, motionless.

But it isn't the sight that overwhelms me, it is the smell of weed. I roll up the windows and feel relieved to be heading back to good, old sensible Britain in the morning.
An ex-monk from Western Australia carried out one of the most bizarre hijackings in history, dragging Ireland, France and Iran into the plot as he tried to expose a tightly held secret of the Catholic church.

On May 2, 1981, Laurence Downey hijacked an Aer Lingus Boeing 737 demanding Pope John Paul II reveal the 'third secret of Fatima', which had been guarded since 1917.

West Australian man Laurence Downey is pictured after hijacking an Irish plane flying from Dublin to London

The secret was eventually revealed by the Vatican in 2000 as a vision of the 1981 assassination attempt on the pontiff.

Downey boarded flight EI 164 along with 112 other passengers and crew on the Irish national carrier's Dublin to Heathrow route.

If the 'holy hijacker', as he came to be known, initially stood out at all, it was only for his good manners.

'He was very polite to (my daughter and I),' passenger Terry McCormack said.

But Downey had a dark past - he had been a mercenary, a merchant seaman and professional boxer - and was about to hijack a plane armed with a bottle of what he claimed was cyanide and his faith.

And he was no ordinary terrorist. Downey had been a Trappist monk in Rome in the 1950s but was expelled for punching the head of the order in the face.

He then worked as a tour guide in Fatima, Portugal, where on May 13, 1917 three children claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary in a vision and were told three great secrets.

Downey returned to Perth but later fled to Ireland, leaving behind a wife and five children and an alleged $70,000 land fraud.

He initially settled in the coastal town of Shannon, but later lived in Dublin up until the point he hijacked a plane.

Captain Edward Foyle at Le Touquet Airport, Le Touquet, France, May 3, 1981. The previous day Aer Lingus flight EI 164 had been hijacked by Laurence Downey. (Part of the Independent Newspapers Ireland/NLI Collection - photo by Independent News and Media/Getty Images)

With a strong tailwind, the flight went quickly and was five minutes from landing in London when one of the cabin crew saw a passenger going into the toilet despite the 'fasten seatbelt' sign being on.

Ms McCormack remembered him.

'He looked like a very prosperous business man, very well dressed, grey hair and very tanned,' she said.

But Downey had a desperate plan on his mind.

'When I got up and turned around this passenger was there and he was covered in petrol,' said air hostess Deirdre Dunphy.

'And he had two little vials and said they were cyanide gas. That was the start of it.'

A NEW CONSTITUTION

Downey moved quickly to the cockpit and demanded the plane not land in London, but carry on to the Iranian capital Tehran.

He said he had a new constitution for the Iranian people.

Captain Edward Foyle explained that if he wanted to fly the extra 5,000km to Tehran they would need to refuel, so they changed course and landed at Le Touquet airport in the northern French region of Normandy.

French authorities were waiting for the plane to arrive and an almost eight hour stand-off ensued.

A report of the hijacking from the Sydney Morning Herald on May 5, 1981

As most of the passengers were from Ireland, the Irish government in Dublin was kept abreast of what was happening 637km away in Normandy.

Albert Reynolds, Ireland's then-transport minister and later prime minister, made his way to Dublin airport.

Journalist Sam Smyth, who reported on the story for the Sunday World newspaper, said Mr Reynolds was also worried about the plane as Aer Lingus, at the time, was state owned.

'(He) was obviously concerned for the crew and the passengers on the plane, (but) also had a very real concern for the aircraft because (he) would turn to me from time to time and say "That's our bloody aircraft. We have to get that aircraft back",' Smyth recalled years later.

But why had Downey really hijacked the plane?

Hijackers at the time often demanded prisoners from the terrorist organisation they belonged to released, but he had made no such requests.

Eventually, Downey came clean about what he really wanted - and his real motive was even odder than pretending he wanted to fly to Tehran.

While stuck on the tarmac at Le Touquet, he demanded that Pope John Paul II reveal the third secret of Fatima.

Two of the secrets were revealed in 1941 and are related to the two World Wars, but the third was sealed until 1960, at which point it was quickly resealed.

The then-Pope John XXIII reportedly had a look of horror on his face when he read the secret, adding to the huge mystery and fear of what it was.

HIGHEST LEVEL OF ALERT

As weird as Downey's demand was, the situation still had to be treated with the utmost seriousness and the highest level of alert.

He had 112 people under his command, he was armed with cyanide and sometimes hijackers murdered their hostages.

Downey wanted Ireland's top selling newspaper, the Irish Independent, to publish an account of his efforts to reveal the secret.

He was put in contact with the paper's then-editor, Vincent Doyle.

A 3,500 word manifesto was transcribed and sent to the Independent by telex.

But just as Doyle came on the radio to tell Downey he agreed to publish the document, French paratroops stormed the plane and overpowered him without firing a shot.

Passengers and crew are pictured on Aer Lingus flight EI 164 after an Australian ex-monk had hijacked it.

As well as the diversion of the hijacker being on the radio, there was also a sick woman leaving the plane at the time to be taken to hospital.

That he allowed the back door to be opened to remove a passenger showed Downey was not an experienced terrorist.

Using the double distraction, the paratroopers rushed through the rear exit and within seconds it was all over.

'Perhaps he had an explosive system,' one of the troops said.

'(There is) always a risk ... But each action we do, we try to do rapidly.

'It was the key of success (in) this case. In two seconds, we caught the man.'

Minister Reynolds, who had arrived from Dublin along with dozens of other Irish officials 50 minutes earlier, entered the plane shortly after.

Ireland's then transport minister Albert Reynolds (front left) is pictured with Captain Edward Foyle at Le Touquet Airport, France on May 3, 1981. The previous day Aer Lingus flight EI 164 had been hijacked by Laurence Downey

He later told reporters that 'they came in from behind ... and surprised him.

'He didn't offer any resistance, there was no trouble. And that was it. Nobody was hurt.'

Mr Reynolds said though the Irish government did not know the French plan before he left Dublin, he knew before he arrived in France as there was 'constant contact on the plane coming over'.

'It wasn't a hijack as we would normally associate with a hijack. This fella had a small bottle of liquid, which he claimed was cyanide,' he said.

The 'cyanide' turned out to be just water, and there was much more strangeness to come.

ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

Eleven days after Downey's hijack, a Turkish man called Mehmet Ali Agca shot and almost killed Pope John Paul II in the Vatican - and this, too, had links to the third secret of Fatima.

May 13, the date of the assassination attempt, is the anniversary of the first apparition of the Virgin Mary to the three children of Fatima.

Agca had an obsession with Fatima and during his trial he did what Downey had done and called on the Vatican to release the third secret.

One of the bullets that struck the pope was later encased in the crown of the image of Our Lady of Fatima.

On June 26, 2000, Pope John Paul II finally released details of the third secret of Fatima, saying it had predicted Agca's assassination attempt.

A report from the Spokane Daily Chronicle about Australian Laurence Downey hijacking an Irish plane in May, 1981

Downey was sentenced in February 1983 in France to five years' imprisonment for air piracy, but was released after 16 months and deported to Australia.

Years later, he spoke to Irish broadcaster RTE for its Holy Hijacker documentary on the case.

'The hijack was only a bluff to attract the media into taking notice of me,' he said.

'The whole idea was a publicity stunt to draw attention to the suppression of this information (about the third secret of Fatima).'

Downey said knowing the contents of the secret had not brought him happiness.

'All my life I have had a sense of being alone, like the only person in the world,' he said.

As well as a documentary, one of the most peculiar hijackings the world has ever seen has also been turned into a comedic play, radio drama and podcast in Ireland.

Downey has not been heard from in decades, but if he is still alive, living a quiet life somewhere in Western Australia, he would be close to 100 years old.
First comes a sharp hiss like the cap of a soft drink bottle opening followed by an urgent, almost desperate, inhaling sound.

Within seconds, the rhythmic unscrewing of the charge holder begins and the chrome nitrous oxide cannister hits the floor with a metallic clang.

Other chrome charges rustle together in a box as a new one is selected, jammed into place, and the holder screwed on to begin again.

Hiss, whoosh, unscrew, clang, reload.

Robert Davis has his method of chain-inhaling the bulbs of laughing gas, or 'nangs', with a whipped cream dispenser to such precision that the next one is down his windpipe in well under a minute.

Robert Davis, 31, was a nang addict for two years, regularly inhaling up to 1,200 nitrous oxide cannisters a session after buying them from late-night delivery services

Any delay and the fleeting high will begin to wear off, and the harsh realities of life, and his surroundings, will start rushing in.

Robert, 31, would go through at least 1,200 nangs over the course of a few hours for the cost of about $600, but at his worst it was double.

But the Melbourne man is not your usual nang user, and certainly not someone you would expect to be addicted to a teenage party drug.

Robert has a degree in astrophysics, an IQ in the top few per cent of Australians, and makes about $160,000 a year as an app developer.

His tiny flat in Melbourne is littered with hundreds, if not thousands, of used nang charges - a confronting sign of his crippling addiction.

Some are piled in a large cardboard box sent by a late-night courier, but most are spread out across the room.

'I'd try to put them in a box as I do try to keep the room tidy but as I got more high from lack of oxygen, I'd stop giving a s**t,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

Mr Davis (pictured recently) finally kicked the habit last year and is rebuilding his life and is back to being his old self

Robert's nang use began in early 2019 when some friends invited him over for a small gathering later revealed to be what they called the 'nang Olympics'

Mixed in with the illicit debris are dirty clothes and layers of cat hair clumped on the carpet and furniture after weeks of being ignored.

Robert speaks quickly and often incoherently, babbling and lurching between topics with the speed of a hyperactive child but none of the charm.

One minute he's giving a garbled but still technically correct scientific explanation, followed by a bizarre, unrelated theory before suddenly teetering on the verge of tears - depressed and horrified by his circumstances.

Yet on he goes sucking down the chemicals, his hands guided by the muscle memory of close to 100,000 nangs as his brain becomes increasingly oxygen deprived. Until finally there are none left.

If this scene seems both horrifying and depressing, imagine what it must be like for those of us who knew him when he was healthy and well.

Robert's addiction has cost him his fiancee, several jobs, tens of thousands of dollars, and all but a handful of his friends.

Now months sober and working a job he loves, he is paying off his huge drug debts and rebuilding his life piece by piece - and warning others not to follow his path.

His tiny flat in Melbourne was littered with hundreds, if not thousands, of used nang charges, as a shocking sign of his crippling addiction

Robert first tried nangs at a party when he was at university in Perth, sucking in one balloon's worth and 'feeling like his head was in space'.

A decade later in 2019, some friends invited him over for a small gathering that was later revealed to be what they called the 'nang Olympics'.

'I thought "yeah I remember nangs, they were fun. I'd be up for doing that again",' he recalled.

Stupid, but relatively harmless fun, a childish joke for a buck a balloon. But it clicked something inside him.

'The turning point for me came when we ran out of nangs and they said "we can just get more". I didn't realise they were so easy to get,' Robert said.

Online nang products have names like like 'InfusionMaxElite' and 'Miami Magic' and came in a variety of flavours with discount codes, bulk savings, and free delivery on orders over $100

On-demand nang deliveries have increased in popularity in recent years in the same way as the proliferation of other convenient services such as UberEats, Deliveroo, and Jimmy Brings.

Customers order however many nangs they want online and a dealer on a bike or in a car shows up, pings when they're outside, and hands over a bag or a box.

The entire process takes less time than ordering a pizza and is just as easy and available late at night when a user's willpower is at its worst.

A month or two after the gathering, Robert was still thinking about the experience and wondered if he could get some nangs at home.

'I was struggling with how fast my life was changing as the wedding was coming up and we were planning on having children as soon as possible afterwards  and I wasn't ready to be a father,' he said.

'I tried small amounts at first, every now and then. Then it became at least once a week, buying packs of 50, and before long I was doing 200 or 300 in one sitting.'

Robert (pictured before his addiction) had his method of chain-inhaling nitrous oxide bulbs with a whipped cream dispenser down to such precision that the next one is down his windpipe in well under a minute

Robert soon realised he could buy nangs in bulk boxes of 600 so they cost as little as 50c each instead of $1 each for the 50-pack cartons.

By June 2019, he realised he was addicted and tried to detox with a weekend away at a hot springs retreat on the Mornington Peninsula.

He came back feeling refreshed and ready to stay sober, but days later had a huge fight with his fiancee and fell off the wagon.

She was unhappily aware that he was using nangs, but he was able to hide the extent of his problem - until towards the end of 2019.

As Robert's addiction intensified, he became less careful and one day his fiancee came home to find him in the middle of a big session.

She told Robert it was the last straw and he needed to go to rehab. He agreed and spent his birthday cut off from the world as his mental health went downhill.

Robert claimed the day he was due to get out of rehab, his fiancee told staff at the facility that she had opera tickets with her mother and requested they keep him an extra day because she didn't trust him to be home alone.

That was also the point she decided to call off the wedding.

'I got out of the psych ward ready to stay clean, and a week later my whole future fell apart,' Robert recalled, still with great anguish.

He wouldn't have been able to afford the fancy $150-per-person wedding his fiancee wanted anyway as he'd blown too much of his savings on drugs.

Robert was engaged to be married in January 2020, but his fiancee left him due to his habit

Forced to move out of their shared home and into a tiny, depressing apartment in inner Melbourne, Robert no longer felt he had reason to hold back.

Every payday he would blow as much of his weekly salary as he could on hundreds of nangs, usually a box of 600 that he would order a refill of when it was almost empty.

On his worst night he went through 2,400 nangs while watching the entire Monty Python's Flying Circus series.

When his salary wasn't enough to finance his habit, Robert opened several credit cards and took out thousands in payday loans.

Robert estimated his take home pay was $2,000 to $2,500 a week, and unless it was rent week he'd spend only $300 to $400 of it on things that weren't nangs.

He was earning $160,000 a year and still living week-to-week.

'Anything I did to try to keep money from myself I found a way around,' he said, resorting to buying Coles gift vouchers so he would be forced to buy food.

'When I couldn't afford to do nangs, I was thinking about the next time I could afford it. All the time, at work, when I was out. I couldn't relax.

'I was addicted to the feeling of being stupid. My brain was constantly thinking about stuff - worrying about everything and it wouldn't slow down. The nangs helped me switch off.

'Inhaling it used to feel like going to space, but as I used it more it just became a numbing sensation, it stopped me from caring about the world. Sometimes I got fixated on things or had paranoid delusions and wild fantasies.'

Mixed in with the illicit debris were dirty clothes and layers of cat hair clumped on the carpet and furniture after weeks of being ignored

I flew down to Melbourne in January 2020 to visit, having already bought the tickets for Robert's wedding and figuring he shouldn't be alone that day.

The difference from the last time I'd seen him was jarring. He'd always been an eccentric guy, but in a way that everyone loved and gravitated towards.

Robert's parties, both in Perth and Melbourne, were legendary bashes that drew huge crowds and raged into the night. Now he had no one.

I dragged him out of his depressing flat for maybe two beers, where he openly wept at what should have been the happiest day of his life being spent nearly alone.

But other than those couple of hours, all he wanted to do - despite my pleading - was pickle his brain into oblivion with hundreds of nangs.

Within weeks, his tiny flat became even smaller when the Covid pandemic plunged Australia into lockdown, with Melbourne enduring five more months as a second outbreak gripped Victoria.

'Part of why I got so addicted was that during Covid lockdown I had no company, my friends didn't want anything to do with me because I was a drug addict, and my family were on the other side of the country,' Robert said.

Most company names refer to whipped cream, but on promising 15-60 minute delivery times 24/7 called itself Nangaroo - a play on Deliveroo

The company even had staff attend a festival in uniform to promote its products

'So the only company I had were my cats, and anyone who was bringing me drugs.'

Robert said he pushed people away with inappropriate jokes and bizarre ramblings while he was high on nangs.

'I stopped caring about how rude it was to call someone at 2am and a lot of people got weird voicemails or texts from me, or even on work Slack channels,' he said.

'I said horrible things and the worst part is I didn't remember saying them when people wanted me to apologise.

'I felt like everyone hated me, and it was easier just to assume the whole world did. Part of me thought that was a good thing, because if I took my own life it would be easier on everyone.

'The only thing stopping me from killing myself is I promised my mum I wouldn't [before she died].

'Not having any support or people to talk to makes it almost impossible to stay sober, everything is so much harder when you're doing it alone. Maybe I would have been able to if everyone hadn't given up on me.'

Robert lost one job after he showed up at work high and took off all his clothes except a hat

What are nangs? Nangs are nitrous oxide canisters and they can be found in convenience stores for as little as 10 for $10, or in much bigger quantities online. Typically the drug is used for sedation and pain relief in dentistry but more people are using it to get high. Users experience symptoms such as dizziness, euphoria, uncontrollable laughter, and giddiness. However, people can also die from using nangs as too much can cause a heart attack. Long-term use can cause depression or psychosis. 'There is no evidence demonstrating that mixing nitrous oxide with other substances increases health risks,' the Alcohol and Drug Foundation's website stated. 'However, it is possible that combining the gas with stimulants and other drugs places additional pressure on the heart, increases blood pressure and may disrupt heart rate.' Source: Alcohol and Drug Foundation Advertisement

Robert's addiction also threatened to destroy his professional life with colleagues horrified by his behaviour.

He lost one job after he showed up at work high and took off all his clothes except a hat.

But he was too qualified to stay unemployed and regardless of how many jobs he managed to lose, he kept getting hired for high-paying roles within a couple of weeks of being sacked.

Most casual nang users inhale them through balloons filled with the gas, in much the same way as Victorian-era 'laughing gas parties', and the short high is seen as a benefit rather than a drawback.

But more committed users, like Robert, use whipped cream dispensers to get the nitrous oxide out of the cannister and depressurise it enough to be inhaled.

'Buying my first whipped cream dispenser for about $80 was like buying my first bong, it was a big step,' he said.

'By 2020, I'd go through a lot of them because they're only designed to do a certain number, and I learned how to repair them with parts from another broken one.'

However, as the gas is stored in the bulbs at -40C, repeated use makes the dispenser cold enough to be a hazard by itself.

'My hands would be blistered from frostbite so I'd put one next to a heater while I used another, and swap them when it got too cold,' he said.

Mr Davis said one of the worst moments of his addiction was when he dug through stinking rubbish for a broken dispenser he'd thrown away while high, and cleaned and repaired it when the other one stopped working.

'It was an absolutely disgusting thing to do and I felt like a piece of s**t but I was so desperate to get high,' he said.

As nang use skyrockets, from 10 to 20 per cent between 2015 and 2021 according to the Global Drug Survey, so too have unscrupulous sellers trying to make a buck.

Robert pictured in the middle of his nang addiction just before his fiancee broke of their engagement

It is not illegal to sell, possess, or abuse nitrous oxide cannisters. It only becomes a criminal matter if they are sold to someone who intends to misuse them, which is nearly impossible to police.

People can buy them online as 'kitchen supplies' with a credit card or PayPal, or cash on arrival.

'The people who sell nangs don't consider themselves drug dealers,' Robert said, having got to know a few who dropped off his regular orders.

Often they were recent immigrants or owners of legitimate small businesses making a bit of extra cash on the side, dropping off the nangs while on food delivery runs.

Robert was always anxious while waiting for the nangs to arrive, so he often used services with a tracker, just like food delivery, to see far away it was.

'The only exercise I got during lockdown was carrying those boxes upstairs to my apartment  fully loaded they weigh about 20kg,' he said.

Nangs are now the seventh-most popular drug in Australia with almost a quarter of Australians aged 18 to 29 using them last year.

The Ecstasy and Related Drugs Reporting System, which asks MDMA and psychostimulant users about their drug use, found the percentage of those who also used nangs doubled from about a quarter in 2015 to 54 per cent in 2020.

Use was on average only once a month, but the median session was five to 10 cannisters and up to a median of 25 for a bigger session.

Two deaths in Australia have been linked to nang use since 2010: Aaron McDonald, 22, who died of asphyxiation, and a schoolie who fell off a balcony on the Gold Coast.

Nitrous oxide abuse appears harmless to its young users, but carries serious health risks that dramatically escalate with heavy or prolonged use.

Repeatedly inhaling the gas can disable vitamin B12 in the body, leading to a deficiency that affects nerves.

How nang dealers deliver death to your door with impunity Sellers openly advertise on social media, even paying for promoted Facebook and Instagram spots, appearing to be catering to Australians baking at home. One ad encouraged buyers to make a cake for Fathers Day and 'to make everything perfect, trust only the reliable store of whipped cream chargers'. Others had names like 'InfusionMaxElite' and 'Miami Magic' and came in a variety of flavours with discount codes, bulk savings, and free delivery on orders over $100. One ad encouraged buyers to make a cake for Fathers Day and 'to make everything perfect, trust only the reliable store of whipped cream chargers' However, such sellers offer huge bulk orders when just one would be required for legitimate home baking - and certainly not need delivering at 1am. Most company names refer to whipped cream, but one promising 15-60 minute delivery times 24/7 called itself Nangaroo - a play on Deliveroo. Few asked for proof buyers were over 18 - even legitimate sales of nitrous oxide are illegal for children - and some offered to deliver 'after school'. Melbourne dealer Nick, who drives a Mercedes with number plates reading 'I love nangs', claims to be Australia's 'King of Nangs' and owns numerous online companies that sell nitrous oxide cannisters. Melbourne dealer Nick, who drives a Mercedes with number plates reading 'I love nangs', claims to be Australia's 'King of Nangs' He delivers nangs to revellers and said he could make up to $35,000 in a single weekend, with athletes, lawyers, and university students among his clients - some racking up bills of more than $25,000. 'If I have any suspicion someone is going to misuse it, I'll just ban them,' he claimed to A Current Affair. 'If they chose to use it in a party way, sure you know what, I don't care.' Advertisement

Darren Roberts, medical director of the Poisons Information Centre at Westmead Children's Hospital in Sydney, said serious cases were dramatically increasing.

'I dont think regular nitrous oxide use is ever benign,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

Dr Roberts said serious symptoms came in two broad groups that often gave nang users lifelong disabilities that treatment couldn't completely repair.

Damage to the nerves that control muscles gradually reduced function, starting with tingling and numbness that heavy users often ignored.

They also had balance and coordination issues and reduced muscle strength.

'Users can't use their hands properly, they're falling over, many are bed or chair-bound and trying to drag themselves around the floor  this not an uncommon feature of heavy daily use,' Dr Roberts said.

This box holds 600 nitrous oxide cannisters, costs just $300, and is delivered to your door faster than a pizza

Others had problems with nerves controlling their bladder and bowels, sometimes to the point where they don't work at all.

Heavy users can also exhibit signs of advanced dementia.

'Some people come in with psychosis and are seeing or hearing things that aren't there,' Dr Roberts said.

'Others have an inability to concentrate and feel depressed, and on scans we can see shrinking of the brain to look like one of a much older person.

'Often this is largely irreversible, some people have improvement after extensive rehabilitation but few get back to where they were before. We have some treatments but they have to be given early.'

In extreme cases, users were so disabled by a cycle of nang abuse that they were unable to care for themselves.

They ended up malnourished or with severe vitamin deficiencies, and could suffer from pressure sores that became ulcers due to reduced mobility. If the ulcers got infected, the patients may require intensive care, or even die.

Robert has experienced many of these symptoms, the most obvious being constant pins and needles in his feet and toes since the end of 2019 that he still feels today.

Even though his two-dispenser strategy protected his hands from frostbite, sometimes it misfired and froze the inside of his throat.

Robert is unsure of the potential damage to his brain from oxygen deprivation, but at one point last year he was hearing the voices of David Tennant and Jodi Whittaker from the Doctor Who series in his head.

However, he said he was still able to do his job at the same level as before his addiction started.

Dr Roberts said the proliferation of nang delivery services appeared to be helping fuel the spike in serious cases due to easy, around the clock access.

'These services add to the problem because we know a lot of people misuse nitrous oxide because theyre lonely or depressed and easy access to the substance makes them feel better and perpetuates a bad cycle,' he said.

A deadly addiction Council worker Aaron McDonald, 22, died on November 28, 2013, from asphyxiation while using nangs. A Victorian coroner found he died in 'tragic accidental circumstances from asphyxia following the recreational use of nitrous oxide'. 'It's cost me the person I was meant to be with... [they have] blood on their hands,' his girlfriend Jess Cochran told A Current Affair. 'Part of me would want to yell and scream at him but another part would just want to embrace him.' Council worker Aaron McDonald, 22, (pictured with his girlfriend Jess Cochran) died on November 28, 2013, from asphyxiation while using nangs Hamish Bidgood fell from his death from a Gold Coast balcony during Schoolies after taking nangs Then in 2018, Turramurra High School student Hamish Bidgood fell from his death from a Gold Coast balcony during Schoolies. Police at the time said he was inhaling nitrous oxide after a night of drinking with friends, before he was found dead about 5am. Brisbane woman Tamika Dudley became unable to walk for two months after becoming a regular user before nights out or when she was 'bored', after trying them for the first time in 2019. The young woman was rushed to hospital in May 2019, unable to feel her arms and legs after suffering severe damage from inhaling the drug. Tamika Dudley became unable to walk for two months after becoming a regular nang user Doctors were initially unaware of what was going on, and Ms Dudley had to undergo multiple tests, including an MRI, CT scan, and a lumbar puncture. The next morning she was paralysed from the waist down. She later discovered she had severely damaged her nerves due to long-term vitamin B12 depletion, caused by her nitrous oxide use. 'I was scared I was going to be a vegetable in a wheelchair forever,' she said. 'Not once in my head did I think "this is going to make me paralysed" or f***k "I might end up like a vegetable forever" not once did it cross my mind.' Advertisement

Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association executive officer Sam Biondo said there was a lack of social responsibility among many sellers of nitrous oxide.

'Many of these operators are actively trying to make a profit from the misuse of nitrous oxide, with a disregard for their health and welfare,' he said.

'Nitrous oxide being delivered at 3am is definitely not for making a cake.'

Dr Roberts said nang users were generally well-educated and pointed to the example of some taking B12 supplements in the mistaken belief it would counteract the effects, indicating better information resources were needed.

He said family or friends concerned about a loved one using nangs and want to intervene should look out for the early signs of abuse including tingling in the fingers and toes, changes in concentration, feeling depressed, and reduced coordination and incontinence.

'Similarly, finding many bulbs in the rubbish is also concerning,' he said.

Robert finally managed to get clean after he was sexually assaulted when he had his drink spiked during his first visit to his local pub after lockdown ended last year.

He went through heavy weeks of nang use to 'cope with the trauma' - and then said the 'shock to his system' from the assault combined with the end of lockdown and being free to leave his flat set him on the path to recovery.

Eight months later, he is excelling at his new job and the physical and personality changes that alarmed me during his addiction have receded.

Robert now looks, sounds, and acts like his old self and is slowly rebuilding his life by making new friends and restoring his finances.

He had just $10 in his bank account after finally kicking the habit and owed tens of thousands to credit card companies and nang dealers. But he is on track to have all his debts paid off by October, and has moved into a new, bigger flat.

On-demand nang deliveries flourished in recent years in much the same way as the proliferation of UberEats, Deliveroo, and Jimmy Brings

Despite the significant damage they did to his life, Robert refuses to scorn anyone who uses nangs - particularly as a coping mechanism for a traumatic childhood.

'Anyone who's felt the benefit of a cup of coffee on a Monday or a beer on a Friday can't judge me for what I've done to cope with my own life,' he said.

Instead, he warned those considering nangs and other drugs that his experience shows anyone can get addicted.

'I don't think there's anything we can say that will stop teenagers trying nangs or other drugs,' Robert said.

'But we can teach them harm minimisation and to recognise the signs of addiction, so if they see themselves or one of their friends slipping into it, they can get help.

'We need to be more understanding of how people get addicted and try to help them.'
President Joe Biden announced the names of 17 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Friday and it included the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who will be awarded posthumously.

According to the White House statement, the Presidential Medal of Freedom is the Nation's highest civilian honor.

The award is presented to individuals who have made "exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors," as per White House statement.

Steve Jobs' Legacy is Recognized

The awarding of the Presidential Medal of Freedom will be presented at the White House on July 7, 2022.

The White House described Jobs as the co-founder, chief executive, and chair of Apple, Inc., CEO of Pixar and held a leading role at the Walt Disney Company.

"His vision, imagination and creativity led to inventions that have, and continue to, change the way the world communicates, as well as transforming the computer, music, film and wireless industries," as per the White House statement.

Other notable awardees are Olympic-winning gymnast Simone Biles, retired Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, Gold Star Father Khizr Khan, former US Senator John McCain (posthumous), former president of the AFL-CIO Richard Trumka (posthumous), and Denzel Washington.

According to Engadget, since the Presidential Medal of Freedom was established by President Kennedy in 1963, it has only been awarded 647 times. Of those who received the award, only 26 people have been awarded it "with distinction."

Read Also: iPhone 13 Pro 'Steve Jobs' Version Contains iPhone 2G Part: Should You Buy It?

The Life and Legacy of Steve Jobs

Steven Jobs was the co-founder, the chairman, and CEO of Apple.

Jobs was also the chairman and majority shareholder of Pixar. He was a member of The Walt Disney Company's board of directors following its acquisition of Pixar. In addition, he was the founder, chairman, and CEO of NeXT.

Along with his early business partner and fellow Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, Jobs is widely recognized as a pioneer of the personal computer revolution of the 1970s and 1980s.

Jobs and Wozniak co-founded Apple in 1976. They sell Wozniak's Apple I personal computer. After a year, the duo gained fame and wealth with production and sale of the Apple II.

Jobs saw the commercial potential of the Xerox Alto in 1979. It was mouse-driven and had a graphical user interface (GUI). This led to the development of the unsuccessful Apple Lisa in 1983.

What followed was the breakthrough of Macintosh in 1984. It was the first mass-produced computer with a GUI.

After a long power struggle with the company's board and its then CEO John Sculley, Jobs was forced out of Apple in 1985. Following the event, Jobs took a few Apple employees with him to found NeXT that same year.

Moreover, Jobs helped to develop the visual effects industry. He funded the computer graphics division of George Lucas's Lucasfilm in 1986. He co-founded Pixar, which produced the first 3D computer-animated feature film "Toy Story" (1995).

After Apple's acquisition of NeXT in 1997, Jobs returned to Apple as CEO. Apple at that time was at the verge of bankruptcy, and he was largely responsible for its revival.

After his return to Apple, he worked closely with English designer Jony Ive to develop a line of products that had larger cultural ramifications. It led to the creation of Apple Store, App Store, iMac, iPad, iPod, iPhone, iTunes, and iTunes Store.

In 2003, Jobs was diagnosed with a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor. He died on October 5, 2011 at the age of 56.

Related Article: The Craziest Facts You Didnt Knew About Steve Jobs
Like any new local CEO of a multinational business, Allan Meehan has plenty of work to do - but the consequences of failure might be more severe for him.

The freshly minted president of the Comanchero outlaw motorcycle gang takes over an organisation facing major internal and external challenges after a particularly chaotic first half of the year.

Meehan's immediate predecessor is in jail charged with murder, another of the men who previously held his position was shot dead four years ago, and his ultimate boss is on the run overseas.

Police are already working hard to limit his powers as the new boss after officers paid him a visit at his home in Yerrinbool, in the Southern Highlands of NSW, on Friday.

They handed Meehan a notice informing him they intended to go to the Supreme Court and take out a serious crime prevention order against him.

The order would allow police to stop Meehan from associating with other bikies in NSW or use phones or bank accounts that aren't approved by them.

New Comanchero national president Allan Meehan, 35, (pictured) has his work cut out for him taking over the country's most powerful outlaw bikie gang. Meehan takes over a club that has been embroiled in turmoil in recent months

Meehan (right) has succeeded Mick Murray (centre) as the Comanchero national president after Murray was charged over a 2019 murder. National sergeant-at-arms Tarek Zahed (left) narrowly escaped death after being gunned down in May

Police are already working hard to limit his powers as the new boss after officers paid him a visit at his home in Yerrinbool, in the Southern Highlands of NSW, on Friday

Criminal Groups Squad Commander superintendent Grant Taylor said the order was only taken out against the 'most serious' of people.

To make settling into the job even more difficult, the club's main enforcer barely survived a shooting in May which left him unable to perform his role and claimed the life of his brother.

Dozens of other Comanchero have been arrested in federal police raids as part of Operation Ironside, one of the most significant crackdowns on Australian organised crime.

Shortly before Meehan's elevation Detective Inspector Graham Banks from Victoria Police's anti-bikie Echo Taskforce said the 'Comos' were struggling to maintain an effective leadership structure.

'Together with partner agencies, the Echo Taskforce is committed to targeting any attempt by the Comancheros to rebuild their ability to cause harm within the community,' he said.

Meehan, who had been considered the heir apparent for some time, must have thought carefully about taking what has been a poisoned chalice but the career bikie appears to have the right resume for the job.

Police handed Meehan a notice informing him they intended to go to the Supreme Court and take out a serious crime prevention order against him

The order would allow police to stop Meehan from associating with other bikies in NSW or use phones or bank accounts that aren't approved by them

Meehan's appointment comes as the Comanchero 'commander of the world' Mark Buddle is believed to be in Cyprus or Turkey. Buddle is pictured when he was NSW president

Meehan was reportedly lured to patch over from the Rebels to the Comanchero by onetime national president Mark Buddle, pictured with his partner Mel Ter Wisscha

The 35-year-old grew up in public housing at Liverpool in Sydney's south-west and joined the Rebels when he was just 18, rising to president of that club's Cronulla chapter.

He was reportedly lured to patch over to the Comanchero by onetime national president Mark Buddle who is now the club's self-declared 'commander of the world'.

Buddle, who is wanted by Australian authorities and has an estimated wealth of $100million, is believed to be in Cyprus or Turkey.

Police want to speak to him about crimes including the 2010 slaying of Sydney security guard Gary Allibon and major drug shipments as well as any knowledge he might have of recent gangland murders.

Meehan was promoted to commander of the Canberra chapter of the Comanchero early last year after the murder of its president Pitasoni Ulavalu and became the Sydney boss six months later.

Meahan (above) grew up in public housing at Liverpool in Sydney's south-west and joined the Rebels when he was just 18, rising to president of that club's Cronulla chapter

Meehan (above) was promoted to commander of the Canberra chapter of the Comanchero early last year after the murder of its president Pitasoni Ulavalu and became the Sydney boss six months later

He announced that elevation with an Instagram post showing a patch on his leather vest which revealed his new title and the caption: 'U cant see the eyes of the demon, until him come a callin.'

Two days later, police searched Meehan's home at Yerrinbool in the Southern Highlands as part of a firearm prohibition order.

Detective Superintendent Grant Taylor of the NSW Criminal Groups Squad warned back then that Meehan would continue to be targeted like other Comanchero leaders who came before him.

'He assumed the role of the Commander of the ACT Comanchero OMCG over the last number of years and has now declared himself in charge of the Comanchero in NSW,' Detective Superintendent Taylor said at the time.

'So whenever you're involving yourself in the hierarchical structure of an outlaw motorcycle gang... and you want to publicly declare that you're in charge of that outlaw motorcycle gang in a particular area or state of Australia, well you can expect to get a lot of attention from law enforcement.'

Meehan announced that elevation to Sydney chapter president with an Instagram post showing a patch on his leather vest which revealed his new title and the caption: 'U cant see the eyes of the demon, until him come a callin.'

This week Meehan took over the Comanchero national presidency from 44-year-old Mick Murray, who was arrested in April over the 2019 killing of Mitat Rasimi, an associate of high-profile drug lord Tony Mokbel.

The appointment was made at a meeting of senior Comanchero leadership in Melbourne after a gang member's funeral and followed Murray standing down.

It presumably came with the approval of Buddle.

Murray had run the gang from the Victorian capital but Meehan is expected to base himself in New South Wales where the Comanchero was founded.

Since its inception on the Central Coast the 'Condor Empire' - named for the bird of prey on the Comanchero colours - has stretched its wings to start in Russia, Bosnia, Spain and New Zealand.

The Comanchero's first president, Scotsman William 'Jock' Ross, ruled the club as a dictatorship in its early years and made himself 'supreme commander'.

Ross led the gang into the Milperra Massacre on Father's Day 1984 in which four Comanchero, two Bandidos and a 14-year-old girl were shot dead in the carpark of a pub in south-west Sydney.

The Comanchero's first president, Scotsman William 'Jock' Ross, ruled the club as a dictatorship in its early years and made himself 'supreme commander'. He is pictured with wife Vanessa

Ross remained leader after serving five years in prison over that atrocity until he was usurped by Beirut-born Mahmoud 'Mick' Hawi who was just 22 when he took control in 2003.

Under Hawi, the Comanchero further expanded their recruitment to include young men with Middle Eastern, Pacific Islander, Greek and Serbian backgrounds.

Leading the club has always been dangerous. In November 2007 a car in which Hawi was travelling was hit by bullets outside Grappa Ristorante at Leichhardt in Sydney's inner-west.

Two men had pulled up and fired up to 10 shots before speeding away.

Hawi was in charge when 12 Comanchero confronted five Hells Angels at Sydney Airport in March 2009 when Angels associate Anthony Zervas was bludgeoned with a bollard and died.

That killing in front of dozens of horrified witnesses led to a NSW police crackdown on bikies that has never let up.

Jock Ross remained leader until he was usurped by Beirut-born Mahmoud 'Mick' Hawi who was just 22 when he took control in 2003. Hawi was shot dead in 2018 after he had left the gang. Hawi is pictured with wife Carolina Gonzalez

While Hawi was in jail over that attack his place was taken by Rotorua-born Duax Hohepa Ngakuru until he left Australia in 2010 and the crown went to Buddle.

Ngakuru was recently believed to be in Turkey. There is a warrant for his arrest in his native New Zealand where he faces dozens of drug importation crime charges.

Buddle fled Australia in 2016, initially travelling to Europe with right-hand man Ali Bazzi, leaving Murray in charge of local operations.

Bazzi was sent back to Melbourne in 2017 to enforce some discipline in the absence of the president and had a punch-up with another high-ranking Comanchero, Mezan Chandab.

That altercation reportedly led Buddle to send a text message to Comanchero in Australia which read: 'I'm the f***ing commander of the world... no one is to touch another member or set up another chapter without my permission.'

Bazzi has since renounced any affiliation with the Comanchero.

Mick Hawi was succeed as Comanchero president by Rotorua-born Duax Hohepa Ngakuru, whol he left Australia in 2010 when the crown went to Mark Buddle. Ngakuru is pictured with Hawi's wife Carolina Gonzalez

In February 2018, Murray's senior offsider Robert Ale was shot nine times by two gunmen while getting a tattoo in a parlour at Hampton Park in Melbourne's south-east.

Ale survived and is serving an 18-year prison sentence imposed in 2019 for his role running the Last Kings, a Comanchero enforcement outfit.

Hawi, who was released from prison in 2015 and left the Comanchero, was shot dead outside a Rockdale gym in Sydney's south in February 2018.

The man accused of being the triggerman in that assassination, Yusuf Nazlioglu, was acquitted at trial in 2020 but shot dead in a carpark below his apartment at Rhodes in Sydney's inner-west on Monday night.

That killing followed the shooting of Tarek Zahed, 41, and his brother Omar, 39, as they were ambushed by two gunmen while leaving an Auburn gym in the city's south-west on May 10.

National sergeant-at-arms Tarek Zahed (above) and his brother Omar were ambushed by two gunmen while leaving an Auburn gym in the city's south-west on May 10. Omar was killed but Tarek miraculously survived

Omar died at the scene at Tarek, the Comanchero's national sergeant-at-arms, is recovering from ten bullet wounds to his head and body and is now blind.

In the wake of Zahed's shooting and Murray's arrest, Meehan turned to Instagram with another post: 'bad times don't last, but bad guys do!'

Nazlioglu's murder was the 14th in Sydney's underworld in the past two years but Meehan is said to not be planning on relocating to Melbourne.

One source recently said Meehan was regarded as 'pretty full on' but has a level head to control some of the gang's more volatile elements.

He is well respected among the Comanchero's remaining old guard as well as new recruits, according to the Herald Sun.

'He's spent his entire adult life in bikie gangs,' one source told the publication. 'He doesn't know any other life.'

A Catholic who regularly attends Mass, Meehan might want to pray for protection from a power even higher than his old mentor Buddle.
A Commonwealth Bank customer is furious after a bank refused to let him withdraw $15k from his own account without telling them what he was using it for

Richard Dargham wanted to take out the money from his account when he visited a branch at Carnes Hill Marketplace, south-west Sydney, on Thursday.

He uploaded a video to TikTok claiming bank tellers asked how he intended to spend his money.

'This is bull****, this is absolutely ridiculous,' he says in the video. 'I'm the account holder. You can clearly see that. If I want to pay someone, you can't stop me.

A Commonwealth Bank customer claims they were stopped from withdrawing $15,000 because he refused to reveal how he would spend his money

'You don't need to know the exact details of what the hell I'm using my money for. I could be using it for a strip club, I could be using it to buy drugs. It's none of your freaking business.'

Mr Dargham said the bank had flagged his account as possibly being hacked by scammers because of the size of the withdrawal request.

He said he handed them several documents of identification to prove he was the holder of the account.

'Keep in mind I gave them a Medicare card, I gave them a drivers licence, I have them a Medibank private card,' Mr Dargham says.

'I gave them all sorts of ID, like more ID than I need to get into a government building and become prime minister of this country.

'Yet, they still wanted to know in exact detail what I wanted to do with my money,' he said.

'Their explanation was that they were trying to stop me from being scammed.'

Mr Dargham said he caused a 'massive scene' at the bank because he didn't want to tell staff how he intended to spend his money.

'There is a very strong possibility that if you don't tell them, they won't give you your money, he explained.

'I said to them, I have got to give money to someone, and I said I've got to pay an invoice.

'They said: 'Do you have an invoice?' and then I lost my mind.

'I don't know what the hell this world's come too - it's getting to the point where it's getting ridiculous.

'They want to know in exact details what you're doing with your money now. Giving them a one sentence answer does not work anymore,' Mr Dargham explained.

However, in a second video, Mr Dargham claimed he was able to withdraw the money in the end 'once I made a scene'.

'I did receive my $15,000 once I made a scene, I literally told them that if I don't get my money, I will not leave the bank,' he said.

Mr Dargham, who runs premier construction company Yes I Can, said he was under a lot of work stress and became upset when bank tellers asked him how he would use the money.

'I'm a guy who has been dealing with a lot of stuff in the building industry in the last nine months,' he said.

'The very little money I have left from the downturn of the economy, I chose to stay true to my customers, I chose to lose money to keep my customers happy.

'Although everything is slow I did pay off all my contractors, I did pay up and finish all my customer's jobs at a loss.

'That's why I felt a little bit upset when I was asked in detail the questions about what I was going to use my money for.'

'I just want to clarify, I ended up getting the money that I went in there to get. The tellers at Carnes Hill Commonwealth Bank, fantastic,' he said.

'If it wasn't for them, if they were rude, the situation would've been a lot worse'.

Mr Dargham also responded to comments on social media that he should have lied to the bank tellers when he was asked about the nature of the withdrawal.

'The point I was trying to make is, if I lie to you, that obviously defeats the purpose of this stupid rule, that's supposed to protect me and my money,' he said.

'That's the problem I have with this situation. I don't see the need to be able to lie to them.'

Last year, one Commonwealth Bank teller said it's standard practice for the bank to ask customers a reason for withdrawing large sums of cash.

He uploaded a video to TikTok claiming his request was denied because he would not explain to bank tellers how he intended to spend his money (stock image)

'It's a duty of care to try protect you from fraud or scammers,' they wrote on the OzBargain forum.

'For example, an old man gets a phone call from Amazon saying they've accidentally transferred him $20,000.

'They instruct him to head down the bank and withdraw the funds to deposit into another account.

'The day dreaming teller doesn't ask the man a reason for withdrawing the funds and hands him the money.

'Old man is now crying over the phone because he's given away $20,000 to some scammers. Had the teller asked, which situation would you prefer?'

Meanwhile, banks are also required by federal law to report cash transactions of $10,000 or more to financial regulator Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre.

Under the law, customers intending to make withdrawals above the threshold are required to provide identification.

'You don't need to know the exact details of what the hell I'm using my money for. I could be using it for a strip club, I could be using it to buy drugs. It's none of your freaking business', Mr Dargham said

Banks have been enforcing the threshold since 2011, with the legislation in place to reduce the risk of the Australian banking system being misused to support money laundering or terrorism financing activities.

'You will be required to provide information for all transactions which involve a cash amount of $10,000 or more,' a factsheet on the legislation states.

A Commonwealth Bank spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia that precautionary measures were enforced to protect customer's bank accounts from possible scammers.

'We are always very concerned when we are made of aware of frauds and scams affecting customers and the wider community,' the spokesperson said.

'Despite the commitment and best efforts of regulators, law enforcement agencies and the banking industry, such frauds and scams sadly still occur.

'We review frauds and scams on a case-by-case basis however it is widely recognised that scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated which has prompted increased investment across the sector in resources, systems, data and intelligence to combat scams and alert the Australian public to the risks the community faces.

'Customers need to remain vigilant, protect their banking details and be smart about who they send money to.'
Residents in the Sydney and Illawarra regions were warned flash flooding is 'essentially guaranteed' with three months' worth of rain to fall in the next five days.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) issued a severe weather alert for metropolitan Sydney, Illawarra and parts of the South Coast, Central Tablelands and Southern Tablelands on Saturday morning.

'Residents living between Port Stephens and Batemans Bay, including Sydney and the Illawarra, are likely to see multiple days of heavy rainfall that will lead to flash and riverine flooding,' BoM meteorologist Dean Narramore said.

The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe weather alert for NSW's central coast as heavy rain (above) hits the region

Residents along the Hawkesbury River were warned flooding is 'essentially guaranteed' as heavy rainfall moves in on the Sydney and Illawarra regions

Two Australian Defence Force helicopters will be available to assist with rescues as areas of NSW brace for intense rainfall and possible flooding.

The federal government approved ADF support at the request of NSW on Friday night, with 100 troops also available from Sunday onwards, Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt said.

'I want to assure people that the federal government  is 100 per cent prepared for what might lie ahead,' Mr Watt said from Brisbane on Saturday.

'One of the things that we've learned over the last couple of years is that when we don't have a federal government that takes responsibility and isn't proactive, bad things can happen.'

The map above shows which areas have a high chance of flooding in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley

Forecast models (above) forecast the greater Sydney region to see at least 300mm of rain in the next five days

Mr Watt said he was hopeful the ADF resources wouldn't be needed, but they will be ready to assist.

'We're not exactly sure how this weather event will pan out, but it could be quite serious over the next couple of days,' he said.

Parts of the coast between metropolitan Sydney and Wollongong are expected to see over 300mm of rain in the next five days.

Sydney's average July rainfall is just 96mm.

Catchments around the Hawkesbury Nepean River have been flagged as at risk of major flooding.

Hawkesbury Nepean SES began moving 2,000 sandbags to help prevent flood damage in the region.

BoM meteorologist Dean Narramore (right) said residents in the highlighted zones on the map above should beware of possible flash and riverine floods

The weather system comes on the first weekend of school holidays in the state, and drivers are being asked to take extreme caution.

'We know floodwater is extremely dangerous, especially for drivers. If the road is flooded, turn around and find another way,' Transport for NSW's Roger Weeks says.

NSW State Emergency Service spokesperson Greg Nash warned school holiday travellers to take extra care amid the dangerous conditions.

'With people wanting to travel for the school holidays, we are urging people to review their plan. Make sure that they are able to go get to the destination, how they are going to get there and if it is safe to go,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

NSW SES warned residents in the Hawkesbury Nepean region to prepare for flooding and make an emergency plan (pictured, NSW SES Hawkesbury Nepean Valley evacuation routes)

'For the people that have travelled already or still plan to, when you arrive talk to the family that you are staying with or the staff of where you are staying. Find out from there what emergency plan is, be informed and be sure that you know what to do and where to go at your holiday destination.'

'As people are travelling, we want people to make smart, safe decisions. If you find flood water, stop, turn around and find another way. Driving through flood water isn't worth the risk to you or the people in the car.'

Routes in and out of Sydney are likely to see congestion and heavy traffic at known pinch points, particularly around Sydney Airport.

Hazardous surf and swell conditions could also develop in coming days.

The BOM said on Friday afternoon the system may develop into an east coast low on Sunday or Monday, prolonging the persistent rain into next week.

Sydneysiders can expect wet weather this weekend and heading into next week as an possible east coast low forms

Highlighted catchments on the map above should monitor water levels and prepare for minor to major floods

Heavy falls across the weekend could to lead to rising river levels as the deluge hits multiple already-saturated catchments.

'We know these are quite dangerous systems,' Bureau of Meteorology Manager of Hazard Preparedness and Response Jane Golding told media on Friday.

'They've been known to produce some widespread flooding in the past, and that's certainly on the cards for the next few days.'

Ms Golding said the deluge could lead to flash flooding and landslips.

'The landscape is quite vulnerable at the moment and the water can move very quickly down the slopes and through the waterways,' she said.

Sky News Weather channel senior meteorologist Tom Saunders said 'flash flooding and river flooding is essentially guaranteed' in catchments forecast to see high rainfall.

The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe weather alert for heavy rain in the highlighted areas on the map above

The weather system over Sydney is forecast to pick up around midday on Saturday with heavy rain set to stay over the region heading into Sunday.

Some regions on NSW's south coast already saw over 150mm of heavy rainfall overnight as the system moved north towards Sydney.

The large rain-band formed over the Northern Territory and Queensland earlier this week moved east overnight to focus over southeast Queensland.

Regions from Mount Isa to the Gold Coast saw moderate rain overnight with Longreach receiving over 36mm, Rockhampton 35.6mm, Miles 26.6mm and the Gold Coast 27mm.

Brisbane can expect to see rain on Saturday before the NT/QLD rain-band largely clears late Saturday night

Rain is forecast to clear up in the state's southeast from Saturday night as the system's end moves east.

Rain will continue over Queensland's northeast, largely hanging around the coastline between Cairns and Mackay.

'At this stage we're not expecting this rainfall to cause any major flood risk,' Mr Narramore said.

'That flooding risk will be concentrated around the central NSW coast.'

The map above shows total rainfalls expected this weeks as the NT/QLD rain-band begins to clear

Darwin is forecast to see a bit of cloud on Saturday as the last of this week's rain moves east, leaving a sunny sky for Sunday and the week ahead.

The sunshine will be accompanied by high temperatures peaking at 28C and 29C through to next Tuesday with lows remaining in the high teens.

Unfortunately Canberrians are expected to cop some of NSW's rainfall with showers forecast until Monday.

Minimum temperatures are set to stay just above freezing level at 5C and 6C with maximum temperatures in the low teens.

Residents in Canberra are forecast to see showers through to Monday due to the large rain system sitting on NSW's central coast

Melbourne is forecast for a cloudy Saturday before the grey partially breaks up to make room for a little bit of sunshine from Sunday.

Hobart will also see that cloudy weather through to Tuesday next week with minimum temperatures consistently sitting at 5C and maximums in the mid teens.

Adelaide is expected to see cloudy weather on Saturday which will partially clear on Sunday before turning sunny early next week.

Perth residents can expect a sunny weekend with maximum temperatures just below 20C and minimums below 10C.
Jacob Rees-Mogg has vowed to ban 'ridiculous' diversity training after learning of 'Check Yo Privilege' and 'Japanese gay grandfather empathy' courses for civil servants.

The minister for efficiency believes that 'absurd' courses that teach mandarins about privilege or empathy are examples of 'wokery' training, and should be replaced with only 'intelligent, sensible' courses.

'Check Yo Privilege', which is a course run by the Cabinet Office, teaches civil servants about being aware of their own backgrounds when making statements about British society.

The MP criticised the course, calling it 'politicised', and said that it views the world in a way that is not shared by all political parties in Government.

Jacob Rees-Mogg has vowed to ban 'ridiculous' diversity training after learning of 'Check Yo Privilege' and 'Japanese gay grandfather empathy' courses for civil servants

'I think the course was to explain to people how theyd had an unfair advantage in life and wasnt that awful? But try and think of the opposite,' he told the Telegraph.

'What if you had a course, lets say: "Celebrate your inner Eurosceptic?"

'The Civil Service would be outraged. But its comparatively a political subject.'

And another course, which asks staff to imagine a 'Japanese gay grandfather' to promote understanding and empathy, has been criticised by Mr Rees-Mogg.

The minister has called on the Government's Learning and Development hub to remove courses 'subject to mockery', in place of other training.

'Bad, mockable courses undermine our efforts to promote equality,' Mr Rees-Mogg added.

He also questioned whether employees were taking an additional hour for their lunch, after completing the courses during their break.

While the minister for Brexit opportunities and government efficiency cannot cancel the courses himself, he will be writing to secretaries of state asking for a review.

The minister has called on the Government's Learning and Development hub, run through the Cabinet Office (pictured), to remove courses 'subject to mockery', in place of other training

'There is work to be done, and there are only so many hours in the day and we want people using their hours productively,' he told the newspaper.

'Weve got to be very careful when this time is used to do fancy courses, or not working at the office.'

The minster was not against staff increasing their skills, but said it must not be 'wokery' or political.

Training courses for civil servants are taught on a digital learning platform run through the Cabinet Office, with staff able to sign up for specific sessions.

The minister has called for the curriculum to be re-written, and questioned some of the sessions' 'economic value to the taxpayer'.

He said that courses that are ridiculed could damage the reputation of the learning service, with mandarins also being put off 'sensible' sessions.
The Farne Islands are closing to tourists from tomorrow after an outbreak of bird flu killed hundreds of seabirds.

The National Trust, which manages the islands off the Northumberland coast, says it is acting to protect colonies of threatened species, including Atlantic puffins and Arctic terns, which breed there in huge numbers.

While experts insist the risk to humans is low, they hope the tourist ban will help halt the spread of the disease.

Around 45,000 people visit the islands on boat trips every year to take in views of up to 23 species, including 43,000 puffin pairs, as well as a large colony of grey seals.

The Farne Islands are closing to tourists from tomorrow after an outbreak of bird flu killed hundreds of seabirds

The tourist trips out of Seahouses will continue, but visitors will no longer be allowed to land on the Farnes.

The National Trust has announced the decision to close them to visitors from Sunday after finding hundreds of dead birds.

It hoped to protect native species from the flu which is spread when birds come into direct contact with an infected bird, faeces, body fluids or indirectly through food and water.

Some species, such as the ever-popular puffins, are already under threat due to climate change affecting their habitat and food sources.

Simon Lee, general manager for the Farne Islands, said: 'While we have no confirmed test results from the islands, we are now starting to see the terribly sad and distressing impact of avian influenza on our internationally important and threatened seabirds who make the islands their home.

The National Trust, which manages the islands off the Northumberland coast, says it is acting to protect colonies of threatened species, including Atlantic puffins and Arctic terns, which breed there in huge numbers

'Seabirds nesting in dense colonies, most of which are threatened, such as Arctic terns, are particularly vulnerable now as they have returned to the islands in their thousands to breed, nesting in close proximity to each other.

'Our ranger teams work tirelessly to monitor and protect these colonies but due to finding significant numbers of dead birds we simply have no other choice but to close the islands.

'We understand how many people love to visit the islands, but we must do everything we can to protect and to try to help these much-loved seabirds by limiting the spread of the disease.

'The effect of the disease on the colonies we care for could be devastating due to many species having low reproduction rates, which means the loss of adult birds has a huge impact on populations being able to recover.'

Around 45,000 people visit the islands on boat trips every year to take in views of up to 23 species, including 43,000 puffin pairs, as well as a large colony of grey seals

Mr Lee added: 'Many of the birds which nest here, such as the vulnerable Atlantic puffin, are already experiencing huge pressures due to climate change with warming sea temperatures impacting food stocks.

'By closing the islands we will reduce the risk of disturbance on the birds, which will hopefully help at least slow down the spread of the disease during this breeding period before they leave the islands in late summer to continue their annual migratory cycle.'

Ranger teams will remain on the islands to monitor the outbreak.

The UK Health Security Agency has advised that the risk to humans is very low, but people should not touch sick or dead birds.

If found, please report any dead birds to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 0345 9335577.
Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar said that her arrival in Minnesota exposed her to more gun violence than living in an east African refugee camp did.

Speaking at the Gun Violence Community Conversation at North High in Minneapolis on Thursday, Omar said: 'For six years, I had the privilege of not seeing any violence, until I moved to Minnesota.'

Omar continued: 'My first year in Minnesota I both saw a person shot at Peavey Park, dead on the floor, three weeks after my father and I arrived in Minneapolis. Six months later I watched the Minneapolis police put 38 bullets into the body of a mentally disabled Somali immigrant who didn't speak English.'

At the age of eight, Omar and her family fled the civil war in her native Somalia and lived for four years in the Dadaab refugee camp, close to the Kenya-Somali border.

She was granted asylum the US and arrived in New York City in 1995 when she was 12. Her family later settled in the Twin Cities two years later.

Omar described growing up in Somalia and seeing children that she went to school with carrying assault rifles as the civil war began.

The congresswoman went on: 'I know what that kind of violence looks like but I was fortunate enough to flee that and seek refuge in a refugee camp for four years where I did not witness that kind of violence.'

The second shooting that Omar referenced was the death of Abu Kassim Jeilani in 2002. Jeilani, 28, was carrying a machete when he was shot dead.

Witnesses said at the time that Jeilani was constantly shouting 'Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar,' meaning 'God is great,' while ignoring police requests to drop the knife.

The six officers involved in the shooting were absolved of any wrongdoing in the shooting by a grand jury three months after the incident.

Tents are seen at the UNHCR's Ifo Extension camp outside Dadaab, eastern Kenya, 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the Somali border

At the age of 8, Omar and her family fled the civil war in her native Somalia and lived for four years in the Dabaab refugee camp, close to the Kenya-Somali border

According the United Nations Refugee Agency, there are 218,000 refugees currently housed at the Dadaab complex, making it one of the largest in the world. The camp offers basic housing, food, healthcare and education to inhabitants.

Following her election to the US House of Representatives in 2016, multiple news outlets reported that she was heralded as hero and inspiration to the people still living in Dadaab. In one report, she was referred to as a 'daughter of Dadaab.'

In her victory speech in 2016, Omar said in part: 'My success is not only for me but for every Somali, Muslim and minority group, particularly the young girls in the Dadaab refugee camp, where I lived before coming to the US.'

In 2011, Omar went on a humanitarian trip to Dadaab. While there, she told Democracy Now that she met people she grew up with in the camp who still live there as adults.

During that same interview, Omar described life growing up in the refugee camp as 'not an easy one.' She said that in her youth 'malaria was devastating the camp and taking lives.'

In 2011, Omar went on a humanitarian trip to Dadaab, she described in an interview meeting people who she grew up with who were still living there as adults

Four-year-old Bashir Hassan hangs his head on his hands on July 6, 2011 as he and other members of his family wait behind a fence in the hope to be allowed to board a bus that transports newly arrived Somali refugees to a facility where they are officially registered as refugees which entitles them to receive food rations on a regular basis in the Dadaab refugee camp

Somali boys fetching water from a puddle that formed after rain at the IFO-2 complex of the sprawling Dadaab refugee complex

Among those who died of malaria was Omar's aunt Fos who was pregnant at the time. Fos served as a surrogate mother to Omar following the death of her own mother years previously.

Omar said in a separate interview with Elle Magazine in 2020 that life in the refugee camp was 'hostile' and 'survival of the fittest.' She said that she had to fight others just to get drinking water.

While in the documentary, 'Time for Ilhan,' Omar said of the refugee camp: 'It was the first time I understood what hunger would feel like, what death looked like.'

According to a 2021 feature on Dadaab by the International Policy Digest, the Kenyan government has been exploring the idea of shutting down the camp since 2019 due widespread crime including rape, illegal firearms trading and violent crime.

Rep. Omar has been referred to as a 'daughter of Dadaab' following her ascent to the US House of Representatives

At the same town hall, Omar made reference to the recent overturning of Roe v Wade saying: 'Thankfully, in Minnesota, abortion remains legal'

The city of Minneapolis is on pace to surpass last year's homicide numbers with 45 recorded this year already. In 2021, there were 97.

Early in the town hall, Omar made reference to the overturning of Roe v Wade by the Supreme Court saying: 'We know this decision will fall the hardest on the most vulnerable, such as women who have been abused, who are victims of incest, have been raped, those who are already struggling to put food on the table.'

She added: 'Thankfully, in Minnesota, abortion remains legal.'
The former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone was threatened with castration by the thug who dated his daughter, a court heard.

Layton Poore, 20, met Mia Livingstone on a night out at a club on Tottenham Court Road in London, however he soon became 'aggressive and controlling'.

Ms Livingstone, who was 17 at the time, described how Poore burned her arm with a cigarette lighter on February 13 at the Livingstone home, The Evening Standard reported.

She accused him of leaving her with 'painful bruises' and eventually called the police, Harrow Crown Court heard.

Layton Poore (above), 20, met Mia Livingstone on a night out at a club on Tottenham Court Road in London, however he soon became 'aggressive and controlling'

Nicola Merrick, prosecuting, said: 'He made threats to her, saying he was going to harm her, going to kill her, and going to kill her family.

'He said he was going to cut her fathers penis off, he was going to come to the house and injure her and her family, and also destroy the family home.'

Poore, from Glen Parva, near Leicester, admitted charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and witness intimidation and was sentenced to 31 weeks in prison.

Judge Lana Wood also imposed a three-year restraining order, banning Poore from contacting Mr Livingstone, 77, his wife Emma Beal, and Mia, now 18.

Judge Lana Wood imposed a three-year restraining order, banning Poore from contacting Mr Livingstone (pictured), 77, his wife Emma Beal, and Mia, now 18

In an impact statement, Ms Livingstone told the court: 'He used to hurt me all the time, punching me, leaving painful bruises on me, he spat on me.'

Ms Merrick continued: 'They hit it off quickly, and Mia took the defendant to her family home, where she lives with her parents.'

Describing the burning incident, Ms Merrick said: 'They were smoking and he was using up her cigarettes.

'When she indicated she wasnt particularly happy that he was smoking her cigarettes, he held a lighter onto her right arm, causing a burn mark on it.'

She added: 'He said he was going to put her head and members of her familys heads on sticks and to kill her family and to castrate her father.'
Universities across the UK could face 'unprecedented' strike action this autumn, causing disruption to hundreds of thousands of students.

The University and College Union (UCU) has authorised a ballot of all higher education members in a long-running dispute over pensions and pay and conditions.

Strikes may follow across campuses in November, along with further ballots for industrial action in spring 2023.

UCU says the ballot will be aggregated which means that if it achieves an overall turnout of 50 per cent or above, and a majority yes vote, all universities across the UK will be hit by strike action.

'Time is running out and we hope vice chancellors finally see sense and address the long-standing concerns of staff. If they don't, mass disruption will be entirely their fault,' said UCU general secretary Jo Grady (pictured)

Institutions have already experienced 15 days of strikes this year, and around 40 branches are currently taking part in a marking boycott, with staff refusing to undertake marking and assessment duties.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: 'By attacking pensions, cutting pay and continually refusing to negotiate in good faith, vice chancellors have pushed staff towards taking more strike action, and now university staff are set to join the wave of industrial action sweeping the UK.

'Time is running out and we hope vice chancellors finally see sense and address the long-standing concerns of staff. If they don't, mass disruption will be entirely their fault.'

A Universities UK spokesman said pension reforms have already been implemented and 'huge cost increases for both employers and staff avoided'.
A British aid worker captured by the Russians as he tried to rescue a woman and two children from Ukraine is facing the death penalty.

Dylan Healy, 22, has been charged with being a mercenary, after being detained at a Russian checkpoint in Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine, Russian media has reported.

He has been charged alongside British military volunteer Andrew Hill, who was detained at a similar time in Ukraine's Mykolaiv region.

The duo are facing the same charges as Britons Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner, military volunteers who were captured in Mariupol and have since been sentenced to death.

Details of accusations against Mr Healy were reported by a new site that has been linked to the pro-Russian group Donetsk Peoples Republic.

Dylan Healy, 22, has been charged with being a mercenary, after being detained at a Russian checkpoint in Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine

Mr Healy was originally accused of being a spy, alongside aid volunteer Paul Urey, 45.

The Russian TASS news agency cited a source in the power structures of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) as saying that criminal cases had been initiated and charges filed against the men under Article 430 of the DPR criminal code.

It said both men were refusing to cooperate with the investigation.

In May, Mr Urey was shown on Russian television calling the UK Government 'corrupt' in what was thought to be a scripted statement.

The Telegraph reported that Ukrainian officials are hoping to exchange Mr Aslin and Mr Pinner for Russian prisoners of war, in order to halt their deaths.

He has been charged alongside British military volunteer Andrew Hill (pictured), who was detained at a similar time in Ukraine's Mykolaiv region

The Kremlin, which has followed a moratorium on the death penalty since 1996, could sway the decision from the Donetsk Peoples Republic.

Former-US servicemen Alexander Drueke and Andy Huynh are also being held in custody by the Donetsk Peoples Republic, having been captured last month near Kharkiv.

Yesterday, Russian ships killed 21 people after firing missiles near the port of Odesa, having withdrawn forces from Snake Island.

A block of flats in a village south of the port was hit, leaving at least one child dead, and wounding dozens.

Ukraine's army yesterday accused the Kremlin of deploying incendiary phosphorus munitions on Snake Island, after withdrawing from the Black Sea landmass.
A brave Queensland man rescued his blind and deaf neighbour from a dangerous house fire just minutes before the entire house was engulfed in flames.

Matthew Mosterd said he was smoking in his Logan, Brisbane, backyard late Friday night when he heard his neighbour yelling for help at about 9pm.

Mr Mosterd said he and another neighbour ran to help with no thought of their own safety.

Scroll down for the video.

Matthew Mosterd said he heard his blind and deaf neighbour calling for help on Friday night after becoming trapped by a house fire (pictured, a firefighter extinguishing the house fire in Logan, Brisbane)

'There were just billows of smoke coming out the neighbour's roof we saw the fire starting in his lounge room,' he said.

'He is blind and deaf. We knew we had to get him out quick.'

Mr Mosterd said he and the other neighbour kicked the man's back door in and found him nearby.

Together they 'dragged' their helpless neighbour to safety just minutes before the fire spread through the entire home.

Mr Mosterd (above) said he and another neighbour had kicked in the burning home's back door and 'dragged' their blind and deaf neighbour to safety just minutes before the entire home was engulfed by the fire

Firefighters controlled the fire within 30 minutes and are still investigating what caused it (pictured, the burnt out front of the home)

'If we didn't get him out in that minute, he would have perished in the fire, very lucky man,' Mr Mosterd said.

Firefighters were able to control the fire within 30 minutes.

The cause of the fire is still being investigated.
People are being cut off from services like unemployment benefits and job-seeking programs as a result of a cyberattack on software company Geographic Solutions (GSI) that began almost a week ago, The Register reported.

The Louisiana Workforce Commission said in a statement this week that GSI had to shut down state labor exchanges and unemployment claims systems, potentially having an impact on up to 40 states and Washington, DC. GSI provides services to these states.

According to the company's LinkedIn page, GSI provides online services for state and local governments in more than 35 states and creates software for things like workforce development, labor market data, and unemployment insurance. The vendor also maintains websites for government organizations in states including Indiana, Florida, North Carolina, and California.

GSI President Paul Toomey said that the company is collaborating with third-party specialists to look into the cyber-incident and make sure it doesn't happen again. Toomey stated that the company planned to resume the services before the July 4 holiday. GSI allegedly informed agencies in a number of states about the issue on June 26, as per The Register.

Read More: Carnival Cruises Fined $5 Million for Cybersecurity Failures

Which States Are Affected?

Louisiana's unemployment claims and labor exchange services had to be taken down after GSI discovered an attempt at a malware attack. According to GSI, there was no data breach and the personal information of Louisiana Workforce Commission's HiRE users was not affected. This interruption has an effect on the state's almost 11,000 residents who are currently filing continuing unemployment claims.

CalJOBS' website went unavailable as a result of the GSI service stoppage, according to a notice from California's Employment Development Department.

In addition, the Jobs4TN website in Tennessee also went offline. According to the state's Department of Labor and Workforce Development, 12,000 Tennessee residents depend on the state's unemployment program and workforce development initiatives.

The GSI outage also had an effect on states from Texas to New Hampshire.

What Are Experts' Opinions About the Incident?

It's probable that the attack is being carried out by a nation state or threat actor that is supported by a state, according to Mike Parkin, senior technical engineer at Vulcan Cyber.

He continued by saying that a threat actor might easily stop operations with a distributed denial-of-service attack or destructive malware. However, a ransomware attack is more likely because of the profit motive, especially when sensitive information may be at stake.

The most crucial question, according to John Bambenek, principal threat hunter at cybersecurity company Netenrich, is what data is at risk for users of such websites and what precautions they should take. "Too often, we focus on the corporate parts of incident response but forget the impact to those whose private information is stolen."

The incident is the most recent in a growing pattern of software supply chain attacks, in which cybercriminals target one company with the intention of infecting its partners and clients later on, basically widening the malware's system vulnerabilities.



Related Article: Google's Threat Analysis Group Blocks Domains, Websites Used by Hack-For-Hire Groups
She spotted her boyfriend thousands of metres above her as he flew his plane

A Sydney woman has gone viral after she took a chance photo of a plane above her in the sky.

Campbelltown marketing professional, Neoma Fernando was walking her dog Butter when she stopped to take a photo of a Qantas plane flying over her on Tuesday.

Ms Fernando stopped to message her boyfriend, who she knew was due to return from a flight at the time, and joked it could be him.

Ms Fernando said it was the first time she'd ever taken 'randomly' taken a photo of a plane in the sky (pictured), and it turned out to be the one her boyfriend was flying

She sent him the photo she took, saying: 'So a plane flew over me today while I was walking Butter and I thought it might be you?!'

'I know you land around 5.55?'

Her boyfriend, flying the plane, told her he'd check if maybe it was.

'THAT DO BE ME,' he said in a text accompanied by a map showing the flight path of his plane.

'5.27 am I was over Minto!'

Ms Fernando (pictured) often posts content about herself and her boyfriend, often earning thousands of likes for their loved-up antics

Ms Fernando couldn't believe she'd managed to pick her boyfriend's plane.

'NO WAY. WHAT ARE THE CHANCES,' she texted back.

Her video recounting the tale has exploded on the TikTok site, racking up nearly a million views.

Ms Fernando has made many videos about herself and her boyfriend on the platform.

The video has been liked more than 100,000 times.

Ms Fernando's boyfriend, a pilot, sent her back a map of his Qantas flight and said it was likely to have been him she saw

'So cute,' wrote many.

'This is making me cry, please, this is the cutest thing ever,' said a moved viewer.

Many viewers said they also teared up watching the video.

Some viewers believed some kind of lover's instinct made Ms Fernando snap a picture of the plane.

'Nah that is the cutest thing ever, how your instinct just told you it's him.'

A few shared similar experiences.

'I have taken a photo of my fiances plane as he flew back to the US from the UK via Amsterdam  the flight path was in view from my bedroom window,' said a loved-up jet setter.

'This happened to me as well!!! I was meeting my online boyfriend for the first time and his plane flew over me as I drove to pick him up,' wrote another.

'Wow thats so cute! My bf was actually flying the plane haha,' replied Ms Fernando.
Former CNN anchor Chris Cuomo has returned to Instagram following a seven month break from with a bizarre war report from Ukraine.

The 51-year-old anchor posted a series of photos and videos that were taken in Ukraine, showing the extent of the ongoing war there.

But the first photo in a set shared by Cuomo was of himself, gazing broodingly into the camera.

He then shared multiple snaps and videos of a damaged classroom as well as bombed-out streets and vehicles.

It is not clear who, if anyone, Cuomo may be working for. His bio currently states he is a 'free agent', and vows that further reports from the embattled region will follow.

Despite the self-indulgent first posting, Cuomo quickly brought out some virtue signaling as he urged his one million followers to remember Ukraine.

Former CNN anchor Chris Cuomo has returned to Instagram with a selfie

Cuomo pleaded with his one million followers to 'not forget' Ukraine

'In Ukraine. We can not forget. Russians are apparently targeting civilians,' Cuomo wrote together with a series of photos and videos of the war torn country.

Cuomo reported: 'Major deadly bombing at a shopping mall in random area of central Ukraine just now. Maybe hundreds inside.

The words and pictures are the first postings by Cuomo since he was fired by CNN for violating their journalistic standards by helping brief his brother, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, about how to handle a sex scandal that ultimately ended Andrew's career too.

The photos appeared to be of Kyiv which was 'hit Sunday'. He noted: 'there would have been many dead if this city was not somewhat emptied out.'

'Kindergarten hit. Lucky there's no school on Sunday,' he added.

Cuomo's point is moot however since all schools in Kyiv are now on summer holiday and had all gone online after Russian invaded Ukraine on February 24.

Schools in Ukraine's capital Kyiv will re-open for classes at the start of the school year on September 1, the city's authorities said on Friday.

'The most important task for the new school year is the safety of students and teachers,' Olena Fidanyan, head of Kyiv's education and science department, said in a statement.

'At the start of the school year, all schools will hold the necessary training with teachers and children on actions during an air-raid alert' Fidanyan added.

Those children who have not been able to return to Kyiv will be able to study remotely.

Cuomo uploaded photos of a kindergarten classroom that had been damaged

'Kindergarten hit. Lucky there's no school on Sunday,' he added

The school's windows were blasted out with all manner of debris on the side of the building

Another picture posted to Instagram by Cuomo included that of 'the same building hit couple months ago where journalists were among the dead,' he wrote.

'More to come of how bad it is getting here,' he teased, signing off with his catchphrase, 'Let's get after it.'

The former host of Cuomo Prime Time was lost his job in December when it was revealed he had advised his brother, former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, after the state's top prosecutor found he sexually harassed 11 different women.

Cuomo's former boss, CNN President Jeff Zucker then resigned in February after it was revealed that he had an undisclosed relationship with a network executive.

Some, including fellow lead anchor Jake Tapper, suggested that Cuomo was the one who leaked the information in order to secure a better exit package.

Cuomo then posted pictures from inside a building that had been struck

Part of the front of this building appeared to have completely fallen away

Cuomo said one of the buildings was hit a couple months ago where journalists were among the dead

Cuomo, who earned $6 million a year at CNN, is now suing the network for $125 million: $110 million in damages and $15 million that is allegedly due to him under his contract.

'As a result of Turner's indefensible choice to unceremoniously fire him, Cuomo has been damaged in countless ways,' Cuomo's attorneys argued earlier this year.

'Cuomo has had his journalistic integrity unjustifiably smeared, making it difficult if not impossible for Cuomo to find similar work in the future and damaging him in amounts exceeding $125 million, which includes not only the remaining salary owed under the Agreement, but future wages lost as a result of CNN's efforts to destroy his reputation in violation of the Agreement.'

Cuomo has claimed that former CNN President Jeff Zucker (left) knew about his close relationship with his brother Andrew Cuomo. Zucker resigned last month after it came out that he had an undisclosed romantic relationship with a female network executive

Cuomo's firing kicked off a series of shake-ups at CNN.

Zucker resigned just two months later in February amid an investigation into his relationship with vice president Allison Gollust, who also resigned.

Zucker finalized a deal for an exit package worth $10 million. Gollust was reportedly paid $1 million.

Cuomo and CNN are currently locked in private arbitration over his own exit deal.

At a private meeting following Zucker's resignation, Cuomo's former colleagues made it clear there was no love lost between them and the former anchor.

Host Jake Tapper alluded to the theory that Cuomo leaked information about Zucker's relationship with an executive to secure a better exit package.

'An outside observer might say, 'Well, looks like Chris Cuomo succeeded. He threatened. Jeff said, We don't negotiate with terrorists, and Chris blew the place up.' How do we get past that perception that this is the bad guy winning?' he said.

'I think the issue is that it's not a perception. What Jake just described is actually what happened here,' echoed Chief White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins.

In a private meeting earlier this year, CNN anchor Jake Tapper said, 'An outside observer might say, 'Well, looks like Chris Cuomo succeeded. He threatened. Jeff said, We don't negotiate with terrorists, and Chris blew the place up.''

At another meeting, host Don Lemon asked WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar, 'Did you think about what message it sends ... that someone can be found to break with those journalistic standards and then get paid handsomely for it?'

Host Erin Burnett said she and her colleagues were 'grieving' Zucker's departure and demanded more information during a private meeting. Host Richard Quest compared the ouster to 'throwing the captain overboard while the ship is about to go through icebergs'

At the time, CNN's New York-based anchors mourned Zucker's resignation and placed the blame on Cuomo for triggering his ouster.

Richard Quest, host of the daily show Quest Means Business on CNN International, told WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar: 'There was the possibility of a more imaginative result that would've allowed you to keep the captain, instead of throwing the captain overboard while the ship is about to go through icebergs.'

Erin Burnett said she and her colleagues were 'grieving' and demanded more information about Zucker's departure.

Hosts Don Lemon and Oliver Darcy questioned Kilar, 50, during a meeting on whether former host Chris Cuomo would get a severance package from CNN.

'Did you think about what message it sends to the journalists in the company and also to the larger public that someone can be found to break with those journalistic standards and then get paid handsomely for it,' Lemon reportedly asked Kilar.
Australia is on the precipice of the grim milestone of 10,000 Covid-19 related deaths, with more than 7,000 fatalities reported in the last six months.

Australia has reported 7,677 deaths over the course of 2022, taking the country's total to 9,930.

There were also 909 Covid-19 related fatalities in 2020 and 1,344 in 2021.

'We are going to actually end up with about 14,000 deaths this year from COVID if we keep going at this rate,' Griffith University infectious diseases and immunology program director Nigel McMillan said.

Australia is on the precipice of the grim milestone of 10,000 Covid-19 related deaths, with more than 7,000 fatalities reported in the last six months (pictured, Covid-19 testing clinic)

'That will make COVID the number two or number three killer in the country of all causes of deaths.

'Is this what success looks like for Australia in terms of its control of this virus? I would suggest no.'

Prof McMillan said booster uptake is not good enough in states such as Queensland - the lowest in the country at about 63 per cent.

The state with the highest booster uptake is Western Australia, at 83 per cent, with other states and territories falling somewhere in between.

'We just seem to have become comfortable with the idea that we're stopping vaccine mandates for all sorts of places, we have loosened our mask restrictions,' he said.

'So we have very little in the way of the virus at the moment in terms of (stopping) the virus spreading.'

Queensland Chief Health Officer John Gerrard said he did not want a return to mask mandates, but he admitted the possibility was being talked about.

'It is something that is still being discussed but ... we would prefer not to go down that road,' he told Brisbane 4BC radio on Friday.

Federal Labor minister Murray Watt said on Saturday the government had not received any health advice on mask mandates and those decisions tended to be made by state governments.

Australia has reported 7,677 deaths over the course of 2022, taking the country's total to 9,930 (pictured, Sydneysiders)

Prof McMillan said booster uptake is not good enough in states such as Queensland - the lowest in the country at about 63 per cent

'I know that this is something that health officials have been discussing nationally,' he said.

Prof McMillan suggested policy tweaks be made to the public health system, including widening the availability of antivirals beyond people with comorbidities.

Australia is experiencing a succession of Omicron variants that have kept infection rates high, Deakin University epidemiology chair Catherine Bennett said.

However Australia ranked low in deaths per capita when compared to other countries, she said.

'Whether we look at the total COVID-19 deaths per case, or deaths per capita, Australia sits low on the league tables, together with New Zealand, Taiwan and Japan,' Prof Bennett said.

Australia's daily death rates per capita were comparable to the UK and Canada, and lower than France - countries currently in summer and reporting declines in case numbers, she said.

'It is critical that we learn more about those who are ending up in hospital or not surviving their infections, so that we can identify what needs to be done to avoid preventable deaths and bring the case fatality rate down.'
The blow dealt by the US Supreme Court limiting access to safe abortions has shone a light on the situation in Australia as protesters take to the streets in solidarity.

Thousands of people have already turned up at marches in Brisbane and Adelaide, and big numbers are expected in Melbourne and Sydney on Saturday.

Supporters are also expected to voice discontent in Perth, Hobart, Wollongong and Rockhampton on Saturday, and in Launceston on Sunday.

Thousands of protesters gather during a rally in support of abortion rights at Sydney Town Hall in Sydney on Saturday

Sydney protesters braved the rain and brought homemade signs to Saturday's abortion rally at Town Hall

The blow dealt by the US Supreme Court limiting access to safe abortions has shone a light on the situation in Australia as protesters take to the streets in solidarity (pictured, demonstrators in Melbourne)

Thousands of people have already turned up at marches in Brisbane and Adelaide, and big numbers are expected in Melbourne and Sydney on Saturday (pictured, protestors in Melbourne)

'Mind your own uterus', 'abortion is healthcare' and 'no uterus, no opinion' were among the messages written on placards.

The movement has been sparked by the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v Wade that has seen 27 US states move toward either banning or threatening to criminalise abortions.

While much of the attention is on America, there is still work to be done on abortion access at home, contraception and safe abortion providers, MSI Australia says.

'The events taking place in the US are devastating for human rights. Fortunately, we are not at risk of having abortion bans in Australia but we do need increased access and equity to abortion care services,' MSI managing director Jamal Hakim says.

Frontline health worker Cecilia Judge addressed the protestors gathered on the steps of the State Library of Victoria in Melbourne.

'Whenever abortion is presented as a debate anywhere, it can increase the shame, stigma, and for some of the people I work with, the grief of accessing abortion care,' she said.

'Abortion is not a debate, abortion is healthcare, and healthcare is a human right.'

Sex history researcher and TikTok influencer Esme James urged residents to stand together.

'They win when we are silent. They win when we stop fighting back,' she said.

The movement has been sparked by the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v Wade that has seen 27 US states move toward either banning or threatening to criminalise abortions

While much of the attention is on America, there is still work to be done on abortion access at home, contraception and safe abortion providers, MSI Australia says

'They win when we forget the power isn't ours to take back, but was always ours to begin with.'

While the Federal Government supports abortion rights, people without access to public funded services request financial support on a weekly basis, Mr Hakim says.

'In particular, people on temporary visas in Australia face extraordinary barriers to abortion care. Reproductive rights are about healthcare access for all, not for some,' he says.

Dual US-Australian citizen and MSI Australia health communications officer Brenna Bernardino is expected to speak at the Melbourne rally.

'I flew in from Texas just before Roe v Wade was overturned and soon I will travel back to Texas where there is practically an outright ban on abortion,' she said.

'Criminalising abortion doesn't stop abortions, it just forces people to access them illegally or travel long distances. It impacts people's mental health and increases fear.'

Roe v Wade was a landmark 1973 decision where the US Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution of the United states protects a person's liberty to have an abortion

It was overturned by the conservative majority court last month - paving the way for US states to go their own way.

Demonstrators staging a protest at the State Library of Victoria in Melbourne on Saturday
A young child was found drowned after allegedly being killed by his mom - with two siblings under five and the mom herself still missing, after the children's dad reportedly killed himself.

Cops in Maplewood Minnesota say they have recovered the body of one child as of Friday evening. It's unclear what gender that victim is, although all three child victims are under five.

Meanwhile, the children's unnamed mom remains missing. Police believe she may have killed her children, then herself, after her husband reportedly shot himself dead at the family home earlier on Friday morning.

The husband has been named only as Kos by his sister, Pa Lee, who shared news of her siblings' tragic death on Facebook, as well as the discovery of one of Kos's children's bodies, and fears the late dad's other two children are dead too.

It remains unclear what triggered the tragic chain of events.

A Maplewood Police Department spokesman said that around 4:00 pm on July 1, authorities were called to Vadnais Lake as getting a report about a possibly suicidal mother who was on her way there with her children.

Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher said that investigators determined that the children went into the water with their mother in an apparent murder suicide as the children's shoes and mother's car was found close to the water.

That spokesperson confirmed that one child had been found dead. Sheriff Fletcher told the media that it's being treated as a triple murder.

The children's father identified by the name Kos in several social media posts. His sister wrote on Facebook: 'Forever goodbye my nicest brother'. He is believed to have shot himself dead at the family's home in Maplewood, Minnesota this morning. Cops now fear his wife - who hasn't been named - has drowned the couple's three young children in a nearby lake, and also killed herself

The children's father was found dead here at a home in a mobile home park in Maplewood, Minnesota

Investigators said that the children's father committed suicide using one of his two guns in his bedroom while wearing pajamas

Authorities promised to continue the search for the missing children and their mother into the night

Officials confirmed that the horror unfolding at the lake is related to a suicide at the Rolling Hills Estates Mobile Home Park earlier in the day.

The man who committed suicide at the trailer park is the children's father and husband to the missing woman.

All of the children are under the age of five. Fletcher said: 'A horrible set of facts appears to be developing. We do not know the certainty of all three children, but have recovered one child. There's nothing more tragic than the loss of young children.'

Officials said that the search and rescue team will continue searching through the night.

The sister of the children's father wrote on Facebook on the morning of the suicide: 'Forever goodbye my nicest brother. Why are you making me so mad and sad at the same moment. Im so sorry that Im 20 minutes late and cannot help you.'

She added: 'I drive so fast to help you and to stop you but I still failed. Im sorry that I fail you in this life and was late to help you. Only if I was faster then you will be alive.'

The father is identified in several social media posts as Kos.

In a series of videos that were posted by family members, investigators reveal that the children's father committed suicide in his bedroom while wearing pajamas.

One of those videos shows the bedroom to be ransacked.

A family member suggests that the father owned more than one gun and that he used the 'bigger one' to take his own life.

Other videos show large members of the Hmong community surrounding the lake, staying close to police as the search continued into the night.

The Twin Cities area is home to the largest concentration of Hmong people in the United States with more than 66,000 calling the area home.
Donald Trump could announce his candidacy for the 2024 election as early as this month, it's claimed, with the former president reportedly jealous of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and keen to distract from ongoing Capitol riot hearings.

Most candidates for presidential elections announce their run the year before, so as to minimize the time on the campaign trail, where they'll likely face scandals and embarrassing skeletons in their closets.

But Trump, 74, is agitating to declare his intentions much sooner, according to the New York Times.

On Friday The New York Times reported that the former president has surprised some of his advisers by saying he may declare his intentions on social media, without even informing them in advance.

Trump remains banned from Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and would have to make the announcement on his much smaller network, TruthSocial.

He is said to be aggrieved by increasing attention and compliments heaped on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

Many Republicans believe DeSantis pushes the same policies that made Trump very popular - but without the divisive and unpredictable personality.

Aides, the paper said, are scrambling to build a campaign infrastructure in time for an announcement that could come this month.

'Every day is different,' one source told CNN.

'We get told he's going to announce imminently, and by the afternoon that has changed.'

Donald Trump, seen on June 25 at a rally in Illinois, could announce his candidacy for 2024 as soon as this month, sources told The New York Times

Trump, 74, has barely stopped campaigning for re-election since leaving the White House in January 2021

Another source, who previously said Trump would wait until after Labor Day, told CNN the September announcement was 'up in the air' and that if Trump does announce early, 'it will be July.'

'He's sounding a lot more committed lately,' added another person close to Trump.

Trump has repeatedly teased another run for the White House, even though he'd only be allowed to serve a single term.

But the idea has been given added urgency by the surge in support for DeSantis, the 43-year-old governor of Florida.

Republican donors who have opened their wallets for Trump are now backing DeSantis as he bids to win a second term as governor of Florida , it has emerged.

Powerful GOP supporters hope DeSantis could serve two terms in office to the one Trump will have to make do with, giving him more time to push through his policies.

Trump and Ron DeSantis are seen in November 2019. Many Republican megadonors are now backing DeSantis in his November re-election bid

Desantis, seen on Thursday at a press conference announcing a new civics program, is seen by many as a significant threat to Trump

New campaign filings obtained by Politico show that DeSantis has received $3.4 million from 10 donors who collectively spent $24 million on Trump's reelection bid.

Many of those who donated had never contributed to state-level Florida elections before, and include Home Depot founder Bernie Marcus, 93, who gave DeSantis $500,000. In 2016, he was one of Donald Trump's most generous donors, contributing $7 million.

The cash donations for a relatively small-fry election show just how seriously many big-hitting Republicans are taking DeSantis as a potential presidential candidate.

Trump told The New Yorker, in an article entitled: 'Can Ron DeSantis displace Donald Trump as the G.O.P.'s combatant in chief?', that he was responsible for DeSantis's political career thanks to a 2018 endorsement credited with landing the Florida man the governor's post.

'If I didn't endorse him, he wouldn't have won,' Trump said.

The article said that DeSantis was sometimes described as 'Trump with a brain'.

Asked again whether he would beat DeSantis in 2024, Trump told Newsmax: 'I was very responsible for him getting elected.'

Big money is following DeSantis, however.

DeSantis has amassed a campaign war chest of $100 million, setting new records, and leaving him well positioned to turn those funds to 2024.

DeSantis, pictured on June 16 in Miami, insists he is focused on the 2022 race and not thinking about 2024

Trump's face is seen on a screen during the June 28 hearing of the January 6 committee

Trump himself has already amassed a $100 million fund, through his Super PAC.

But that money is not allowed to be able to directly support a candidate, under campaign finance laws.

Some aides are urging Trump to wait, so he can use the cash freely before his official declaration.

One R.N.C. official also pointed out that when Trump officially launched his bid, the Republican party would have to stop paying his legal bills related to an investigation by the New York attorney general.

Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr, is encouraging him to wait so he has a more complete campaign team ready to go, The New York Times said.

Others are concerned about the impact of the January 6 hearings.

Trump himself has been watching them avidly, and giving commentary on his Truth Social network.

Lindsay Graham, the South Carolina senator, said Trump should declare swiftly, to keep him focused on policy.

'It's up to him if he runs or not,' Graham told The New York Times.

'But the key to him being successful is comparing his policy agenda and policy successes with what is going on today.'
A bank customer who was stopped from withdrawing $15,000 unless he explained how he would spend it revealed he was able to take the cash out of his account after making a 'scene'.

Richard Dargham went to make the withdrawal when he visited a Commonwealth Bank at Carnes Hill Marketplace, south-west Sydney, on Thursday.

He said in a TikTok video bank tellers flagged the withdrawal as a possible scam and demanded to know how he intended to spend the money.

The footage went viral and was viewed more than 594,000 times with most social media users sympathising with Mr Dargham.

He later provided an update on the situation in a follow-up video revealing he had been able to withdraw the money 'once I made a scene'.

'I did receive my $15,000 once I made a scene, I literally told them that if I don't get my money, I will not leave the bank,' he said.

A bank customer who was stopped from withdrawing $15,000 unless he explained how he would spend it revealed he was able to take the cash out of his account

Mr Dargham, who runs premier construction company Yes I Can, said he was under a lot of work stress and became upset when bank tellers asked him how he would use the money.

'I'm a guy who has been dealing with a lot of stuff in the building industry in the last nine months,' he said.

'The very little money I have left from the downturn of the economy, I chose to stay true to my customers, I chose to lose money to keep my customers happy.

'Although everything is slow I did pay off all my contractors, I did pay up and finish all my customer's jobs at a loss.

'That's why I felt a little bit upset when I was asked in detail the questions about what I was going to use my money for.'

'I just want to clarify, I ended up getting the money that I went in there to get. The tellers at Carnes Hill Commonwealth Bank, fantastic,' he said.

'If it wasn't for them, if they were rude, the situation would've been a lot worse'.

Mr Dargham also responded to comments on social media that he should have lied to the bank tellers when he was asked about the nature of the withdrawal.

'The point I was trying to make is, if I lie to you, that obviously defeats the purpose of this stupid rule, that's supposed to protect me and my money,' he said.

'That's the problem I have with this situation. I don't see the need to be able to lie to them.'

Mr Dargham vented his frustration in the first video after he was forced to explain to bank tellers how he intended to spend the money.

'This is bull****, this is absolutely ridiculous,' he says in the video. 'I'm the account holder. You can clearly see that. If I want to pay someone, you can't stop me.

Richard Dargham went to make the withdrawal when he visited a Commonwealth Bank at Carnes Hill Marketplace, south-west Sydney, on Thursday

'You don't need to know the exact details of what the hell I'm using my money for. I could be using it for a strip club, I could be using it to buy drugs. It's none of your freaking business.'

Mr Dargham said the bank had flagged his account as possibly being hacked by scammers because of the size of the withdrawal request.

He said he handed them several documents of identification to prove he was the holder of the account.

'Keep in mind I gave them a Medicare card, I gave them a drivers licence, I have them a Medibank private card,' Mr Dargham says.

'I gave them all sorts of ID, like more ID than I need to get into a government building and become prime minister of this country.

'Yet, they still wanted to know in exact detail what I wanted to do with my money,' he said.

'Their explanation was that they were trying to stop me from being scammed.'

Mr Dargham said he caused a 'massive scene' at the bank because he didn't want to tell staff how he intended to spend his money.

'There is a very strong possibility that if you don't tell them, they won't give you your money, he explained.

'I said to them, I have got to give money to someone, and I said I've got to pay an invoice.

Mr Dargham said he caused a 'massive scene' at the bank because he didn't want to tell staff how he intended to spend his money (stock image)

'They said: 'Do you have an invoice?' and then I lost my mind.

'I don't know what the hell this world's come too - it's getting to the point where it's getting ridiculous.

'They want to know in exact details what you're doing with your money now. Giving them a one sentence answer does not work anymore.'

Last year, one Commonwealth Bank teller said it's standard practice for the bank to ask customers a reason for withdrawing large sums of cash.

'It's a duty of care to try protect you from fraud or scammers,' they wrote on the OzBargain forum.

'For example, an old man gets a phone call from Amazon saying they've accidentally transferred him $20,000.

'They instruct him to head down the bank and withdraw the funds to deposit into another account.

'The day dreaming teller doesn't ask the man a reason for withdrawing the funds and hands him the money.

'Old man is now crying over the phone because he's given away $20,000 to some scammers. Had the teller asked, which situation would you prefer?'

Banks are also required by federal law to report cash transactions of $10,000 or more to financial regulator Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre.

'You don't need to know the exact details of what the hell I'm using my money for. I could be using it for a strip club, I could be using it to buy drugs. It's none of your freaking business', Mr Dargham said

Under the law, customers intending to make withdrawals above the threshold are required to provide identification.

Banks have been enforcing the threshold since 2011, with the legislation in place to reduce the risk of the Australian banking system being misused to support money laundering or terrorism financing activities.

'You will be required to provide information for all transactions which involve a cash amount of $10,000 or more,' a factsheet on the legislation states.

A Commonwealth Bank spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia that precautionary measures were enforced to protect customer's bank accounts from possible scammers.

'We are always very concerned when we are made of aware of frauds and scams affecting customers and the wider community,' the spokesperson said.

'Despite the commitment and best efforts of regulators, law enforcement agencies and the banking industry, such frauds and scams sadly still occur.

'We review frauds and scams on a case-by-case basis however it is widely recognised that scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated which has prompted increased investment across the sector in resources, systems, data and intelligence to combat scams and alert the Australian public to the risks the community faces.

'Customers need to remain vigilant, protect their banking details and be smart about who they send money to.'
Tens of thousands of travellers going through the UK's busiest airport could have their holiday plans disrupted next week as bosses prepare to tell airlines to cancel more flights.

Heathrow Airport is set to tell airlines they will have to move or cancel flights next week, just days after it cancelled 30 services at short notice to the fury of passengers, many of whom found out only after reaching the airport.

The cancellations came after bosses at the airport told airlines that staff in the terminals could not cope with the number of travellers who were expected during the morning peak.

And a further wave of cancellations is set to be announced by Friday, July 8, just as some schools break up for the summer holidays.

It comes after months of travel chaos at British airports, with travel hubs struggling to cope with the number of passengers trying to travel abroad after Covid restrictions were eased.

There have been repeated complaints about long queues for security at airports such as Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester, while a shortage of baggage handlers has led to long delays in people collecting their luggage.

Heathrow Airport is expected to announce more flight cancellations next week as it rejigs its schedule. Pictured are passengers queuing at Terminal 2 at the airport on Friday

British Airways is expected to bear the brunt of the cancellations when they are announced. Pictured is a British Airways plane at Heathrow

Hundreds of bags of luggage arranged outside Terminal 2 at Heathrow Airport. A shortage of baggage workers has seen huge delays in some people receiving their luggage

And there is set to be even more disruption later this month with hundreds of British Airways check-in staff expected to go on strike in a dispute of pay, although a date has not been set for this.

It is expected that BA, which uses Terminal 5 at Heathrow as its hub and has more than 9,000 scheduled flights from the airport in July, will be the most affected airline by the upcoming cancellations, the Telegraph reports.

The paper reports the cancellations are being caused by an amnesty on take-off and landing slots.

Airlines pay millions of pounds for these time slots and often run flights half empty to ensure they meet targets for the minimum number of flights in the slot - if they do not do this, they have to give it back.

Strikes in the UK and in Europe adding to the chaos While airlines have struggled to deal with rising passenger numbers as travel opens up after the pandemic, strike action by workers in the UK and in Europe is also impacting flights. Last month check-in staff at British Airways voted to go on strike, in a move that will cause more disruption for passengers flying from its hub at Heathrow's Terminal 5. In Spain cabin crew working for Ryanair and easyJet are on strike this weekend in an ongoing dispute over pay and conditions, with employees demanding the same working conditions as colleagues in France and Germany. This has caused Ryanair to cancel more than 50 flights to the popular European destination, with the USO union saying airports in Barcelona and Malaga will be worst affected. More than 400 crew members working for easyJet began nine days of industrial action lasting three weekends, also walked out yesterday. There could be further woe on the horizon too, with Scandinavian carrier SAS facing the threat of strikes from 1,000 pilots amid ongoing wage talks. Advertisement

The amnesty, which was announced by the Department for Transport (DfT) earlier this week, allows carriers to hand them back if they are not confident they can operate the service for the rest of the summer season, while retaining the slot for next year.

This is was a bid to ensure cancellations, like those seen on Thursday at Heathrow and earlier in the year during the Easter and half-term holidays, do not happen at the last minute and give passengers time to rebook.

A spokesperson for British Airways told the PA news agency that the slot amnesty and consequent cancellations will 'help us to provide the certainty our customers deserve by making it easier to consolidate some of our quieter daily flights to multi-frequency destinations well in advance'.

They said that the airline 'welcomes these new measures', adding: 'Slot alleviation allows airlines to temporarily reduce their schedules but still retain their slots for the next year to maintain networks and provide consumers with certainty and consistency.

'Allocating slots according to the (World Airport Slots Guide system) means airlines can offer the consistent services and efficient connections that consumers are looking for and protect jobs and create growth in the UK.'

A Heathrow spokesman said: 'We encourage airlines to take this opportunity to reconsider their summer schedules without penalty and inform passengers as early as possible of any changes.'

On Thursday thousands of passengers at Heathrow were left furious as their flights were cancelled or delayed at the last minute.

In a rare 'schedule intervention', the airport told its 20 biggest carriers they would have to move 30 flights from the morning peak.

Passengers at Heathrow arrived at the airport on Thursday to find travel misery as flights were cancelled overnight. Pictured are two passengers waiting with their luggage at Terminal 5

A group of travellers sits down in Terminal 5 while waiting for their flight. At least 5,000 passengers woke up on Thursday to find their flights cancelled or delayed

It was a move that meant at least 5,000 travellers woke up to find their flights affected or even cancelled, with the airport saying it would not be able to cope with the high number of passengers in its terminals.

People at the airport took to social media to vent at what they saw as poor service at the London travel hub.

'Total chaos at Heathrow this morning,' one tweeted, 'BA flights cancelled and zero customer service!'

The Government's 22-point plan to avoid airport chaos The Government ha unveiled a 22-point plan to tackle flight disruption this summer. The strategy is aimed at avoiding a repeat of the chaos seen at UK airports during the Easter and Jubilee holidays. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said there is 'no excuse for widespread disruption' and holidaymakers 'deserve certainty'. Tens of thousands of passengers have suffered flight cancellations and huge queues at airports in recent months. Demand for travel will surge again as schools in Scotland and Northern Ireland break up for summer this week, while the academic year for those in England and Wales ends in around three weeks. The Government's action plan includes a number of measures previously announced, such as encouraging airlines to make sure their schedule are 'deliverable', an amnesty on slot rules and permitting new aviation workers to begin training before passing security checks. A new passenger charter will be published in the coming weeks, providing passengers with a 'one-stop guide' informing them of their rights and what they can expect from airports and airlines when flying. Advertisement

Another branded Terminal 5 a 'disgraceful shambles', adding: 'Left home at 3.30am, checked flight and cancelled on arrival.'

'We are expecting higher passenger numbers in the morning peak than the airport currently has capacity to serve, and so to keep everyone safe we have asked airlines to remove 30 flights from the morning peak,' a spokesman for the airport said on Thursday

'We will work with airlines to get affected passengers rebooked on to other flights outside of the peak so that as many as possible can get away tomorrow, and we apologise for the impact this has on travel plans.'

One passenger travelling through Heathrow has described the scene at baggage claim as looking like 'a disaster movie'.

Adam Kent, 59, had arrived at Terminal 3 from Orlando, Florida, and said the sight 'made a horrendous first impression of chaos' for international visitors.

'(There was) lost luggage everywhere, stacked between baggage belts everyone stepping over it and no-one doing anything about it,' Mr Kent, from Worcestershire, told the PA news agency.

'Being brutally honest, it looks like a serious health and safety issue.

'No-one visible on the ground to explain the carnage or sort out the mess, it seems like lots of luggage has not arrived with passengers and just been dumped.'

Mr Kent added it was 'appalling customer service' at the airport.

'Staff (were) nowhere to be seen, everyone was pretty shocked,' he said.

'The left and abandoned luggage was left unsecured and could easily be stolen ... No duty of care shown to passengers' possessions.'

Heathrow was first plunged into chaos in March as bosses struggled to hire enough workers amid widespread labour shortages in Britain.

And the situation risks worsening as British Airway staff are also threatening to strike, after unions rejected a 10 per cent pay offer in favour of walkouts as early as next month, potentially during the school holidays.

The Civil Aviation Authority said: 'Although most airlines will book you on to another of their flights to the same destination, if an alternative airline is flying there significantly sooner or other suitable modes of transport are available, then you may have the right to be booked on to that alternative transport instead.'

In response to the ongoing issues, the Government unveiled a 22-point plan to tackle flight disruption this summer in a bid to avoid a repeat of travel chaos seen at airports during the Easter and Jubilee holidays.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said there is 'no excuse for widespread disruption' and holidaymakers 'deserve certainty'.

The Government's action plan includes a number of measures previously announced, such as encouraging airlines to make sure their schedule are 'deliverable', an amnesty on slot rules and permitting new aviation workers to begin training before passing security checks.

Train drivers' strike causes more chaos A train company is advising people not to travel on its services today because of a strike by drivers in a dispute over pay. Greater Anglia said more than 90 per cent of its services will not run because of a 24-hour walkout by members of Aslef, affecting leisure travellers and fans going to concerts by Adele and Guns N' Roses. There will be no regional or branch line services and other services will be dramatically reduced. The company said there will be no Greater Anglia trains between Cambridge North, Cambridge and London Liverpool Street, with the Norwich-London Liverpool Street intercity service limited to six trains in each direction across the whole day, with the last train back to Norwich at 9.30pm. The Colchester-London Liverpool Street and Stansted Express services will also have reduced hours and significantly fewer trains, with later start and earlier finish times than normal. There will be no rail replacement buses to replace trains not running because of the strikes. Sunday services will start later in the morning than usual as the 24-hour strike has a knock-on effect into the next day. Music fans travelling to a Guns N' Roses concert at Tottenham Hotspur's stadium will not be able to get to the venue or back on Greater Anglia trains. The strike will also affect people travelling to see Adele at Hyde Park on Saturday, who are also advised to make alternative arrangements. Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia managing director, said: 'Please avoid travelling on our trains this Saturday. Unfortunately, with our drivers on strike, it's only possible to run a heavily reduced service and only on some routes. 'We can't replace all the trains not running due to the strike, with rail replacement buses, so it will just be an extremely limited train service running on Saturday, so we strongly advise passengers to make alternative arrangements. 'We are very sorry for the disruption this strike causes our customers. We know that many of our customers will have been looking forward to travelling on Saturday to see family and friends, for days out to the coast, for holidays and for the many concerts and sporting events in London. 'Work is continuing at an industry level to try to resolve the dispute as soon as possible.' Advertisement

Announcing the plan in the Commons on Thursday, Mr Shapps said: 'We appreciate the airports are busy as they recover, but the very last thing we want to see repeated are the scenes that we saw at Easter and half term.

'So, let me stress, there is absolutely no excuse for further widespread disruption.

'It's now more than 100 days since we announced easing of travel restrictions, but to further support the industry as it prepares for the summer, today I'm announcing a 22-point plan with a written ministerial statement to this House to help recruit, retain staff, improve resilience, so that passenger disruption this summer is minimised.

'And to make sure that if delays do unfortunately occur, travellers get properly compensated.'

However, Labour's shadow transport minister Mike Kane accused Mr Shapps of being 'missing in action' when it comes to aviation.

Mr Kane said: 'He is missing in action when it comes to aviation. Now, he has mentioned the chaos between Easter and the Jubilee weekend. He did not hold one meeting with aviation bosses during that time.

'Now EasyJet have announced among others that they could cancel 10,000 flights in the next three months.

'He needs to step up to the plate, he needs to go to the Prime Minister, he needs to knock on the door, and he needs to clean up the mess.'

Labour peer Lord Woodley, former joint-general secretary of Unite the union, said BA needs to reverse a pandemic pay cut to sort the ongoing airport delays.

He said: 'The recent airport delays are undoubtedly as a direct result of the opportunism employed by BA slashing jobs, pay and conditions during the pandemic.

'And now, unfortunately, we can all see that the chickens are indeed coming home to roost, with many airlines too slow to rehire and (restore) wages that were stolen from staff under the cover of Covid.

'However, I am pleased to tell the House that thanks to my union Unite members, members working for CAE cabin crew have now secured an 18% pay rise, yes an 18% pay rise and a 1,200 summer bonus.'

It was announced that 150 Heathrow-based cabin crew employed by CAE Crewing Service had secured an 18% pay rise, reversing its pandemic cut and even improving on its pre-pandemic rate.

It comes amid fears of a 'Summer of discontent' as unions threaten to bring the UK to a halt over the next couple of months.

In June the country was hit with the largest rail strike in decades when 50,000 members of the RMT union walked out in a dispute over pay and conditions.

The three separate days of strikes causes travel misery, with hundreds of train services cancelled and many rail operators left running reduced services.

Mick Lynch, general secretary of the RMT, did not rule out further strikes in the summer, while there have also been suggestions teachers could vote to go on strike.

Travellers in East Anglia are being hit hard after train drivers from the Aslef union walked out for 24 hours today in its pay dispute with operator, Greater Anglia.

The company said more than 90 per cent of its trains that had been scheduled for today have been cancelled affecting services into London, to Stansted Airport and regional and branch services.
Half a million Sydney residents have been put on an evacuation red alert as a massive rain bomb batters the city.

Authorities fear that Sydney's main water source, the Warragamba Dam, could overflow and unleash widespread flooding.

Around 500,000 people in Sydney's south-west have now been told to get ready to flee.

It comes after a month's worth of rain hit the city in less than a day on Saturday - smashing a 120-year record - with NSW residents warned the bout of wet weather hitting the east coast is only going to get even worse.

Torrential rain, flash flooding, landslides, damaging winds and power outages are all threatening to devastate Sydney.

In the 24 hours to 9am Saturday, the Illawarra district of NSW was hit by its heaviest bout of July rainfall since 1904. Foxground recorded 215mm of rain, Albion Park 171mm and Kiama 163mm.

Residents in the Sydney and Illawarra regions were previously warned flash flooding is 'essentially guaranteed' with three months' worth of rain to fall in the next five days.

The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe weather alert for metropolitan Sydney, Illawarra and parts of the South Coast, Central Tablelands and Southern Tablelands on Saturday morning.

Three flood rescues have already been performed in NSW since Friday, with people along parts of the Hawkesbury River being warned they face a major flood risk.

Torrential rain, flash flooding, landslides, damaging winds and power outages are all threatening Sydney and NSW residents

Residents in the Sydney and Illawarra regions were previously warned flash flooding is 'essentially guaranteed' with three months' worth of rain to fall in the next five day

The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe weather alert for metropolitan Sydney, Illawarra and parts of the South Coast, Central Tablelands and Southern Tablelands on Saturday morning

Two Australian Defence Force helicopters will be available to assist with rescues as areas of the state brace for intense rainfall and possible flooding.

The federal government approved ADF support at the request of NSW on Friday night, with 100 troops available from Sunday onwards, Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt said.

'I want to assure people that the federal government  is 100 per cent prepared for what might lie ahead,' Senator Watt said from Brisbane on Saturday.

'One of the things that we've learned over the last couple of years is that when we don't have a federal government that takes responsibility and isn't proactive, bad things can happen.'

NSW SES Commissioner Carlene York advised that people in flood-prone areas should prepare their evacuation kits should not wait for evacuation orders to leave.

Meanwhile, NSW Emergency Minister Steph Cooke said flash flooding could occur anywhere from Newcastle to Jervis Bay.

'We are all waiting nervously to see what eventuates,' she said on Saturday, adding she remained confident emergency services were prepared for what was coming.

The Bureau of Meteorology's Jane Golding said there would be a 'deterioration' of weather overnight, with a risk of flash flooding and landslips.

'The rainfall rates will increase,' she said.

'We'll start to see the wind increase as well. We'll see the seas whipped up and we'll see the rivers respond to the rain that's falling.'

NSW Emergency Minister Steph Cooke said flash flooding could occur anywhere from Newcastle to Jervis Bay

NSW SES Commissioner Carlene York advised that people in flood-prone areas should prepare their evacuation kits should not wait for evacuation orders to leave

The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe weather alert for NSW's Central Coast as heavy rain (above) hits the region

Residents along the Hawkesbury River were warned flooding is 'essentially guaranteed' as heavy rainfall moves in on the Sydney and Illawarra regions

The weather system comes on the first weekend of school holidays in the state, and drivers are being urged to take extreme caution.

'We know floodwater is extremely dangerous, especially for drivers. If the road is flooded, turn around and find another way,' Transport for NSW's Roger Weeks said.

Routes in and out of Sydney are likely to have congestion, with heavy traffic expected at known pinch-points, particularly around the airport.

Hazardous surf and swell conditions are also expected.

The Bureau of Meteorology said the system may develop on Sunday or Monday, prolonging the persistent rain into next week.

Flooding is possible for the Hunter, Central Coast, the Greater Sydney region and the South Coast from Saturday, with flood watches in place for catchments between Newcastle and Batemans Bay, including Sydney and the Illawarra.

Areas at risk include Newcastle, the Central Coast, Lake Macquarie, the Upper Cox's, Colo, Macdonald, Woronora, Patterson, Williams and Lower Hunter rivers.

Also at risk are the Upper and Lower Nepean and Hawkesbury rivers.

'Residents living between Port Stephens and Batemans Bay, including Sydney and the Illawarra, are likely to see multiple days of heavy rainfall that will lead to flash and riverine flooding,' meteorologist Dean Narramore said.

The map above shows which areas have a high chance of flooding in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley

Forecast models (above) forecast the greater Sydney region to see at least 300mm of rain in the next five days

Catchments around the Hawkesbury Nepean River have been flagged as at risk of major flooding.

Hawkesbury Nepean SES began moving 2,000 sandbags to help prevent flood damage in the region.

NSW State Emergency Service spokesperson Greg Nash warned school holiday travellers to take extra care amid the dangerous conditions.

'With people wanting to travel for the school holidays, we are urging people to review their plan. Make sure that they are able to go get to the destination, how they are going to get there and if it is safe to go,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

BoM meteorologist Dean Narramore (right) said residents in the highlighted zones on the map above should beware of possible flash and riverine floods

NSW SES warned residents in the Hawkesbury Nepean region to prepare for flooding and make an emergency plan (pictured, NSW SES Hawkesbury Nepean Valley evacuation routes)

'For the people that have travelled already or still plan to, when you arrive talk to the family that you are staying with or the staff of where you are staying.

'Find out from there what emergency plan is, be informed and be sure that you know what to do and where to go at your holiday destination.

'As people are travelling, we want people to make smart, safe decisions. If you find flood water, stop, turn around and find another way.

'Driving through flood water isn't worth the risk to you or the people in the car.'
The first confirmed cases of Covid-19 have been detected in the Chinese city where the virus first emerged as President Xi Jinping reestablished his commitment to the country's draconian 'Zero Covid' policy.

A pair of port workers in Wuhan have been reported as showing signs of asymptomatic infection in the first confirmed cases there in a month.

China is now expected to undergo its fourth wave of mass testing to continue to isolate areas where cases are being recorded, after Anhui province reported a surge of 107 infections on Friday and the county of Lingbi was locked down.

Overall the country recorded 163 infections on Thursday, the highest count in the past three weeks.

The news comes just days after Xi visited the sprawling city and reinstated his desire to see whole cities locked down and subject to harsh restrictions in order to contain the virus.

President Xi Jinping meets with members of a residential community in Wuhan, China on June 28

China is now expected to undergo its fourth wave of mass testing to continue to isolate areas where cases are being recorded, after Anhui province reported a surge of 107 infections on Friday and the county of Lingbi was locked down. Pictured: Mass testing in Beijing on June 22

Chinese citizens are pictured queuing for Covid-19 testing in Macau, China

President Xi will now launch an updated Zero Covid plan that will see incoming travellers and close contacts' quarantine periods halved, with mass testing and the use of lockdowns expected to ramp up.

Increased surveillance and earlier, more aggressive restrictions are also expected to be utilised by the Chinese leader.

Beijing and Shanghai both reported zero new Covid cases yesterday as Li Qiang, Shanghai's Party Committee Secretary, praised the city's trying two-month lockdown as he declared victory over the virus.

The Chinese capital escaped the same draconian restrictions by launching a mass-testing regime and requiring proof of negative PCR test within 72 hours to enter public spaces.

An American scientist piecing together the early spread of the virus traced the first human infection of Covid to a woman who worked at the Huanan Seafood Market.

The woman, known as Wei Guixian, became ill with mysterious flu-like symptoms on December 11, 2019, since confirmed to be Covid.

Dr Michael Worobey, the University of Arizona evolutionary biologist who published the report, said around half of the first cluster of cases were linked to the market and Ms Guixian.

The slaughter market  which traded dozens of exotic animals like pangolins  was originally touted as the source of Covid because of the high risk of cross-species infection.

An American scientist piecing together the early spread of the virus traced the first human infection of Covid to a woman who worked at the Huanan Seafood Market. Pictured: Workers wearing protective suits walk next to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan, March 2020

The slaughter market  which traded dozens of exotic animals like pangolins  was originally touted as the source of Covid because of the high risk of cross-species infection. Pictured: A man wearing walks next to optical shops on the second floor of the Huanan Seafood Market, December 2020

The World Health Organisation had challenged this assessment, and placed the first confirmed case around 20 miles south of Wuhan.

While the rest of the developed world freely opened their doors to tourists, trade and the return of normality, China has set itself apart by adhering to a rigorous Zero Covid plan.

Declaring President Xi this week declared 'herd immunity' as an impossible task for a population the size of China, saying it would have 'unimaginable' consequences.

The president's Communist Party have consistently used the country's low death rate as proof of the party's success and as evidence their policies have worked.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organisation, faced heavy criticism for his handling of the pandemic which was deemed to be 'China-centric' as he heaped praise on China for its response to the Covid outbreak.

After meeting Chinese president Xi Jinping in January 20202, he said: 'I was very encouraged and impressed by the presidents detailed knowledge of the outbreak and his personal involvement in the outbreak.

'This was for me a very rare leadership.'

But he has since been censored by Chinese state media for criticising the country's current zero Covid policy in May this year.
Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan set out on one of the final legs of their around-the-world flight from Lae, New Guinea, on July 2, 1937. The Lockheed Electra 10E aircraft carrying them disappeared while on course for tiny Howland Island, which is located in the central Pacific Ocean, according to National Geographic.

History reported that Earhart sent radio transmissions informing the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Itasca that she was lost and running short on gasoline as she approached Howland Island.

Earhart and Noonan's remains were never discovered.

Despite the passage of 85 years, interest in unraveling the mystery of her disappearance is still high.

What Happened on the Last Leg of Earhart and Noonan's Around-the-World Flight?

According to History, Earhart took the Lockheed Electra 10E aircraft in May 1937 and flew it to Miami, where she would undertake a new round-the-world attempt with navigator Frederick Noonan. The remaining 7,000 miles would all be traveled over the Pacific Ocean after almost 22,000 miles of the route had been accomplished. Howland Island was the next stop.

On the island, the U.S. Department of Commerce installed a weather station and a landing runway, and the crew had fuel and supplies on hand. The Coast Guard cutter Itasca was one of many American ships sent to assist Earhart and Noonan on this challenging stretch of their flight.

Earhart radioed the Itasca and informed it that she was running low on fuel as the Lockheed Electra 10E approached Howland Island. And the rest was history.

Read More: 10 Things To Know About Reddit

Theories on the Disappearance of Earhart and Noonan

National Geographic said that there are three theories on how the aviators went missing near the Howland Island, which are as follows:

Theory 1: Open-Ocean Crash Near Destination

According to the official U.S. position, Earhart and Noonan crashed in the Pacific Ocean after running out of fuel while en route to Howland Island. Over the years, a number of deep-ocean searches were conducted, however the trip produced no information regarding the plane's wreckage.

Theory 2: Nikumaroro Castaway

The theory that Earhart and Noonan's Lockheed Electra 10E landed on Nikumaroro Island, an island 350 nautical miles southwest of Howland, is being looked into by the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR).

When Earhart disappeared, Nikumaroro's tides were very low, exposing a reef surface along the shore that was long and flat enough for a plane to land. The Lockheed Electra 10E is thought to have finally been lifted off the reef by the tide before sinking or breaking up in the waves, according to the TIGHAR researchers.

Theory 3: The Marshall Islands Conspiracy

A third hypothesis holds that Earhart and Noonan are not intending to locate Howland. Instead, they traveled north to the Marshall Islands, which were controlled by the Japanese. There, they may have been held hostage by the Japanese as American spies.

Some people think that both pilots were finally dead, while others think that Earhart and maybe Noonan came back to the U.S. using false identities.

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Health officials have given their first public backing for an Omicron-specific booster jab this Autumn that is set to 'increase and extend' protection.

GPs in Britain have been told that the NHS is preparing to start its booster campaign on September 1, with officials expressing a 'definite interest' in Moderna's new vaccine.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is recommending people over the age of 65 get a booster jab, but the chief medical officer of Moderna has suggested they are given to everyone, including children.

The company says it has already produced millions of doses of a new jab which it claims is five times better than the original vaccine, and is specifically tailored to counter the Omicron variant of the disease.

However, this new jab still needs to be given the green light by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) before it can be rolled out, with officials prepared to use already approved vaccines if it isn't.

It comes as case numbers have soared in recent weeks, with the more contagious variant sweeping through the UK.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates around 2.3 million people currently have the disease, with infections jumping by a third in just one week.

Hospital admissions have also trebled in the last month, piling pressure on an already overwhelmed NHS, although only a fraction of patients are primarily ill with the disease.

Covid infections have shot up in England to just over 1.8million according to the latest Office of National Statistics data

The booster vaccine is being rolled out in the autumn to people over the age of 65. Pictured is 95-year-old Devraj Jhalam receiving a booster jab at a clinic in Slough, Berkshire

As well as people over the age of 65, the JCVI is recommending booster jabs are given to care home residents, health workers and people who have certain health conditions.

Dr Paul Burton, chief medical officer at Moderna, said there is a 'definite interest' from the UK in purchasing its new vaccine, the Telegraph reports.

Last week Dr Burton urged governments to vaccinate people under the age of 65, including children, with the new booster.

He said: 'Clearly governments will have to make their own public health decisions but my sense is that actually for this upcoming booster season, a broader opportunity to vaccinate everybody, including children, is probably warranted for consideration.'

He added that the new vaccine could be so effective it means it would only be needed annually.

'I think for the first time we could really be looking at that potential for just once-yearly boosting because we can get people to such a high (antibody) level that it will just take longer to decay,' he said.

'I think we should have good protection (against new variants) but if we had something remarkably different we would have to pivot quickly and start producing that new vaccine.'

It comes as Covid cases in England reached their highest levels since March amid a resurgence in the virus that has infected millions of people.

Celebrations for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, half-term holidays and warm weather are also thought to be fuelling the latest surge. Some have also pointed to Britons mistaking Covid symptoms for hay fever.

Experts fear an early wave of flu could combine this year with monkeypox and Covid increases Britain should brace for an early flu outbreak that will coincide with increasing Covid and monkeypox cases, a top expert has warned. Health officials have said they are expecting an 'early influenza wave' in the UK because there has not been a 'proper' flu season since the start of the Covid pandemic. Dr Susan Hopkins, chief medical advisor at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said she is watching Australia - currently in its winter season - 'very carefully' after a strain of influenza 'started early and spread fast across all age groups'. She said the country is 'having its worst flu season in five years', which could replicate in the UK as early as September. Meanwhile, Dr Hopkins added that we will see at least one more Covid wave later this year partnered with an 'ongoing transmission of monkeypox'. There are also mounting fears that the NHS will be struck down at the same time by Covid, with colder weather and darker evenings leading to increased social contact indoors  where viruses find it easier to spread. Flu is a seasonal menace on the NHS, with outbreaks more likely between September and March because colder weather forces more people indoors where the virus  like Covid  finds it easier to spread. But influenza virtually disappeared last winter amid lockdowns aiming to control the spread of Covid. Advertisement

A major ONS survey, now considered the best barometre of the outbreak, revealed roughly one in 30 people in England were infected last week. Prevalence rates were similar in Wales and Northern Ireland but soared to one in 18 north of the border.

Left-leaning experts have already demanded a return of mask-wearing and urged Britons to meet outside because of the uptick, driven by Omicron sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5. Some NHS hospitals have already brought back their own rules on coverings.

But Boris Johnson insisted yesterday there were no plans to reintroduce curbs 'at the moment'. The Prime Minister did, however, leave the door open to future measures by refusing to definitively rule out the return of lockdowns.

Infectious disease specialists  including members of the Government's notorious SAGE panel  have confidence the upcoming wave will be no worse than other peaks.

As well as estimating that 1.8million were infected in England and 290,000 in Scotland, the ONS data also estimated that 106,000 people had the virus in Wales last week.

Northern Ireland recorded 71,000 infections, roughly one in 25 people.

The weekly ONS report is based on swabs taken from a sample of thousands of Britons every week. Ministers have watched its results closely throughout the pandemic.

The data also suggests that Covid cases are on the rise across all of England's regions.

Infections were highest in London, where 3.7 per cent of the population were estimated to have the virus.

This was followed by the East of England, the North West, and the North East (3.6 per cent).

At the other end of the scale was the East Midlands (2.8 per cent).

Meanwhile, the number of people testing positive shot up across all age groups.

People aged 50 to 69 were the most likely to be infected (4.2 per cent), followed by 25-to-34-year-olds (4 per cent), and 16 to 24-year-olds (3.6 per cent).

Infections were slightly lower in those aged 35 to 49 (3.5 per cent) and in the over-70s (3.1 per cent), 11 to 15-year-olds (2.3 per cent) and lowest in two to 10-year-olds (1.3 per cent).

Sarah Crofts, head of analytical outputs for the ONS Infection Survey said: 'Across the UK weve seen a continued increase of over half a million infections, likely caused by the growth of BA.4 and BA.5 variants.

'This rise is seen across all ages, countries and regions of England.'

'We will continue to monitor the data closely to see if this growth continues in the coming weeks.'

Responding to the data, Saffron Cordery interim chief executive of NHS Providers, said the health service were keeping a close eye on Covid situation.

'We know that when the rate of community infections goes up, so do hospital admissions,' she said.

'That is why trust leaders remain vigilant as we see another increase in Covid infections and more patients in hospitals on ventilators.'

The ONS figures show one in 30 people in England about 3.35 per cent had Covid last week, with a similar percentage of Wales (3.49 per cent) also estimated to have the virus

Infections were highest in Scotland with one in 18 people (288,200) estimated to have the virus followed by Northern Ireland where one in 25 (71,000) were carrying the virus

Ms Cordery while even though the current Covid situation was still far better than during the height of the pandemic, NHS services could still be hit if cases continue to surge

'Nobody wants to see another big wave which, if NHS staff have to look after a surge of patients with Covid again, could put the brakes on important work being done to cut waiting lists and get us back to pre-pandemic levels of activity,' she said.

Figures on the latest surge came as Mr Johnson refused to definitively rule out more Covid restrictions, saying the there were no plans for curbs 'at the moment' as he appeared to leave the door open to future measures.

He was given the opportunity to rule out ever imposing restrictions again in an interview with LBC this morning at a NATO summit in Madrid.

'I think that we see no reason for that at the moment and the most important thing is vaccination,' he said.

But Mr Johnson suggested that a sharp spike in hospitalisations could be the trigger point for new restrictions.

He added: 'We're not seeing the types of pressures on the medical services that would lead us to anything like that.'

Daily Covid hospital admissions have almost trebled in the last month to around 1,200  though only a fraction of patients are primarily ill with the disease

Daily Covid hospital admissions have almost trebled in the last month to around 1,200  though only a fraction of patients are primarily ill with the disease.

Mr Johnson refused to rule out a future lockdown in April, saying it would be 'irresponsible to discard something that could save lives if a deadlier variant emerges.

The Omicron variant emerged in late 2021 and took the world by storm: It was the most mutated version of the virus yet, and its ability to circumvent vaccine immunity caught the largely vaccinated population of many developed countries off-guard.

This sparked demand for Covid-19 boosters that could specifically target the mutant strain and prevent infection.

While Moderna has announced its new jab, Pfizer has also updated its vaccine to try and deal with Omicron.

However, a key advisor for the Food and Drug Adminsitration (FDA) in the United States, has warned these Omicron-specific jabs may provide no more protection than already existing Covid vaccines.

Dr. Paul Offit (pictured), a member of VRBPAC, voted against approval of the Omicron specific boosters, doubting they provide value

Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and member of the FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC), wrote in a STAT News op-ed that he would like to see more data in favor of the shots before the government made a heavy investment into them.

Offit notes that in data submitted by both companies, the additional Omicron booster raised the antibody levels twofold, though he doubts they'll provide much effectiveness overall.

'That kind of twofold difference is, for example, similar to the modestly greater peak in neutralizing antibodies triggered by the first two doses of the Moderna vaccine compared with the Pfizer vaccine,' he explained, noting that the protections provided were similar.

'Those two vaccines provided almost identical protection against mild and severe Covid-19, although the benefits of the Pfizer vaccine waned a bit quicker over time.'

Data submitted by the companies focused on antibody levels found in blood samples pulled from trial participants.

Antibodies provide diminishing returns, though, and doubling antibody levels does not exactly provide double the protection.

Offit says data on actual protection from infection, hospitalization and death needs to be collected first to determine how valuable these newly formulated shots are.

'Moderna and Pfizer executives have claimed that the Omicron vaccines will be protective for longer. That may be true, but how long is longer? A few weeks? A month or two?' he asks.
Russias new 100 rouble banknotes are impossible to withdraw from ATMs because the Western companies that programmed them have left the country.

The Rzhev Memorial to the Soviet Soldier, a memorial to one of the bloodiest battles of the Second World War due to the high Soviet casualties, features on the new banknote.

One the other side of the 100-rouble banknote  worth approximately 1.50  is a picture of the Kremlin, which regularly draws comparisons between World War Two and its war in Ukraine to fuel patriotism in the country.

Deputy Governor of the Bank of Russia Sergey Belov holds the newly designed Russian 100-rouble banknote. The Association of Russian Banks has asked for a six-month delay to the introduction of the new 100 Rouble banknote as it said a new security feature was needed

But the Association of Russian Banks has asked for a six-month delay to the introduction of the banknote as it said a new security feature was needed, according to The Telegraph.

'With the departure of suppliers, any updates to the software of  ATMs, as well as cash registers and terminals, have become impossible,' newspaper Kommersant quoted the association as saying.

Western ATM manufacturer Diebold Nixdorf and software company NCR Corporation, companies responsible for installing the bank machines and updating their software, are both American multinationals that have pulled out of Russia following Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

The Russian banks are having trouble adding the security feature without the cooperation of Western companies, stalling the rollout of the new patriotic banknote.

The Rzhev Memorial to the Soviet Soldier, a World War Two memorial, is featured on the back of the 100 rouble banknote, with a picture of the Kremlin on the other side

Russians are shown queueing by a Sberbank ATM machine at the GUM department store shortly after the invasion of Ukraine in February

The 100-rouble banknote was set to join the last edition printed in 2015 which was printed a year after the Russian annexation of Crimea to celebrate the seizing of Ukrainian territory.

Russia is believed to have defaulted on its debt after missing a repayment deadline, following a series of sanctions designed to target the Russian economy.

Russia last defaulted on its international debt over a century ago in 1918 during the Bolshevik Revolution, but the country defaulted on ruble-denominated bonds in 1998 during the Asian financial crisis.

The Kremlin's efforts to avoid its first major default on international bonds this century fell through in late May when the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) effectively blocked Moscow from making payments.

Russias central bank assets have also been frozen, stopping it from using 470million of foreign currency reserves.

Western brands have pulled out of Russia leaving shopping malls in Moscow and St Petersburg to become 'ghost towns' with high street locations sitting empty.

Few visitors pass inside the GUM department store with lots of boutiques closed due to sanctions in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, June 1, 2022

A woman sits looking at her smartphone in front of shops closed due to sanctions in a mall. Popular clothing brands, both luxurious and affordable, coffee and fast-food chains became unavailable to many Russians

Luxury brands such as France's Chanel and Louis Vuitton have announced they are suspending operations in Russia, adding to the country's economic isolation imposed by the West in response to the invasion.

The Spanish fashion retailer Inditex, which owns Zara, halted trading in Russia in March, closing its 502 shops and stopping online sales.

Companies that stopped doing business in Russia McDonald's

KFC

Taco Bell

Pizza Hut

Cocoa-Cola

Pepsi

Starbucks

Uniqlo

British American Tobacco

Ikea

H&M

Canada Goose

Nestle

Nike

TJ Max

BP

Exxon Mobil

Shell

Volvo

Siemens

Renault

Caterpillar

Delta Air Lines

United Airlines

DHL

Hilton hotels

Hyatt hotels

American Airlines

Uber

Sony

Microsoft

Apple

Netflix

Bloomberg

Walt Disney

Warner Brothers

Imperial Brands Advertisement

Prada, Dior, Gucci and Fendi were among those to clear their shelves in the luxury shopping malls of the Russian capital as sanctions begin to bite.

American food and beverage giants including Coca-Cola, Pepsi and Starbucks have paused or closed operations in Russia in the face of western sanctions.

Corporations from British energy giants Shell and BP to French carmaker Renault have pulled out of Russia, taking a hit to their bottom lines as they seek to sell their holdings there.

Reckitt has begun to transfer ownership of its Russia business as of April, aiming to exit the country as well.

Yum Brands, which operates the brands KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, The Habit Burger Grill, and WingStreet worldwide, said that it is suspending all investment and development of new restaurants in Russia, and that it will donate all profits from operations in Russia to humanitarian efforts.

Other major US companies that have recently announced their intention to leave Russia include Nissan, Levi jeans, Visa and Mastercard.

McDonald's in March closed all of its 850 restaurants in the country - where it says it employs 62,000 people - including its iconic Pushkin Square location, the latest company to pull its business in Russia amid Western sanctions.

The company said it would seek to have a Russian buyer hire its employees and pay them until the sale closes. It didn't identify a prospective buyer. McDonald's said it plans to start removing golden arches and other symbols and signs with its name.

As part of the exit, McDonald's expects to record a non-cash charge of about $1.2 billion to $1.4 billion.

'The humanitarian crisis caused by the war in Ukraine, and the precipitating unpredictable operating environment, have led McDonald's to conclude that continued ownership of the business in Russia is no longer tenable,' it said in a statement.

The first McDonald's in Russia opened in the middle of Moscow more than three decades ago, shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Estee Lauder and IBM also decided to abandon Russia - but major international companies such as Unilever and British American Tobacco are staying put.

Other companies have also decided to stay, with some facing blowback.

A woman walks at an almost empty shopping center with many shops closed due to sanctions. Dozens of foreign and international companies have withdrawn from the country, leaving behind half-empty malls and closed doors in places that once buzzed with customers

A food delivery man rides a bicycle along the GUM department store with a Cartier boutique closed due to sanctions in Moscow. Prada, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Fendi were among those to clear their shelves in the luxury shopping malls of the Russian capital

HSBC has a small presence in Russia with 'no plans to change anything at the moment', while pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca said its role in helping medics deliver essential care was 'more urgent than ever'. Rival GSK said it will also stay.

Japanese fashion retailer Uniqlo will remain in Russia because its boss believes 'clothing is a necessity of life', while Stella Artois owner AB InBev said it will continue to operate via a local subsidiary.

And earlier in the year, French automaker Renault announced it had handed over its Russian assets to the government in Moscow, marking the first major nationalization of the economic disentanglement.

Russian authorities said they were ready to nationalize foreign assets - as happened with Renault - and some officials assured Russians that their favorite brands would have domestic alternatives.

Officials in Moscow have sought to downplay the gravity of the Western sanctions, promising that Russia will adapt and take steps to stop the flight of foreign currency and capital.
An Indigenous elder has slammed a Greens-controlled Melbourne council's move to change their 'racist' name to what he says is a made-up Indigenous-sounding word.

Wurundjeri elder, Ian Hunter, believes Moreland City Council's new name 'Merri-bek' which the council claims means 'rock country', is actually a complete invention.

Neither word existed in his language, insisted the veteran Aboriginal activist.

Wurundjeri elder Ian Hunter (pictured) has slammed the decision of a Melbourne council to change their 'racist' name

Moreland City Council held a vote on their proposed name change and offered local residents three different options in addition retaining its current name, which is linked to an 18th century Jamaican slave estate.

The council this week revealed 3,739 (59 per cent) of the 6,315 survey responses had supported the supposed Woi-wurrung name of Merri-bek to replace Moreland.

'Many people stated the name Merri-bek (pronounced 'merry-bek') reflects their connection to the Merri Creek, the Moreland landscape and the rocky earth of their own backyards,' the council posted on Facebook.

But the gesture was slammed by Mr Hunter.

Mr Hunter said bek was not a word in the Wurundjeri language and the construction Merri-bek was not grammatically correct.

He claimed Biik was the closest word that could translate to country, while he could not trace the origins of merri in his language.

The community, in Melbourne's north-west, were given three other options: Jerrang (22 per cent), Wa-dam-buk (13 per cent) and no name change (6 per cent).

'There has been a wide range of opinions on our transition to a new name but we have been overwhelmed by the positive response,' the council added on social media.

'Transitioning to a Woi-wurrung name is part of council's commitment to walking together with the Traditional Owners, the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Elders, in reconciliation,' the post said.

Moreland City Council (pictured) revealed on Wednesday, 3,739 (59 per cent) of the 6,315 survey responses supported the Woi-wurrung name Merri-bek to replace Moreland

The vote to change the council's name followed months of debate.

Moreland received a letter from the Wurundjeri Woi-wurring Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation, stating their objection for the retention of the name due to its ties to a namesake 18th century Jamaican slave plantation.

But Mr Hunter said that the switch would have no impact on Victorias Indigenous community.

'The Greens think that when an Indigenous person has an idea, it has to be followed through,' he told the Herald Sun.

All the community feedback will be taken to a special Council meeting on Sunday 3 July at Glenroy Community Hub, where council will determine the final name.

A family-friendly community event at Glenroy Community Hub will start at 10.30am, linking in with NAIDOC week celebrations.

Moreland City Council declined to comment when contacted by Daily Mail Australia.
Two Britons who were captured in separatist Ukraine will stand trial for 'mercenary activities' and face execution after being captured by pro-Russian forces.

Cambridgeshire aid worker Dylan Healy, 22, was charged with being a mercenary after he was held at a Zaporizhzhya checkpoint, Russian state media has reported.

Military volunteer Andrew Hill, 35, was held on suspicion of carrying out 'mercenary activities', officials in the Moscow-backed Donetsk People's Republic added.

Mr Hill was seen in a video shown on Russian state television as early as April, where he spoke with a strong Plymouth accent and gave his name.

Mr Healy was originally accused of being a spy. Local media has reported both men refused to co-operate with investigators.

The Foreign Office has condemned the latest development, and said it is providing support to the families of the captured men.

It comes just months after Aiden Aslin and Sean Pinner, two Britons who were fighting in Ukraine's ranks before being captured in Mariupol in April, face execution by firing squad after being sentenced as 'foreign mercenaries'

Cambridgeshire aid worker Dylan Healy, 22, was charged with being a mercenary after he was held at a Zaporizhzhya checkpoint, Russian state media has reported

Military volunteer Andrew Hill (pictured) was also held on suspicion of carrying out 'mercenary activities', officials in the Moscow-backed Donetsk People's Republic said

British war prisoners Aiden Aslin (left) and Shaun Pinner (centre) were sentenced to death penalty by Donetsk court on June 9

British detainee Andrew Hill, 35, a father of four from Plymouth, has also been warned to expect the death penalty when his verdict is handed down.

A pro-Kremlin website said the latest hostages would face the same mercenary charges as Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner, two British military volunteers captured in Mariupol who have been condemned to death in Donetsk.

Mr Aslin, 28, originally from Newark, Nottinghamshire, and Mr Pinner, 48, from Bedfordshire, moved to Ukraine in 2018 after marrying native women and signed up to serve in the marines.

Aslin, a former care worker who fought against ISIS in Syria, and Pinner, a British Army veteran, were serving on the frontline in Donbas when Putin ordered his troops to invade on February 24.

They surrendered two months later in the city of Mariupol after their units ran out of ammunition and were surrounded.

Mr Aslin (left) and Mr Pinner (right) were both living in Ukraine before the invasion and the UK Government has insisted that, as legitimate members of the Ukrainian armed forces, they should be treated as prisoners of war under the Geneva Convention

The European Court of Human Rights has now ruled that Russia has a responsibility to ensure that the two Britons (left and right) are not executed

Aslin, from Nottinghamshire, and Pinner, from Bedfordshire, were on 9 June convicted to death alongside Moroccan Sadun Brahim, 21, after all three surrendered alongside Ukrainian forces to pro-Putin fighters in Mariupol.

As they were fighting in the regular Ukrainian army, both men are considered prisoners of war under international law - meaning they are exempt from prosecution for violence perpetrated in combat.

However, leaders of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic - a sham state backed by Russia in Ukraine's east - argue they are foreign mercenaries and has prosecuted them as war criminals.

British foreign secretary Liz Truss called the sentences 'a sham judgment with absolutely no legitimacy', but the Government has thus far refused to intervene directly to prevent the sentence.

Truss has argued that a British governmental intervention could be seen to legitimise pro-Russian claims that Aslin and Pinner are 'mercenaries', despite them being paid members of the Ukrainian army with Ukrainian wives.

A former care worker, Mr Aslin (pictured left) moved to Ukraine after falling for his now-wife Diane (pictured right), who is originally from the city of Mykolaiv - found about 260 miles west of Mariupol, along the coast. She is reported to have moved to the UK to be with his family

Shaun Pinner, pictured with wife Larysa, now faces execution by firing squad after surrendering to Russian forces in Ukraine

An FCDO spokesperson told MailOnline: 'We condemn the exploitation of prisoners of war and civilians for political purposes and have raised this with Russia. We are in constant contact with the Government of Ukraine on their cases and are fully supportive of Ukraine in its efforts to get them released.'

Responding to the reports about Mr Healy and Mr Hill, Kristyan Benedict, Amnesty International UK's crisis response manager, said: 'As with Aiden Aslin, Shaun Pinner and Saaudun Brahim, this is a sham process designed to exert diplomatic pressure on the UK, not least as it comes shortly after Britain announced a large shipment of weapons for Ukraine.

'Under the Geneva Conventions, captured combatants and other protected persons should be humanely treated at all times.

'In exploiting their capture of Dylan Healy and Andrew Hill like this, Russia and its proxies in the Donetsk People's Republic are already adding to a huge catalogue of war crimes they're committing in this war.

'The chances of Healy and Hill receiving a fair trial in either the Donetsk People's Republic or in Russia itself are vanishingly small.

'Unless the authorities present clear evidence that Healy and Hill are implicated in war crimes, this sham judicial process should be halted immediately.'

European Court of Human Rights judges sitting in Strasbourg issued an edict to Moscow on Thursday, saying Putin must 'ensure that the death penalty [is] not carried out' and work to make sure the men are being kept in humane conditions and given medical care.

But Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesman, said Russia no longer complies with the court's rulings and the pair's fate will be decided by Ukraine rebel groups.

The Telegraph reported that Ukrainian officials are hoping to exchange Mr Aslin and Mr Pinner for Russian prisoners of war, in order to halt their deaths.

The Kremlin, which has followed a moratorium on the death penalty since 1996, could sway the decision from the Donetsk People's Republic.

Former-US servicemen Alexander Drueke and Andy Huynh are also being held in custody by the Donetsk People's Republic, having been captured last month near Kharkiv.
These are the three brave Kentucky cops, and their faithful K9, who lost their lives during a shootout with suspected rapist and domestic abuser.

Prestonsburg Police Capt. Ralph Frasure, Deputy William Petry and K9 Drago were killed late Thursday night after encountering 'pure hell' at a home in Allen, a small town in the hills of Appalachia.

Canine handler Jacob Chaffins died on Friday after being hospitalized, the police department said.

Lance Storz, 49, fired multiple rounds at the officers as they approached his home in an attempt to serve an emergency protection order. Police allege Storz acted as a 'sheer terrorist' and had 'planned' the mass shooting, noting how he was waiting for them with a rifle when they arrived on scene.

The shooting also left at least five officers injured.

Tributes have been pouring in for the fallen officers and their K9.

Frasure's daughter Stacy Frasure McGuire, posted an emotional tribute to her father on Facebook after his death, praising him as a man who loved his family.

'You watch media about shootings and think it's never gonna happen here. Evil has reached our county. An evil evil man took my daddies life today,' she wrote.

'I know I should forgive but how do I do that? My daddy was a great man who loved his family like no other. None of this seems real. Please keep us in ur prayers as well as the other officers and their families.'

Frasure worked in Floyd County law enforcement for 39 years and commanded the Special Projects Division, which contains School Resource and Safety, Criminal Investigations and Interdiction Squad, and Training & Preparedness.

Prestonsburg Police Capt. Ralph Frasure (left) and Floyd County Deputy William Petry (right) were killed late Thursday night after encountering 'pure hell' at Storz's home

Canine Handler Jacob Chaffins was shot during the standoff and died the next day. It is unclear which K9 officer Chaffins is pictured with in the above photo

One of her friends commented on the post, adding: 'One of the greatest men I ever knew. We love him so much. So sorry for your immeasurable loss!'

A married Christian man, Frasure described himself as a proud American and often made posts on social media encouraging others to support law enforcement. His father had also been a police officer in Prestonsburg, according to his posts.

His fellow officer Petry was a Kentucky State Trooper before serving as a deputy for the Floyd County Sheriff's Office. He is remembered as a loving family man who devoted his life to his community. Tributes have flooded his social media pages, praising him for his 'compassion and kindness.'

'William Petry was a husband, father, grandfather, friend & a protector of our community. He was a wonderful man,' one tribute read. 'I'll never forget a day he came in the studio to help out with a fundraiser for Trooper Island & when he left he stopped and saluted a picture I had hanging on the wall of my grandfather. That moment will forever be in my memory.'

'He truly died doing what he loved to do and that was to protect and serve his community!' another friend posted.

K9 Drago, a Belgian Malinois, was also shot and killed in Thursday's standoff. Fraley's Training Services said he was a 'phenomenal K9 who served the Floyd county community with nothing but excellence'

K9 Drago is pictured hard at work in an undated photo shared to Facebook

His wife, Sherry Rorrer Petry, was among those to honor Petry online, noting how their family's lives will 'never be the same.'

Their son, Chase, also described him as being the 'best Dad I could ever ask for.'

'Thank you for always being there for me and pushing me to be the best I can!' he wrote.

Patrolman and canine handler Chaffins had worked for the Prestonsburg Police Department for two years after having previously served as a local firefighter, EMT and soldier in the US Army.

He is survived by his wife, Savannah, and daughter, Paisley.

Social media tributes describe him as a generous man who 'would've given anyone the shirt off of his back if they needed it.'

'Everyone that met him could tell that he had a heart of gold, you never seen Jacob without a smile on his face in school,' on person wrote. 'If you look around you can see what kind of impact Jacob had in so many peoples lives not just in the city of Prestonsburg, but in Floyd County.'

Lance Storz, 49, (pictured) opened fire on deputies who were serving a court-issued warrant on Thursday. He surrendered after negotiations that included his family members and was charged with multiple counts of murder of a police officer, attempted murder of a police officer and assaulting a service animal

Officers were called to Storz's Main Street home shortly before 7pm Thursday as part of a domestic violence investigation

When deputies arrived at the property, Storz was standing by with a rifle, seemingly waiting for them, and opened fire

A police officer is seen taking cover behind a patrol car after shots were fired from the house

'You was such a great person & always a hero trying to save the world.. you made such a great impact on everyone's life that you came in contact with, you will never be forgotten!' echoed another.

The Prestonsburg Police Department also paid tribute to Chaffins, saying: 'The lives you've saved since you even started policing are innumerable, and that's how you gave your life - saving another. We will shine your light to Paisley and the world so long as we breathe.'

K9 Drago, a Belgian Malinois, was also shot and killed in Thursday's standoff.

Fraley's Training Services said he was a 'phenomenal K9 who served the Floyd county community with nothing but excellence.'

His handler, Dusty Newsome, took to Facebook saying 'no words can describe' the pain he and his family are going through as they face the loss of Drago.

Patrolman Jacob Chaffins (center) is survived by his wife, Savannah (left), and daughter, Paisley (right). He had worked for the Prestonsburg Police Department for two years after having previously served as a Prestonsburg firefighter, EMT and soldier in the US Army

Deputy William Petry (right) is remembered as a loving family man who devoted his life to his community. He is pictured with his son

Frasure (pictured), a married Christian man, described himself as a proud American and often made posts on social media encouraging others to support law enforcement. His father had also been a police officer in Prestonsburg

Meanwhile, accused shooter Storz surrendered after negotiations that included his family members and was charged with multiple counts of murder of a police officer, attempted murder of a police officer and assaulting a service animal.

Storz has pleaded not guilty and remains jailed on a $10 million bond ahead of his July 11 court hearing.

Officers were called to Storz's Main Street home shortly before 7pm Thursday as part of a domestic violence investigation.

When deputies arrived at the property, Storz was standing by with a rifle, seemingly waiting for them, and opened fire, Floyd County Sheriff John Hunt said.

'They had no chance,' he told WSAZ-TV. 'They encountered pure hell when they arrived.'

Four deputies initially responded, then called for backup when they were shot at.

'When the deputies put out the call for help, the responding agencies, I guess, just entered the line of fire without even knowing where it was coming from.' Hunt said.

'We were there for hours before we even knew where it was coming from.'

Witness allege Storz used multiple weapons in his violent attack that resembled a 'war zone.' Gunshots reportedly rang out for hours while responding officers were seen ducking for cover.

Social media flooded with tributes honoring the fallen law enforcement members

'When I say it was a war zone when I pulled into this area, you are talking about people in fatigues, people with body armor, people with night vision, people with assault weapons - if that's not a war zone, I don't know what is,' Floyd County Attorney Keith Bartley said.

'Lots of ammunition. You could hear the gunfire ring out and you could tell there were different caliber weapons. Smaller caliber, some large caliber, some shooting at extreme velocities. Ya know, very quick shooting.'

In addition to the four fatalities, the incident left at least five officers wounded.

One was undergoing surgery Friday morning at UK Hospital and another was being treated for carbon monoxide poisoning after having hid under a car for several hours to avoid being shot.

'A deputy laid under a vehicle for hours as gunshots just went ringing over his head,' Hunt said. 'At one time the car that he was under just took a barrage of bullets and and shot the K-9 dog in the backseat while this gentleman was under that car.'

'There's a special place in hell for people like this. And if there ain't, there ought to be,' echoed Bartley. 'Those people were not just police officers.'

Witness allege Storz (pictured during his virtual arraignment on Friday morning) used multiple weapons in his violent attack that resembled a 'war zone.' Gunshots reportedly rang out for hours while responding officers were seen ducking for cover

In addition to the four fatalities, the incident left at least five officers wounded

'You hear about something happening in another state and you think, you know, a police officer shot but it's not a police officer shot, or multiple police officers in this case, these are human beings. These are people with children, spouses, moms and dads. Their world will never be the same.'

Three officers remained hospitalized as of Friday, while another had been treated and released. The current conditions of the injured were not immediately clear.

Storz was arraigned Friday morning by a judge in Pike County. He pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder of a police officer and was jailed on a $10 million bond.

One of the charges was originally attempted murder of a police officer, but a judge said at the hearing that was upgraded to murder.

He is also facing another attempted murder charge and assault on a service animal. Bartley said additional charges are pending against the accused murderer.

Officials also moved a family member and child who lived in Storz's home to a safe house on Thursday. No additional details about their whereabouts or conditions were provided.

According to the order of protection filed against Storz, which was obtained by the TV station, he had threatened a woman and child on June 28 and was holding them captive.

The woman accused Storz of abuse, rape and sodomy. She also alleged he became 'irate' and 'refused to let her leave' the property after she told him she was moving into an apartment.

She claims he 'had nothing to lose and was all in.'

Prestonsburg Police Capt. Ralph Frasure (left) worked in Floyd County law enforcement for 39 years. He commanded the Special Projects Division, which contains School Resource and Safety, Criminal Investigations and Interdiction Squad, and Training & Preparedness

Social media tributes describe Chaffins (left) as a generous man who 'would've given anyone the shirt off of his back if they needed it'

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and First Lady Britainy Beshear addressed the tragedy on Friday, alleging they are heartbroken over the officers' deaths.

'This is a tough morning for our commonwealth,' Gov. Beshear tweeted Friday morning. 'Floyd County and our brave first responders suffered a tragic loss last night. I want to ask all of Kentucky to join me in praying for this community.'

'Britainy and I are praying for the families of those lost, those injured and the entire Allen community. These heroes sacrificed everything to protect our people,' he added.

His wife similarly said 'heart breaks for the Allen community.' Britainy also shared that her 'thoughts and prayers are with' the families affected by the shooting.

'Let us honor our first responders for their bravery and sacrifice,' she said.

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron also paid tribute to the officers who apprehended Storz, saying: 'Our law enforcement exhibited unimaginable heroism and sacrifice last night in the face of evil.'
The Russian navy appears to have accidentally blown up one of its own ships in the black sea in the latest blunder for Putin's forces.

A landing craft is reported to have exploded when it hit a Russian sea mine near Mariupol.

The crew is said to have survived the friendly-fire incident, but the reputation of Russia's naval commanders is not so unscathed.

'Near Mariupol, a landing craft of the Black Sea Fleet D-106 blew up on a mine,' said a Telegram channel related to the Russian navy.

'Waiting for a confirmation of this suicidal goodwill gesture,' said the Twitter account English Luhansk, mocking Russia's previous withdrawal statements.

Another user called it a 'special under water operation'.

A Telegram post related to the Russian navy alleges that a landing craft of the Black Sea Fleet D-106 hit a mine, but the crew survived

File photo: The Russian navy seems to have hit one of its own sea mines

'More company for [the] Moskva, down they go!' said a third, reminding users of the Russian flagship guided missile cruiser that sank on 14 April after a Ukrainian bombardment.

Moskva was the very warship told to 'go f*** yourself' by heroic soldiers on Snake Island in the early days of the war.

The news comes after Russia retreated from Snake Island following heavy bombardment from Ukrainian artillery.

Russia said it had withdrawn from the strategically significant Snake Island as a 'goodwill gesture' after heavy bombardment.

Ziiminy Island - 'snake' in English - is a tiny 100-acre spit of land located around 90 miles off the coast of Odesa, in the northern waters of the Black Sea.

Russia captured the rock on the first day of the war, with the since-sunk Moskva ordering the island's defenders to surrender and receiving the now-iconic response: 'Russian warship, go f*** yourself.'

Putin's men were attempted to use the island as a missile base, stationing Pantsir anti-air systems there along with radar - probably to provide air cover in the event of an amphibious assault on Odesa.

Russia suffered an early naval defeat on March 24 with the sinking of the Saratov, a huge 370ft Russian tank transporter that had been docked in the captured southern port city of Berdyansk.

Head of Zelensky's office Andriy Yermak this morning shared a photo of smoke rising from the island following yet another attack last night

Three days earlier, the Zvezda TV channel - which is linked to the Ministry of Defence - had filmed the Orsk at anchor in Berdyansk unloading armoured vehicles which the presenter said would assist in the battle to take Mariupol, around 40 miles to the east.

The broadcast sparked suggestions that Ukraine could use the footage to hit the vessel, and on March 24 a nearby missile battery did just that.

Around 7.45am, a Tochka-U ballistic missile slammed into the deck of the Saratov as it sat in port alongside two smaller vessels: The Caesar Kunikov and Novocherkassk.

A large fire broke out on board the Saratov with several explosions then heard below deck as ammunition detonated. Footage captured from the shore showed Saratov consumed by smoke as the Caesar Kunikov and Novocherkassk, having also sustained damage.

Saratov sunk shortly afterwards, satellite images confirmed, blocking the port and making it un-usable. Russia has not commented on the attack, and has not given information on casualties.

The Moskva, the flagship of Russia's Black Sea fleet, was hit and sunk by Ukraine in a missile attack on April 14 (pictured from a rescue vessel before it went down)
A Victorian government minister has admitted the Covid situation in the state is a matter of 'life or death' - but has ruled out bringing back mask mandates.

Energy minister Lily D'Ambrosio said Victoria had no plans to reintroduce mask wearing and insisted the decision had nothing to do with November's state election.

'We are always guided by our health advice,' Ms D'Ambrosio said. 'The current heath advice in Victoria has with us the right settings for our state.

'Health is too important - we're talking about life or death here.

'Conversations can happen around different states depending on their own circumstances. But here in Victoria, we have the right settings in place.

'We know what it's like to have Covid embedded in our community and everything this government has ever done is follow the science and health advice.'

Her comments on Saturday came after the Victorian Department of Health warned Covid deaths and hospitalisations across the state are set to soar.

Minister Lily D'Ambrosio said on Saturday Victoria had no plans to reintroduce mask wearing

Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 are likely to become the dominant strains in Victoria in the coming weeks

The Victorian Department of Health warned Covid deaths and hospitilisations across the state are set to soar

Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 are likely to become the dominant strains in Victoria, it said.

'The Department of Health anticipates the prevalence of BA.4/BA.5 in Victoria is likely to result in an increase in cases - including reinfections - and hospital admissions and deaths.

'This is because the strain has a greater ability than BA.2 to evade immunity provided by vaccination and earlier Covid-19 infection,' it said on Friday night.

There are 472 Covid cases in hospital in Victoria; with 15 active cases in ICU, including five on a ventilator, the Victorian department of Health said on Friday night.

There were more than 8,000 new cases recorded across the state on Thursday and 12 Victorians had died.

'This is in line with similar patterns in NSW and Queensland where both states have seen a significant rise in the number of people hospitalised with Covid-19 during June,' the department said.

'Masks are strongly recommended in shared indoor settings; if you can't physically distance; or you are with those more vulnerable to Covid-19. Improve ventilation by opening doors and windows, using fans or purifiers, and gathering outside where possible.

'Face masks are still required for everyone aged 8 and above in some locations, including on public transport, ride shares and taxis, and in sensitive settings such as hospitals and care facilities. They are also required by household contacts in quarantine who meet the criteria for leaving home.'

Masks could become mandatory across all of Australia as a looming Covid and flu crisis threatens to bring the nation to a standstill.

Nearly 250,000 Aussies have tested positive for Covid in the past week, with states including New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia, recording more than 8,000 cases in the past 24 hours.

Over the past week, NSW recorded the most infections with 61,000, while more than 50,000 people tested positive for the virus in Victoria.

And those figures are expected to get worse in the coming weeks as the winter chill grips the nation and new, highly infectious Omicron strain BA.5 becomes dominant.

Australia is also now facing a double whammy with rising cases of the flu making this winter the worst influenza outbreak in years, causing chaos in the workforce.

Now Queensland is tipped to be the first to bring back mask mandates in a bid to stem the tidal wave of infection.

Australia is on the precipice of the grim milestone of 10,000 Covid-19 related deaths, with more than 7,000 fatalities reported in the last six months (pictured, Covid-19 testing clinic)

Queensland's Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard revealed there had been ongoing talks with his interstate colleagues about mask mandates returning.

'I can say that nationally, there is increasing pressure,' he told 4BC's Peter Fegan.

'There is a school of thought that we should be mandating masks again.'

Meanwhile, it was revealed Saturday that Australia is on the precipice of the grim milestone of 10,000 Covid-19 related deaths, with more than 7,000 fatalities reported in the last six months.

Australia has reported 7,677 deaths over the course of 2022, taking the country's total to 9,930.

There were also 909 Covid-19 related fatalities in 2020 and 1,344 in 2021.

'We are going to actually end up with about 14,000 deaths this year from COVID if we keep going at this rate,' Griffith University infectious diseases and immunology program director Nigel McMillan said.

'That will make COVID the number two or number three killer in the country of all causes of deaths.

'Is this what success looks like for Australia in terms of its control of this virus? I would suggest no.'

Prof McMillan said booster uptake is not good enough in states such as Queensland - the lowest in the country at about 63 per cent.

The state with the highest booster uptake is Western Australia, at 83 per cent, with other states and territories falling somewhere in between.

'We just seem to have become comfortable with the idea that we're stopping vaccine mandates for all sorts of places, we have loosened our mask restrictions,' he said.

'So we have very little in the way of the virus at the moment in terms of (stopping) the virus spreading.'

Queensland Chief Health Officer John Gerrard said he did not want a return to mask mandates, but he admitted the possibility was being talked about.

'It is something that is still being discussed but ... we would prefer not to go down that road,' he told Brisbane 4BC radio on Friday.

Federal Labor minister Murray Watt said on Saturday the government had not received any health advice on mask mandates and those decisions tended to be made by state governments.

Australia has reported 7,677 deaths over the course of 2022, taking the country's total to 9,930 (pictured, Sydneysiders)

Prof McMillan said booster uptake is not good enough in states such as Queensland - the lowest in the country at about 63 per cent

'I know that this is something that health officials have been discussing nationally,' he said.

Prof McMillan suggested policy tweaks be made to the public health system, including widening the availability of antivirals beyond people with comorbidities.

Australia is experiencing a succession of Omicron variants that have kept infection rates high, Deakin University epidemiology chair Catherine Bennett said.

However Australia ranked low in deaths per capita when compared to other countries, she said.

'Whether we look at the total COVID-19 deaths per case, or deaths per capita, Australia sits low on the league tables, together with New Zealand, Taiwan and Japan,' Prof Bennett said.

Australia's daily death rates per capita were comparable to the UK and Canada, and lower than France - countries currently in summer and reporting declines in case numbers, she said.

'It is critical that we learn more about those who are ending up in hospital or not surviving their infections, so that we can identify what needs to be done to avoid preventable deaths and bring the case fatality rate down.'
Dramatic footage shows the moment a terrified young woman was rescued from surging floods as wild weather continued to wreak havoc in NSW on Saturday night.

The woman, believed to be in her 20s, desperately clung to a tree as the freezing current ripped at her after she had been swept away by the treacherous waters.

Emergency workers bravely fought to save her and managed get a lifeline to her before plucking her to safety in Holsworthy, south-west Sydney, on Saturday night.

The rescue came as 500,000 residents in south-west Sydney were facing evacuation orders after heavy rain pounding the east coast triggered multiple flood warnings.

The terrified woman clung to a tree as she was battered by flood waters in southwestern Sydney

Around 500,000 residents in southwest Sydney have been told to evacuate as the heavy rain pounding the NSW east coast triggered multiple flood warnings

The terrified young woman was rescued from surging floods as wild weather continued to wreak havoc in NSW on Saturday night

People in suburbs including Camden, Wallacia, Liverpool, Georges Hall, Chipping Norton, Lansvale and Moorebank were all told to head for higher ground on Saturday evening, with the State Emergency Service warning they may soon be cut off by floodwaters.

'Please be ready to evacuate on short notice,' NSW Emergency Services Minister Stephanie Cooke said.

'Please ensure that you prepare your properties as best you can and if in any doubt, please evacuate earlier.

'Dont necessarily wait for us to put out an order, asking or suggesting that you leave.'

The SES warned: 'If you receive a text message from +61 444 444 444, its an official alert that requires attention and to take action early.'

Authorities also fear that Sydney's main water source, the Warragamba Dam, could overflow and unleash widespread flooding as the deluge smashed a 118-year record.

SES volunteers staged at least three rescues from floodwaters, with more than 240 pleas for help as the incessant rain caused chaos.

Ambulance, fire, police and SES personnel desperately tried to find one man who was washed away in the Hacking River near Otford, in the Illawarra, south of Sydney.

A rural firefighter spotted the man in a nearby creek, and got in the rising icy waters to pull him to safety onto the riverbank.

Additional RFS crew members then helped him up to higher ground, where he was assessed for injuries and taken to hospital

Ambulance, fire, police and SES personnel desperately tried to find a man who was washed away in the Hacking River near Otford, in Illawarra region, south of Sydney

Another nine people were also rescued from flood waters in Austral, south west Sydney when two cars were stranded in rising waters

NSW Emergency Minister Steph Cooke said flash flooding could occur anywhere from Newcastle to Jervis Bay

Another nine people were also rescued from flood waters in Austral, south west Sydney when two cars were stranded in rising waters,

'The two cars were in approximately 40cm of water, which is enough to be very dangerous,' said a Rura Fire Service spokesman.

'The occupants from two vehicles were assisted to higher ground by our members and they have gone home safely.'

Authorities warned earlier on Saturday the current bout of wet weather was only going to get worse, with more rain, powerful winds and surging seas expected.

The federal government approved ADF support at the request of NSW on Friday night, with 100 troops and two helicopters available from Sunday onwards, Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt said.

'I want to assure people that the federal government  is 100 per cent prepared for what might lie ahead,' Senator Watt said from Brisbane on Saturday.

'One of the things that we've learned over the last couple of years is that when we don't have a federal government that takes responsibility and isn't proactive, bad things can happen.'

The Bureau of Meteorology's Jane Golding said there would be a 'deterioration' of weather overnight, with a risk of flash flooding and landslips.

'The rainfall rates will increase,' she said.

'We'll start to see the wind increase as well. We'll see the seas whipped up and we'll see the rivers respond to the rain that's falling.'

More than 200 millimetres of rain fell south of Wollongong overnight, with six-hour totals of between 80 and 150 millimetres in Sydney and the Illawarra.

The Illawarra district was hit by its heaviest bout of July rainfall since 1904.

The deluge comes on the first weekend of school holidays in the state, and drivers are being urged to take extra care.

'We know floodwater is extremely dangerous, especially for drivers. If the road is flooded, turn around and find another way,' Transport for NSW's Roger Weeks said.

Routes in and out of Sydney are likely to face congestion, with heavy traffic expected at known pinch-points, particularly around the airport.

Hazardous surf conditions are also expected.

Torrential rain, flash flooding, landslides, damaging winds and power outages are all threatening Sydney and NSW residents

Residents in the Sydney and Illawarra regions were previously warned flash flooding is 'essentially guaranteed' with three months' worth of rain to fall in the next five day

The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe weather alert for metropolitan Sydney, Illawarra and parts of the South Coast, Central Tablelands and Southern Tablelands on Saturday morning

NSW Emergency Minister Steph Cooke said flash flooding could occur anywhere from Newcastle to Jervis Bay

The Bureau of Meteorology said the system is likely to develop on Sunday or Monday, prolonging the persistent rain into next week.

Flooding is possible for the Hunter, Central Coast, the Greater Sydney region and the South Coast from Saturday, with flood watches in place for catchments between Newcastle and Batemans Bay, including Sydney and the Illawarra.

Areas at risk include Newcastle, the Central Coast, Lake Macquarie, the Upper Coxs, Colo, Macdonald, Woronora, Patterson, Williams and Lower Hunter rivers.

Also at risk are the Upper and Lower Nepean and Hawkesbury rivers.

Emergency Minister Cooke said flash flooding could occur anywhere from Newcastle to Jervis Bay.

'We are all waiting nervously to see what eventuates,' she said on Saturday, adding she remained confident emergency services were prepared for what was coming.

'My message to everyone is, if you have not yet been impacted by rainfall, dont think you have been spared. We may not have seen the worst of it yet.'
British Airways has been forced to apologise after a doctor was unable to book flights with her title 'Dr', due to it 'not matching' with her female gender.

Dr Juliana (Jewel) Kling, who is a Professor of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, shared a screenshot from her computer on Twitter which showed a 'glitch' with the airline's website.

After entering her passenger details which includes a mandatory title entry, Dr Kling received an error message which read: 'We have found some problems with the details you have provided.

'Title and gender do not match. Please try again.'

Dr Juliana King, a Professor of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, shared a screenshot from her computer on Twitter which showed the 'glitch'

Dr Juliana Kling (pictured) is not the only person who has reported issues with British Airways' booking system based on their gender

She wrote: 'Apparently 'Dr' and 'woman' do not match on British Airways. Looking forward to their reply.'

The tweet quickly went viral on social media as people accused the airline of sexism for only allowing men to select the title of Dr.

But Dr Kling was not the only person who has had trouble with British Airways' booking system.

Another passenger faced a similar problem with their title not matching their biological gender.

They asked for British Airways to help online, pointing out that 'titles are not even legally recognised parts of our identity and have nothing to do with gender.'

Another social media user responded to this message, pointing out that the airline had changed its logo to feature the pride flag for Pride month.

British Airway responded to the passenger, saying it was investigating as to whether the system could be changed to better reflect how customers identify.

But this caused some further backlash as social media users pointed out positions such as Dr are not how someone identifies, instead titles that they earn.

Speaking to MailOnline, a spokesperson for British Airways said the error messages are not related to the passengers' gender and instead arise out of issues with drop down boxes, for example if a passenger has booked through a third-party website and then enter a different title when checking in.

However, this is not immediately clear from the error message, which simply says: 'Title and gender do not match.'

Multiple other women reported faults with the website which they say mean their booking defaulted to addressing a male in the party - even if a woman has booked it and the male is underage.

One Twitter user, who responded to Dr Kling's tweet, wrote: 'Ridiculous! My friend also had an issue with British Airways where her flight for herself, her wife and her child was put into her *2 year old son's name* because he was the only male on the booking.

'She was receiving emails in his name because the system defaulted to male first.'

Another British Airways passenger added she had booked flights for her family using her contact details, only to receive all correspondence addressed to her husband.

She said: 'It was so inappropriate.'

Caoilfhionn Gallagher QC, who spends time in both Dublin and London, also shared her experience of what she called British Airways' 'sexist algorithm.'

She said she had booked a surprise trip for her husband's birthday - but it backfired after the website automatically assigned him as the lead traveller.

She added: 'I couldnt change details without his permissionI complained about it but didnt get a response.'

And writer and director Saran McDougall was left fuming after a similar incident.

'I have this with BA too. My account, my email address, my credit card but all correspondence is addressed to my male partner on the booking. Infuriating!!'

And another passenger had problems when the airline assigned one of her sons a 'Mr' title, and the other 'Master', with no option to change - even though they were both under 10 the first time it happened.

British Airlines told MailOnline that despite how it appears, these issues are not related to gender.

A spokesperson said their booking system automatically lists passengers in alphabetical order, regardless of gender, and the correspondence is then sent to the name which appears first alphabetically.

When asked whether this is also applied regardless of the age of the passenger, the airline confirmed that was the case - meaning the airline can even address correspondence to a toddler.

In June 2020 British Airways responded to a passenger on social media who asked why, despite his wife booking and paying for the tickets, and being listed as the first and primary traveler, all correspondence for her family trip was addressed to her husband.

When the passenger continued to queried why all correspondence had his name on it, BA replied: 'We're sorry for any inconvenience this caused, Mikk.

'However, any email sent will be addressed to the lead passenger on the booking and not to each individual.

'This is a automatic system, so can't be changed. Please be assured your comments have been fed back.'

Two years later in 2022, no action has been taken to change this system - although BA said it is something they are looking into.

Other social media users shared their outrage with responses including 'what century is this?', 'You're joking right?!', and even a gif from the televised series of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale tagged 'under his eye'.

A BA spokesman said of Dr Kling's issue: 'We're sorry for a technical issue that has occurred in one drop down box on our website and we're urgently investigating.'

It reassured passengers once more the issues are not related to the booking passenger's gender.
Hundreds of mourners have gathered at a silent vigil dedicated to aspiring lawyer Zara Aleena who was killed as she walked home from a night out with friends.

The law graduate was just minutes from her home on Cranbrook Road, Ilford, when she was attacked in the early hours of Sunday, June 26.

On Saturday, nearly a week on from her death, a memorial organised by Ms Aleena's family traced the walk home the 35-year-old would have taken.

Farah Naz, a relative who tearfully addressed the media earlier this week, stopped just yards from the family home and thanked the crowd for taking part in the walk.

'She was on the home stretch, thank you so much for doing the walk and holding her in your hearts, praying for her, keeping her safe on this journey', she said.

'At this point now we ask you to go home and thank you so much for being here today because this is our Zara, this is our issue, this something that we must all change, it must never happen again. Thank you for being here.'

The majority of those walking along Cranbrook Road wore white clothing as requested by the family, others held flowers and pictures of Ms Aleena aloft.

Dozens of other mourners left bouquets of flowers and cards in tribute to the latest high profile victim of violence against women in the capital.

Roads have been closed in the area to allow the crowd to walk the 10-minute journey from the scene of her attack to her home.

On Saturday, nearly a week on from her death, a memorial organised by Zara Aleena's family traced the walk home the 35-year-old would have taken before she was set upon

A woman holds another mourner in a tight embrace as hundreds of people turned out for Zara Aleena's silent vigil on Saturday afternoon

Farah Naz, (left) a relative who tearfully addressed the media earlier this week, stopped just yards from the family home and thanked the crowd for taking part in the walk

Labour and Ilford North MP Wes Streeting (right) joined the vigil for Zara Aleena on Saturday

Police have said they believe Ms Aleena was the victim of an 'opportunistic stranger attack'

Those attending the vigil met at 1.30pm opposite Cranbrook Rise in Ilford before commencing the walk at 2.17pm - mirroring the time in the morning on June 26 when Ms Aleena was set upon.

Her family have requested attendees wear white and remain 'silent and sombre' as 'we walk Zara home in our hearts'.

Marai Larasi, a member of campaign group Million Women Rise, said: 'We're here to support the family, we're here to bring her home in spirit, we're here to honour her life, and we're here with absolute exhaustion because we're tired of vigils, we're tired of crying and we're tired of having to bury women of all ages and stages in life.'

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: 'Zara was an incredible woman and an inspiration to us all.

'She rightly believed that every woman should be able to walk home safely and today her loved ones and so many from the local community and across the country came to finish the journey she started.

'My thoughts and prayers are with them all today.

'I'm clear that women should not have to change their behaviour and every woman and girl is entitled to be safe, and to feel safe - whatever the time of day and wherever they are.

'We owe it to Zara to do everything possible to bring an end to violence against women and girls.'

Floral tributes were left at the scene in Cranbrook Road, Ilford where Zara Aleena was attacked in the early hours of Sunday morning

A friend of Ms Aleena's aunt, Ash Vickers, 54, said: 'It's tragic news. She called me on the way from the airport when she heard the news after it happened last Sunday.

'I'm a solicitor and I know that Zara wanted to train as a lawyer, so Farah would often speak to me and let me know how her progress was getting on.

'Tragically, 17-18 years ago my own niece was attacked and also died on the streets of London and also studied law so very tragic, but 17-18 years later, the same thing is happening.'

Sharman Islam Siraj, 38, from Ilford, said: 'My mum lives in the area. We are from the area. This is our home. This is our community.

'She was someone that we used to see all the time walking past our house. She was in the same school as my sister, you know. She was just a local girl, and I feel like if this could happen to her, this could happen to anybody.

'It's shocking that it can happen to her. It's shocking that it happened here. So I'm here to support the family. I'm here to show love, support, solidarity.'

Anjum Mouj, co-chairwoman of London Black Women's Project and who was liaising with Ms Allena's family, spoke to the crowd ahead of the vigil.

She said: 'Grandma, mother, aunties, cousins, friends, family, have asked me to thank you from their heart, their heartfelt thanks for you all to be here today, to do this walk with us to take Zara Natasha Aleena home, the steps that she couldn't take - she could see, it's in touching distance of her home, it's in touching distance, she could see her home almost and she couldn't walk there.'

In anticipation of the silent vigil for Ms Aleena, women have been sharing photos of their shoes to social media with the hashtag #SafelyHomeInOurShoes.

The Londoner had been returning home from a night-out when she was dragged, kicked and stamped on, prosecutors said. A post-mortem examination found she had suffered multiple serious injuries.

Miss Aleena was dragged onto the driveway - just 10 minutes from her home - before being kicked and stamped on, prosecutors allege

Ms Aleena's maternal aunt, Farah Naz, said her 'independent' and 'big-hearted' niece 'was the joy, the light of our home', and spoke of the family's determination to 'change something' in honour of the 'extrovert'.

She told reporters on Friday: 'I don't think there is going to be closure, this is just the beginning of the conversation we need to have.

'I want to reach out and do something important and act, because that's what Zara was about - we have got to change something.

'I want to speak to the leaders of this country, I want to talk about the setting up of projects right now to prevent violence.'

The vigil is taking the form of a silent walk that traces the route Ms Aleena had been taking but never got to complete, 'to bring her back where she belonged safely'.

Alleged killer Jordan McSweeney is said to have dragged the 35-year-old law graduate into a driveway on the early hours of Sunday morning and repeatedly stamped on her after trying to rape her, the Old Bailey heard yesterday.

Police have said they believe Ms Aleena was the victim of an 'opportunistic stranger attack'.

McSweeney, from Dagenham, east London, is also accused of robbing the law graduate of her mobile phone, keys and handbag, and attempted penetration without consent, the court heard.

He has been charged with murder, robbery and attempted rape.
The launch was Virgin Orbit's fourth commercial and first night launch overall that was planned to take place on Wednesday night, June 29, but was postponed.

A Virgin Orbit Rocket Bringing Defense Department Satellites Launched From Boeing 747

Friday night (July 1), a Virgin Orbit rocket carrying satellites for the U.S. Defense Department was launched from a customized Boeing 747 flying off the coast of Southern California.

From Mojave Air and Space Port in the Mojave Desert, the modified jumbo aircraft took off, launching the rocket over the Pacific Ocean to northwest Los Angeles.

The U.S. Space Force purchased the launch for a test program run by the Defense Department. The seven payloads will carry out numerous experiments.

It was Virgin Orbit's first night launch and fourth commercial launch overall. The launch was supposed to happen on Wednesday night, but that effort was canceled owing to a propellant temperature problem.

Paula Abdul's 1988 Virgin Records first studio album 'Forever Your Girl' included the famous song 'Straight Up,' which inspired Virgin Orbit to call their mission 'Straight Up.'

Richard Branson, a British billionaire, established Virgin Orbit in 2017. It presently performs launches from the Mojave airfield but has plans for worldwide missions. Its headquarters are in Long Beach, California.

The business will launch two satellites later this year on a mission from Cornwall, England's Newquay Airport. The satellites will test radio signal monitoring in a cooperative effort between the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office and the U.K. Ministry of Defense.

Read Also: Tesla Submits Plans to Add Massive New Structure to its Gigafactory Texas Facility

Virgin Orbit's First launch for this year Took Off

On Jan. 13, Virgin Orbit completed the third straight operational flight of their LauncherOne air-launch system, launching seven CubeSats for three clients into orbit.

At 4:39 p.m. (E.T.), Cosmic Girl, a Boeing 747 acting as LauncherOne's launch vehicle, blasted off from California's Mojave Air and Space Port. At about 5:52 p.m. (E.T.), it launched the rocket, which soared to low Earth orbit at the height of around 500 kilometers. After the rocket's discharge, Virgin Orbit reported that all seven of the satellites had been deployed.

Three clients' seven smallsats were transported on the launch. Four of the satellites were acquired under the Space Test Program of the Defense Department. Two three-unit CubeSats are part of the Pathfinder for Autonomous Navigation (PAN) payload to test a rendezvous and docking mechanism.

Additionally, the NASA Ames Research Center has funded the three-unit CubeSat Technology Education Satellite (TechEdSat) 13 to test a number of cutting-edge technologies. The Air Force Research Laboratory's Globalstar Evaluation and Risk-Reduction Satellite (GEARRS) 3 is a three-unit CubeSat designed to test communications with the Globalstar satellite network utilizing an external patch antenna.

The Air Force Research Laboratory also developed the three-unit CubeSat known as the Globalstar Evaluation and Risk-Reduction Satellite (GEARRS) 3 to test communications with the Globalstar spacecraft network utilizing a patch antenna on the satellite's exterior.

Moreover, two of the satellites were from SatRevolution, a Polish smallsat developer. STORK-3 is part of its constellation of imaging satellites, while SteamSat-2 will test water-fueled thrusters developed by a British company, SteamJet Space Systems. The seventh satellite is from Spire Global, designed with the Austrian Space Forum and Findus Venture GmbH to measure the orbital debris environment.

In December 2021, Virgin Orbit said it added the Spire CubeSat on short notice to demonstrate its responsive launch capabilities. This is the first of Virgin Orbit's six planned launches for 2022. Two will launch from Spaceport Cornwall in England, while the other eight will go from Mojave.

Related Article: Virgin Orbit Plans to Have First UK Orbital Launch - When Will It Happen?
Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn said he believes a 12-year-old girl raped and impregnated by her father should not be allowed to have an abortion.

The powerful Republican said he didn't think abortion laws should make exceptions for rape and incest, noting how he personally believes 'life begins at conception' and 'every life is valuable.'

Gunn issued his controversial remark just hours after the Supreme Court upheld Mississippi's 15-week abortion ban and overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision that guaranteed abortion rights in the U.S.

Mississippi's current legislation permits for an abortion in cases of rape but does not allow an exception for incest.

Gunn said he wasn't sure 'what the Legislature's appetite' would be for ensuring child rape and incest victims could obtain abortions, but reiterated that he doesn't think officials should revisit the law.

When asked if a 12-year-old who was raped by a relative should be forced to carry her child to term, Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn said he didn't think abortion laws should make exceptions for rape and incest. He reiterated that he personally believes 'life begins at conception' and 'every life is valuable'

Associated Press reporter Emily Wagster Pettus probed Gunn on the Mississippi House floor on Friday, June 24 - the same day SCOTUS made the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

'What about the case of a 12-year-old girl who was molested by her father or uncle?' she asked Gunn.

He replied: 'No, (the law) does not include an exception for incest. I don't know that that will be changed.'

'Do you think the Legislature should revisit that?' Pettus asked.

'Personally, no. I do not,' Gunn said. 'I believe life begins at conception. Every life is valuable. And those are my personal beliefs.'

The GOP member was further questioned by Daily Journal reporter Taylor Vance who asked: 'So that 12-year-old child molested by her family members should carry that pregnancy to term?'

'That is my personal belief. I believe life begins at conception,' Gunn said, before adding that he didn't want discussions about rape or incest to overshadow the win for pro-life legislation in America and the role Mississippi played in that decision.

'Let me say this, I want today to be about the Roe v. Wade decision. I want today to be about the fact that we have seen an end to abortion in this country,' he stated.

'These other things that y'all are talking about are certainly things we can talk about moving forward. I do not want those things to detract from the significance of this day. I'm afraid if we get too far afield from what we're talking about today, that will overshadow the significance of this day.'

Gunn added: 'I want this day to be about the fact that Roe v. Wade has been overturned, the members of the House of Representatives are the ones that led out on that, it happened in this very room and we're going to celebrate that today.'

Gunn issued his controversial remark just hours after the Supreme Court upheld Mississippi's 15-week abortion ban and overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision that guaranteed abortion rights in the U.S. Protesters are pictured outside the Mississippi Capitol on June 28

Mississippi's current legislation permits for an abortion in cases of rape but does not allow an exception for incest. Protesters are pictured outside the statehouse on June 28

Gunn's commentary was met with criticism online.

Actor and comedian Michael Rapaport slammed the Republican in an Instagram post, saying: 'Phillip Gunn Representative from Mississippi believes EVEN Molestation Victims from a FATHER should give Birth. This is DISGUSTING.'

'Strange how he emphasizes I believe and those are my personal beliefs yet he is all for enforcing his personal beliefs on everyone who does not share them,' @catsarebetterrr tweeted.

'Fine. Thats his personal belief. Its not my personal belief. Why does he think his beliefs supersede my beliefs?' echoed Twitter user @HelloDearVoid.

'Where does he get off thinking HIS beliefs must be forced on ME? If it works like that then I must have the right to force my beliefs on him. So I will.'

'The speaker thinks what I believe should be law. Remember that. Its not about what science or popular belief is. It is only about HIS belief. Sad sad state of affairs in this country,' added social media user Randy Foster.

Gunn's remarks about rape and incest exceptions were met with criticism online. Actor and comedian Michael Rapaport even chimed in and called Gunn 'disgusting'

The high court issued its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health on June 24, upholding Mississippi's law banning abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, which is toward the start of the second trimester.

The 6-3 ruling upended a nearly 50-year precedent set by Roe v. Wade that protected a woman's right to privacy in choosing to abort a pregnancy prior to the point of viability.

In Dobbs, SCOTUS ruled 'the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion; Roe and Casey [Planned Parenthood v. Casey, 1992] are overruled; and the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives.'

Mississippi is now set to ban nearly all abortions under a 2007 'trigger law' following the Dobbs ruling that will 'prohibit abortions in the state of Mississippi' at any stage 'except in cases where necessary for the preservation of the mother's life or where the pregnancy was caused by rape.' The rape must also have been reported to law enforcement.

Attorney General Lynn Fitch certified the trigger law last week.

However, Jackson Women's Health Organization - Mississippi's only abortion clinic- hit back and filed a state lawsuit attempting the block the trigger law. The clinic alleged that 'the Mississippi Constitution protects a right to abortion.'

If the clinic does not succeed in blocking the law, it will go into effect on July 7.

Clinic escorts grab a quick rest from the daily confrontations with abortion opponents, when escorting patients from the parking lot of the Jackson Women's Health Organization clinic in Jackson, Mississippi on June 29

Dani Choufani, an abortion opponent, prays quietly outside the Jackson Women's Health Organization clinic in Jackson, Mississippi on June 29

Since the ruling, Gunn told the Mississippi Free Press he wants to 'move forward to secure strong and lasting legal protections and cultural support for life.'

He is working to form a 'Speaker's Commission on Life' that will address 'more effective and well-funded child protections and foster care,' 'more available and affordable adoption' and 'next-generation child support to hold fathers accountable, so mothers don't bear the burdens alone.'

He also said he 'expects the churches to step up' and help pregnant women, but reaffirmed his opposition to expanding Medicaid or extending postpartum coverage.

'Y'all know my position on that, y'all know my position has long been that that is not a way to provide those services,' Gunn said.

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves vowed to find new ways to 'promote life' in wake of the Dobbs ruling and declared June 'Sanctity of Life Month'

Some of Gunn's GOP colleagues have also expressed interest in making the state's abortion laws even stricter.

Mississippi Sen. Joey Fillingane, who sponsored the trigger law, said he would like to repeal exceptions for rape which would make abortion only an option in cases were a pregnant woman's life is in danger.

Gov. Tate Reeves vowed to find new ways to 'promote life' in wake of the Dobbs ruling and declared June 'Sanctity of Life Month.'

'Mississippi must now turn to the work ahead,' Reeves' proclamation states, 'to take every step to support mothers and children through policies of compassion, to ensure every baby has a forever family that loves and cherishes them, and to build and sustain our new pro-life agendaa culture that values the inherent dignity of every individual, restores the wonder of life, and, in President Reagan's enduring reminder, champions the "sense of the worth and dignity of every individual."'
The Tory MP who allegedly groped two men at a posh member's club in London has said he is now seeking 'professional medical support' and 'respects' the Prime Minister's decision to suspend him from the party.

Chris Pincher, 52, who resigned as deputy chief whip after saying he drank too much on Wednesday, has also said today he would 'cooperate fully' with an inquiry into his behaviour.

The action to suspend the Tory whip from Mr Pincher - which was being demanded by prominent backbenchers - has now been taken after a formal complaint about him was made to Parliament's harassment watchdog.

The Tory MP for Tamworth previously admitted that he had 'embarrassed himself and other people', after drinking too much at the elite Carlton Club in London.

Chris Pincher has been suspended as a Tory MP after a formal complaint was made to Parliament's Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme

The 52-year-old resigned as Tory deputy chief whip last night, saying he had 'embarrassed himself and other people', after drinking too much at the elite Carlton Club in London.

In a statement Mr Pincher said: 'I respect the Prime Minister's decision to suspend the whip whilst an inquiry is underway, and I will cooperate fully with it.

'As I told the Prime Minister, I drank far too much on Wednesday night, embarrassing myself and others and I am truly sorry for the upset I caused.

'The stresses of the last few days, coming on top of those over the last several months, have made me accept that I will benefit from professional medical support.

'I am in the process of seeking that now, and I hope to be able to return to my constituency duties as soon as possible.'

His suspension as a Tory MP came on Friday, after a day of rowing among Conservatives over whether Mr Pincher should keep the party whip.

Boris Johnson had been told to strip the Tamworth MP of the Tory whip as it emerged he was handed the key role enforcing party discipline in February despite allegations about his own lack of self control

Former ministers Caroline Nokes and Karen Bradley, who both now chair Commons select committees, said the party had to display a 'zero tolerance policy' on sexual misconduct

The two senior female Tories today wrote to Mr Johnson demanding Pincher have the whip removed pending an investigation

A spokeswoman for Conservative chief whip Chris Heaton-Harris said: 'Having heard that a formal complaint has been made to the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme, the Prime Minister has agreed with the Chief Whip that the whip should be suspended from Chris Pincher while the investigation is ongoing.

'We will not pre-judge that investigation. We urge colleagues and the media to respect that process.'

It was also announced last night that Mr Pincher has been replaced as Tory deputy chief whip, the role he resigned yesterday, by former junior housing minister Kelly Tolhurst.

A Downing Street source revealed Boris Johnson today spoke to a Tory MP who was with one of the men allegedly groped by Mr Pincher.

'The account given was sufficiently disturbing to make the Prime Minister feel more troubled by all this,' the source said.

Mr Johnson was said to have been waiting for a formal investigation to begin before suspending the Tory whip from Mr Pincher.

A No10 spokesman earlier yesterday suggested that, with Mr Pincher's resignation as deputy chief whip, the PM considered the matter closed.

But two of the party's most senior female backbenchers demanded Mr Johnson take more robust action as further allegations against the MP emerged.

Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner tonight claimed Mr Johnson had been 'dragged kicking and screaming into taking any action at all' over Mr Pincher.

'He just cant be trusted to do the right thing,' she said of the PM.

'This whole scandal is yet more evidence of his appalling judgement. Its time for Conservative MPs to show this chaotic PM the door before he can do any more damage.'

Liberal Democrat chief whip Wendy Chamberlain said: 'It should never have taken Boris Johnson this long to act and withdraw the whip.

'Once again it seems Johnson has had to be forced into doing the right thing.

'There can be no more cover ups or excuses. If this investigation confirms these serious allegations, Chris Pincher will surely have to resign.'

Tory former ministers Caroline Nokes and Karen Bradley, who both now chair select committees, today said the Conservative Party had to display a 'zero tolerance policy' on sexual misconduct and demanded Mr Pincher be stripped of the whip.

Other critics pointed out that Neil Parish had resigned as Tiverton and Honiton MP for watching porn in the Commons - something less than an alleged sexual assault.

That resulted in the by-election last week where the Lib Dems overturned a Tory majority of more than 24,000 to take the seat.

Mr Pincher's majority in Staffordshire is 20,000, but the seat was held by Labour for 13 years before he was elected in 2010.

Mr Pincher's majority in his Staffordshire constituency is 20,000, but the seat was held by Labour for 13 years before he was elected in 2010.

Pictured: The incident took place in the exclusive Carlton Club in London

Mr Parish was also among those demanding tougher action yesterday, telling LBC: 'The first thing they did to me, and I made a huge mistake, is that they withdrew the whip. There cannot be double standards.'

Asked whether Mr Johnson believed the issue was done and dusted, a No 10 spokesman told reporters earlier today: 'He's (Mr Pincher) resigned that position so I'm not aware of any sort of Government investigation.'

He added that whether to remain an MP was 'a matter for him (Mr Pincher) as an individual.'

But in their letter, Ms Nokes and Ms Bradley said: 'The party and, by extension, the Government are at risk of serious reputational damage by the current approach.'

One MP who was at the event at the Carlton Club on Wednesday claimed to the Guardian that Mr Pincher had been so drunk 'he could barely stand up'.

It also emerged he was handed the key role of enforcing party discipline in February, despite allegations about his own lack of self-control.

Mr Pincher apologised publicly and resigned as a whip before in 2017 after being accused by a Tory candidate of making an unwanted pass at him.

And Politco today identified Mr Pincher as the Tory MP said to have required a 'minder' to accompany him to events to keep him out of trouble, something denied by the Conservatives.
Comedian Jon Stewart branded the United States Supreme Court the 'Fox News of Justice' after it overturned Roe v. Wade.

Stewart, 59, opened Thursday's episode of The Problem with Jon Stewart, with an angry exclamation: 'Guys, what the f**k!'

He asked three law professors - Leah Litman, Melissa Murray, and Kate Shaw - if they immediately went into 'solution mode' after hearing about the dramatic political and legal shift.

Stewart then compared SCOTUS to the conservative new network - which has been accused by the left of being high partisan and spreading fake news.

He said: '[This decision] makes the court a cynical pursuit. It feels like the Fox News of Justice.'

'It is a cynical pursuit in the same way that Fox News would come out with 'we're fair and balanced' under the patina of what would be a high-status pursuit to the betterment of society, journalism. They are a cynical political arm.'

Jon Stewart, 59, said the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade was a 'cynical pursuit' and compared the Court to 'Fox News.' He said: 'It is a cynical pursuit in the same way that Fox News would come out with 'we're fair and balanced''

Stewart said the decision was 'political' and has 'nothing to do with scholarship or anything else.'

The comedian also criticized the Court's conservative Justices, saying they should have made their opinions on abortion and Roe v. Wade very clear in their confirmation hearings. The Justices in question had made it fairly clear in their hearings they thought abortion rights were already a settled precedent.

Democrats are now calling for an impeachment trial into the Justices, for allegedly lying under oath.

Pro-choice Senators Susan Collins and Joe Manchin both said they felt misled by Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch in their confirmation hearing, as they were led to believe Roe v. Wade was set precedent.

In Gorsuch's 2017 confirmation hearing, he said Roe was 'a precedent of the US Supreme Court. It was reaffirmed in Casey in 1992 and in several other cases.'

'So a good judge will consider it as precedent of the US Supreme Court worthy as treatment of precedent like any other,' he said.

At the time, he refused to say how he rule on the case, saying it would 'send the signal to the American people that the judges personal views have something to do with the judges job.'

In 2018, Kavanaugh also said the case had been 'reaffirmed many times.' However, he did indicate he would consider reviewing 'settled law,' but said Casey was 'precedent on precedent.'

'It is not as if [Roe] is just a run-of-the-mill case that was decided and never reconsidered, but Casey specifically reconsidered it, applied the stare decisis factors, and decided to reaffirm it,' he said in 2018.

Fellow conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett had even advocated for the reversal of Roe in 2006, according to the Washington Post.

She said in 2020: 'If a question comes up before me about whether Casey or any other case should be overruled, that I will follow the law of stare decisis, applying it as the court is articulating it, applying all the factors, reliance, workability, being undermined by later facts in law, just all the standard factors.

'I promise to do that for any issue that comes up, abortion or anything else.'

Litman said that - despite what they said under oath - 'all of their prior work to date, it totally clear that they were going to do these insane, terrible things.'

'It would have been one thing, if they sat in the confirmation hearings and said: 'My entire ideological bearing is that life begins at conception and that abortion should be made illegal.' And at the very least, you would respect their honesty and integrity,' Stewart said.

'When you look at the ridiculous kabuki theater now of justice confirmation, where they can just go out there and just f**king lie, like if this were about debate, then they would've understood what perjury meant.'

The conservative Justices are under fire for the decision, and Stewart said they should have been 'honest' under oath. 'It would have been one thing, if they sat in the confirmation hearings and said: 'My entire ideological bearing is that life begins at conception and that abortion should be made illegal.' And at the very least, you would respect their honesty and integrity,' Stewart said

Shaw agreed that Justices were purposely placed on the court by Trump to reverse Roe v. Wade, but said they 'didn't say anything definite' once at the hearings.

'But it wasn't necessary [to say anything definite] because Trump knew and the Senators knew that they were,' she said on the show.

'These three Justices were the product of a conservative legal movement who had been trained and groomed to adhere to and espouse a set of legal 'theories'...[to] basically retrofit around a set of just conservative pet project outcomes.'

She also said stacking the court was an 'exercise of raw power.'

'They had the votes, so they did it,' Shaw said on the show.

Murray joked that this is the 'one time that Donald Trump told the truth.'

Litman went on to say that this isn't something that wasn't expected, as the 'Republican Party has spent decades putting people on the court to get the results that they want.'

Stewart went on to criticize the Court for stating they couldn't regulate gun laws, but could regulate women's bodies.

'I mean, there is no consistency. States can't regulate guns, but they can regulate [uteruses], you know?' he said.

He said the decision to overturn the decision was 'philosophical' rather than based on 'reasoned debate.' The host also said conservatives like to 'cite the bible' because it's a bunch of 'dead people' who can't 'argue' with.

'How is this not a religious decision? They are suggesting that life is beginning at conception with no evidence other than that's what the creator said?'

Many Americans slammed the court's decision for combining church and state, and protests broke out across the nation.

Prominent figures, such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Attorney General Merrick Garland slammed the decision, with the latter stating the decision was a 'devastating blow to reproductive freedom in the United States.'

President Joe Biden, 79, said he would back killing the filibuster to pass federal abortion legislation and blasted SCOTUS' 'outrageous' decision.

Protests broke out across the nation after the decision was overturn (pictured: Arizona)

Protesters in Washington Square Park in NYC after the protest. Democrats are now calling for some of the Justices to be impeached for what they say is lying under oath

Speaking to reporters at the end of a NATO summit in Madrid, Spain, earlier this week, he condemned the ruling and its impact.

America is better positioned to lead the world than we ever have been,' he said.

'But one thing that has been destabilizing is the outrageous behavior of the Supreme Court of United States in overruling not only Roe v. Wade, but essentially challenging the right to privacy.'

He also said he would support a carve-out so that Democrats in Congress could pass laws to protect abortion rights, even without 60 votes in the Senate.

'The first and foremost thing we should do, is make it clear how outrageous this decision was and how much it impacts - not just on a woman's right to choose, which is a critical, critical piece - but on privacy generally,' Biden said.

'And so I'm going to be talking to the governors as to what actions they think I should be taking as well.'

He added that the 'most important thing' was his belief that the protections granted in Roe v. Wade should be codified into law.

'The way to do that is to make sure that Congress votes to do that,' the president said.

'And if the filibuster gets in the way, it's like voting rights, it should be we provide an exception for this.'
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Police have found the body of a Minnesota woman believed to have committed suicide with all three of her children after she found her husband had reportedly killed himself.

The Vietnamese community Maplewood has been sent in an uproar over the incident, with friends and family identifying the woman as Molly Cheng, 23, a tattoo and beauty artist in the area.

Ramsay County Undersheriff Mike Martin said one of the children's bodies were found on Friday evening, with the body of the other two and the mom recovered by Saturday morning. Police said all the kids, two boys and one girl, were all younger than five years old.

The husband has been named only as Kos by his sister, Pa Lee, who shared news of her siblings' tragic death on Facebook.

Ramsay County Sheriff Bob Fletcher said police are 'treating this is a potential triple-homicide here at Lake Vadnais.'

Police have found the body of Molly Cheng, left, of Maplewood, Minnesota who is believed to have killed herself and her three children following her husband's (right) suicide on Friday

Cheng and her husband, identified by family members as Kos, are pictured with their three children

Police said they were determined to find all three children after uncovering one of their bodies in the lake on Friday night

Authorities promised to continue the search for the missing children and their mother into the night

A Maplewood Police Department spokesman said that around 4:00 pm on July 1, authorities were called to Vadnais Lake as getting a report about a possibly suicidal mother who was on her way there with her children.

Fletcher said that investigators determined that the children went into the water with their mother in an apparent murder-suicide as the children's shoes and mother's car was found close to the water. Police were able to track her cellphone to the location.

Martin said the first child's body was recovered at around 7:30p.m., with a team of more than 20 law enforcement agents working through the night to uncover the body of the second child.

By 10:40 a.m. on Saturday, police were able to recover the mother's body, and by 11 a.m. they found the third child.

'Our goal was to find the children and the mother, and return them to their families,' Martin said. 'Our hearts go out to the family and their friends.'

'I've been in this 32 years and this is one of the most difficult [cases],' commander Eric Brandt added about leading the search.

Cheng is a tattoo and beauty artist who operates in the Maplewood neighborhood

She is pictured with one of her children. Police said all the kids were below the age of five

The children's father identified by the name Kos in several social media posts. His sister wrote on Facebook: 'Forever goodbye my nicest brother'. He is believed to have shot himself dead at the family's home in Maplewood, Minnesota this morning. Cops now fear his wife - who hasn't been named - has drowned the couple's three young children in a nearby lake, and also killed herself

Ramsay County Undersheriff Mike Martin (right) said all the bodies were recovered by 11 a.m. on Saturday

Officials confirmed that the horror unfolding at the lake is related to a suicide at the Rolling Hills Estates Mobile Home Park earlier in the day.

The man who committed suicide at the trailer park is the children's father and husband to the woman.

The sister of the children's father wrote on Facebook on the morning of the suicide: 'Forever goodbye my nicest brother. Why are you making me so mad and sad at the same moment. I'm so sorry that I'm 20 minutes late and cannot help you.'

She added: 'I drive so fast to help you and to stop you but I still failed. I'm sorry that I fail you in this life and was late to help you. Only if I was faster then you will be alive.'

The children's father was found dead here at a home in a mobile home park in Maplewood, Minnesota

Investigators said that the children's father committed suicide using one of his two guns in his bedroom while wearing pajamas

The father is identified in several social media posts as Kos, by his sister, who posted a video showing large members of the Hmong community surrounding the lake, staying close to police as the search continued into the night.

In a series of videos that were posted by family members, investigators reveal that the children's father committed suicide in his bedroom while wearing pajamas.

One of those videos shows the bedroom to be ransacked.

A family member suggests that the father owned more than one gun and that he used the 'bigger one' to take his own life.

The Twin Cities area is home to the largest concentration of Hmong people in the United States with more than 66,000 calling the area home.

Video taken from inside the house shows that the bedroom in the family's home has been ransacked

Police and family member found the entire room (above) in a mess following a call about a suicide
RSPCA wildlife centres are no longer accepting sick seabirds due to the avian flu outbreak.

Defra figures has confirmed 102 cases of bird flu in England, with two cases each in Wales and Scotland earlier this year which have since had their disease control zones revoked.

When avian influenza is confirmed or suspected in poultry or other captive birds, disease control zones are put in place around the infected premises to prevent the spread of the disease.

Within these zones, a range of restrictions on the movement of poultry and material associated with their keeping can apply.

RSPCA England and Wales has now announced its rescue centres will no longer take in sea birds

There are currently two disease control zones around Bexhill and Hastings in East Sussex due to outbreaks of the illness which saw a number of birds humanely culled.

There are five other disease control zones currently in force: two in Shropshire, two in Nottinghamshire and one in Derbyshire.

RSPCA England and Wales has now announced its rescue centres will no longer take in sea birds - but officers will continue to attend reports of sick and injured birds.

The animal charity says avian influenza has become a serious problem this summer and there are high levels of morbidity and mortality, particularly in seabirds around the coast.

The RSPCA says it will try to respond to calls about sick and injured animals where possible and deal with them compassionately and appropriately.

A spokesman said: 'Tragically, bird flu continues to spread at an alarming rate, with seabird populations worst affected.

'In a bid to stop this highly contagious disease from killing hundreds of our wild patients, we have made the difficult decision to close our centres and branches to new seabird admissions.

'This includes (but is not limited to) the most common seabird species: gulls, auks, terns, cormorants, shearwaters, gannets and fulmars.

'Our animal rescue teams are continuing to attend reports of sick and injured birds.'

The animal charity says avian influenza has become a serious problem this summer and there are high levels of morbidity and mortality

RSPCA vet Jocelyn Toner added: 'Bird flu is having a devastating impact on wild birdlife across the country and our teams have been busy responding to calls about sick birds and doing their best to seek help for as many as possible.

'It's been devastating for our volunteers, vets and staff - who work for the RSPCA because they love animals - to see so many birds perishing due to this awful disease.

'Now it's important that we follow the Government's advice and act to try to slow the spread and keep as many of our birds as safe as possible.'

Branches will still be able to take in other wildlife.

A spokesman for the RSPCA branch in Thanet, Kent, said: 'Such heart-breaking decisions are having to be made right now in terms of wildlife care.

'Let's hope things will improve soon without too many more beautiful birds losing their lives.

'We are taking in other wildlife at the animal centre if needed, just sadly aren't able to take in birds.'

A spokesman for the charity's Brighton branch said they shared the news 'with great sadness'.
Uvalde's scandal-hit police chief has stepped down from his position in the City Council just weeks after being sworn-in.

Pete Arredondo announced his resignation from the council Friday, and said he was leaving 'to minimize further distractions.'

He was elected on May 7 and sworn in on May 31 - seven days after gunman Salvador Ramos, 18, murdered 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in the Texan city.

Arredondo has been blasted for letting Ramos rampage unchecked for an hour, and has faced calls to quit as police chief too.

'The mayor, the city council, and the city staff must continue to move forward to unite our community once again,' Arredondo said in his resignation, first reported by the Uvalde Leader-News.

Uvalde School Police Chief Pete Arredondo, second from left, has stepped down from his position in the City Council just weeks after being sworn in following allegations that he erred in his response to the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School that left 19 students dead

Arredondo said in letter he was stepping down 'to minimize further distractions'

The front page of the Uvalde Leader-News from Sunday, July 3rd is pictured

Arredondo, who has been on administrative leave from his school district position since June 22, has declined repeated requests for comment from The Associated Press. His attorney, George Hyde, did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment Saturday.

On June 21, the City Council voted unanimously to deny Arredondo a leave of absence from appearing at public meetings as outrage over the 'terrible decisions' he's accused of taking on the day of the shooting rumbles on. Relatives of the shooting victims had pleaded with city leaders to fire him.

The Uvalde City Council released Arredondo's resignation letter Saturday, after city officials received notification of his intent to step down via email, but did not comment further.

Representatives of Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin have not responded to AP's requests for comment.

Many parents and relatives of children and staff at Robb Elementary School have expressed anger over delays in police action after gunman entered the school

Uvalde residents Kim Hammond, right, and Donna Torres protest for accountability and the removal of Uvalde schools Police Chief Pete Arredondo, next to the memorial for the victims of the Robb Elementary School shooting, at Uvalde Town Square, Texas last month

A camera shows officers with rifles and at least one ballistic shield inside at 11:52am - only 19 minutes after the gunman entered two classrooms. Officers had rifles and a ballistic shield on site in minutes - but still waited an hour to enter classroom

Col. Steven McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, told a state Senate hearing last month that Arredondo - the on-site commander - made 'terrible decisions' as the massacre unfolded on May 24 , and that the police response was an 'abject failure.'

Three minutes after 18-year-old Salvador Ramos entered the school, sufficient armed law enforcement were on scene to stop the gunman, McCraw testified. Yet police officers armed with rifles stood and waited in a school hallway for more than an hour while the gunman carried out the massacre.

The classroom door could not be locked from the inside, but there is no indication officers tried to open the door while the gunman was inside, McCraw said.

McCraw has said parents begged police outside the school to move in and students inside the classroom repeatedly pleaded with 911 operators for help while more than a dozen officers waited in a hallway. Officers from other agencies urged Arredondo to let them move in because children were in danger.

Children run to safety after escaping from a window during a mass shooting at Robb Elementary School where a gunman killed nineteen children and two adults in Uvalde, Texas,in May

19 children and 2 teachers who died in the mass shooting are displayed at a makeshift memorial at Robb Elementary school in Uvalde

'The only thing stopping a hallway of dedicated officers from entering room 111 and 112 was the on-scene commander who decided to place the lives of officers before the lives of children,' McCraw said.

Arredondo has tried to defend his actions, telling the Texas Tribune that he didnt consider himself the commander in charge of operations and that he assumed someone else had taken control of the law enforcement response.

He said he didn't have his police and campus radios but that he used his cellphone to call for tactical gear, a sniper and the classroom keys.

It's still not clear why it took so long for police to enter the classroom, how they communicated with each other during the attack, and what their body cameras show.

Officials have declined to release more details, citing the investigation.

Arredondo, 50, grew up in Uvalde and has spent much of his nearly 30-year career in law enforcement in the city.
Dr David Mackereth (pictured) lost his battle against the DWP because he refused to refer to people by their preferred pronoun instead of their biological sex

An NHS doctor barred from working as a disability assessor for refusing to call transgender people by their preferred pronouns is taking his case to the Court of Appeal, arguing that to let the matter drop would be to accept an Orwellian world of 'compelled speech'.

Former A&E medic Dr David Mackereth has been fighting for redress since being told he could not be an assessor for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) if he refused to call a trans woman 'she' or a trans man 'he'.

Dr Mackereth, a committed Christian, said to do so would run counter to both his scientific and religious beliefs  that a person was born either male or female and that was an immutable biological fact. He was consequently thrown off an assessor training course in 2018.

He has twice lost legal cases in which he argued he was wrongly barred from the post and discriminated against for his beliefs.

At the original tribunal and at appeal, judges said the DWP was right to seek to protect those being assessed.

But last night Dr Mackereth vowed to press on. He said: 'My case affects everyone, not just me and Bible-believing Christians, but anyone who is concerned by compelled speech and transgender ideology being enforced on the NHS and other public services.

'Everyone in the NHS should be able to say publicly, without fear, that a person cannot change sex, but instead we are being forced to accept a massive change to our concept of the medical reality of sex, with no scientific basis for that change.'

In 2019 an employment tribunal dismissed his case, with tribunal Judge Perry saying the doctor's beliefs were 'unworthy of respect in a democratic society' and 'incompatible with human dignity'. Dr Mackereth appealed.

Last month an Employment Appeal Tribunal said the 2019 tribunal had 'erred' in some respects, but backed its decision to throw his case out.

Mrs Justice Eady said Dr Mackereth's beliefs, that God created humans 'male and female', and his rejection of the view that people can switch gender depending on how they identify, did count as protected beliefs under both the Equality Act and the Human Rights Act.

Last month an Employment Appeal Tribunal said the 2019 tribunal had 'erred' in some respects, but backed its decision to throw his case out. Pictured: Court of Appeal

But she concluded the 2019 tribunal had been right to exclude Dr Mackereth from being a disability assessor, as this step was 'necessary and proportionate' to protect 'potentially vulnerable service users'.

The judgement was last night criticised as 'confusing and muddled' by Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, which is supporting Dr Mackereth. She said: 'The way in which the judge has driven a wedge between holding a belief and manifesting it means these basic Christian beliefs are protected on paper but not in practice.

'The freedom to hold a belief, but not be able to express it, is no freedom at all. This ruling means that you can believe it is impossible to change sex, but if you live out that belief as a doctor your job may be at risk.'
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Celebrities descended on Silverstone today, with Keanu Reeves and Gordon Ramsey among the stars to watch Lewis Hamilton qualify in fifth for tomorrow's British Grand Prix.

Keanu was trying to keep a low profile in a battered old red cap against a smart black suit over a casual black vee-neck t-shirt to saunter to the Formula 1 VIP area where he watched Carlos Sainz take the first pole position of his career at a rain-soaked Silverstone.

The Matrix star, 57, sported his now-trademark shaggy beard and scraggily long hair increasingly inflected with dashes of grey as the Ferrari man held his nerve in tricky conditions to pip Red Bulls Max Verstappen by 0.072sec to start the British Grand Prix from the front.

F1-mad Gordon Ramsay, donning aviator sunglasses, was also present at Silverstone, fresh from his jaunt to Saudi Arabia to watch the Formula 1 in Riyadh.

Celebrities descended on Silverstone today, with Keanu Reeves and Gordon Ramsey among the stars to watch Lewis Hamilton qualify in fifth for tomorrow's British Grand Prix

Gordon Ramsay and his daughter Holly Ramsay pose for a photo in the Red Bull Racing garage during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone

The Queen's first cousin, Prince Michael of Kent, was also in attendance under the Northampton rain, after announcing he is set to retire from public life

Lewis Hamilton was all smiles after qualifying in fifth place ahead of the British Grand Prix 2022 at Silverstone tomorrow

Sainz's Ferrari qualified fastest at a rain-soaked Silverstone ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen

Sainz said he could win but knows that Verstappen (left) and Leclerc (right) will race very hard

He paid a visit to the Red Bull garage during the qualifying session with his daughter Holly and was seen chatting with technicians and engineers working on the multimillion-dollar cars.

The Queen's first cousin, Prince Michael of Kent, was also in attendance under the Northampton rain, after announcing he is set to retire from public life.

Regardless of the weather, it was a relief that some real action was taking place after a week mired in racist slurs and bickering.

Keanu was trying to keep a low profile in a battered old red cap against a smart black suit over a casual black v-neck t-shirt

F1-mad Gordon Ramsay, donning aviator sunglasses, was also present at Silverstone, fresh from his jaunt to Saudi Arabia to watch the Formula 1 in Riyadh

Prince Michael of Kent attends for the Formula 1 qualifying sessions at Silverstone today

Lewis Hamilton, the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team member during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone

Lewis Hamilton qualified fifth and will be hoping for improvement in the race on Sunday

Lewis Hamilton was fifth fastest on his home track, a place behind Sergio Perez of Red Bull, while Brits Lando Norris and George Russell were sixth and eighth for McLaren and Mercedes respectively.

A chaotic qualifying run saw the Ferrari man bag the special honour of leading the field on a rain-drenched Silverstone, beating Red Bulls Max Verstappen by 0.072sec to start from the front.

However, speaking after qualifying Sainz said he thought his winning lap being the best of the day was surprising as he wasn't hugely impressed with it himself.

Carlos Sainz said he was surprised at taking his first ever pole position at the British Grand Prix

Stefano Domenicali, CEO of the Formula One Group, meets Keanu Reeves today after final practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone tomorrow

Prince Michael of Kent is shown around the Mercedes Petronas garage during the qualifying sessions at Sliverstone today in which Lewis Hamilton placed fifth for tomorrow's Grand Prix

]Matrix star Keanu Reeves, 57, sported his now-trademark shaggy beard and scraggily long hair increasingly inflected with dashes of grey

'It was a good lap, but I was struggling a lot with the standing water on the intermediate, there was a lot more standing water, even on the racing line, and it was very easy to get snaps and lose the lap,' Sainz said.

'It was also more difficult to get temperature into this intermediate for this condition.

Sainz now fancies his chances at recording his maiden F1 victory on Sunday, with the Ferraris pace a key factor in their success this season.

TV Chef Gordon Ramsay is seen mixing it in the Red Bull garage before qualifying

Carlos Sainz took the first pole position of his career at a rain-soaked Silverstone on Saturday

The build up to this year's British Grand Prix has been mired in controversy, with Lewis Hamilton calling for older figures in the world of racing, such as Ecclestone and Sir Jackie Stewart, to no longer be given a platform because 'enough is enough' after Nelson Piquet's racial slur.

Hamilton was responding to Piquet calling him a variant of the n-word and Ecclestone's defence of Vladimir Putin as a 'first-class person'. Stewart said last week that Hamilton, 37, should retire.
A collection of letters the Prince of Wales wrote to the former head of his American foundation has thrown fresh light on his controversial fundraising activities.

The cache shows how closely involved Charles was in trying to secure contributions from wealthy donors, in contrast to official assertions from Clarence House that he kept himself at arms length from such decisions.

Written in his characteristically clear but spidery handwriting, the correspondence with Robert Higdon, when he was managing director of the Prince of Wales Foundation USA, has been put up for sale by a leading collector of Royal memorabilia.

The 19 letters show he took a close interest in the fundraising, even taking time on Christmas Day and New Years Eve to write about tactics.

In one, he complains about throwing a Clarence House dinner for potential donors before they had pledged any money, saying: I fear I was not amused as, of course, it was a total waste of my time!

A number of letters up for auction from Prince Charles show that he was involved in trying to secure contributions from wealthy donors, despite Clarence House saying he was only involved from a distance

Previously Charless courtiers have issued statements insisting his charities operate independently of the Prince himself in relation to all decisions around fundraising and that it is the trustees who are responsible for all operational and governance duties.

Last week, it was revealed that the Prince had received 2.58 million in cash from a Qatari sheik, including one payment of 1 million in a suitcase delivered to him personally at Clarence House in 2015 and another cash donation made in bags from upmarket grocer Fortnum & Mason.

All the money was handed to Coutts bank and deposited in the accounts for his charitable organisation, the Prince of Wales Fund, and there is no suggestion of wrongdoing. The Princes office now say a cash payment would not happen again.

Mr Higdon ran the Washington-based Prince of Wales Foundation from 1997 to 2011. He raised millions for the charity but his high salary  a reported 500,000 a year  attracted criticism. Further controversy came over his introduction of American fundraising methods into what had previously been a rather staid  and controlled  Royal world.

Pictured: The 19 letters show he took a close interest in the fundraising

The 19 letters offered for sale at $3,500 (3,000) each, were written between 1997 and 2008. In one, dated December 31, 2008, the Prince bemoans the fact that wealthy philanthropist Lee Annenberg, the widow of Walter Annenberg, a former US ambassador to Britain, had donated only $100,000 (82,000) towards a visitors centre at the Castle of Mey, the late Queen Mothers Scottish estate.

He wrote: As you can imagine... trustees are very sad a bit more help wasnt possible, particularly in view of Walters great affection for my grandmother... I hate being a bore about this but I must just make one final plea to see if we could get a bit nearer to the $1.4 million that [was] hoped for? Forgive my pestering, especially at New Year, but I feel I owe it to my darling grandmother to do as fine a job as possible with this building.

Prince Charles wrote letters to Robert Higdon, the managing director of the Prince of Wales Foundation USA from 1997 to 2011

The prince reportedly accepted the donations for his charity the Prince of Waless Charitable Fund (PWCF) from Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim between 2011 and 2015

In another letter, dated June 21, 1997, and written on notepaper from his private Gloucestershire residence Highgrove House, he praises Mr Higdon for organising a dinner where all the charitable donations were made in advance.

Charles wrote: I cant tell you what a difference it made to my morale to know, in advance, that the money had already been raised!

He also wrote about a conversation he had after dinner with two guests who mentioned what vast amounts of personal wealth are waiting to be tapped...

In the same letter the Prince reveals one guest muttered something about having no children to leave all his money to & how interested he was in my foundation. And he talks about raising money by selling prints of his watercolours.

The letters include a memorandum dated August 14, 2004, in which the Prince expresses his frustration at having to attend dinners without having secured charitable donations up front.

I only wish they would listen to you as regards not holding dinners unless people have committed to help in advance, he told Mr Higdon. When I hear that this was the case recently for the dinner I had to give at Clarence House, I fear I was not amused as, of course, it was a total waste of my time!

The Los Angeles-based collector who put the letters on sale, Alicia Carroll, purchased the letters from the estate of Mr Higdon shortly after his death in 2018 aged just 58. They are now published in full on her Everything Royal website and have been sent to her 92,000 email subscribers.

Mr Higdon, who was hired to boost Prince Charless profile with American benefactors, had previously worked with the US branch of Margaret Thatchers foundation. He also worked with Charless former valet Michael Fawcett who is now at the centre of a police probe into revelations in The Mail on Sunday that he offered to help a Saudi tycoon obtain both British citizenship and a knighthood.

A Clarence House spokesman said: The Prince naturally encourages his charities to deliver their objectives, transforming the lives of millions of people. But decisions on whether to accept donations are a matter for the charity concerned and not the Prince himself.
A dramatic new video shows the Ukrainians attacking Snake island to destroy Russian equipment left on the strategic outpost.

Russian troops hastily abandoned Snake Island on Thursday, just days after Ukraine's armed forces launched a crippling rocket attack on the outpost, in what they claimed was a 'good will gesture'.

Putin's remaining troops on the island fled in the middle of the night in two speedboats with the rocky outcrop left 'covered in fire' following a fresh volley of rocket attacks on remaining Russian positions, Ukraine's military said.

The Russians made unsuccessful attempts to destroy their remaining equipment abandoned on the island, to keep it from falling into Ukrainian hands and being turned against its creators.

But in the end, the Ukrainian military had to do it for them.

The slick video, produced by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, opens with smooth close-ups of a Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drone, which have been so effective in the war so far.

High-resolution footage of Snake Island on the Black Sea horizon precedes military drone footage of a Russian supply truck sitting on a jetty.

A white blob glides into the shot and obliterates the truck in a white flash, leaving the jetty ablaze.

A Russian supply truck sitting abandoned on a jetty on Snake Island explodes when it is hit by a Turkish drone

A Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drone, which have been so effective in the war so far, was responsible for firing the missile

The Russians made unsuccessful attempts to destroy their remaining equipment abandoned on the island, to keep it from falling into Ukrainian hands and being turned against its creators

Russian troops hastily abandoned Snake Island on Thursday, just days after Ukraine's armed forces launched a crippling rocket attack on the outpost, leaving behind equipment

A white blob glides into the shot and obliterates the truck in a white flash, leaving the jetty ablaze

The 100-acre hunk of land is a favourable strategic position, sitting some 80 miles off Ukraine's southern coastline in the Black Sea. Russia seized the island early in the war and had largely managed to maintain control of it despite intermittent attacks from Ukraine's armed forces

The Bayraktar drone attack followed Ukrainian claims that Russia had dropped prohibited phosphorus bombs on the island after abandoning it this week.

General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, 48, said: 'The Russians tried to destroy their equipment, weapons and belongings on Snake Island. But as usual, they failed with this task.

'We helped the occupants to forever evacuate the remains of their garrison from our island.

'There is no trace left of the so-called ''Russian Soul''. Everything is going to be Ukraine.'

The term 'Russian soul' has been used in literature in reference to the uniqueness of the Russian national identity. The term is also sometimes denoted as 'great Russian soul', 'mysterious Russian soul', or 'Russian spirit'.

The Ukrainian general claimed that after abandoning the Black Sea island, the Russians had dropped prohibited phosphorus bombs on the outpost.

Head of Zelensky's office Andriy Yermak this morning shared a photo of smoke rising from the island following yet another attack last night

Russia has announced it is leaving Snake Island just days after Ukraine launched a major rocket attack on the outpost (pictured here before the war)

Zaluzhnyi said: 'The leadership of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation does not even adhere to its own statements, which declare a 'gesture of goodwill' [in retreating from Snake Island].

Two Russian Su-30 aircraft twice launched air strikes using incendiary phosphorus bombs on Snake island, he said.

At the time the island is believed to have been uninhabited.

The 100-acre parcel of land 80 miles off Ukraine's southern coast was seized by Kremlin forces in the early days of the war but has been pounded by Ukrainian forces in recent weeks in a major offensive involving long-range weapons.

Russia's defence ministry immediately tried to paint the retreat as a 'gesture of goodwill' designed to help the flow of grain exports as it confirmed the withdrawal of its troops.

But the retreat represents a humiliating strategic blow for Putin in a war that has seen him lose tens of thousands of soldiers and vast amounts of military equipment.

The island is of high strategic importance despite its minuscule size because its location makes it possible for the owner to control maritime activity south of Ukraine, particularly around the major port city of Odesa.

The strategic island has been in dispute since early in the four-month war when Ukrainian defenders famously told an approaching Russian warship to 'go f*** yourself'.

The Russian cruiser - the Moskva - was later sunk in a Ukrainian missile strike, perhaps Vladimir Putin's biggest single humiliation of the war.
The Tesla entrepreneur returned to the social media site he's attempting to purchase for $44 billion on Friday evening and shared a photo with the pope.

Musk is the sixth Twitter user to exceed 100 million followers, as he now has 100,059,886 followers.

Elon Musk Returned to Twitter After Several Days of Inactivity

After nine days of being silent, Elon Musk resumed his Twitter activity.

The Tesla billionaire returned to the social media platform he is trying to acquire for $44 billion on Friday evening, posting a memorial to a YouTuber who passed away from cancer, a photo of his four boys seeing Pope Francis and a memory from his 40th birthday weekend.

Musk gave a tribute via tweet to the late Minecraft YouTuber Technoblade with 12 billion followers, who recently died at the age of 23. He said that the YouTuber's death made him understand that cancer is an idiotic piece of actual rubbish and death.

Additionally, he encourages individuals to live their best lives with others who know, so they may not regret not doing anything with them if they pass away the next day.

The photo of the wealthiest man in the world standing next to the pope was posted on the social media network he is attempting to acquire for $44 billion, along with the remark, 'Honored to meet @pontifex yesterday.'

Musk's four teenage sons are also seen, but his 18-year-old transgender daughter, who tried to alter her name and cut off contact with him on June 20, is not. In all, Musk is the father of eight kids.

It was unclear at first why Musk met with the pope or where they went.

Musk said last month that there were still a few issues with the purchase of Twitter that needed to be worked out, including the number of spam users on the platform and the completion of the debt side of the transaction.

Read Also: Virgin Orbit Rocket Carries 7 U.S. Defense Satellites in a Launch

More Than 100 Million People Follow Elon Musk on Twitter Now

Elon Musk has reached the milestone of having 100 million Twitter followers, making him the sixth user to do so. Musk reached the milestone, according to SocialBlade, on June 26 and 27, garnering more than 150,000 followers in that period. Musk now has 100,059,886 followers as of this writing.

The achievement of the milestone is intriguing for a few reasons. The first is the obvious one: Musk is presently in the process of purchasing Twitter for $44 billion, which might one day place him in the rare position of being the only CEO of a significant social media network who really knows how to use their network.

Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, posts news releases mostly on his Facebook page, while Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, has an equally cloying presence on the website he oversees.

It's very striking how Musk uses Twitter differently from the other five accounts that have surpassed the 100 million follower threshold. While Rihanna, Katy Perry, and Cristiano Ronaldo have the types of Twitter presences that could only emerge from the collective brain of a highly trained comms team, Barack Obama's account changes often. Still, they are a bit as thoughtful and presidential as expected.

The second curious aspect of Musk surpassing 100 million followers is how many are fake. Twitter estimates that fewer than 5% of its accounts are bots, but Musk thinks it may be significantly more. In line with this issue, he has threatened to cancel his acquisition of Twitter if it doesn't improve its forecasts.

There are still questions over whether Musk is really bothered by Twitter spam bots or if he's just using them as an excuse to get a better deal on purchasing Twitter. Regardless, it seems that in response to Musk's assertions, Twitter has provided him with a firehose of its data.

Read Also: Bots are Twitter's Problem and Not China, Says Elon Musk
The cost of a plane ticket is too cheap and prices must increase, according to the boss of Ryanair.

Michael OLeary said fares that cost less than a train ticket to the airport are absurd.

He predicted that flight prices will rise for the next five years as soaring fuel costs and environmental charges take their toll.

Prices on many routes are cheaper than they were a decade ago. But according to a recent report in the US, fares rose 18 per cent in April  the biggest increase since 1963.

OLeary said he took credit for the era of low- cost flying  pushing down prices with a no-frills service alongside other entrepreneurs such as easyJets Stelios Haji-Ioannou.

But he told the Financial Times: Its too cheap for what it is. I find it absurd every time that I fly to Stansted, the train journey into central London is more expensive than the air fare.

Michael OLeary said fares that cost less than a train ticket to the airport are absurd. He predicted that flight prices will rise for the next five years as soaring fuel costs and environmental charges take their toll

It has been my doing [taking prices so low]. I made a lot of money doing it. But ultimately, I dont believe air travel is sustainable over the medium term at an average fare of 40 (34). Its too cheap at that. But I think, you know, it will still be very cheap and affordable at 50 and 60.

The 10.10pm flight from London Stansted to Milan Bergamo airport in Italy on September 13 was on sale yesterday for 9.99 on Ryanairs website.

A return flight a fortnight later at 6am was the same price, taking the total cost to 19.98.

That is less than a one-way ticket from London to Stansted on September 13, arriving around two hours before the flight would depart, currently priced at 20.70.

But the sentiments are in contrast to comments he made in April to Irelands RTE.

For all the talk about taxing air travel and the end of air travel... the era of the cheap flight is not coming to an end, OLeary said.

The 10.10pm flight from London Stansted to Milan Bergamo airport in Italy on September 13 was on sale yesterday for 9.99 on Ryanairs website

He told the broadcasters Countrywide radio programme that he believed Ireland needed low-cost flights and our tourism depends on people flying in here. Airlines have seen a surge in demand since the end of lockdown restrictions in March.

But the impact of long periods of grounded flights, rising costs and savage air industry job cuts during the crisis have left some carriers struggling to meet the demand. Thousands of aviation jobs were cut during the Covid pandemic and many businesses in the sector have struggled to recruit enough new staff in time to cope with the summer peak.

Passengers at Heathrow and other airports last week complained of long queues, cancelled flights and lost baggage.

Meanwhile, planned strikes at airlines threaten to cause yet more travel chaos for British holidaymakers in the coming weeks. Staff at Ryanair are taking industrial action in disputes over pay.

British Airways staff at Heathrow airport have also voted to strike after the airline failed to reinstate a 10 per cent pay cut imposed during the pandemic.

The airline has offered a 10 per cent one-off bonus but not a return to the same pay as before.
Police are hunting a gang after a 23-year-old man was dumped outside a Liverpool hospital with life changing injuries after being shot in his back and legs.

Officers rushed to Croxdale Road West at around 4.55pm this afternoon, July 2, to reports of a shooting, believed to have been a 'targeted attack'.

A 23-year-old man then presented at hospital at around 5.10pm with gunshot wounds to his legs and back after being dropped off in a vehicle, which then left the scene.

Merseyside Police said the man's injuries are 'life changing'.

Police are hunting a gang after a 23-year-old man was dumped outside a Liverpool hospital with life changing injuries after being shot in his back and legs. Pictured, police at Croxdale Road West

Chief Inspector Col Rooney said officers believe it was a 'targeted attack'.

The man is being treated in hospital where he is in a stable condition. Police said the offender is reported to have left the scene in a white Seat Leon car.

Chief Inspector Col Rooney said: 'The investigation is in its very early stages and extensive work is underway to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident, but we do believe it was a targeted attack.

'Fortunately the victim's injuries are not life threatening, but they are significant and will require surgery and a lengthy period of recovery.

'We have a large police presence in the area carrying out enquiries and I would encourage anyone who witnessed any part of the incident to come forward and tell us what they know.

Officers rushed to Croxdale Road West (pictured) at around 4.55pm this afternoon, July 2, to reports of a shooting, believed to have been a 'targeted attack'

'I would also ask anyone who was in the area at around 4.55pm, who may have seen anyone acting suspiciously shortly before or after the incident to contact us.

'If you think you may have captured anything significant on your mobile phone, dashcam or Ring doorbell, please contact us as a matter of urgency as your footage could prove vital to our investigation.'

Crime scene investigators are carrying out forensic examinations at the scene and house-to-house enquiries are underway. Officers will also be looking at CCTV from the area to identify the offender.

Chief Inspector Rooney added: 'We will have increased patrols in the area in the coming hours and days, and a cordon is in place while crime scene investigations are being carried out.

Crime scene investigators are carrying out forensic examinations at the scene and house-to-house enquiries are underway. Pictured, police at the scene

'Officers will also be reviewing CCTV footage in the area and do everything in their power to identify those responsible so they can be brought to justice.

'There is no place for guns on the streets of Merseyside. We conduct warrants, stop checks and land searches day in day out to disrupt those who carry and store weapons.

'You can help us take them out of circulation and put offenders before the courts, by telling us where weapons are being stored and who is carrying them.

'Spare others the agony of an incident such as this, and contact us with any information you have on firearms and we will take action.'

Anyone with CCTV, dashcam or doorbell footage or information about the incident is asked to contact the force's social media desk on Twitter @MerPolCC or Facebook 'Merseyside Police Contact Centre' with reference 676 of 2 July.

People can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or via its online form.
The Prince of Waless charity that has been accused of offering cash for access is hiring a new compliance manager to ensure the proper use of its funds, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

The Princes Foundation, based at Dumfries House in Ayrshire, is at the centre of an official probe over its fundraising activities, including claims Michael Fawcett, the Princes former aide and foundation chief executive, helped broker a knighthood and British citizenship for a billionaire Saudi donor.

Now the Princes embattled passion project has advertised for a new compliance and internal audit manager with either legal or accountancy training.

Prince Charles' charity, which has been accused of offering cash for access, is looking for a new internal audit manager to make sure its funds are being used properly (pictured attending the Queen's Body Guard for Scotland)

Michael Fawcett (pictured) , the foundation's former chief executive, has been accused of helping broker a knighthood and British citizenship for a billionaire Saudi donor

They will ensure the charity meets all legal standards and develops policies on subjects including anti-money laundering; conflicts; anti-bribery and corruption.

The notice on its website points out this is not an exhaustive list of responsibilities and adds the newly-created role will improve our operations by bringing a systematic and disciplined approach to our risk management, control and compliance processes.

A spokeswoman said the role would support the growth of the foundation as it continues to deliver its impactful charitable activities.
Disgraced MP Chris Pincher was last night at the centre of explosive new claims about his behaviour, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

In disturbing testimonies, two further people have come forward to tell how the former Deputy Chief Whips lecherous advances left them feeling disgusted and uncomfortable.

One alleged victim said he received unwanted sexual attention from Mr Pincher ten years ago when he was in his early 20s at an event in London.

Meanwhile a former parliamentary researcher has revealed the MP threatened to report her to her boss when she tried to block his pestering of a young man at Conservative Party conference in 2013.

Last night, his alleged victim who has chosen to remain anonymous, said he was appalled that Mr Pincher had been able to continue targeting young men.

Disgraced MP Chris Pincher was last night at the centre of explosive new claims about his behaviour, The Mail on Sunday can reveal

He said: I am shocked that he has been able to get away with it for so long. Hes obviously got a drinking problem, he drinks and then does these things.

In another blow to Mr Pincher, the former parliamentary researcher described how she was sitting with the MP and a young man in his early 20s at a post-conference event when the MP started making lingering verbal and visual advances towards him.

Speaking exclusively to The Mail on Sunday last night, she said: Chris kept making visual and verbal suggestions and I could tell the guy was getting a bit uncomfortable, so he and I started chatting a lot more.

He was both eyeing him up and making comments about how the guy looked. We were chatting almost in a weird way to make it clear that the guy wasnt in that space, and Chris just seemed to get jealous and angry.

I made some kind of jokey remark towards Chris, not about the situation because I wouldnt dare  he was an MP  but it was really funny, really light hearted and he turned around and snapped and said, Who is your boss?.

For the former researcher, who now works in a different sector, Mr Pinchers behaviour was an example of a flagrant abuse of power. She said: That phrase kept going through my mind, it was an abuse of power. I just kept thinking how nasty he was when he felt that I was in anyway some kind of competition. It was weird.

In disturbing testimonies, two further people have come forward to tell how the former Deputy Chief Whips lecherous advances left them feeling disgusted and uncomfortable

She added: The irony of someone who is a whip having control over peoples secrets when in fact he was in that position himself, I remember thinking how ironic that was. There was just no way people didnt know about it. Everyone knew about it.

Yesterday, a young Conservative activist told how the former Deputy Chief Whip put his hand on his knee and told him he would go far in the party at an event held during the Conservative Party conference in October. He said: It is shocking he was anywhere near the whips office.

Allegations about Pinchers conduct go as far back as 2001, when he is alleged to have acted inappropriately with Olympic rower and Tory activist Alex Story.

The fresh claims are likely to widen the scope of an official parliamentary probe launched on Friday.

'Pincher by name, pincher by nature': How Boris Johnson allegedly described disgraced Tory MP before going on to make him Deputy Chief Whip

By Glen Owen Political Editor

When Chris Pincher wrote in his resignation letter to Boris Johnson that he had drunk far too much and embarrassed myself at the Carlton Club on Wednesday evening, it made it sound as if it was one-off aberration.

But members of the Tory MPs club in Londons St Jamess had become used to seeing Mr Pincher in a state of late-evening disrepair: on another night at the club in May, a fellow drinker told The Mail on Sunday that Mr Pincher was all over the place and they begged him to drink water in an effort to sober him up.

He slurred about how much how he loved the power of being Deputy Chief Whip, the witness said. There were a lot of other MPs there looking very embarrassed about it.

Few of his colleagues were surprised by Mr Pinchers announcement yesterday that he was seeking professional medical support in the wake of his disgrace, having grown used to trading stories about the MP which were striking in their similarities.

When Chris Pincher wrote in his resignation letter to Boris Johnson that he had drunk far too much and embarrassed myself at the Carlton Club on Wednesday evening, it made it sound as if it was one-off aberration

The Mail on Sunday was the first newspaper to publish a story about Mr Pinchers behaviour, revealing five years ago how Alex Story, a former Olympic rower turned Conservative activist, had been the subject of unwelcome attention from Mr Pincher, later describing him as a pound-shop Harvey Weinstein.

Mr Pincher, 52, quit the Whips Office after the story appeared, but returned within two months following an internal party inquiry which concluded that there has not been a breach of the code of conduct. Mr Pincher has been accused of impropriety with a current No 10 aide  denied by both men  and of touching up former Labour MP Tom Blenkinsop, who is said to have told him to f*** off.

Mr Pincher was also said to have made unwanted advances to a Tory MP  and when he was rebuffed was accused of being linked to a phone call subsequently made to the MPs wife containing unfounded allegations of a sexual nature about the MP. Mr Pincher has denied these claims.

It was against this backdrop that Mr Pinchers name was raised in Downing Street in January 2020 as a possible replacement for Mark Spencer as Chief Whip in the reshuffle which took place the following month.

The discussion  a senior member of Mr Johnsons inner circle claims that the Prime Minister said of Mr Pincher: Hes handsy, thats a problem. Pincher by name, pincher by nature  could be seen in the light of Wednesdays events as inappropriately dismissive; one of the main complaints of young staff working in Parliament is that offensive or even illegal behaviour by MPs is often treated as just jolly gossip.

A separate source claimed that Mr Johnson had also noted to aides that he had the support of all the sex pests in the Tory Party as backers for his successful 2019 leadership bid, including Charlie Elphicke, who was sentenced to two years in prison for sexual assault in July 2020; Ross Thomson, who was cleared in October 2020 of allegations of groping young men, and Mr Pincher. He was basically joking that he had cornered the market in sex pests, said the source.

Given his reputation, Mr Pinchers appointment as deputy to Chief Whip Chris Heaton-Harris raised eyebrows across Westminster. It was nearly even more surprising: a four-hour delay in his appointment being announced can now be explained as a successful blocking operation by Steve Barclay, the PMs chief of staff, to stop Mr Johnson from appointing Mr Pincher as the Chief Whip.

Mr Barclay is reported to have contacted the propriety and ethics team in the Cabinet Office to ask for their advice on the idea after he was contacted by an MP who questioned Mr Pinchers suitability for the position. The presumption within the party is that Mr Johnson wanted to reward his loyalty, and in particular for the unofficial whipping operation which Mr Pincher ran to drum up support for him during the Partygate rows.

Mr Barclay will have felt quietly vindicated when he read the accounts of Wednesday evening, with one witness saying that Mr Pincher was seen staggering around the bar lurching towards young men and propositioning them, before being frog-marched out of the club by two Tory MPs and put in a taxi.

One observer said: The guy was so drunk, he could barely speak and was unable to tell the driver where he lived. We had to look it up for him. It was embarrassing to watch and completely out of order.

Mr Johnson agreed to withdraw the whip following a conversation with an MP who had been with one of Mr Pinchers alleged victims, which was sufficiently disturbing to make the PM feel more troubled by all this, a source said.

Last night, one of the two men allegedly assaulted in the Carlton Club told the Sunday Times: I had my drink in my hand and then he went down and grabbed my a*** and then slowly moved his hand down the front of my groin, he claimed.

I froze a little bit and it ended after about two or three seconds.

The question being asked across the Conservative Party this weekend is whether Tamworth MP Mr Pinchers plea to be allowed to rebuild his health and career while an inquiry is under way will stall calls from restive backbenchers, led by powerful Boris-sceptics such as former Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley, for Mr Pincher to be kicked out of the Commons altogether.

Some Tory MPs were irritated by attempts by No 10 to muster sympathy for Mr Pincher on the grounds that he had lost his career

Some Tory MPs were irritated by attempts by No 10 to muster sympathy for Mr Pincher on the grounds that he had lost his career, with one aide comparing the stress he was suffering to that of Dr David Kelly, the weapons expert who killed himself after he was exposed as the source of a BBC report that the Blair governments official dossier on weapons of mass destruction had been sexed up.

Mr Pincher has no plans to show his face in Parliament for a while, A spokesperson for Sir Lindsay Hoyle said last night that the Speaker had been assured that the Member in question will not attend the parliamentary estate for the foreseeable future.

If the police become involved, Sir Lindsay is likely to turn the voluntary move into a formal ban.

It is yet another mis-step on sleaze by a Government which, in the past six months has seen one Conservative MP arrested for rape, a second facing allegations of taking cocaine and groping aides, a third convicted of having sexually assaulted a teenage boy and a fourth admitting watching porn in the Commons.

Two of the cases triggered by-elections which the party lost badly last month, further destabilising Mr Johnsons rocky leadership.

He doesnt want to risk a third one in Tamworth.

'He grabbed me then slowly moved his hands down - I froze,' alleged victim of Chris Pincher claims as it's revealed Boris knew Tory MP faced lurid allegations TWO YEARS before appointing him to senior post

By Glen Owen and Dan Hodges

Boris Johnson knew of lurid allegations about disgraced MP Chris Pincher two years before appointing him to a senior Government job, it was claimed last night.

When Mr Pincher quit as deputy chief whip on Thursday following reports he drunkenly groped two men in a private members club, No 10 said the Prime Minister had not been aware of any allegations before giving him the role.

However, The Mail on Sunday has been told that in 2020, Mr Johnson told aides: Hes handsy, thats a problem. Pincher by name, pincher by nature.

It is also understood that two months ago the Prime Minister was told of claims Mr Pincher had made unwanted advances towards a fellow Tory MP. It is alleged that when he was rebuffed, Mr Pincher contacted the politicians wife with unfounded sexual allegations about the MP as an act of revenge.

Mr Pincher  who has denied these claims but admitted he had drunk far too much and embarrassed myself at the Carlton Club last week  said yesterday that he would be seeking professional medical support following his conduct.

Boris Johnson knew of lurid allegations about disgraced MP Chris Pincher two years before appointing him to a senior Government job, it was claimed last night

Fears are growing in No 10 that the growing scandal could lead to a by-election in Mr Pinchers Tamworth constituency. Although Downing Street tried to draw a line under the affair by suspending him from the party, many Tory MPs are applying intense pressure for him to be stripped of his seat.

In other developments engulfing Downing Street last night:

One of the men who claims to have been groped by Mr Pincher at the Carlton Club on Wednesday accused Mr Johnson of being too slow to suspend the MP, which left him furious and shell-shocked;

A source claimed that Mr Johnson had said in 2019, when he was running for leader, that he had the support of all the sex pests in the party;

A Tory staffer told how Mr Pincher threatened to report her to her boss when she tried to prevent his lecherous advances towards a young man at a Tory party conference;

A new complainant told The Mail on Sunday he had been subjected to unwanted advances from Mr Pincher a decade ago, when he was 24;

MPs circulated claims that a senior Downing Street aide woke to find Mr Pincher in bed with him at a party awayday 12 years ago  although the claims are denied by the aide and Mr Pincher, who also denies the other new allegations against him;

Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle took advice about barring Mr Pincher from the Commons if the police are asked to look into any of the allegations, although the MP has agreed to stay away while the claims are investigated;

Westminster researchers said that when they had complained about the sexual harassment culture in Parliament earlier this year, they were told that Mr Pincher was the person to complain to.

When Mr Pincher quit as deputy chief whip on Thursday following reports he drunkenly groped two men in a private members club, No 10 said the Prime Minister had not been aware of any allegations before giving him the role

Claims that Mr Johnson previously knew Mr Pincher had a reputation for inappropriate behaviour stem from 2020, when the MP was being considered for the role of chief whip in a reshuffle.

A member of the Prime Ministers inner circle told The Mail on Sunday I was in the reshuffle meeting in No 10 when we were discussing making Pincher chief whip. Boris said to us, Hes handsy, thats a problem. Pincher by name, pincher by nature. 

Yet when 52-year-old Mr Pincher quit last week, a No 10 spokesman told reporters that he was not aware of the Prime Minister being aware [of allegations] before any appointment.

Mr Johnson made Mr Pincher deputy chief whip in February this year, moving him from his role as Housing Minister.

It was a return to a position he had previously quit in 2017 after The Mail on Sunday revealed that a former Olympic rower had accused him of an unwanted sexual pass. But an internal party inquiry subsequently concluded he had not breached the code of conduct.

However, The Mail on Sunday has been told that in 2020, Mr Johnson told aides: Hes handsy, thats a problem. Pincher by name, pincher by nature

On Friday, Downing Street defended the decision to return him to the role, saying it was not appropriate to stop an appointment on the basis of unsubstantiated allegations at the time.

In his resignation letter, Mr Pincher admitted that he had drunk far too much and embarrassed myself and other people at the Carlton Club on Wednesday night.

Last night, fresh accounts emerged of his conduct, with one of the two alleged victims coming forward to claim Mr Pincher groped his left buttock before moving his hand around to his groin. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the man told The Sunday Times: I had my drink in my hand and then he then went down and grabbed my a*** and then slowly... moved his hand down the front of my groin. I froze a little bit and it ended after about two or three seconds.

The man, said to be in his mid-twenties, criticised Sarah Dines, another whip whom he said witnessed the incident, for asking if he was gay,

He said: I was a bit taken aback by that and said, Whats that got to do with it  but yes, I am. And her words were, Well, that doesnt make it straightforward. She saw everything, which is why I am so angry.

Friends of Dines told the Sunday Times she was attempting to establish exactly what had happened and that she later reported the incident to her superiors, proving she took the matter seriously.

Other witnesses said Mr Pincher appeared extremely drunk. He was told to leave, but refused, until Mark Fletcher, the Tory MP for Bolsover, physically removed him from the building.

Conservative MPs have told this newspaper that Mr Pincher being inebriated at the club was a familiar sight

On May 10, he was offered water by fellow drinkers who were concerned about his slurring: one said that he had boasted that evening about loving the power of his job.

It is also understood that two months ago the Prime Minister was told of claims Mr Pincher had made unwanted advances towards a fellow Tory MP

Downing Street had suggested the Prime Minister considered the matter closed after Mr Pinchers resignation as deputy chief whip on Thursday. The decision to suspend him as a Tory MP was only taken the following day after a formal complaint was lodged with the Commons conduct watchdog.

Last night Mr Pincher said he respected the Prime Ministers decision to suspend the whip and has pledged to co-operate fully with an inquiry into his behaviour.

He added in a statement: As I told the Prime Minister, I drank far too much on Wednesday night, embarrassing myself and others and I am truly sorry for the upset I caused.

The stresses of the last few days, coming on top of those over the last several months, have made me accept that I will benefit from professional medical support.

I am in the process of seeking that now, and I hope to be able to return to my constituency duties as soon as possible.

A spokesman for Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle said: While we do not comment on specific cases, the Speaker has been assured that the member in question will not attend the Parliamentary estate for the foreseeable future.
Boris Johnson knew of lurid allegations about disgraced MP Chris Pincher two years before appointing him to a senior Government job, it was claimed last night.

When Mr Pincher quit as deputy chief whip on Thursday following reports he drunkenly groped two men in a private members club, No 10 said the Prime Minister had not been aware of any allegations before giving him the role.

However, The Mail on Sunday has been told that in 2020, Mr Johnson told aides: Hes handsy, thats a problem. Pincher by name, pincher by nature.

It is also understood that two months ago the Prime Minister was told of claims Mr Pincher had made unwanted advances towards a fellow Tory MP. It is alleged that when he was rebuffed, Mr Pincher contacted the politicians wife with unfounded sexual allegations about the MP as an act of revenge.

Mr Pincher  who has denied these claims but admitted he had drunk far too much and embarrassed myself at the Carlton Club last week  said yesterday that he would be seeking professional medical support following his conduct.

Boris Johnson knew of lurid allegations about disgraced MP Chris Pincher two years before appointing him to a senior Government job, it was claimed last night

Fears are growing in No 10 that the growing scandal could lead to a by-election in Mr Pinchers Tamworth constituency. Although Downing Street tried to draw a line under the affair by suspending him from the party, many Tory MPs are applying intense pressure for him to be stripped of his seat.

In other developments engulfing Downing Street last night:

One of the men who claims to have been groped by Mr Pincher at the Carlton Club on Wednesday accused Mr Johnson of being too slow to suspend the MP, which left him furious and shell-shocked;

A source claimed that Mr Johnson had said in 2019, when he was running for leader, that he had the support of all the sex pests in the party;

A Tory staffer told how Mr Pincher threatened to report her to her boss when she tried to prevent his lecherous advances towards a young man at a Tory party conference;

A new complainant told The Mail on Sunday he had been subjected to unwanted advances from Mr Pincher a decade ago, when he was 24;

MPs circulated claims that a senior Downing Street aide woke to find Mr Pincher in bed with him at a party awayday 12 years ago  although the claims are denied by the aide and Mr Pincher, who also denies the other new allegations against him;

Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle took advice about barring Mr Pincher from the Commons if the police are asked to look into any of the allegations, although the MP has agreed to stay away while the claims are investigated;

Westminster researchers said that when they had complained about the sexual harassment culture in Parliament earlier this year, they were told that Mr Pincher was the person to complain to.

When Mr Pincher quit as deputy chief whip on Thursday following reports he drunkenly groped two men in a private members club, No 10 said the Prime Minister had not been aware of any allegations before giving him the role

Claims that Mr Johnson previously knew Mr Pincher had a reputation for inappropriate behaviour stem from 2020, when the MP was being considered for the role of chief whip in a reshuffle.

A member of the Prime Ministers inner circle told The Mail on Sunday I was in the reshuffle meeting in No 10 when we were discussing making Pincher chief whip. Boris said to us, Hes handsy, thats a problem. Pincher by name, pincher by nature. 

Yet when 52-year-old Mr Pincher quit last week, a No 10 spokesman told reporters that he was not aware of the Prime Minister being aware [of allegations] before any appointment.

Mr Johnson made Mr Pincher deputy chief whip in February this year, moving him from his role as Housing Minister.

It was a return to a position he had previously quit in 2017 after The Mail on Sunday revealed that a former Olympic rower had accused him of an unwanted sexual pass. But an internal party inquiry subsequently concluded he had not breached the code of conduct.

However, The Mail on Sunday has been told that in 2020, Mr Johnson told aides: Hes handsy, thats a problem. Pincher by name, pincher by nature

On Friday, Downing Street defended the decision to return him to the role, saying it was not appropriate to stop an appointment on the basis of unsubstantiated allegations at the time.

In his resignation letter, Mr Pincher admitted that he had drunk far too much and embarrassed myself and other people at the Carlton Club on Wednesday night.

Last night, fresh accounts emerged of his conduct, with one of the two alleged victims coming forward to claim Mr Pincher groped his left buttock before moving his hand around to his groin. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the man told The Sunday Times: I had my drink in my hand and then he then went down and grabbed my a*** and then slowly... moved his hand down the front of my groin. I froze a little bit and it ended after about two or three seconds.

The man, said to be in his mid-twenties, criticised Sarah Dines, another whip whom he said witnessed the incident, for asking if he was gay,

He said: I was a bit taken aback by that and said, Whats that got to do with it  but yes, I am. And her words were, Well, that doesnt make it straightforward. She saw everything, which is why I am so angry.

Friends of Dines told the Sunday Times she was attempting to establish exactly what had happened and that she later reported the incident to her superiors, proving she took the matter seriously.

Other witnesses said Mr Pincher appeared extremely drunk. He was told to leave, but refused, until Mark Fletcher, the Tory MP for Bolsover, physically removed him from the building.

Conservative MPs have told this newspaper that Mr Pincher being inebriated at the club was a familiar sight

On May 10, he was offered water by fellow drinkers who were concerned about his slurring: one said that he had boasted that evening about loving the power of his job.

It is also understood that two months ago the Prime Minister was told of claims Mr Pincher had made unwanted advances towards a fellow Tory MP

Downing Street had suggested the Prime Minister considered the matter closed after Mr Pinchers resignation as deputy chief whip on Thursday. The decision to suspend him as a Tory MP was only taken the following day after a formal complaint was lodged with the Commons conduct watchdog.

Last night Mr Pincher said he respected the Prime Ministers decision to suspend the whip and has pledged to co-operate fully with an inquiry into his behaviour.

He added in a statement: As I told the Prime Minister, I drank far too much on Wednesday night, embarrassing myself and others and I am truly sorry for the upset I caused.

The stresses of the last few days, coming on top of those over the last several months, have made me accept that I will benefit from professional medical support.

I am in the process of seeking that now, and I hope to be able to return to my constituency duties as soon as possible.

A spokesman for Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle said: While we do not comment on specific cases, the Speaker has been assured that the member in question will not attend the Parliamentary estate for the foreseeable future.

'Pincher by name, pincher by nature': How Boris Johnson allegedly described disgraced Tory MP before going on to make him Deputy Chief Whip

By Glen Owen Political Editor

When Chris Pincher wrote in his resignation letter to Boris Johnson that he had drunk far too much and embarrassed myself at the Carlton Club on Wednesday evening, it made it sound as if it was one-off aberration.

But members of the Tory MPs club in Londons St Jamess had become used to seeing Mr Pincher in a state of late-evening disrepair: on another night at the club in May, a fellow drinker told The Mail on Sunday that Mr Pincher was all over the place and they begged him to drink water in an effort to sober him up.

He slurred about how much how he loved the power of being Deputy Chief Whip, the witness said. There were a lot of other MPs there looking very embarrassed about it.

Few of his colleagues were surprised by Mr Pinchers announcement yesterday that he was seeking professional medical support in the wake of his disgrace, having grown used to trading stories about the MP which were striking in their similarities.

When Chris Pincher wrote in his resignation letter to Boris Johnson that he had drunk far too much and embarrassed myself at the Carlton Club on Wednesday evening, it made it sound as if it was one-off aberration

The Mail on Sunday was the first newspaper to publish a story about Mr Pinchers behaviour, revealing five years ago how Alex Story, a former Olympic rower turned Conservative activist, had been the subject of unwelcome attention from Mr Pincher, later describing him as a pound-shop Harvey Weinstein.

Mr Pincher, 52, quit the Whips Office after the story appeared, but returned within two months following an internal party inquiry which concluded that there has not been a breach of the code of conduct. Mr Pincher has been accused of impropriety with a current No 10 aide  denied by both men  and of touching up former Labour MP Tom Blenkinsop, who is said to have told him to f*** off.

Mr Pincher was also said to have made unwanted advances to a Tory MP  and when he was rebuffed was accused of being linked to a phone call subsequently made to the MPs wife containing unfounded allegations of a sexual nature about the MP. Mr Pincher has denied these claims.

It was against this backdrop that Mr Pinchers name was raised in Downing Street in January 2020 as a possible replacement for Mark Spencer as Chief Whip in the reshuffle which took place the following month.

The discussion  a senior member of Mr Johnsons inner circle claims that the Prime Minister said of Mr Pincher: Hes handsy, thats a problem. Pincher by name, pincher by nature  could be seen in the light of Wednesdays events as inappropriately dismissive; one of the main complaints of young staff working in Parliament is that offensive or even illegal behaviour by MPs is often treated as just jolly gossip.

A separate source claimed that Mr Johnson had also noted to aides that he had the support of all the sex pests in the Tory Party as backers for his successful 2019 leadership bid, including Charlie Elphicke, who was sentenced to two years in prison for sexual assault in July 2020; Ross Thomson, who was cleared in October 2020 of allegations of groping young men, and Mr Pincher. He was basically joking that he had cornered the market in sex pests, said the source.

Given his reputation, Mr Pinchers appointment as deputy to Chief Whip Chris Heaton-Harris raised eyebrows across Westminster. It was nearly even more surprising: a four-hour delay in his appointment being announced can now be explained as a successful blocking operation by Steve Barclay, the PMs chief of staff, to stop Mr Johnson from appointing Mr Pincher as the Chief Whip.

Mr Barclay is reported to have contacted the propriety and ethics team in the Cabinet Office to ask for their advice on the idea after he was contacted by an MP who questioned Mr Pinchers suitability for the position. The presumption within the party is that Mr Johnson wanted to reward his loyalty, and in particular for the unofficial whipping operation which Mr Pincher ran to drum up support for him during the Partygate rows.

Mr Barclay will have felt quietly vindicated when he read the accounts of Wednesday evening, with one witness saying that Mr Pincher was seen staggering around the bar lurching towards young men and propositioning them, before being frog-marched out of the club by two Tory MPs and put in a taxi.

One observer said: The guy was so drunk, he could barely speak and was unable to tell the driver where he lived. We had to look it up for him. It was embarrassing to watch and completely out of order.

Mr Johnson agreed to withdraw the whip following a conversation with an MP who had been with one of Mr Pinchers alleged victims, which was sufficiently disturbing to make the PM feel more troubled by all this, a source said.

Last night, one of the two men allegedly assaulted in the Carlton Club told the Sunday Times: I had my drink in my hand and then he went down and grabbed my a*** and then slowly moved his hand down the front of my groin, he claimed.

I froze a little bit and it ended after about two or three seconds.

The question being asked across the Conservative Party this weekend is whether Tamworth MP Mr Pinchers plea to be allowed to rebuild his health and career while an inquiry is under way will stall calls from restive backbenchers, led by powerful Boris-sceptics such as former Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley, for Mr Pincher to be kicked out of the Commons altogether.

Some Tory MPs were irritated by attempts by No 10 to muster sympathy for Mr Pincher on the grounds that he had lost his career

Some Tory MPs were irritated by attempts by No 10 to muster sympathy for Mr Pincher on the grounds that he had lost his career, with one aide comparing the stress he was suffering to that of Dr David Kelly, the weapons expert who killed himself after he was exposed as the source of a BBC report that the Blair governments official dossier on weapons of mass destruction had been sexed up.

Mr Pincher has no plans to show his face in Parliament for a while, A spokesperson for Sir Lindsay Hoyle said last night that the Speaker had been assured that the Member in question will not attend the parliamentary estate for the foreseeable future.

If the police become involved, Sir Lindsay is likely to turn the voluntary move into a formal ban.

It is yet another mis-step on sleaze by a Government which, in the past six months has seen one Conservative MP arrested for rape, a second facing allegations of taking cocaine and groping aides, a third convicted of having sexually assaulted a teenage boy and a fourth admitting watching porn in the Commons.

Two of the cases triggered by-elections which the party lost badly last month, further destabilising Mr Johnsons rocky leadership.

He doesnt want to risk a third one in Tamworth.

'I'm surprised he has been able to get away with it for so long': More complaints made about disgraced Tory MP Chris Pincher as alleged victim claims 'lecherous' behaviour ten years ago left him feeling 'disgusted and uncomfortable'

By Georgia Edkins Whitehall Correspondent

Disgraced MP Chris Pincher was last night at the centre of explosive new claims about his behaviour, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

In disturbing testimonies, two further people have come forward to tell how the former Deputy Chief Whips lecherous advances left them feeling disgusted and uncomfortable.

One alleged victim said he received unwanted sexual attention from Mr Pincher ten years ago when he was in his early 20s at an event in London.

Meanwhile a former parliamentary researcher has revealed the MP threatened to report her to her boss when she tried to block his pestering of a young man at Conservative Party conference in 2013.

Last night, his alleged victim who has chosen to remain anonymous, said he was appalled that Mr Pincher had been able to continue targeting young men.

Disgraced MP Chris Pincher was last night at the centre of explosive new claims about his behaviour, The Mail on Sunday can reveal

He said: I am shocked that he has been able to get away with it for so long. Hes obviously got a drinking problem, he drinks and then does these things.

In another blow to Mr Pincher, the former parliamentary researcher described how she was sitting with the MP and a young man in his early 20s at a post-conference event when the MP started making lingering verbal and visual advances towards him.

Speaking exclusively to The Mail on Sunday last night, she said: Chris kept making visual and verbal suggestions and I could tell the guy was getting a bit uncomfortable, so he and I started chatting a lot more.

He was both eyeing him up and making comments about how the guy looked. We were chatting almost in a weird way to make it clear that the guy wasnt in that space, and Chris just seemed to get jealous and angry.

I made some kind of jokey remark towards Chris, not about the situation because I wouldnt dare  he was an MP  but it was really funny, really light hearted and he turned around and snapped and said, Who is your boss?.

In disturbing testimonies, two further people have come forward to tell how the former Deputy Chief Whips lecherous advances left them feeling disgusted and uncomfortable

For the former researcher, who now works in a different sector, Mr Pinchers behaviour was an example of a flagrant abuse of power. She said: That phrase kept going through my mind, it was an abuse of power. I just kept thinking how nasty he was when he felt that I was in anyway some kind of competition. It was weird.

She added: The irony of someone who is a whip having control over peoples secrets when in fact he was in that position himself, I remember thinking how ironic that was. There was just no way people didnt know about it. Everyone knew about it.

Yesterday, a young Conservative activist told how the former Deputy Chief Whip put his hand on his knee and told him he would go far in the party at an event held during the Conservative Party conference in October. He said: It is shocking he was anywhere near the whips office.

Allegations about Pinchers conduct go as far back as 2001, when he is alleged to have acted inappropriately with Olympic rower and Tory activist Alex Story.

The fresh claims are likely to widen the scope of an official parliamentary probe launched on Friday.
Sir Keir Starmer would be nothing but a puppet Prime Minister in a weak coalition government where Sir Tony Blair would 'call the shots', it was claimed last night.

Senior Tories said Sir Keir would be just the 'humble CEO to El Presidente Blair' in a minority government propped up by the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish National Party.

They raised fears that would be the result of Labour limping into power on the back of a 'secret' electoral deal to con the British electorate and deny the Tories a Commons majority at the next election, in a return to the days of the Lib-Lab pacts of the 1970s.

The warning comes just days after Sir Tony fuelled talk of a comeback into the front-line of British politics by hosting a 'Future of Britain' conference which included a call to change the UK's voting system.

Sir Keir Starmer would be nothing but a puppet Prime Minister in a weak coalition government where Sir Tony Blair would 'call the shots', it was claimed last night

Last night, Tory MP Richard Holden (above) told The Mail on Sunday: 'It seems increasingly obvious from last week's Blair revival act that this is all designed to lead to a puppet Starmer government in which the current Labour leader acts as the humble CEO to El Presidente Blair'

Sir Keir's Labour and Sir Ed Davey's Lib Dems (leaders above, in June) were accused of a secret 'Rainbow Alliance' electoral pact that helped both parties inflict defeat on Mr Johnson's Tories in two by-elections last month

Broadcaster Andrew Neil wrote in yesterday's Daily Mail that the former prime minister was 'already on manoeuvres' as part of a 'new mission' to oust Boris Johnson at the next General Election by masterminding a centrist movement that is likely to eventually attempt to reverse Brexit.

Mr Neil said the aim of the 'convocation of Remainers' was to 'begin the process of drawing up a new agenda for the centre and centre-Left' which would likely reopen the question of Brexit 'somewhere down the road'.

Sir Keir's Labour and Sir Ed Davey's Lib Dems were accused of a secret 'Rainbow Alliance' electoral pact that helped both parties inflict defeat on Mr Johnson's Tories in two by-elections last month.

Both Labour and the Lib Dems denied that. But it has sparked Tory fears the two rivals will repeat the 'grubby backroom pact' tactic at the next General Election to deny the Conservatives a majority at Westminster.

The Mail on Sunday has been told that senior Liberal Democrat strategists have discussed dusting down plans first drawn up before the 2015 General Election, under which the party would make a number of policy stipulations as a condition for forging an agreement with Labour.

The warning comes just days after Sir Tony fuelled talk of a comeback into the front-line of British politics by hosting a 'Future of Britain' conference (above) which included a call to change the UK's voting system

A party source said they were code-named the 'Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon' plans  because the rooms at the Commons used to hold the discussions with Labour would be booked in that name to avoid arousing any suspicion.

The demands included the introduction of proportional representation and state funding for political parties  post-Brexit, they are expected to be updated to include a commitment to return to the EU Single Market.

Last night, Tory MP Richard Holden told The Mail on Sunday: 'It seems increasingly obvious from last week's Blair revival act that this is all designed to lead to a puppet Starmer government in which the current Labour leader acts as the humble CEO to El Presidente Blair.

'Tony will be the one calling the shots and giving the orders to a weak Starmer.' But Mr Holden added that 'this con trick on the British electorate' can only be achieved with the Liberal Democrats and the SNP propping it up.

'This opens the terrible prospect of a cobbled-together coalition under figurehead Sir Keir ramming through proportional representation (PR) without giving the British people a say in a referendum,' he said.

'That's no surprise as the last time electors were offered a vote on scrapping our hallowed first-past-the-post system, they rejected it.'

The warning was echoed by former Labour MP Ian Austin, who said it would be 'outrageous' if the UK's first-past-the-post system was scrapped in this way.

In an article for The Mail on Sunday, Lord Austin  who quit the party under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership and now sits as a non-affiliated peer  raised fears that PR elections would usher in an era of 'secret horse-trading after every general election', with manifesto pledges simply 'torn up' in power deals after polling day.

To make matters worse, he said it would mean the SNP demanding referendum after referendum until they managed to 'break up Britain'. Lord Austin writes: 'The initial effect of such a deal could be to create a weak Labour government led by Sir Keir Starmer but at the beck and call of the Lib Dems and Scottish National Party. The cost to our country would be enormous.'

Sir Keir is expected to rule out a deal with the SNP to head off the Tory warnings.

But at the heart of those dire concerns are fears the Lib Dems will demand a change to the electoral system but without a referendum, to avoid a repeat of 2011 when electors rejected plans for an 'alternative vote'.

At last week's event hosted by Sir Tony, ex-Tory Cabinet Minister Rory Stewart suggested Britain would be better off with a PR system as it would help centrist politicians as opposed to the current 'adversarial' first-past-the-post rules.
A Cabinet Minister is embroiled in a row over claims that he downplayed the seriousness of rape while discussing plans to give Irish terrorists an effective amnesty for crimes during the Troubles.

Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis faced accusations that he had said rape was a much lesser offence than murder.

Sources told The Mail on Sunday that Mr Lewis used the phrase in private last week to justify rejecting calls for the proposed Troubles amnesty from prosecution to exclude rape offences.

They said the Northern Ireland Secretary insisted it would be wrong to offer offenders legal immunity for murders but refuse to do so for serious sexual offences.

Sources told The Mail on Sunday that Mr Lewis used the phrase in private last week to justify rejecting calls for the proposed Troubles amnesty from prosecution to exclude rape offences

However, MPs disagreed and forced the government to agree to say explicitly that rape offenders would be excluded from the Northern Ireland legacy and reconciliation proposals. Yesterday, Labour MP Jess Phillips  who is campaigning for justice for the 21 killed in the 1974 Birmingham pub bombings, said it was crass and insensitive to compare the seriousness of rape with murder.

But Mr Lewiss office denied last night that he had said rape was much less serious than murder, insisting he had made it clear that rape is a heinous crime. It came as the Government pressed on with proposals to draw a line under prosecutions for offences by either side in the Troubles from the late 1960s to the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

Under the plans, a new Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery will be able to grant immunity from prosecution if it is satisfied that an individual has provided the truth to the best of their knowledge and belief.

But they are opposed by all the main parties in Northern Ireland, while Irish foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney raised fears that many families affected would feel this may be more about protecting perpetrators instead of pursuing justice and getting to the truth.

Birmingham Yardley MP Ms Phillips said the plans were not good enough for the 21 people lying dead with no justice. MPs from across the political divide also protested last week that the immunity offer would extend to rapes.

They refused to accept Northern Ireland Minister Conor Burns insistence that although rape was a hateful, heinous crime, the Government did not believe it could be classed as being Troubles-related.

Former Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith said he had seen letters to rape victims declaring that they are victims of Troubles-related activity, adding: How do they avoid their perpetrators being able to seek an amnesty?

SDLP MP Colum Eastwood said: We know cases in which members of paramilitary organisations raped members of our community. 

The Government accepted Labour spokesman Peter Kyles call to exclude certain sexual offences from immunity. Mr Lewiss office said as a mark of the seriousness with which he regarded rape, we will bring forward an amendment tomorrow to make explicitly clear that the commission cannot grant immunity for sexual offences.

Privately officials say this is simply a clarification of what had always been intended.
The family of a black teenager whose murder inspired the Civil Rights movement in America, will never get justice, it was claimed last night.

Startling new evidence in the 1955 case came to light last week when investigators discovered an unserved arrest warrant for Carolyn Bryant, a white woman who claimed 14-year-old Emmett Till whistled at her in a grocery store, an incident that led to the most infamous lynching in US history.

But last night Devery Anderson, historian and author of the 2016 book Emmett Till: The Murder That Shook the World and propelled the Civil Rights Movement, as well as a family friend of Bryant, who now goes by the name Carolyn Bryant Donham, told The Mail on Sunday that the 87-year-old is in such poor health that he believes justice will never be served with the warrant. Mr Anderson said: She would likely be dead by the time anything went to trial. If they did indict her that would probably do her in.

Shes legally blind, is in a wheelchair and was given just six months to live two years ago when she was diagnosed with cancer. Im surprised shes still alive.

TRAGIC TEENAGER: Emmett Till, with his mother Mamie, who allowed pictures of his mutilated body to be published

Donham has spent the past two decades living with her son and daughter-in-law in Raleigh, North Carolina. Neighbours last night said the family sold the property in April and moved out in May.

Mr Anderson said: The family protects her from hearing news about the case. She probably doesnt know about the 1955 warrant being found. I think she would be a nervous wreck.

Tills family have demanded authorities use the warrant to arrest Donham, who, at the time of the killing was married to one of two white men tried and acquitted of the lynching. Multiple witnesses said Till wolf-whistled at Donham inside a grocery story owned by her then-husband Roy Bryant. The boy was later dragged from his bed in the rural town of Money, Mississippi, by Bryant and his half-brother J. W. Milam.

Till was tortured, shot and dumped naked in a river with a weight tied around his neck. His mother Mamies decision to allow pictures of his mutilated body to be published in newspapers and magazines around the world helped ignite the Civil Rights movement.

KEY ROLE: Carolyn Bryant Donham has not been arrested over the murder

Emmett Till's mother Mamies decision to allow pictures of his mutilated body to be published in newspapers helped ignite the Civil Rights movement Pictured: Friends restrain grief-stricken Mrs. Mamie Bradley (left) as her son's body is lowered into the grave after a four day, open casket funeral

Donham would later testify that Till grabbed her hand and said: How about a date, baby? and, as she pulled away, put his hands on her waist and told her: You neednt be afraid of me, baby. I been with white girls before.

On the night of the lynching, Tills great-uncle Emmett Wright said that when the boy was frogmarched out of his home to a truck, someone in the back was asked, Is this the boy? and the voice that said yes sounded lighter than a mans. Many have speculated Donham was in the truck.

The newly uncovered arrest warrant was found inside a box at a courthouse in Mississippis Leflore County last week by a group that included Till family members.

Donham evaded arrest in 1955 because she could not be located, according to court records.

Deborah Watts, Tills cousin, said: She needs to be arrested now. Justice must be served. In 2007 the case was reopened but a grand jury found insufficient evidence.
Brian Laundrie's father was seen hiking solo in Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park near the site where his son's skeletal remains were found, days after a judge ordered a civil suit against him by Gabby Petito's parents to be heard by a jury.

On Friday morning Christopher Laundrie, 62, wearing sunglasses, shorts, a gray t-shirt, and green hat, appeared pensive as he walked along the rugged Florida trail holding a walking stick in the rare public sighting.

After the walk at the Big Slough Preserve, the elder Laundrie climbed into his red Dodge pick-up truck before driving off.

Gabby Petito's mother Nichole Schmidt, 41 and father Joseph Petito, 42, won the right to sue Brian Laundrie's parents, Christopher and Roberta.

They claim the couple secretly knew their son had murdered their daughter and helped him escape, while publicly expressing hope that Petito would be found safe.

On Friday morning Christopher Laundrie, 62, wearing sunglasses, shorts, a gray t-shirt, and green hat, appeared pensive as he walked along the rugged trail holding a walking stick in the rare public sighting.

After the walk at the Big Slough Preserve, the elder Laundrie climbed into his red Dodge pick-up truck before driving off

Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park is the location where Brian Laundrie's skeletal remains were found days. Christopher Laundrie returned to the site day after a judge ruled in favor of Gabby Petito's parents civil suit

Laundrie had killed his 21-year-old girlfriend in July 2021 after the couple set off in a van for a months long adventure across the US.

The body of the young woman was later found in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming, with a confession found in his notebook.

They were seen on police bodycam footage shot in Moab, Utah, weeks before following an argument in a van that turned violent, although cops ultimately let the couple go on their way.

Laundrie had returned to his parents Florida home before disappearing and taking his own life in a Florida swamp as a massive manhunt ensued.

The elder Laundrie and his wife Roberta, were ordered by a Florida judge to face a jury over a civil suit filed by Gabby Petito's parents.

The Florida judge ruled that the Laundrie's attorney, Steven Bertolino, made 'objectively outrageous' comments when he hoped Petito would be found alive

In the suit, the Petito's claim the Laundrie's and their lawyer were aware that their daughter was dead while they were still desperately searching for her.

Patrick Reilly, the Petitos' lawyer, argued that Laundrie's attorney provided false hope and caused emotional distress when he made statements about the search last year while allegedly knowing Petito was dead, the Sun reported.

Bertolino had issued a statement at the time on behalf of the Laundrie family, saying in part: 'It is our hope that the search for Miss Petito is successful and that Miss Petito is reunited with her family.'

Judge Hunter Carroll said Bertolino's comments allowed for Gabby's parents to seek $30,000 in damages against Christopher, 63, and Roberta Laundrie, 56.

'Because the Laundries' statement by their attorney in the context of the unique faces of this case is objectively outrageous, the Court concludes that Plaintiffs [Petitos] have stated causes of actions for intentional infliction of emotional distress against the Laundries,' Carroll wrote in his decision.

Nichole and Joseph filed a lawsuit against the Laundries, claiming they knew their son had murdered Petito, 22, after he returned alone from their cross country van trip.

Reilly told Sarasota County Court, Florida: 'This is case not simply about the silence of Robert and Christopher Laundrie who knew their son had brutally murdered Gabby Petito.'

He said it also wasn't about their 'callous refusal despite pleas from the Petito family' to speak out about whether not Gabby was alive  or if she wasn't the location of her body.

'It's about a course of conduct that they committed from when they learned on August 28, 2021 that their son had brutally murdered Gabby Petito,' he said.

Carroll appeared to agree with Reilly when he threw out the Laundrie's request to dismiss the lawsuit, saying their action's did not help the desperate Petitos.

'If the facts of this case truly were about silence with no affirmative act by the Laundries, the Court would have resolved this case in the Laundries' favor on the concept of legal duty,' the judge noted, 'but they did not stay silent.'
Thousands of British school pupils have had their private details leaked online by a cyber gang, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Hackers stole private data including photocopies of childrens passports, disciplinary records and child protection reports relating to vulnerable pupils.

Experts last night warned that the hack left some youngsters exposed to grooming by criminal gangs.

The hackers plundered five schools and a sixth form college.

Hackers stole private data including photocopies of childrens passports, disciplinary records and child protection reports relating to vulnerable pupils

The gang, called Vice Society, then uploaded the data on to the so-called dark web after the schools refused to pay a ransom demand.

Philip Ingram, a retired colonel in military intelligence, said: The dark web is used increasingly by serious and organised criminals for a variety of purposes. They look for vulnerability in kids when grooming them for things like running drugs along county lines, for exploitation in paedophile rings or recruitment by terrorist and extremist groups. Any advantage they can get where they can access schoolkids information, especially if it highlights vulnerability, would be a benefit to them.

Leaked documents included named year nine students at Pilton Community College in Barnstaple, Devon, who were classed as vulnerable and working from home during the height of the pandemic early last year.

Other files stolen from The De Montfort School, Evesham, Worcestershire, revealed details of three students caught up in an alleged exam cheating ring.

Another file named a member of staff investigated for a serious breach of the schools code of conduct after swearing at a pupil.

Experts last night warned that the hack left some youngsters exposed to grooming by criminal gangs

The leak also includes a list of four students excluded from St Pauls Catholic College in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey. Another file named a pupil accused of theft and criminal damage. And another named a student who had been excluded after headbutting a fellow student and carrying a knife hidden in blazer lining.

Stolen pupil data was also leaked from Carmel College, St Helens, Merseyside, and Mossbourne Federation in Hackney, London.

Vice Society is believed to have demanded ransom payments from the schools and published the data online as a punishment for their refusal to cooperate. The data was uploaded to the gangs page on the dark web.

The same gang hacked supermarket chain Spar last year, crippling its payment systems.

Ruth Allen, head teacher at De Montfort School, said: The Vice Society contacted us repeatedly in an attempt to extort money. We did not engage with any of their requests and all information was reported to the police. The police supported us throughout this time.

The attack has proven to be very upsetting for all involved. Work to restore the system is still ongoing as we are working through methodically to strengthen our security.

Mossbourne and Carmel College said the incident had been reported to the authorities. Mike Hill, principal of Carmel College, said: We did not engage with the threat. We continue to work through our investigation into this incident, with the wellbeing of our students and staff our absolute priority.

The other schools did not respond to a request for comment.
The government agency in China that regulates the internet said that since the year's beginning, it has eliminated 42,000 fraudulent applications and added illicit marketplaces to its fraud denylist.

Concerns were expressed on Chinese social media about the heist of 1.43 million yuan (210,000 USD) from a man who only paid 741 yuan (110 USD) on an online transaction.

CAC Announced Shut Down of 42,000 Bogus Programs and Blocklistig of Illegal Markets

In the biggest internet market in the world, Chinese officials have intensified a broad campaign to combat online fraud after receiving a warning that scammers have been developing several fake financial services applications to deceive users.

The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), a government agency that monitors the internet, said on Friday (July 1) that it had taken down 42,000 of these fake applications since the year's beginning and had added the illicit marketplaces to its fraud blacklist. More than 3.8 million websites and 514,000 applications are presently on this blocklist.

An increasing number of fake financial applications, according to the regulator, copy well-known platforms like JD Finance, run by JD Technology, a fintech subsidiary of JD.com, and Mashang Consumer Finance, one of the biggest online consumer lenders in the nation.

According to the CAC statement, 5,677 phony applications imitating JD Finance were discovered.

The CAC alleged that sure bogus platforms with state-backed claims have also duped consumers. The enormous figures provided by the CAC reflect the vast potential market-a nation with more than 1.4 billion people-on which these con artists ply their trade.

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A report in April by Xinhua News Agency, which quoted a CAC source, said that in recent years, usage of applications for online scams accounted for nearly 60% of all telecom network-related fraud incidents on the mainland. According to the investigation, the fraudulent applications seem just like platforms for part-time online billing, rapid loans, and even those of big banks.

According to the article, the CAC collaborated with the Ministry of Public Security and other pertinent authorities to monitor these frauds and set up an online early warning system to inform customers.

Theft of 210,000 USD From a Man Concerned Chinese Social Media

The theft of 1.43 million yuan (210,000 USD) from a guy who had only spent 741 yuan (110 USD) on an internet transaction raised concerns on Chinese social media in June this year.

The guy with the last name Han from Dalian in the Liaoning region of northeastern China got a call on December 31, 2021, from someone posing as a customer service representative for an online shopping website.

Han was notified that the firm had chosen to recall items after learning that numerous consumers had sensitivities after taking their sold vitamin C tablets. Han would be given a 741 yuan (110 USD) refund as a result.

Han downloaded a video call software and began a screen share with the person in the hopes of getting his money back, following the person's directions and believing them to be sincere due to the specific information they possessed.

He progressively transferred the balance from his ten bank cards, his wife's five bank cards, and his Alipay deposit. As a result, Han deposited a total of 1,430,000 yuan (213,400 USD) to a bank account given by the con artists, taking into consideration online loans and credit cards.

According to China Central Television, a state-owned broadcaster in China, the procedure took more than half a day before Han realized he had been tricked and phoned the police that evening at 7:00 p.m.

Related Article: China's Newest Regulations Target Livestreamers and Content Creators, Set Qualifications to Post Medical, Law, and Finance Content
A British police force used 'an insane American geography test' to recruit volunteer officers, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Lancashire Constabulary presented candidates applying to be a special constable, a part-time voluntary role, with a list of American cities and asked them to select the incorrect spelling.

Applicants were expected to identify the misspelling of Chattanooga, a city in Tennessee, which was written with only one 't'. Other American locations mentioned in the question were Sioux Falls in South Dakota, Laramie in Wyoming and Cincinnati in Ohio. The test was written in American English and used phrases such as 'vacation'.

The MoS understands that among those rejected for the voluntary role due to failing the written test was an award-winning police officer who has several decades of policing experience.

Among those rejected for the voluntary special constable role due to failing the written test was an award-winning police officer who has several decades of policing experience

Last night, Lancashire Constabulary said they had outsourced the test to UK-based employment agency Reed Recruitment, which sent candidates the wrong test in an 'administrative error'.

Brendan O'Brien, former sergeant in the Greater Manchester Police and founder of police recruitment training agency Bluelight Consultancy, slammed the force for putting candidates through 'an insane American geography test'.

He told the MoS: 'It's not relevant to any position in any police force in this country.'

Chris Farrell, another police recruitment trainer, told the MoS: 'Police forces are missing out on potentially very suitable officers by using automated tests like this.'

he test was written in American English and used phrases such as 'vacation'

Lancashire Constabulary's job advert for prospective Special Constables, which closed on May 22, told hopefuls they would be required to 'demonstrate a high level of attention to detail'.

Last night, Lancashire Constabulary said: 'We will be in contact with all the candidates who have been affected by this so that they can retake the correct test.'

A spokesman for Reed said: 'We're sorry this has happened and are in touch with the small number of candidates this has impacted.'
Mirrored furniture provokes strong emotions. Some see it as the epitome of bad taste, flashy and bling. Others know that mirrors have magic powers.

A mirrored table or cabinet makes a room or a hallway appear more swish and spacious. It's a trick that bars and restaurants employ to ensure their establishments appear roomier and more inviting  and they can add lustre to your home, too.

Choosing a piece of mirrored furniture also sends out a sign that you are aware of one of the year's trends  the return of Art Deco, the influential style that emerged in the 1920s.

Reflections: A mirrored bedside table. The power of the mirror to create an impression has been recognised for centuries

It blended forms that celebrated modern machinery with decorative elements drawn from Greco-Roman culture and nature.

The mirror was a favourite material, used on the surfaces of furniture and walls to supply a shimmering silver and gold effect.

Probably the most famous piece of Art Deco architecture is New York's Chrysler Building. Completed in 1930, its sunburst-patterned stainless steel spire remains one of the key elements of the Manhattan skyline.

Art Deco console tables, drinks trolleys and other items from the era of the building's construction sell for thousands on auction sites such as 1stdibs underlining the growing appeal of this aesthetic.

Jamie Watkins, the co-founder of fabric and wallpaper company Divine Savages, explains Art Deco's allure for a new audience.

'Art Deco, with its bold geometrical patterns was such an iconic period for design: it's synonymous with glamour and luxury.'

The resurgent popularity of Art Deco is also based on its practicality: a mirrored piece works with almost any interior, adding interest and depth.

The power of the mirror to create a wow impression has been recognised for centuries.

Examples of this technique include the round mirror on the wall behind the bride and groom in Jan van Eyck's 1434 Arnolfini Portrait in the National Gallery. It sends out the message that the couple are discerning  and wealthy.

Cheers: B&M's 25 oval drinks trolley with two mirrored shelves

The hall of mirrors in the palace of Versailles was designed to be a place of beauty, but also to display the financial resources of Louis XIV, the Sun King. Mirrors were a luxury item until an inexpensive manufacturing process was invented in the 1830s.

In 2022, it is possible to pick up mirrored pieces for under 100. B&M has a 25 oval drinks trolley with two mirrored shelves that would lend an air of Thirties elegance to any gathering. The 94.99 Ellison serving cart (a U.S. term for drinks trolley) from Wayfair has a similar vibe.

If you believe that the right mirrored trolley would save you money on trips to bars, the larger 144.95 gold oval mirrored trolley from Melody Maison could be the thing.

A mirrored cocktail cabinet will dazzle guests. The 1,200 Primrose & Plum champagne and gold cabinet has a Jazz-Age feel.

The 299 Venetian sideboard from Furniture Market, meanwhile, is a more modestly priced way to conjure up the party spirit of the Roaring Twenties.

The show flats of apartment blocks are often equipped with mirrored cocktail cabinets containing bottles of spirits and crystal glasses. This makes buyers dream of dinner parties, with a prelude of aperitifs, but also serves to make the apartment appear even roomier.

A console table in the hall also creates an illusion of space which can be amplified by the addition of a lamp. HomesDirect365 has a range in the style of almost every era including Art Deco, Regency, the 1960s and the 1970s. Prices start at 233.

The bedroom is often the most cramped room in either a house or flat which is why this can be the best place to experiment with mirrored furniture.

The desire to preserve family harmony is another reason. The other members of your household may prefer the kitchen and living room to be slick and understated, seeing anything mirrored as excessive.

In the bedroom, however, you can indulge your decor fantasies. Habitat has the one-drawer Hepburn bedside table for 76.

Next offers the antique effect Fleur bedside table which costs 225 for the one-drawer version and 275 for the two-drawer version.

The Fleur is also available as a six-drawer chest for 599 or a 1,150 double wardrobe if you seek to waft around your bedroom channelling your inner 1930s Hollywood screen siren.

Dunelm's Venetian mirrored dressing table also offers a chance to live out your dream of silver screen stardom (449).

If mirrored furniture has brought out your party animal, kindling a passion for Art Deco in every guise, Divine Savages offers Deco Martini wallpaper whose design is based on the geometric forms, with a hidden Martini glass within the print (150 per roll).

Some of your guests may not be too busy checking out their reflections on the doors of the mirrored cabinet to notice this subtle and witty detail in the wallpaper.
Full Monty star Hugo Speer has reportedly been sacked from the Disney+ reboot after allegedly inviting woman into his trailer while completely naked.

The actor, 53, who played Guy in the 1997 British comedy, had his contract terminated with 'immediate' effect after allegedly gesturing a runner in her twenties to enter his trailer while he had no clothes on, according to The Sun.

The publication reports that the horrified woman reported Speers' actions to show bosses, who took immediate action.

Shocking: Full Monty star Hugo Speer has reportedly been sacked from the Disney+ reboot after allegedly inviting woman into his trailer while completely naked (pictured in 2021)

Hugo, who has been married to Glaswegian actress Vivienne Harvey since 2015, denies the claims.

It is said that Hugo had been previously warned about walking around his trailer while stark naked before he eventually got the axe after allegedly inviting in a woman.

Defending his actions, The Sun reported that Hugo said to producers: 'All actors walk around their trailer stark b****** naked.'

However, following an investigation, Disney+ reportedly decided to fire the actor, who starred in the original movie 25 years ago.

Axed: The actor, 53, who played Guy in the 1997 British comedy (pictured), had his contract terminated with 'immediate' effect after allegedly gesturing a runner in her twenties to enter his trailer while he had no clothes on, according to The Sun

A source told the publication: 'Speer's sacking has absolutely rocked the cast and crew. But he'd already been warned for supposedly walking around his trailer naked.'

They continued: 'He claimed his towel had slipped from his waist when he opened the door to a woman runner. But there was no sign of anything to hide his modesty, and he apparently fully exposed himself to the girl before beckoning her inside.

'The woman was horrified and did not consider entering his trailer for a second. She was upset, and then angry, and had no hesitation in reporting his behaviour.'

Contract terminated: The publication reports that the horrified woman reported Speers' actions to show bosses, who took immediate action (pictured centre in the film)

Meanwhile, a Disney+ representative told MailOnline: 'Recently, we were made aware of allegations of inappropriate conduct by Hugo Speer on the set of a commissioned production. As is policy, an investigation was launched. Upon its completion, the decision was made to terminate his contract, with immediate effect.'

MailOnline have contacted Hugo Speers' representative for comment.

It is said that the police are not involved in the incident.

Following Hugo's alleged exit from the new series, the publication went on to report that scriptwriters are scrambling to rewrite scenes and plotlines, after filming had already began in March.

Denial: Hugo, who has been married to Glaswegian actress Vivienne Harvey since 2015, denies the claims (Hugo pictured with wife Vivienne in 2019)

A source said: 'Speer's sacking has absolutely rocked the cast and crew. But he'd already been warned for supposedly walking around his trailer naked'

While producers are said to be aware of the irony of firing a Full Monty for stripping naked.

Hugo had initially joined original stars Robert Carlyle, Tom Wilkinson, Mark Addy, and Lesly Sharp for the Disney+ revival of the hit film.

The British comedy was released in 1997 to critical acclaim. For a time it was the highest grossing film in the UK until it was later outsold by Titanic.

The film follows a group of unemployed men in Sheffield during the 1990s as they decide to form a male striptease act in an attempt to make some money.

The series will follow the original band of brothers as they navigate the post-industrial city of Sheffield and society's crumbling healthcare, education and employment sectors.

Comeback: Hugo had initially joined original stars Robert Carlyle, Tom Wilkinson, Mark Addy, and Lesley Sharp for the Disney+ revival of the hit film (L-R Wim Snape, Paul Barber, Robert Carlyle, Hugo, Steve Huison, Lesley Sharp and Mark Addy)

The episodes will explore the brighter, sillier and more humane way forward where communal effort can still triumph over adversity.

The new series will feature the original group of friends over eight episodes, as they navigate post-industrial Sheffield and the struggles faced by crumbling healthcare, education and employment systems.

It will also introduce a whole host of new cast members including children and grandchildren of the returning characters.

The episodes are directed by Andrew Chaplin and Catherine Morshead, and co-written by Alice Nutter with Simon Lewis as Series Producer.

The UK Original series will premiere on Disney+ globally, Star+ in Latin America and Hulu in the US.

The original film is available to stream on Disney+ in the UK. An official release date for the new series is yet to be announced.
Lori Harvey showed off her trim stomach in a revealing denim ensemble on the red carpet of the 2022 Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans on Friday.

The 25-year-old model wore a pale gray denim crop top jacket that showed off her slim stomach and a matching pair of jeans to the event.

She stood on purple high heels and donned matching purple and black headwear as well.

Denim outfit: Lori Harvey showed off her slim stomach in a revealing denim ensemble on the red carpet of the 2022 Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans Friday

She accessorized with a small black purse she held in her right hand.

Later on in the day, the daughter of Steve Harvey took to the stage at the event to speak.

Her short black hair brushed the tops of her shoulders and covered much of her thin hoop earrings.

Toned: The 25-year-old model wore a pale gray denim crop top jacket that showed off her slim stomach and a matching pair of jeans to the event

Splash of color: She stood on purple high heels and donned a matching purple and black headwear as well

Her cheeks had a pinkish hue to them from the rouge she put on before she headed out to the stage.

The Tennessee native's lips were painted a dark pink, and she flashed her bright white teeth while up onstage.

The Essence Festival of Culture is a yearly convention held at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

The convention features a number of Black stars from around the world as they perform and talk about issues important to the their community.

Having a conversation: Later on in the day, the daughter of Steve Harvey took to the stage at the event to speak

The end: Michael B. Jordan, 35, and Lori Harvey, 25, ended their relationship after a year and a half together, People reported; seen March 27 in Beverly Hills

Harvey's appearance at the event came just weeks after she and her longtime beau, actor Michael B. Jordan, called it quits.

A source close to the exes told People that they were 'completely heartbroken' about the split and they 'still love' each other.

'Michael matured a lot over the course of their relationship and was ready to commit for the long term,' the insider added.

'He let down his guard with her, opening up emotionally in a romantic relationship for the first time.'

'They had great times together and brought out the best in each other.'

Sad: A source close to the exes told the publication that they were 'completely heartbroken' about the split and they 'still love' each other

Among the stars making a splash at the Essence Festival of Culture was Keke Palmer, who stood out in an orange double-breasted suit with open-toe heels.

She was joined on stage by Marsai Martin, who looked casual in a white striped bustier top with jeans and pink heels.

Country sensation Mickey Guyton showed off her rural-chic look with a powder blue dress covered in polka dots and featuring a high slit to showcase her white boots.

Later, she performed on stage in a tied-off pink crop top with blown-out jeans.

Colorful: Among the stars making a splash at the Essence Festival of Culture was Keke Palmer, who stood out in an orange double-breasted suit with open-toe heels

It takes two: She was joined on stage by Marsai Martin, who looked casual in a white striped bustier top with jeans and pink heels

Blue mood: Country sensation Mickey Guyton showed off her rural-chic look with a powder blue dress covered in polka dots and featuring a high slit to showcase her white boots

Low key: Later, she performed on stage in a tied-off pink crop top with blown-out jeans

Tamar Braxton looked playful in a black Balenciaga jacket with the fashion house's name written in cursive print all across it.

Ashanti proved that she was pretty in pink while wearing a low-cut top with a ruched cloak draped over her shoulders.

She showed off her stellar figure later while on stage in a pink bandeau-like top with short sleeves that exposed her shoulders, along with pink pants with long cut-out strips.

She was on hand to sign her children's book My Name Is A Story.

High fashion: Tamar Braxton looked playful in a black Balenciaga jacket with the fashion house's name written in cursive print all across it

Stunner: Ashanti proved that she was pretty in pink while wearing a low-cut top with a ruched cloak draped over her shoulders. She signed her children's book My Name Is A Story

Pretty in pink: She showed off her stellar figure later while on stage in a pink bandeau-like top with short sleeves that exposed her shoulders, along with pink pants with long cut-out strips

Together again: The event included a mini Fugees reunion when Wclef Jean joined Lauryn Hill onstage

Flower power: The songstress looked lovely in a blue floral dress with two white belts around her midriff
Kim Kardashian has sparked a firestorm on social media simply by having her Skims clothing line stocked in David Jones stores.

After the Australian department store shared a promo for the line on their official Instagram account, disgruntled shoppers flooded the comments section and vowed not to support Kim's popular shapewear brand.

'Hard pass on buying anything endorsed or created by any Kardashian,' raged one.

Kim Kardashian has sparked a firestorm on social media after Australian department store David Jones received backlash for stocking Kim's Skims clothing line

'No thanks, shocked David Jones took her products on,' wrote another, while many others called the move 'disappointing'.

'Really dissatisfied - Elle McPherson would've been a better choice,' one wrote.

Many of the comments complained about the promo video for the brand, which showed Kim in a busty bra and matching bottoms.

'Disappointing - I didn't even watch the video, I had to double take to check this was indeed a @davidjonesstore post. Yes, why is she wearing this outfit?' complained one person.

'Why does one need to be in their undies to do this? Wrong audience!!! Or maybe right audience to lose your traditional customers.'

After David Jones shared a promo for the line (pictured) on Instagram, disgruntled shoppers flooded the comments section and vowed not to support Kim's popular shapewear brand

Despite the backlash, some Kardashian fans pushed back against the negativity.

'Why are there so many negative nancys in these comments? It's wonderful that DJs is stocking new and different brands,' wrote one.

'It's amazing that the range comes in so many colours, sizes and styles! We haven't been lucky enough to have such a wide range of shapewear in Australia before! Well done DJs for catering to the modern 'every woman',' they added.

'Love that DJs sells Skims.. the cozy dressing gown is amazing!' wrote another.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted David Jones for comment.

Many of the comments complained about the promo video for the brand, which showed Kim in a busty bra and matching bottoms

The Aussie department store is currently the exclusive stockist of Kim's Skims in Australia.

In an Instagram post, they called Skims, 'an iconic wardrobe built around elevated, wear-me-everyday essentials'.

In January, it was reported that Skims had doubled in value to a whopping $3.2billion after a new round of fundraising.

The label, which was launched in 2019 and has been modelled by the likes of Kate Moss and Megan Fox, powered through the pandemic, with the business being worth twice as much today than it was in April, 2021.

SKIMS brings in annual sales of $274m and is the latest venture to be launched by the star, who also started cosmetics company KKW Beauty in 2017.
Rapper 50 Cent didn't seem surprised after news broke of allegations that film producer and director Randall Emmett traded roles for sexual favors.

On Friday, the 46-year-old rapper posted a photo of the 51-year-old producer above a Page Six headline that read, 'Randall Emmett allegedly offered women movie roles in exchange for sex.'

'[eyes emoji] See this is why i made him give me my Money by Monday,Then after he had to stay a 100 feet away from me,' the New York native wrote in his caption.

Not shocked: Rapper 50 Cent didn't seem surprised after news of allegations that producer Randall Emmett traded roles for sexual favors broke (pictured 2021)

50 Cent has had problems with Emmett in the past stemming from a 2019 incident where the rapper allegedly loaned the producer, who worked on his show Power, $1 million, which Emmett allegedly took his time paying back.

Despite their tensions in the past, a spokesperson told Page Six that 'Randall is grateful for his decade-long friendship with 50 and has great respect for the man.'

According to a shocking Los Angeles Times report, Emmett allegedly used his status as a producer to solicit sexual favors from women in exchange for parts in his movies.

Lawyer Gloria Allred said in an October 5, 2021, letter the Times acquired that she is representing a woman who said that when she was 23, Emmett made clear 'that to receive acting work from [him], she would have to perform sexual favors.'

The woman, who did not reveal her name out of fear of repercussions, said that she once asked Emmett in a text message if she had received a role she tried out for, and he wrote back, 'Yes. one day of work and u need to f*** me hun.'

Headline: On Friday, the 46-year-old rapper posted a photo of the 51-year-old producer above a Page Six headline that read, 'Randall Emmett allegedly offered women movie roles in exchange for sex'

All about the money: '[eyes emoji] See this is why i made him give me my Money by Monday,Then after he had to stay a 100 feet away from me,' the New York native wrote in the caption (pictured 2021)

In the letter Allred released, the woman said that she appeared in a pair of films Emmett had produced, and had massaged him, performed oral sex on him and let him engage in digital penetration on her, also posing naked in his office while he masturbated.

The woman said that she did so because she had been 'seeking to further her career' and was fearful of upsetting 'an important producer in the industry.'

Emmett, via spokeswoman Sallie Hofmeister, acknowledged he got the letter from Allred and 'staunchly denies the allegations dating back to 2012.'

Emmett had come to a $200,000 settlement with the woman on January 2, the paper reported, adding that the amount was to be paid over a two-year period.

A separate woman from Las Vegas who is 30 years old said that Emmett began sending her 'unsolicited' Instagram DMs earlier this year, in court documents linked to his custody case with ex-fiancee Lala Kent, 31, according to the paper. The woman said that that Emmett, whom she never met, had sexually propositioned her and asked her to use illegal narcotics with him.

Money: 50 Cent has had problems with Emmett in the past stemming from a 2019 incident where the rapper allegedly loaned the producer, who worked on his show Power, $1 million

Abuse of power: According to a shocking Los Angeles Times report, Emmett allegedly used his power as a producer to solicit sexual favors from women (pictured 2019)

The woman told the court that she was 'shocked, concerned and afraid' because Emmett was 'a stranger to' her, and remained persistent 'despite my never responding to a single message.'

Hofmeister, who has past represented disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein, said that Emmett has maintained sobriety for nearly and year and has drug tests proving so.

'This allegation conveniently arose in his custody proceeding with Lala, who could provide no forensic proof that these texts were not spoofed using one of many apps,' Hofmeister told Page Six, adding Emmett 'provided the Times with unimpeachable proof that he had tested negative for drugs during this period and continues to be drug-free.'

A third woman told the Times under condition of anonymity that she was leaving a bar in 2014 when Emmett told her, 'Im not a creep, I promise. Im a movie producer, you can Google me  please Google me.'

Emmett denied to the paper allegations he would have the women agree to nondisclosure agreements to keep their relations under wraps, and had emailed his attorney to wire the women cash to remain silent about their interactions.

Staying sober: Hofmeister, who has past represented disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein, said that Emmett has maintained sobriety for nearly (pictured 2018)

Alleged payoff: Emmett was accused in the LA Times article of offering $20,000 to a model in Florida to not speak about about their sexual relationship (pictured 2020)

Emmett was accused in the LA Times article of offering $20,000 to a model in Florida to not speak about about their sexual relationship. Hofmeister told Page Six that 'as the Times acknowledged, there is zero proof that Randall paid her any money to sign an NDA' and 'in fact, she said just the opposite.'

Kent told the paper that Emmett tried to offer her $14,000 when they began dating during a timeframe he was wed to actress Ambyr Childers. Hofmeister said the allegations were linked to their relationship being showcased on the Bravo series Vanderpump Rules, which she appeared on.

'After four years of resistance,' Hofmeister told Page Six, Emmett 'finally agreed to appear because the producers had threatened to cut Lalas contract if he did not.'

In happier times: Randall and LaLa welcomed their child Ocean Kent Emmett last year

In the Times article, Emmett was also accused of leaving a 'lingering emotional toll' on former employees amid a hostile work environment he presided over. Hofmeister said in response that Emmett 'knows he can be demanding and expect the absolute best from his assistants, and regrets if he hurt any of their feelings.'

Emmett, via Hofmeister, denied all of the accusations in the article. Hofmeister told Page Six that the sexual misconduct allegation 'stems from one allegation dating back from 2012 that Randall denies.'

Hofmeister told Page Six that Emmett attributes the 'false' allegations toward a 'smear campaign orchestrated by' Kent 'to sway their custody dispute,' adding that Kent 'has lied and manipulated others in her desperate attempt to win full custody of her daughter, keep her name in the press and remain relevant in reality television.'

A source told Page Six that Kent 'was a small part of this whole story' from the Times, which published the article quoting 'many, many sources over many, many months of reporting.'

The source said that 'the article is really focused on Randalls shady business practices for the last 10 years-plus' supported by court documents, business records and interviews with dozens of people corroborating the claims.
Australian billionaire James Packer enjoyed some downtime with his friends inside his $50million estate in Cabo, Mexico this week.

And on Thursday, the 54-year-old was spotted leaving the property with some of his pals, which included a glamorous brunette.

The mystery woman showed off her toned physique in white bike shorts and a matching crop top.

James Packer (right) was spotted leaving his Cabo property with some of his pals, which included a glamorous brunette (left), on Thursday

Her brunette locks were slicked back and she accessorised with a pair of stylish dark sunglasses.

She added a touch of designer glamour to the ensemble by carrying an oversized Christian Dior handbag.

A number of Packer's other friends were also pictured, and they received assistance from some workers who helped with the luggage.

James appeared to be in good spirits, smiling jovially as he said goodbye to a few friends.

The mystery woman showed off her toned physique in white bike shorts and a matching crop top

She added a touch of designer glamour to the ensemble by carrying an oversized Christian Dior handbag

The day prior, the casino mogul entertained his friends and their families inside his estate.

At one stage, he joined several guests for lunch outdoors on a large circular oak table, while another guest lounged alone by the pool.

Packer's luxury property in Cabo is located on the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula.

He first bought the land in 2018, with construction taking about three years.

The property takes up one of largest beachfront blocks in Cabo San Lucas.

A number of Packer's other friends were also pictured, and they received assistance from some workers who helped with the luggage

Everybody appeared to be having a good time as they laughed and chatted together

He reportedly paid $10million for the site, which boasts direct beach access and uninterrupted views of the Sea of Cortez.

Packer recently said he was the 'happiest' he's been in years, after shedding 25kg in 75 days and ditching the seven mood-altering drugs he was taking to help with his mental health.

The former executive chair of Crown Resorts will return to Sydney next March with his ex-wife Erica and their three children, Indigo, 13, Jackson, 12, and Emmanuelle, nine.

The brunette beauty showed off her six pack abs as she waited for the car to arrive

Packed hugged one of his friends goodbye as a worker pushed luggage on a trolley

The billionaire casino mogul (left) couldn't wipe the smile from his face

'I'm roughly 130kg now and want to be back to 100kg by the end of 2022. I want to swim with my kids at Bondi when we're all in Sydney together next year and be 100kg,' he told The Weekend Australian from his home in Mexico.

The businessman said he'd quit the antidepressants and antipsychotic drugs he was prescribed in March, and was now looking to 'rehabilitate' his reputation in Australia.

'I am very much looking forward to seeing Crown Sydney it hasn't been appropriate for me to be in Australia for the last few years,' he said.

Packer sold Crown to private investment company Blackstone for $8.9billion in a deal that was finalised in June, pocketing $3.3billion in the process.

The sale marked the end of a major chapter in his life which at times was mired by controversy amid inquiries into the company and allegations of money laundering.

Despite the investigations, the billionaire credited his casinos in Melbourne, Perth and Sydney for changing the cities 'for the better'.

The father of three said he was now excited to begin his 'third act' and plans to ease back into public life in Australia.
On the latest episode of Mama June: Road to Redemption the family take turns speaking one-on-one with Dr. Ish.

The string of therapy sessions was organized by Lauryn 'Pumpkin' Shannon, 22, in an effort to strengthen the household dynamic.

The psychologist picked the girls' brains about how they were feeling about 'Mama' June Shannon, 42, after the previous episode saw filming shut down when she tested positive for Covid-19.

Brand new: On the latest episode of Mama June: Road to Redemption the family take turns speaking one-on-one with Dr. Ish

Alana 'Honey Boo Boo' Thompson's, 16, was the first to chat with the mental health professional.

The first scene opened with the teenager explaining about her troubled mother: 'I think she's just so overpowered by herself that she can't even love nobody else.'

As Dr. Ish asked the public figure her thoughts on the state of their relationship, she lamented that she has learned not to expect much from her mom.

'I just feel like it's just really messed up because me and Mama used to be so close. We used to do everything together, and now it's like she done disappeared on me,' she described.

Fixing strained relationships: Mama June continues to try to win back her daughters' trust in new episode

While the former pageant queen's conversation went without tears, her older sister Jessica, 25, had a harder time.

She cried as she reflected back on her strained relationship with June, who's historically given more attention to a revolving door of suitors than her four daughters.

When Dr. Ish asked Jess (also known as Chubbs) how her mother's behavior has affected her life she became emotional.

'At this point, it's like whatever. For the first half of my life, I lived with Doe Doe. I mean, I didn't know what Mama was up to. I just learned to grow up on my own, and Mama wasn't around then and she's barely around now,' she admitted.

Their talk ended with the doctor reassuring the young woman that she's worthy of love as she credited Pumpkin and her husband Josh for opening their home to her.

'I mean, they do a lot. A lot. I'm grown  they could have told me, "You know, Jessica, you're old enough, like, you need to do your own thing." And they could have just, you know, not basically not been around like Mama has,' she noted.

Hashing it out: When it came to the couple's session with their therapist, Josh expressed frustration over Pumpkin continuing to have a relationship with her mom

When it came to the couple's session with their therapist, Josh expressed frustration over Pumpkin continuing to have a relationship with her mom.

'Um, it's been tough, man. It's been stressful,' he replied when Dr. Ish asked how he was doing.

Reaching his breaking point, he brought up the last episode, in which it was revealed June had given some members of the family Covid after showing up uninvited to Alana's birthday party.

'All of the f***** up, unfortunate events that June has caused, yet you still allow her in your life. That's what hurts me the most. That is why I'm angry,' he continued. 'I didn't ask for this. There's only so much hanging around that I can do.'

He shed a tear during the emotional moment with his wife as she listened to his feelings intently. 'There's no room for your mama in my life anymore,' he made clear.

United: Eventually the family all came together to talk to Dr. Ish who assured them, 'You're doing so much better than you think you are'

Lauryn replied from her point of view, noting that, 'I'm trying to do my best to do what I need to do for my family and be there for [my mom]. But it's just become so stressful for me to do that and do this. And I'm happy... but I'm not happy, if that makes sense.'

Dr. Ish helped the couple, who married in 2018 and share two kids, come to an understanding that they're in it together.

Eventually the family all came together to talk to Dr. Ish who assured them, 'You're doing so much better than you think you are.'

He also told Pumpkin and Josh that they needed to collectively establish boundaries with Shannon in order to maintain peace in their marriage and household.

Surprise move: Mama June secretly moved back to Georgia to be closer to her daughters

Following a brief resolution it was revealed that June would be moving into a trailer with her latest love interest, Justin Stroud - who's now her husband.

She kept the move a secret, including the location - which was up the street from Pumpkin's house.

In a shocking scene Justin said he didn't know if he was 'in love' with June as they unpacked and set up furniture.

It came after a cameraman asked the star if she was in love, to which she emphatically replied: 'Yes.'

Swooning as Justin entered the space, Stroud said, 'I don't know. It's a little too... I mean. It's what I've been trying to tell you.'

He added, 'If I did, I wouldn't tell you right now. I love you, I've got love for you, but I wouldn't tell you like that. It's been a month.'

Mama June didn't seem to mind his response as she kissed him goodbye.

Later, speaking on the unexpected move, she said: 'I want to show [my family] that I'm established. I want them to know I'm here and that I'm going to be here.'

New life: June unpacked her U-Haul with her now-husband Justin

Elsewhere in the episode Honey Boo Boo went on her first date with hew new love interest Dralin Carswell, 20.

Dralin shared a moment with protective father figure to Alana, her brother-in-law, Josh.

He inquired about where the two were were headed for the date, which ended up being bowling.

At the end of the night the new couple shared a kiss in front of the family home.

Elsewhere in the episode Honey Boo Boo went on her first date with hew new love interest Dralin Carswell, 20

The episode ended on somewhat of a cliffhanger as Lauryn showed up unannounced to her mom's new residence.

Jessica joined her as her younger sister and mom exchanged expletive-laced words.

Justin even stepped outside for a moment to meet the girls, but Lauryn didn't give him a warm welcome, as the first thing she pointed out his missing teeth.

The episode ended in an unresolved standoff between June and her displeased daughters.
Millie Bobby Brown may be on good terms with her co-star Jamie Campbell Bower, but seeing him in his costume drove her to tears.

Bower, 33, played a villain named Vecna on the most recent season of the critically-acclaimed Netflix drama Stranger Things.

The Sweeney Todd actor opened up about filming a scene with Brown, 18, in an interview with Variety interview published Friday.

Scary stuff: Millie Bobby Brown may be on good terms with her co-star Jamie Campbell Bower, but seeing him in his costume drove her to tears, he revealed to Variety on Friday; Brown pictured in Stranger Things

'They brought her up into a position where shes bound,' he told the publication. 'I walked up to her and she burst into tears. She wouldnt look at me and she was visibly just disgusted by the whole thing.'

He went on to say that the smell of smoke on his clothes helped Brown calm down because she was reminded of who was underneath the heavy makeup.

'After she cried and I made it obvious that she knew it was me, one of the things she said was that, "I knew it was you when I could smell cigarettes," because Im a smoker,' Bower revealed.

The big bad: Bower, 33, played a villain named Vecna on the most recent season of the critically-acclaimed Netflix drama Stranger Things

Breaking down: 'They brought her up into a position where shes bound,' Bower told the publication of Brown. 'I walked up to her and she burst into tears'

For his role as Vecna, Bower donned intensive prosthetics to give the image of burned and blistered skin with huge tentacles attached to his back.

The Stranger Things team enlisted the help of prosthetics designer Barrie Gower, who worked on Game of Thrones and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, to build Vecna's skin.

It took nearly eight hours to apply all of the latex to Bower's body. The crew would then film for 10 to 12 hours before removing the suit, which took another hour.

Hours: It took nearly eight hours to apply all of the latex to Bower's body. The crew would then film for 10 to 12 hours before removing the suit, which took another hour

Split season: Stranger Things season 4 was split up into two parts with the first one coming out on May 27 and the second part premiering on July 1

Bower regularly got to set at 3 a.m. so the suit could be attached before filming began for the day.

Stranger Things season 4 was split up into two parts, with the first one coming out on May 27 and the second part premiering on July 1.

The cost of production for the fourth season was reportedly upwards of $30 million an episode.

The series stars Brown and Bower alongside Finn Wolfhard, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, David Harbour and many others.
Channel 10's beloved Australian soap Neighbours has finally wrapped up for good and last Wednesday the cast and crew reunited on set for a special finale event.

And star April Rose Pengilly shared the moment to her socials, as a way of saying how sad she was to be saying good bye.

Posting to Instagram the 34-year-old beauty made a touching tribute to the entire team behind the long-running series.

Posting to Instagram Neighbours star April Rose Pengilly (pictured) made a touching tribute to the entire team behind the long running series

Describing her feelings as 'raw', April, who plays fan favourite Chloe on the show, said, 'I just have lots of love for my Neighbours family, and for all of you who have supported us.

'Thank you.'

Neighbours was axed after the UK's Channel 5 decided in March not to renew its contract with production company Fremantle to finance and broadcast the series.

April, who is the daughter of INXS star Kirk Pengilly, revealed in her Instagram story that she was heartbroken to learn, 'that our sets, my home for the past four-and-a-half years were already being destroyed.'

Cast members old and new of Neighbours gathered to say goodbye last Wednesday and Angela paid a visit to the set

Promising that she would have more to say 'later', April thanked Neighbours' producers Fremantle and Channel 10 for the special farewell dinner.

Earlier this month, the TV Week Logie Awards attracted widespread criticism for failing to properly acknowledge the cancellation of Neighbours during the ceremony.

But it seems Australia's longest-running soap will receive the send-off it deserves at the next AACTA Awards ceremony.

The AACTA Awards, sponsored by Foxtel, is set to invite the cast of Neighbours on-stage and 'make a point' of saying goodbye, Foxtel's Executive Director of Drama Brian Walsh told MediaWeek.

'It was a major disappointment for me particularly because we had the cast of Neighbours in the room. What would it have taken to let them come up on stage and have their moment?' said Walsh, who worked as a publicist for Neighbours in the 1980s.

Walsh described the Logies send-off as 'dismissive', adding: 'If we're going to celebrate success on a night like the Logies then for goodness sake, please let a show that's entertained audiences for 37 years have its moment and take a bow.'

The last episode of Neighbours will air in Australia and the UK on August 1.
This photo, taken July 7, shows Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho. Yonhap





The top economic policymakers of Korea and the United States have discussed a Washington-led proposal to impose a price cap on Russian oil as part of sanctions against Moscow, Seoul's finance ministry said Saturday.







Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho and U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen held a conference call on Friday to discuss the issue, ahead of her planned trip to Korea on July 19-20, according to the ministry.







Yellen raised the need to introduce a price cap on Russian oil in a bid to help stabilize high energy prices and reduce Russia's revenue from oil exports, the ministry said.







Choo expressed his "understanding" about the intention of the proposed price cap and asked the U.S. to share details if its action plan is fleshed out.







Despite international sanctions, Russia has enjoyed higher oil export revenues as it has shipped crude oil to China and other developing nations at a discount price.







The Group of Seven (G7) recently agreed to explore options to impose price caps on Russian oil in an effort to reduce Russia's funding for its war in Ukraine from oil revenue.







Brian Nelson, the U.S. Treasury Department's undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, reportedly asked Korea to join the move during his recent visit to Seoul. (Yonhap)


The Bachelor's Noni Janur has shared stunning photos from inside her baby shower.

The reality star, 31, showed off her glowing baby bump in a series of photos posted to her Instagram Story as she celebrated with a group of friends and her boyfriend Sam Livingston.

Putting her blossoming baby bump on full display in a sleeved brown crop top and matching maxi skirt, the mum-to-be adding a touch of glam by putting a golden chain around her stomach.

The Bachelor's Noni Janur (pictured) has shared stunning photos from inside her baby shower. The reality star, 31, showed off her glowing baby bump in a series of photos posted to her Instagram Story as she celebrated with a group of friends and her boyfriend Sam Livingston

Noni slicked her raven tresses back into a high braid and looked gorgeous with a full face of make-up, including a black and brown smokey eye and lashings of highlighter.

She finished the look off with open toe chunky brown leather heels and golden hoop earrings.

It appeared Noni dressed to the theme of party, with green and brown balloons and sweet giraffe cut outs throughout the room.

Putting her blossoming baby bump on full display in a sleeved brown crop top and matching maxi skirt, the mum-to-be adding a touch of glam by putting a golden chain around her stomach

Noni slicked her raven tresses back into a high braid and looked gorgeous with a full face of make-up, including a black and brown smokey eye and lashings of highlighter.

The couple also treated guests to a sponge cake with icing that was extravagantly topped with white roses.

Noni first announced her pregnancy in February, sharing the exciting news that she's expecting her first child with her boyfriend Sam.

'I thought the universe had already brought me my biggest blessing @sam_livi_ until I found out there's going to be 2 of you,' she wrote.

It appeared Noni dressed to the theme of party, with green and brown balloons and sweet giraffe cut outs throughout the room

Noni first announced her pregnancy in February, sharing the exciting news that she's expecting her first child with her boyfriend Sam

'Soon to be mummy and daddy. We can't wait to meet you baby.'

Since the announcement, she has not been shy when showing off her growing tummy on her social media.

Noni debuted her relationship with Sam back in October last year.

The former reality star previously dated Bachelorette star Samuel Johnson, but they ended their relationship in 2021.

Noni appeared on The Bachelor in 2016. Noni debuted her relationship with Sam back in October last year

The couple also treated guests to a sponge cake with icing that was extravagantly topped with white roses

It is believed their long distance romance had put a strain on their relationship after Samuel had relocated to LA in 2017.

'It's been a while, they were over before Valentine's Day,' a source close to the couple told Daily Mail Australia at the time.

'Sam and Noni broke up just after she got back from America, but were officially over since February.'

Noni rose to fame when she appeared on The Bachelor in 2016.
They went public with their romance earlier this year.

And Amy Jackson and Ed Westwick appeared in high spirits as they headed for a night out at private members club The Twenty Two in London on Friday evening.

The 30-year-old actress looked chic in an oversized pinstripe blazer, layered over a figure hugging black mini dress.

Date night: Amy Jackson, 30, put on a chic display in a pinstripe ensemble as she headed out with her boyfriend Ed Westwick, 35, on Friday

She added a pair of strappy black heels to the ensemble, as they headed to Rita Ora and Vas J Morgan's Pride party at the central London hotspot.

Her chocolate tresses were styled in a sleek blowdry, while the beauty opted for a glam palette of makeup.

Meanwhile, Ed looked equally as chic as he donned a black shirt and complementing trousers, with a longline beige coat layered on top.

Stylish: The actress looked chic in an oversized pinstripe blazer, layered over a figure hugging black mini dress

Beauty: Her chocolate tresses were styled in a sleek blowdry, while the beauty opted for a glam palette of makeup

The pair appeared in high spirits for the outing, flashing a smile as they walked hand-in hand alongside each other.

The party, held by Rita and Vas, kicked off the London Pride celebrations - with a host of famous faces heading out to the celebrate.

Ed and Amy headed to the star-studded bash after an evening at the 02 arena, where they watched Kings of Leon.

Suave: Meanwhile, Ed looked equally as chic as he donned a black shirt and complementing trousers, with a longline beige coat layered on top

Posting to their respective Instagram accounts, the couple shared an insight into the concert to their Stories.

Amy appeared to be taking in the atmosphere, beaming at the camera as Ed took a video of his girlfriend.

Rumours of the pair dating began circulating in February, but they reportedly began dating in December of 2021.

The couple met at at Saudi Arabias Red Sea International Film Festival last December - where they were snapped chatting together at a screening during the closing ceremony.

In February, a source told The Sun on Sunday: 'Ed and Amy are a really good match. They hit it off straight away.

Concert: Ed and Amy headed to the star-studded bash after an evening at the 02 arena, where they watched Kings of Leon
THE WANDERING HEARTS



Wild Silence (Decca)





Theres an appealing rawness to this debut. A male-female quartet with a folk-rock penchant, their harmonies will elicit comparisons with Fleetwood Mac, but the acoustic instrumentation looks more to country, with Fire And Water a lively hoedown and Burning Bridges a nostalgic ballad.


She's known for her outspoken personality and no nonsense attitude, often causing a stir on air.

And Naga Munchetty appeared to be agitated by her BBC Breakfast co-host Charlie Stayt on Saturday morning - as she fumed at him while discussing an item on pigeons.

And the moment didn't go unnoticed by viewers of the morning news show, as one questioned: 'Do they know they're live?' via Twitter.

Tension: Naga Munchetty rolled her eyes at her BBC Breakfast co-host Charlie Stayt as the presenters suffered an awkward blunder live on air on Saturday morning

The pair covered a story on a missing homing pigeon named Bob from Guernsey, who was found 4,000 miles away in Alabama.

But as the duo discussed birds during the segment, it jogged their memory of an old song - of which they tried to recall the name.

While Charlie was convinced it was 'Catch the pigeon', Naga argued that it was 'Stop the pigeon'.

Taking to the BBC Breakfast desk's keyboard, the latter decided to search the song online to prove her co-host wrong.

Memory block: As the duo discussed birds during the segment, it jogged their memory of an old song - as they tried to recall the name, unable to come to an agreement

Disagreement: While Charlie was convinced it was 'Catch the pigeon', Naga argued that it was 'Stop the pigeon' - as the latter decided to look it up

As she searched, Charlie explained: 'I'm humming it in my head and I'm thinking it was catch the pigeon, catch the pigeon,' to which Naga snapped back 'It's stop the pigeon' as she pointed over to him.

Finding her results online, Naga exclaimed; 'It's stop the pigeon! Ah well, there were two, one says stop and one says catch - no, the song is "stop the pigeon, stop the pigeon, nab him jab him grab him stop the pigeon now"'

A surprised Charlie explained that he really thought he was right, while Naga rolled her eyes at the camera.

Snappy: As she searched, Charlie explained: 'I'm humming it in my head and I'm thinking it was catch the pigeon, catch the pigeon,' to which Naga snapped back 'It's stop the pigeon' as she pointed over to him

Animated: While they tried to make their points at the same time, Charlie asked Naga to 'stop for a minute' as he attempted to address the camera, with the unimpressed host sighing and rolling her eyes to the side of the set

But it wasn't over there, as her co-host stuck to his ground, adding: 'I still think it's catch the pigeon', as the pair spoke over each other.

While they tried to make their points at the same time, Charlie asked Naga to 'stop for a minute' as he attempted to address the camera, with the unimpressed host sighing and rolling her eyes to the side of the set.

'I'll stop shall I?' snapped Naga as she sighed - looking over at production crew off camera before letting out an agitated laugh.

Following the moment, viewers took to Twitter to comment on the blunder, with many seeing the funny side and referring to the pair 'like a married couple'

Taking one last hit, Charlie concluded: 'Catch the pigeon, isn't it?', which led to a furious Naga leaning forward and exclaiming: 'Well I've just told you it's stop the pigeon, what else do you want me to say?' as she gestured at the computer.

And following the tense on-screen moment, viewers took to Twitter to share their own thoughts on the matter - sparking a debate between Stop and Catch the pigeon.

They also took the opportunity to comment on the blunder, with many seeing the funny side and referring to the pair 'like a married couple'.

One wrote: 'Do they know they're live? Naga's body language is hilarious', while another dubbed the situation 'pigeon gate' as they said they were 'acting like a long married couple'.

While another explained that one day Naga will 'completely unravel live on my telly', admitting that she is 'fun' to watch.
Simone Holtznagel and her boyfriend Jono Castano are enjoying a whirlwind romance.

The model, 28, and the celebrity trainer, 31, headed out to a brunch date in Bondi on Saturday, and looked more loved up than ever.

The couple walked close together, with Jono throwing his arm around his giggling girlfriend as they strolled.

Simone Holtznagel and her boyfriend Jono Castano are enjoying a whirlwind romance. The model, 28, and the celebrity trainer, 31, headed out to a brunch date in Bondi on Saturday, and looked more loved up than ever. Both pictured

Simone was dressed in a cosy beige puffer jacket to stave off the cold on what was a rainy, wintry day.

She added a pair of black tights to the sporty ensemble, as well as socks that come from Jono's Acero brand.

The blonde beauty had her blonde locks in a neat ponytail and appeared to be wearing minimal makeup.

Simone was dressed in a cosy beige puffer jacket to stave off the cold on what was a rainy, wintry day. She added a pair of black tights to the sporty ensemble, as well as socks that come from Jono's Acero brand, which he also donned

The pair sat down to a meal together, chatting and laughing together as they dined

Jono also donned Acero socks, and kept cosy in a black puffer jacket which he paired with dark shorts and a cap.

The pair sat down to a meal together, chatting and laughing together as they dined.

The relationship between the genetically blessed celebrities has been moving forward at full speed.

The pair confirmed their romance in May, when they were seeing locking lips at a Mimi's in Coogee - the celebrity hotspot owned by Justin Hemmes, who is dating Simone's sister Madeline

They confirmed their romance in May, when they were seeing locking lips at a Mimi's in Coogee - the celebrity hotspot owned by Justin Hemmes, who is dating Simone's sister Madeline.

The Australia's Next Top Model star then referred to the hunky PT as 'my love' in an Instagram post on Thursday evening.

It came after Jono's split with wife Amy, but the pair remain on good terms and still co-own the Acero gym in Sydney.
She always makes sure to turn heads with her risque dressing.

And Lady Victoria Hervey made no exception as she flashed a glimpse of her toned waist in a skin-tight midi dress at Charlie Chaplin's granddaughter, Kiera's 40th birthday party on Friday.

The socialite, 45, slipped into the slinky number with sheer mesh panelling that showcased her incredible figure for the event at Oscars in London.

Chic: Lady Victoria Hervey, 45, flashed her toned waist in a skin-tight midi dress with sheer panels to attend Charlie Chaplin's granddaughter Kiera's party in London on Friday

Lady Victoria - who is the daughter of the 6th Marquess of Bristol, half-sister of the 7th Marquess, and sister of the 8th Marquess and Lady Isabella Hervey - boosted her height with a pair of stiletto heels.

She wore her blonde locks loose in soft waves that tumbled to her shoulders and opted for a slick of nude lipgloss.

To complete her look, she layered over a luxurious fur coat and carried a classic quilted Chanel handbag.

Glowing: She wore her blonde locks loose in soft waves that tumbled to her shoulders and opted for a slick of nude lipgloss

Polished: To complete her look, she layered over a luxurious fur coat and carried a classic quilted Chanel handbag

The model recently returned from a stay at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Cap d'Antibes, France last month.

Her break came after she looked glamorous on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival just days earlier.

She wore a number of outfits during the two-week event, opting for a Jean Fares Couture gown for her red carpet attire for the screening of Elvis.

Celebrating: Lady Victoria - who is the daughter of the 6th Marquess of Bristol - posed for a photo with the birthday girl, Kiera

Happy birthday! Kiera, 40, looked incredible in a lilac lace dress with ombre pink and blue stiletto heels

The white number, featuring gorgeous black lace detailing and a train, allowed her to put on an unforgettable sartorial display.

As Victoria posed for photographs from behind, the dress's backless design was spotlighted, as was her neat bun without a strand out of place.

For the event, the former catwalk star toted a sparkly clutch, which was the perfect finishing touch to her look.
Sarah Monahan wants her old life back, after disgraced Hey Dad..! actor and convicted child sex offender Robert Hughes was deported to the United Kingdom.

The actress, who now lives on a ranch in Texas, hopes to return to Australia and restart her career, she told Stellar Magazine on Saturday.

'Now he is not here, I would love to come home to Australia. I can move about freely, maybe even return to television, but I am wondering if the industry is ready for me to be me without the Hey Dad..! stuff attached' the 45-year-old says.

Sarah Monahan wants her old life back, after disgraced Hey Dad..! actor and convicted child sex offender Robert Hughes was deported to the United Kingdom. Pictured in Stellar Magazine

'I miss the industry. I miss constantly doing something new and exciting. I miss the people, the parties, meeting new and interesting people. I want to see if I can make it as an actor,' she continued.

Monahan hopes to resume her old role on soap opera Home and Away, on which she played Heather in 1995.

'I could return to Home And Away. I want to be remembered for the work I do, not what happened to me. I feel like one story has ended and this is a new beginning, one full of hope and promise where I am in control of my own narrative.'

Hughes (bottom left) was jailed in 2014 on 10 charges relating to sexual and indecent acts perpetrated on four young girls, including his on-screen daughter Sarah Monahan (bottom centre), in the 1980s and 1990s. Pictured is the cast of Hey Dad..!

Monahan starred as Jenny Kelly on sitcom Hey Dad..! between 1987 and 1993, alongside Hughes, who starred as Martin Kelly in the TV comedy from 1987 to 1994.

Hughes was jailed in 2014 on 10 charges relating to sexual and indecent acts perpetrated on four young girls, including his on-screen daughter Monahan, in the 1980s and 1990s.

He was imprisoned for 10 years and nine months with a non-parole period of six years, which expired in April 2020.

Hughes (pictured), who starred as Martin Kelly in the TV comedy from 1987 to 1994, was released from Long Bay Correctional Facility last month and deported to the UK to live with his wife, agent Robyn Gardiner, after being granted parole by the NSW State Parole Authority

Hughes continues to deny his crimes despite 'overwhelming evidence'.

'He's an old man and he's frail, but they don't change, and he's a denier,' Monahan said. 'He still thinks he hasn't done anything.'

Hughes was released from Long Bay Correctional Facility last month and deported to the UK to live with his wife, agent Robyn Gardiner, after being granted parole by the NSW State Parole Authority.

The 73-year-old renounced his Australian citizenship in 2020, thus becoming a non-lawful citizen requiring deportation upon release.

'Now he is not here, I would love to come home to Australia. I can move about freely, maybe even return to television, but I am wondering if the industry is ready for me to be me without the Hey Dad..! stuff attached' the 45-year-old Sarah says

While allegations against Hughes were raised in the 1990s, it took a paid television interview by Monahan in 2010 to spark a broad police investigation into claims of sexual misconduct by the actor.

His victims included a family friend, friends of his daughter, and Monahan.

Hughes will be monitored in the UK under the Sexual Offences Act 'notifications requirements'.

He must report to police within three days of his return to the UK, and once a year from then on and within three days of changing his details.

While allegations against Hughes were raised in the 1990s, it took a paid television interview by Monahan in 2010 to spark a broad police investigation into claims of sexual misconduct by the actor. The cast of Hey Dad..! are pictured

He will be required to provide passport and banking details and must notify police of any intention to travel out of the UK.

Hughes must also provide details of where he lives and where he regularly stays if different to his home address.

'There is a requirement to notify police if he going to stay (for a period of at least 12 hours) at a household where a child is present,' the parole authority noted.

He will be sent back to jail for up to six months if he fails to fulfil these conditions.

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Robert Irwin is navigating life as an adult after turning 18 last year.

But the teenager tells this week's issue of Stellar Magazine that growing up without his father Steve Irwin around has been a challenge.

'Because I am sort of stepping into adulthood, having turned 18, and navigating that is hard enough [but] when you are in my situation, and you don't have a father figure to guide you through, it's really hard,' he admits.

Robert Irwin is navigating life as an adult after turning 18 last year. But the teenager tells this week's issue of Stellar Magazine that growing up without his dad Steve Irwin around has been a challenge. Pictured in Stellar

While Robert has followed in his family's footsteps as a conservationist at Australia Zoo, he hopes to go his own way too, and is perusing a career as a photographer.

'I definitely want to experiment and try new things,' he told the magazine.

'I want to forge my own path and I'm really passionate about photography. I love being behind the camera. I am working on a coffee-table book with my photography that I'm going to be releasing later this year'.

'Because I am sort of stepping into adulthood, having turned 18, and navigating that is hard enough [but] when you are in my situation, and you don't have a father figure to guide you through, it's really hard,' he admits. Pictured on the cover of Stellar

In the accompanying photo shoot, Robert is all grown up as he strikes a pose in a chic slate polo shirt and brown trousers.

On the cover of the magazine, he cuts a slightly retro figure in a lilac shirt with rolled up sleeves and black slacks.

It comes after a report that Robert is set to follow in his late father Steve's footsteps and leave his family home at Australia Zoo in Queensland to travel the world making nature documentaries - just like his dad.

Steve, known to millions around the world as 'the Crocodile Hunter', died on September 4, 2006, at the age of 44 after being pierced in the chest by a stingray while filming a documentary in Batt Reef, Queensland. Robert is pictured as a child with his father Steve

'He loves Australia Zoo and everything his parents built together, but he's ambitious and wants to get out and see the world  hopefully with a camera crew right behind him, just like Steve did,' a source told New Idea magazine.

'He wants to be a mix of his dad and David Attenborough,' the insider explained.

The award-winning nature photographer reportedly has his sights set on visiting South Africa, after falling in love with the country during a family visit in 2018.

While Robert has followed in his family's footsteps as a conservationist at Australia Zoo, he hopes to go his own way too, and is perusing a career as a photographer

Robert recently paid tribute to his father on World Crocodile Day by sharing a photo to Instagram of himself feeding a crocodile at Australia Zoo recently, alongside a photo of his dad doing the same many years ago.

'It is the greatest honour of my life to get to follow in my dad's footsteps and help keep his legacy and mission alive. Especially when it comes to crocodiles,' the Crikey! It's the Irwins star wrote in his caption.

'I feel closest to him being one-on-one with the animal he loved so much - a beautiful, powerful, prehistoric, misunderstood animal that commands a huge amount of respect.'

'I definitely want to experiment and try new things. I want to forge my own path and I'm really passionate about photography. I love being behind the camera. I am working on a coffee-table book with my photography that I'm going to be releasing later this year' he said

Robert concluded by encouraging his fans to 'love, respect and coexist with these remarkable modern-day dinosaurs'.

Steve, known to millions around the world as 'the Crocodile Hunter', died on September 4, 2006, at the age of 44 after being pierced in the chest by a stingray while filming a documentary in Batt Reef, Queensland.

Following his death, Steve's family, including his children Robert and Bindi, widow Terri, and son-in-law Chandler Powell, have continued his conservation work at Australia Zoo on the Sunshine Coast.
Robert Irwin has revealed how he really felt when American tourist asked him for his phone number in a now viral video.

'I was very flattered by this lovely Australia Zoo guest. It certainly means a lot!' the 18-year-old told this week's Stellar Magazine.

The teenager admits that he didn't hand over his number but appreciated meeting someone with similar interests.

Robert Irwin has revealed how he really felt when American tourist asked him for his phone number in a now viral video

'While I wasn't able to give out my personal details, I really appreciated having a conversation with someone who definitely had a great interest and passion for the Zoo and my message' he went on.

'If they're not ready to don the khaki and go feed crocs? Mate, it's not happening!'

Last month, a TikTok video went viral of Megan Grass from Utah trying to get Robert's digits during a visit to Australia Zoo in Queensland.

'I was very flattered by this lovely Australia Zoo guest. It certainly means a lot!' the 18-year-old told this week's Stellar Magazine

Last month, a TikTok video went viral of Megan Grass (pictured) from Utah trying to get Robert's digits during a visit to Australia Zoo in Queensland

The conservationist told Today hosts Karl Stefanovic and Ally Langdon that the gesture 'meant the world' to him and went 'straight to his heart'.

'Honestly that made my entire day. It was so kind. [It] really meant the world,' he said.

'I can't just go out and give my number to everyone unfortunately, and it is hit and miss, you know. But it was really kind. It went straight to my heart. It was something that meant the world,' he added.

Robert went on to say his focus right now is continuing his late father Steve Irwin's legacy of wildlife conservation.

'While I wasn't able to give out my personal details, I really appreciated having a conversation with someone who definitely had a great interest and passion for the Zoo' he said

'Honestly, I'm going out here trying to keep the legacy going and talk about wildlife and conservation and spread a positive message,' he said.

The viral video showed Robert walking towards a crowd at Australia Zoo before Megan asked him for his number.

'I think you are so cool and I was wondering if I can have your number?' she said.

The conservationist told Today hosts Karl Stefanovic and Ally Langdon that the gesture 'meant the world' to him and went 'straight to his heart'

'Well, I'm very flattered,' he responded before asking Megan where she was from.

He added: 'The easiest way [to contact me] is on Instagram because then my people can monitor it and see when it comes through because my number is getting mixed.'

Megan told Robert she'd already sent him a DM on Instagram but he didn't reply.

'Well, I actually DM'd you last night to tell you I was coming here today,' she said.

'What's your name? I'll look it up!' Robert answered.

Megan appeared on the Today show last week and revealed Robert hadn't been in contact with her since her video made headlines.

She said she asked for his number because she thinks he's 'literally the sweetest person ever' and a 'great guy'.
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It was recently claimed that Scott Disick is 'on the prowl again' after splitting with his much-younger girlfriend Rebecca Donaldson, 27, following a brief two-month courtship.

And it looks as though Scott, 39, is already moving on in his playboy dating lifestyle, as he was spotted in Miami, Florida on Friday, with a bevy of bikini-clad ladies, including Jake Paul's ex-girlfriend Abby Wetherington.

Scott appeared to be kicking off the July 4th holiday weekend in style as he puffed away on a cigarette while enjoying an Aperol spritz, dressed in an all-black Prada ensemble.

The sighting comes amid a personal crisis for Scott's ex Kourtney Kardashian, who is currently remaining by the side of her husband Travis Barker, as he recovers from pancreatitis in Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles.

The sweet life! Scott Disick, 39, is pictured in Miami, Florida on Friday as he kicks off the holiday weekend in style on a yacht with a bevvy of bikini-clad girls

In good company: Scott was spotted in Miami, Florida on Friday, with a bevvy of bikini-clad ladies, including Jake Paul's ex-girlfriend Abby Wetherington (pictured above)

At one point, Scott was seen passing what appeared to be an ashtray to Abby, 24, who looked stunning in a black bikini as she partied with the Talentless CEO and some other friends.

Abby has 296K followers on Instagram and most recently showed off a vacation to Cabo San Lucas in Mexico, though it appears she is now in Miami with Scott.

The model was linked to Jake Paul last year and there were even rumors that he had proposed to her - but it seems as though that relationship has since cooled off.

It is not yet clear what the relationship is between Scott and Abby - if any - though all bets are off now that he is a single man again.

A new connection? Scott and Abby were seen partying together on a yacht on Friday in Miami, Florida

Turnt: Abby, 24, looked stunning in a black bikini as she partied with Scott and some other friends while out on a yacht

New love interest? It is not yet clear what the relationship status is between Scott, 39, and Abby, 24

Party people: Scott found himself in good company as her partied with a bevvy of bikini-clad girls

Relaxing: Abby was linked to Jake Paul last year and there were even rumors that he had proposed to her - but it seems as though that relationship has since cooled off

An insider told UsWeekly last month that Scott and ex Rebecca, 27, 'were never serious to begin with,' and added that they were simply 'casually dating.'

The former couple was first linked to each other in April when they enjoyed a lunch date in LA.

That same month Disick brought Donaldson to the premiere of Hulu's The Kardashians. Then in May, the twosome took a trip to Miami together, fueling speculation that they were getting more serious.

Scott's new gal? Abby has 296K followers on Instagram and most recently showed off a vacation to Cabo San Lucas in Mexico, though it appears she is now in Miami with Scott

Jet set lifestyle: Abby is pictured above with a group of girls, after she recently showed off a holiday in Mexico

Up to his old tricks: The Talentless CEO is never far away from glamorous girls

Smokes'n'snacks: Scott was living his best life with a cocktail and snack in hand, and later puffing on a cigarette

Speaking further about about the father-of-three, the source noted that he 'definitely has a type.'

The person close to the subject also described the real estate entrepreneur as being 'on the prowl,' now thats he's single again.

'Scott hits up a lot of girls whenever hes looking for company and has a lot of girls numbers,' they expounded.

The insider said Disick 'DMs girls on Instagram and leaves flirty comments.'

Getting close? While there's no suggestion the pair are an item, they were spotted getting close to one another on Friday

The sighting comes amid a personal crisis for Scott's ex Kourtney Kardashian , who is currently remaining by the side of her husband Travis Barker , as he recovers from pancreatitis in Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles.

One of his 'flirty comments' was evident when he recently joined a post of another ex-flame of his, Holly Scarfone.

As she modeled a piece from Scott's brand she wrote in her caption, 'oh lord she's @talentless,' tagging the company.

He responded by writing: 'I can think of a few talents you have right off the top of my head, no pun intended.'

Scott celebrated his 39th birthday on May 26. At the time he captioned an Instagram post saying, 'Happy birthday 2 me! Biggest blessing of my life right here!'

Splitsville: It was revealed last month that Scott has broken up with his latest flame Rebecca Donaldson after they dated for two months (Pictured above in April)

And his most recent post showed he's doing just fine as a newly single man as he shared a photo of daughter Penelope, nine, hanging with a friend and her cousin North, eight.

Sharing to his Instagram Stories he wrote, 'Big night,' as the trio of girls relaxed on a couch and munched on snacks.

In addition to Penelope, Scott also shares Mason, twelve, and Reign, seven, with Kourtney.
Rep. Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), left, speaks with Rep. Park Yong-jin, right, who declared his candidacy for the party's leadership, during a general meeting at the National Assembly, Thursday. Park is one of the "97 group" of lawmakers, which refers to the generation of politicians who were born in the 1970s and attended university in the '90s, who are challenging Lee's bid to be party chairman at the DPK convention in August. Joint Press Corps



By Kwon Mee-yoo



A group of younger lawmakers in the main opposition party announced their bids for the party's leadership position, calling for a generational shift inside the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK).



The ruling party plans to hold a national convention on Aug. 28 to elect a new leader after its humiliating defeats in the presidential and local elections. And lawmakers in their early 50s are throwing their hats into the ring, challenging frontrunner Lee Jae-myung, who was the DPK's presidential contender for the March 10 presidential election.



The so-called "97 group," which refers to the generation of DPK lawmakers who were born in the 1970s and attended university in the '90s, is emerging as a new faction to stop Lee from gaining dominance over the party.



Rep. Park Yong-jin, 51, declared his candidacy for the DPK chairman post, Thursday, saying that his decision reflects mounting anticipation among lawmakers to revive the party.



Park stressed that the DPK has to overcome the limits of infighting and "fandom politics" to revamp the progressive party.



"Someone who thinks and acts differently from the previous DPK should lead the innovation of the party," Park said,



On Wednesday, Rep. Kang Byung-won, 52, also announced his bid to become the party's leader.



Kang also targeted Lee, saying, "If a person who wants to be the party's leader does not listen to the party members' opinions, that person cannot not exercise leadership even if he becomes the chairman."



Other DPK lawmakers of the 97 group, including Kang Hoon-sik and Park Joo-min, also plan to vie for the DPK leadership.



The 97 group is supported by DPK lawmakers who are loyal to former President Moon Jae-in. Key DPK members, Hong Young-pyo and Jeon Hae-cheol, gave up their candidacy for the party's leadership to make way for a generational shift.



Rep. Cho Eung-cheon of the DPK said during a radio show on Thursday that the party convention is likely to be a race between Lee and the 97 group.



"When there is a change of pace, there could be demands for a breath of fresh air within the party," Cho said.



There is speculation that the 97 group of lawmakers will field a unified candidate after bolstering their presence in the party as Lee is a political heavyweight and the frontrunner for the party's leadership position.



Rep. Kang Byung-won said he is open to a unified candidacy.



"The 97 group members are competing against each other, but we have a unified candidacy in mind in the end," Kang said on a radio show. "The 97 group of lawmakers have to promote [ourselves] individually first before we push for a generational change."



Lee has not yet officially announced his bid for the party chairman post, but is expected to throw in his hat soon. Despite pressure not to run for the party's leadership position, Lee resumed communication via his social media, Thursday, urging DPK members to focus on issues involving the people's livelihood instead of political disputes within the party.



Meanwhile, Park Ji-hyun, a 26-year-old activist-turned-politician, who served as co-leader of the DPK from March to early June, participated in a public event for the first time in Friday. She was considered as a new wave in the party, but resigned after the DPK's defeat in the June 1 local elections.



She remained tight-lipped regarding the upcoming party convention, saying that she would make an announcement about that later.


She's no stranger to making stylish appearances after carving out a successful career as a model.

And Victoria Silvstedt certainly caught the eye as she put on a busty display while soaking up the sun at the Club 55 beach club during her holiday in St. Tropez.

The Swedish model, 47, slipped in a cleavage-baring coral crop top which she teamed with a jungle print maxi skirt.

Standing out: Victoria Silvstedt certainly caught the eye as she put on a busty display while soaking up the sun at the Club 55 beach club during her holiday in St. Tropez

Victoria oozed confidence as she flashed a hint of her toned midriff in the summery top, which she accessorised with gold jewellery and large cat-eye sunglasses.

The beauty went barefoot as she held her sandals in her hands, while her blonde locks were styled in voluminous waves for her day at the celebrity hotspot.

Victoria looked happy and confident as she strolled across a jetty amid her French Riviera getaway with partner Maurice Dabbah.

The beauty and Maurice, who is dubbed one of the richest businessman in Sweden, have been together since 2011.

Holiday style: The Swedish model, 47, slipped in a cleavage-baring coral crop top which she teamed with a jungle print maxi skirt

Victoria enjoyed a lengthy stint in the spotlight after being chosen to represent her country in the Miss World pageant in 1993.

After her pageant days, the Scandinavian stunner was spotted by Hugh Hefner and went on to become a Playboy Playmate.

Since her career rocketed, Victoria has modelled for some of the world's most prestigious fashion houses, including Chanel, Dior and Valentino.

Despite the glamorous veneer to her lifestyle as a young model, she revealed there was a dark side in a recent interview with Female First.

Victoria said: 'I started very young to model in Paris when I was 18, I remember like starving myself to fit into the clothes and it was an amazing experience but you know I did shows for Valentino, Chanel, so it was really prestigious.'
Nicola Coughlan was in good spirits as she attended a Pride brunch, hosted by Henry Holland and The London Edition, at Berners Tavern in London on Saturday.

The Irish actress, 35, wore a sheer pink mini dress with ruffled detail at the front which she teamed with a pair of gold platform heels at the event, in aid of LGBTQ+ youth homelessness charity Albert Kennedy Trust and Switchboard.

She was joined at the event by fellow actress Laura Carmichael, 35, who wore a 175 blue printed long-sleeve cotton top from the Painted By Christopher Kane collection.

In style: Nicola Coughlan looked stylish in a pink mini dress with ruffled detail while Laura Carmichael wore a 175 blue printed long-sleeve cotton top to a Pride brunch on Saturday

The Downton Abbey star wore a black mini skirt and opted for a pair of black leather heeled ankle boots.

She went for a palette of subtle hues for her make-up to show off her natural beauty.

Former Derry Girls cast member Nicola completed her look by wearing a pair of pink heart-shaped sunglasses to match her dress and wore lashings of make-up, including a bold red lip.

Fun: Nicola wore a pair of pink heart-shaped sunglasses to the event hosted by Henry Holland and The London EDITION, in aid of LGBTQ+ youth homelessness charity Albert Kennedy Trust

Strike a pose: Laura wore a top from the Painted By Christopher Kane collection to the brunch also in aid of Switchboard, the second-oldest LGBT+ telephone helpline in the United Kingdom

Famous friends: Nicola posed with (L-R) designer Daniel Fletcher, writer and editor Emma Hope Allwood and pal Naomi Pik

Host Henry Holland opted for some colourful attire, wearing a bright and bold shirt with a paisley pattern.

The fashion designer, 39, wore a pair of neatly pressed pink trousers and accessorised with a chunky silver chain around his neck.

He wore a delicate necklace with a gold metal 'H' hanging to his front as he posed at the bash.

Eye-catching: Host Henry Holland opted for some colourful attire, wearing a bright and bold shirt with a paisley pattern

DJ Aimee Phillips showed off her quirky sense of style in a cream tiered mesh dress with black polka dots.

The gown was cinched at the waist and featured off-the-shoulder pleated structured detail at the top.

She wore a pair of dazzling bejewelled pendulum earrings and opted for a pair of heeled ankle boots to add a few inches to her stature.

Fashion forward: DJ Aimee Phillips showed off her quirky sense of style in a cream tiered mesh dress with black polka dots

She was joined by model Isabella Charlotta Poppius who wore a gold satin co-ord with a navy blue lace hem.

The presenter completed her look by wearing a pair of red heels and wore minimal make-up for the event.

Teen Wolf actor Andrew Matarazzo, 25, cut a casual figure in a black satin bomber jacket which he teamed with a matching T-shirt and jeans.

Going for gold: She was joined by model Isabella Charlotta Poppius who wore a gold satin co-ord with a navy blue lace hem

Keeping it casual: Teen Wolf actor Andrew Matarazzo, 25, wore a black satin bomber jacket and a matching T-shirt and jeans while designer Daniel wore a funky-patterned shirt

Out and about: British fashion designer Erdem Moraloglu, 45, wore a black sweater and a pair of cream jeans along with some New Balance trainers

Famous friends: (L-R) The House of Avalon, Gigi Goode, Henry Holland, Symone and Aimee Phillips attend a Pride Brunch were seen posing at the bash

Guests were treated to special performances from Gigi Goode, Symone and the House of Avalon.

Proceeds from the event will be split between the Albert Kennedy Trust, which supports lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender young people who are homeless, living in a hostile environment or in housing crisis, and Switchboard, the LGBT+ helpline, offering a safe space for anyone to discuss anything, including sexuality, gender identity, sexual health and emotional wellbeing.

The charities are close to the heart of both Henry and the sponsors and offer invaluable support to the LGBTQ+ communities.
Kate Garraway begged for 'urgent help' on Friday after accidentally leaving her husband Derek Draper's vital medical supplies in a cab.

Derek, 54, was the UK's longest-suffering patient of Covid after being admitted to hospital with the virus in March 2020 and is still in recovery.

And taking to Twitter, the Good Morning Britain host begged a lost property service for help after she brought her husband home from hospital amid a weekend visit.

Reaching out: Kate Garraway begged for 'urgent help' on Friday after accidentally leaving her husband Derek Draper's vital medical supplies in a cab

She wrote: '@BC_Lostproperty help!! Have just brought derek home in a mobility black cab from hospital for a weekend visit -& have left a case with all his meds and kit in the front!

'The driver recognised me but may not know its there - please look & get in touch - need urgently!!'

Following her call for assistance, Kate's fans were quick to come to her rescue as one follower revealed they in fact knew the driver who transported the couple and was attempting to contact him.

They penned: 'I know the driver Kate as he mentioned he'd taken you and your husband to me this evening. Im trying to get in touch right now.'

Poorly: Derek, 54, was the UK's longest-suffering patient of Covid after being admitted to hospital with the virus in March 2020 and is still in recovery

Other Twitter users also shared their words of support and ideas to help, with one writing: 'Hope u get this back asap Kate. Also sorry to hear that Derek is no longer home with u all. Lots of love and best wishes for Derek xxxx.'

With another suggesting: 'Kate. If you paid by card, the drivers details will be on the receipt or the card company should be able to trace him.'

And a third sharing: 'Hope you get them back asap. Sorry to hear Derek is in hospital I must have missed that somehow, sending love.'

Help! TAking to Twitter, the Good Morning Britain host begged a lost property service for help after she brought her husband home from hospital amid a weekend visit

Luckily, the person who knew the driver later confirmed that he did in fact get in touch with them, with the medical supplies presumably swiftly returned to Derek and Kate.

The situation came just days after Kate opened up on finding a new way to be in love with Derek after his Covid-19 battle.

The presenter said that her children Darcy 17, and William, 12, also have had to 'relearn' how to be around their dad amid his continued health struggles.

Derek returned home from hospital in April 2021 after a year-long battle and still requires round-the-clock care in the midst of his lengthy recovery.

Candid: The situation came just days after Kate opened up on finding a new way to be in love with Derek after his Covid-19 battle

Speaking to Good Housekeeping, Kate said: 'When you nearly lose someone, it certainly brings everything into sharp focus.

'In many ways, we're still learning how we are as man and wife, as so much has changed.

'It's the same for the children  they're having to relearn the experience of being with their dad. And, of course, the biggest learning is for poor Derek.'

Kate previously admitted that if left unaided for over three days, Derek could die.

Ongoing process: The Good Morning Britain host said that her children Darcy 17, and William, 12, also have had to 'relearn' how to be around their dad amid his continued health struggles

He is bed-stricken, with Kate doing much of the caring herself as she insists she won't 'ever give up on him'.

Elsewhere in the chat, the presenter also spoke about trying to find the joy in the little moments in life after everything that's happened.

She explained: 'I try to live in the moment more than ever before. I'll send an email and think, 'Okay, I've sent the email. I can't do anything more about that now, so I'm just going to look out the window and notice how pretty the sky is.'

'I really try to seize those moments because when you do, you realise that life is just a collection of moments  and finding more good ones than bad ones is probably the secret to it all.'
Kimberly Hart-Simpson said she's praised by Coronation Street fans for her realistic portrayal of a sex worker Nicky on the soap opera.

The actress, 35, plays the character of Nicky Wheatley on the ITV serial, a role she insists was her dream after she auditioned for Corrie for 10 years.

And screen star Kimberley says she's pleased her character is working as an escort simply because she wants to give her daughter a good life, not to fund a drug habit.

Convincing: Kimberly Hart-Simpson, 35, says she's praised by Coronation Street fans for her realistic portrayal of a sex worker as she's not turned to the job to fund a drink or drug habit

She told The Sun: 'I am thrilled that charities and sex workers have contacted me to say they like the way Nicky is portrayed because she is so realistic and the writers havent given her a drug or drink problem.'

'She is just a feisty mum, doing it for her daughter  for survival, I am so proud to play her.

'I know plenty of people who work in the sex industry and on things like OnlyFans  it isnt an unknown world to me and they are just normal people trying to get by.'

Screen star: The actress, 35, plays the character of Nicky Wheatley on the ITV serial, a role she insists was her dream after she auditioned for Corrie for 10 years (pictured on soap with Daniel Osbourne as played by Rob Mallard in 2020)

Kimberley said it was her dream to pursue a successful career in acting after watching the film Free Willy at the age of eight.

And she says her father is responsible for her not giving up on her Corrie dream as he was a massive fan of the soap.

Her parent Kevin died from bone marrow cancer in 2007 aged 63 and he told her to go for a career in acting from his bed in Oldham Hospital before his death.

Good work: Screen star Kimberley says she's pleased her character is working as an escort simply because she wants to give her daughter a good life

She said that getting the Coronation Street role 'saved' her after she slumped into a depression following the death of her father, adding that she was at the 'lowest ebb of my life, financially and emotionally. My self-belief had gone.'

The star said she was able to clear off some debts after winning the role.

Kimberly previously said she manifested a Coronation Street return after mapping out all of her dreams onto a vision board.

Sex worker Nicky, who played havoc with Daniel Osbourne (Rob Mallard) and Daisy Midgley (Charlotte Jordan) in 2020 was written back into the script this year.

Kimberly told the Daily Star newspaper's Hot TV column: 'I like vision boards and on the day that I got the call for Corrie, I had made a vision board including the 10 things that I wanted in my life at that time - and Corrie went back on there.

'Within two hours, I got the call to ask if I wanted to go back.'

The Mount Pleasant star first teased her return to the cobbles in December, writing on Instagram: 'She's back! @coronationstreet 2022!!! (sic)'

She added: 'Return of the side-eye.'

Kimberly shared another update on social media, a selfie of her wearing a red ITV branded puffer jacket.

She added the caption: 'Always thought I would make a good red coat. Good to be back. (sic)'
Courtesy of Dickson Phua



By David A. Tizzard




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Congress investigating generator makers over carbon monoxide deaths

A congressional committee is investigating whether portable generator manufacturers have done enough to protect the public from deadly levels of carbon monoxide emitted by their products.

Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, D-N.Y., who leads the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, sent letters to top executives at four major generator companies on Tuesday requesting copies of records documenting why they have not implemented potentially lifesaving safety upgrades in many generator models for sale. Maloney also asked for messages sent or received by officials at the companies  Generac Power Systems, DuroMax Power Equipment, Firman Power Equipment and Champion Power Equipment  related to any injuries or deaths connected to their products.

The committee investigation comes more than two decades after U.S. regulators identified the deadly risks posed by portable generators and six months after an investigation by NBC News, ProPublica and The Texas Tribune found that federal efforts to make portable generators safer have been stymied by a statutory process that empowers manufacturers to regulate themselves. That system has resulted in limited safety upgrades and continued deaths. Maloney repeatedly cited the news outlets findings in her letters to company executives.

Portable generators, often used to power critical medical equipment and appliances such as refrigerators and air conditioners during electrical outages, emit enough carbon monoxide to kill within minutes when operated in enclosed spaces or too close to exterior openings.

Carbon monoxide deaths caused by generators predictably follow nearly every major power outage caused by extreme weather, which scientists say is becoming more common with climate change. Generators played a role in at least 10 deaths in Texas during the February 2021 winter storm and electric grid failure.

Three of those 10 deaths happened in the Melrose community where James Harkness Jr., Richard Woodward and Debora Wright were found dead in a home on CR 4081.

As families prepare for potential extreme weather during the 2022 hurricane season, they shouldnt have to worry about whether the products they buy to keep themselves safe are dangerous and potentially life-threatening, Maloney said in a statement. Unfortunately, with tragedy after tragedy, weve seen that portable generators have become one of the deadliest consumer products on the market.

Portable generators kill an average of 80 people in the U.S. annually. Another Nacogdoches County man died of carbon monoxide poisoning in December while renovating a home in the 100 block of CR 505.

After years of studying the problem, the Consumer Product Safety Commission concluded that warning labels and manuals instructing users to only operate generators outdoors were not enough to prevent accidental deaths. In 2016, the agency determined that manufacturers could save lives by making machines that emit significantly less carbon monoxide.

Instead, under industry-friendly federal laws, generator makers were allowed in 2018 to propose their own less expensive and voluntary solution: sensors that automatically turn the machines off when carbon monoxide builds up to an unsafe level.

But in the years since, some manufacturers have not added the safety switches or reduced carbon monoxide emissions in many generators for sale, especially in low-budget models, leaving consumers in many instances to choose between cost and safety, the ProPublica, Texas Tribune and NBC News investigation found.

The safety commission echoed those findings in a report issued this year. The 104-page report said automatic shut-off sensors alone, even if manufacturers installed them in every model, could not prevent all carbon monoxide poisonings caused by generators. The best solution, according to the commissions findings, was to both reduce generator carbon monoxide emissions and add automatic shut-off switches  a comprehensive approach that only a few manufacturers have implemented.

Based on those findings, the commission said its staff would urge the agencys five commissioners to move forward with a federal rule requiring generator makers to cut carbon monoxide emissions and add safety switches in the next fiscal year, which begins in October.

Maloney cited the safety commission report in her letters Tuesday to the chief executive officers of the four companies. Maloney told each of the CEOs she was concerned that the companies had failed to adequately implement voluntary standards to reduce the risk of death from CO poisoning, based on the commissions report.

The letters said that the four companies had failed to add any safety upgrades to many or most of the generators they listed for sale in the fall of 2021.

The Committee is seeking to understand why your company has failed to adequately adopt industry-led standards, how your company plans to prevent putting your customers at risk in the future, and whether legislative reform is necessary to protect consumers, she wrote to each company executive.

Maloney gave the companies until July 12 to turn over information related to the safety of their products, details about the amount of money they have saved by declining to implement changes and their communication with federal regulators. If the companies fail to voluntarily comply, the committees chair has the power to issue subpoenas.

Tami Kou, a Generac spokesperson, said that company officials were in the process of reviewing the letter and that they would respond to lawmakers. In an earlier statement to reporters, Kou defended the companys efforts to protect consumers. Kou told the news organizations that by 2023, all portable generators sold by the company would be equipped with shut-off sensors.

Dennis Trine, CEO of Champion, said in a statement that the company prioritizes the safety and quality of its products and that officials had started compiling the information requested and will provide it to the committee.

Temporary, emergency power saves lives for people storing hundreds of dollars of Insulin in their refrigerators and people using breathing machines to sleep at night. The list goes on regarding the critical benefits of portable generators, Trine wrote in an email.

Trine also said portable generators never kill users when they are used correctly as depicted on the product, packaging and owners manual.

But safety advocates say those instructions arent always easy to follow, because the machines usually cant be operated in rain or snow. And a review of user manuals by the news organizations, which didnt include Champions products, found that they can provide conflicting messages. Some instruction booklets suggest keeping generators a shorter distance from windows or doors than the 20-foot minimum recommended by the safety commission, while others provide more general guidance such as keeping the machines far away from homes.

The other two companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Susan Orenga, executive director of the Portable Generator Manufacturers Association, the trade group that developed the voluntary shut-off switches standard, told federal regulators that generator makers have been affected by supply chain problems caused by the pandemic, according to the safety commissions February report.

It has been difficult to obtain parts, including CO sensors, to move forward any quicker, Orenga told the agency.

But Marietta Robinson, a commissioner with the Consumer Product Safety Commission from 2013 to 2018, said portable generator manufacturers could have taken such steps years ago. She welcomed the House committee investigation.

Most portable generator manufacturers have not invested in making their products safer, Robinson said. Instead, they have invested heavily in fighting both this technological change and regulations that would require it.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission previously estimated that reducing generators carbon monoxide emissions would add about $115 to the manufacturing cost of most units, which typically sell for $500 to $1,500.

Robinson noted that generator manufacturers have made many millions of dollars off of peoples need for their products in the wake of increasingly frequent severe weather events.

The least they can do is invest the modestly additional amount in making these products safer by significantly reducing their emissions of CO and saving the lives of those using this product, Robinson said.

Additional reporting by staff writer Josh Edwards.
The assistant professors working in Rayalaseema region were the worst hit as they used to get just Rs 18,000 per month. (Representational Photo: DC)

VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh government resolved a nearly 15-year-long demand from assistant professors working on contract basis in 14 universities by fixing a consolidated pay of Rs 40,000 for PhD holders and Rs 35,000 for non-PhD holders in the state.

The state government took a decision recently to provide consolidated pay to the assistant professors working on contract basis in all 14 government universities and also those working in Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge and Technology by bringing in a uniform pay for all, unlike the earlier practice of each university having its own pay scales. The assistant professors working in Rayalaseema region were the worst hit as they used to get just Rs 18,000 per month. These faculty members will also get an annual hike of Rs 1,000 in their wages. Their consolidated pay and also the annual hike got approval from the finance department. They are also assured of job security. Nearly 2,000 faculty members are expected to get benefit from the state governments financial bonanza.

These faculty members have been demanding fixation of minimum time scale (MTS) and job security from the time of late chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy. Though the previous Telugu Desam regime assured to resolve their issue, it failed to do so for five long years. They approached the then leader of the Opposition Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy during his famous padayatra all over the state and got an assurance to look into their issues and ever since the YSR Congress government assumed power, they have been approaching the government to resolve their issues as assured.

Finally, the top brass of the department of higher education resolved their issue by fixing a consolidated pay instead of MTS with an annual hike and other allowances while the minister for education Botsa Satyanarayana reportedly assured them to ensure job security also during their recent talks.

However, the departments proposal to conduct screening tests for every two years is a cause of concern to them as it requires more clarity to whom it is applicable.

Moreover, their colleagues in Telangana draw much bigger pay. All Universities Contract Assistant Professors Association state president Malli Bhaskar said, We thank the Chief Minister for resolving our issue by fixing consolidated pay with an annual hike and we are expecting the government to issue an order shortly to that effect.
The management of an international school in Shaikpet told Deccan Chronicle that they went online for the day. We opted for online classes on Saturday for students safety, so that they don't get stuck in traffic, a representative said. (Representational Image: AFP)

Hyderabad: A majority of the schools in the city gave students an off on Saturday while a few worked online or opted for a half-day session because of traffic curbs imposed for political rallies  BJPs national executive meeting at Parade Grounds and Presidential candidate Yashwant Sinhas address at Jala Vihar.

The management of an international school in Shaikpet told Deccan Chronicle that they went online for the day. We opted for online classes on Saturday for students safety, so that they don't get stuck in traffic, a representative said.

Another school in Secunderabad, which is near the Parade Grounds, declared a holiday. We are not working today, we have declared a holiday due to traffic curbs in the city, a school spokesperson said.

Parents seconded schools decisions over apprehensions of traffic jams or untoward incidents due to political gatherings.

My son is having online classes for a day and it is a good option which we barely had earlier. Earlier, when such events happened, we used to struggle to go to offices and schools because of traffic restrictions, Kiran Kumar Edula, a parent, said. Telangana parents association president Asif Sohail said that worried parents called him in the wake of the developments. They objected sending their children to school. They were scared of nuisance in the city, he said.
Hyderabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday expressed his anguish over the Opposition parties politicising every initiative of his government aimed at the countrys overall growth and uplifting the poor.

He was intervening in the discussion on the lone resolution on the economy and Garib Kalyan passed by the national executive on the first day. Defence minister Rajnath Singh introduced the resolution.

Sources told Deccan Chronicle that the Prime Minister asked party leaders and cadre to be more effective in countering Opposition propaganda against the party and the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre. He referred to the agitation over farm laws and attempts to instigate youth against the Agnipath scheme, sources said.

The first day of the national executive, however, stayed away from controversial issues, including the latest conflict over former spokesperson Nupur Sharmas comments and subsequent attacks on those who supported her comments.

The Prime Minister also asked the presidents of all state units not to turn the home-stay programme into a routine and customary activity. Its not sufficient to just visit villages, we need to stay put for two or three days and interact with people, besides taking the governments initiatives to them, he said.

Modi also made a specific reference to the welfare of fishermen. Maintaining that the NDA entrusted the ministry concerned to a fisherman, he said the potential of the sector needed to be harnessed more in the backdrop of the country having lengthy coast both on the eastern and western sides.
Alluri Srirama Raju, grandson of freedom fighter Alluri Seetharama Raju's brother Satyanarayana Raju, is being felicitated at a programme in SRK Engineerig College, in Bhimavaram. (Photo by arrangement)

KAKINADA: Revolutionary freedom fighter Alluri Seetharama Rajus major role in the Freedom movement is well-documented. He faced hardships while mobilizing tribals in the agency areas of East Godavari and Visakhapatnam in the fight against British rule. What is less known is the struggle that his family went through.

When Seetharama Raju went to the Manyam at age 16, the British police kept a strict vigil on his house in Mogallu village of West Godavari district, where his father Venkatrama Raju, mother Suryanarayanma, brother Satyanarayana Raju and sister Seethamma lived.

As per my fathers narration, the police even did not allow them go outside the house. They experienced hard times. My father obtained a government job. But, the police did not permit him to do the job saying his brother was against the British. After that my father was appointed as school teacher and transferred to Rajamahendravaram. Later he went to Burugupudi village in Jaggampeta mandal in the present Kakinada district. We settled there for a long time, said Alluri Srirama Raju, the eldest son of Satyanarayana Raju.

Srirama Raju would be felicitated by Prime Minister Modi on July 4 at Bhimavaram as a part of the Azaadi-Ka-Amrutotsav. He retired from the DRDA office some time ago.

He was hardly a five when India attained Independence. My paternal uncle died in 1924. But his memories are still fresh in the minds of the family members as well as the people.

In my childhood, people used to talk about my paternal uncle and I was thrilled by his heroic deeds. Many used to derive inspiration from my uncle, he said.

Meanwhile, the Alluris family gave Seetharama Rajus name as Sri Rama Raju to six members. Satyanarayana Rajus brother late Tirupati Rajus brother Alluri Srirama Raju who was felicitated by SRKR Engineering College in Bhimavaram on Thursday told Deccan Chronicle that he was inspired by his paternal grandfather Alluri Seetharama Raju.

He said that 27 family members of Seetharama Raju including him would have an occasion to meet Prime Minister Modi in Bhimavaram.

However, Seetharamaraju's sister and late Seethammas grandsons will not be present. Dr Danthuluri Srirama Raju said he and his brother are keeping off the event due to their health problems. However, he thanked the Union Government for celebrating Seetharama Rajus 125th birthday in Bhimavaram in a grand manner.
HYDERABAD: BJP Telangana unit president and Lok Sabha member Bandi Sanjay Kumar dared Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao to topple the Narendra Modi government if had guts. Sanjay was referring to Chandrashekar Raos warning that the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) would pull down the Modi government if the BJP government at the Centre toppled his government as was done in Maharashtra recently, while speaking at the reception hosted for Oppositions presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha in Hyderabad on Saturday.

Sanjay was addressing a press conference at HICC, the venue of BJP's national executive meeting which began on Saturday.

There is no need for anyone to topple the TRS government. Your government is already on the verge of collapse. People are eagerly waiting for TRS-mukt Telangana. Under the TRS regime, Telangana has become a den for criminals, murders, atrocities and land, sand and drugs mafia. People already showed their ire at the TRS in the Huzurabad Assembly bypoll. The day is not far away when the same result will be repeated in all Assembly constituencies in Telangana," he said.

Sanjay urged people across Telangana to come in large numbers to attend Modi's public meeting Vijaya Sankalpa Sabha at Parade Grounds on Sunday and make it a grand success.

He came down heavily on Chandrashekar Rao for holding public rallies in Hyderabad for Presidential election. "Why is Chandrashekar Rao holding public rallies for the Presidential election? Are people going to vote in these elections? Are they panchayat or municipal elections?

MPs and MLAs are voters in the Presidential election. By holding rallies and filling the city with banners, hoardings and flexies, Chandrashekar Rao is degrading the Presidential election process," he said.

Sanjay lashed out at Chandrashekar Rao for asking what Modi did in the last eight years. "Modi abolished Article 370 as promised. He abolished Triple Talaq. He constructed Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. He provided toilets for all under Swachh Bharat. He is constructing houses for all, laying roads and what not. But what have you done in the last eight year? You failed to construct houses for the poor after taking funds from the Centre," he added.
Xi's remarks draw blueprint for development of Hong Kong: FM spokesperson

Xinhua) 10:50, July 02, 2022

BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's remarks at the celebration of the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland have drawn a blueprint for the development of Hong Kong, and clarified the direction of the steady and sustained implementation of the "one country, two systems" principle, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Friday.

President Xi attended the meeting celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Friday in Hong Kong and inspected HKSAR, and was warmly welcomed by people from all walks of life in Hong Kong, spokesperson Zhao Lijian told a daily news briefing.

President Xi made an important speech at the celebration, which has drawn a blueprint for the development of Hong Kong and clarified the direction of the steady and sustained implementation of the "one country, two systems" principle, Zhao said.

"We believe that with the strong leadership and firm support of the central government, with the great motherland as strong backing and with the solidarity and struggles of more than 7 million Hong Kong compatriots, Hong Kong will surely create a better tomorrow," he said.

He said that certain Western countries have made irresponsible remarks about the practice of the "one country, two systems" principle in Hong Kong, and meddled in Hong Kong affairs, which are purely China's internal affairs. "China firmly rejects and strongly condemns this," he said.

He noted that these countries always talk about "democracy" and "human rights," yet they turn a blind eye to their own serious problems and deplorable records.

"We would like to warn these countries that any slander of the successful practice of 'one country, two systems' is futile, and any interference in China's internal affairs is not allowed," Zhao said, adding that no external force can stop the steady and sustained implementation of "one country, two systems" and the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Bianji)
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks to reporters about legislation passed during a special legislative session in the Red Room at the state Capitol, July 1, in Albany, N.Y. AP-Yonhap





New York's legislature approved a sweeping overhaul Friday of the state's handgun licensing rules, seeking to preserve some limits on firearms after the Supreme Court ruled that most people have a right to carry a handgun for personal protection.







The measure, which passed both Democrat-controlled chambers by wide margins, is almost sure to draw more legal challenges from gun rights advocates who say the state is still putting too many restrictions on who can get guns and where they can carry them.







Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, called lawmakers back to Albany to work on the legislation after last week's high-court ruling overturning the state's longstanding licensing restrictions. She said she intends to sign the bill into law, which would then take effect Sept. 1.







Backers said the legislation strikes the right balance between complying with the Supreme Court's ruling and keeping weapons out of the hands of people likely to use them recklessly or with criminal intent. But some Republican lawmakers, opposed to tighter restrictions, argued the measure violated the constitutional right to bear arms. They predicted it too would end up being overturned.







Among other things, the state's new rules will require people applying for a handgun license to turn over a list of their social media accounts so officials could verify their ''character and conduct.''







Applicants would have to show they have ''the essential character, temperament and judgment necessary to be entrusted with a weapon and to use it only in a manner that does not endanger oneself and others.''







As part of that assessment, applicants have to turn over a list of social media accounts they've maintained in the past three years.







''Sometimes, they're telegraphing their intent to cause harm to others,'' Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, said at a news conference.







Mementos decorate a makeshift memorial to the victims of a shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, June 30. AFP-Yonhap





Gun rights advocates and Republican leaders were incensed, saying the legislation not only violated the Second Amendment, but also privacy and free speech rights.







''New Yorkers' constitutional freedoms were just trampled on,'' state Republican Chair Nick Langworthy said.







The bill didn't specify whether applicants would be required to provide licensing officers with access to private social media accounts not visible to the general public.







People applying for a license to carry a handgun would also have to provide four character references, take 16 hours of firearms safety training plus two hours of practice at a range, undergo periodic background checks and turn over contact information for their spouse, domestic partner or any other adults living in their household.







Hochul's chief lawyer, Elizabeth Fine, insisted the state was setting out ''a very clear set of eligibility criteria'' and noted that the legislation includes an appeals process.







The legislation would also fix a recently passed law that barred sales of some types of bullet-resistant vests to the general public, but inadvertently left out many types of body armor, including the type worn by a gunman who killed 10 Black people in a racist attack on a Buffalo supermarket.







The Supreme Court's ruling last week struck down a 109-year-old state law that required people to demonstrate an unusual threat to their safety to qualify for a license to carry a handgun outside their homes. That restriction generally limited the licenses to people who had worked in law enforcement or had another special need that went beyond routine public safety concerns.







Under the new system, the state wouldn't authorize permits for people with criminal convictions within the past five years for driving while intoxicated, menacing or third-degree assault.







People also wouldn't be allowed to carry firearms at a long list of ''sensitive places,'' including New York City's tourist-packed Times Square.







That list also includes schools, universities, government buildings, places where people have gathered for public protests, health care facilities, places of worship, libraries, public playgrounds and parks, day care centers, summer camps, addiction and mental health centers, shelters, public transit, bars, theaters, stadiums, museums, polling places and casinos.







New York would also bar people from bringing guns into any business or workplace unless the owners put up signs saying guns are welcome. People who bring guns into places without such signs could be prosecuted on felony charges.







That's a reverse approach from many other states where businesses that want to keep guns out are usually required to post signs indicating weapons aren't allowed.







Gun advocates said the bill infringes on rights upheld by the Supreme Court.







''Now we're going to let the pizzeria owner decide whether or not I can express my constitutional right,'' said Sen. Andrew Lanza, a Staten Island Republican. ''This is a disgrace. See you in the courts.'' (AP)


Islam, who is in the city for the ongoing BJP national executive meet, visited party representatives and workers from the Bahadurpura and Chandrayangutta constituencies as part of the partys reach-out drive coinciding with the national executive meeting in the city. (DC File Photo)

HYDERABAD: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) says it could be the first political party to crack the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) bastion that is the Old City of Hyderabad. The average person on the street is unhappy with the MIM leadership. We will capitalise on such dynamics that are evolving, Syed Zafar Islam, BJPs Rajya Sabha member from Uttar Pradesh and a national spokesperson of his party, told Deccan Chronicle.

Islam, who is in the city for the ongoing BJP national executive meet, visited party representatives and workers from the Bahadurpura and Chandrayangutta constituencies as part of the partys reach-out drive coinciding with the national executive meeting in the city. It may be recalled that the BJP tasked several of its leaders including MPs, former ministers and others to all the 119 Assembly constituencies in Telangana.

The MIM leadership, Islam said, is currently at its weakest. If you ask the person on the street and not reveal you are a politician or a leader, you will hear people saying they are unhappy with the MIM leadership.

He said the current mood among the BJP cadres and leaders in the Old City was that if the BJP could win in Rampur and Azamgarh in UP which have substantial Muslim populations, then, it could do the same here, too.

We acknowledge that other parties have not cracked the MIM bastion in the Old City of Hyderabad, but that is because successive governments have joined hands with them (AIMIM), and did not fight the elections the way they should have been fought, he said.

He said while there could be some false positive feedback from the party workers, this is accounted for through other means of checking the public pulse. People have realised that the BJP has been able to safeguard the interests of minorities. When it comes to delivering on welfare schemes and programmes, we are agnostic, go by eligibility list, irrespective of which community a beneficiary belongs to, he said. They were witnessing how a 'double engine sarkar' could benefit, as could be seen in the BIMARU states which were now progressing economically, he added.

He also said there was a lot of resentment against the present state government and how it did not keep its promises to the people but had been busy with its family rule, and how the family was actively engaged in corruption, creating wealth for themselves, neglecting the state, and not safeguarding the interests of the common man on the street.
Violent protests against Samsung broke out in Karachi, Pakistan on July 1st over suspected blasphemy. Police have detained 27 employees.

The protests in Karachi come at a time when communal tensions in India run high as protestors have taken to the streets of Udaipur, with saffron flags and demands for justice, over the brutal killing of tailor Kanhaiya Lal, who was hacked to death for expressing support for Nupur Sharma. Pakistan was also one of many to condemn Nupur Sharmas remarks over Prophet Mohammad, which gave rise to violent protests across India.

What were the protests about?

An installed WiFi device allegedly played blasphemous comments about Prophet Mohammad. News of the played remarks was quick to spread and soon, violent protestors gathered in and around the mall.

Blasphemy is considered a highly sensitive issue in Pakistan and those accused of it become easy victims of extremist groups. Last year, a Sri Lankan national working in a factory was lynched by the workers over allegations of blasphemy.

What did the protesters do?

The protesters, who remain unidentified, reportedly belong to the extremist Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan. Samsung billboards were vandalised by the mob, who accused the international corporation of blasphemy. The store was shut down as a result.

Protest against alleged blasphemy of a WiFi device in Karachi. Mob gathered after a WiFi device installed in Star City Mall, allegedly posted blasphemous comments. Protesters vandalised Samsung billboards accusing the company of blasphemy. Police detained 27 Samsung employees. pic.twitter.com/3R8UYbScqa  Naila Inayat (@nailainayat) July 1, 2022

What has the police done?

The Dawn newspaper claims that the Karachi Police shut down all WiFi after the protests and detained around 27 employees of Samsung. The device in question was also shut down and seized.

"Realising the gravity of the matter, the Preedy SHO rushed to the spot, got the device shut, and seized it," according to the police statement.

The SHO of Preedy police station received information around 11 am that the "WiFi device". An inquiry committee led by the Saddar SP has been constituted to investigate the matter, reports Dawn. South SSP, Asad Raza, told Dawn that the police, with the help of the Federal Investigation Agency, was trying to find out, who was responsible for installing the device.

How has Samsung responded?

Samsung Pakistan issued a statement of apology emphasising that it maintains neutrality on religious sentiments. The company also asserted that it has immediately started internal investigations.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has gifted her country's famed 'Amrapali' mangoes to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, officials said on Saturday.

The Bangladesh Assistant High Commissioner in Guwahati, Shah Md Tanvir Monsur handed over the gift to the Chief Minister's Principal Secretary Samir Sinha on Friday night.

The Bangladesh premier has sent 200 kgs of mangoes to Assam as a gift for prominent personalities of the state. Monsur said that the two countries at present enjoy the ''best of best relationship under the charismatic leadership of both Prime Ministers Sheikh Hasina and Narendra Modi. The Assam Chief Minister has also played a special role in this endeavour''.

He said that these are the finest quality mangoes and the Prime Minister has a desire to share these with the neighbouring countries. ''She has, therefore, sent the finest quality of mangoes for the dignitaries of Assam. This gift from Bangladesh will make the sweet relationship between the countries sweeter'', Monsur added.

Sinha, accepting the gift'', said that he extends his thanks and gratitude to Sheikh Hasina on behalf of the Chief Minister and people of Assam. Earlier last month, Hasina had sent mango hampers to the Indian president and prime minister among others. Bangladesh has been engaging in what foreign policy experts have termed as `Mango-Hilsa diplomacy' - a way to woo neighbours with gifts which also promote Bangladesh.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will next week attend a meeting of the foreign ministers of the G20 nations in Indonesia amid protests by China and Pakistan over Indias plan to host some of the events related with the 2023 summit of the bloc in Jammu and Kashmir.

India is likely to reject the objections raised by Pakistan and China over its move to hold some of the G20 events in J&K. It will however also clarify to other G20 nations that the main events of the 2023 summit will take place in its national capital, a source told DH on Saturday.

Jaishankars Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi will host the meeting of the G20 foreign ministers on July 7 and 8. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is likely to attend the summit.

"J&K is an integral part of India and the Government of India reserves its right to hold any event in any part of the country,: the source added.

Indonesia currently holds the rotating presidency of the G20 and will pass it on to India on December 1 after Joko Widodo, the president of the Southeast Asian nation, hosts the 2022 summit.

Read | Holding G20 summit in J&K can be a major diplomatic victory for India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host the 2023 G20 summit, tentatively in October or November next year.

The main events of the 2023 G20 summit are proposed to be held in Delhi and construction works are now going on to give Pragati Maidan in the national capital a facelift and to turn it into the venue for the conclave.

India, however, also has plans to hold some of the events in J&K so that the foreign leaders, who would come for the summit, could also visit the Union Territory.

Pakistan opposed India's plan as it perceived it as a move by the Centre to assert its claim on J&K as an integral part of its territory and reject Pakistans claim on it before the international community.

China too echoed its iron brother Pakistan. A spokesperson of the Chinese Governments Ministry of Foreign Affairs told journalists in Beijing that the dispute between India and Pakistan over J&K should be resolved according to the United Nations charter and no side should take unilateral moves that might complicate the situation.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is likely to travel to Bali next week to attend the G20 meeting, which will set the stage for the summit of the bloc this year. India has not yet confirmed or denied the possibility of a bilateral meeting between Jaishankar and Wang on the sideline of the conclave.

The Modi Government had in August 2019 stripped the erstwhile state of J&K of its special status and reorganised it into two Union Territories.

Pakistan, supported by China and Turkey, had then launched a campaign, making a renewed attempt to internationalise its dispute with India over J&K.

India had blocked all attempts by Pakistan and China to bring the issue of J&K back on the formal agenda of the United Nations Security Council.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, even as the United States and other western nations mounted pressure on India to join the G7 move to impose a price cap on energy imports from the former Soviet Union nation.

Modi and Putin discussed global issues, including the state of the international energy and food markets, according to a press-release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi. The prime minister reiterated Indias position on Russias military operations in Ukraine, stressing that the conflict should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy. They exchanged ideas on how bilateral trade in agricultural goods, fertilizers and pharma products could be encouraged further, Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson of the MEA, said.

The phone-call between Modi and Putin took place just days after the prime minister attended the G7 summit at Schloss Elmau in Germany as a special invitee.

The G7 leaders, who attended the summit, had discussions among themselves as well as with the leaders of India, Argentina, Senegal, South Africa and Indonesia to impose a price cap on import of energy from Russia  in addition to the sanctions imposed on the country in response to its military aggression against Ukraine.

The issue was discussed when Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron had a brief chat on the sideline of the G7 summit. The prime minister and the US President Joe Biden did not have a bilateral meeting during the two-day conclave. But External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Bidens Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who accompanied the respective leaders of the two nations to the summit, had a meeting and the US asked for Indias support to the move to impose the price cap on energy imports from Russia.

India over the past few months drew flak from the US and the other western nations, not only for refusing to join them in condemning Russia for its aggression against Ukraine, but also for continuing trade with the former Soviet Union nation, circumventing sanctions imposed on it. India also increased oil and coal imports from Russia.

Modi and Putin on Friday expressed mutual intention for the comprehensive strengthening of the special and privileged strategic partnership between Russia and India, according to a press-release issued from Moscow. They discussed further development of mutually beneficial ties in the economic sphere and took note of a significant increase in the volume of bilateral trade, including mutual deliveries of agricultural products.

Putin told Modi that the systemic mistakes made by a number of nations had led to the disruption of the entire architecture of the free trade of food products and resulted in a significant increase of their cost. He told the prime minister that illegal sanctions imposed by the US and other western nations against Russia had exacerbated an already difficult situation. The same factors had a negative impact on the global energy market, he said, assuring Modi that Russia had been and remains a reliable producer and supplier of grain, fertilizers and energy carriers to India, according to Moscows diplomatic mission in New Delhi.
Ten days after Eknath Shinde launched a rebellion against him which led to the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Friday removed Shinde from the post of `Shiv Sena leader'. Meanwhile, Shinde-backed rebels are expected to reach Mumbai today ahead of the Assembly session tomorrow. Track the latest news and updates on the Maharashtra Crisis, only with DH.
A group of lawyers Saturday attacked the four accused in the Kanhaiya Lal murder case, kicking and slapping them and hurling abuses as they were being taken to a prisoner vehicle after being produced in a court here.

The clothes of one of the four accused were also torn, and the agitated lawyers raised slogans against Pakistan and demanded capital punishment for them.

The four persons -- main accused Riaz Akhtari and Ghouse Mohammad, and two others namely Mohsin and Asif -- were produced in a special court here amid tight security arrangements. The court sent the four to police remand till July 12.

Also Read | Another murder over support for Nupur Sharma? Amravati chemist's killing sparks row

There was heavy security deployment on the premises, but as the accused were being taken out of the court, the group of lawyers attacked them before police personnel somehow managed to hustle them into a waiting prisoner transport vehicle.

The lawyers shouted slogans such as "Pakistan Murdabad" and "Kanhaiya ke hatyaron ko fansi Do (hang the murderers of Kanhaiya)".

Udaipur tailor Kanhaiya Lal was hacked to death on Tuesday by Akhtari and Ghouse who said in a video posted online that they had avenged an insult to Islam.

Akhtari and Ghouse were arrested by the state police on the day of the incident while Mohsin and Asif were nabbed two days later. The latter two have been accused of being involved in the conspiracy and carrying out a recce of Kanhaiya Lals tailoring shop.
In the aftermath of Thursday night's country bomb attack on the CPI(M)'s state headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram, the CPI(M) accused the Congress of involvement, while the Congress said it was an attempt to divert attention from the allegations against Kerala's Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's office since Gandhi visited Wayanad on Friday.

It was by around 11.30 pm on Thursday that an unidentified person on a two-wheeler hurled a country bomb on the compound wall of the AKG Centre in the heart of the city, close to the government secretariat and Assembly complex. Based on CCTV footage, the police are trying to trace the accused.

Also Read: Why is Kerala CM reluctant to take legal action against Swapna Sureshs 'baseless' allegations?

Immediately after the incident, CPI(M) senior leader and Left Democratic Front convenor E P Jayarajan stated that it was an act by the Congress. CPI(M) workers carried out protest marches across the state, and Congress's properties, including a statue of former prime minister Indira Gandhi and a poster of Rahul Gandhi, were vandalised.

But Congress leaders, including Kerala PCC president K Sudhakaran and Opposition leader V D Satheesan, questioned the conclusive remark of the CPI(M) leaders even when senior police officers stated that they were clueless about the accused or the motives. Sudhakaran also said it could be an attack planned by Jayarajan to deviate attention from the allegations against the Chief Minister and attack on Rahul Gandhi's Wayanad office.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, who later reacted, did not directly accuse the Congress. Vijayan said that all those who were involved in the incident would be brought before the law. He also said it was an attempt to hurt the sentiments of CPI(M) workers by attacking the party's headquarters. Yechury urged party workers not to get provoked and expressed confidence that the culprits would be punished. CPI(M) politburo also condemned the attack.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited his MP office at Wayanad, which was attacked by Students Federation of India activists last week. Rahul, who was given a rousing reception by party leaders, said he was not angry at the 'children' who attacked his office. He asked them to be more responsible. He stated that the attack was not towards his office, but the office of people.
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday said the rebels have chosen their way and there would be no hindrance from the party in the path of the dissidents to associate with the BJP, and the Sena will play the role of constructive opposition to the new government.

Talking to reporters a day after Sena president Uddhav Thackeray resigned as the state chief minister following a rebellion that rocked his government, Raut also said the dissident leaders will "regret" their decision to part ways with the Shiv Sena.

Also Read: As Maharashtra's MVA govt crumbles, a look at its turbulent 2.5 years

Raut said he will also go to the Enforcement Directorate's office on Friday in response to the summons issued to him by the agency, and clear his position. "You (rebel leaders) will regret this. Eknath Shinde (the leader of the rebel MLAs) was a staunch Shiv Sainik and worked for the party for many years. Be it (MLAs) Gulabrao Patil, Sandipan Bhumre and many (who are in the Shinde camp) who worked for the party and struggled for itthey have chosen their path. "We will not create any impediment in their path. They can have their association (with the BJP). We will do our work. Now our paths are different...We will work as a constructive opposition," he said.

Without taking BJP's name, Raut said he is well aware of those responsible for pressuring the Sena legislators, which led to the rebellion in the party. He said everyone had a sense of trust in the Uddhav Thackeray-led government, especially people of faiths. Be it NCP chief Sharad Pawar or Congress president Sonia Gandhi, everybody trusted Uddhav Thackeray, he said.

"But efforts were on to bring down the government from day one and we were aware of thisthe way they (the BJP) brought different kinds of pressure through different means, like central agencies," Raut said. The Sena rebels have blamed Raut for his visceral statements for widening the gap between them and the leadership.

Also Read: Day after Uddhav Thackeray's resignation, BJP leaders huddle in Mumbai to decide next course of action

Responding to this, Raut said, "If I am responsible for making Shiv Sainik a minister then I own it." He said the formation of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was a "fight for self-respect" and fulfilment of late Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray's dream to make a Shiv Sainik a chief minister. Will the rebel MLAs make Shiv Sainik the chief minister, Raut asked.

The rebels have cited association with the Congress and NCP being the main reason for rebelling against the party. Raut said many of the rebel MLAs who are giving this pretext were earlier with the NCP. Many of these MLAs joined the Shiv Sena to become ministers, he said. Raut asserted that his party will work with new vigour.

"The Shiv Sena is not born for power, but power is born for the Shiv Sena," he said.
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China and U.S. flags are seen near a TikTok logo in this illustration picture taken July 16, 2020. Reuters-Yonhap



TikTok's CEO has written to nine Republican senators to outline new efforts by the popular video app to protect US user data, amid renewed congressional scrutiny of access to that information by employees of its Chinese parent company, ByteDance.

TikTok's CEO has written to nine Republican senators to outline new efforts by the popular video app to protect US user data, amid renewed congressional scrutiny of access to that information by employees of its Chinese parent company, ByteDance.

"We know we are among the most scrutinized platforms from a security standpoint, and we aim to remove any doubt about the security of U.S. user data," Shou Zi Chew wrote in the letter, which was dated Thursday and obtained by The New York Times.



Steps taken by the company to address data security concerns included an initiative called "Project Texas", a series of protocols to restrict data access being created in coordination with the U.S. government, Chew wrote.



TikTok had not yet publicized the effort due to the confidentiality of its engagement with the U.S. government, "but circumstances now require that we share some of that information publicly", wrote Chew.



U.S. President Joe Biden last year revoked an executive order by his predecessor that would have paved the way for banning TikTok and Chinese messaging app WeChat. His administration has even sought to educate the U.S. public on its policy priorities via major TikTok influencers.





The logo of TikTok's parent company ByteDance is seen at its booth during an organized media tour to the Zhongguancun National Innovation Demonstration Zone Exhibition Center in Beijing, Feb. 10. Reuters-Yonhap
Ukrainian State Emergency Service firefighters work to take away debris at a shopping center burned after a rocket attack in Kremenchuk, Ukraine, June 28. AP-Yonhap





The latest in a litany of horrors in Ukraine came this week as Russian firepower rained down on civilians in a busy shopping mall far from the front lines of a war in its fifth month.







The timing was not likely a coincidence.







While much of the attritional war in Ukraine's east is hidden from sight, the brutality of Russian missile strikes on a mall in the central city of Kremenchuk and on residential buildings in the capital, Kyiv, unfolded in full view of the world and especially of Western leaders gathered for a trio of summits in Europe.







Were the attacks a message from Russian President Vladimir Putin as the West sought to arm Ukraine with more effective weapons to bolster its resistance, and to set Ukraine on the path to joining the European Union?







Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko suggested as much when missiles struck the capital on June 26, three days after EU leaders unanimously agreed to make Ukraine a candidate for membership.







It was ''maybe a symbolic attack'' as the Group of Seven leading economic powers and then NATO leaders prepared to meet and apply further pressure on Moscow, he said. At least six people were killed in the Kyiv strike, which pummeled an apartment building.







The former commanding general of U.S. Army forces in Europe, retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, went further in connecting the attack and the meetings. ''The Russians are humiliating the leaders of the West,'' he said.







A day after the Kyiv attack, as G-7 leaders met in Germany to discuss further support for Ukraine during their annual summit, Russia fired missiles at a crowded shopping mall in the central Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk, killing at least 19 people.







The timing of both attacks appeared to be juxtaposed with the European meetings of U.S. President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron, all supporters of Ukraine.







Ukrainian State Emergency Service firefighters clear debris at damaged residential building in the town of Serhiivka, located about 50 kilometers southwest of Odesa, Ukraine, July 1. AP-Yonhap





Defying the evidence, Putin and his officials deny that Russia hit residential areas. Putin has denied that Russian forces targeted the Kremenchuk mall, saying it was directed at a nearby weapons depot. But Ukrainian officials and witnesses said a missile directly hit the mall.







It was hardly the first time that bursts of violence were widely seen as signals of Moscow's displeasure. In late April, Russian missiles struck Kyiv barely an hour after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a news conference with visiting U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.







''This says a lot about Russia's true attitude toward global institutions,'' Zelenskyy said at the time. Kyiv's mayor called the attack Putin's way of giving the ''middle finger.''







The Russian president recently warned that Moscow would strike targets it had so far spared if the West supplied Ukraine with weapons that could reach Russia. If Kyiv gets long-range rockets, Russia will ''draw appropriate conclusions and use our means of destruction, which we have plenty of,'' Putin said.







On Friday, a day after Russian forces made a high-profile retreat from Snake Island near the Black Sea port city of Odesa following what Ukraine called a barrage of artillery and missile strikes, Russia bombarded residential areas in a coastal town near Odesa and killed at least 21 people, including two children.







While Russia's messaging can be blunt and devastating, Ukraine's signals under Zelenskyy have focused daily on seeking to amplify Moscow's cruelty to a world that day by day risks becoming weary of the war.







If interest fades, the concerted support seen at global summits could fade, too. And with it the urgency to deliver the heavier weapons that Ukraine craves.







Remains of a missile are seen near a rail station, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Kramatorsk, Ukraine April 8. Reuters-Yonhap





Zelenskyy tends to pair pleas for more help with reminders that all of Europe ultimately is at stake.







He described the mall attack as ''one of the most daring terrorist attacks in European history.''







For all of Ukraine's indisputable suffering, it was a bold statement of some hyperbole in the context of extremist attacks with mass deaths in Paris, Nice, Brussels, Madrid and London in this century alone.







For Zelenskyy and Ukraine, the underlying demand cannot be reiterated enough: provide more heavy weapons, and faster, before Russia perhaps makes irreversible gains in the eastern industrial region of the Donbas, where street-by-street fighting grinds on.







In his nightly public addresses, Zelenskyy also makes sure to capture the traumatic toll on everyday life in Ukraine, appealing well beyond global leaders to the wider world.







This week, he accused Russia of sabotaging ''people's attempts to live a normal life.''







Images of the shopping mall's smoking debris said the rest. (AP)






The staff of Connect Credit Union took to the Main Street of Blackrock on the 30th of June marking the last day of the 100K in 30 Days fundraiser for Breast Cancer Ireland.

Staff organised a walkathon on two treadmills set up outside the credit union office on the main street.

Credit Union members and passersby generously donated to the collection budgets, helping the 100K in 30 Days team reach 1 million in funds raised.

Adding to the excitement, Louth brand ambassadors Tara Cloney and Lorna Clarke called down to walk some additional kilometers.

Tara marked the completion of her challenge by finishing her 100K where it all began in Blackrock.

There was great excitement on the street as the 100k in 30 days founders Cara and Niall Carroll jumped on the treadmills with Cara running a total of 10 Kilometres throughout the day.

The street was full and bustling as staff, family members and passing supporters cheered on the team who pushed the treadmills to their limits.

There wasnt a minute to spare as Conor Richardson and Michael McCahill of Connect CU reached the 100k finish line after eight long hours of running and walking.

Commenting on the event, Norman McDonnell, CEO of Connect CU said: It was a pleasure to be able to sponsor such an amazing cause that originated in our local village of Blackrock. We are delighted to be able to give back to the community via our sponsorship programme.

The 30-day event was another huge success as the 1 million mark was met on the last day.

For a third consecutive year, the 100k team managed to organise an amazing 30day event throughout June with individuals taking part from all 32 counties in Ireland as well as all over the world. You can still donate until the 15th of July via the website or donation links.

The Connect team would also like to say a huge thank you to all those who kindly donated over the course of the two days.
Have you ever seen a 'Raggamuffin'?

This term came back to me when I was discussing with a friend the origins of the 'Ragged School' in Dundalk of the 19th Century which is featured in one the answers to my Question Time this week.

I must confess at the start, however, that I had never heard of this old school for destitute children in Dundalk until relatively recently - but I had heard of a Raggamuffin!

In fact, it was a name used quite frequently in Dundalk of my youth to describe an unwanted and neglected child - regrettable for the Dundalk people of my generation, it was generally used in relation to orphans and not in an affectionate way!

I recall that it was usually only referred to boys who got into trouble but my memory could be faulty in that respect.

Strangely, it was often used by some mothers, with a certain degree of humour, when referring to a mischievous or troublesome child about whom they had some concern as to their future!

I can assure readers, however, that it was never pleasant to be described as a 'Ragamuffin', so, perhaps, you can understand it was not a subject that was discussed often in polite society of the last century.

Etymologists, those who study of the origins of words, seem to be divided about the exact meaning of this name which has been used in English for centuries.

The majority view is that that it comes from the name of a demon called 'Ragamoffyn' mentioned in a Middle English poem called 'Piers Ploughman' about life in rural England of the 14th Century.

In this context the word 'ragge' is a rag which described how this particular demon was dressed. Which might explain why some would be afraid of such a person.

Others, however, claim that it comes from Middle German in which a 'muffe' was a small cake - which was about all the poor could expect to get, by the way of luxury.

From this meaning the name of the pastry called 'muffins' is derived.

Free education was provided for the poor in London by a man called Thomas Cranfield in the late 18th century but his work was limited and it was not until 1844 that the mass movement to set up Ragged Schools was commenced.

The teaching was done by local volunteers who also provided meals.

The man given credit for starting the movement was a crippled shoemaker called John Pounds who sat on the footpath in front of his shop to teach children to read and write.

This must have been something not unlike the 'hedge schools' operating in Ireland of the period.

By 1870, when the first Education Act was passed there were 350 Ragged Schools throughout Britain and Ireland. The first one in Dublin was established in 1849 and it must have been soon afterwards that the Dundalk School was started.

There are no records, that I know of, about the number of teachers involved but I have read that one man was in charge and there was at least one lady teacher.

There were separate classes for boys and girls and, I think, dormitory accommodation was provided in the upstairs part of the building.

I have no idea how many children were being taught at any one time but I gather that there were quite a few homeless children wandering the streets of the Town in the period.

Discipline was harsh but I do not think it was any worse than in any other schools of the time. Certainly it seems to have helped many to escape their impoverished conditions!

The Ragged Schools declined after the 1870 Eduction Act, which saw the opening of many primary schools in Ireland, as you can spot in the dates over the entrance doors.

The Ragged Schools were finally closed in 1902 when the next Education Act was passed but I think the Dundalk School must have closed long before that date.

Education in Ireland was long carried out by religious orders and there were 500 pupils attending the Sisters of Mercy primary school at Mill Street not long after it first opened in 1850, The Dominican Fathers also pioneered primary eduction in Dundalk, even before the Catholic Emancipation Act passed in 1829.

The reason that the Ragged School in Dundalk may have been forgotten about was of the poor reputation in Ireland of industrial schools, where children were often sent as a punishment when they appeared before courts.

The Dundalk Ragged School may not have been an ideal educational institution but it must certainly would have been much better than the Workhouse to which many children were assigned through no fault of their own.
THE head of Cork's Sexual Violence has issued a warning to young people preparing for Leaving Cert holidays following disturbing reports of rape among peers.

Mary Crilly, who was recently honoured with the Freedom of the City of Cork said that in recent years they have dealt with service users who had regarded it as safer to keep company with Irish people while on holiday. Nonetheless, those affected had no idea that the person they once considered a friend would become their rapist.

Ms Crilly added that many end up having to share the same flight home with their abuser as they attempt to keep their trauma a secret.

She pointed out that it can be easier to report an abuser who is a stranger to the victim.

"In the majority of abuse cases that happen while on holidays it is not the locals of the area that are responsible, Ms Crilly said.

Irish girls travelling to places like Spain or Italy feel safer around Irish guys. However, the Irish men assaulting women in Ireland are doing the same abroad. The issue in this situation is that the girl is far more vulnerable while away from home. Much of the time she will have been in school with the abuser or known them from the area. It's less difficult to report a stranger. Rapists work close to home because that's how they get their power and control. The sad thing is that a stranger will be reported but your brother's friend won't."

ISOLATION

Mary said that often the victim will spend the remainder of their holiday isolated after an attack. Other times they will be unable to find support among the group.

"It can be very uncomfortable to make the decision to support someone who has been raped. People often decide to get rid of the problem instead to avoid doing so. This means cutting the person from the group and focusing on trying to shut the victim up."

She spoke of how abuse can affect a person's outlook on the future.

"Everyone is entitled to feel excited about the future and a new chapter in their lives, yet there are young people struggling to get up in the mornings because they have been raped.

Mary Crilly, Director, Sexual Violence Centre, 5, Camden Place, Cork. FREEFONE 1800 496 496. Twitter @SVCCork Instagram sexualviolencecork Pic: Larry Cummins

The abuser is never held to account because in a bizarre way they feel that this was their entitlement. I have come across people who haven't gone away on their J1 because the abuser is part of the group they were planning to travel with. The reality is that he wasn't going to change his plans for anyone so it's the victim who has to remain isolated The reality is that someone has made the decision to destroy a person's life but does not have to face the consequences."

She said the statistics relating to rape and abuse remain shockingly high.

"One in 500 women is too high but one in five is outrageous."

It comes after Chief Superintendent Con Cadogan told the Joint Policing Committee meeting earlier this year that reports of rape in the city rose from 44 in 2020 to 46 last year and sexual assaults from 90 to 111.

In North Cork, the number of rapes dropped from 28 to 20, but sexual assaults increased from 28 to 52.

In West Cork, the number of reported rapes rose from 15 to 25 and sexual assaults increased from 37 to 41.
A Cork Penny Dinners volunteer has thanked the Cork public for the support they have given the group which allows them to help the people of Ukraine.

Conal Thomas is one of six people joining Penny Dinners latest humanitarian mission to Polands Ukrainian border, and he appealed to Irish people to continue its generous support.

Penny Dinners is Corks oldest charity, dating back to Famine times, and since Russias invasion of Ukraine in February, co-ordinator Catriona Twomey and her fellow volunteers have made three visits to the region with humanitarian aid donated by the people of Cork.

Lesley OSullivan (left) and Conal Thomas (right) at the Dolhobyczow border crossing with Ukrainian volunteers Sergeiy and Viktor.

The first time was 25 tonnes [of aid], the second time was 50 tonne, this time its 80 tonne, so its increasing, thank you, Mr Thomas said.

Setting out at 3.30am last Friday morning from Penny Dinners base in Tarnow, in south-eastern Poland, Conal and his fellow volunteer, northsider Lesley OSullivan, travelled to the eastern Polish border town of Dohobyczow.

They drove for over three hours, covering 170 miles, their van loaded down with five tonnes of humanitarian aid made up of non-perishable foods, toiletries, medical aid, and baby food.

This is much-needed supplies that are going straight to Ukraine, there are family boxes containing food like pastas, rice, the necessary foods that we take for granted every day.

"This is saving peoples lives, and were delighted to be part of it, Mr Thomas said.

Travelling with the volunteers was Pastor Jan Skarbek, a Polish friend of Penny Dinners, who, alongside his wife Barbara, several times a week delivers medical supplies and food to Dohobyczow.

From there, members of the Skarbeks church bring those supplies across to the Ukrainian town of Nowowoynsk, where severe food shortages have been reported.

Taking a quick break from unloading their van in 38 degree heat on Friday, Conal Thomas spoke about the work of Penny Dinners.

Aid to where it is needed

Mr Thomas said a key difference with the Penny Dinners missions was that, unlike some other charities, the relatively small scale of the Cork operation meant that one person  co-ordinator Caitriona Twomey  could, alongside her colleagues, supervise the loading of the aid in Ireland and then be at the delivery point to ensure it was getting to those for whom it was intended.

Mr Thomas said the work Penny Dinners volunteers are doing along the Ukrainian border depended entirely upon donations from the public, and could not continue without that generous support.

The Donegal town native has made Cork his home for more than 40 years, and in 2007 he founded Conals Tree Services, a tree surgery company which has doubled its work force every year since it began.

Mr Thomas, who was accompanied to Dohobyczow by Lesley OSullivan, a Glanmire resident working in Ryans SuperValu, said he and his fellow volunteers had felt moved to travel to the border region to help people.

Im talking from the heart, Im an ordinary person thats working at home, but I needed to come out here.

"Lesley is the same, he has a full-time job, but he came over, Mr Thomas said.

The Penny Dinners volunteers also filmed the miles-long queue at the border crossing, where every day Ukrainian people wait for hours to return home having purchased as many essentials as they can in Poland.

Struggling to meet demand, shops along the border have imposed rationing.

On Saturday, the Penny Dinners volunteers headed back to the border with four vans loaded with aid.
WHILE not quite old as The Echo (happy 130th birthday!), the Cork Region of Engineers Ireland is nonetheless celebrating its 80th year.

The Cork Region committee represents a community of over 3,100 engineers (out of 25,000 nationally) who are uniquely placed to address the challenges faced by society.

Originally formed as a regional committee of Cumann na nInnealtoiri, the Cork Region committee went on to become part of The Institution of Engineers of Ireland (IEI) when an Act of the Oireachtas merged Cumann na nInnealtoiri with the Institution of Civil Engineers of Ireland in 1969. The IEI was then rebranded as Engineers Ireland in 2005.

Over the last 80 years, the voluntary committee has represented the interests of its members and the wider community which they serve. The diverse membership of the committee is represented by the variety Chairs, beginning with our first Chairman S.W. Farrington, Cork City Engineer, perhaps most famous for the construction of The Shakey Bridge (Dalys Bridge). As significant engineering employers both the City and County Councils have provided numerous committee members over the years, including our current Chair Michal Dymet of Cork County Council.

Other committee members have come from sectors such as consulting engineers e.g. Mott MacDonald Ireland (and its predecessor E.G. Petit & Co.), Atkins, RPS, PM and Arup; or from construction companies like BAM and Hegartys. Many academics from UCC and MTUs engineering schools have also served on the committee.

As society moves forward out of the Covid-19 pandemic, many challenges remain: Brexit; Climate Change; housing shortages; healthcare; sustainable transport; sustainable energy etc. The Engineers Ireland vision statement is for a community of creative professionals delivering solutions for society and we are well placed to meet these challenges.

Examples of current projects include the implementation of the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy (CMATS) which sets out a vision for sustainable transport in Cork City for the next twenty years, everything from pedestrian & cycle routes to a light rail system as a means to both address climate change make our city a better place to live.

Another timely project is the Celtic Interconnector which will link Ireland the European energy market (via France), giving us improved energy security, and increased capacity for renewable energy, in the face of Brexit and the war in Ukraine. The interconnector will also carry fibre optic broadband giving a direct communications link to the EU.

Engineers Ireland support engineers working on such projects by providing opportunities for Continuous Professional Development and networking with their peers.

Our committee is also very invested in the promotion of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths) subjects to students, their parents, and educators through school visits and events such as Engineers Week and the STEM South West careers event, which are are important to develop a pipeline of engineering talent and particularly to encourage young women to consider a career in engineering.

Commenting on the launch the new season of events, new Chair Michal Dymet said: Im looking forward to our new calendar of events which will launch in September and feature a diverse range of themes, from the purely technical to broad interest topics which I hope will be of interest to both our members and the wider public.

For more information on upcoming events, follow us on Twitter @EngIreCork.

ABOUT THE INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERS OF IRELAND

The Institution of Engineers of Ireland, trading as Engineers Ireland, is professional body representing over 25,000 members from all engineering disciplines since 1835. Under the 1969 Act of the Oireachteas, it is the sole body which can award the title of Chartered Engineer in Ireland and has mutual recognition agreements with professional bodies in other countries such as the UK.

ABOUT THE CORK BRANCH

The Cork Region is one of the largest and most active of the 13 geographic regions of Engineers Ireland. Representing over 3,100 members, the Cork Region committee is made up of volunteers from a range of disciplines and sectors.

Following our AGM in May, a new committee was formed for 2022-2023 with Michal Dymet as the Chair. Michal is a Chartered Engineer from Poland working in the Roads Directorate of Cork County Council.
FROM its base at Rathcoole in north Cork, the Irish Community Air Ambulance primarily serves rural communities, mainly in the Munster region, doing vital work bringing critically ill and injured patients to the hospital that best suits their needs.

As manager of the service, Karen OSullivan, says, it is Irelands only charity-funded Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS). Tasked by the National Ambulance Service, it operates during daylight hours 365 days a year. (There are technical reasons why it can only function during daylight.)

The service benefits from the relaunched Tesco Community Fund which provides financial support to worthy causes and community groups. Tesco Ireland is calling on the local community groups of Cork to apply to become One in a Million, with 1million being made available to good causes across the country this year. It is focusing on community development, food, children and health.

Karen, an arts graduate of UCC originally from Ballinlough, worked with a number of brands in the corporate sector before deciding she wanted to work for a good cause. She worked in fund- raising for the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind for a year and a half.

Then, unfortunately, the pandemic hit and changes were made to the fund-raising team, says Karen.

It was a great organisation to work for.

Wanting to continue working in the charity sector, Karen replied to an advertisement for a job with the air ambulance and started working there just before Christmas.

No two days are the same. I do everything from corporate fund- raising to applying for grants. Were a small team so we all pitch in where we can. I also look after things like the website and I do some social media.

My role is quite varied but I like that. Fundraising is the main part of my role. Its about getting the word out there to companies that might be able to support us throughout the year.

Companies have been very generous she said.

We established HEMS in 2019 so were still quite fresh-faced. People in the community are also generous to us, particularly those who have witnessed the air ambulance at work. Some have done some great fund-raisers for us, said Karen.

Having been launched just before the pandemic, it has been difficult.

The Irish Community Air Ambulance is based in Rathcoole in North Cork.

Karen said: It has been tough, as it has been for all other charities, but the local community and the Tesco initiative are the reasons were doing what were doing.

The Air Ambulance is tasked by the National Ambulance Service from Rathcoole.

Karen said: What we do best is speed. Our helicopter can reach a 25 square km radius in under 3- minutes. Timing is everything. If we need to transfer a patient from Kerry to CUH, we can do that quite quickly.

Its not just getting the patient to the nearest hospital but we can transfer them to the one that best suits their needs, be it cardiac arrest, stroke, traffic accidents or farming-related accidents.

The service is for people who cant reach a hospital quickly. It might take a few hours by land to get to the nearest hospital.

Where does the helicopter land?

I often chat to the pilot about this. Obviously its very technical. Weve had some locations that were generously (allocated to us) such as GAA clubs or anywhere local where its possible to land, where its safe and near (to the patient).

The air ambulance has national ambulance service staff on board. This is made up of advanced paramedics and emergency medical technicians.

The best possible staff are on board. They can intervene in an emergency at the side of the road and potentially save lives. Sometimes, there is a sad outcome. But our mission is to bring hope. We can bring the potential of hope and comfort to a family. There are some amazing stories.

Karen cites the case of a family from Valentia in Co Kerry. Pat and Cathy OSullivans eight-year-old son, Padraig, fell off his bike, under the wheels of a truck.

It was a very frightening situation but we were able to transfer him to hospital and he was able to get the care he needed.

Thankfully he was wearing a helmet. He is doing quite well. It was a serious accident.

The advanced paramedics were very reassuring to Padraig during the emergency. Were proud of what the team did.

The service currently has five critical doctors volunteering for the charity.

They operate on the ground in rapid response vehicles. They attend at scenes of medical emergencies where they can intervene and, hopefully, make life-saving changes to a person in an emergency.

In line with our strategic ambition, we want to expand and enhance that service in rural communities across Ireland.

So the Tesco Community Fund is really going to come into play for us because it is local communities that were looking to, to expand that service.

The air ambulance charity has a small core team. As well as Karen, there is another person on the fund-raising team.

We have a CEO and a few more staff members. There are six or seven paid staff. And we have volunteer firefighters working at our base.

It is quite a small operation but significant, small but mighty as I like to say.

Tescos improved Community Fund initiative sees the return of the familiar blue tokens that are now made from recyclable materials.

Each time a customer shops in a Tesco store, they can vote for their preferred cause to receive funding using the tokens. At the end of the 12-week campaign, votes are counted and up to 2,000 is shared between three local groups. Since 2014, the Tesco Community Fund has donated over 6 million to over 21,000 local community projects, nationwide.

Last year, Karen says that the air ambulance service received 4,500 from the Tesco fund.

The cost of one of our taskings, a call-out, is 3,500. That includes everything from fuel and staff to the running costs at the base. It is quite a significant cost. A donation like what we got from Tesco last year is very significant for making things happen.

So get voting. You never know when you or a family member might need the services of the air ambulance.
Coastal wetlands are vitally important ecosystems. They store carbon dioxide, protect seaside communities from storms and provide habitats for marine life.

Yet in the past two decades, Earth has lost 4,000 square kilometers (approximately 1,544 square miles) of tidal flats, tidal marshes and mangroves, a new study published in Science Thursday found. Thats a loss around the size of Mallorca, Spain or Goa, India, Carbon Brief pointed out.

Wetlands are among the only ecosystems on the planet that are effectively going to sequester carbon in perpetuity  and, unlike freshwater wetlands, they dont emit methane, study co-author and University of Cambridge marine scientist Dr. Mark Spalding told Carbon Brief. They also protect us from storms, can grow vertically to track rising seas and generate vast volumes of fish.

Despite their importance, however, not much was known about how they were changing or why, study leader and senior lecturer and head of James Cook Universitys Global Ecology Lab Dr. Nicholas Murray told The Nature Conservancy.

We wanted to address that, so we developed a machine-learning analysis of vast archives of historical satellite images to detect the extent, timing and type of change across the worlds tidal wetlands between 1999 and 2019, Murray said.

The study was the first to consider the three main coastal wetland habitat types: tidal flats, which are shallow, muddy areas covered at high tide; tidal marshes, which are frequently flooded regions of coastal vegetation; and mangroves, which are coastal forests, according to Carbon Brief.

What it found was that the world lost 13,700 square kilometers (approximately 5,290 square miles) of tidal wetlands between 1999 and 2019, Science reported. At the same time, however, we gained 9,700 square kilometers (approximately 3,745 square miles).

The net change of tidal wetlands (-4,000 km2) is overwhelmingly still in the negative, Murray told Carbon Brief.

Twenty-seven percent of the changes were due to direct human activities like agriculture on the one hand and restoration on the other, according to Science. The rest of the changes were due to indirect causes like coastal erosion or sea level rise.

Asia was the region that saw the greatest wetland loss over the study period, accounting for around three-fourths of the decrease, according to The Nature Conservancy, and nearly 70 percent of Asias loss was in China, Myanmar and Indonesia.

Asia is the global centre of tidal wetland loss from direct human activities, Murray said. These activities had a lesser role in the losses of tidal wetlands in Europe, Africa, the Americas and Oceania, where coastal wetland dynamics were driven by indirect factors such as wetland migration, coastal modifications and catchment change.

The worlds largest intact coastal wetlands, meanwhile, are located in the Amazon delta, the northern Bay of Bengal, New Guinea and the Niger delta, Carbon Brief reported.

The study authors hope the research can help them protect wetlands the best way possible.

Understanding where and when losses and gains of tidal wetlands occur allows us to improve our knowledge of coastal ecosystem ecology, better understand the effects of climate change on coastal ecosystems, support the development of coastal ecosystem management strategies and identify where ecosystem restoration could be implemented to recover lost ecosystem services, Murray told Carbon Brief.
Leather is everywhere  in our shoes, our purses and luggage, our winter jackets and stylish furniture  but its effect is seen globally.

Contents 1 Cacti

Cacti 2 Pineapple Leaves

Pineapple Leaves 3 Palm Leaves

Palm Leaves 4 Mycelium

Mycelium 5 Apple Scraps To create the leather for our clothing, homewares, and other purposes, billions of cows are slaughtered each year. The livestock sector  which produces both food products and leather  is the biggest use of agricultural land worldwide. Grazing land and farmed feed crops for cattle result in deforestation, eliminating vital carbon sinks, destroying ecosystems, and harming nearby communities. Cows also produce methane: a potent greenhouse gas linked to climate change.

The skin harvested from cattle and other animals goes through a three-step process: preparation, tanning, and crusting (and sometimes finishing as well). Tanning makes the leather flexible and removes hair, fat, and meat, and during crusting, the material gets thinned, dried, softened, and colored through the use of chemicals and machinery. The waste from these processes is full of carcinogenic chemicals  like chromium, a heavy metal used in tanning  and often gets dumped into waterways in countries without strong environmental protection laws, like India, China, and Bangladesh.

Both animal and human abuses are prevalent in the industry; tanneries are known for their dangerous conditions and machinery, as well as exposure to cancer-causing chemicals, according to Gizmodo. While traditional vegan leather removes animal cruelty from the equation, its usually made with polyurethane, PVC, and other plastic and synthetic materials that contain hormone-disrupting phthalates, and eventually create microplastics that end up in oceans, natural environments, and even our own bodies.

Yet, the industry is changing, and innovations in leather are abound  and, some of the materials being used might surprise you.

Cacti

Beneath a cactuss prickly exterior, Adrian Lopez Velarde and Marte Cazarez have found a new alternative to animal-based leather. The two developed Desserto: a type of leather made from the Nopal cactus, more colloquially known as the Prickly Pear. Top retailers of leather goods like Karl Lagerfeld, Fossil, and Everlane have begun selling products made with the cactus-based leather. Mercedes-Benz has even incorporated Deserttex  the companys faux-leather product for automobiles  into an electric concept car.

If youve ever welcomed a cactus into your houseplant family, you know that theyre extremely tolerant of drought. They grow quickly and require very little water: so little that Desserto cacti are only watered with rainfall, so no irrigation tactics are used in their fields. According to the company, the product saves 164,650% of water compared to animal leather, and 190% compared to the polyurethane-based vegan leather.

Cacti even sequester carbon (that is, remove it from the atmosphere). On the companys 14 acres, the Prickly Pears absorb 8,100 tons of CO2 every year, which is much less than the emissions the products create. Desserto also employs organic growing methods on their land, and uses the byproducts of production for animal feed.

Pineapple Leaves

Does pineapple belong on pizza? And, more importantly, does it belong in leather? Carmen Hijosa thinks so.

Hijosa, who worked in the leather goods industry for many years, wondered if the strong fibers in pineapple leaves could be used for something. Inspired by Barong Tagalog  a traditional garment in the Philippines made from these fibers  she went on to found Ananas Anam and develop the pineapple-leaf-based product Pinatex, which is now used by Hugo Boss, H&M, Paul Smith, and Nike. The company works with Filipino pineapple farmers, collecting leaves that otherwise would have been left to rot, and thereby turning this agricultural byproduct into a valuable new product. About 480 leaves are used to create one square meter of Pinatex, which weighs and costs less than traditional leather. The cellulose fibers are dried in the sun, purified, and then made into a mesh thats finished with a plant-based resin. The whole process creates hardly any waste, Hijosa told CNBC in an interview, while 30% of leather skins are typically wasted in the traditional leather-making process.

Palm Leaves

Dutch designer Tjeerd Veenhoven pioneered Palmleather over a decade ago, ahead of the alternative-leather curve. He wanted to find a use for the leaves of the 80 million Areca Betel Nut Palm trees growing in southern India, which are rarely used. He found that the brittle leaves become more flexible when dipped in a biological softening solution made with glycerin, water, and some other ingredients. Now, local factories in India, the Dominican Republic, and Sri Lanka manufacture Palmleather, which can be used for making bags, book jackets, shoes, and the iconic, unique Palmleather Filigree Rugs.

Mycelium

Mushrooms are magic, and many industries have been harnessing their power to break down plastic, fertilize fields, and erect buildings. Why not revolutionize the fashion industry while were at it?

With its versatility and low environmental impact, companies are jumping at the opportunity to grow products with mycelium: the thread-like root structure of fungi. Biotechnology company Bolt Threads released their faux-leather product, Mylo, and in 2021, Mycoworks debuted their mycelium-based leather in the world of high fashion as a Hermes Victoria bag. Unlike some other mushroom leather, they grow the products themselves, engineering the mycelium cells to fill out 3-D structures to the exact specifications of a product, generating almost no waste or scraps in the process. The mycelium is fed a mixture of sawdust and organic materials as it grows, creating a dense, strong material as it expands.

Apple Scraps

Copenhagen-based Beyond Leather has found a use for the 25% each apple that is wasted after its pressed for cider or juice. Beyond Leather is taking that waste  500 to 600 tons of it  from a small Danish juicer that processes apples from local farmers and turning it into Leap: their new leather alternative.

The polymers and short fibers in the apple are crucial to building their products, although its only one of the materials they use. Leap is a three-layered product of apple waste, natural rubber, and a backing of cotton and wood fiber, finished with a protective coating. The product can be disassembled at the end of its life and disposed of properly. Although the company hopes to use only apple waste for their products in the future, they currently use organic cotton, the wood-pulp-based fiber Tencel, and a polyurethane/bioplastic mix. But, while not entirely made of plants, the production of Leap requires only 1% of the water needed for traditional leather, and emits 85% less carbon dioxide, according to the company.
Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions.

As we strive for a more environmentally conscientious world, everything we eat, drink and buy can be looked at from the vantage point of sustainability. And that includes simple pleasures like wine.

In California, wine means big business, and its standard practice for winemakers to coat their grapes with a sulfur-based fungicide in order to prevent them from being infected with mildew that can devastate crops.

But what happens when a rain shower comes and washes the sulfur off the grapes?

It turns out that scientists can distinguish agricultural sulfur from atmospheric sulfur by agricultural sulfurs unique chemical fingerprint that can be identified at the atomic level, according to a press release from the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder).

In a new study, Sulfur isotopes reveal agricultural changes to the modern sulfur cycle, published recently in the journal Environmental Research Letters, the researchers from CU Boulder show that this distinct agricultural sulfur signature can be traced from the time its applied to the grapes in vineyards to where it ends up in the environment. Their findings could lead to a better ability to protect downstream waters and wetlands from its effects, such as possibly stirring up toxic heavy metals like mercury.

We found that you could see the effect of vineyard agriculture in the Napa River when vineyards are only 11% of the land cover in the whole watershed. Its a very stable fingerprint for us to trace and then understand what ultimately happens, said assistant professor of environmental studies at CU Boulder Eve-Lyn Hinckley, who was senior author of the publication, the press release said.

How much sulfur gets washed into the environment downstream depends on the year, and the weather.

The amount of sulfur in runoff varies year to year, dependent upon the amount of precipitation. In dry years, it stays locally in soils, in the vineyards where it is sprayed. We do not have evidence that it is unsafe for consumers, Hinckley told EcoWatch in an email.

In 2020, agricultural sulfur, which is used as a fertilizer and is the most commonly used pesticide by California farmers  particularly winegrowers  became the biggest anthropogenic source of the element, surpassing even fossil fuels, the press release said.

Prior to the Clean Air Act of 1970, which reduced the prevalence of atmospheric sulfur to pre-industrial levels, what was known as acid rain was a frequently talked about environmental issue. But Hinckley said winegrowers use much more sulfur now than was produced by the atmosphere when acid rain was prevalent in Europe and North America.

In their research, the scientists took soil and surface water samples from across Californias Napa Valley. By analyzing the makeup of the sulfur, they were able to find the agricultural sulfurs distinct chemical fingerprint, which is maintained even through the chemical changes it undergoes when it interacts with other elements and microorganisms in the environment.

Its very different from the signature that we see in atmospheric deposition or geologic weathering, which are the other background sources of sulfur, Hinckley said in the press release.

Agricultural sulfur can be particularly concerning when it makes its way into streams and wetlands.

Sulfur in runoff can interact with other elements in ecosystems adjacent to or downgradient from vineyards. In particular, it is a concern for wetlands and stream sediments. There, reducing conditions can persist that stimulate interactions between sulfur and heavy metals, like mercury, which are toxic to wildlife and people, Hinckley told EcoWatch. In order to know whether agricultural sulfur has consequences for ecosystems and human health, it will be helpful to distinguish it chemically from other sources, like marine, geologic, and atmospherically-deposited sulfur.

As sulfur travels through the environment, it can have toxic results.

In soil, oxidation of reduced forms of sulfur can lower pH and potentially cause acidification of soils and sediments over time. In wetland and stream areas, reduction of sulfate (a chemical process) can stimulate production of methylmercury, a neurotoxin that is dangerous to wildlife and humans. We know about these effects from long-term studies of acid rain damage in forested ecosystems. Now we need to investigate the fate, transport, and consequences of agricultural sulfur use, Hinckley said to EcoWatch.

According to the press release, sulfur has been used in agriculture since Egyptian times, and the sulfur dioxide added to the wine during the winemaking process  or left out, making the wine eligible for the no sulfur added label  isnt the same as the sulfur applied to the grapes beforehand.

The sulfur that is the subject of our study is added in the field and it is not desirable to have the residue carry over on the grapes at harvest. Growers stop applying sulfur before harvest to avoid carryover, Hinckley told EcoWatch.

Finding ways to fine-tune the use of sulfur in winegrowing is important for the wine industry to move toward more eco-friendly practices.

There is a lot of interest in sustainable farming in the California wine industry. Winegrowers want to protect the environment, which is conducive to growing grapes, for years to come, Hinckley said to EcoWatch. Hence, we have found that many are receptive to discussing ways to optimize the use of sulfur as a pesticide  to use enough that it prevents powdery mildew disease, but not too much that it causes negative environmental effects. We need to have trials now that evaluate the optimization of sulfur spraying in winegrapes.

In order to achieve a more tailored application of sulfur to wine grapes, the technology will need to be more precise.

Probably the best approach to optimize sulfur applications is to invest in the development and adoption of technologies that do high precision sulfur spraying  spraying that is targeted and responsive to powdery mildew threat, but not broadcast from tractors, as it is now, Hinckley said.

Hinckley hopes that knowing how much agricultural sulfur is in the environment will assist farmers in adjusting their application of the fungicide.

This work could help inform the development of technologies that help farmers to choose when and how much they apply, rather than just applying the same amount preventatively all the time, Hinckley said in the press release.

Hinckley also said consumers can take a more active role in learning the origin and cultivation methods of the grapes that were used to make their wine.

For wine consumers, its great to get to know how those grapes were farmed and where they came from. And there are growers who are really trying hard to be as light as they can on the land, and to work with and adapt to the changes that theyre facing with climate change, Hinckley said in the press release. There is a role for the consumer to help drive those decisions.

Hinckleys goal is to help farmers work sustainably and in harmony with the environment.

My objective as a scientist is to always work in partnership with the landowners and with the farmers. My hope is that we can reach a place where theyre able to continue in a very sustainable way that also protects the surrounding environment, Hinckley said.

Hinckley believes that, in the future, the application of sulfur to wine grapes will be done more carefully and include more oversight.

I think that the future of sulfur in winemaking will involve regular monitoring for powdery mildew disease and risk, and then adaptive spray programs with tractors that can target applications to where vines need it most, Hinckley told EcoWatch.
Ingham Helps Score a Win For Team GBR in Germany



Yasmin Ingham at Aachen

Yasmin Ingham & Rehy DJ finished a very respectable 12th place individually at CHIO Aachen, and were also part of the winning British team.

After performing a clear round in the dressage scoring 30.1 this left her in equal 16th place after the first phase. A faultless showjumping performance round a technical course in the 40,000 seat stadium elevated her to 8th position heading into cross country.

Ingham said of her round I rode everything as I planned to ride, all my training at home came to the fore, he rose to the occasion and loved the atmosphere

Saturday morning dawned dry, bright & sunny, with almost perfect ground conditions around the cross country course. Yasmin & Piglet were drawn near the end of the competitions thanks to their overnight position.

A hold on course 3 riders before Yasmin was due to start didnt help the nerves for her or her support crew, but she set out of the start box in determined fashion. Piglet may not be the fastest of horses, but he was very straight and went between the flags all the way around the course, coming home just 29 seconds over the time.

The track caused its fair share of issues all the way around the track, with only 29 of the 42 starters making it home. No-one made the optimum time, though some did come close.

Videos

Yasmin Ingham speaking after Cross Country

Yasmin Igham on Cross Country Yasmin Ingham talks about the challenging Cross Country Course at Aachen
Vegan meal kit startup Daily Harvest has been hit with two lawsuits by customers alleging they needed gallbladder removals after eating one of the company's products, reported CNN. Last month the company issued a voluntary recall of its French Lentil + Leek Crumbles dish following multiple claims of gastrointestinal and liver from consumers. The first lawsuit was filed by Carol Ann Ready, an Oklahoma woman who is suing the company in the federal court for the Southern District of New York. Ready purchased and ate lentil crumbles from Daily Harvest on two separate occasions in May, both of which both of which resulted in trips to the emergency room. The second of these was a four-day stay, which ended with Ready's physician recommending gallbladder removal.

Attorneys for Ready are asking for a jury trial, alleging that damages for the case exceed what the court normally allows. Plaintiff has sustained serious personal injuries; suffered, and will continue to suffer, significant pain and other physical discomfort; incurred, and will continue to incur, substantial medical expenses; have missed, and will likely miss in the future, work and time necessarily dedicated to advancement in her profession; and remains at risk for future health complications with damages far in excess of $75,000, the jurisdictional threshold of this court, says the complaint, obtained by Food Safety News.

Earlier this week, an Oregon-based content creator who claimed he also consumed the lentils and subsequently had to have his gallbladder removed filed a personal injury lawsuit against Daily Harvest. In a video posted to Twitter on June 21, the plaintiff in the lawsuit, Luke Wesley Pearson, warned his followers not to eat the lentil crumbles.

DO NOT eat Daily Harvest French Lentil + Leek Crumbles  I was hospitalized with LFTs in the 400-700s, fever, chills, headache, back ache, and jaundice. I had to have surgery - they took my gallbladder out! Im home recovering and hearing of so many others going through this. pic.twitter.com/fsWxDklPc0  Luke Wesley Pearson (@LukeWesPearson) June 21, 2022

Daily Harvest still hasnt pinpointed what may have caused the adverse reactions. "All pathogen and toxicology results have come back negative so far, but we're continuing to do extensive testing so we can get to the bottom of this. Everyone who has been affected deserves an answer, and we are committed to making this right, the company said in a statement to CNN.

Yesterday the FDA announced a formal investigation into the outbreak, in an effort to determine the cause. In a blog post, Daily Harvest said it received approximately 470 reports from customers who suffered adverse reactions after eating the product.
There was that moment of much-needed euphoria in Ukraine when on 16 June the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, and Romania together visited the country and expressed support for its application to join the European Union. Then, meeting at a summit in Brussels on 23-24 June, leaders of the EUs 27 nations mustered the required unanimous approval to grant Ukraine candidate status. Though membership is a long way off, psychologically and politically, this is what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky needed as the Russian military pounds eastern Ukraine, forcibly deports thousands of children, and wages an intense propaganda campaign in areas under its control.

As for the Kremlins reaction to Ukraine one day joining the EU, it shrugged off the changing relationship between Kyiv and Brussels. And no wonder. President Vladimir Putin need only look at the unfolding political and economic developments in Europe to see how his fortunes are shifting. The outcome of the French parliamentary election in which President Emmanuel Macron lost his absolute majority will put domestic issues at the top of the agenda in Paris. One of the leaders of the opposition is now Jean-Luc Melenchon, a hard-left wing politician who is known for his anti-American, Euroskeptic, and Kremlin-friendly views. The other is Marine Le Pens, leader of the National Rally that did remarkably well. It now dominates the far right. Over in Berlin, the Green vice-chancellor and economy minister, Robert Habeck, announced the reopening of coal plants to offset Russias decision to sharply reduce gas supplies. Just think what Green voters will think about that. Meanwhile, in Rome, Prime Minister Mario Draghis coalition is bitterly divided over sending arms shipments to Ukraine.

Theres a common thread linking Berlin, Paris, and Rome. It is about their relationship with Russia. The leaders of these three founding members of the EU are loath to admit that de facto, Europe is at war with Russia. As it is, several countries are delivering weapon systems to Ukraine and even the EU as an institution is doing so, too. Yet President Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi prefer to see Russias brutal invasion of Ukraine as a crisis of relations with Moscow that could one day be repaired. As Macron likes to remind his interlocutors: humiliating Russia is not a good idea. This is the crux of Europes policy toward Russia. Germany, along with France, are reluctant to accept that Russia, apart from trying to destroy Ukraine, has overturned the postCold War status quo. Putins threats to use nuclear weapons are his attempts to scare and neutralize Germany.

Yet as long as Berlin does not unambiguously abandon its Ostpolitik, or eastern policy, that is based on the idea of bringing Russia closer to Europe and ensuring the continents stability, there can be no coherent European policy toward Russia. So while its all very well giving Ukraine candidate status, what is needed is a new mindset when it comes to Russia. At the moment, there is no such common mindset. Poland, Sweden, and the Baltic states, by virtue of their history with Russia and their location, understand what the war in Ukraine means not only for the existence of that country but also for Europes security. Indeed, a Russian victory would give Putin the confidence to exploit a certain longing within Scholzs Social Democratic Party and Germanys left wing generally to overcome what they see as a crisis of relations with Moscow. For them, keeping the channels of communication open is a must. Furthermore, dont underestimate the yearning by the German left for some kind of new security architecture that would involve Russia.

Few would argue against the need for Europe to take an unjaundiced, un-ideological look at the weak state of its security and defense preparedness. But any new security architecture, with NATO on board, can only be forged from a position of strength and unity. Otherwise, Russia could set the terms. That is why Germanys and Frances current and future policy toward Russia is so fundamental. And just as fundamentally, Ukraine must have the possibility to negotiate the end of this appalling war from a position of strength. If neither are given, Europes security will be dangerously compromised.

Putin is Banking on Europes Divisions Over Russia  Commentary by Judy Dempsey  Carnegie Europe.

The Commentary can be downloaded here
In July 2021, the European Commission did something that no other major governing body had ever attempted: It tied trade policy to climate policy. Reaching the European Unions goal of cutting net greenhouse-gas emissions by 55% by 2030 will require the EU to reduce emissions both at home and beyond its borders. To this end, the Commissions Fit for 55 initiative, a package of proposals aimed at meeting the blocs emissions-reduction target, includes a carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM)  an import tax designed to corral other countries into tackling climate change.

The CBAM would tax imported goods sold in EU markets on the basis of their carbon content (the emissions required to produce them), which depends on their material and energy inputs. The proposed levy is intended to address so-called carbon leakage, which occurs when businesses in the EU move production to non-member countries with less stringent emissions rules. In other words, Europe would no longer ignore the climate effects of foreign goods. But while the measure could help to reduce emissions and level the competitive playing field for EU-based firms, the trade protectionism that it entails risks hurting developing countries.

The CBAM will initially apply to the highest-emitting industries most at risk of leakage  iron and steel, cement, fertilizers, aluminum, and electricity generation  and will likely be expanded to other sectors in the coming years. Currently, EU-made products in these industries are taxed under the domestic carbon price, but those from outside the bloc are not. If a country already has a domestic carbon price, the border tax will be lowered or waived; this is meant to encourage countries to tax carbon in their own markets. Those that cannot or will not institute a carbon tax will have to pay the full levy.

The EU tax will be phased in over the next four years. By 2023, importers will be required to report emissions embedded in the goods they import, though the tax on those emissions will not be imposed until 2026. The 1 billion of annual revenue expected from the CBAM, as well as the 9 billion in annual revenue expected from the EU Emissions Trading System from 2023-2030 and taxes on multinational corporations, will support the Unions 750 billion Covid-19 pandemic recovery fund. These new sources of revenue will embed EU priorities  including the green transition  in the blocs budget for the first time.

Though not yet approved, the proposed tax is already influencing the decisions of policymakers and companies in the EUs trading partners. For example, Turkey and Indonesia plan to introduce carbon taxes to mitigate the CBAMs effects on their economies. Turkey is highly exposed, because the EU accounts for 41% of its exports. Indonesia exports billions of euros worth of palm oil and chemicals to the EU  goods that could fall under a broader border tax. Adopting a domestic carbon price will allow them to avoid some or all of the CBAM and keep the tax revenues instead of transferring them to the EU.

Meanwhile, some EU-based companies in industries such as computer hardware are looking to re-shore manufacturing operations ahead of the CBAMs introduction. Their main motive does not reflect the cost of the tax so much as the likely complexity, bureaucracy, and unpredictability of the system. It is easier and cheaper for companies to relocate production to the EU and avoid the administrative hurdles that the CBAM could create. Such shifts will be a win for the EUs economy and the environment. And Russias invasion of Ukraine could accelerate the EUs efforts to achieve greater economic self-sufficiency, not least by reducing its dependence on energy-intensive imports of Russian iron and steel.

But developing economies, which often depend on manufactured products, will likely experience an outflow of activity as firms relocate to the EU. Rather than addressing only carbon leakage and leaving developing countries to adapt as best they can, the EU should allocate part of the revenue from the proposed CBAM to help foster a just green transition for poorer countries. It is not easy or cheap to decarbonize energy-intensive goods like cement and steel. But the EU could prevent negative knock-on effects for developing economies  not only by waiting for lower-income countries to introduce their own carbon taxes (which will be a challenge given their limited administrative capability in the field), but also by supporting those that need the most help to reduce their emissions.

Such support could be provided by dedicating resources and technology to improve the efficiency of industrial processes, financing renewable energy projects, and exempting the poorest countries from the CBAM where necessary. The EU should also dedicate part of the CBAM revenue to help developing countries adopt cleaner technologies  to produce greener cement in Vietnam or chemicals in Indonesia, for example  and thus reduce emissions in the long run. Europe sees itself as a global leader in the race to net-zero emissions. By helping to finance the developing worlds green transition, the EU could mitigate the protectionist threat in its own climate agenda.

The EUs Carbon Border Tax Could Hurt Developing Countries  Commentary by Miriam Gonzalez Durantez and Calli Obern  Project Syndicate.

The Commentary can be downloaded here
Biden meets with governors after overturning of Roe

President Joe Biden meets virtually with governors to discuss efforts to protect access to reproductive health care. This comes after Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last week.
RENO, Nev. (AP)  County election officials wrapped up a two-day statewide recount of ballots in the Nevada GOP primary for governor Friday and the outcome did not appear to change in the state's two most populous counties, showing second-place finisher Joey Gilbert losing to Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo in a crowded field.

The Nevada secretary of state's office confirmed Friday afternoon that all 17 counties had finished their recounts. Though officials did not post or comment on the unofficial results, Clark and Washoe counties confirmed that Lombardo had beaten Gilbert, who paid for the recount despite trailing Lombardo by 11 percentage points following the June 14 vote.

Clark and Washoe counties account for 75% of the ballots cast in the Nevada Republican primary for governor.

Gilbert, who was outside the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection, ran on a platform partially shaped by baseless claims of election fraud and has alleged that election workers did not properly verify signatures or monitor ballots and that votes for Lombardo were injected into the system. He has not provided any evidence for those claims.

He has said he did not expect the results to change much but sought the recount to later challenge the election results in court. He has the help of right-wing activist and crypto-businessman Robert Beadles, who unsuccessfully sued Nevada and states second most populous county seeking heightened observation of elections in the county.

All theyre doing is using the same fixed and cooked ballots, putting them through the same, broken machines, Gilbert said in a video filmed Thursday outside the Clark County elections department. So, do I expect much to come from this? No. But its part of the process.

The June 14 contest in Nevada proved largely successful for candidates endorsed by Trump and those who have called the 2020 election fraudulent. Republican U.S. Senate nominee Adam Laxalt co-chaired Trumps reelection campaign in Nevada and led failed court challenges to overturn the states 2020 election results based on false election fraud claims. Secretary of State nominee Jim Marchant told voters at a candidates forum in February that their vote hasnt counted in decades.

Despite contesting his own race, Gilbert congratulated Laxalt and Marchant on their victories, which were on the same ballot.

Gilberts team paid $190,960 to the Nevada secretary of states office on Friday afternoon before the 5 p.m. deadline, a total based on estimated costs submitted by each of Nevadas 17 counties.

We were all preparing for it, said Sam Merlino, Nye Countys clerk, after submitting a cost estimate last Wednesday. We all had a feeling theres going to be an election contest or recount.

For Republicans, Gilberts apparent rejection of the results reflect growing challenges two years after many in the party embraced disproven claims of election fraud. Party leaders want to encourage voting while also appealing to the tens of thousands who backed Gilbert and distrust elections.

The day after the election, state GOP chair Michael McDonald  who rejected the results of the 2020 election  rebuked Gilbert and said it was time to unite behind Lombardo in a rare instance of criticism of the far-right within the state party.

The election is over. Its been called. Joe Lombardo has won. We need to come together and unite, he said, calling Gilberts reaction emotional.

Unfounded election fraud claims have already had effects in Nevada. Dozens of angry voters last week urged county commissioners in Clark and Washoe counties to vote against certifying the tallies, describing their own experiences at the polls and repeating conspiracy theories that nearly derailedcertification in New Mexico earlier this month.

Last week, two county commissioners in Esmeralda County conducted a hand count of all 317 ballots cast after the commission delayed the initial certification by one day. However, all counties certified elections by the Friday deadline.

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Stern is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Stern on Twitter @gabestern326
Texas leaders directed more than $100 million to school safety initiatives and mental health services on Tuesday, about a month after a teenage gunman killed 19 children and two teachers at a Uvalde elementary school.

The funds include $50 million for bulletproof shields for school police officers and $17 million for school districts to purchase silent panic alarms. The allocation marks legislators most direct response to the Uvalde shooting yet, as Gov. Greg Abbott has so far declined to call a special legislative session that would immediately bring lawmakers back to Austin to discuss appropriations and other legislative responses.

The Legislature is not scheduled to reconvene until January, when students will already be about halfway through the next academic year.

Texas Republican leaders have focused heavily on mental health and school security after the massacre, rejecting calls from the left to restrict firearm access. The Uvalde shooter used an AR-15-style weapon, purchased just days after his 18th birthday, and Democrats have been advocating for expanded background checks and limits on who can buy assault-style rifles.

Funding these much-needed initiatives marks the first of many steps that we will take at the Legislature to respond to the horrific events in Uvalde and prevent another tragedy like this from happening again, said House Speaker Dade Phelan, who had suggested most of the appropriations earlier this month. Important policy discussions and debates remain on how the Legislature will tackle issues such as school safety, mental health, firearm safety and more, but this important first step will ensure that action is taken and implemented before school starts again in August.

IN-DEPTH: Texas legislative leaders want to spend millions on mental health, school safety by end of summer

The package will direct nearly $6 million to expand the Texas Child Health Access Through Telemedicine program, or TCHATT, which offers telehealth services to public school students who need mental health treatment. Another roughly $6 million will fund an expansion of specialty therapy across the state, providing more community-based treatment for juvenile offenders and helping young people experiencing their first episode of psychosis.

Lawmakers are also giving up to $5 million to the Hill Country Mental Health & Developmental Disabilities Center, which will evaluate mental health services in Uvalde and provide recommendations to lawmakers based on its findings.

The rest of the funding will support new security measures, including $10 million for more law enforcement officials to take active shooter training. The funds were allocated through an emergency budget appropriation, which redistributes resources from existing pools.

Texas Legislatures Uvalde response Texas allocations for mental health and school safety. $50 million for bulletproof shields

$5.8 million to expand Texas Child Health Access Through Telemedicine (TCHATT)

$4.7 million to increase Multisystemic Therapy (MST) across the state

$950,000 to expand Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC) teams across the state

$7 million for rapid response training by the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) Center

$3 million for local law enforcement agencies to travel for ALERRT trainings

$7 million to the Texas School Safety Center for on-site campus assessments

$17.1 million for school districts to buy silent panic alert technology

$5 million to the Texas Department of Public Safety to expand fusion center research and capabilities

Up to $5 million for the Hill Country Mental Health & Developmental Disabilities (MHDD) Center See More Collapse

Almost all of the money will come from a surplus in the Foundation School Program, the main source of funding for Texas schools. The allocations will last through August 2023.

Childrens advocates welcomed the announcement on Tuesday but stressed that lawmakers must continue supporting mental health resources when the Legislature convenes in January.

With the vast majority of this new funding going towards security measures, it looks like state leaders are making a down payment on addressing the childrens mental challenges that escalated over the last decade and laying the groundwork to make mental health a bigger priority during the next legislative session, said Josette Saxton, the director of mental health policy for the nonprofit Texans Care for Children. We will certainly be pushing the Legislature to close the remaining gaps in comprehensive childrens mental health services next session.

cayla.harris@express-news.net
For a few years now, the King William Association has been researching the Big Pig, currently located on South Presa Street, the site of one of the last Pig Stand locations, No. 24. My specific quandary is I cannot find a picture of the Big Pig when it was located at the Pig Stand No. 29 on Broadway, not where the current Pig Stand is located, but the location slightly south before the interstates 35 and 37 interchange was put in. I have two 1958 photos from UTSA Special Collections that are aerial black-and-whites, but I cannot see the Big Pig. I have spoken with the current owner of the Pig Stand on Broadway and she confirms when she started work there as a carhop, the Big Pig was there when the Pig Stand was a few hundred yards south. But she does not have any pictures. So, I was wondering if you have any photos of the Big Pig on Broadway.

 Shawn Campbell

Somewhere out there, someone knows something. A small, pig-shaped building was constructed according to a patented design. It was put to some use and then it was moved. And seemingly, no one saw it come and go. Really? Its a building that looks like a pig  with a door and windows. The whole point of programmatic architecture is to get attention for whatevers inside the representational structure  and no one showed off the pseudo-pig, when it was new or when it was moved? Not in photographs, news coverage, local legend? No one saw the pig rolling down city streets?

This is not this columns first pass at the pig. That was published July 9, 1995, when the Southtown neighborhood association was gearing up to move it from the parking lot of an ice house at East White and Roosevelt avenues to what was then Pig Stand No. 24, 801 S. Presa St.

More on the Big Pig: The Big Pig in San Antonios Southtown has a hazy history that includes the Pig Stand restaurant, South Side tavern

Although the cement-and-steel pig is now affectionately known as the Big Pig, it used to be the smaller of two pig-shaped buildings at a restaurant on East White, diagonally across from the Mission Drive-in Theater, as Sarah Reveley remembers. Her parents took us to the Mission Drive-in and seeing the pigs was a huge thrill through the 1950s.

A larger pig was the main building, and the piglet moved to South Presa. There was a Big Pig Drive Inn on Texas 66 (following the north-south route of U.S. 281, according to Reveleys 1936 Texas Centennial map), but whether its name was literal is not known. It was a two-pig operation through the 50s, after which the bigger pig was torn down.

The smaller pig in question was still at that location when it was the subject of an Action Express column in the San Antonio Express, May 4, 1973. The response to a readers question about the purpose of the large statue of a pig on a side street off Roosevelt says it was built for one of the original Pig Stand restaurants and moved during the mid-to-late 1930s.

But was it?

Now, as in 1994, rumors swirl around the pig. It has been said to have been used as a walk-up stand for orders to go  suggested by the windows on one side  or as a carhop shelter. In fallow periods, it had been used for storage and even living quarters.

Originally white with black spots, measuring 12 feet high and 10 feet long, it appears to have been made from a design by W.H. Alston of San Antonio, patented in 1933 as a barbecue stand. There was one in front of the Pig Restaurant in Harlingen, photographed in 1939 by Russell Lee, who documented American life for the Farm Security Administration. It was said to have been moved here, but its ears are flatter than our pigs alert ones, and the windows and doors are configured differently.

The association of San Antonios surviving pig building with the Pig Stand chain seems inevitable, although it wasnt part of Pig Stands first presence here.

Founded in 1921 in Dallas, the pioneering drive-in restaurant chain had five San Antonio locations by 1926, all on main routes through the city  Fredericksburg, South Flores, Presa, West Commerce and Broadway, with several different addresses on Broadway over the years. The original stands promised a tasty meal served at your wheel to customers who drove in to order sandwiches from carhops.

More from Paula Allen: Webers Root Beer couldnt say Were from here

Starting in the early 1930s, local Pig Stands began to step up their game. New buildings had air-conditioned dining rooms, and a 1937 menu listed filet mignon with salad (60 cents) and fried oysters with tartar sauce (70 cents) as well as Hot BBQ Pig (30 cents). But if any of them had a pig-shaped annex, it doesnt show up in any of the frequent, photo-illustrated advertorials they ran in both daily newspapers.

When a new store opened at South Presa and Pereida streets, it was in conjunction with a Webers Root Beer stand; the two establishments occupied the entire corner lot from South Presa Street to St. Marys and fronting Pereida Street, says the San Antonio Light, May 14, 1932.

Unlike the citys first Pig Stand, a small, flat-roofed stand as shown in a photo in the Light, May 19, 1939, the new ones were much more eye-catching.

The one on Presa was larger and much more elaborate, with a pagoda-style roof and plate-glass windows in the dining room, and a drive-thru window on one side of the building, surrounded by parking spaces. A later replacement on Fredericksburg looked like a streamlined, shiny white diner in front. Modern Pig Stands of today bear little resemblance to the original stands, said the Light, Aug. 14, 1938, as now every convenience is afforded a patron.

These stories bragged on all things Pig Stand, including their method of washing dishes  sterilized, washed and dried before using again  their variety of drinks (milkshakes from the soda fountain, popular brands of beer) and choice of tables, booths or counter for those who ate inside. From the mid-30s on  after Alstons patent was issued  they could have had a pig-shaped barbecue stand outside, but theres no trace of it in the copy or photos.

More on the Pig Stand: San Antonios Pig Stand diner has a heart that wont quit

Pig lore most often puts the pig-shaped stand at one of the successive Broadway locations.

Sanborn Insurance Co. maps show and label all the structures on a lot; research by Beth Standifird, Conservation Society of San Antonio librarian, traced the changes on the Broadway sites and came up inconclusive.

At the first location, 1230 Broadway, from 1926 to 1934, theres only the stand and a canvas covering, probably for parked cars. At 1426 Broadway, from 1931 to 1934, theres only a single, larger building.

As of 1934, though, theres a new, small building at 1230 facing Broadway at the corner of 13th Street  no identification, but it has an automatic sprinkler system like the main building, labeled with an S denoting an automatic sprinkler system. By 1951, its gone. The property was Gene and Teds Drive Inn  so the pig might have moved to the restaurant Reveley remembers across from the Mission Drive-in Theater.

As for the 1426 Broadway site, it has outbuildings behind the restaurant starting in 1934, but theyre identified as barbecue oven and storage, and their shapes and sizes would seem to rule them out.

What we do know is that the pig-shaped building was moved in 1995 from the Humbert OCon Tavern on East White at Roosevelt to 1604 S. Presa, says an account on the King William Association website.

The following year, thanks to an agreement between the association, Pig Stands then-owner and the lot landowner, it moved to its present spot at 807 S. Presa, where it was restored by local artist Carlos Cortes, great-nephew of faux-bois master Dionicio Rodriguez. After Pig Stand filed for bankruptcy and closed its stores in 2006  the one at 1508 Broadway reopened under new ownership  the Presa pig was donated to the association.

The King William Association is raising Feed the Pig funds for another restoration and possible move. To donate, visit www.ourkwa.org/big-pig. To share memories or photos of the peripatetic pig, contact this column.

historycolumn@yahoo.com | Twitter: @sahistorycolumn | Facebook: SanAntoniohistorycolumn
Men are pack animals.

Not all of us, of course, but male culture is ordered by hierarchies of power, with the apex being the alpha. It can be toxic and problematic, ill-considered and tribal, but it is also deeply embedded in our society and resistant to modification.

The pack mentality is particularly prevalent in politics, where even men of principle drift toward the centers of gravity.

Donald Trump rose to power, and continues to pose a threat to this country, by pretending to be an alpha male and exploiting the pack behavior of politicians, particularly the Republican men with the most power.

RELATED: Commentary: Protecting womens health care, restoring abortion, starts with voting

Nothing illustrates pack behavior better than the immediate aftermath of the insurrection: Some Republicans briefly turned on Trump and blamed him, believing him injured and weakened. But, when he appeared to survive, they quickly, obsequiously, fell back into line, tails tucked.

Both the men in the Capitol and the man on the street exhibit pack behavior.

In a gym in Brooklyn a few months ago, I overheard a group of friends loudly discussing politics. Two were white, and one was Black.

The two white men were boasting about Trump, how much they loved his bravado. Even if there were drawbacks, they were overcome by this one positive attribute. The Black man interjected with comments about Trumps racism, but the two white men dodged and dismissed it. They wanted to focus on his strength and his power.

This is why I have come to fully, religiously believe that if this country is to be saved, it will be women who do the saving.

The riveting testimony of former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson on Tuesday only reinforced my belief. She did what so many men around the president have refused to do: She spoke up in service of the truth and the country.

This is not to say that there havent been men who have acted heroically in the face of recent threats to the country, but the women have truly distinguished themselves, which is even more remarkable in politics, which even now is dominated by men.

MORE LIKE THIS: Gonzales: Why prosecuting abortion would be an injustice

There were the brave women who came forward with sexual assault allegations against Donald Trump, even though they were being attacked and vilified. I dont want to fail to mention Christine Blasey Ford, who testified to her allegations against Brett Kavanaugh.

There was Nancy Pelosi, who held the line as best she could when Republicans held the majority, and expedited an aggressive liberal agenda when Democrats regained the majority.

She also oversaw not one but two impeachment votes against Trump, the first on accusations of soliciting foreign interference for the 2016 election, and the second on allegations of inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection.

In fact, in 2020, no group of voters voted more strongly to oust Trump than Black women. In fact, regardless of their race, more women voted to get rid of Trump than men, although a majority of white women still voted for him.

Then, there is this point: America will rue the day that it did not elect Hillary Clinton president in 2016. There was an open Supreme Court seat when people were casting their ballots, and it still didnt motivate enough Democrats to turn out to the polls or convince enough undecided voters to support her.

Sure, there were overlapping factors operating in that cycle  Russian interference, the medias lopsided treatment of Clinton and Trump, Anthony Weiners laptop and James Comeys outrageous 11th-hour announcement  but sexism was also one of them.

RELATED: Commentary: Privacy worries in a post-Roe world

Now we have a Supreme Court poised to plunge us into an era of regression. But even there, we must take note of the women. When Ketanji Brown Jackson is sworn in Thursday, the entire liberal arm of the court will be female. They may not be able to blunt the rulings of the theocratic majority, but this trio of women will compose the dissents, outline the moral argument, and lay the groundwork for future courts more inclined to undo the damage wreaked by this one.

The change could start as soon as this fall, if enough women, riled up by the Dobbs decision, head to the polls to punish Republicans for putting them in this position.

It is conventional wisdom that parties in power lose seats during the midterms, but in this cycle many women in this country are mad as hell about the loss of their civil rights and therefore may challenge that conventional wisdom.

In two generic congressional polls taken in the days after the court handed down its decision in Dobbs, the Democrats held a significant lead over the Republicans. There are months to go before the elections, but this finding is interesting and must be unsettling for Republicans.

In the meantime, it is women like Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Cori Bush who are pushing for an aggressive response to the abortion decision, while President Joe Biden hews to his institutionalist instincts.

It simply feels in this moment that women, more than men, have a clarity about the danger we face and the courage demanded to fight it.
Sen. Theresa Manzella, R-Hamilton, stands with Pastor Brandon Huber after the court hearing. (Keila Szpaller/The Daily Montanan)

Months after an ethics complaint was filed against realtor and Pastor Brandon Huber for alleged anti-LGBTQ hate speech, legislators drafted a bill named in his honor to combat anti-Christian bigotry in the real estate industry, a press release from Hubers attorney read Thursday.

The bill, called Brandons Law submitted by Sen. Keith Regier, R-Kalispell, to the Montana Legislative Services Division on Tuesday, has a two goals as outlined in the release:

Prohibit a real estate organization from forcing realtors to join the organization and fund (the National Association of Realtors) anti-Christian agenda in order to have access to the MLS (multiple listing service, an online database that sorts available real estate properties; Impose civil liability as well as professional sanctions (including real-estate license suspensions by the states Board of Realty Regulation) for discriminating against a fellow realtor based upon the realtors constitutionally protected speech or free exercise of religion.

Hubers attorney, Matthew Monforton, said that the anti-Christian bigotry refers to the hate speech prohibition that was added to the National Association of Realtors ethics code in November 2020.

A Clinton resident filed an ethics complaint with the NAR, the Daily Montanan reported in November of 2021, in reaction to Huber ending the churchs partnership with the Missoula Food Bank after a LGBTQ Pride insert, a coloring page, had been included in the free lunches they partnered to hand out.

The Missoula Organization of Realtors also accused Huber of hate speech for participating in a rally advertised with a flier that read, in part, Expose the LGBTQ Agenda that Controls our Lives and Kills our Liberty.

The part-time realtor and lead pastor of the Clinton Community Church, Huber, went before the Missoula County District Court last fall to claim that the Missoula Organization of Realtors violated the Montana Constitution by discriminating against him in the exercise of his religious ideas.

As for the proposed legislation, attorney James Bowditch said Thursday that the Missoula Organization of Realtors had not yet had a chance to review the proposed legislation or Mr. Monfortons press release and therefore has no comment at this time.

Retaining access to the listing service was highlighted as a reason for the proposed legislation. According to the National Association of Realtors, the MLS can also provide listing information to third-party aggregators such as realtor.com and others through syndication or other similar type agreements, unless the broker withholds consent.

Monforton said without the MLS, its difficult for real estate agents to help customers without full information and without relying on a third-party.

Its still of crucial importance for realtors to be able to have access to the MLS in order to give their clients the best service, Monforton said.

Monforton, a former lawmaker, said theres an increasing appetite to push back on organizations like the National Association of Realtors.

(A number of lawmakers) have made clear that theyre opposed to the kind of anti Christian bigotry that were seeing more and more of in our society these days, Monforton said. We are hopeful that theyre going to be able to get Brandons law passed by the legislature.

The post Legislators propose Brandons Law, to target anti-Christian bigotry appeared first on Daily Montanan.
A compulsory scheme to eradicate Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) could be introduced in Wales, with farmer feedback now needed on the proposal.

The scheme would require cattle keepers to test their herds annually for BVD and take steps to isolate persistently infected (PI) animals.

Herds which test positive would be subject to movement restrictions until they are clear, the Welsh government proposes.

The overall aim of the scheme is to remove PI animals from Welsh herds, in turn helping to gradually eradicate the disease.

BVD is an endemic, viral disease of cattle which affects immunity and reduces productivity and farm efficiency.

It is spread by a small population of animals who are known as PI, usually infected in the womb.

Benefits of eradicating BVD include improved health and welfare of the animals and improved productivity of cattle farms.

Farmers would also help reduce antibiotic use, the Welsh government explains, as well as the carbon footprint of the cattle industry.

Similar schemes are being developed or are already in place in other parts of the UK.

A voluntary scheme is currently in place in Wales, managed by Gwaredu BVD, which is due to come to an end in early 2023.

More than 80 percent of Wales cattle herds have taken part in the voluntary scheme and have been screened for BVD.

But the scheme does not require the removal of PIs from herds, and they can currently also be sold on.

BVD cannot be eradicated without the removal of PIs from Welsh herds, and the proposed compulsory scheme requires all identified PIs to be isolated from the main herd.

Wales' minister for rural affairs, Lesley Griffiths urged cattle keepers and all those with an interest in the dairy and beef industries to take part in the consultation.

"We already have a very high take up in the voluntary BVD scheme in Wales, and the next step to completely eradicate this disease here is to consider making the scheme compulsory.

"As a result of the high take up of the voluntary scheme many cattle keepers will be familiar with the requirements of testing," she said.

"Eradicating the disease will improve animal health and welfare and improve productivity on the farm.

Information on the Welsh government consultation is available online.
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Image: Instagram



Kajol is the most recent star from Bollywood to receive an invitation to be part of the Oscars Committee. Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Vidya Balan, Aamir Khan and Salman Khan have been previously invited.

On Tuesday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences unveiled its guest list for the Class of 2022, and Kajol is the only actor from the Hindi film industry to be included this year. Kajol was one of the 397 new members chosen for the Oscars committee this year. She will have spent thirty years in the film industry next month.



If she accepts the invitation, she can vote for the 95th Academy Awards. Although Kajol hasnt yet commented on the news, her fans have praised her and one even added, So proud of you.





Image: Instagram





The committee has invited five other members of the Indian film industry in addition to Kajol. The first actor from the Tamil film industry to be invited to the committee is Suriya, whose most recent movies, Jai Bhim and Soorarai Pottru, received widespread praise from critics throughout the world.



The Writers Chapter has issued an invitation to Reema Kagti, a screenwriter and director who worked with Zoya Akhtar on the scripts for films such as Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Gully Boy.



According to reports, Sushmit Ghosh, Rintu Thomas, and Pan Nalin are three of the latest invitees. Sushmit and Rintu are part of the documentary section, and their movie Writing With Fire was nominated for an Academy Award for best documentary feature. Pan, who is well-known for helming films like Angry Indian Goddesses and Last Film Show, has been welcomed by the directors chapter.

Next Story : Ayurvedacharya Dr. Debabrata Sen Shares Holistic Approach To Healthy Living

The entering class of 2022 has 71 Oscar nominations and 15 Oscar winners, with 44% of the members being female and 37% belonging to underrepresented groups. Only those who accept the invitations will be able to join the Academy in 2022.
Image: Shutterstock





In 2012, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare enumerated the LGBTQ population at 2.5 million. With political movements in favour of LGBTQ rights such as the Supreme Court of India decriminalising homosexuality by declaring Section 377 of the IPC unconstitutional, the community is no doubt increasing with more and more individuals self-declaring. However, there remains a significant prejudice, discrimination and violence against the community. Dr Aruna Muralidhar, Senior Consultant, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Fortis Hospital, Richmond Road, Bengaluru, says, The repercussions of disclosure, such as rejection and bullying at school, home and society, limited access to education, employment and social functions, loss of employment or discrimination, denial of rights and all-encompassing social stigma have a great impact on their quality of life. Homophobia exists in the fundamental cultural fabric of our country. Hence, many remain undisclosed and closeted.





Health Issues And Healthcare Access

Image: Shutterstock





While Health for all is the universally accepted objective globally, stigmatisation and discrimination have precluded the LGBTQ+ community from accessing healthcare services. The health issues in the community may be directly related to sexual preferences or may be exaggerated by the non-utilisation of preventive health services, or compounded by mental health issues and substance abuse and social factors such as homelessness and unemployment, says Dr Aruna.





Additionally, in the current COVID-19 pandemic, the community has had to face further challenges. The already existing challenges with economic independence are increasing. Also, many community events such as Pride events have been cancelled all across the globe. There is a lack of medical insurance and reduced access to healthcare facilities in this community. The members are more likely to be immunocompromised and have mental health problems and substance abuse problems such as smoking. These factors increase their risk of COVID infection, states Dr Aruna.





Lesbians are less likely to seek gynaecological help and screening for various cancers such as breast and cervical cancer due to fear of discrimination, judgemental behaviour, breach of confidentiality and privacy. Gay men are at a higher risk of HIV/AIDS, HPV related diseases like warts and penile cancer. In general, obesity is also very prevalent in the community. Elderly LGBTQ+ members are exposed to life-long suppression and discrimination which may lead to crisis hardiness at this age. All the health ailments may exacerbate during the current pandemic both due to the associated stress and anxiety and also limited availability of health services, adds Dr Aruna.





Challenges For The Healthcare Sector

Image: Shutterstock





Healthcare professionals also face several challenges in dealing with LGBTQ+ issues due to lack of training, lack of knowledge about the physical and psychological issues, and discomfort in communication and counselling. Healthcare provision for the LGBTQ+ should ensure qualified, equipped health services with the requisite training for professionals. The training should ideally be introduced in undergraduate curricula and reinforced at various levels. A holistic approach towards their social, cultural, emotional and physical aspects has to be adopted. Elicitation of history should be open-ended with questions like, Are you in a relationship? Do you have a partner?. Confidentiality and privacy must be established and communicated at the outset, suggests Dr Aruna.





Apart from a non-judgemental and spontaneous, open consultation, provision of longer appointments for a detailed history and addressing all the concerns thoroughly is important. Comprehensive services should include an appropriately trained gynaecologist, dermatologist with expertise in sexual health, psychologist/ psychiatrist and a dedicated non-judgemental staff. The provision of annual sexual health screening is of paramount importance. This includes HIV, syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhoea screening. The frequency may be increased if there is high-risk behaviour with multiple unknown partners. Screening for mental health issues and substance abuse must form a part of the initial consult by any health professional to ensure and facilitate appropriate referral. Affirmative counselling and advice about healthy choices help in a positive experience, says Dr Aruna.





Image: Shutterstock





On a positive and encouraging note, many doctors have been able to provide online teleconsultation for a wider audience in the current pandemic. Accessing online modes of consultation can be more discreet and reassuring to the members of this community too. Existing LGBTQ+ communities in liaison with health service providers can form a good support system for individuals to break barriers and help them find their identity and innate strength.





In conclusion, the community is growing, albeit mostly closeted. The onus is on the government, healthcare providers and the society at large to provide them with the right to equality in healthcare to help them flourish as productive citizens of the country rather than be deprived of the healthcare and support that they are entitled to.

Next Story : Ayurvedacharya Dr. Debabrata Sen Shares Holistic Approach To Healthy Living

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In a recent interview, Huma Qureshi opened about how the web series Leila had opened many doors for her. Post Leila, the actress worked with Zack Snyder in Army of the Dead. She also believes that working with director Deepa Mehta gave her the confidence to be in every frame. Huma Qureshi revealed that Deepa Mehta made her believe that she will not bore the audience.

In an interview with ETimes, Huma said, After I worked with Deepa Mehta on the show Leila, my perspective changed in a big way. It was such a turning point. Khoon chakh liya maine (I tasted blood). The joy of leading a project is scary and empowering in the same breath. And she gave me that. Deepa made me believe that I can carry an entire show and be in every frame without boring the audience. She made me believe that I had it in me. When an opportunity presents itself, you rise to the occasion.

The actress added that she got multiple good projects after Leila. She said, This is Huma Qureshi 2.0. I want to call it that without sounding vain about it. I am not the same person I was back in the day. I am trying to do things differently. As an actor, the more fearless you get, the more this industry and the audience rewards you."

On the work front, Huma recently wrapped up the shooting of Tarla. She will also be seen in Double XL with Sonakshi Sinha. She is also working on Vasan Bala's directorial Monica O My Darling.
Calgary, Alberta and Denver, Colorado--(Newsfile Corp. - July 1, 2022) - INDVR Brands, Inc. (CSE: IDVR) (the "Company" or "INDVR Brands" or "INDVR"), a premier cannabis brand house and edibles producer, provides an update regarding the previously announced management cease trade order (the "MCTO") voluntarily requested by the Company and issued by the British Columbia Securities Commission on June 2, 2022, in connection with the Company's annual financial filings (the "Annual Financial Filings").

The Company's staff and internal audit team continue to make progress and are proceeding without any known material issue. The Company continues to make efforts to file the Annual Financial Filings by no later than July 30, 2022.

The Company is providing this status update in accordance with National Policy 12-203 - Management Cease Trade Orders ("NP 12-203"). The Company reports that: (i) there are no changes to the information contained in its default announcement on June 2, 2022 that would reasonably be expected to be material to an investor; (ii) the Company is satisfying and confirms that it intends to continue to satisfy the provisions of the alternative information guidelines set out under NP 12-203 and issue bi-weekly default status reports for so long as the delay in filing the Annual Financial Filings is continuing, which will be issued in the form of a news release; (iii) there has not been any other specified default by the Company under NP 12-203 and no such other default is anticipated; and (iv) there is no material information concerning the affairs of the Company that has not been generally disclosed.

The Company wishes to report that it has completed a search of Cannabis Corp's Colorado storage unit locations and has recovered inventory owned by The Company that has been previously unrecoverable. The Company expects to receive the monthly sublease rent payments from Cannabis Corp as per usual in the first week of July.

About INDVR Brands Inc.

INDVR is focused on growing its popular hemp and cannabis brands throughout North America. We are committed to the pursuit of becoming a premier, globally recognized "House of Brands," holding a portfolio of award-winning products with an extensive market footprint. For consumers, INDVR seeks to be the recognized source of a broad portfolio of the highest quality hemp and cannabis products suited to meet both health and lifestyle needs. INDVR's management team brings expertise in manufacturing and retail operations, hemp and cannabis R&D, and cannabis cultivation, all working together to support a U.S. expansion plan through organic growth and accretive acquisitions.

Additional information regarding INDVR is available under INDVR's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities.

Investor Information

Hugh Hempel

Investors@indvr-brands.com

Disclaimer and Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "anticipate", "could", "intend", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "potential", "endeavor", "estimated" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the parties' current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. In particular, but without limiting the foregoing, this news release contains forward-looking statements pertaining to the following the closing of the Transaction, any stated or perceived benefits or results attributed to the Company in regards to the Transaction, the closing of the debt settlement agreements and the benefit of the Offering to the Company. These statements are only predictions. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof and the parties are not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein.

To the extent any forward-looking information in this press release constitutes "future-oriented financial information" or "financial outlooks" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, such information is being provided to demonstrate the anticipated product sales of the Company and the reader is cautioned that this information may not be appropriate for any other purpose and the reader should not place undue reliance on such future-oriented financial information and financial outlooks. Future-oriented financial information and financial outlooks, as with forward-looking information generally, are, without limitation, based on the assumptions and subject to the risks set out above under the heading "Disclaimer and Forward-Looking Information".

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/129808
Los Angeles, California--(Newsfile Corp. - July 1, 2022) - CIO Review announces Innovation Vista as Most Promising Emerging Digital Transformation company of 2022. Innovation Vista has built a vast network of former C-level IT executives, who are selected for each client based on their technical expertise and industry experience. Innovation Vista has filled a market void by offering IT Consulting services to small and medium-sized businesses. The company also offers Innovative Consulting, which helps companies design new products, services, supply chains, and/or entire business models by partnering with third-party experts. Consultants with innovative ideas work together with their clients' staff and management to develop solutions.

Innovation Vista -Award Winning Image

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Innovation Vista and its CEO Jeff Roberts take their leading-edge network of over 300 CIO's and leverage their experience for small to mid-market businesses that don't have access to the same innovations available to enterprise companies. The CIO Review placed Innovation Vista of the cover of their most recent Digital Transformation edition. Innovation Vista was ranked based on unique characteristics vs. other IT strategy consultancies.







Innovation Vista -Logo Image

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Innovation Vista's C-level consultants help these companies optimize their IT and data while minimizing their spending by assessing their systems and determining the best approach for each technology.

Part of CIO Review pointed out Innovation Vista's competitive edge by in leveraging the latest technologies such as artificial intelligence, augmented reality, virtual reality, robotic process automation, and robotics.

For more information, please visit:

Website- https://innovationvista.com/

Media Contact- Jeff Roberts

press@innovationsvista.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/129792
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 2, 2022) - VIVO Cannabis Inc. (TSX: VIVO) (OTCQB: VVCIF) ("VIVO" or the "Company"), a leading provider of premium cannabis products and services, is pleased to announce the results of its annual general and special meeting of shareholders held today (the "Meeting").

As announced this morning, at the Meeting, shareholders approved fixing the number of directors at five, and the election of Ray Laflamme, Glen Huber, Shai Altman, Eric Shipman and Holly Workman as directors of the Company.

Mr. Laflamme is a founder and the current President of Canna Farms Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, and all of the directors are previous directors of VIVO.

"I am pleased with the outcome of today's AGM," said Ray Laflamme, VIVO's CEO and Chair of the Board. "VIVO's domestic and international businesses continue to perform well despite significant industry headwinds, and it is reassuring to have the support of a strong board and dedicated hard-working teams as we work towards leveraging VIVO's solid position in the Canadian and in the global medical cannabis markets. We will continue to build on our core assets: a dedicated medical focus, excellent customer service, fair pricing, and top quality products and services."

The Company also announces that the board has appointed the following officers of the Company:

Name

Office Held Ray Laflamme

Chief Executive Officer Michael Bumby

Chief Financial Officer Carole Chan

Chief Commercial and People Officer, and President, Harvest Medicine Mariana Fonar

General Counsel and Corporate Secretary Andreas Sander

President, European Operations

All of the officers are previous officers of VIVO.

A total of 88,982,498 common shares were voted at the Meeting, representing 23.991% of the votes attached to all outstanding common shares of the Company. The election of directors was voted upon by ballot and the detailed voting results on that matter are set out below:

Director Number of Votes

FOR Number of Votes

Withheld Percentage of Votes Cast FOR Matter Ray Laflamme 64,815,915 4,528,551 93.47% Glen Huber 64,992,148 4,352,318 93.72% Shai Altman 64,828,183 4,516,283 93.49% Eric Shipman 63,980,174 5,364,292 92.26% Holly Workman 63,881,003 5,463,463 92.12%

In addition, the Company's shareholders approved the appointment of MNP LLP as auditor of the Company for the 2022 fiscal year. Detailed voting results for the Meeting will be included in the Report on Voting Results to be filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

About VIVO Cannabis

VIVO Cannabis is recognized for trusted, premium cannabis products and services. Through its Canna Farms and ABcann business units, VIVO holds production and sales licences from Health Canada and operates world-class indoor cultivation facilities. VIVO has a collection of premium brands, each targeting different customer segments, including Canna Farms, Beacon Medical, Fireside, and Lumina. Harvest Medicine, VIVO's patient-centric, scalable network of medical cannabis clinics, has serviced over 200,000 patient visits. VIVO is always pursuing partnership and product development opportunities and is focusing its international efforts on Germany and Australia. For more information visit: www.vivocannabis.com

For further information:

VIVO Investor Relations

Michael Bumby, Chief Financial Officer

ir@vivocannabis.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vivo_cannabis/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vivocanna/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/vivo_cannabis

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vivo-cannabis-inc/

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information



Certain statements in this news release are forward-looking statements, which are statements that are not purely historical, including statements regarding the beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions of VIVO and its management regarding the future. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding the Company's intent to identify an additional independent director, and plans to work towards lower costs, increased revenue and profitability. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, including: that the Company may not be able to achieve competitive margins; that new products, if launched, may not be accepted by the market or may become subject to product liability claims; that the Company may not be able to obtain necessary licences; that demand for the Company's products may not meet management's expectations; that the COVID-19 pandemic may last longer and have a more significant impact on the Company's operations, the Canadian cannabis industry, or the global economy generally, than currently expected; that the Company faces competition from existing and new market entrants and participants; that the Company may be unable to retain its key talent or attract new talent and/or potential independent directors; that the Company may not be able to execute on its strategic partnerships; that the Company may not obtain any other necessary regulatory approvals as required from time to time; that the Company may be unable to protect its intellectual property; and other factors beyond the Company's control. No assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or, if they do occur, what benefits the Company will obtain from them. Readers are urged to consider these factors carefully, and the more extensive risk factors included in the Company's management's discussion and analysis for the three months ended March 31, 2022, which is available on SEDAR, in evaluating the forward-looking statements contained in this news release and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which are qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. The forward-looking statements in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any such forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/129837
LONDON, July 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ME+EM has been named one of Britain's fastest-growing private companies in The Sunday Times 100, ranking 57th.

Previously ranking 81st, this acknowledgment reflects the enormous success that the brand has experienced over the past two years, including 46m in sales and a 3-year CAGR of 61%.

Off the back of this exciting global growth, in Spring 2022 ME+EM raised 55m from investors, led by Highland Europe.

With 30% of sales now coming from international markets, ME+EM aims next to accelerate its international expansion, predominantly in the US. In 2019, ME+EM launched its US website and began sending its monthly lookbook to the States. Since then online US sales have grown almost 700%.

To support this growth in the US (including the opening of stores in 2023), as well as two other key international markets - Canada and Australia - ME+EM expects to hire over 50 heads over the coming year.

About ME+EM

Founded in 2009 by Clare Hornby, ME+EM provides women with beautifully-made, luxury clothing that doesn't come with an extortionate designer price tag. In order to achieve this, ME+EM operates as a direct-to-consumer business, eliminating middlemen and wholesalers in order to provide exceptional quality for an accessible price.

Delivered in 14 tightly edited collections a year, each curated to serve the customer in that moment, ME+EM is built with busy women in mind. 'Intelligent style' is the brand's mantra, and informs a rigorous design process that provides flattering top-to-toe outfits that function in the real world.

ME+EM launched with a range of luxury loungewear that quickly evolved to include ready-to-wear and most recently, shoes and accessories. But it was these origins as a loungewear label that served ME+EM particularly well during the pandemic lockdowns, becoming a customer favourite for luxury pieces to wear at home. Fans of the brand include the Royal family, Helen Mirren, Cat Deeley, Erin O'Connor and Claudia Winkleman.

Active link - https://www.meandem.com/the-editorial/meem-named-one-of-britains-fastest-growing-private-companies

Media contact:

Tabitha Aboud

tabitha.aboud@meandem.com

03456 800 975

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1852309/Clare_Hornby.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1852310/ME_EM_Logo.jpg
Jakarta, Indonesia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 2, 2022) - Edtech Cakap together with Indonesian Migrant Worker Protection Board (BP2MI), grants a scholarship for thousands of prospective migrant workers. This aims to elevate their competency especially in mastering foreign languages, so that Indonesia Migrant Workers will have a better career. Up until now, there are around 4.4 million Indonesian migrant workers spread across various countries, with the largest concentration in Malaysia, East Asia (Hong Kong and Taiwan) and a number of Middle Eastern countries. In the last decade, Indonesian Migrant Workers (formerly abbreviated TKI, now PMI) have been associated with negative stories, domestic work, and less skill. In the future, the Indonesian government targets that the migrant workers will be placed in sectors that prioritize skillful jobs.

MoU Cakap X BP2MI: The MoU between BP2MI represented by Acting Secretary, Achmad Kartiko and PT Cerdas Digital Nusantara (Cakap) represented by VP of Business, Felix Irawan.



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According to data from the Indonesian Central Statistics Bureau (BPS), until February 2022 the number of Indonesian workforce is around 144 million, and about 69% are from productive age (15 years old and over) which reaches 208.54 million people. The statistics show that Indonesia has a huge potential to develop human resources, to support other countries especially in the migrant workers sector. Benny Ramdhani, Head of the Indonesian Migrant Worker Protection Board (BP2MI) said that every year on average, Indonesian Migrant Workers contribute to state revenue of up to IDR 159.6 trillion. This figure is the second largest after the state revenue from the oil and gas sector and is above tourism. Benny added that the state obligates PMI the best protection and provision before sending them to the country of placement.

Screenshot of the english online course for prospective Indonesian migrant workers as seen on laptop



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Therefore, BP2MI cooperates with a number of regional governments in eradicating the illegal agency for PMIs. The regions who joined in the cooperation scheme are mostly the large number of PMI contributors such as Pekalongan in Central Java, Timor Tengah Utara and West Manggarai Regency in East Nusa Tenggara. In addition to the local government, BP2MI also cooperates with five educational institutions to provide skill training, especially in the scope of foreign languages. Edtech Cakap, is an upskilling platform that BP2MI is partnering with in providing Mandarin and English courses.

According to data from the International Labor Organization (ILO) in 2019, it was estimated that there were 169 million global migrant workers spread across the globe. Data from the same year also shows that 66.2% of these migrant workers work in the service sector. This sector certainly has a need for highly skilled mastery of foreign languages according to the location arrangement.

Jonathan Dharmasoeka, Cakap's Chief of Business welcomed this collaboration considering Cakap's position as one of the leading upskilling and career enhancement platforms in Indonesia that could support BP2MI's to produce trained skilled workers. He said that Cakap recognizing the provision of language for prospective Indonesian Migrant Workers is very important, especially regarding the vocabulary of the sector or field of work. Foreign language training aims to make Indonesian Migrant Workers highly proficient in skill and communication. With this language training, it is Cakap's expectation that it will open up access to better jobs, and higher earnings.

Edtech Cakap targets that more than a thousand prospective migrant workers will receive foreign language courses before being placed in their designated countries. Currently, there are PMI candidates who have received Mandarin classes before being sent to their destination countries, especially Singapore. The online training scholarship started on March 27, 2022 for 48 sessions for three to five students (semi-private).

Cakap App on mobile phone



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Tomy Yunus, CEO and Co-founder of Cakap hopes that this training can elevate the skills of Indonesian human resources, so that they can compete with the global workforce. Tomy concluded that Cakap has developed more than 8,949 modules from various industries and purposes, such as hospitality, engineering, sales, and marketing. Cakap believes that collaboration between parties is inline with its mission in improving the quality of the nation's human resources.

***

Contact Person:

Ferry Prihardiputra

Public Relations Manager

Ph: (+62) 8175268638

Email: ferry.prihardiputra@cakap.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/129725
Stallergenes Greer, a global healthcare company specialising in allergen immunotherapy (AIT), today announced positive data from its EfficAPSI real-world study. Presented at the 2022 European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) congress in Prague (Czech Republic), the real-world study confirmed significant benefit of sublingual liquid allergen immunotherapy treatment (AIT) on the onset and worsening of asthma in patients with allergic rhinitis.

The retrospective longitudinal pharmaco-epidemiological real-world study included over 430,000 patients: more than 100,000 patients with allergic rhinitis with or without asthma treated with sublingual liquid immunotherapy and symptomatic drugs; compared to more than 330,000 patients with allergic rhinitis with or without asthma treated with symptomatic drugs only.

The primary objective of the study was the evaluation of the impact of sublingual liquid AIT on the onset and worsening of asthma in patients with allergic rhinitis. Study results were consistent across all age groups (patients above age of 5), allergens and endpoints, and showed:

a reduction of the risk of asthma onset of more than 20% observed in patients undergoing treatment with sublingual liquid AIT and symptomatic drugs versus patients treated with symptomatic drugs only;

a reduction of the risk of asthma worsening of 28% and reaching 37% for severe forms.

"The results of the EfficAPSI real-world study confirm and broaden the findings of randomised clinical trials and strengthen the body of evidence of the positive impact of sublingual liquid AIT on the onset and worsening of allergic asthma in patients with allergic rhinitis. They highlight the relevance of etiological treatment while further demonstrating the efficacy of AIT on patients with allergies," said Professor Pascal Demoly, MD, PhD, HDR, Head of the Pulmonology, Allergology and Thoracic Oncology Department, Montpellier University Hospital (France) and member of the study's scientific committee.

"Large, robust real-world datasets, which allow us to assess additional aspects of AIT treatment, are critical to improving care for patients with allergies. Stallergenes Greer initiated and contributed to the development of real-world evidence in the field of allergy; these data allow us to deepen our knowledge and understanding of patient outcomes in real life, while providing substantial information on increasingly common allergens. This landmark study further demonstrates the positive impact of Stallergenes Greer's sublingual allergen immunotherapy treatments on public health," declared Michele Antonelli, Chief Executive Officer, Stallergenes Greer.

Analysis of the results regarding the secondary objective of the EfficAPSI study is underway.

ABOUT EfficAPSI

EfficAPSI is the largest retrospective real-world, longitudinal cohort study regarding sublingual liquid allergen immunotherapy treatment. Its objective is to evaluate the real life impact of sublingual liquid allergen immunotherapy on the onset and worsening of asthma in patients with allergic rhinitis. This study included more than 100,000 patients in France with allergic rhinitis with or without asthma treated with sublingual liquid AIT and symptomatic drugs and more than 330,000 patients with allergic rhinitis with or without asthma treated with symptomatic drugs only.

EfficAPSI is the first study in the AIT field in which the French national system database (SNDS), covering 99% of the French population, has been used to gain insight on therapeutic benefits in real life practice by pairing their data with the data of a healthcare company.

Onset or worsening of asthma were defined as the first occurrence of a specific pharmacy dispensation, hospital discharge summaries or long-term diseases or asthma in the main analysis; pharmacy dispensation was omitted for a more specific, secondary definition, focusing on severe forms of asthma. Analyses were stratified on pre-existing mild or moderate asthma to differentiate between the onset and worsening of asthma.

A total of 101,345 exposed (sublingual liquid AIT) and 333,082 unexposed patients (control) were included.

Onset of asthma data: among allergic rhinitis patients without pre-existing asthma, sublingual liquid AIT was associated with a significantly lower risk of occurrence of asthma when compared to control group (symptomatic drugs only), according to main (HR: 0.78, 95% CI 0.77-0.79) and secondary definition (HR: 0.80, 95% CI 0.73-0.87).

Worsening of asthma data: among allergic rhinitis patients with pre-existing asthma, sublingual liquid AIT was associated with a significantly lower risk of worsening of asthma when compared to control group (symptomatic drugs only), according to main (HR: 0.72, 95% CI 0.71-0.73) and secondary definition (HR: 0.63, 95% CI 0.59-0.66).

The EfficAPSI study covers a wide range of allergens including house dust mites, grass, birch, ragweed pollens, and cat. Results are positive and consistent for all allergens and all age groups.

The study was designed with a scientific committee composed by Prof. Pascal Demoly, MD, PhD, HDR, Head of the Pulmonology, Allergology and Thoracic Oncology Department, Montpellier University Hospital (France); Prof. Philippe Devillier, Hopital Foch, Paris (France); Dr. Jean Francois Bergman, Head of Internal Medicine, Hopital Lariboisiere, Paris, Professor of Therapeutics, Paris-Diderot University (France). Dr. Bertrand Delaisi, Paris (France), and Dr. Mathieu Molimard, Bordeaux (France).

ABOUT ALLERGIC RHINITIS

Allergic rhinitis is a worldwide disease affecting more than 500 million people, who are at higher risk of developing rhinitis exacerbation and asthma than the general population. Allergic rhinitis can include symptoms such as sneezing, a runny or itchy nose, nasal congestion and watery or itchy eyes, among othersi, ii. Symptoms may be severe and can worsen over time and have a significant impact on quality of life1, iii, iv, v, vi

ABOUT STALLERGENES GREER INTERNATIONAL AG

Headquartered in Baar (Switzerland), Stallergenes Greer International AG is a global healthcare company specialising in the diagnosis and treatment of allergies through the development and commercialisation of allergen immunotherapy products and services. Stallergenes Greer International AG is the parent company of Greer Laboratories, Inc. (whose registered office is in the United States) and Stallergenes SAS (whose registered office is in France). For more information, visit www.stallergenesgreer.com.

_________________________

i Demoly P, Corren J, Creticos P, et al. A 300 IR sublingual tablet is an effective, safe treatment for house dust mite-induced allergic rhinitis: An international, double-blind, placebo- controlled, randomized phase III clinical trial. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2021

ii Bousquet J, Khaltaev N, Cruz A, et al. Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) 2008 update (in collaboration with the World Health Organization, GA(2)LEN and AllerGen). Allergy. 2008 Apr;63 Suppl 86:8-160.

iii Brozek JL, Bousquet J, Agache I, Agarwal A, Bachert C, Bosnic-Anticevich S, et al. Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) guidelines- 2016 revision. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2017;140(4):950-8

iv Linneberg A., Henrik Nielsen N., Frolund L, et al. The link between allergic rhinitis and allergic asthma: a prospective population-based study. The Copenhagen Allergy Study. Allergy. 2002 Nov;57(11):1048-1052.

v Shin J-W, Sue J-H, Song T-W, et al. Atopy and house dust mite sensitization as risk factors for asthma in children. Yonsei Med J.2005;46: 629- 634.

vi Hankin C. S., Cox L., Lang D.,et al. Allergen immunotherapy and health care cost benefits for children with allergic rhinitis: a large-scale, retrospective, matched cohort study. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2010 Jan;104(1):79-85

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220702005003/en/

Contacts:

Stallergenes Greer

Communications

Catherine Kress

+33 (0)1 55 50 26 05

catherine.kress@stallergenesgreer.com
: AlanTuring (), : Stock

 : 

: BBS  (Sat Jul 2 00:44:38 2022, )



Markets Had a Terrible First Half of 2022. It Can Get Worse.



Get ready for more shocks in the second half



Japan might finally be forced to relent and allow bond yields to rise, which

would suck back cash



In Europe, the central bank has promised a new plan to support Italy



we could see a return of the eurozone debt crisis



If theres a recession, there could easily be a big loss still to come,

since only the drop of recent weeks appears to be related to recession risk



much of this years selloff wasnt about recession risk



Investors woke up to the indirect effect of the Fed, which is to weaken the

economy



Since June 7 cheap stocks have been hammered



The drop of almost half a percentage point in the 10-year Treasury is the

most over such a period since the first pandemic lockdown



The dangers are big, and the markets are still not fully prepared



The most powerful country in the world is being 'run' by a senile old man

who was far from smart in his heyday 50 years ago, and he is a willing

hostage to a party run by impractical zealots and a staff that only listens

to itself. So yes, it probably will get worse within the next six months.

After all, the country has fallen from the strongest economy to the present

weak state in less than two years of this team's 'management'



remember all of this when you vote in November





--

 :WWW  mitbbs.com [FROM: 217.]


On June 28, 2022, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi had a phone conversation with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Carlos Faria at the latter's request.

Wang Yi said that today coincides with the 48th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Venezuela, and our phone conversation is just at the right time. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties, China-Venezuela relations have remained rock-solid regardless of changes in the international landscape. The leaders of the two countries have established solid mutual trust and friendship, providing important political guarantee and strategic guidance for the development of the China-Venezuela comprehensive strategic partnership. China is ready to continue to deepen political mutual trust, pass on the traditional friendship and enhance mutually beneficial cooperation with Venezuela.

Wang Yi said that the Chinese side thanks Venezuela for standing firmly with China and speaking out for justice on Taiwan, Hong Kong, Xinjiang and human rights issues. China will, as always, firmly oppose external forces' interference in Venezuela's internal affairs under any pretext, firmly support Venezuela in safeguarding national sovereignty and social stability, and support the Venezuelan people in choosing a development path suited to their national conditions. The Chinese side will continue to provide assistance within its capacity to the Venezuelan side in fighting the pandemic.

Wang Yi pointed out that China and Venezuela should continue to strengthen solidarity and coordination in multilateral affairs, safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the two countries, practice true multilateralism, and safeguard the international system with the United Nations at its core and the international order underpinned by international law. China appreciates Venezuela's active support for President Xi Jinping's Global Development Initiative (GDI) and stands ready to strengthen cooperation with Venezuela to jointly forge a global development partnership and well implement the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The trend toward a multi-polar world, economic globalization and greater democracy in international relations is irresistible. China is ready to work with Venezuela to stand on the right side of history, uphold international fairness and justice, safeguard the common interests of developing countries and jointly build a community with a shared future for mankind.

Faria said that under the guidance of the two heads of state, the Venezuela-China comprehensive strategic partnership has made great progress and is full of vitality. He thanked China for providing strong support to Venezuela in its fight against the pandemic. Venezuela firmly supports the one-China principle and the principle of "one country, two systems", firmly supports China in safeguarding national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and stands ready to work with China to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in innovative ways. China is playing an increasingly important role in the international arena. The Venezuelan side speaks highly of President Xi Jinping's GDI and other initiatives and is ready to deepen communication and coordination with China within the frameworks of the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative and the Group of Friends in the Defense of the Charter of the United Nations to jointly uphold multilateralism. In particular, Faria extended warm congratulations on the 101st anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in advance, hailing the CPC as a great political party that holds high the banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics and has always been committed to serving the Chinese people.
On June 7, 2022 local time, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with visiting State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Nur-Sultan.

Wang Yi first conveyed cordial greetings from President Xi Jinping, congratulating Kazakhstan on the successful holding of a nationwide referendum on amendments to its constitution. Wang Yi said, this year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Kazakhstan, and is of great significance for both sides to pass on the tradition and forge ahead with the ties. Bilateral relations so far have gone through many storms, made hard-won achievements and realized leapfrog development, demonstrating strong vitality. China, as a friendly neighbor and permanent comprehensive strategic partner for Kazakhstan, firmly supports Kazakhstan in pursuing a development path suited to its national conditions and in implementing the "New Kazakhstan" development strategy. He believes that Kazakhstan will realize lasting peace and prosperity and open up bright prospects for national development.

Wang Yi said, the strategic guidance of the heads of state is the political strength and distinctive feature of China-Kazakhstan relations. China is willing to work with Kazakhstan to well implement important consensuses reached by the two heads of state, steadfastly guided by the vision of everlasting friendship, take great care of bilateral relations, and promote cooperation in various fields, so as to push the China-Kazakhstan permanent comprehensive strategic partnership to new levels.

Tokayev recalled with pleasure his important and successful meeting with President Xi Jinping in February this year, and asked Wang Yi to convey sincere greetings and best wishes to President Xi Jinping, wishing the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China a complete success. Tokayev said, since the establishment of Kazakhstan-China diplomatic ties 30 years ago, bilateral relations have maintained positive momentum, and close exchanges have been made between various departments at different levels. China's support and cooperation play a vital role in Kazakhstan's political security, national stability and economic development. Kazakhstan gives priority to its relations with China in its foreign policy and is committed to constantly enriching the dimensions of bilateral relations. Kazakhstan is willing to strengthen the Belt and Road cooperation, push economic and trade investment to a higher level, and expand cooperation in agriculture, transportation, logistics, energy, tourism, people-to-people exchanges and other fields, so as to achieve mutual benefits and win-win results.

Tokayev said that Kazakhstan and China share the same stance and common language on major international issues. Kazakhstan speaks highly of China's important influence and constructive role in international affairs and fully agrees with and supports the Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping. These initiatives, which are very important and timely, will be conducive to bridging the deficit in global peace, governance, trust and development. Kazakhstan also appreciates China's initiative to build four partnerships of solidarity, development, security and civilization with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and is willing to take an active part in it.

Wang Yi said, China and Kazakhstan take the lead in the Belt and Road cooperation, which has scored fruitful results. China is ready to strengthen strategic synergy with Kazakhstan, expand cooperation areas, establish a new batch of quality cooperation projects that benefit the two peoples, chart the medium and long-term development plan for economic and trade cooperation, negotiate a new version of the investment protection agreement, increase the throughput of goods at ports, diversify transportation routes, speed up the feasibility study of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor and strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges to consolidate public and social support for the friendship between the two countries.

The two sides also exchanged views on Central Asia cooperation and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) cooperation. Wang Yi appreciated the important role Kazakhstan has been playing in preparing for the third China+Central Asia (C+C5) foreign ministers' meeting, adding that China is ready to jointly build an efficient regional cooperation platform and enhance unity and cooperation between China and Central Asian neighbors. China also supports the Kazakh side in playing its role as CICA chair and successfully hosting the sixth summit of the CICA.

Both sides expressed deep concerns about the serious spillover impacts of the Ukraine crisis. Wang Yi stressed, China has played a constructive role in promoting peace talks. Under the current circumstances, the region should be on guard against attempts by forces outside the region to draw regional countries into major power conflicts and force them to take sides. China hopes that Central Asian countries will stand firm, eliminate interference, strengthen coordination, cooperate in good faith and safeguard regional peace and stability. China has never sought geopolitical interests in Central Asia, and never allows non-regional forces to stir up trouble in the region. Tokayev appreciated China's just position, and expressed the willingness to maintain close and timely communication and stay committed to the settlement of disputes through peaceful means.

On the same day, Wang Yi held talks with Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi and jointly met the press.
U.S. California officials join Chinese community to protest against rising hate crimes

Xinhua) 14:27, July 02, 2022

SAN FRANCISCO, July 1 (Xinhua) -- California officials and community leaders gathered Friday in San Francisco's Chinatown to protest against the dramatic increase in anti-Asian hate crimes across the state.

The gathering was held after California Attorney General Rob Bonta released the 2021 Hate Crime in California Report on June 28, which found Anti-Asian bias events were up 178 percent to 247 incidents last year.

Overall reported hate crimes in California increased by 32.6 percent from 2020 to 2021, the highest level since 2001, according to the report.

"The California Department of Justice report only confirms what we've been hearing from API (Asian and Pacific Islander) communities all over San Francisco," California Assembly member Matt Haney told the gathering at the Chinese Historical Society of America Museum in San Francisco.

"And it's not just violent hate crimes that are on the rise. For every crime that's reported to the police there are hundreds of incidents of hate-based harassment and even violence that go unreported -- often targeted at women and seniors," he said.

Haney made the commitment to funding initiatives to address hate crimes in California.

Hate crimes are defined by California as a criminal act committed because of a victim's actual or perceived disability, gender, nationality, race or ethnicity or other characteristics.

"The 2021 hate crime report undeniably shows that the epidemic of hate we saw spurred on during the pandemic remains a clear and present threat," said Bonta. "In fact, reported hate crime has reached a level we haven't seen in California since the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11."

The report confirms "what so many of us already know and experience," said Vincent Pan, co-executive director of Chinese for Affirmative Action.

"The hate and bigotry against Asian Americans and other communities of color is a real and pressing problem requiring a whole of society approach that addresses the roots and manifestations of inequity," he said.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Bianji)
A Beitbridge man is lucky to be alive after he was mauled by a police dog which bit his private parts last Thursday.

Police did not send to hospital the badly injured Proterge Kwangware despite the law stating he should be treated for dog bites even if the police dog is vaccinated.

The incident happened a few months after the Zimbabwe Republic Police paid a whopping $2 million to another Beitbridge resident, who was mauled by dogs in 2021.

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For Kwangware, a known habitual criminal, what started as a public fight between him and one Energy Chisora in Dulivhadzimo Township ended with an entire Beitbridge Urban Police Station hunting him down in a mission to avenge.

Kwangware was having an altercation with a friend identified as Bright Mapfumo when an off-duty policeman Chisora in his civilian attire, who appeared just as a passerby, started filming with his mobile phone.

Agitated by the action Kwangware slapped Chisora who retaliated and the two started exchanging blows.

Chisora hit Kwangware with a stone but he realised he was on the receiving end and sprinted to his car with Kwangware hot on his heels.

Sensing a further beating Chisora then produced his police identity card and Kwangware let go and the fight ended.

Some four days later Kwangware said he was in bed with his wife when police kicked open his door and unleashed their dog, which mauled him all over body and his manhood.

I was in bed and did not resist. I was at their mercy but they let their dog have a go at me.

They failed to control it and it even bit my privates, Kwangware told resident magistrate Takudzwa Gwazemba as he successfully applied for bail on Friday.

It bit me all over and they failed to control it. I held its jaws apart to avoid further harm.

Prosecutor Pithey Magumula had opposed bail saying Kwangware was likely to commit other offences since he had a pending case and had just finished a community service sentence.

He faces an assault charge for allegedly beating his friend and malicious damage to property for allegedly damaging Chisoras car during their fight.

But Gwazemba ruled that he will be admitted to $10 000 to allow him treatment he was denied by police.

Kwangware was asked to come back to court on June 14. Standard
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has cautioned politicians against using inflammatory language or hate speech that incite violence and polarize the country ahead of the 2023 elections, The Standard can report.

The remarks were made by police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi during his keynote address at the belated World Press Freedom Day (WFPD) commemorations organised by the Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa) Zimbabwe.

As the police, we have also taken note (of) the language which is being used by some of our politicians. It is not good, across the board, said Nyathi recently.

Without mentioning names, the police mouthpiece appeared to be making reference to the on-going exchange of words between Zanu PF and Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) politicians following the abduction, disappearance and callous murder of opposition activist Moreblessing Ali.

Alis gruesome murder by an alleged Zanu PF member Pius Jamba sparked violent clashes between ruling party and main opposition supporters in Nyatsime, Chitungwiza as both parties claim ownership of the deceased.

While CCC maintained that Ali was a member of the party right from her abduction, the ruling partys councillor Masimbi Masimbi claimed that the deceased was also their member after her death.

On one hand CCC accused the ruling party of terrorising mourners and abduction of 20 women who were later rescued, while on the other hand Zanu PF counter accused the opposition party of setting on fire, a house that belongs to one of its chairperson George Murambatsvina.

Murambatsvina later died due to what has been alleged as stress related causes following the destruction of his house.

His death coincided with that of another party leader in a nearby area  Tina Gweshe  the former Manyame district chairperson, who was allegedly poisoned at Alis funeral, according to Zanu PF.

Police say they are waiting for post-mortem results of the two to ascertain the causes of their death.

Zengeza West legislator and CCC deputy national chair Job Sikhala, who is also the Alis family lawyer together with the Chitungwiza North legislator Godfrey Sithole have since been arrested and are currently facing trial on charges of inciting violence.

Nyathi argued that the violence could have been avoided had the politicians been more responsible with their choice of words.

He implored the media to challenge politicians over their utterances.

I also want to challenge our colleagues from the media, Nyathi said.

You have done it but continue doing it.

Challenge some of these politicians over the way theyre using their language. Language is powerful ladies and gentlemen.

Language is very powerful. It can either unite the people or destroy the people.

So as the police, yes, we can conduct investigations but we also want the media to support us.

We also want the media to work with us, so that politicians cannot continue to use language to divide the people.

The police spokesperson appealed to media bodies to forge an alliance with the ZRP ahead of the potentially volatile election set for 2023.

I know, previously there was an acrimonious relationship between the media and the police, Nyathi said.

We were not seeing eye to eye. We were enemies

And going forward, we know we are going to a challenging environment. We are going into an environment where some relations will be affected because of the elections.

I want to appeal to you guys, lets not lose one another. Lets continue to engage. Lets continue to find one another.

The ZRP and various media bodies such as Young Journalists Association (Yoja), Zimbabwe National Editors Forum (Zinef), Media Alliance of Zimbabwe (MAZ), Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ), among others, had planned to engage all officers commanding provinces (Propol) ahead of the March 26 by elections.

Although the national tour failed to kick-off, it was meant to sensitise provincial and district police commanders over the role of journalists and further cement relations.

The development came following a spate of rampant harassment, intimidation, detention and arrests of journalists by politically connected individuals and law enforcement agents.

The Reporters Without Borders (RSF), World Press Freedom Index profile for Zimbabwe fell to number 137 this year from 130 last year.

The Index assesses the state of journalism in 180 countries and territories.

Journalists such as Blessed Mhlanga and Chengeto Chidi of Alpha Media Holdings (AMH) are recent case studies of the 12 media violations recorded during the first half of this year by Misa Zimbabwe, which media bodies argue could have been avoided.

According to records obtained from Misa Zimbabwe, a total of 22 violations against media practitioners were recorded in 2021 down from 52 the previous year as indications are that the figure will spike towards elections.

VMCZ executive director Loughty Dube said avoidable cases of arbitrary arrests of journalists by junior officers have far reaching consequences towards the countrys economy.

Arbitrary arrests of journalists might not mean a thing to a junior officer but it says everything to an investor, Dube said.

When investors are looking at potential investment destinations, they look at the countrys profile, for instance what is the level of media freedom and free speech.

So cases where journalists are arrested or even detained while on duty are classified as violations against the press, which have negative implications against a country as an investment destination.

Zinef national coordinator Njabulo Ncube concurred before appealing to law enforcement agents to allow media practitioners to exercise their duties without hindrance.

Nyathi acknowledged that journalists should be allowed to exercise their duties without persecution and called on media bodies to revive the national engagement tour before the 2023 polls.

He indicated that police Commissioner General Godwin Matanga has already approved the engagement exercise.

One of the issues, which we want to do with all the media bodies in the country, is that we have made it clear that we want to go out to meet all the officer commanding provinces, Nyathi said.

We want to start with Harare, because most of our problem start with Harare and Bulawayo.

We wanted to do this (national engagement tour) just before the by-elections, so I still want to challenge you (journalists) to put this program in motion so that we go out there and not only meet the officer commanding provinces but we also want to meet officers commanding districts.

So that you (journalists) can also highlight some of the issues that affect you.

I know that we have some youngsters that are coming up in the police services.

Some of these youngsters are overzealous just like some of these young journalists.

Its a fact. So we want to go out there and engage the commanders before elections are held in 2023.

Elections are supposed to be an expression of a country, society or a peoples free choice and an entry into a contract of governance, but have become a complex process in the majority of fragile and somewhat broken States.

Misa Zimbabwe in a statement concurred that elections in fragile states are a matter of life and death for both the citizens and journalists, as these are high stakes national, and by extension, regional processes. Standard
NEW YORK, July 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leda Health is proud to announce its Pearl sponsorship with Delta Phi Epsilon in time for the 2022 International Leadership Forum. Leda Health's mission is to make trauma-informed care accessible and affordable for all, regardless of race, socioeconomic status, or income.

This year, Leda Health is participating in the International Leadership Forum, which will be held in Orlando at the Coronado Springs Resort at Disneyworld on July 21-24.

"As a sexual assault survivor myself, I understand the lack of knowledge following an assault and access to quality trauma-informed care. At Leda, we're working to ensure all survivors have an equitable experience regardless of individual healthcare needs," says Madison Campbell, co-founder, and CEO of Leda Health. "I am grateful Leda can sponsor this event. Leda Health is on a mission to not only democratize access to trauma-informed care but also to expand cultural awareness of what it means to be a survivor. We're also committed to supporting the work of prevention and healing."

"Since the overturn of Roe v. Wade, it is more important now than ever to champion comprehensive sexual health education, access to reproductive services, and expanding rights for those who can become pregnant to make choices about their bodies," said Campbell. "The news has caused chaos and uncertainty regarding access and care for those who have experienced sexual harm. Without adequate access and care, many have been left in a state of fear and without protection in many states."

Leda's core beliefs include thoughtfully curated resources of education and services to empower future leaders. Together with Delta Phi Epsilon, we hope to encourage diversity, deference, and dignity. "We're beyond delighted to participate in promoting meaningful thought leadership within Delta Phi Epsilon," says Campbell. "I believe Leda and DPhiE share many values. and I'm proud to stand with all sisters supported and affected by the collegiate ecosystem where 1 in 4 women are sexually assaulted each year."

ABOUT LEDA HEALTH

Leda Health was founded in 2019 by Madison Campbell and Liesel Vaidya with trauma-informed solutions to care and healing in mind. Based in New York, the survivor-run company's mission is to empower survivors of sexual assault to break cycles of violence.

Currently, 77% of survivors go without care after an assault, Leda works to increase access with a diverse range of tools designed for and by survivors. Their services range from educational workshops, live support from a 24/7 Care Team, post-assault services like trauma-informed STI testing, and virtual Healing and Accountability Circles. Leda's partners have access to their full suite of after-care services.

For more information about Leda Health, please visit online at Leda.co or on Instagram and Twitter. For press inquiries, email pr@leda.co.

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.
BOSTON, July 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a release issued on Thursday, June 30th by The New America High Income Fund, Inc. (NYSE: HYB), please note that in the first paragraph of the release, the dates should be July 15, 2022 and July 14th, not June 15, 2022 and June 14th, as previously stated. The corrected release follows:

The New America High Income Fund, Inc. Declares Dividend

The New America High Income Fund, Inc. (the Fund) (NYSE: HYB) announced today that it will pay a dividend of $.05 per share on the companys common stock on July 29, 2022 to common shareholders of record as of the close of business on July 15, 2022. The ex-dividend date will be July 14th.



The Fund has released updated portfolio data which can be found on the Funds website at www.newamerica-hyb.com.

The New America High Income Fund, Inc. is a diversified, closed-end management investment company with a leveraged capital structure. The Funds investment adviser is T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. (T. Rowe Price). As of March 31, 2022, T. Rowe Price and its affiliates managed approximately $1.6 trillion of assets, including approximately $21 billion of high yield investments. T. Rowe Price has provided investment advisory services to investment companies since 1937.




HOUSTON, July 02, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- McGrath Real Estate Partners, a Houston-based leader in student and multifamily development, has announced the acquisition of 9.16 acres at 3939 W. 12th Street in Houston, Texas. The well-known Houston based developer plans to develop a Class A multi-family development.

The primely located development, known as Artistry Design District, will sit at the southeast corner of Loop 610 frontage road and West 12th Street. "We are excited to be a part of this fast changing and vibrant area of Houston with plans to break ground by October 2022," according to Barrett Kirk, Chief Investment Officer at McGrath Real Estate Partners.

The 400-unit multifamily housing development will feature seven unique floor plans configured in efficiency, one- and two-bedroom units. Units will range in size from 496 SF to 1,283 SF and will feature the best modern finishes such as hard-surfaced counter tops, stainless steel appliances and full-size washer and dryers.

Besides expected community amenities such as a resort style pool, poolside cabanas and fitness facility, the centerpiece of the development is an outdoor amphitheater and green space that will be used to host private concerts and resident events.

About McGrath Real Estate

For more than 36 years, the professionals at The McGrath Companies have produced quality developments for its principals, clients, and investors. They have acquired, developed, managed, and leased over $2.5 billion in multi-sector assets in markets across the U.S.

They handle all phases of the complex development process from site selection and governmental approvals to financing, construction and development oversight. They also provide effective oversight of leasing programs, property and asset management services for Multi-family, Student Housing, Build-to-Rent Residential, Single Family Master Plan and Lot Development communities. Their working relationships with national, regional, and local teams have helped build a portfolio of over $500,000,000 currently in design/development for the McGrath team. For more information, please visit www.mcgrathrep.com.

Media Contact:

Barrett O. Kirk

Chief Investment Officer, McGrath Real Estate Partners

Phone: 281.822.9601

Email: bkirk@mcgrathrep.com

Related Images











Image 1: Artistry Design District





Rendering of Artistry Design District The 400-unit multifamily housing development will feature seven unique floor plans configured in efficiency, one- and two-bedroom units. Units will range in size from 496 SF to 1,283 SF and will feature the best









This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

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Max Verstappen has given the British press a kicking. The current leader in the driver's standings argues that people are now acting as if the boos are the most normal thing in the world, while last year they fell foul of it when 'their' Lewis Hamilton was the victim of exactly the same thing.

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"It doesn't matter to me and I'm not going to make a big deal out of it either," Verstappen told De Telegraaf. He says he is just focused on driving. "And I'm also not the person to force someone to speak out against it. It's the same with the English press. If it had been the other way round, you'd get a hundred questions about it. Now I got one. Like last year in Hungary, it was all one big drama."

Verstappen and Hamilton have 'history'

Last year Max Verstappen crashed out at Silverstone after a touch with Lewis Hamilton. Two weeks later, the Hungaroring in Budapest was raced and Hamilton was booed. This was due to the fact that Hamilton and Mercedes were celebrating the victory, while Verstappen was in the hospital for medical checks.

The British press was outraged by the boos, but a year later the roles have been reversed and there has been silence from that corner. Verstappen finds it remarkable but doesn't lose any sleep over it. "It is what it is. In Formula 1 it's quite new that things like this happen. I'm concentrating on what I have to do: going fast on the track."
Violence, like it or not, is a very human condition. Its how we assert ourselves and establish dominance over others. Violence doesnt need to involve a gun or a brawl, and it doesnt even need to be illegal or socially unacceptable. Slavery is violence. Hazing is violence. So are book burning, real estate red lining, and social media heckling. Lies can be a form of violence when weaponized against others. Violence does not need to be physical but it certainly leaves scars since the ultimate rationale for violence is to determine winners and losers.

Consequently, every great nation, every great faith, that has ever wanted to establish and consolidate power and authority has done so with forms of violence. No great and lasting culture has ever grown up in a peaceful vacuum, having always expanded at the expense of someone else. Pushing indigenous cultures, non-natives, and those who think differently to the sidelines, the ascending culture establishes its own sacred texts and dogma, insisting that their beliefs are inherently better than any others. This dogma allows for the crushing of dissent and the demonization of non-believers.

Yet throughout history we find that for dominant cultures to endure, violence isnt enough. There must be a reevaluation and rejection of their violent past, and a desire for reformation. Reaching these cultural inflection points, a society must choose. Choose between the path of doing things the way theyve always been done, based on a romanticized past, or choose the path of introspection and analysis of where the culture is going, regardless of where it has been. This second path, the one that challenges and makes people uncomfortable, is the one toward reformation. The one where the culture is preserved, but altered to meet the changing realities of the new era.

America has been at this crossroads before. Before our nation was born and during the Civil War. And weve come back to that crossroads again. Today, millions of our friends and neighbors cling desperately to a big lie, as well as a series of smaller yet still consequential lies, perpetrated by one of our two major political parties, and they do this as a defense against having to face the prospect of an American reformation. They cling to the lies, disinformation and misdirection because to not do so, to admit that times have changed and that America must change with it, is to acknowledge the violence in our history.

Its no secret that colonization of America directly or indirectly led to the death of 90 percent of the natives. Yet there are people who dont want this discussed in schools. Its no secret that American business and industry owes an enormous debt to the sweat and blood of enslaved and indentured people. And still we feel the need to celebrate those who subjugated their fellow man in the name of preserving our heritage. Certain Americans are demonized for loving others the wrong way. Women used to be seen and not heard, and still they cannot even maintain dominion over their own bodies. The Irish were not welcome, the Japanese were interred for their safety, and everyone whispers about the Jews. These are all acts of violence, some just louder than others.

This nation must confront the reality that in many ways it was founded on violence against others, and in many ways continues to do so. But an American reformation neednt be a canceling of our past, rather a recognition that its time we acknowledge where we came from and announce to ourselves and the world that were ready do better.

Unfortunately, todays Republican Party would rather preserve deeply held mythologies of American exceptionalism instead of building a new American century, and theyve made it clear theyll resort to violence to do so. Theyll reject science, education and inclusion, and gin up scary false narratives rather than uplift anyone outside their culture. They accept lies because to reject them, reject the dogma and embrace change, would mean accepting responsibility, recognizing there are no alternative facts and acknowledging that what may have been OK in the past may not be right for tomorrow. A proud future begins with declaring independence from the shackles of our past.

David Rafferty is a Greenwich resident.
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GREENWICH  Around 50 people took the civil service test last month to apply for a position as a patrol officer in the Greenwich Police Department.

It was a fraction of the number of people taking the test than it was over a decade ago.

100 or 200 people taking the Greenwich police test was not uncommon years ago, Greenwich Police Capt. Mark Zuccerella said recently.

The shrinking number of applicants looking to work for the Greenwich police force is one of many indicators that police shortages are hitting departments around the region  and the nation  hard, he said.

Everybody is in the same boat. That pool of committed people who want to be police officers is thin throughout the region, said Zuccerella. In the Greenwich department, 11 positions are yet to be filled.

Experts and policy analysts say law-enforcement work has become harder to recruit for, with a number high-profile cases that have put police officers under harsh scrutiny. The death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer in 2020, captured on cellphone footage, is cited regularly as a cause for the negative connotations around police work, driving away new recruits.

There are multiple factors for the lack of interest in a policing job, said Prof. David Myers, Chairman of the Criminal Justice Department at the University of New Haven.

Policing as a profession in recent times has become more of a public position, open to public scrutiny. Situations like George Floyd impact on that. With videotape, from a member of the public, or cameras in a facility or a vehicle, theres more scrutiny. It makes it harder to recruit, he said.

An additional factor is the overall disruption in the employment sector known as the Great Resignation, a churn in the labor market caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing shortages to a number of fields not limited to civil service positions.

With the Great Resignation, as its called, many police officers retired or changed professions; theres been turnover. So many departments are working to address that, Myers said.

Recruitment and retention was already a problem through the 2010s. A recent study by the International Association of Police Chiefs found multiple social, political and economic forces are all simultaneously at play in shaping the current state of recruitment and retention.

The study said Millennials and Generation Z, people in their teens through their late 30s, had a particular disdain for the regimented and structured work-life balance that law enforcement typically requires.

Whatever the reason behind the staff shortages, it is nearing critical levels around the region, local data show.

Stamford police are down nearly 30 officers, coping with a force of around 250 men and women when 287 are budgeted for. In Norwalk, 20 openings in the departments allotment of 181 officers has made staffing almost untenable, in the words of Police Chief Thomas Kulhawik. Response times for routine police calls in New Haven have been lengthened considerably, due to around 100 vacancies in the departments ranks, officials there said. In Hamden, the police department has 19 vacancies, a situation that led to a city Councilwoman recently calling the department very depleted.

Local departments are working hard to fill their ranks  offering bonuses, educational stipends and casting a wide net, as far as Texas and Virginia, to bring in new recruits.

As far as recruiting goes, its fairly common to offer hiring bonuses to get people on board, and some departments are offering educational assistance  for a bachelors degree, or going on for a masters degree, said Myers.

In the worst-case scenario, Myers said, particularly in big city departments like Chicago, New Orleans and Philadelphia, entry requirements were lowered to attract candidates who would otherwise have been ineligible for work in law enforcement because of the citys initial educational qualifications. He said lowered educational standards for new officers often led to poor outcomes.

In Greenwich, Zuccerella says, department commanders are working on a range of strategies to get new recruits through the doors of police headquarters  and cope with the current shortage.

The department has an authorized staff of 152 officers. The department now has 147 members, of which six are commanders who do not respond to calls, for an effective force of 141. In addition, there is a shortage of four police dispatchers who send police, fire and EMS units to calls for help.

The shortages have meant more overtime costs, Zuccerella said, and a much more stringent look at scheduling and training obligations. Being down 11 people for the better part of the year makes everything tighter, for planning and scheduling. But were doing our best to serve the town. Hopefully it will get better in the fall when the officers get done with their training, he said. Six police officers are currently in training.

In terms of recruitment, Greenwich police are looking to hire from other parts of the country, as other departments are also doing. Greenwich recently hired two recruits who were working for the New York City Police Department, as well as one from Texas. Norwalk police recently hired an officer from Virginia.

The Greenwich police captain said lateral hiring was likely to be expanded in future. Traditionally, our lateral program was kept to Connecticut, but were looking to expand that, said Zuccerella.

The department is also ramping up its hiring notices on social media and websites for law enforcement, and it will do more in-person events at area colleges. The message is also being sharpened for potential applicants.

The pay is good, its a safe town to work, and in our community, you can engage and interact. We do things other than law enforcement, the captain said, adding patrol officers generally have more autonomy in Greenwich than in other departments to follow up on cases.

As a patrol officer you can take a case from beginning to end. In other departments, they dont have the time for that. Officers handle a report and push it to the detective division. Our officers are empowered, as we say. And we have a lot of different aspects that you can do  detective division, the boats, motorcycles, a canine unit, the bike guys, different units in the detective division, technology. We have a lot of stuff, compared to many departments, Zuccerella continued.

The captain said he was also planning to contact people who applied for the Greenwich force but did not follow through: I want to know why they didnt follow through, or why they dropped out. I want to find out that reason why, he said.

Myers says the shortages are coming at a time when the nature of police work is changing; there were opportunities as well as challenges in obtaining personnel. There are untapped or under-utilized groups of potential applicants, some of whom did not fit the standard profile of a police officer in years past, he said, women in particular.

Policing has become much more data driven, guided by research, focusing on evidence-based practices, that have a positive impact on crime. Also community policing has been experiencing a revival, Myers said. It takes a different skill set. Theres much more need for good communication skills, problem solving, working directly with the public, cultural understanding, intervening in crises situations with mental illness. Officers need skills in those areas. Its a different style of policing, different expectations.

Finding good personnel was rewarding for a community, data show, and the job also offered good rewards for those who sign up for it, he said.

Theres a great deal of opportunity there, Myers said. I always emphasize that, if youre prepared for it, you can have a very productive career.
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GREENWICH  A proposal to put up a 192-unit building at Sherwood Place and Church Street has been withdrawn by developers.

A letter to the town planning commission sent by Chip Haslun, the attorney representing the project, said the application was being withdrawn without citing any reason for the cancellation.

We appreciate the time the Commission and the Commission staff, as well as other town departments, have devoted to this matter, Haslun wrote.

The developers of the project, SJP Properties and Eagle Ventures, were looking to build 58 affordable units as part of the proposed 192-unit building, which was opposed by a large number of neighbors. Local residents cited concerns about added traffic on narrow streets in the area, the loss of historical character from the proposed demolition of a number of old Victorian homes on the block and the shadows that would be cast on the neighborhood. The structure was slated to be 84 feet tall.

A petition with more than 2,000 names was submitted in opposition of the project.

The developers were looking to use the states affordable housing law to gain extra units for the structure. Under the 8-30g law, which has come under criticism by state lawmakers from Greenwich, local land-use agencies cannot deny affordable-housing proposals except when there are public-health or safety concerns, giving them much less latitude in the approval process.

Jo Conboy of the Greenwich Preservation Trust worked with other preservationists in the community to oppose the plan.

It was a good fight, we really worked hard on it, she said. Conboy said she was pleased the application was pulled  hopefully for good  but noted there was a possibility a demolition and construction plan in another form in the future.

Conboy said the development plan posed a real threat to the character of the so-called Fourth Ward of Greenwich, the name given to the area that African-American and Irish residents once called home. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Its our history  we could have lost all that culture. We shouldnt let that go, she said.

The Sherwood Place project was not the only withdrawal in June. Another high-profile  and controversial  building plan for central Greenwich was also withdrawn this month.

A scheme for 86 units on Brookridge Drive put forward by Pecora Brothers building company was pulled after numerous hearings on the plan at the Planning & Zoning Commission.
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP)  Irans top diplomat condemned on Saturday Israels latest airstrike on Syria and criticized recent threats from Turkey about another planned incursion by Ankara into northern Syria.

Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian's remarks came at the start of his visit to Syria, where he was expected to discuss mutual relations and regional affairs with top Syrian officials.

Iran has been one of Syrian President Bashar Assads strongest backers, sending thousands of fighters from around the region to help his troops in Syrias 11-year conflict. The war has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced half the countrys pre-war population of 23 million.

Amirabdollahians visit came hours after Israel carried out an airstrike on a coastal Syrian village near the border with Lebanon, wounding two people, according to state media reports in Syria.

Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has recently said hes planning another major military cross-border incursion into Syria to create a 30-kilometer (19 mile) deep buffer zone along the border with Turkey, promising to battle U.S.-allied Syrian Kurdish fighters for the territory.

Erdogan's attempt in 2019 to create the buffer failed, though Turkish troops are deployed inside Syria following previous incursions to prop up anti-Assad Syrian opposition fighters. Ankara views the U.S.-allied Syrian Kurdish fighters as terrorists allied with Kurdish insurgents within Turkey's borders.

We understand the concerns of our neighbor Turkey but we oppose any military measure in Syria, Amirabdollahian said, adding that Iran is trying to resolve the misunderstanding between Turkey and Syria through dialogue.

Amirabdollahian met later Saturday with Assad, who told the Iranian envoy that Turkey's pretexts to justify its aggression in Syria are false, misleading and have nothing to do with reality. Assad's office also quoted the president as saying that Turkey's military presence in Syria violates international law.

Analysts have said Erdogan is taking advantage of the war in Ukraine to push his own goals in Syria. Turkey agreed this week to lift its opposition to Sweden and Finland joining NATO, saying the Nordic nations had agreed to crack down on groups that Ankara deems national security threats, including the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, and its Syrian extension.

Turkey has demanded that Finland and Sweden extradite wanted individuals and lift arms restrictions imposed on Ankara after Turkeys 2019 military incursion into northeast Syria.

Amirabdollahian condemned Israel for striking Syria. The Saturday morning attack was the first since a June 10 airstrike on the international airport in Damascus caused significant damage on the airport and rendered its main runway unusable. The airport was closed for two weeks for repairs before flights resumed on June 23.

Syria's state news agency SANA said Israeli warplanes flying over northern Lebanon fired missiles toward several chicken farms in the village of Hamidiyeh, south of the coastal city of Tartus. The attack happened a few kilometers (miles) north of the border with Lebanon.

SANA said two people, including a woman, were wounded and that there was material damage.

Over the years, Israel has staged hundreds of strikes against targets in Syria but rarely acknowledges or discusses such operations. Israel says it targets bases of Iran-allied militias, such as the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group, which has fighters deployed in Syria fighting on the side of Assads government forces and ships arms believed to be bound for the militias.

The June strike on the Damascus International Airport strike marked a major escalation in Israels campaign, further ratcheting up tensions between Israel on one side, and Iran and Hezbollah on the other.

___

Associated Press writer Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed.
PRIVATE SCHOOLS

Guahan Academy Charter School

July schedule:

Monday-Friday: Summer school.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Daniel L. Perez Elementary School

Summer school 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday to Friday. Call 671-635-2177/0404.

Orientation at 10 a.m. at the cafeteria:

Aug. 2: Kindergarten students.

Aug. 3: second- and third-grade students.

Aug. 4: fourth- and fifth-grade students.

Faneyakan Sinipok program

CHamoru Immersion Program is open to all kindergarten students 5 years old by July 31, 8:30 a.m.-2:45 p.m. at P.C. Lujan Elementary. Transportation must be provided by parent or guardian.

Fill out an application and provide necessary documents at rb.gy/8uubxk, followed by interview. Families will need to commit to:

Active participation.

Parents and family members must take CHamoru immersion classes.

Provide eight hours of in-kind service to the program per month.

Contact 671-300-2498 or 671-300-1367 or email jsteria@gdoe.net.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Dave J. Santos scholarship

The Guam Chamber of Commerces Dave J. Santos scholarship is open to full-time juniors or seniors at the UOG School of Business and Public Administration. Must have a 3.0 GPA, be a graduate of a Guam high school or resident of Guam for at least two years and have a genuine interest in promoting entrepreneurship.

Awardee gets $1,000 per semester, paid internship with Chamber. Apply until Aug. 12. Contact UOG Financial Aid office at 671-735-2288 or Guam Chamber at 671-472-6311/8001 or email info@GuamChamber.com.gu.

COLLEGES

University of Guam

Applications for Fanuchanan semester accepted until Aug. 8. Classes begin Aug. 17; most classes are in person.

Residents ages 50 and older eligible for tuition waiver program. Call Office of Admissions and Records at 671-735-2210/1 by Aug. 12.

For more information, contact the Office of Admissions and Records at 671-735-2202 or email admitme@trition.uog.edu.

Guam Community College

Apply for fall semester until Aug. 12. Classes begin Aug. 17.

Register in person or online at www.guamcc.edu/apply. Call 671-735-5531 or email gcc.registrar@guamcc.edu.

Students are encouraged to complete and submit a Free Application for Student Aid form. Call 671-735-5543/5544 or email financialaid@guamcc.edu.
Artist and OBRA secretary Renee Veksler describes her artistic background and the process of creating her piece, "What's Essential," in Hagatna on July 13, 2022. The exhibit is open from July 16-24, 2022, on the second floor of Agana Shopping Center. Follow @obraguam for more details and updates.
Beyond the Reef Music Festival spread the buy local message when it held a farmers market Saturday morning at Plaza de Espana in Hagatna.

I just love that the organizers of this festival decided to do something a bit more for the community before the festival even starts to bring together all these local designers and produces, said Sally Rutter, of Piti.

Rutter explored what the market had to offer and said she planned to sign up for a farmers box to receive fresh produce once a month.

Ive been off-island for the past five years, so this is a real treat. I feel like this is a day of fun and exploration, said Rutter.

Good crowd

Guahan Sustainable Culture sold local goods like eggs, honey and plants at the farmers market.

Its actually doing really well. Better than we expected, and its a good crowd, said Michelle Crisostomo, president and director of Guahan Sustainable Culture. She also said that their best sellers were the eggs and one of their varieties of honey.

Convenience

Compared to the Dededo farmers market, Crisostomo said that the Hagatna location had a positive difference.

The location made the market more accessible and time convenient to residents living in the south and central parts of the island.

Vendors

Tony Sayama, owner of The Local Shop in Agana Shopping Center said he came to the farmers market to promote the upcoming festival on social media, and to buy clothing and other items from local businesses. He said he loved seeing what new vendors and products were on display.

I just like seeing everybody coming out, especially small businesses and local craftsmen and entrepreneurs, Sayama said. To come out and see this brings me joy.

Justin Capili, co-owner of Ghostn, an online streetwear clothing company that began in 2021, has started selling his products in person.

The brand of clothing includes a lot of velcro and hooks for patches and key chains so people can customize their jackets or pants. If customers get tired of one design, they can change it.

Were trying to focus on getting out more to promote the brand since those following us are a mix of local and international, but Im trying to get more people on Guam to notice, said Capili.




Haiti - News : Zapping...





Monkey pox negative sample

Dr. Laure Adrien, Director General of the Ministry of Public Health, announces that the samples taken last month in Gros Morne (Dept. Artibonite) https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36802-haiti-flash-a-suspected-case-of-monkeypox-discovered-in-the-artibonite.html and sent to Atlanta for monkey pox tests came back negative.



Embassy of Haiti in DR, closed

The Embassy of Haiti in the Dominican Republic informs the public in general and the Haitian community in particular that with reference to the Order published in the Special Monitor no. 18 of Monday, June 23, 2022 declaring a public holiday and non-working on July 7, 2022 to mark the date of the assassination of the President of the Republic of Haiti H.E. Mr. Jovenel MOISE, the Mission will close its doors on Thursday, July 7, 2022. Activities will resume at Usual schedule, Friday, July 8, 2022.



New DG Customs installed

Julcene Edouard was installed on Friday July 1, 2022 as Director General of the General Customs Administration (AGD). He succeeds Romel Bell who left this position following suspicions of corruption. Previously Julcene Edouard was a director at the AGD.



2 Haitian authors awarded by the French Academy

This Thursday, June 30, the French Academy published its list of winners for the year 2022. Two Haitians appear this year in this list :



HEREDIA PRIZE : for the novelist, playwright and poet Jean DAmerique, for his collection of poems "Rhapsodie rouge" published in 2021 by Editions Cheyne



PRIZE FOR THE RADIANCE OF THE FRENCH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE : for the historian Frantz Voltaire, for all of his work as a historian qualified by the French Academy as "guardian and disseminator of culture Haitian and Caribbean in Canada and America.



2nd edition of the puzzle contest

Haiti Puzzle launches the 2nd edition of the puzzle contest on Sunday, July 24 at Hotel Karibe. This competition will be specially dedicated to our tourist sites and our Heroes of Independence for children aged 6 to 14. Many beautiful bonuses will be reserved for the winners! Interested children and parents contact +509 2811 2201/ +509 2263 2201 for more information.



The Research Ethics Committee is complete

The Rectorate of the State University of Haiti (RUEH) informs the public in general, the university community in particular that the Executive Council has chosen two new members to complete the Research Ethics Committee of the University. They are Mrs. Marie Frantz Joachim and Mr. Edes Destyl. These last two members will join the eight 8 other members already installed in their function on Thursday, March 10, 2022 https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-36167-icihaiti-ueh-new-members-of-the-research-ethics-committee.html



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Page Content

The Hawaii State Department of Educations (HIDOE) school meal service will revert back to pre-pandemic operations for the 2022-23 school year due to the June 30, 2022 expiration of the U.S. Department of Agricultures free student meals waivers.

We are grateful to have had this federal waiver that allowed our schools to support families throughout the pandemic with student meals at no cost, Superintendent Keith Hayashi said. Our free summer meal program underway should provide families some time to transition back to normal school food services, and we strongly encourage those eligible for free and reduced-price meals to apply as soon as applications become available.

For the 2022-23 school year, school meal operations will return to the normal National School Lunch Program, where only eligible children will receive meals at a free or reduced price. Meal prices for the coming school year remain unchanged at the following prices:





Regular Reduced Price Breakfast $1.10

$0.30 Lunch (K-8) $2.50 $0.40

Lunch (9-12)

$2.75 $0.40







Families eligible for free and reduced-priced meals can apply via online applications at EZMealApp.com starting July 15. Paper applications will also be available at schools.

Applications may be submitted at any time during the year; however, families should allow the Department 10 operating days to fully process applications. The information provided on the application will be used only for purposes of determining eligibility and will be kept confidential. Information submitted may be verified at any time during the school year by the school or other program officials.

The household size and income criteria identified below will be used for determining eligibility for free and reduced-price benefits. Children from households whose income is at or below the levels shown are eligible for free or reduced-price meals.

INCOME ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES FOR FREE AND REDUCED-PRICE MEALS EFFECTIVE

JULY 1, 2022 TO JUNE 30, 2023





FREE MEALS

REDUCED-PRICE MEALS

Household Size Yearly Monthly Twice Per M onth Every Two Weeks Weekly Yearly Monthly Twice Per Month Every Two Weeks Weekly 1

20,319 1,694 847 782 391 28,916 2,410 1,205 1,113 557 2

27,378 2,282 1,141 1,053 527 38,961 3,247 1,624 1,499 750 3

34,437 2,870 1,435 1,325 663 49,007 4,084 2,042 1,885 943 4

41,496 3,458 1,729 1,596 798 59,052 4,921 2,461 2,272 1,136 5

48,555 4,047 2,024 1,868 934 69,098 5,759 2,880 2,658 1,329 6

56,614 4,635 2,318 2,139 1,070 79,143 6,596 3,298 3,044 1,522 7

62,673 5,223 2,612 2,411 1,206 89,189 7,433 3,717 3,431 1,716 8

69,732 5,811 2,906 2,682 1,341 99,234 8,270 4,135 3,817 1,909 9

76,791 6,400 3,201 2,954 1,477 109,280 9,108 4,554 4,204 2,103 10

83,850 6,989 3,496 3,226 1,613 119,326 9,946 4,973 4,591 2,297 11

90,909 7,578 3,791 3,498 1,749 129,372 10,784 5,392 4,978 2,491 12

97,968 8,167 4,086 3,770 1,885 139,418 11,622 5,811 5,365 2,685 13

105,027 8,756 4,381 4,042 2,021 149,464 12,460 6,230 5,752 2,879 14

112,086 9,345 4,676 4,314 2,157 159,510 13,298 6,649 6,139 3,073 For each additional household member add: 7,059 589 295 272 136 10,046 838 419 387 194

Students who were eligible for either free or reduced-price meals at the end of the last school year will have that status carried over until Sept. 13, 2022, or until a new application is processed.

If the students are members of households receiving assistance from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), no application is required for free meal benefits as all children in these households are eligible for free meal benefits. If any child is not listed on the eligibility notice, the household should contact the school to have the free meal benefits extended to that child.

Students also enrolled at schools participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program do not need to submit applications, as all students attending these schools receive one breakfast and one lunch meal for free. The most current list of CEP participating schools can be found here.

After applications are processed, households will be notified of their childs eligibility. Households approved for free or reduced-price meals are not required to report changes in income status, household size, or when the household is no longer eligible for SNAP or TANF. Families that have been approved for reduced-price meals may reapply at any time should they become eligible for free meals. If a household chooses to decline free meal benefits for the children, the household must contact the school.

Households will be notified of their childrens eligibility for free meals if they are defined by law as homeless, migrant, runaway, a foster child, or are enrolled in Head Start, when that information is made known to the HIDOE School Food Services Branch.

The Department will review applications and determine eligibility. Parents or guardians may discuss a decision on an application with the reviewing official on an informal basis, or make a request for a formal appeal hearing on the decision to:

Lindsay Rodrigues

School Food Program Administrator

1106 Koko Head Avenue

Honolulu, HI 96816

(808) 784-5500

Nondiscrimination: In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.



Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDAs TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainants name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:





1. Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

1400 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;



2. Fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or



3. Email:program.intake@usda.gov



This institution is an equal opportunity provider.


Operation 'Good, Bad & Ugly' sweeps 41 into jail on drug trafficking charges

A home at 219 Glover St. was one of six dwellings that deputies searched after obtaining warrants.

Law officers arrested 41 suspected drug dealers or drug buyers and declared seven drug houses closed for business after the culmination of a massive six-month investigation code-named the Good, the Bad and the Ugly."

The Henderson County Drug Task Force executed seven search warrants and made the arrests on Thursday. Six more people wanted on drug charges remain at large. Three of the search warrants were executed in the city of Hendersonville, three were executed outside the city limits in Henderson County and one was executed in Greenville County South Carolina.

The investigation began after numerous complaints into alleged drug sales, drug trafficking and numerous overdose cases in Hendersonville and Henderson County.

Detectives identified Henry Hunt, of Hendersonville, as the alleged supply source for numerous controlled substances associated with the overdoses and were able to identify numerous individuals they said were associated with Hunts drug trafficking organization. Hunt was jailed on an unusually high bond, $1.9 million, while five others were in custody on a bond of at least $246,500.

As a result of the search warrants, detectives located and seized heroin/fentanyl, methamphetamine, marijuana and psilocybin mushrooms. In addition, deputies seized $24,285 in cash, four firearms and a vehicle.

Search warrants were executed at:

906 Holmes Street, Hendersonville

912 Holmes Street, Hendersonville

219 Glover Street, Hendersonville

507 Fifth Avenue West - Apt C, Hendersonville

95 Beth Ann Lane, Hendersonville

28 Madison Claire Lane, East Flat Rock

Greenville County, South Carolina

The following individuals were arrested and processed through the Henderson County Sheriffs Offices Detention Facility.

Treyveon McClure - felony continuing criminal enterprise, conspiracy to traffick schedule II controlled substance: $200,000 secured bond

Henry Hunt - felony continuing criminal enterprise and felony conspire to traffick schedule II controlled substance, felony trafficking in opium and heroin, felony manufacture schedule II controlled substance, felony possess with intent to sell & deliver schedule I controlled substance, felony possess with intent to sell & deliver schedule VI controlled substance, felony maintain dwelling for controlled substance, felony manufacture sell & deliver controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school, possession of drug paraphernalia :$1,901,500 secured bond

Xavier Hunt - felony conspiracy to continuing criminal enterprise, felony conspire to sell or deliver schedule II controlled substance: $830,000 secured bond + 25 days contempt of court.

Jasiah Petty -felony conspiracy to continuing criminal enterprise, felony conspire to sell or deliver schedule II controlled substance, felony manufacture sell & deliver within 1,000 feet of school, felony maintain dwelling for controlled substance, felony trafficking in opium and heroin, possession of drug paraphernalia: $246,500 secured bond

Tyrese Hunt - felony conspiracy to continuing criminal enterprise, felony conspiracy to sell/deliver schedule II controlled substance, felony possession of stolen firearm, felony manufacture sell & deliver within 1,000 feet of school, felony maintain dwelling for controlled substance, felony trafficking in opium and heroin, possession of drug paraphernalia: $246,500 secured bond.

Raymond Wright -felony conspiracy to continuing criminal enterprise, felony conspire to sell or deliver schedule II controlled substance, felony manufacture sell & deliver within 1,000 feet of school, felony maintain dwelling for controlled substance, felony trafficking in opium and heroin, possession of drug paraphernalia: $246,500 secured bond.

Damian Hunt - felony conspiracy to continuing criminal enterprise, felony conspire to sell or deliver schedule II controlled substance: $100,000 secured bond

Daja Waters - felony conspiracy to continuing criminal enterprise, felony conspiracy to sell/deliver schedule II controlled substance, felony trafficking in opium and heroin, felony manufacture schedule II controlled substance, felony possession with intent to distribute schedule I controlled substance, felony possession with intent to distribute schedule VI controlled substance, felony maintain dwelling for controlled substance, felony manufacture sell & deliver controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school and possession of drug paraphernalia $1,180,000 secured bond.

Geremee Simpson - felony conspiracy to continuing criminal enterprise, felony conspire to sell or deliver schedule II controlled substance: $100,000 secured bond

Aaliyah Flemming -felony conspiracy to continuing criminal enterprise, felony conspire to sell or deliver schedule II controlled substance: $100,000 secured bond

Elizabeth Ciccarillo- felony conspiracy to continuing criminal enterprise, felony conspire to sell or deliver schedule II controlled substance. $100,000 secured bond.

Deleah Shepherd- felony conspiracy to continuing criminal enterprise, felony conspire to sell or deliver schedule II controlled substance: $100,000 secured bond

Lydia Workman - felony conspiracy to continuing criminal enterprise, felony conspire to sell or deliver schedule II controlled substance: $200,000 secured bond

Vivian Hunt - felony conspiracy to continuing criminal enterprise: $80,000 secured bond

- felony conspiracy to continuing criminal enterprise: $80,000 secured bond Evan Kelly - felony conspire to sell or deliver schedule II controlled substance: $20,000 secured bond

Austyn Heatherly - felony conspire to sell or deliver schedule II controlled substance: $20,000 secured bond

Lillian McCraw - felony conspire to sell or deliver schedule II controlled substance: $20,000 secured bond

Michael Snyder - felony conspire to sell or deliver schedule II controlled substance: $20,000 secured bond

Danielle Heaps - felony conspire to sell or deliver schedule II controlled substance: $20,000 secured bond

Justin Webber - felony conspire to sell or deliver schedule II controlled substance: $110,000 secured bond

Harrison Moss - felony conspire to sell or deliver schedule II controlled substance: $20,000 secured bond

Colby West - felony conspire to sell or deliver schedule II controlled substance: $20,000 secured bond

Slater Sides - felony conspire to sell or deliver schedule II controlled substance: $20,000 secured bond

Jesse DeJesus - felony conspire to sell or deliver schedule II controlled substance: $20,000 secured bond

Logan Jones - felony conspire to sell or deliver schedule II controlled substance: $20,000 secured bond

Jennifer Wilson - felony conspire to sell or deliver schedule II controlled substance, felony possession schedule II controlled substance: $26,000 secured bond

Mattie Atkins - felony conspire to sell or deliver schedule II controlled substance: $20,000 secured bond

Quasion Taylor - felony conspire to sell or deliver schedule II controlled substance: $20,000 secured bond

Lindsey Miller- felony conspire to sell or deliver schedule II controlled substance: $20,000 secured bond

Destiny Holcombe - felony conspire to sell or deliver schedule II controlled substance: $20,000 secured bond

Ronnie Lail - felony conspire to sell or deliver schedule II controlled substance: $26,000 secured bond

Tuesday Sinclair - felony conspire to sell or deliver schedule II controlled substance: $20,000 secured bond

Brandon Burris - felony conspire to sell or deliver schedule II controlled substance: $20,000 secured bond

Parris Collington- felony manufacture sell & deliver controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school, possession with intent to sell/delivery schedule VI controlled substance: $48,000 secured bond

Mariam Cummings- felony manufacture sell & deliver controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school, felony trafficking opium/heroin, felony maintain place for controlled substance. $246,500 secured bond.

Benjamin Tweed- felony possession schedule II controlled substance, felony possession of schedule I controlled substance, possession schedule VI controlled substance: $12,600 secured bond.

felony possession schedule II controlled substance, felony possession of schedule I controlled substance, possession schedule VI controlled substance: $12,600 secured bond. Heather Engle : felony conspire to sell or deliver schedule II controlled substance: $20,000 secured bond

: felony conspire to sell or deliver schedule II controlled substance: $20,000 secured bond Tiffany Allen : possession of schedule VI controlled substance: $100 secured bond.

: possession of schedule VI controlled substance: $100 secured bond. Ryan Rowe - felony conspire to sell or deliver schedule II controlled substance, child abuse: $26,000

Wanted by the sheriffs office on charges related to the investigation are:





Ingrid Sonne - felony conspire to sell or deliver schedule II controlled substance

Bradley Waters - felony conspire to sell or deliver schedule II controlled substance

Jenna Cassidy Ray - felony conspire to sell or deliver schedule II controlled substance

Rebecca Moorman -felony conspire to sell or deliver schedule II controlled substance and felony possession of schedule II controlled substance.

Billy Clayton II - felony conspire to sell or deliver schedule II controlled substance

Trent Hill - felony conspire to sell or deliver schedule II controlled substance

Anyone with information as to the whereabouts of the people still at large may contact the Sheriffs Office at 828-697-4911 or send an anonymous tip using the Sheriffs Office app.

Henderson County Sheriff Lowell Griffin and the Henderson County Drug Task Force thanked the Hendersonville Police Department, the Asheville Police Department, the Greenville County Sheriffs Office, the Polk County Sheriffs Office, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, North Carolina Department of Revenue and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms for their assistance in the operation. As the investigation is still ongoing, additional arrests, indictments and seizures are anticipated involving persons associated with Hunt and other alleged suppliers.
Xinjiang's expressway length exceeds 10,000 km

Xinhua) 15:20, July 02, 2022

URUMQI, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Thursday marked the opening of four new highways in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, bringing the total length of expressways in the region to over 10,000 km, according to the regional transport department.

The newly constructed highways are in Hotan Prefecture, Aksu Prefecture, Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, and Hui Autonomous Prefecture of Changji.

The opening of the highways in the first three locations is particularly of great significance to improving the investment and development environment in southern Xinjiang and smoothing the traffic in the Tarim Basin.

Xinjiang plans a fixed-asset investment of 80 billion yuan (about 11.9 billion U.S. dollars) in highway transportation this year. In 2021, the region's fixed-asset investment in highway transportation came in at 69.05 billion yuan.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Bianji)
JULY 1: Gill has officially signed his contract, according to NBA.coms transactions log. That signals that his two-year deal is worth the minimum, since minimum-salary contracts can be finalized during the July moratorium.

JUNE 30: The Wizards are re-signing forward Anthony Gill to a two-year contract, ESPNs Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.

Gill was a restricted free agent after Washington extended a qualifying offer. Its most likely a veterans minimum deal, though terms have not been disclosed.

The 68 Gill, 29, went undrafted out of Virginia in 2016 and spent most of his professional career overseas. He signed a two-year contract with the Wizards in November 2020.

Gill came off the bench in 44 games last season, averaging 4.1 PPG and 1.9 RPG in 10.5 MPG.
Just four days after being indicted and arrested, Harris County misdemeanor court Judge Darrell Jordan saw an official oppression charge against him dropped.

Fort Bend County prosecutors on Friday announced they were dropping the misdemeanor charge against the judge.

Fort Bend County District Attorney Brian Middleton said that while Jordan was indicted by a grand jury, he didn't believe his office could prove a crime was committed beyond a reasonable doubt.

"It is important to present cases implicating public integrity to the grand jury, particularly when there is some evidence to support the allegation, because they are representatives of the public," Middleton said in a statement released after 6 p.m. Friday. "Moreover, it provides due process to the accused and transparency to the public."

Jordan presides over Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 16. On Monday, Jordan was indicted on misdemeanor official oppression charges in connection to a June 2020 incident where he held Wayne Dolcefino, a media consultant and former TV journalist, in contempt of court.

The indictment accused Jordan of wrongfully holding Dolcefino in contempt or subjecting him to summary punishment and jail without a hearing.

But Middleton said prosecutors need to meet a higher standard when moving a case forward.

"If we believe we cannot prove a charge beyond a reasonable doubt, we have an ethical obligation to dismiss the prosecution," Middleton said.

His office filed a motion to dismiss the case in Harris County on Friday, he said.

Jordan's attorney, Marc Carter called Middleton an "honorable man" and said he had believed the district attorney would dismiss the case all along. Jordan is currently deployed with the Texas National Guard, Carter said.

Carter said this week's incident should remind people about how to behave in a courtroom.

"Contempt is an inherent power judges have to maintain order and decorum in the court," Carter said "I would advise citizens and officers of the court to abide by the rules of court and maintain decorum to avoid being held in contempt."

JORDAN VS DOLCEFINO: Who are the two men at the centers of this legal battle?

Middleton's office was handling Jordan's prosecution because Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg recused herself from the case.

Dolcefino on Friday night said he was upset by the decision and that Middleton's office didn't let him know about the dismissal until about the same time the press release was issued.

"I am outraged," Dolcefino said. "I think the district attorney has insulted the grand jury, who obviously believed, like I do that Darrell Jordan doesn't deserve to be in a black robe."

The dismissal brings a seeming end to the matter in under a week, and one of the pieces of fallout from it.

Jordan on Thursday was suspended from his position by the Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct. In a letter explaining the discipline, the commission wrote the suspension would be lifted if Jordan was acquitted or if the charges were dismissed.
LLANO  The county judge and county attorney stood at the edge of a gazebo in front of the courthouse here Friday morning and welcomed several dozen people who had gathered for an Independence Day celebration.

The two were scheduled to read the Declaration of Independence, to be followed by free hot dogs for all.

BOOK BAN DEEP DIVE: Texas has seen a surge in requests to pull books from schools. Here are Houston's numbers so far

About half a dozen people sitting on folding chairs not far from the two government officials, however, were not there to celebrate. Armed with books that have been challenged, and in some instances, removed from libraries, they planned to read quietly during the event in a show of opposition to a spate of book bans in town that already have led to the firing of a librarian and a federal civil rights lawsuit by residents.

County Judge Ron Cunningham began reading the nations founding document out loud, and the protesters lowered their heads to read their books.

Among them was Suzette Baker, a county branch librarian who was fired this spring after refusing to remove books at the request of her boss. The saga started, Baker said, when she spoke out against efforts to pull books off shelves, as was being demanded by a group of conservatives in the county of some 20,000 people who claimed they were pornographic and inappropriate.

I started pushing back against my boss, Baker said. They didnt even have library cards, they werent members of our library system. ... This was censorship.

TEXAS BANS: In Fredericksburg, a celebration of books amid attempts to ban some of them from city schools

After more protests and emails regarding various types of censorship, Baker said her boss stopped answering her calls and emails. In March she was told she had been terminated.

A little more than a month later a group of residents  Baker not among them  filed the federal lawsuit against Cunningham, county commissioners and library officials over the book bans. The officials last summer began a campaign of censorship and viewpoint discrimination by removing and restricting various books, the suit states.

Public libraries are not places of government indoctrination. They are not places where the people in power can dictate what their citizens are permitted to read about and learn, the suit reads. When government actors target public library books because they disagree with and intend to suppress the ideas contained within them, it jeopardizes the freedoms of everyone.

Cunningham, who said he was not aware of the individuals reading banned books in front of him Friday, declined comment on the suit.

No, sir, I dont want to talk about it, he said as he walked around the lawn talking to people. Appreciate you asking.

'SICK TO MY STOMACH': Two Texas parents challenged 282 books, including one on teen suicide. Heres how the author responded.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has asked a district judge to let the state intervene in the lawsuit. Jonathan F. Mitchell, the states former solicitor general who has been credited with developing the legal approach for the states abortion ban, has appeared on behalf of the defendants as recently as last month, court records show.

Efforts to remove books that predominantly explore race and LGBTQ matters have affected libraries across the country over the last year, often at schools.

The American Library Association registered a record-number of such challenges, 729 of them in 2021, across the country since the nonprofit began keeping track 20 years ago.

Houston-area school districts largely have avoided mass challenges to books, but such has not been the case elsewhere like in McKinney ISD in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, where two parents challenged nearly 300 books earlier this year.

As people gathered to listen to the Declaration of Independence being read Friday, the few reading books kept their eyes fixed on the words in front of them.

Judy Luckenbach, who drove up from Fredericksburg, where similar challenges have targeted books in schools, sat with a copy of Lawn Boy, a coming-of-age novel that has been included on lists of so-called inappropriate books.

To think our relatives fought for freedom, fought against fascism and here we are, Luckenbach said. Whats going on?

'HUGE TREND': Houston school board races emerge as new battleground over critical race theory, book bans

Next to her sat Baker, who has been unable to find a new job and said she plans to leave town.

I have no choice, she said.

She read Gender Queer, a memoir by Maia Kobabe that also has been challenged in libraries, while the celebration continued.

Taking turns, Cunningham and County Attorney Dwain Rogers finished the last few lines of Declaration of Independence. The crowd cheered and clapped.

Baker, wearing sunglasses, lifted her head and looked at the two. Then she closed her book.

alejandro.serrano@chron.com
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For James Smith  the newly appointed FBI special agent in charge of Houstons field office, complexities found in a large metropolitan area like Houston arent uncharted territory.

Smith, who was promoted to the position at the helm of the FBIs eighth largest field office in late February, said prior experiences as an agent dealing with drug-trafficking organizations and violent gangs in Los Angeles has prepared him for a job of this magnitude while a four-year stint in San Antonio gave him familiarity with Texas.

Los Angeles is the second largest city in the country and the fact that everything in Los Angeles is big, definitely prepared me for a city like Houston, Smith, an 18-year veteran of the agency, said in a Zoom interview Friday morning. I'm accustomed to a fast pace and this city is very busy.

Even with prior experience in a large region, he is aware of the unique challenges the agency faces in southeast Texas  from improving community transparency, developing a relationship with state and local law enforcement to battling crimes such as domestic terrorism.

Theres always room for improvement, but overall, we at the FBI try to be transparent with the community, Smith said, pointing to the agencys social media presence and accessibility to on-call agents which give the community familiarity. Anybody pretty much can walk up to the FBI building and provide us with information.

Community engagement, Smith says, directly contributes to the agencys ability to fight instances of domestic terrorism.

In a September testimony to congress, FBI Director Christopher Wray told Congress that the number of open domestic terrorism investigations was around 2,700  almost double the amount recorded in 2017, according to FBI statistics.

The agency did not provide statistics for domesic terrorism investigations in southeast Texas.

Additionally, Smith said, the FBIs partnership with local and state law enforcement agencies through various task force operations  like the Joint Terrorism Task Force  are critical in addressing these crimes.

These task forces are made up of not just FBI agents and intel analysts but it's local law enforcement  whether it be Houston Police Department or Harris County Sheriff's Office, Montgomery County Sheriff's or Fort Bend Sheriffs, he said. We try to reach out to pretty much every town or city and bring on officers to make them task force officers that are sworn in so they will have the same powers of the federal agent in those various threats.

Unlike foreign terrorism  which involves individuals who commit criminal acts inspired by foreign groups or nations  domestic acts of terror involve individuals or groups who commit crimes to further ideological goals stemming from domestic influences.

The biggest challenge is just family members in the community coming forward with information to provide to us about domestic terrorists, Smith said, adding many of the incidents of domestic terrorism involve lone wolves.

A lot of them get radicalized at home, sitting behind a computer and they go into these deep, dark web pages or dark web apps and talk to folks that believe that the same things they believe in and they just pump each other up.

Recent events  like the east Buffalo supermarket mass shooting on May 14  show a trend in domestic terror incidents which are racially or ethnically motivated, Smith said.

Failing to prevent those kind of events, he says, is a direct reflection on the agency.

Our successes are when we've prevented an act of violence from occurring. If a violent act occurred, whether it is a mass shooting or a terrorist attack, you name it, we failed. We don't have the luxury of being wrong.

joel.umanzor@chron.com
AUSTIN  The Travis County district attorneys office will not proceed with a lawsuit against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for refusing to release his communications around the time of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Despite determining that the attorney general likely violated the states open records law, the district attorneys office said it would not sue because journalists who had requested Paxtons records declined to testify in court in order to protect their sources.

The district attorneys office launched its investigation of Paxtons office after editors at Texas largest newspapers filed a complaint earlier this year alleging that the attorney general was breaking the states open records law.

In a hand-delivered letter to Paxton on Jan. 14, Jackie Wood, the district attorneys director of public integrity and complex crimes, stated her office concurred with the allegations in the editors complaint and gave Paxton four days to cure the violations or face a lawsuit.

We were encouraged that the district attorney agreed that Paxtons office violated the law, said Maria Reeve, executive editor of the Houston Chronicle. We hoped that those facts would be sufficient for a lawsuit to proceed  and that our reporters would not need to testify.

Paxtons general counsel, Austin Kinghorn, said the allegations were meritless.

Wood later asked the journalists if theyd be willing to testify in court about the roadblocks they encountered trying to obtain records from the attorney generals office. The newspapers declined to do so over concerns that reporters could be forced to testify about their unnamed sources or newsgathering methods. If they refused to answer, theyd risk being found in contempt of court.

Therefore, it is the decision of this office not to proceed to seek declaratory and injunctive relief in order to bring Attorney General Ken Paxton and the Office of the Attorney General into compliance with the public information requirements of the Texas Government Code, Public Integrity Unit Team Leader Rob Drummond wrote in a July 1 letter to Reeve.

Anyone can file a complaint with a local prosecutor if they believe a public agency is withholding information in violation of the Texas Public Information Act. In early January, editors from the Austin American-Statesman, The Dallas Morning News, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Houston Chronicle and the San Antonio Express-News sent the Travis County DA a letter raising three concerns about Paxton.

First, the editors wrote that Paxton was improperly withholding his communications around the time of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by claiming every message he sent or received fell under attorney-client privilege. They also said the attorney generals office had no policy for handling work-related records kept on personal devices or accounts, and raised concerns that Paxton was turning over other peoples communications in response to requests for his own texts.

In her letter to Paxton following the complaint, Wood said withholding all the communications during the week of Jan. 6 violated the law.

She noted the media had made a similar request for communications sent or received by First Assistant Attorney General Brent Webster during the same time frame, and the attorney generals office released nearly 500 pages of communications  including some emails that included Paxton as a recipient.

Paxton, a Republican, faces multiple legal challenges as he runs for re-election this year. In addition to active state securities fraud indictments, Paxton was also reportedly under FBI investigation for allegedly using his office to help a campaign donor.

john.tedesco@chron.com
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AUSTIN  The Texas Supreme Court has blocked a lower court order that had allowed clinics in the state to continue performing abortions even after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned its landmark 1973 ruling that confirmed a constitutional right to abortion.

It was not immediately clear whether the clinics in Texas that resumed performing abortions just days ago would halt services again following the ruling late Friday night. A hearing is scheduled for later this month.

The whiplash of Texas clinics turning away patients, rescheduling them, and now potentially canceling appointments again  all in the span of a week  illustrates the confusion and scrambling that has taken place across the country since Roe v. Wade was overturned.

An order by a Houston judge on Tuesday had reassured some clinics they could temporarily resume abortions up to six weeks into pregnancy. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton quickly asked the states highest court, which is stocked with nine Republican justices, to temporarily put that order on hold.

These laws are confusing, unnecessary, and cruel, said Marc Hearron, attorney for the Center for Reproductive Rights, after the order was issued Friday night.

Clinics in Texas  a state of nearly 30 million people  stopped performing abortions after the U.S. Supreme Court last week overturned Roe v. Wade. Texas had left an abortion ban on the books for the past 50 years while Roe was in place.

Attorneys for Texas clinics provided a copy of Friday's order, which was not immediately available on the courts website.

One Harris County leader said the decision sets Texas back a century.

Its unconscionable that the Texas Supreme Court ruled in the middle of the night to open the door for Texans to be penalized for abortion before the trigger ban goes into effect," Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee said. "Its a bad-faith argument that will harm people across our state. His goal is to sow fear and confusion among medical professionals and women in this state. Overturning Roe may have set us back 50 years, but there is no reason that the Texas Supreme Court and the Attorney General should take Texans back to the 1920s.

Abortion providers and patients across the country have been struggling to navigate the evolving legal landscape around abortion laws and access.

In Florida, a law banning abortions after 15 weeks went into effect Friday, the day after a judge called it a violation of the state constitution and said he would sign an order temporarily blocking the law next week. The ban could have broader implications in the South, where Florida has wider access to the procedure than its neighbors.

Abortion rights have been lost and regained in the span of a few days in Kentucky. A so-called trigger law imposing a near-total ban on the procedure took effect last Friday, but a judge blocked the law Thursday, meaning the states only two abortion providers can resume seeing patients  for now.

The legal wrangling is almost certain to continue to cause chaos for Americans seeking abortions in the near future, with court rulings upending access at a moment's notice and an influx of new patients from out of state overwhelming providers.

Even when women travel outside states with abortion bans in place, they may have fewer options to end their pregnancies as the prospect of prosecution follows them.

Planned Parenthood of Montana this week stopped providing medication abortions to patients who live in states with bans to minimize potential risk for providers, health center staff, and patients in the face of a rapidly changing landscape.

Planned Parenthood North Central States, which offers the procedure in Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska, is telling its patients that they must take both pills in the regimen in a state that allows abortions.

The use of abortion pills has been the most common method to end a pregnancy since 2000, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved mifepristone, the main drug used in medication abortions. Taken with misoprostol, a drug that causes cramping that empties the womb, it constitutes the abortion pill.

Theres a lot of confusion and concern that the providers may be at risk, and they are trying to limit their liability so they can provide care to people who need it," said Dr. Daniel Grossman, who directs the research group Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health at the University of California San Francisco.

Emily Bisek, a spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood North Central States, said that in an unknown and murky legal environment, they decided to tell patients they must be in a state where it is legal to complete the medication abortion -- which requires taking two drugs 24 to 48 hours apart. She said most patients from states with bans are expected to opt for surgical abortions.

Access to the pills has become a key battle in abortion rights, with the Biden administration preparing to argue states cant ban a medication that has received FDA approval.

Kim Floren, who operates an abortion fund in South Dakota called Justice Empowerment Network, said the development would further limit women's choices.

The purpose of these laws anyways is to scare people, Floren said of states bans on abortions and telemedicine consultations for medication abortions. The logistics to actually enforcing these is a nightmare, but they rely on the fact that people are going to be scared.

A South Dakota law took effect Friday that threatens a felony punishment for anyone who prescribes medication for an abortion without a license from the South Dakota Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners.

In Alabama, Attorney General Steve Marshalls office said it is reviewing whether people or groups could face prosecution for helping women fund and travel to out-of-state abortion appointments.

Yellowhammer Fund, an Alabama-based group that helps low-income women cover abortion and travel costs, said it is pausing operation for two weeks because of the lack of clarity under state law.

This is a temporary pause, and were going to figure out how we can legally get you money and resources and what that looks like, said Kelsea McLain, Yellowhammers health care access director.

Laura Goodhue, executive director of the Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates, said staff members at its clinics have seen women driving from as far as Texas without stopping  or making an appointment. Women who are past 15 weeks were being asked to leave their information and promised a call back if a judge signs the order temporarily blocking the restriction, she said.

Still, there is concern that the order may be only temporary and the law may again go into effect later, creating additional confusion.

Its terrible for patients, she said. We are really nervous about what is going to happen.

___

Izaguirre reported from Tallahassee, Florida, and Groves reported from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. AP writers Dylan Lovan in Louisville, Kentucky; Adriana Gomez Licon in Miami; and Kim Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama, contributed to this report.
The Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision, struck down New Yorks law requiring applicants prove good cause to qualify for a concealed handgun license. There are three reasons this was the right decision: There is no other constitutionally enumerated right for which a citizen must prove a need; Evidence in the multitude of states without a good cause requirement is that handgun licensees are exceptionally law abiding; and, unlike other states that regulate who can carry, where they can carry, and what they can carry, the New York law wants to know why.

Its the why that makes the New York concealed carry law unconstitutional.

I own dozens of firearms and have lots of ammunition. I own fully automatic and federally licensed machine guns. I carry a handgun at all times, not because Im afraid, but because I always know where it is, and so it wont be stolen from my vehicle or home. In 1995 I was the Texas Senate author of Senate Bill 60, the Concealed Handgun Law signed by then Governor George W. Bush.

The Houston Chronicle editorial board has long made arguments against gun rights based on emotion not solid evidence, or no evidence at all. This reflects a broader problem in the debate over guns.

Chronicle editorials regarding the concealed handgun law when it was being debated predicted a dramatic increase in shootouts and gun deaths across Texas. A Chronicle article from March 16, 1995, quoted my colleague Sen. Greg Luna, It is going to be a much more dangerous and deadly society we have imposed on ourselves in Texas, as well as many other naysayers. It didnt happen.

In fact, firearms homicides after the passage of SB 60 declined 42 percent during the period from 1996 to 2012. Texas Department of Public Safety data indicates that in 2021, there were 124,280 Texans convicted of a serious crime and only 178 (0.1416 percent) were license holders  more proof that licensed carry does not increase firearm-related deaths.

Nonetheless, in their dissent, Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan predicted, without any factual basis, the 6-3 decision that eliminated the good cause requirement severely burdens states efforts to reduce gun crime. They chose to ignore that the predicted carnage in other states with unfettered license to carry laws didnt happen, or maybe their bias against the Second Amendment is so compelling as to be irrational.

While there is no connection between licensed carry and the recent shootings, the Chronicles editorial board seems to link the two and laments that Nowhere in the majority opinion is there a direct mention of the shootings that have been increasingly common. What the board, and others, fail to consider is that the Supreme Court case was not about the kind of regulations that could prevent the tragedy that happened in Uvalde. It is bizarre to suggest that a person who would commit a capital crime of mass murder would be concerned about a misdemeanor crime of unlawfully carrying a handgun without a license.

Are there actions that Congress or state legislatures can take to reduce mass shootings? Yes, there are. Unfortunately, during these trying times when you would think our elected folks might be inclined to cast aside their respective bumper sticker cliches advocating so-called solutions that if implemented will make no measurable difference, they dont.

Its folly to think an assault weapons ban is the answer. Theres 20 million of them out there, and very few are going to turn them in. Considering that almost all mass shooters bought their weapons after passing a background check, closing the gun show loophole seems of little value. The same applies to waiting periods, as well as bans on high-capacity magazines. Someone whos been posting on social media their intent to shoot up a school for weeks or months clearly isnt worried about immediacy, and just like turning in your AR-15, nobody is going to turn in their high-capacity magazines either. The list of measures that if passed would simply allow politicians to go home and claim we got something done, but would make no real difference is lengthy.

However, there are a couple measures that could make a significant difference. When you consider that many, if not most, school shooters have telegraphed their intentions on social media weeks or months beforehand, there must be a constitutional means to remove firearms from these ticking time bombs. It can be done and be respectful of constitutional due process. The concern over ex parte hearings can be fixed, and there can be a criminal penalty for making a false complaint.

The other measure, which is as much an act of personal responsibility as it is legislation, is keeping your firearm in your hands, and out of the hands of kids and criminals. Im often asked, why do you carry a handgun all the time? My answer is, because I always know where it is, and its not going to be stolen from my vehicle or home.

Todays problem is too much time and energy is wasted on debating and litigating issues like New Yorks good cause requirement, which would not make us safer, and not enough time is dedicated to measures such as removing firearms from those who by their own admission are a threat to themselves and others. The Bipartisan Safe Communities Act, negotiated by Sen. John Cornyn, correctly focuses on keeping guns out of the hands of criminals, not of law-abiding Americans.

Politicians should do something that makes a difference. Not something that makes them look like they did something useful when they didnt.

Were running out of time, and were running out of patience.

Jerry Patterson is a retired Marine Vietnam veteran, former Texas State Senator and former Texas Land Commissioner. He resides in Austin.
Although abortion is about to be outlawed in Texas, anti-abortion groups and key state lawmakers say they are determined to pour even more money into programs designed to discourage women from getting abortions.

The state has already dramatically boosted money for the alternatives to abortion programs by more than 450 percent over the past six years from $9 million a year to over $50 million a year.

My focus is to increase the funding for those programs, said state Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola. These services are going be even more needed going forward.

Hughes said hell be pushing for that funding when the Texas Legislature convenes in January.

Its not just Hughes, who was the lead legislator in creating the so-called Texas heartbeat bill that allows any citizen to sue those who help a woman obtain an abortion after six weeks of gestation. Texas Right to Life has also made protecting and increasing funding for alternatives to abortion, often called crisis pregnancy centers, a top priority.

More Information Annual state funding for Alternatives to Abortion Programs in Texas 2023: $50,011,366 2022: $50,011,366 2021: $30,855,425 2020: $29,020,634 2019: $9,150,000 2018: $9,150,000 2017: $9,150,000 2016: $9,150,000 2015: $5,150,000 2014: $5,150,000 See More Collapse

John Seago, president of Texas Right to Life, told Republican activists at the state GOP convention last month that even though they are winning the fight against abortion, its no time to ease up.

This is not a time for us to back away from the fight, he said. Its a time to double down and be bolder than ever.

The pledges to send more money to the programs started last week as the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v Wade decision that had established constitutional protections for abortion rights. Texas is among more than a dozen states with a trigger law that will soon take effect and ban nearly all abortions. Last week, two of the states largest abortion providers, Whole Womans Health and Planned Parenthood Texas, announced they were no longer providing the service.

Republicans including Gov. Greg Abbott have touted alternatives to abortion programs as providing valuable counseling and mentoring to mothers in need.

Critics say the program is a waste of taxpayer money with hardly any oversight or evidence that it actually deters women from having abortions or helps them access long-term assistance such as Medicaid and food stamps.

Former state Rep. Sarah Davis, a Houston Republican who supports abortion rights, has long been a critic of the programs that she said often gives out false medical information to pregnant women to scare them out of seeking abortions.

She said supporters of the program insists they are helping women in need, but Davis said they lack metrics to prove it.

This is a program to make Republicans feel good, like they are helping women, Davis said in a recent interview on NBC Nightly News.

Supporters of the programs, on the other hand, defend their work.

The Texas Pregnancy Care Network, one of the states biggest recipients of state alternative to abortion funding, says it has helped hundreds of thousands of clients with basic necessities such as maternity clothing and baby outfits, food and shelter, in addition to parenting classes and job and career assistance.

The nonprofit received more than $37 million from the state in 2021 fiscal year, according to a report from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission released in December.

The network has 79 subcontractors with a total of 167 physical locations around the state. Two of its biggest subcontractors are the Houston Pregnancy Help Center and Providence Place which both received over $1.5 million in funding through the Texas Pregnancy Care Network, according to state reports.

jeremy.wallace@chron.com
Audit Advises DHE to Ensure Employees Receive Cybersecurity Training

BOSTON  the Office of State Auditor Suzanne M. Bump (OSA) released an audit of the Department of Higher Education (DHE), which identified that DHE did not ensure all employees responsible for managing and administering Governor's Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Funds, completed annual cybersecurity awareness training.

Additionally, the audit found DHE did not meet annually with the Commonwealth Commitment Advisory Board (CCAB) to review key aspects of the MassTransfer Commonwealth Commitment program. Some areas required to review include cost structures, operations, accreditation and licensure-related issues. As a result of not meeting annually DHE did not provide follow-up reports or communications to the Board of Higher Education (BHE) regarding CCAB's review of the MassTransfer program.

"DHE did a number of things correctly, including updating their internal control plan (ICP) to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as completing proper paperwork to receive and administer GEER funding. However, without proper cybersecurity practices in place, DHE's work can be at risk," said State Auditor Suzanne M. Bump. "Additionally, it is troublesome that DHE did not ensure that the CCAB met, at least annually, to review the MassTransfer Commonwealth Commitment program. Any changes in critical components, especially in regard to state funding availability, call for an annual meeting to occur."

The audit recommends that DHE develop internal controls to ensure that all employees complete the required training annually. Additionally, DHE should designate a department or individual to be responsible for overseeing the assignment and completion of required training. DHE should meet with CCAB at least annually to review the MassTransfer Commonwealth Commitment Program and make recommendations about its improvement to BHE.

According to its website at www.mass.gov, DHE "is the staff to the 13-member Board of Higher Education (BHE), responsible for executing the Board's policies and day-to-day operations." DHE was created by Section 6 of Chapter 15A of the General Laws and is headed by a commissioner. DHE had 67 employees and a budget of $5,186,847 in fiscal year 2021.
Western Gateway Heritage State Park's buildings are in dire need of improvement. Baystate Hospitality is proposing to invest $2 million into the park if it can get a long-term lease. The park has been largely dormant for years, in part because of proposals over the last decade that fell through. the exteriors of Buildings 1 and 2, most recently occupied by the model railroad museum offices, are in poor condition. FYP owners Colleen and Sean Taylor are estimating upwards of $2 million to rehab three of the buildings. They hope this will spark interest in the other vacant spaces. PreviousNext

Freight Yard Owners Propose $2M Investment in Heritage State Park



Freight Yard Pub is the oldest tenant in the park outside the state; the owners say the building is in serious need of renovation after nearly 40 years. NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  There have been more than a few ideas lobbed around for reinvigorating Western Gateway Heritage State Park  including a model railroad museum and an artists market.

But the answer may be closer to home. So close, it's already inside the park.

Colleen and Sean Taylor, owners of Freight Yard Pub, are willing to invest $2 million into Buildings 1, 2 and 3 in the dormant park in exchange for a long-term lease that protects their stake in property.

"Sean and I have always been committed to the park," Colleen Taylor told the Redevelopment Authority last week. "This year is going to mark our 38th year at the park. With that being said, the first decade you know there wasn't much to be done but now heading into our fourth decade, there's a lot of things that now need to be done."

The Taylors are looking for a 60- to 100-year lease from the city and anticipate having all the work done within five years.

Mayor Jennifer Macksey asked the Redevelopment Authority to continue talks with the Taylors as her administration continues to determine how best to redevelop the park.

"I will say that this administration intends on keeping the park, we don't want to sell it off," she said. "But we're kind of leaning toward, and researching, about doing some commercial kind of type deals. We're not ready to do that yet. We have a lot of untangling of deeds and titles and property lines to do that."

The authority members did not take a vote but were generally acceptable to talks continuing pending a concrete proposal in front of them

Taylor said she and her brother have been willing to work with the city on things within their control, and with the past plans that have fallen through. But now, she said, "we're coming to a head to where the building is costing us more money to keep it together than actually just really taking out some monies to do the whole thing."

Within days of those comments, the sewer backed up  again  and the city had to come out and unplug it and then the air conditioning failed. All three buildings need new roofs, siding repairs and infrastructure work.

The Taylors' proposal is to begin renovating the first three buildings, which are connected by covered walkways on the first and second floors.

"Like the other buildings in the park, those three units have been just neglected," Colleen Taylor said. "They need everything from roofs, windows, sidings, electrical, plumbing, structural, there's nothing that these buildings don't need, including the one that we're in, and heating and air conditioning."

Building 1, the old general store, would become new commercial space and Building 2, once a quilt shop, would in part be occupied by the Taylors' catering service. Over the last several years, Baystate Hospitality has expanded to include Trail House Kitchen and Bar, Craft Food Barn and the catering service.

The popular pub in Building 3 has been there essentially since the beginning of the park and it's time for a revamp  and a consideration of what's in store for the future.

"We've always been like these short term 10-year leases and it only allows us to do so much mostly because of funding," said Colleen Taylor.

The Taylors said they need a long-term lease to secure the amount of financing necessary to take on the project and they would sublease the rehabilitated buildings. They were also open to leasing with an option to buy.

"What we want to do is, is to get a really, really long-term lease and then take out a large lump sum of money and get all three of the buildings up to looking beautiful, as beautiful as what we did down the street with Craft Food Barn," Colleen Taylor said. "We took an old dilapidated building and pretty much made a brand-new building."

Baystate Hospitality bought the old Dairy Queen, gutted it, replaced all its systems and reopened it as a takeout for everything from breakfast sandwiches to burgers. The Craft Food Barn was inspired by the amount of takeout food the restaurant was selling during the pandemic.

Taylor said a project that size takes lots of planning and lots of money.

"We do want to make this investment," she said. "What we're trying to do is take any risk off of [the Redevelopment Authority] and bring it back to ourselves, and then build all three of these buildings, basically redo them from the ground up."

Sean Taylor said he's had someone go through the buildings to see what's needed and have the rough numbers. He said they were ready to begin work as soon as possible to address the immediate needs, like roofing, by this fall with the next phases following once financing is in place.

The Taylors said the timeline is to know by Aug. 1 what the decision is with the authority so they can begin work on the roof of Building 3.

"Let's get that done for you. Let's figure out how we make that work so this body knows exactly what's going on, the mayor understand what's going on," said authority member David Bond. "It sounds like you're ready. It sounds like you know what you need to do."

Fellow member Ross Vivori said he wasn't ready to make a decision at this point because he felt there were still too many unknowns. He wanted to be sure they understood the Taylors' ability to obtain the financing, how long the work will take and what assurances they had it would be done, and whether the lease had to be 60 years.

"We can't see that far down the road. None of us are even going to be here then," he said. "I mean, I don't know that we can make a decision on this thing. I don't even know that we've seen any kind of proposal."

Chair Kyle Hanlon said the intention was to determine if the board was interested in having the mayor continue talks with the Taylors and come back with a proposal. Macksey said her administration is still working on the idea of commercial condominiums and is having the solicitor research those options.

She and the Taylors pointed out that the city has to make repairs to several other buildings, including having to work on Building 6, the former Northern Berkshire Community Television studios, which is now being taken over by the Berkshire Academy of Advanced Musical Studies (which was approved by the authority the same evening). The other buildings are No. 4, the state's Hoosac Tunnel museum, and No. 5, which has three units, one of which had housed the North Adams Museum of History and Science.

The mayor added that she did have some concerns about the length of the lease and that there is a need to flesh out the terms of the rehabilitation.

"I wanted to kind of get a pulse of the commission because this is a big investment. This is more than one building. This is kind of reducing what our rental income would be but to get the investment back again with a long-term plan of down the road," Macksey said.

Hanlon thought it a pragmatic approach and in favor as long as the details were figured out. However, he said the MassDevelopment done on the park had pointed out that segmenting the park could create problems.

Michael Nuvallie of the Community Development Office agreed with Hanlon on the findings but said at this point they could either way.

"I think either way works in the long run. We've tried to unsuccessfully the sale and the long-term lease of the entire park, which is why we're focusing on this different approach," he said. "I don't think they [MassDevelopment] had the history of how intense those negotiations were long ago for the sale of the whole thing."

Macksey said the park was an important gateway for the city as it will also eventually connect the bike path through to Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art.

"My philosophy is I really want to have some kind of control in the park so it will be a combination of local funds, state funds, private funds to make that park come alive again," she said.

Colleen Taylor pointed out that they can just buy another building and completely renovate it like they did with Craft Food Barn but they'd like to stay in the park.

Richard Boulger, founder of BAAMS, said he'd found Freight Yard to already be a good neighbor before they'd even moved into the park. He and Jane Forrestal, the academy's director of development, are envisioning concerts within the park and more traffic.

"It's obvious to everybody that the space, the whole park, needs a lot of work and anything that goes toward improving it helps us," she said, adding that they hoped to make their side more attractive and be another anchor.

Sean Taylor agreed "because if you're at the north side, and we're at the south side, and there's the middle could also spur others to jump on board at the same time to perhaps bring more money to the coffers."
CHP Rolling Out Vaccines for Young Children

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass.  Community Health Programs (CHP) is now offering COVID-19 pediatric vaccines for children between 6 months through age 4.

These vaccines have been clinically tested and approved for use in young children to prevent serious illness and hospitalization from COVID-19.

Full information about pediatric vaccines for children of all ages can be found on the CDC's website

The CHP Mobile Health Unit (MHU) provides free vaccines to all, regardless of whether they are a CHP patient. The MHU travels throughout the Berkshires to various locations with vaccines and community-based health services, and the schedule calendar can be found here

In addition to vaccines for young children, CHP's Mobile Health Unit offers free vaccines to people of all ages at its clinics.

Mobile Health Unit appointments are suggested but not required; walk-ups are generally accommodated. Appointments can be made at (413) 528-0457.

In addition to the Mobile Health Unit, CHP Berkshire Pediatrics is also providing vaccines to its own practice patients. Patients are asked to make an appointment (413) 499-8531.

CHP is offering the Pfizer vaccine only to the youngest children at this time.
Vidyut Jamwal is winning hearts with his latest Instagram video wherein the actor is seen meeting a fan in the most unusual way. Leaving his fans stunned, Vidyut Jamwal can be spotted swinging from a building at a construction site to meet his fan, a construction worker.

Unlike others, the actor performed the risky stunt to click selfies with the worker, who was quite overwhelmed by his gesture. The actor in his casual avatar was wearing a black and white abstract shirt paired with sneakers and a pink cap.

Instagram

The video of Vidyut Jamwal swinging from pillars and bamboos at what appears to be a construction site has gone viral on the internet.

The video was posted on Vidyut Jamwal's Instagram account and many of his fans took to social media to comment on the viral video. A user wrote, "man with golden heart" adding heart emojis to his message,

Here's the video:

Another said, "This is why we appreciate you everytime. So humble," while a third user called him, "The real life stunt man.'

When Vidyut Jamwal Gave His Female Fan A Ride On His Aston Martin

Moreover, this isn't the first the actor treating his fan with kindness, Vidyut Jamwal had recently left many people speechless as he took a female fan for a ride in his Aston Martin. This happened during the promotions of his action entertainer Khuda Hafiz 2.



Instagram

The actor was seen promoting his upcoming film Khuda Hafiz 2 after arriving in his luxurious Aston Martin DB 9. While posing in front of the paparazzi, a female fan rushed to the actor and expressed her feelings for him.

Vidyut Jamwal acknowledged her feelings and hugged her, but most rare thing he did was to ask her to hop in his car for a ride. The female fan couldn't believe it for a while, but then she did hop into his car while netizens called it a 'rare thing' indeed.

Khuda Haafiz: Chapter 2 Releases Soon

Vidyut Jamwal's upcoming film Khuda Haafiz: Chapter II  Agni Pariksha, directed by Faruk Kabir also stars Shivaleeka Oberoi in lead role. It is slated to hit the theatre screen on Friday, July 8.



(For more news and updates from the world of celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment, and let us know your thoughts on this story in the comments below.)
Even as the entire country is still in shock over the brutal murder of Udaipur tailor Kanhaiya Lal, who was beheaded by two men, a young man from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh was in for the shock of his life on Friday.

27-year-old Kanhaiya Lal, a resident of Rampur Maniharan was left shocked after he received a hand-written note thrown across the gate of his house.

A prank gone too far?

"Kanhaiya Lal, now it's your turn to get killed, like Udaipur (sic)" the letter read.

The family is still confused if someone was playing a prank on him or if it is a serious threat.

AP

"We have two shops and have no enmity with anyone in the region. The letter came as a shock and caused a lot of tension in the family," Rajeev Maheshwari, the father of Kanhaiya Lal told The Times of India.



Not taking any chances, the family has approached the police seeking security.

Following this, Kanhaiya Lal has been provided with security cover, including a gunman.

A case under section 506 IPC (criminal intimidation) has also been filed by the police, who have also not ruled out it being a prank.

Kanhaiya Lal's killers were produced in court

Meanwhile, on Saturday, teams from the National Investigation Agency and the Anti-Terrorism Squad presented the four men arrested in the Udaipur tailor's murder case before a court in Jaipur.

Screengrab

Riaz Akhtari and Ghouse Mohammad allegedly hacked tailor Kanhaiya Lal to death with a cleaver at his shop on June 28 for extending support to now suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma and posted videos online saying they are avenging an insult to Islam.

Made video to spread it across the world

IANS, quoting sources, reported that one of the accused who was in touch with a Pakistani carried out the beheading on his instructions.

"Ghouse was in touch with nine Pakistani nationals having terrorist backgrounds. He received a number of calls from Pakistan during the murder. His Pakistani handler had given him more terrorist tasks to accomplish. He was also asked to kill a businessman in sector 11 of Udaipur. Two persons -- Mohsin and Asif -- were asked to conduct a recce of all the targets," the sources told IANS.

AFP

He also reportedly asked them to record the gruesome act and post the video on social media so terrorist organisations across the world access it.

Dawat-e-Islami, a Pakistani Sunni-Barelvi Muslim organisation has rejected links to "any acts of terrorism," after it was reported that one of the murderers was a follower of the group and had gone to Pakistan in 2014.

For more on news, sports, and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.
A fresh landslide was reported from Noney in Manipur on Saturday morning near the 107 Territorial Army Camp, where search operations are continuing for the third day.

According to initial reports, there is no loss of life or property in Saturday's landslide.

#WATCH | Another landslide hits near the tragedy site at Noney, Manipur. Details awaited.



(Video source: Manipur Mountaineering and Tracking Association) pic.twitter.com/Bf4gq0Sj7L  ANI (@ANI) July 2, 2022

A massive landslide had hit the camp of the 107 Territorial Army of the Indian Army deployed near Tupul Railway Station for protection of the under-construction railway line from Jiribam to Imphal on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday.

Death toll rises to 25

The death toll from the landslide rose to 25 on Saturday after more bodies were recovered by the search teams.

Out of the 25 people who have lost their lives, 18 are Territorial Army personnel.

NDRF

So far 13 Territorial Army personnel and five civilians have been safely rescued by the search teams.

Some 38 people are still unaccounted for and the search for them is continuing.

Search operation continues

"Search for 12 missing Territorial Army personnel and 26 civilians continued," a Defence spokesperson in Guwahati said.

With yet another day passing, the possibility of finding more survivors is becoming increasingly unlikely.

NDRF

Army, Assam Rifles, Territorial Army, SDRF and NDRF are continuing the search operations at the site.

"Through Wall Radar is being successfully used, and a search and rescue dog is being employed to assist," the Defence spokesperson said.

The bodies of 14 personnel, including a junior commissioned officer, were sent to their hometowns by two IAF aircraft and an Army helicopter, the spokesperson said.

The body of one personnel was sent to Kangpokpi district in Manipur by road.

Bagdogra Airport,Siliguri| Mortal remains of 14 Army personnel sent to their home stations by 2 IAF Aircraft&army helicopters with full military honours.Tribute paid to 6 officials among 11 casualties in Noney landslides. They belonged to Territorial Army's infantry 107 battalion pic.twitter.com/JfxcWa5aMu  ANI (@ANI) July 2, 2022

Full military honours were given to the deceased personnel at Imphal before sending the bodies to their destinations.

Worst incident in Manipur's history

Meanwhile, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh termed the landslide in Noney, the worst incident in the history of the state.

NDRF

"It is the worst incident in the history of the state. We have lost 81 people's lives of which 18 including a territorial army (personnel) were rescued. Around 55 persons are trapped. It will take 2-3 days to recover all the dead bodies due to the soil," Singh said on Friday after visiting the landslide site.

NDRF

The North-East Frontier Railway CPRO said the landslide triggered by incessant rains caused damage to the Tupul station building of the ongoing Jiribam - Imphal new line project.

The debris had also blocked the Ijei River, creating a dam-like structure in the area.

For more on news, sports and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.
A little school girl was playing around an iron gate, but things escalated quickly for the worse as she soon got injured in the face. However, an Amazon delivery agent was there at the right time to save her before things got worse.

What happened to the girl?

A Twitter user identified as Pratik Salunke in his post talked about the freak accident that happened in Thane, Maharashtra. He said that the girl was playing at her school gate. Suddenly, the metal gate came loose and a part of it pierced through her cheek, missing her right eye by an inch.

Ravi, delivery boy of @amazonIN helped a girl who fet with a freak incident in Thane. She was playing on her school gate when it gave away and a part of iron pierced through her cheek, missing her right eye by an inch. Ravi hold on to the gate for 30 min untill help arrived.(1/2) pic.twitter.com/ydH700G72j  Pratik Salunke (@pratik_salunke) July 1, 2022

The Amazon delivery person identified as Ravi who was in the area saw the accident and rushed to help the girl, holding the metal piece in place to stop excessive bleeding or aggravating the injury. According to the post, he held onto the metal piece for 30 minutes until help arrived.

Doctor and nurse from nearby Vasant Vihar hospital rushed for help. They rescued her by cutting the iron part of the gate, the Twitter user added. He informed that the girl was then taken to the hospital for further treatment.



Doctor and nurse from nearby Vasant vihar hospital rushed for help. They rescued her by cutting the iron part of the gate. The school girl was rushed to hospital and is treated. @amazonIN please appreciate Ravi on 7208404277. (2/2)  Pratik Salunke (@pratik_salunke) July 1, 2022

Pratik asked Amazon India to appreciate the delivery boy for his help.

Delivery agent's quick thinking.

People were in awe of Ravi and praised him for restoring their faith in humanity. Many also urged Amazon to reward him for going above and beyond to help those in need.

Great gesture Ravi. Blessings to you  Nixon Joseph (@NixonJoseph1708) July 2, 2022

Not all heroes wear cape!!  Indya (@IndranilRoy) July 2, 2022

Amazon you guys have got a "REAL HERO" treasure him. Ravi bhai u deserve nothing less than a . I am proud today that we both share the same name brother.   Ravi Menon (@RaviMen48172263) July 2, 2022

Just called and spoke with him.

He was highly impressed and surprised that strangers calling and wishing him on his achievement. I also thanked him on behalf of the girl and blessed him to do such more work of humanity and pray for his progress and prosperity.  Adv. Salim G. Nakhwa (@AdvSalimNakhwa) July 1, 2022

Hey Amazon!

You have a gem of a person working for you. Ravi is an absolute Hero and as they say all heroes do not wear a cape.

He is the one.

I am so proud to hear the way he helped a kid in distress.



I hope the injured girl recovers soon.  Shahab Jafri (@ShahabJafri55) July 2, 2022



Always great to see such acts of kindness.

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There are two kinds of people in the world 'dog people' and 'cat people'. Sure, there are a few who like both but the animals but they can't have the best of both worlds, right? Or maybe not.

A dog that looks like a cat

Meet the dog named Dui who lives in the city of Hanoi in Vietnam with his owners, Hai Anh and Tuan. However, he has confused people on the internet because he often looks like a cat.

The animal's appearance comes from a mix of rare breeds, including the native ancient breed of Hmong and the short-legged breed Dingo.



A lot of people however believe Dui's body resembles that of a cat because of his fluffy grey hair, pointy ears and a longer tail. But still, you can tell that he's a dog by his face.

The dog-cat hybrid first got attention when pictures of him were shared on Reddit two years ago, and brought smiles to the internet with his bizarre expressions and amusing poses.

He is a mix of a native dog breed and a short-legged dog called Dingo, the dog's owner explains. But I think he might have a gene mutation too making him look like some sort of corgi mix. I bought him in a mountain province in Vietnam.

The dog's parents consider him as a happy-go-lucky dog who loves playing with people and other pups.



What is a Hmong dog breed?

These dogs first belonged to the Hmong tribe, an ethnic group living primarily in China and Southeast Asia, with the dog being particularly popular in the mountainous areas of Northern Vietnam. They are apparently bred with the jungle wolf. They have also served as hunting companions and are said to be the pride of the Hmong people.



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Its good to be back was the message communicated to the Irish Examiner by patrons attending the 41st Charleville Agricultural Show last weekend.

As thousands of people turned out to enjoy the range of events over the course of Saturday and Sunday at Pike Cross, the organising committee said it was great to be back in action after the show was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid-19.

Show PRO Billy Biggane said that even though the weather did not quite go in their favour, the crowd turned out in force.

While a show-jumping area, funfair, and trade stands drew their share of visitors, one of the main attractions was the cattle on show.

Prime examples of dairy and beef stock were there, with the competitors all hoping to gain a coveted Charleville Show rosette.

Washing and grooming were the order of the day as each tried to gain any advantage they could.

Well-known showman Peter OConnell, who runs the Raceview Simmentals herd with his wife Marion in Mallow, Co Cork, has seen and done it all so many times one might think that his enthusiasm would be waning but that couldnt be further from the truth.

He and Marion have seven grandchildren  four boys and three girls  he told the Irish Examiner. All of the grandchildren were due to be showing but unfortunately, due to Covid-19, two of them were unable to make it, despite looking forward to this with quite a while.

He said he is absolutely delighted that his grandchildren are keeping up the tradition.

Weve been coming here to this show for over 30 years, Mr OConnell said.

Im only going to shows now for a bit of fun and enjoy their company and hopefully theyre enjoying our company. Maybe somewhere down the line they might have an interest and have their own show cattle.

He said it was heaven to be back at agricultural shows after a two-year hiatus.

Its like everything; you miss your buddies, he said.

Inside in the ring its competition, but outside the ring its all craic and a bit of comradery.

Unfortunately, some people have parted with us too, he said.

'It's a joy to be here'

Mr OConnell said that Charleville this year showed there are some fantastic young kids coming along and that they were a joy to behold when showing cattle.

Some of them will give it up, and more of them will stick with it and sure thats the way with everything, he added.

It was more than 30 years ago that their first animal that we thought was worthy of showing was bought, Mr OConnell said, and were showing ever since.

We would always make a special effort to be in Charleville; we consider it our local show, he said.

Its a lovely show to be at really, as are most of the shows.

I hope that as we all move forward that in a number of years time well all still have the pleasure of having to look at a calendar on a weekend and say well, I could go to that show.

It would be a pity if they were lost. Theyre mainly a country event and theres huge credit due to committees up and down the country. Its just a nice place to be and a good day out.

Some days it rains on top of us and sure we must take that as well. Its a joy to be here and sure look, we have the health to be here and thats all that matters.

Independent TD for Limerick County, Richard ODonoghue, has come to Charleville with vintage clubs for years, but it was his first outing with a stand.

He told the Irish Examiner its absolutely brilliant to be back at shows.

To see people walking in through here with their children, their grandparents, families, its fantastic, he said.

People have said it was their first time out in three years. That to me is huge and people need that, and they need the comfort of knowing there are people around them still that they can depend on. I can see it in their faces  theyre absolutely delighted.

Among the crowd observing the cattle shows was Co Tipperary dairy farming duo James and Sinead ODonnell, who said it was great to be back out and meeting people.

With Mr ODonnell involved in showing pedigree Herefords years ago, his daughter Sinead said that were always really interested in seeing them at shows.

Meanwhile, John Coffey, who is farming in Cobh, Co Cork, was confident in his answer that the cattle are the best part of the show.

This is my first show since Covid. Its like old times again, he said.

Olivia Fitzgerald from Effin in Co Limerick said she was glad to be back meeting people and getting out socialising again.

Among a group that was accompanying Ms Fitzgerald ringside were 10-year-olds Katie and Allie, who said they love agricultural shows, especially seeing the animals and spending time with their friends and family.
Happy 125th birthday to the Metropole Hotel!

The Menu has a long and storied history with the venerable old Metropole Hotel, in Cork city, which is this year celebrating its 125th year in operation.

Unsurprisingly, much of that centres around the Cork Jazz Festival which first originated from within its hallowed walls back in 1978 but there have been many other events besides, not least a very splendid evening at the Cais National Irish Farmhouse Cheese Awards, in more recent times. It was of course designed by the late Myrtle Allens father, Arthur Hill, and still struts with all the aplomb befitting the most striking senior citizen on Corks MacCurtain St.

The Menu shall be paying an especial visit to sample the new cocktail menu launched to celebrate this august anniversary.

Happy 125th Birthday to Corks Metropole Hotel

Puppy love brunch in Killarney

The hugely impressive hospitality operators in Killarney continue with their extraordinary pivot away from servicing the traditional US coach tour market, increasingly offering more for the local, domestic market and a more contemporary class of international traveller.

Now, it appears they are even reaching out to the canine contingent: Cafe du Parc is offering a Puppy Love Brunch, with a puppucino and a locally-sourced Irish dog treat for your hound while you sit at the heated outdoor seating at the intersection where Killarneys bustling Main St meets Irelands oldest national park, eating your own breakfast, brunch or lunch and watching the world go by.

New steakhouse in Dublin

Though a most cosmopolitan man of the world, inordinately fond of travelling and sampling from the global larder, The Menu, as regular readers know, maintains an almost entirely Hiberno-centric focus when writing in this particular neck of the woods and is usually particularly loath to cover imported restaurant models arriving on these shores seeking to hoover up the local dollar, with several high profile UK operations underwhelming in recent times.

But it has to be said that the imminent arrival of steak restaurant group Hawksmoor may well herald an alternative and more welcome model of operation, at the very least, upping the game of various domestic operators.

Co-founder Will Beckett, son of the legendary food and drinks writer, Fiona Beckett, has a genuine gra for Dublin City and he and co-founder Huw Gott have managed to acquire a splendid premises in the former National Bank on 34 College Green.

Hawksmoors accolades include being nominated as No 1 Steakhouse in the World and their focus on sustainability and supporting local producers is very genuine (and Irish supply chain is currently being built), and having recently become carbon neutral, they plan to be Net Zero by 2030, so their opening will be anticipated with keen interest and at the very least, it will be good to see such a venerable old building receiving some of the TLC for which the group are known to lavish on their other premises around the world.

Nibbed Cacao Block takes chocolate back to its elemental roots

TODAYS SPECIAL

World Chocolate Day is next Thursday, July 7  a rather ridiculous concept in The Menus eyes who has for years agitated for the creation of World Chocolate Year, to be held at Chez Menu on an annual basis, 365 days a year. But, in the spirit of things, he is very happy to this week feature a comparatively new Irish producer, Wicklow-based Nibbed, and their new 200g pure organic Cacao Block.

It never ceases to amaze how challenging times down through the years seem to inspire the emergence of new Irish food producer and hospitality enterprises and Nibbed is in the same bracket. It is a chocolate bean-to-bar business founded by aunt-niece duo, chef Lisa Kleiner and Anna OSullivan, in 2021 during the pandemic. Nibbeds Cacao Blocks are classic examples of chocolate as a superfood and are hand-crafted in small batches using ethically sourced, fairly traded and certified organic single-origin cacao beans.

Cacao is high in theobromine, a natural stimulant similar to caffeine but without the jittery effects and is also high in dietary fibre, antioxidants and many minerals such as iron, magnesium and potassium amongst others, and well-documented research shows it is a powerful prebiotic and cardioprotective, and can have a positive impact on on blood pressure, mood and concentration.

This Cacao Block is very much the real deal made from a Trinitario-Criollo hybrid bean from the Dominican Republic and, whats more, each taste offers a compelling masterclass in the true taste of real chocolate, as it is completely free of any of the additives (eg sugar, dairy, soy etc), even those good ones that turn raw chocolate into the more familiar sweetened confection. (For a simple experiment, break off a chunk of the Nibbed chocolatey ingot and pop it into your mouth along with a bit of sugar and you begin to experience chocolate as you more probably know it.)

100% cacao can be overly drying, even powdery on the palate, but this is very agreeable, bright, creamy and with smokey notes of dark cherry and a mild salinity but it really begins to make sense once The Menu brings it into the lab and gets to concocting up various methods of consumption.

It makes for a quite delicious hot chocolate, not overly cloying and was very smart grated on top of a lemon tart but most intriguing of all was a savoury chocolate mole or sauce.

It was only in the 16th century that sugar was added to chocolate; prior to that, for thousands of years, cacao was viewed as a gift from the gods and eaten as a savoury food so The Menu made a delicious Mexican-inspired mole with chicken broth and chipotle chillis which was only exquisite when served up with barbecued chicken.
Now in its 12th year, CREATE 2022 at Brown Thomas has become a barometer of the best of Irish fashion and design with its carefully edited annual presentation of the work of Irelands most talented designers and brands. This year is no exception, with an edit which sees everything from the creations of Sorcha ORaghallaigh to the sustainable designs of Caoimhe Murphy; the linen garments of Kindred of Ireland to the innovative sustainable accessories of Aoife Lifestyle.

Here we have five of the 27 designers at CREATE to help you form the perfect outfit this summer season and beyond.

Print brand Katie Ann McGuigan will present her ninth seasonal collection

Katie Ann McGuigan

At this years CREATE, Irish luxury womenswear and print brand Katie Ann McGuigan will present her ninth seasonal collection. McGuigans designs blend Irish heritage with the natural and social environment of the British Isles while looking to interiors and furniture design for inspiration. Furniture and interiors are a constant thread through McGuigans creative vision, born of her upbringing around her familys company Orior which makes truly extraordinary furniture and objects for the home.

The prints in McGuigans latest collection are beautiful and easy to wear and will be popular with those who love both contemporary design and vintage alike. McGuigan has looked back to British photography from the 1960s and 1970s, in the era before globalisation, and there are retro touches in this collection with a nod towards simpler times.

With her prints for this collection, the designer has drawn inspiration from British photographer Shirley Bakers 1961- 1978 work Dog Show which candidly captured dog shows in working class areas of Greater Manchester. The result is a modern, wearable collection which is a glimpse of the past while being very much of today  timeless, classic, nostalgic, familiar, and effortless.

LANDA is a four-year-old brand which creates beautiful and functional accessories

LANDA

Founded by Argentine-Italian (and Irish resident) Silvana Landa, LANDA is a four-year-old brand which creates beautiful and functional accessories with a focus on leather handbags and small leather goods. The brand is inspired by Landas Italian grandfather, a cobbler, who worked with leather in Argentina when she was a child.

LANDA bags are made in family-run factories from high-quality natural materials including leather, straw and cotton. The bags are finished with an eco-friendly apricot oil that gives them a luxurious look and feel, and are lined with an eco-suede microfibre material that is both lovely and practical as it is easily cleaned.

The brand is known for its classic colours with customer favourites being the taupe, tan and black designs. However, lovers of colour will not be disappointed with rich burgundy shades and military green also making an appearance, alongside powder pink and baby blue for those who favour pastel shades.

Exclusive to CREATE 2022 is a new day bag called Castana available in dark green and taupe, and the Tilia bag in a new black patent leather finish. The brands best-selling Teca bag with plexi chain will also be available alongside LANDAs really handy phone bags which are just perfect for summer whether youre out for a walk or at a gig or festival.

Caroline Duffy is quickly becoming known for her beautiful botanical and floral designs

Caroline Duffy

Its less than a year since artist and printed textile designer Caroline Duffy went from working for big brands to working for herself. Having previously designed everything from clothing to home furnishings and bedlinen, she is quickly becoming known for her beautiful botanical and floral designs which are drawn from her exquisite floral paintings and influenced by the art nouveau period. Her joyful feminine designs feature vivid colour palettes enhanced by dark and bright backgrounds and are designed to uplift the wearer.

Duffys silk scarf collection at CREATE 2022 is a curated selection of timeless luxury pieces designed to be cherished for years and worn in multiple different ways. Always with an eye on ethics and sustainability, each scarf is printed on fine 100% silk fabric in Como, Italy and hand-rolled to create beautiful pieces that are like wearable art.

The designers new woven throw blankets, appearing at CREATE 2022, are the perfect weight to be used on the couch, over a bed, as a very luxurious picnic rug or to hang on the wall as art. The blankets are made with yarn that is made from 70% recycled cotton.

Jewellery designer Melissa Curry has spent years travelling the world for inspiration

Melissa Curry

Melissa Curry is one of Irelands most celebrated jewellery designers. The designer has spent years travelling the world for inspiration, has been educated in Paris and has collaborated with some of the most iconic names in design including Swarovski, Conran, and Philippe Starck.

The pandemic represented a challenging time for Curry whose jewellery was sold by Virgin Atlantic. Now that people are travelling again, Curry is once again collaborating with Richard Branson and his team on Virgins Voyager Cruise Experience.

At CREATE 2022 Curry will present a capsule collection entitled Fleurs. In a nod to Coco Chanel, and a celebration of the feminine spirit, this chic collection draws on Currys Parisian influences to create beautiful monochrome pieces blending textured floral shapes with lustrous freshwater pearls. In typical Melissa Curry fashion, there will also be some of her colourful contemporary designs for those seeking a dash of joie de vivre.

Nicki Hoynes new Mary Jane mules come in a range of textures and colours

Nicki Hoyne

Following on from the successful launch of her ankle boots and tassel flats, footwear designer Nicki Hoynes new designs will feature in CREATE 2022. Her new Mary Jane mules come in a range of textures and colours that are just perfect for summer, whether youre attending a special event or simply want to bring some joy to your feet now youre back in the office.

The designer has worked really hard to develop a range with ethics and sustainability at the fore. The pieces are designed to last and are made with 100% leather in Spain by skilled craftspeople from materials sourced as close to the factory as possible.

Showcasing at CREATE 2022, the new Mary Jane style combines the look of a mule with the practicality of a Mary Jane  the strap at the front making the shoe more secure and easier to wear. The new styles are available in five delicious colour combinations: teal suede with neon pink strap, red suede with purple strap, leopard print pony hair with black strap, silver glitter with teal strap and finally white paint splatter glitter with a black strap. Get your dancing shoes on!

CREATE 2022 will present the exceptional talent of 27 designers across ready-to-wear, handbags, accessories, jewellery, hats, shoes and ceramics. CREATE 2022 runs from Tuesday, July 5 to August 15 on Level 2 at Brown Thomas Dublin.
Russias military began sending large numbers of weapons and troops into Belarus in late January. The official purpose of the movement was a joint military exercise, but Belarus, which has a 1,050km border with Ukraine and a government closely aligned with Moscow, was also a logical staging point for Russian president Vladimir Putin to carry out an invasion.

Several days after the troops arrived weird things started happening to the computer systems that ran the Belarus national railway system, which the Russian military was using as part of its mobilisation.

Passengers gathered on train platforms near Minsk, the capital, watched as information screens flickered and normal messaging was replaced by garbled text and an error message. Malfunctioning ticket systems led to long lines and delays as damaged software systems caused trains to grind to a halt in several cities, according to railway employees and posts that circulated on Belarusian social media.

The cause of the delays was a ransomware attack in which hackers had encrypted crucial files on

the railways computer systems, rendering them inoperable. The perpetrators of such attacks usually demand money in exchange for unlocking the seized files.

Partisans target 'Europe's last dictator' But the assailants in this case  a group of hackers identifying themselves as the Cyber Partisans  said they would provide the key to unlock the computers only if Russian troops left Belarus and the Belarusian government freed certain political prisoners. Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko and Russian president Vladimir Putin at a joint news conference in the Kremlin in February. Picture: Sergei Guneyev/Sputnik/AP The authoritarian government of Alexander Lukashenko was well aware of the Cyber Partisans, whod become a key part of an opposition movement openly trying to overthrow his government. Lukashenko, a former Soviet official whos been president of Belarus since 1994, is widely known as Europes last dictator. In 2020, he claimed victory in an election that the US and other countries have declared fraudulent, then ordered a violent response to the subsequent protests. The result has been a grinding conflict between his government and a broad movement of dissidents. The anti-Lukashenko movement has been notable for the way its mixed analog forms of popular protest with online activism. Lukashenkos opponents started by breaking into the websites of the government and state news agencies, a form of politically motivated hacking with a long history. Since then, theyve begun to branch into cyberattacks that result in physical damage, a tactic traditionally seen as the domain of state-sponsored agents. The result is beginning to look like a new model for revolutionary groups seeking to wage asymmetrical warfare, says Gabriella Coleman, a Harvard professor and an expert on hacking culture. They are really innovating in a way I have not seen before, she says of the Cyber Partisans. Its like traditional forms of sabotage, but using computer methods. What they are doing has taken hacktivism to the next level. In the purest sense, the cyberattack on the train system didnt succeed. Russian troops didnt leave the country, and Belarus didnt free the political prisoners. But the train system remains impaired. The operation also signalled a major escalation in what had been a domestic conflict. The Belarusian dissidents now see a single, broader struggle against both Lukashenko and Putin and have begun to join forces with an informal and chaotic global coalition of pro-Ukraine hackers. These groups have targeted dozens of Russian government agencies, dumping huge troves of stolen emails and documents online.

Andriy Baranovych, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Cyber Alliance, one of the groups working with the Cyber Partisans, says that while information gathering is a goal of his organisation, its also moving past that: Political information has little value now. We are trying to cause disorder, disruption, deception  anything that could delay or stop Russias actions.

Fleeing Belarus

Aliaksandr Azarau, a former Minsk police chief, arrived at a cafe near Warsaws central rail station one day in mid-March to tell the story of how he joined what he considers a war against Lukashenkos government.

Azarau, 45, is a stocky guy in a checked shirt and black jacket, with a piercing stare. He mentioned that he has to be wary of spies as he travels around Poland and regularly glanced at his phone for updates on the fighting in Ukraine.

For more than two decades, Azarau was a police officer in Belarus, working as a detective in a department focused on human trafficking, illegal immigration, and religious extremism.

He rose to become a lieutenant colonel, heading a unit of an organised crime and corruption agency. He says he never supported Lukashenko but avoided criticising the government until August 2020, when he says he personally witnessed fraud in the presidential election and overheard commanders issue what he described as illegal orders to attack and arrest peaceful pro-democracy protesters.

Azarau quit the force and fled to Poland, where he was later joined by his wife and two young daughters. He quickly fell in with the Belarusian exile community in Warsaw and signed up to join ByPol (the name is shorthand for Belarus Police), a group of self-described honest officers from Belaruss law enforcement community who were advocating for free and fair democratic elections.

ByPols members werent hackers. But they soon linked up with the Cyber Partisans, who showed how their skills could help gather evidence of human rights violations that could be used to argue for sanctions against government officials.

The hackers broke into government websites. They disclosed mortality statistics indicating that tens of thousands more people in Belarus died from Covid-19 than the government had publicly acknowledged.

They also began releasing data including secret police archives, lists of alleged police informants, personal information about top government officials and spies, video footage gathered from police drones and detention centres, and secret recordings of phone calls from a government wiretapping system.

ByPol members, with their knowledge of the inner workings of the regime, helped to analyse, authenticate, and distribute the hacked files.

Azarau says that information gathered by the hackers has been vital in documenting police abuses. But the cyberattacks were useful for doing more than simply embarrassing Lukashenko.

One database the Cyber Partisans broke into included 10m passport and drivers licence photos, which ByPol has used to create its own facial recognition system.

Its used it to identify suspected spies, as well as police officers shown attacking protesters in videos. If the group has a picture of a suspected Belarusian spy, it runs a check on the photograph.

These operations have clearly spooked Lukashenkos government. Last November, the Supreme Court branded the hackers as terrorists and criminalised participation in several groups including the Cyber Partisans and ByPol, according to the prosecutor generals office.

In March, Lukashenko expounded on the danger of cyberattacks:

We all tremble at nuclear weapons but cyberweapons are even more terrifying.

As Belarus became involved in Russias mobilisation for an invasion of Ukraine, ByPol grew hungry to undermine Lukashenkos government by, for example, sabotaging signalling systems to slow down trains.

The tactic has echoes of Soviet resistance fighters who undermined the Nazi regime during the Second World War by using explosives to blow up the tracks.

A lot of Russian ammo and weapons came to Belarus and goes through our territory to Ukraine, to kill Ukrainians, says Azarau. So we decided to wage a railway war.

While ByPols operatives have used arson to carry out this strategy, he says, their allies could provide similar results by digital means.

The Cyber Partisans said theyd paralysed trains in the Belarusian cities of Minsk and Orsha, as well as the town of Osipovichi.

Its not possible to independently verify these claims. But there has been evidence of disruptions.

In March, Belarusian Railway posted a statement online saying it was opening 50 additional ticket offices to meet demand while it worked to restore its systems.

Unlike ByPol, the Cyber Partisans are determined to remain entirely anonymous, saying they fear for their safety given the violent record of the Lukashenko regime. Even their ostensible public representative, a Belarusian citizen named Yuliana Shemetovets who lives in New York City and appears at conferences on their behalf, says she doesnt know their identities.

Cyber Partisan interview

After several months of communication with Bloomberg over encrypted chat channels, a member of the group agreed to a rare video interview, on the condition that he be allowed to remain anonymous and the technical details of the chat not be published.

The hacker sat silhouetted in a darkened room, wearing a hoodie. The Cyber Partisans red-and-black logo was projected on a large screen behind him.

He used a device to disguise his speech, which only partially concealed what sounded like an eastern-European accent.

The Cyber Partisans consist of about 60 people, he said, mostly Belarusian citizens with backgrounds in computers. Most of them work on tool development and data analysis, with only about 10 volunteers participating in the hacking operations the group carries out.

He flatly refused to discuss his personal life in even the broadest ways, for fear of accidentally revealing details that could be used to identify him.

The nature of the Cyber Partisans operations have led to speculation that theyre a front for a government hostile to Lukashenkos.

A protestor with a traditional Belarusian flag taking part in a demonstration in Warsaw demanding freedom for Belarus opposition activist Roman Protasevich. Picture: Wojtek Radwanski/AFP

In January, security researcher Juan Andres Guerrero-Saade wrote that government-backed groups can masquerade as hacktivists to give themselves plausible deniability and to imbue their leaks with legitimacy not afforded by the obvious intervention of a government.

But he also determined that the Cyber Partisans had the characteristics of a grassroots endeavour.

In his video chat with Bloomberg, the Cyber Partisan laughed off this suggestion, saying that the group isnt financed or controlled by any government agency. Were still amateur hacktivists, he said.

Were just highly motivated and stubborn. If we had the budget of a government agency we would have carried out attacks every day and brought the terroristic regime of Lukashenko to its knees very quickly.

What the Cyber Partisans do acknowledge is Putins war has broadened their goals  and helped them forge a new set of alliances with hackers in Ukraine.

Ukrainians are now fighting not only for their freedom but for the Belarusian independence as well, the hacker said.

I understand its war and we need to do this. But there was a point when it just felt it was becoming too dangerous

The political hacking movement within Ukraine began building in earnest following Russias invasion of Crimea in 2014. The Ukrainian Cyber Alliance formed in 2016 to strike back against Russia and has a track record of carrying out successful data breaches.

In 2016 and 2017, it claimed responsibility for compromising Russian Ministry of Defence servers and stealing and publishing emails from an adviser close to Putin, in addition to those of alleged Russian militants and propagandists.

At the time the Ukrainian government was ambivalent at best about much of what such groups were doing.

Authorities accused the Ukrainian Cyber Alliance of hacking Odessas international airport and placing an offensive message about the environmental activist Greta Thunberg on an electronic display, and some of its members were scheduled to appear in court in February in connection with the incident.

The group denies involvement, but in any case the proceedings were postponed, and the hackers now say theyre working with the Ukrainian government as part of its call for a makeshift IT Army to help in the war effort.

The volunteers have carried out targeted attacks on Russian banks and energy companies and also hacked Russian state media websites to counter the Kremlins propaganda.

Consequences

The life of a professional revolutionary has been hard on Azarau. His Belarusian bank accounts were seized last year, and security agents in Belarus searched the home of his 68-year-old mother and confiscated electronic devices at her property in a village near Minsk.

People whove called his mother by phone have themselves been subsequently visited by police. The harassment, which Azarau interprets as an attempt to punish him, has had a chilling effect on friends and family, who are now afraid to contact his mother, leaving her isolated.

He says hes pretty sure hes being followed in Warsaw as well. ByPol has identified Belarusian military intelligence agents who it says have travelled to Poland to infiltrate dissident groups. Earlier this year, says Azarau, a Belarusian spy was operating in Poland disguised as a refugee and had been tasked with eliminating ByPols leadership.

Azarau recognised the man from his former police days, and ByPol subsequently exposed his identity online. The alleged spy fled a refugee centre where he was living and left his passport behind. Now nobody knows where he is, Azarau says.

Lukashenkos government has proved willing to go to extremes to fight its political opponents. Last year it caused international outrage when it forced a passenger plane to land in Minsk and arrested a dissident Belarusian journalist whod been on board.

Last August, one prominent opposition figure was found hanged in a park in Ukraine. Police said they suspected the incident may have been a murder disguised as suicide.

In April, news agency AFP reported that the Belarusian government said it had arrested four men whom it suspected of sabotaging train equipment. The announcement included video of gruesomely injured men lying on the ground. The government said it had shot the suspects because they were resisting arrest.

At the same time, the hacking and sabotage are putting huge pressure on Lukashenkos regime, says Pavel Latushko, a former Belarusian

ambassador and minister of culture who now leads an opposition group called National Anti-Crisis Management.

In his office in central Warsaw, Latushko has five framed documents on his wall displaying criminal charges Belarusian authorities have filed against him, accusing him of involvement in terrorism, extremism, and conspiracy to seize state power  he jokes that hes had seven charges filed against him in total, but he doesnt have enough room. Lukashenko, he says, once personally threatened to strangle him.

Given the violence of the Lukashenko regime and the devastating Russian assault on Ukraine, Latushko says hackers like the Cyber Partisans should feel little restraint about how they hit back.

All activities under the movement of resistance are legal, he says.

Everybody who can struggle against the occupation of the Russian Federation and the puppet government of Lukashenko  you can use all the instruments.
Interview Chinas Complicated Game in Myanmar

Myanmar regime-appointed Foreign Minster Wunna Maung Lwin with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in China in April 2022

Veteran author and journalist Bertil Lintner has been reporting on Myanmar for decades. In this wide-ranging interview he talks to The Irrawaddy editor-in-chief Aung Zaw about Chinas goals and strategy in Myanmarincluding its relations with the National League for Democracy and the ethnic armed groupsthe future of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the most likely scenarios for ending the militarys grip on the country.

Aung Zaw: Thank you Bertil. I think we will have a long discussion. Weve covered the peace process and ethnic states, the ethnic army EAOs [ethnic armed organizations]. Now I want you to talk about China, Burmas powerful neighbor. I want to hear your thoughts on Chinas political clout and geopolitical ambitions, because we often debate and talk about Chinas roles in Myanmars internal affairs and internal conflicts; how China interferes in Myanmars domestic affairs and also Chinas geopolitical ambitions and access to the Indian ocean.

Bertil Lintner: Well, first of all, if you look at the map of China, its a huge inland empire with a comparatively short coastline for such a big country. And then China decided to change its economic system from socialism to capitalismtheir development model was exports. The export industry was developed in order to give the country income and so on, and lift the living standard. And the coastal provinces took off immediately because, naturally, the ports were there. And thats where the production was taking place. This was Guangdong, there was Fujian, and later on Shanghai. Whereas the landlocked inland provinces were lagging behind. And the difference in income between the coastal provinces and the landlocked inland provinces was becoming so severe that it could actually threaten the entire unity of the country. Because China is actually massive, its a continent.. its more than a country. Its huge. And you have many different ethnic groups there as well.

So back in the 1980s, the Chinese started to look at the possibilities for development, export-oriented development in the landlocked inland provinces. And this was published in the official Beijing Review in 1985, the official magazine.

AZ: Yes, I have read that one.

BL: Well, they mentioned that the three provinces were Sichuan, Yunnan and Guangzhouwith a combined population of 100 million people. There is no way they could develop an industry there and send goods to Chinas own ports. They had to find an outlet through another country. If you look at the whole of China, the same thing applies. And there are only three countries which border China that have direct access to the Indian Ocean, bypassing the Straits of Malacca and the South China Sea and making it easier than promoting exports to Chinas own ports. Thats Burma, India and Pakistan. India, forget about it. There is no way theyre going to help the Chinese.

AZ: No.

BL: Pakistan, yes. There is a highway there, the Karakoram Highway. But its one of the most dangerous highways in the world. And then of course, you have all the political turmoil of Pakistan, which is, you know, can be quite frightening. So you see, there is actually only one country that provides easy and convenient access to the Indian Ocean for China, and that is

AZ: Burma.

BL: Yes. So, therefore, China has long-term strategic interests in Burma, which other countries dont have. The West can talk about human rights and democracy and this sort of thing, which is of course good, but it wouldnt have any real impact on whats happening in the country. And India is of course worried about Chinese influence; so far they havent been very successful in countering it. Whereas China has gone full speed ahead in developing relations with the country. Actually, regardless of who is in power, even when Aung San Suu Kyi was becoming State Counselor, the Chinese Embassy was the first to congratulate her on her election victory at that time. And it was sort of.

AZ: And she was invited to China even before the election in 2015, and she met with President Xi Jinping.

BL: Absolutely. I think the Chinese, they would prefer to have a stable military government in power.

AZ: But weak.

BL: Yeah, but not too strong.

AZ: Not democratic.

BL: No, they wouldnt like that. But even when Aung San Suu Kyi was not running the countryit was still being run by the military, we have to remember that, but she was at least running the governmentthe Chinese made an effort to establish very close and cordial relations with her and the NLD as well. So, my only point is that if you look at Chinas long-term strategic interest, they would prefer a government which they can deal with more easily, a non-democratic government; but if its a democratic government, they will deal with that too, in their own way of course. And Chinas relations with the various EAOs follow the same kind of



AZ: Yes, thats my next question. You know in the past communist China exported revolution to neighboring countries including Burma. But today China wants to export goods and wants to trade with neighboring countries, and we are part of the Belt and Road Initiativegigantic projects. We have the China Myanmar Economic Corridor [CMEC]  China and Burma have signed an agreement to implement so many mega projects. Some of the projects have started in Shan State. There have been feasibility studies done as far as we understand and there are so many EAOs and militia active in Shan State. A lot of CMEC projects will start from Shan State and in these areas with EAOs like the Wa, Kokang, TNLA [Taang National Liberation Army] and even the Arakan Army [AA]. China has been providing arms to support those groups; this northern part seems to be part of [a Chinese enclave]. So the last five years or six years we also saw China aggressively involved in the Myanmar peace process, can you tell us more on this subject and also I want to ask you a quick question: Can China be trusted?

BL: Well, this question is very easy to answer. No. Trust in the sense that they are interested in the genuine peace of the country. They are not. Because its not in in their interests. If you look at the United Wa State Army, and Kokang as well They are basically successors to the CPB, the Communist Party of Burma. They received massive support from China from the late 60s, 70s to until the 1980s. At that time, China was exporting revolution. Now theyre exporting consumer goods. But it would be foolish of the Chinese to give up the foothold they had inside the country to the CPB because of the 1989 mutiny. They probably have even better relations with some of the Wa leaders than they ever had with the CPB. Because they speak the same language, to begin with. And most of the Wa leaders speak Chinese as a second language, whereas very few of the CPB leaders ever did that. And if you look at the arms that the Wa have, theyre more sophisticated, theyre more heavily armed than the CPB ever was. And all of those guns are all coming from China. Period. Theres no discussion about that. Doesnt matter how much Chinas think tankers deny that. But then if you look at the broader picture; lets say for arguments sake that tomorrow all the ethnic groups sit down and they agree that, Yes, we want to have a federation or a confederation that looks like this, sign an agreement, there is no more fighting in the country, there is peace, and all the armed groups will become local police forces or something else. Who would be the first to lose? China. Its not in their interest to see that. China wants to have a certain degree they dont like total chaos because it would mean refugees coming into Yunnan and so on. But they are not interested in [total] stability either because they cant control anything. And they want to have a certain degree of stability, over which they exercise some degree of control. And that is actually the situation now.

AZ: They want to keep the forces against each other.

BL: Yes, definitely. Its not in their interest to see them give up the struggle. Not now. Maybe someday, in the future, you dont know but certainly its not in their interest today. China is not interested in peace, it is interested in a kind of situation that makes the country it shouldnt be too stable because they cant control it. And they have connections with everybody. But China has a very peculiar foreign policy. They differentiate between government-to-government relations, and party-to-party relations, and its quite ridiculous for the country where there is only one political party and that party controls the government in China. So, they have government-to-government relations with whoever is in powerin Yangon, previously, but now in Naypyitaw. But party-to-party relationsthey can have that with anyone. So they have party-to-party relations with the Wa, the Kachin, with the NLD [National League for Democracy], with the USDP [Union Solidarity and Development Party], everyone. And they would say, Oh this is different. This is party-to-party; not government-to-government. But of course, its all part of the government strategy mapped out by the party, which controls the government.

AZ: This year in April, the Chinese Foreign Ministry invited the Myanmar foreign minister, Burmese foreign minister, Wunna Maung Lwin, to China. Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, No matter how the situation changes, China will support Myanmar in safeguarding its sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity; in exploring a development path suited to its national conditions. But we were discussing,  how China was trying to control the forces inside the country, we talk about Chinas enclavement and now China was promising the Burmese that they will respect their territorial integrity.

BL: But theyve never done that. First, it supported the CPB for 20 years. And they had relations with certain EAOs on the border. Theyve always been a player in domestic politics in Burma, especially when it comes to the various armed groups and organizations there.

AZ: Then, what will happen to Burma, or Shan State in particular, where a lot of huge projects are coming in in the next 10-20 years, whether we like it or not? This is quite worrying, that the Chinese are coming, and even the Wa, known to be a proxy of China, are moving to the southern part of Shan State. Thailand is also looking at it with worry.

BL: Well, I dont think China wants to annex certain parts of the country. That is not the way they exercise influence and how they expand their spheres of influence. Actually, what China is doing in Burma today, the plan, predates the Belt and Road Initiative. In the 80s, they were looking at the waterways, railways, roadways, through Burma, from Yunnan down to the Indian Ocean. They were talking about how it should be developed. And of course, that is interference. Its not just help. They are not doing this out of the goodness of their heart. The have economic, and political and strategic interest in controlling the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor as it is called today. And they are going to continue doing that. If you look at EAOs that.. but you always have to remember that even though they are very dependent on Chinabecause they cannot exist without what they are getting from across the borderit doesnt mean that they are necessarily pro-Chinese or pro-China, lets put it that way. The Kachin, we know they are not. I mean, they are Christians and they dont.. they are not trusted by the Chinese either, thats why the Chinese are not giving them any weapons; and they are getting them from other sources. Even the Wa, they are not happy about the Chinese dominance. They are fiercely independent people. And they know how the Chinese central authorities treated the Wa in China in the 1950s. They havent forgotten that.

AZ: China is not trustedI got it. But today, the Chinese government seems to be backing and supporting the military regime in Burma, which the Burmese people hate and despise; the Burmese people loathe it. Last year we saw anti-China demonstrations taking place in Yangon and other cities. Chinese factories were attacked. Later, this year and last year we have seen local armed groups, opposition groups, make a threat against Chinese companies and a gas pipeline and copper mines inside the country. China is also trying to reach out to some opposition members as well as to the NUG [National Unity Government] government in exile asking them to protect Chinese interests and Chinese businesses in the country. And the Chinese have also asked the regime to protect [their interests] at all costs, to prevent any attacks on Chinese interests and Chinese business in Burma.

BL: Well, it sort of underlines the whole thing that  the way the Chinese are reacting to this, that they even started talking to the National Unity Government and all the armed groups and this sort of thingon a party-to-party basis though. But their long-term strategic interest remains the same. And there is a corridor, an outlet to the sea, the outlet to the Indian Ocean. And therefore, they have to play, they cannot afford to antagonize certain groups, because that will backfire. Back in the SLORC days, they actually put all the eggs in one basket, they supported only the military. And they had no link to the opposition at all, of course to some of the EAOs but they were sort of different. But even there, they showed a certain degree of flexibilitythat they didnt really want to antagonize, not even the NLD during its early days of its existence. And I can tell you an anecdote that reflects that, in a curious kind of way, a peculiar kind of way. After the 1988 uprising, everyone was at Aung San Suu Kyis compound at University Avenue. All the activists, the doctors, the lawyers, the politicians, the journalistseverybody. And the Western embassies went there to meet her and the NLD leaders. The Chinese diplomats did not. But one day, I can tell you the story now because it was Michael Aris, who was Aung San Suu Kyis late husband who told me. Hes gone now and I dont think he would mind my telling this story. And he was there of course in the house in University Avenue. The Chinese diplomats never came to talk to Suu Kyi. But one day, they saw a car, a diplomatic number plate, the Chinese Embassy coming into University Avenue. And everyone was surprised. And then the junior officer from the embassy came with a big box full of books in Tibetan about Tibetan Buddhism. It was their way of indirectly saying that We are careful but we are not, well, dont look at us like we are some kind of enemy. It was not to Suu Kyi, it was to her husband. Its about Tibetan Buddhism. But that gesture showed that everyone, I think, even at that time, the Chinese wanted to maintain a certain degree of flexibility. They didnt even know if the military government was going to survive or not. What the future would look like. Because, again, their long-term interests remain the same. And they are playing various games accordingly. And thats what happens.

AZ: But in the last 30 years, since SLORC-SPDC came into power, we have seen massive exploitation of natural resources by the Chinese in the northern part of Myanmar.

BL: Yes. In Wa State it is tin and rare earth metals. When were talking about Chinese exports of rare earth metals, its only half the truth. Most of it actually comes from the Wa Hills. The Chinese they also have two rare earth mines up in Kachin State. Of course to export these kind of items makes it possible for these armed groups, like the KIO, the KIA and UWSA [Kachin Independence Organization, Kachin Independence Army and United Wa State Army] to maintain their organizations, to get more arms and run  whatever they have inside their respective areas. But so, they are dependent on each other in a way. But I would argue that if there was a central government in Myanmar with a more enlightened approach to people like the Wa, the problem could be solved. I think they would be happier staying with Myanmar than to be, you know, totally dependent on China. But so far, it is so easy to dismiss them as drug traffickers and, you know, whatnot. They are, I mean they used to trade in drugs. There is no doubt about that. But today, their sources of income have become more diversified and even if they get money from drugs, who hasnt done that in Burmaincluding the government?

AZ: Last year, a Chinese special envoy visited Burma twice after the coup. He reportedly asked coup leader General Min Aung Hlaing to allow him to meet with the detained State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. And he was denied [permission]. And again, we heard the news that the Chinese told the Burmese not to disband the National League for Democracy. Do you think China has political leverage over Burma, compared to other Western countries or Western governments?

BL: Well, youll also have to remember that as you mentioned before, the Burmese military is fairly xenophobic. They havent forgotten the long and bitter war with the CPB. A lot of soldiers were killed, their boys were killed, with Chinese guns. And a retired officer once told me its like a scar in the heart. They cannot forget that. And then of course, you know, in the beginning, after the coup in 88, they had to rebuild, or strengthen their armed forces. At that time, it was only China that was willing to sell them anything. But they became so dependent on China, so they had to look for alternatives. They didnt want to have this heavy dependence on China. So they turned towards Russia. Of course, it worked for a while, but its not going to work much longer, given whats happening in Ukraine right now. So, theyre back in the Chinese camp, very reluctantly, and I dont know how they would want to handle that. And they are not particularly happy about it either. And the Chinese of course, they know this. They know that the military doesnt like them, they dont trust them. But I think actually they find it easier to deal with Aung San Suu Kyi than Min Aung Hlaing, in a waya very strange and peculiar way. So, there were even some reports before the 2015 elections that the Chinese wanted to see the NLD win rather than the USDP. Maybe because it would give the country a bit more, a degree of stability at that time. And instead of military rule, which would be resented by everyone. But the Chinese are playing all these different games at the same time, and it is very important to look at the bigger picture and see a pattern and see where it leads to. They dont just sign with one particular actor or one particular group. And therefore, the Chinese policy towards Myanmar or Burma is very different from that of Western countries, which are more sort of ideologically motivated.

AZ: Definitely, Burmese people, including the military, are Sinophobic. Burmese people in general are pro-Western, they are not pro-China. You know over the past decades we have seen the US politically invested in Burma promoting democracy, human rights and press freedom in Burma or Myanmar. Recently the US invited the foreign minister of the NUG to Washington DC while the US-ASEAN summit was taking place. Definitely there was competition between the US and China. I think there is competition, rivalries between the US and China. And this Cold War mentality is coming into the Indo-Pacific region including ASEAN. Burma is also one of the countries where the US and China are trying to gain influence. What are your thoughts?

BL: Well, if the United States wants to get more influence in the country, they will also have to be more active than they are today.

AZ: Like in Ukraine?

BL: Well, maybe not to send all the weapons that theyve been sending to Ukraine; maybe there is another way of doing it. But certainly, it seems to be that Burma is now on the backburner when it comes to American foreign policy. They are much more entirely preoccupied with Ukraine, whats happening in Europe. And therefore of course, the road is wide open for the Chinese to

AZ: What I remember was, in 2007-08, US policy was very consistent, engaging with Burma stakeholders and all sides, all forces. It was very active, and I would say that it was quite impressive.

BL: If you look at Americas or Washingtons Burma policy, that was engaging everyone  It predates the 2015 election victory for the NLD. Even during Thein Sein, he was invited to the White House, and I think the Chinese, at that time, feltand I have seen translations of articles in Chinese academic journals sayingthat We have lost Burma to the West. Thats the way the Chinese felt. And therefore, they had to reestablish their influence in Burma. And they did so very cleverly really. They started taking to more so-called stakeholdersa term I really dont likein the country; not just the government. They started engaging the media, for instance. Theyve never done that before. They invited journalists to China, they started talking to journalists. The ambassador in Yangon suddenly answered the phone when journalists rang him and they went to talk to all the different political parties. Just to, in a way, to counter the spread of American influence. Economically of course, they were always much stronger than the Unites States when it comes to investments and so on. But when it comes to sort of people-to-people relations, they were way behind the Americans at that time. And they tried to reestablish some kind ofnot reestablish because they never had anybut to establish some kind of better relationship with the public, the general public in Burma. If they succeeded or not? Im not sure. I dont really think so. But at least they tried; they realized that it was important. They couldnt just lose Burma to the West, as some of their academics said at that time.

AZ: I am curious. Do you think Aung San Suu Kyi still has a role in the future? She is now 77.

BL: No, I mean shes done her thing, and shes meant a lot to the people of Burma. The role she has played cannot be denied by anybody. But shes old and shes tired. And many young people have even become critical about her because they think she could have handled things in a different way.

KAZ: The mis-steps.

BL: Yes, exactly. So, I think well have to wait for the next generation. And the next generationI mean, among the Burmans as well as among the other groups. Many of the ethnic leaders are also stuck in the past. Old visions, old ideas, they do not know how to move forward.

AZ: And my last question. Any democratic transition would stall in any country unless the powerful armed forces are brought under civilian control in the context of a balance between executive power and legislative branches of government. Democracy can exist only where the soldiers are the servants, not the masters, of the state. The military in Burma is different, the Burmese army is unlikely to assume the servant role, so until it does, the prognosis for Burmese democracy cannot be good. Because the Myanmar military is going to stay in power indefinitely.

BL: Thats what they want to do, yes. But you have to remember also when the military first seized power in 1962. It was at a time when there were military coups all over the world, in the so-called Third World. I mean Thailand had coups, a couple years later there was the turmoil in Indonesia, Africa, Latin America and so on. But in most countries, the military were content with seizing political power and they left economic power, running the economy, to other interests. Take Thailand for instance, there was a marriage of convenience between the military and the Sino-Thai plutocracy. And they let them run the business, and thats why Thailands entirely prosperous today. Indonesia had a very similar kind of arrangement, and other countries too. But the 1962 coup in Burma was different because the military seized political as well as economic power. And that economic power was what they called the Burmese Way to Socialism. In which everything was nationalized and placed under military-controlledthey would say state-controlled but it was mainly military-controlledstate corporations. [] Even when they started introducing new economic reforms after 1988, theyre dependent the military is still a strong player. And the so-called cronies are entirely dependent on military support. And the relationships between the cronies and the military is not the same as between the rich Thai entrepreneurs and the government, with the military here [in Thailand]. Here they kind of let each other run their own thing. And then everyone benefits from it.

Now the military is going after some of the cronies too. But how can you do that if you want to see the country develop? So, the power structure in Burma is so different from any other country Im aware of really. You have a military which [holds] economic and political power  and wants to control everything. But if you can break that. Well, I dont know how it is going to work  to be frank. But it can only happen from within the military. And the problem there is of course that if there is a serious split in the military, not just some defections, they you may have to see a very bloody civil war.

AZ: Always great to talk to you, Bertil. Thank you so much.

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Min Aung Hlaing officially opens the main lecture hall at Dhammaduta Chekinda University.

Junta suffers recruitment crisis

Over the past year, Myanmar people have developed a deep loathing for the countrys military thanks to its terrible atrocities against civilians. The number of young people opting to join the juntas institutes has consequently plunged, forcing the army to loosen age limits in order to lure fresh recruits.

Previously, applicants to the militarys Defense Services Academy, Defense Services Technological Academy and Defense Services Medical Academy could not be older than 18. But the regime recently announced in newspapers that it has loosened the age limit to 18 years and six months.

Shamelessly, the regime claimed it loosened the age limit at the request of the public. But everyone knows exactly why it has done so. People loathe the military.

While the military is finding it difficult to attract young cadets, it is also suffering from desertions. Central Myanmar, which used to be the main source of recruits for the Myanmar military, has turned out to be a resistance stronghold over the past year. Thousands of young people have joined resistance groups collectively known as the Peoples Defense Force of their own volition to root out military dictatorship in Myanmar.

Monk promoted for loyalty to junta boss

Pro-junta monk Dhammaduta Chekinda has been promoted to become the rector of the International Theravada Buddhist Missionary University in Yangon, according to the junta newspapers June 28 issues.

The monk is known for his summer school programs, in which he teaches teenagers Buddhism and other subjects like civics, attracting hundreds of youngsters annually. The monk has barely appeared in public since the coup and has been tight-lipped about the regimes brutal crackdowns on peaceful protesters, some of whom were the same age as his summer school students.

He was the deputy rector of the International Theravada Buddhist Missionary University before the coup, and became the deputy rector after it. He was present when junta leader Min Aung Hlaing consecrated pagodas, and is overseeing the construction of a Buddha statue in Naypyitaw together with controversial monk Sitagu Sayadaw.

Min Aung Hlaing has also conferred the Agga Maha Pandita religious title on Dhammaduta Chekinda, as well as signing an amendment to the International Theravada Buddhist Missionary University Law that guarantees him the right to hold the rector seat for 15 consecutive years.

Sitagu Sayadaw has also been promoted from joint leading head to the head of the Shwe Kyin Sect, which is the second-largest monastic order of monks in Myanmar.

Regime legal affairs minister says Min Aung Hlaings coup legal

Junta Legal Affairs Minister and Attorney-General of Myanmar Daw Thida Oo attended the 10th St. Petersburg International Legal Forum in Russia from June 28-July 1, where she defended junta leader Min Aung Hlaing.

Daw Thida Oo served as the permanent secretary of the Office of the Attorney-General of the Union under the National League for Democracy government. She became the attorney-general following last years coup and was appointed the minister of the newly established Ministry of Legal Affairs, which Min Aung Hlaing formed to stifle dissent and suppress opposition by changing legal provisions as necessary.

At the International Legal Forum, in which the Russian justice minister participated, Daw Thida Oo defended Min Aung Hlaing by saying the commander-in-chief of Myanmar is authorized by the countrys constitution to exercise the three branches of power. Min Aung Hlaing has formed the State Administration Council as the interim government of Myanmar in accordance with the constitution, she claimed, adding that her Legal Affairs Ministry has been making a strenuous effort to promote justice and disseminate legal knowledge among the public.

The reality, as everyone knows, is that Min Aung Hlaing unlawfully ousted a democratically elected government, and is using every cruel means imaginable to suppress the people revolting against him while self-seeking legal experts such as Daw Thida Oo aid and abet the junta chief with their legal knowledge, despite their vows made before Lady Justice.

Air Force embarrasses junta chief with Thai airspace intrusion

When he met Lieutenant General Apichet Suesat of the Royal Thai Army in the Myanmar capital Naypyitaw on Wednesday, regime chief Min Aung Hlaing held serious discussions on border stability on the Myanmar-Thai frontier, where he is using airstrikes and artillery to crush resistance groups who are trying to topple him. The next day, a MiG-29 from the Myanmar Air Force intruded into Thai airspace while attacking rebels on the border, causing Thai villagers to take refuge in bunkers. As it happens, the area where the incursion took place turned out to be under the command of Lt-Gen Apichet himself. The Royal Thai Air Force responded by scrambling two F-16 fighter jets to patrol the skies over the border district, and lodged a protest with the regime. The juntas Air Force chief, General Htun Aung, has apologized to his Thai counterpart, saying he was sorry and that there would be no recurrence of the incident. The incident is potentially serious for the juntanot because either side believes in love thy neighbor, but because Thailand is one of the few countries that still has warm relations with the regime.
Thousands of people in several Spanish cities are protesting the deaths of at least 23 migrants last week at the frontier between the Spanish enclave of Melilla in Africa and Morocco
French President Emmanuel Macron and his Portuguese counterpart Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, right, pose for a photo with well-wishers outside the venue hosting the United Nations Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Thursday, June 30, 2022. From June 27 to July 1, the United Nations is holding its Oceans Conference in Lisbon expecting to bring fresh momentum for efforts to find an international agreement on protecting the world's oceans.
By Xing Xiaojing and Xu Keyue

Zhu Chengshan Photo: Courtesy of Zhu

Japan's frequent interactions with NATO and blatant participation in the US-led military alliance have undermined peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, causing particular concern, said Zhu Chengshan, former curator of the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders, on Wednesday.

On the same day, Fumio Kishida will become the first Japanese prime minister to attend the NATO summit in Madrid, Spain, which is expected to collude with NATO members, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea to counter China. Japan's advocacy of an "Asian NATO" or "global NATO" is widely considered to go against the times and could lead to a new cold war or even a hot war.

"As a member of Asia, why does Japan insist on bringing trouble to the East? Why is Japan intent on returning to the old path of militarism? Why does it undermine the hard-won peace and stability in East Asia? This is the question for all who do not wish to see history repeat itself," Zhu asked.

The lessons of the 20th century show that war is the biggest "man-made disaster" and that aggression, expansion and plunder are the sources of it, the former curator said, noting that "Today, in the 21st century, peaceful development has become the theme of the world while the 'Greater East Asia War' advocated by Hideki Tojo and other Japanese militarists has long been swept to the dustbin of history."

"Why do Japanese militarists still linger on? Why is there always someone in Japan obsessed with war and violence? Why is there always someone in Japan who is out of step with the world trend toward peace?" Zhu continued to ask.

Japan should draw lessons from history, bid farewell to militarism, condemn aggression and expansion, live in peace and friendship with other Asian countries and jointly build, maintain and develop a peaceful and tranquil environment in Asia, Zhu urged.

"History often reappears and exists in amazing ways," Zhu warned.

In September 1940, Japan, Germany and Italy signed a Tripartite Pact, which promoted Eurasia to become the birthplace of WWII. The treaty notably called on the signees "to assist one another with all political, economic and military means" when any one of them was attacked by a power at present not involved in the European War or in the "Sino-Japanese Conflict."

Zhu pointed out that this period of history is a mirror, but also a sobering medicine. The Japanese militarists at that time followed the external expansion policy of "leaving Asia for Europe" and "establishing a Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere," and gradually went astray toward the war of aggression, Zhu said.

Now, Japan has frequent interactions, flirting with NATO and its blatant participation in the US-led military alliance has undermined peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, raising concerns among Asian people, Zhu said.

The so-called Indo-Pacific Strategy is part of a major transformation unseen in the world in a century, which is characterized by the US' efforts to promote its world hegemony through coercion and sanctions, Zhu said.

"It is worth noting that Japan's right-wing forces have long been bitter about its defeat in WWII, hoping one day they can break the constraints of the Peace Constitution, and attempt to become a 'normal country' both politically and militarily," Zhu said.

At present, the Japanese government is keen to take a ride on the US-led Indo-Pacific Strategy, expanding its military presence, breaking through the limitation of "self-defense" and acting as a "follower" of the US, which is a very dangerous signal, Zhu warned.

It is an indisputable fact that "the seed of militarism" still exists in Japan, and we must be on guard against the resurgence of Japanese militarism, Zhu told the Global Times in an exclusive interview.

"The Japanese government's miseducation of distorting historical facts over the years is an important reason for this phenomenon," he pointed out.

After the war, the Japanese government has always taken a veiled and ambiguous attitude toward its history of aggression. Japanese textbooks have always avoided the real history education, tampering with the "invasion" of China as "entry," glamorizing the "brutal conquest" of Asia as the "liberation" of the continent. Also, the Nanjing Massacre, in which more than 300,000 people were killed, has been described as "fiction" while forcing Chinese women to work as sex slaves is explained as a "commercial practice," said the former curator.

Zhu said that Japan's history education is more and more deviated from facts, which has caused many Japanese to have a woefully inadequate understanding of their history of aggression, thus many Japanese are confused about who was the perpetrator and who was the victim in WWII.

Also, in recent years, Japan has gone even crazier to hype the "China threat" theory, in an attempt to wipe its history of aggression clean and throw dirty water at China at the same time, said Zhu. "This despicable trick is shameful," he condemned.

Japan's aggression and victimizing of Asian countries, especially China, during WWII has left a tragic page in the history of mankind and the suffering of the Chinese nation. The Nanjing Massacre was one of the most concentrated and representative cases of fascist atrocities committed by Japanese militarists in WWII, and was as devastating a tragedy as the massacre of Jews at the Auschwitz concentration camp, standing as a blood proof of the barbarism that killed humanity and damaged civilization, Zhu accused.

"There is overwhelming evidence of the Nanjing Massacre, leaving behind a large number of human and physical evidence, including more than 4,000 testimonies by survivors of the tragedy. More than 60 survivors of the Nanjing Massacre are still alive today. They are victims and witnesses of this period of history," Zhu said.

"An important task facing us is to inform more Japanese and people around the world about the historical facts of the Nanjing Massacre in an in-depth and lasting way," Zhu stressed.

"Japanese militarism has inflicted untold damage on Asian countries. In the course of my international peace work, I have shared the process with victims from other Asian countries to complain about the atrocities of the Japanese army during WWII," Zhu said. The victims from other Asian countries said that although their nationalities were different, they were all persecuted by the Japanese army, according to Zhu.

Japan must face up to and reflect on its own historical crimes and should not seek military rise by tying up NATO. The people of China and the rest of Asia who suffered at the hands of the Japanese army in WWII and other peace-loving people in the world do not want to see the tragedy of history repeat itself, Zhu said.
Today

Partly cloudy early followed by scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. High 88F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 67F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.

Tomorrow

Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 87F. Winds light and variable.
Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP announces that purchasers of First High-School Education Group Co., Ltd. (NYSE: FHS) American Depositary Shares (ADSs) in or traceable to First High-School Educations March 2021 initial public offering (IPO) have until Monday, July 11, 2021 to seek appointment in Dagan Investments LLC v. First High-School Education Group Co., Ltd., No. 22-cv-03831 (S.D.N.Y.). Filed by Robbins Geller, the First High-School Education class action lawsuit charges First High-School Education, certain of its top executives and directors, the IPOs underwriters, as well as others with violations of the Securities Act of 1933.

If you suffered substantial losses and wish to serve as lead plaintiff, please provide your information here:

https://www.rgrdlaw.com/cases-first-high-school-education-group-co-ltd-class-action-fhs.html

You can also contact attorney J.C. Sanchez of Robbins Geller by calling 800/449-4900 or via e-mail at [email protected].

CASE ALLEGATIONS: First High-School Education provides tutoring services and operates private high schools in Western China. In the week immediately prior to the IPO  from March 4, 2021 through March 11, 2021  China held its annual Two Sessions parliamentary meetings, where the two main political bodies of China meet, discuss, and reveal plans for Chinas policies involving the economy, military, trade, diplomacy, education, the environment, and other issues. Unbeknownst to investors until after the IPO, Chinese government leaders in attendance at the Two Sessions meetings had proposed  and ultimately adopted  stringent regulations governing the educational industry with material adverse repercussions for First High-School Educations business, operations, and financial prospects.

Specifically, the First High-School Education class action lawsuit alleges that the IPOs Registration Statement made inaccurate statements of material fact because defendants failed to disclose the following adverse
After successfully premiering at Cannes Film Festival 2022 "Decision to Leave" left several viewers including Song Joong Ki and more stunned during its theatrical release.

Helmed by Park Chan Wook, the award-winning director returned to Cannes six years after the blockbuster movie "The Handmaiden" to showcase his masterpiece.

At the film's debut, the movie received a five-minute-long standing ovation, showing how the crowd was in awe of his work.

In addition, he also took home the prestigious Best Director trophy at the 75th Cannes Film Festival for his 11th feature movie.

"Decision to Leave," which stars Park Hae Il, Park Yong Woo, Go Kyung Pyo, Lee Jung Hyun, and Chinese actress Tang Wei, follows the story of a detective who falls in love with a mysterious widow.

Unfortunately, the woman happens to be the prime suspect in his latest murder investigation.

Following its huge success at Cannes Film Festival 2022, the public got to see "Decision to Leave" in theaters as it made a big-screen debut last June 29.

Song Joong Ki, More Industry A-listers Amazed by 'Decision to Leave'

Interestingly several industry A-listers were delighted with how the story was portrayed.

According to an outlet, Song Joong Ki expressed he wanted to watch the movie again.

"I wonder if this is right. I want to see Hae Joon and Seo Rae again. And I want to hear the sound of the waves in the movie again. So, I want to go to the theater and watch it again."

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Song Joong Ki, Jo Han Chul Exude Bromance on the Set of New Revenge Kdrama

The same goes for "Our Blues Star" Cha Seung Won, who mentioned watching it for the second time, adding, "The pleasure of seeing the precariousness of an upright man is exquisite and pitiful."

Meanwhile, director Choi Dong Hoon, the man behind "The Thieves" and "Assassination," said that he was "completely fascinated by 'Decision to Leave,'" adding that he couldn't forget the faces of lead stars Park Hae Il and Tang Wei.

On the other hand, "Veteran" and "Escape from Mogadishu" director Ryu Seung Wan said that he couldn't get over the film.

"My hands and feet were numb after watching the movie. Finally, Korean movies have been brought to the realm of culture! I'm happy to see such a masterpiece."

The overwhelmingly positive comments from these industry personalities further raised the viewers' expectations.

'Decision to Leave' Director on Veering Away from Cliches

In an interview, the Decision to Leave" director spoke about how the film avoids cliches that depict a femme fatale.

As obtained by Korea Times, director Park Chan Wook said that he avoids cliches, by having a multilayered plot.

Moreover, the story features "plenty of melodramatic twists and turns to the seemingly predictable plot" that hooked the viewers throughout the movie.

KDramastars owns this article

Written by Geca Wills
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Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The presidency of the Libyan House of Representatives (Parliament) on Saturday condemned the acts of vandalism and the burning of seats by demonstrators Friday
As all faithful readers of The God Squad know, I am a big fan of holidays.

Holidays, though Id rather call them Holy Days, remind us that there are two kinds of time: Secular time and sacred time.

Secular time is the way we measure ordinary events. Every piece of secular time is equal. Every second is the same as every other second.

Sacred time is different. Sacred times are set apart from the secular times in that they are transformative moments that change us forever.

Some Holy Days are sectarian.

Christmas and Easter and Passover and Ramadan and Diwali are all major religious holidays that are in America but transcend America.

Christmas has definitely shaped American culture in many ways, but it remains the celebration of the birth of Christ.

Some holidays are only holidays in the most superficial sense. Valentines Day and Halloween are the best of them, but then there are many holidays that seem like they were invented by the Chamber of Commerce.

And then there are the holidays we celebrate as Americans that are actually examples of sacred time.

Thanksgiving is a true sacred time because it is about gratitude, and gratitude is a foundational virtue for any decent culture.

Memorial Day is sacred time because it is about sacrifice, and sacrifice is a foundational virtue for any decent culture.

An American holiday

And then there is Independence Day, which is approaching, and which invites us to celebrate America as a whole.

In our deeply and bitterly divided culture, the Fourth of July compels us, particularly this year, to give thanks and prayers for our great experiment in freedom.

For those who feel most deeply that the American experiment in freedom has failed, I want to acknowledge and honor your anger. With all our wealth and will and all of our wisdom, we absolutely should be doing more for the most vulnerable among us.

For those of you who feel that America still represents the best and brightest hope for a world in need of defense and aid and inspiration, I want to acknowledge your patriotism and love of country.

Coming together

Let me suggest a way to bring the two sides in our culture wars together on this Independence Day, and on all the days after it.

If you are angry at America, let out all your gripes  and time them. Then, after say five minutes of griping, force yourself to speak out loudly for the same amount of time about all the things you still love about America.

The same advice for the other side. If you are a full-throated lover of the U.S., give yourself a measured amount of time to describe in detail what you love about America. Then give yourself the exact same amount of time to speak out about the ways America could be better, more equal and more compassionate.

I use this technique to counsel mourners, and I call it spiritual balancing. We need to balance our awareness of what we lack with an awareness of what we still possess.

The Great Seal

Take out a dollar bill. Look at it. Carefully. It shows both sides of the Great Seal of the United States of America, the national symbol of the United States that was designed by Charles Thomson.

The Seal has three Latin mottoes on it, two on one side and one on the other:

Annuit coeptis, which means providence has favored our undertaking, is from Virgils epic poem the Aeneid. It clearly establishes the belief that the agenda of America is not merely political but is an expression of Gods will to see politics used to secure God-given freedoms. I will never forget that during the Capitol riots of Jan. 6, I saw a person hanging from the balcony in the Senate chamber right over the verse annuit coeptis. I remember saying to myself, I dont think so.

Novus ordo secularum is the second motto, and it means, a new order of the ages. This is also from Virgil, in the fourth of his Bucolics. It is another proof that our founders considered the founding of the United States to be not merely the creation of a new state but rather the creation of a new order of human history.

The third motto is the most famous, E Pluribus Unum, meaning out of many, one. It has 13 letters, just like the 13 stripes on the U.S. flag.

I think the three mottoes ought to be read as a single motto: If we try to make a single unity out of our plurality, then God will bless our undertaking and we will create here in America a new order of the ages.

On this Fourth of July, that is what I believe and that is what I pray.

Happy Independence Day!
PLEASANT PRAIRIE  What is a Mathnasium?

The organizers of a new math learning center in Pleasant Prairie plans to introduce just that to the community by hosting a grand opening open house for the new site at noon Tuesday.

The Mathnasium will serve students in grades 1-12 and teach mathematics from addition and subtraction to calculus.

Mathnasiums first franchise opened in 2002 and the company now has over 1,000 locations across the globe, with 14 in Wisconsin including the upcoming Pleasant Prairie location.

Maria Norville, Pleasant Prairie Mathnasium franchise owner and center director, said Mathnasium is an amazing program that is about ensuring students develop a real understanding of math. At the center, Norville said they build on what the students already know and go from there to fill in the gaps.

Theres no calculators in the center, so its all based on just strategy number sense, and really developing that mathematical fluency of numbers so that they really understand counting, and how that counting will eventually lead to understanding multiplication, Norville said. So its not just memorizing your multiplication facts from a flashcard, its developing to know it, like why is 3 times 4 (equal to) 12?

When students join Mathnasium, they take verbal and written assessments to determine which level of math they are at, Norville said. From the assessments, Mathnasium instructors create a customized learning plan for the student.

The learning center offers resources both for students struggling in math and those advanced in math, Norville said. With advanced students, she adds extensions into the students learning plan, which includes more advanced math that students can work on in addition to what they are currently learning in school in order to prepare them for future classes.

The other day, I had a sixth grade girl and shes taking high school math already. So I gave her some algebra readiness, a verbal checkup, and then I gave her an Algebra I exam, Norville said. Shes way above her grade level and shes taking these higher classes. So then, within the curriculum  I tested her at a higher level, making sure that she at least had some understanding of algebra, and then I can include extensions in her work.

Mathnasium is also very reward-based, Norville said, so students are encouraged to work hard on their math skills. Students in the program get reward cards that instructors fill out after grading their worksheets. After students earn a certain number of stars, they can get rewards ranging from candy and chips to AirPods and gaming systems.

The Mathnasium instructors specialize in math and are all required to pass a math competency test, Norville said. She also makes sure instructors have personalities fit to work with students of all ages.

Mathnasium offers two packages for students, a 7-month program and a 12-month program, at varying prices. Norville said parents also have the option to pay for a single month or 2-month membership for their child, with some additional fees.

Mathnasium of Pleasant Prairie is located at 6935 75th St,, Suite D. It is open Mondays to Thursdays 3-7 p.m. and Sundays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

More information is available at www.mathnasium.com/pleasantprairie.
Crowds of abortion rights demonstrators gathered at Civic Center Park Saturday afternoon for a rally hosted by Leaders of Kenosha and Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin.

Around 200 people attended the event outside of the Kenosha County Courthouse, including Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, and state Reps. Tip McGuire, D-Kenosha, and Tod Ohnstad, D-Kenosha. The rally comes after the June 24 U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark court case that legalized abortions in 1973.

Many attendees held signs with pro-abortion rights messages, including a few groups standing by street corners displaying their signs and receiving honks from cars driving by.

LOK Executive Director and Founder Tanya McLean was the first person to speak at the rally, encouraging attendees to vote in November.

If youre not a part of the process, things will never change, McLean said.

Rally attendee Kris Ziesemer said she was around when the U.S. Supreme Court made the decision on Roe v. Wade in 1973. Now, she said, reproductive rights enabled by the court case have been stripped away by the Supreme Court.

Its sad that we have to gather here today, Ziesemer said.

Not just a womens issue

Jennifer Damrow said she attended the rally for her daughter, as well as all the daughters that will suffer from this decision.

Its not just a womens issue, Damrow said. Im terrified by what else could be overturned.

Multiple attendees echoed Damrow in expressing concern for additional court decisions the conservative-majority Supreme Court could overturn next. McLean said other rights, including access to contraceptives and same-sex marriage, could also be targeted by the Supreme Court.

Other speakers and attendees said the Supreme Court decision will disproportionately hurt Black and brown communities. Veronica King, branch secretary and former president of the Kenosha NAACP, said African-American women are going to be severely affected by the Supreme Courts decision on Roe v. Wade.

We need to make our elected officials know who is affected by this, how were affected by this, the impact of being affected by this, King said. Were mad, very mad. We are going to encourage people who arent registered to vote or dont regularly vote that this is our opportunity to have our voices heard.

Justine Hammelev-Jones came to the rally from Pleasant Prairie. The idea of her and others rights being taken away was what pushed her to come out, she said. Jones said she never thought Roe v. Wade would be overturned.

I was just very sad, very emotional and felt bad for people who need help and cant get help, Jones said. The whole idea of womens rights being taken away left me feeling yucky.

Jones said she hopes the U.S. Supreme Courts decision motivates women to vote in the fall.

Vote and become an educated voter. See whats going on. You have to be looking around, Jones said.

Abby Turley, 24, of Milwaukee, also said she hopes the decision inspires young people to vote. Turley was among the attendees standing on street corners to display pro-choice signs.

Im here to be loud and proud. Its really unfortunate a lot of people in America suffer from ignorance, Turley said. Were out here trying to spread our message and make sure that its seen. Were on the street corner so all the cars, all the traffic can see us out here.

With Independence Day on Monday, Turley said she has nothing to celebrate except for my rights, my body and what I believe in.

Its just crazy that the Fourth of July is Independence Day but we have none, Turley said.
Within the bright, colorful walls of Lemon Street Gallery, Islands of Brilliance, a Milwaukee-based nonprofit, held a workshop for neurodiverse people and their families titled Sandbox.

The workshop, which is making its way to different cities within Wisconsin, hit the road for the first time this year, and it features different aspects of programming offered at the nonprofit. The organization aims to teach an art, design and STEM-based curriculum to help those on the autism spectrum gain technical skills and practice social and emotional learning.

Angela Ruesch attended the workshop along with her children after learning of the event at an autism conference.

I think it (Sandbox) is amazing, Ruesch said.  Especially because you can bring siblings .

The workshop began with an activity called Natterdays, which is designed to help people with storytelling skills. Participants filled out a Mad Libs-style worksheet and an about me worksheet and shared their work with the rest of the group.

The next part of the workshop was the Doodle Lab, in which participants created different works of art on iPads via procreate and traditional paper and pencil.

The workshop concluded with Smactivities, in which participants constructed objects out of popsicle sticks, paper, pipe cleaners, googly eyes and more. Some creations included an origami dinosaur and a monster truck made from foam circles and pipe cleaners.

Its been really exciting to be in different areas of Wisconsin, said Natalie Derr, a creative technologist for Islands of Brilliance. I think the more we can get out there and get our word out, the more that we can spread this and have more people participate.

Islands of Brilliance was founded by Mark and Margaret Fairbanks, who have a son on the autism spectrum, in 2012.

When their son was younger, their son noticed Mark using a digital illustration software and asked to try. After minimal instruction, he drew his favorite character at the time  Percy from Thomas the Tank Engine.

And thats when we were like, Oh my gosh, area of interest, technology and a little bit on instruction whats gonna happen? Margaret said.

Margaret and Mark tested their idea of including art, design and STEM-based teaching at Discovery World in Milwaukee and their programs, which are all based around those principles, have grown ever since.

I think its great that theyre bringing awareness for kids with disabilities or autism, Ruesch said.  I think thats so great.
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"Why should I not let my voice be heard? Why should I not protest with these other people who have brought their small children here? Their little girls don't know the rights that they had? They'll never know them now," Monique Wilson, a protester said.
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Participants of the World Korea Forum make the Shaka sign, a Hawaiian hand greeting, during the World Korea Forum held at the Center for Korean Studies at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa in Honolulu, from June 29 to 30 (local time). The event was held to commemorate the 120th anniversary of the arrival of first-generation Korean immigrants in Hawaii. Korea Times photo by Lee Hyo-jin



Scholars, experts discuss first-generation Korean immigrants to Hawaii, marking 120th anniversary of their arrival



By Lee Hyo-jin



HONOLULU  It was on Jan. 13, 1903, when the first organized group of Koreans arrived on the shores of Honolulu. Numbering slightly over 100, they became the first-generation Korean immigrants in Hawaii. Over the next two-and-a-half years, nearly 7,400 Koreans immigrated to Hawaii in search of a new future, escaping famine and the turbulent political climate in their home country amid imminent Japanese colonization.



But life wasn't as glorious as they had expected. They worked in sugarcane and pineapple fields from early morning to sundown, earning about 60 cents per day.



Despite the hardships, the immigrants stayed on and continued living in Hawaii. After their contracts on farms ended, many Koreans left for better jobs in cities, where they formed families, established schools for their children and built churches to fulfill their spiritual and communal needs.



Since then, throughout the last century, Korean Americans in Hawaii have greatly contributed to the diversity and vibrant culture of the island state. Currently, about 50,000 residents in Hawaii consider themselves ethnically Korean.



A recent forum held in Honolulu brought together scholars, lawmakers and civic activists to shed light on the lives of the first-generation immigrants in Hawaii, and explore how the Korean government might build relations with the 7.5 million overseas Koreans living across more than 180 countries.



The participants also discussed other pending issues such as emerging threats on the Korean peninsula amid the intensifying U.S.-China rivalry and Korea's role in establishing peace and prosperity in the East Asian region.





Panelists at the World Korea Forum held from June 29 to 30 at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, in Honolulu. Korea Times photo by Lee Hyo-jin



The World Korea Forum, hosted by the Korea Global Foundation (KGF), took place at the Center for Korean Studies in the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, the oldest and largest research center dedicated to Korean studies in North America, from June 29 to 30 (local time).



The foundation has been organizing the annual forum since 2000 in different cities around the world, including New York, Sydney, Berlin, Moscow and Brussels, inviting various opinion leaders and prominent figures to exchange ideas on pending issues.



This year's event took place in Hawaii to mark the 120th anniversary of the arrival of Korean immigrants to the archipelago.



The forum was attended by Rhee Tshang-chu, head of the KGF, David Lassner, president of the University of Hawai'i, Baik Tae-ung, head of the Center for Korean Studies, Hong Seok-in, the consul-general of the Republic of Korea in Honolulu, Joseph Detrani, the former U.S. special envoy to North Korea, Lee Duk-hee Murayabashi, head of the Korean Immigration Research Institute in Hawaii, among others.



It kicked off with an opening speech by Rhee, the organizer of the forum.





Rhee Tsang-chu, head of the Korea Global Foundation, delivers an opening speech during World Korea Forum in Honolulu, Hawaii, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Lee Hyo-jin



"Korean history encompasses the achievement of independence from Japanese colonization, reconstruction (after the Korean war), industrialization and democratization. All of these would have been impossible without the efforts and contributions of Koreans living in the country and abroad," Rhee said.



"At this point of time when the country is facing various challenges fueled by inequality and polarization, I hope this forum will become an opportunity to promote peace, harmony and prosperity," he continued.



The opening speech was followed by a commemorative speech from Lassner, who said, "Hawaii is a special place where the East meets the West, serving as the gateway of the U.S. into the Indo-Pacific and Asia. The themes of this forum illuminate the compelling and challenging issues in Korea and Asia at this time."



On the first day, panelists engaged in discussions about new challenges related to the economy and diplomacy in East Asia following the recent launch of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) from the Quad strategic security dialogue. They also looked into the roles of international organizations in establishing peace on the Korean peninsula.



The second day of the forum focused on recent studies of first-generation Korean immigrants in Hawaii and the current situation of the Korean diaspora around the world.



In his keynote speech, Mitch Roth, the mayor of Hawaii County, analyzed the characteristics of the Korean diaspora in Hawaii.



"I don't think that the first-generation Korean immigrants moved to Hawaii just for work. They merged themselves into the melting pot looking for a new future for themselves and their families," he said.



"Immigrants from Korea, Japan, China and the Philippines who worked together on plantations were segregated at first. They stuck to themselves. But over time, they gradually learned to live with each other. Now, almost all the residents of Hawaii come from mixed heritage, and they are proud of it," Roth said, expressing gratitude to the early Korean immigrants for greatly contributing to the peaceful coexistence of different ethnicities and cultures on the archipelago.



Lee, the president of the Korean Immigration Research Institute in Hawaii, gave a presentation about the history of Korean immigrants in Hawaii. "Although the immigrants initially came to Hawaii to escape from starvation in their home country, they successfully found new homes here thanks to their hard-working spirit, which still remains as a big motivation to their descendants."



Moon Kyung-hee, a professor of international relations at Changwon National University, shared the results of her studies on the analysis of gravestones and epitaphs of Korean immigrants. Along with Kim Joo-young, an archaeologist, she visited over 160 gravestones in Hilo and Kona on the Big Island, many of which were neglected.





Kim Joo-young, an archaeologist at Changwon National University, gives a presentation about the results of his study analyzing the tombstones of early Korean immigrants in Hawaii. Korea Times photo by Lee Hyo-jin



"The epitaphs told us many undiscovered facts about early Korean immigrants," said Kim. "In addition to basic information about their name, religion, occupation, age, they identified their hometown in Korea, which reflects a sense of longing for their home country."



Some panelists shared insights on how the government can increase ties with overseas Koreans.



Yang Hyang-Ja, a member of the National Assembly, said the government should increase efforts to embrace and empower young ethnic Koreans residing overseas, through the launch of a Korean version of "Birthright Israel," a program partially funded by the Israeli government inviting young Jews on free trips to Israel.





Lawmaker Yang Hyang-ja speaks during the Korea Global Forum held at the Center for Korean Studies at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Lee Hyo-jin
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International Navy ships assemble for a photo exercise off the coast of Hawaii during the Rim of Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) 2018, on July 26, 2018 in the Pacific Ocean. Photo: AFP

Washington, which is busy with the "diplomatic show" of the G7 and NATO summits at the Atlantic Ocean, launched a "military show" in the Pacific Ocean. The RIMPAC (Rim of the Pacific) 2022 led by the US began on June 29 and will continue until August 4. This year, a total of more than 25,000 personnel from 26 countries are participating in the world's largest multinational maritime military exercise and the deployment of unmanned systems, fighter jets, and large-scale warships has reportedly set a record.

The RIMPAC was a product of the Cold War, and the imaginary enemy at that time was the Soviet Union. Some US media said the target of RIMPAC is self-evident, which is China that has not been invited. Many American and Western analysts have said this military exercise is to send a message to China - "China's expansion in the West Pacific region will be obstructed and defeated." Perhaps they wish to rename the "Rim of the Pacific" to the "Rim of China" to better deter China. But everyone knows that this is self-deceit of the US and several of its followers, and it does not represent the collective attitude of the 26 countries participating in the exercise.

A Southeast Asian military officer who participated in the exercise likened the RIMPAC to a party at sea. It must be the real thought of many participating countries. From another point of view, this shows that they are only here to participate in a party, not to be drawn as a member to oppose or confront another country. It is not difficult to see that most countries are consciously keeping a distance from the anti-China actions of the US. This constitutes a paradox: the bigger the scale of RIMPAC and the more countries participating, the more the directionality and the military and political significance expected by Washington will be weakened. It is turning into more of a farce.

The target newly set up by the US for the RIMPAC is a false one. Where does "China's expansion in the West Pacific region" come from? One only sees that the US is increasing its intervention in the region. This time, the US invited a number of South China Sea claimant countries. Its intention to stir up trouble and sow discord in the South China Sea is obvious. But few countries are willing to follow Washington in the muddy waters of "geopolitical competition."

The Russia-Ukraine conflict has given Washington more excuses to get its hands on the Pacific. The US Navy's press release publicly declared that the military exercise aims to "deter and defeat aggression by major powers across all domains and levels of conflict," which is almost a replica of Tokyo's so-called "Ukraine today, Taiwan Straits tomorrow" rhetoric. However, in the past few years, NATO conducted numerous military exercises and deterrence against Russia, which only intensified contradictions but did not "frighten" anyone. What's more, the situation around the Taiwan question is completely different. No matter how much bluffing external forces make, their speculative mentality in the Taiwan Straits is vulnerable to the will and determination of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.

Unlike in the past when the joint exercises were mostly attended by Pacific countries, nearly half of the 26 countries participating in this year's exercise are NATO members or partners. Japan and South Korea, which were just invited to participate in the NATO Summit as the bloc's partner countries in the Asia-Pacific region, have shown an active attitude this time. South Korea not only sent its largest military force since its first participation in the exercise in 1990, its amphibious assault ship ROKS Marado will also be deployed. The participation of Japan's destroyer Izumo for the first time after it was converted into a light aircraft carrier is also eye-catching. The greatest destructiveness of the RIMPAC is reflected in the poisoning of the atmosphere of regional peace, and the eventual degree of damage will depend on the immunity of countries in the Asia-Pacific region to the US Cold War clamor.

Although it wants to use "great power competition" to muddy the waters of the Pacific Ocean, the hegemonic power of the US is limited, so it uses the method of "wooing one faction and fighting another." As long as most countries do not follow the US, its various irresponsible behaviors will face more constraints. Otherwise, the atmosphere for peace and development, not only in the Asia-Pacific region, but even the world, will be ruined by the US. Regional countries and even the international community must always maintain a high degree of vigilance toward this as well as toward the RIMPAC.
For would-be entrepreneurs ready to roll up their sleeves as restaurateurs, $1.7 million will fetch them a super-sized slice of the Walworth County dining action, a piece of pie  pizza, that is.

One of Walworth Countys most popular and iconic Italian eateries, Upper Crust Pizzeria & Pub, N1070 County Hwy. H in Pell Lake (Bloomfield), has been listed for sale with @properties Lake Geneva.

After a literal near lifetime in the restaurant business, starting at age 11 working in a tiny sidewalk Chicago red hot stand for a quarter and a hot dog a day, veteran 77-year-old restaurateur Ronald J. Ronnie Mikrut, Sr. is looking to hang up his apron.

I love it, I love every day Im here, but theres a time you start slowing down and its hard to keep up with the pace, he explained. Its time to retire. Its time. At my age, its just hard handling everything.

Stephanie and Ronnie Mikrut, owners of Upper Crust Pizzeria & Pub, Pell Lake Pell Lake residents and restaurateurs Stephanie and Ronnie Mikrut have listed Upper Crust Pizzeria & Pub for sale with @properties Lake Ge

A bittersweet decision

Mikrut said listing Upper Crust, opened in 1991, wasnt an easy decision.

If it sells, when it sells, for me its gonna be bittersweet, he said. I like what Im doing. Like I say, bittersweet. Im thinking about it. Its gonna be good and its gonna be bitter. Im gonna be sad to leave. Im gonna be happy that I can retire and take my wife and do things and spend more time with my family outside of working, but then Im also gonna miss it  what do I do now?  because Im also so used to doing it every day. I love it. I love what Im doing. I walk in here every day, seven days a week, and I like it.

Case in point, Mikrut said a couple months of quiet recuperation at home two years ago following a quadruple heart bypass was like hell as he chomped at the bit to get back into action at the restaurant.

I like being here, he said of Upper Crust, taking a break from making from-scratch pizza dough during his pre-opening prep time.

When Upper Crust is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, Mikrut can be found at the restaurant working on payroll and placing orders among other tasks. Wednesday through Sunday, Mikrut does kitchen prep work in the morning and early afternoon, takes a few hours off, and then returns at 4 p.m. to hit it hard for the night, overseeing back-of-house operations and the restaurants fiery pizza room, where two towering carousel-styled pizza ovens can fit up to 64 pizzas simultaneously to accommodate the restaurants brisk dine-in, carry-out and delivery trade, the latter served by a fleet of six delivery cars, several equipped with special warming ovens.

If you havent guessed already, running a popular, family-friendly, independent restaurant is an intensive, all-consuming business. Not including attending multi-day national pizza industry expos, Mikrut, the father of three sons and one daughter  Ronald Jr., David, Cole and Jamie  said his last vacation vacation was in 1975.

With this you dont have a vacation, he said. My family always got away to get a vacation, but I stuck it out with the business. It was hard for me to leave. Thats why it (selling) is gonna be bittersweet. Its hard to leave.

When the restaurant does sell, Mikrut, who runs Upper Crust with the assistance of his wife Stephanie, 58, who serves as front-of-house manager, and his son Cole, a 5-year cook and restaurant manager, will have the satisfaction of going out at the top of his professional game, a rare feat few achieve.

Business is great and it gets better all the time, he said, noting that the restaurants expansive 3.5-acre site was purchased with an eye for future expansion of both the 7,000-square-foot restaurant and its paved parking area. Were busy all the time. We put out a good pie. A lot of pizza goes out of here  a lot of pizza.

Its that purposeful busyness of the restaurant business that Mikrut will miss.

Maybe the new guy that takes over will give me a job, Mikrut laughs, only half joking.

As front-of-house manager and for many the public face of Upper Crust, Stephanie said she shell also miss the restaurant when it sells and changes hands.

I will miss the customers, she said. I enjoy seeing the people and becoming a part of their lives. Its a family place. You get personal. They become a part of your life. Its like family. It is family. Its like our home.

Functionally it is.

We spend more time here than we do at home, Ron laughs. We might as well put a bed in here.

Home, its often said, is where the heart is. Chatting with the Mikruts off hours in the restaurants 100-seat, antiques-laden dining room, its evident through their easy laughter, broad smiles, twinkling eyes and occasional tears that the couple have put their heart and soul into the restaurant.

Upper Crust, Ron said, has been as much about making memories with employees and customers over the generations as is it has been about making his thin crust and signature Sicilian-style pizzas.

Theres a lot of memories here, he said. A lot of memories. Over the years a lot of good things have happened here.

But the making of new memories awaits as retirement nears on the horizon with the restaurants recent listing.

Stephanie said retirement will give Ron more time to devote to his other true passion of antiquing and junking.

I like buying and selling antiques and stuff, so maybe Ill do that a little bit, Ron said.

But the conversation always circles back to his first true passion, the restaurant business.

People dont really retire, he reflected. They retire, they slow down for awhile, take it easy, do what they want and then they get bored. I know a lot of older people that have done it. Then they go take a job. And if I was to take a part-time job, Id probably come knock on the door here and say, Hey, you need a prep guy for the morning? I love it. Im up early every morning. I come in, do my job  When it comes time, will I sell it? I will, but in my mind Im saying, Oh God, what am I gonna do?

Living in Pell Lake for the past 49 years, Mikrut said he cant imagine living anywhere else.

I wouldnt want to go anywhere else, he said. Im happy in Pell Lake. Pell Lake has been great to us.

Deep roots

Mikrut cut his teeth in the restaurant business as a pre-teen in his native Chicago and never left the business. Its a run thats 66 years in the making and counting.

A nostalgic soul, Mikrut is never far from his roots, his old wooden red hot stand displayed in the Upper Crust dining room above the restaurants entryway.

Thats where it all started in 1959, he said during a tour of the restaurant, recalling his early days selling 20-cent red hots and 10-cent tamales. Thats what started it all. Thats what started all this. Ive never had a job in all my life outside the restaurant business.

Ronnie Mikrut and his first restaurant venture, Ronnie's Red Hots, a Chicago food stand Veteran restaurateur Ronald Ronnie Mikrut, Sr. started his career in 1959 when he took ownership of this small woodframe red hot and tamale 

Possessed of a strong work ethic, a go-getting 11-year-old Mikrut got a part-time cleaning job at best friend and mentor Jay Baumls red hot stand at the busy bus stop corner at 18th and Laflin streets in Chicagos Pilsen neighborhood, working the red-and-white stand for a quarter a day and a hot dog.

After a week, he gave me $3 a week and all the hot dogs I could eat, Mikrut recalled. After the first month I ran the place and made $10 a week.

When Bauml opened a brick-and-mortar restaurant in 1959, he gifted a 14-year-old Mikrut with the stand, which was renamed Ronnies with the slogan Our Dogs Dont Bite. Mikrut immediately invested his saved earnings into the business, buying a steamer and a light and capitalizing contracts with bun and hot dog suppliers.

I was in business for $75, he recalled.

Not surprisingly, the retro nostalgic old red hot stand that started it all is near and dear to Mikruts heart, with a chef-hatted, apron-wearing Ronnie manikin inside the stand at the counter, grilling Vienna red hots and ready to take orders.

Thats something Ill have all my life til I die, that stand, he said. That wont stay here  That goes with me. Maybe theyll bury me in it. I dont know.

Becoming a year-round stand with an add-on roof in 1962, Mikrut opened a brick-and-mortar red hot restaurant in 1966, adding his first pizza oven as he expanded his business and menu.

Opening Ronnies Vienna Red Hots in downtown Lake Geneva in 1973 after moving his family across the Illinois-Wisconsin border to Pell Lake, Mikrut built and opened Ronnies Place across from McDonalds at 131 W. Wells St. in 1980, expanding the building five times during his ownership.

It was the first real hot dog stand to come to Lake Geneva, he said of trailblazing Ronnies Vienna Red Hots and Ronnies Place, which catered to the areas significant Chicago tourist trade and introduced Wisconsinites to popular Windy City fare like Chicago Dogs and Italian beef sandwiches. There was nothing like it when we opened up. It was Vienna red hots. Everyone up here from Chicago knew what it was.

At his busiest, prolific entrepreneur Mikrut once operated five Lake Geneva businesses simultaneously  White River Antiques, Lake Geneva Junk Shop, Super Tan of Lake Geneva, Ronnies Place and The Boardroom with Roger Eck.

When opportunity knocked in 1991, Mikrut built and opened Upper Crust Pizzeria & Pub on County Hwy. H at Clover Road in rural Pell Lake.

After more than six decades in the competitive, dog-eat-dog restaurant business, Mikruts entrepreneurial passion burns as red hot as the steamed Chicago red hots that launched his restaurateuring career.

I like everything about it, he said of the restaurant business. I enjoy the cooking, I enjoy the people. I have people coming in here that were my customers in Chicago. They were little kids and now theyre grown up and bringing their kids and grandkids in  generations of people.

Upper Crust Pizzeria & Pub's Sicilian-styled sausage and pepperoni pizza Among the specialties of the house at Upper Crust Pizzeria & Pub in Pell Lake (Bloomfield) are the Sicilian-styled pizzas featuring fresh 

Upper Crust

When he opened Upper Crust in Pell Lake back in 1991, Mikrut said many people thought he was crazy. But the bucolic setting in rural Walworth County farm country is deceiving. Mikrut knew what he was doing.

Theres cows across the street, corn in the field, you smell the farm, he noted. People said, What are you doing out there? But from Day One we were busy  Theres attorneys, theres accountants, theres roofers, theres plumbers, theres carpenters  everybody. Everybody blends and is comfortable  People come in here with suits and ties and they come in here covered in tar and sawdust and mud  This is an everyday local pizzeria.

Longtime customers followed him, making the short 10-minute drive from Lake Geneva. Mikrut said nice living Pell Lake is populated with blue collar good people. And diagonally-cutting Hwy. H is a busy, well-trafficked shortcut from metro Chicago through Genoa City to Lake Geneva.

Over the decades, Upper Crust has cultivated a large following, drawing year-round diners from Lake Geneva, Kenosha, Delavan, Twin Lakes and beyond.

This is a destination, Mikrut said of Upper Crust, decorated with an eclectic, whimsical decor of vintage antiques and quirky decorative finds that cater to his sideline hobby as a picker. They know theres plenty of parking. They know theres plenty of seats. They know the food is good. They know we care.

In addition to his customers, Mikrut has also cultivated lasting longtime relationships with his employees, including kitchen and prep manager Kenny Nelson, who has been with Mikrut since Upper Crust opened more than 30 years ago as one of his most loyal employees. Other loyalists include a family that has made working for Mikut in Lake Geneva and Pell Lake a four-generation family tradition.

A lot of good people, he said.

When retirement does come with a sale of Upper Crust Pizzeria & Pub to new owners, the Mikruts will leave with a profound sense of gratitude.

We have a saying here  without you there would be no Upper Crust, Ron said. We cherish our customers.

Learn more

Upper Crust Pizzeria & Pub, N1070 County Hwy. H in Pell Lake (Bloomfield), is open for carry-out and delivery Wednesday-Thursday, 4-8 p.m.; Fridays, 4-9 p.m.; Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sundays, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. The restaurant is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

Call ahead for dining room hours at 262-279-2233.

Only cash or personal checks accepted. An ATM is available in the front lobby.

For more information, visit

or

.
New stuff doesnt usually have the character I adore  the rust, the chipped paint, the history.  Heather Salazar

As a passionate lifelong collector of vintage antiques that make my nostalgic heartstrings sing like virtuoso Itzhak Perlman playing Mendelssohns Violin Concerto in E on his 1714 Stradivarius, last weeks assignment to cover the June 26 Elkhorn Antique Flea Market was hardly an arm-twister, even for pulling duty on a Sunday afternoon.

Having been bitten by the antique bug early in life and hardwired with an innate interest in Wisconsin and American pop culture history, its not altogether surprising that my arm shot up so fast to volunteer for duty that the ensuing sonic boom, so I was told, rattled windows as far afield as Beloit.

It certainly would not come as a surprise to my wife, who has patiently endured my multiplicity of collecting interests for the past 36 years, among them author Rex Stouts golden age Nero Wolfe detective fiction novels, glass root beer drive-in mugs, vintage coffee tins and a broad array of ephemera related to the A&P supermarket chain of yore  and thats just the short list for starters.

A favorite read of my childhood and early adulthood as a budding journalist, wannabe newspaper columnist and picker-in-training, Ohio-born syndicated newspaper humor columnist and author Erma Bombeck perhaps said it best when she surmised that the entire movement to acquire antiques was born out of sheer respect of things that lasted longer than fifteen minutes in this age of planned obsolescence.

And, as it turns out, Im not the only one with a reverent respect and appreciation for the old things, given the estimated 10,500 kindred spirits who turned out en masse Sunday at the Walworth County Fairgrounds for the day-long Elkhorn Antique Flea Market, the second of four shows being held in 2022, the first having been held back on May 15.

Lake Geneva residents Nick and Amy Nottestad, owners of the Elkhorn Antique Flea Market Lake Geneva residents Nick and Amy Nottestad are in their second year of ownership of the Elkhorn Antique Flea Market, now in its 41st season 

Lake Geneva co-owners

Lake Geneva resident Amy Nottestad, in her second year co-owning the Elkhorn Antique Flea Market with her husband, Nick, is no stranger to the popular, long-running show.

Ive been involved with the show for at least ten years working for the original owner, she said. I would do parking lot. I would do main gate. I would do all the jobs.

When Elkhorn Antique Flea Market owner Nona Knapp wanted to retire after a 40-year run, the Nottestads stepped in to seamlessly continue the business.

We said, Hey, lets give a shot at taking it over, Amy recalled. She started it in 1981 with 10 vendors, people who were just into antiques. Now, were anywhere from 550-590 vendors from all over the country because there just arent any shows left in the country like it. We keep out the tube socks, we keep out the shampoos. Its strictly vintage and antiques, 1970s and older, and we really try hard to keep people to that criteria.

Careful adherence to that core focus on vintage items and antiques has made the Elkhorn Antique Flea Market popular with attendees and built its local, state, regional and national reputation.

People know the merchandise theyll find here  the vintage antiques, she noted. Not reproductions. Not commercial sales.

Another contributor to the shows longstanding success is its convenient central location, just minutes off Interstate 43.

Elkhorn in smack in the middle of Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison, Amy noted. People can easily access this show. A couple hours and all those cities are here.

One day only

The other key to the Elkhorn Antique Flea Markets longstanding success, she said, is its enduring foundational emphasis on conducting one-day shows, rather than moving to a multi-day model.

Once you turn it into more than a day, the fun of the hunt and the urgency is all gone, Amy said. If youre open for several days, people are, Ill get there if I get there. The one-day show really puts people in the gotta get there before everyone else, gotta get there before its all gone mindset.

With nearly 600 vendors spread out across the sprawling 10-acre fairgrounds complex, including inside eight buildings, Amy said the Elkhorn Antique Flea Market is best experienced on a day-long visit with a good pair of walking shoes.

Plan on a full day and take your time, she said. Youll find things here that you wont find anywhere else if you really slow down to look. Youll find something here. Everybody leaves with something.

Paul Nottestad agrees.

The variety is unbelievable, he said. Its pretty awesome. If you can think of it, youll probably find it here.

Lots and lots of food

Conveniently, nine on-site local food vendors dot the fairgrounds with a variety of breakfast, lunch, snack and dessert fare to provide treasure-hunters and vendors alike with the sustenance needed to tackle southeast Wisconsins largest antique flea market  iconic Wisconsin food staples running the gamut from bratwursts to cream puffs to deep fried cheese curds and everything in between, including burgers, hot dogs and pulled pork, ribeye steak, grilled cheese and butterflied pork sandwiches.

Area restaurants and nonprofit community clubs and organizations operating concessions at the Elkhorn Antique Flea Market include Buffalo Bills, Say Cheese, Big Foot Future Farmers of America (FFA), Elkhorn FFA, Elkhorn Lions Club, T. Best Concessions, Happy Camper Coffee, Leftys Too, Thelens, Whitewater Lions Club, Walworth County 4H House of Pork, and Lopezs Anchor Inn.

We try to give back to the community, Amy said. We try to get all of our food vendors local.

Architectural salvage on display at the Elkhorn Antique Flea Market Among the hot new retro chic decorating trends in recent years has been the presevation-mined inclusion of architectural salvage including dec

Not surprisingly, the widespread popularity and carefully-curated purist reputation of the Elkhorn Antique Flea Market has garnered it state and national exposure in recent years, including a No. 3 national ranking from Farmhouse Style magazine and a Road Trip Worthy designation from Country Living magazine.

A video of Discover Wisconsin Televisions visit to the Elkhorn Antique Flea Market, meanwhile, is available online at https://youtu.be/uFUYVUOZDcQ.

High marks

Vendors and treasure-hunting attendees alike give the Elkhorn Antique Flea Market high marks.

Picking and selling from California to Massachusetts, having caught the collecting bug at age 10, Nick Lukianenko of South Haven, Mich. has been selling vintage antiques at the Elkhorn Antique Flea Market for more than 35 of the shows 41 seasons.

Its still the good ol market because its the ol stuff, he said. Its not like all the other markets. Its still the good antiques. Its the best investment you can put your money into.

Having visited the Elkhorn Antique Flea Market previously as buyers, making their vendor debut at Sundays show were Jon and Kristen Cooley of Elk Mound in Dunn County in western Wisconsin.

Its been interesting, Jon said. Its been fun. Weve been vendors at a few other places  Coming to this show as a buyer, we began to think what it would be like to come and sell some of our goods here. Were having a good time and its been pretty successful.

Past successful buying visits at the Elkhorn Antique Flea Market spurred the couple to test the waters as sellers.

What I like is  you just find so many different things, such a wide variety, including a lot of things youd never expect to find, he said. You find things that you really cant find anywhere else, even online sometimes  Its a great place to come and find things, including the unexpected.

4-U Soap tin from Wink Soap Co., Racine Eagle-eyed treasure-hunters can find some retro nostalgic local gems at the Elkhorn Antique Flea Market, including this glycerine hand and hou

Showing off an old school metal watering can, making a third visit to the Elkhorn Antique Flea Market was Dan O. of Rockton, Ill., a stateline-area community between Beloit and 148,655-resident Rockford, Illinois largest city outside the Chicago metropolitan area.

Theres quite a bit out here, he said of his repeat patronage. Every time Im out here theres lots of stuff to see.

Among the first-timers visiting the Elkhorn Antique Flea Market was Amy Marthe of Mazomanie in Dane County, who was walking the fairgrounds in search of farmhouse items for decorating.

Theres lots of variety with the different vendors, she said. I like it. Ill be back, definitely. People should stop by and check it out for themselves.

Also making a first visit to the show were Brad and Courteney Himsel of Winneconne in Winnebago County, who were shopping for wholesale-priced finds to stock their new retail antique store venture, Lily & Sparrow, which is slated for a late July opening.

Its awesome, Brad said of the Elkhorn Antique Flea Market. Theres a lot of good stuff ... We made off really well. We were really happy with what weve been able to get. Weve bought a truck and trailer load. Its been a good day.

Himsel recommends people make the trip to Walworth County to catch future shows, saying the trek to Elkhorn  more than four hours and nearly 260 miles round trip in his case  is well worth the time and effort.

Theres nothing like it in the area, he said. Theres all kinds of stuff. You never know what youre going to find. Its a lot of fun.

Vintage toys, signage and petroliana on display at Elkhorn Antique Flea Market A small section of a single table at one vendor showcases the wide variety of retro vintage items offered for sale at the June 26 Elkhorn Anti

Learn more

The Elkhorn Antique Flea Market is held at the Walworth County Fairgrounds, 411 E. Court St. in Elkhorn. Admission is $5 per person at the gate. Parking is free. No pets allowed. With most vendors operating on a cash basis, multiple ATMs are located on site for the convenience of guests.

Held rain or shine with both indoor and outdoor exhibition areas, the last two show dates of the 2022 season are Sundays Aug. 14 and Sept. 25 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days.

Elkhorn Antique Flea Market show dates for 2023 are May 21, June 25, Aug. 13 and Sept. 24.

For more information on the Elkhorn Antique Flea Market, call 414-525-0820 or visit https://elkhornantiquefleamarket.com.
New Delhi [India], July 2 (ANI/SRV): One of India's leading online legal platforms, FastInfo Legal Services Pvt Ltd is relaunching its Online RTI Application website on July 24, 2022. One must always remember where his roots lie; in connection with the line, FastInfo Group is going to provide free advice for RTI Applications.

The journey of FastInfo Group started with an investment of Rs 1000 and today the company has evolved to become one of the leading companies in the legal sector with a turnover of crores. The first venture of FastInfo Group was Online RTI Application.

Also Read | Rishabh Pants Century in Edgbaston Test Against England Leaves Cricket World in Awe of the Indian Wicket-Keeper Batsman.

Every citizen should have access to public information; however, most people hesitate to file an RTI application simply because of its lengthy procedure and complexity. The Managing Director of FastInfo Group, Rajesh Kewat, has personal experience with this because he was an RTI activist for ten years. He intended to offer that essential assistance through an online portal - Online RTI Application to demonstrate that it is a simple process and that common people can readily assert their rights. It laid the groundwork for a closer relationship with the general public and society.

"We want to encourage people to know their fundamental rights and act on them. RTI is the best weapon to fight against corruption and lazy bureaucrats. With the launch of this website, people can file their RTI applications easily without having to worry about lengthy procedures. Above all we are giving the advice free of cost to bridge the gap between affordability and accessibility, " said Rajesh Kewat, Founder and MD of FastInfo Group.

Also Read | I Look to Give my 100% in Every Match, Says Rishabh Pant After His Heroic Knock of 146 in India vs England 5th Test.

Kewat's first venture, the Online RTI Application, provided him with the chance to give back to society and paved the way for the establishment of five FastInfo Group subsidiaries: FastInfo Class, Online Legal India, Innovative Bharat, OnlyDesi, and Online Class India. The Online RTI Application platform holds a special place in Kewat's heart because it triggered the beginning of his entrepreneurial journey. As a gesture of appreciation towards society and to mark the launch of his first website, he decided to make the advice offered on the Online RTI Application free for the masses.

As far as the future plans of the company are concerned, Kewat plans to provide assistance in the form of chat support round the clock. To connect more to the ground-level reality, activists are to be made a part of the team so as to gain their knowledgeable insights.

Apart from Online RTI Application, FastInfo Group has another venture in the legal domain in the form of Online Legal India. It is one of India's leading online legal service providers. The services offered are company registration, GST registration, consumer complaint and trademark registration to name a few.

The main objective of the company is to provide legal services to the common people at a reasonable cost so that every section of society can afford it and the company is readily working towards it.

This story is provided by SRV. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/SRV)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Hosur (Tamil Nadu) [India], July 2 (ANI/NewsVoir): TVS Motor Company registered a growth of 22 per cent in June 2022 with sales of 308,501 units as against 251,886 units in the month of June 2021.

Two-Wheeler

Also Read | Hamburg Senator Warns of Hot Water Rationing if Gas Shortage Becomes Acute  Latest Tweet by Reuters.

Total two-wheelers registered a growth of 23 per cent in June 2022 with sales increasing from 238,092 units in June 2021 to 293,715 units in June 2022. Domestic two-wheeler registered a growth of 33 per cent with sales increasing from 145,413 units in June 2021 to 193,090 units in June 2022.

Motorcycle registered sales of 146,075 units in June 2022 as against 146,874 units in June 2021. Scooter sales of the Company grew from 53,956 units in June 2021 to 105,211 units in June 2022.

Also Read | Rishabh Pants Century in Edgbaston Test Against England Leaves Cricket World in Awe of the Indian Wicket-Keeper Batsman.

The shortage in the supply of semiconductors has impacted the production and sales of premium two-wheelers. We are working aggressively with alternate sources and taking every effort to improve supplies at the earliest. Some improvement has been seen this month. We are optimistic that volumes will revive to normal levels as semiconductor supplies continue to improve.

International Business

The Company's total exports grew by 8 per cent from 106,246 units in June 2021 to 114,449 units in June 2022. Two-wheeler exports grew by 9 per cent from 92,679 units in June 2021 to 100,625 units in June 2022.

Three-Wheeler

Three-wheeler sales of the Company grew by 7 per cent from 13,794 units in June 2021 to 14,786 units in June 2022.

Electric Vehicle

The domestic two-wheeler sales include TVS iQube Electric sales of 4,667 units in June 2022. This is the highest ever sales of TVS iQube Electric and the sales grew by 77 per cent over May 2022.

First Quarter Sales Performance

During the first quarter of the current financial year, two-wheeler sales grew by 39 per cent increasing from 6.2 lakh units in the first quarter of FY 21-22 to 8.6 lakh units in the current quarter. Three-wheeler of the Company registered a growth of 18 per cent increasing from 0.39 lakh units in the first quarter of FY 21-22.to 0.46 lakh units in the first quarter of the current year.

TVS Motor Company is a reputed two and three-wheeler manufacturer globally, championing progress through Sustainable Mobility with four state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Hosur, Mysuru and Nalagarh in India and Karawang in Indonesia. Rooted in our 100-year legacy of Trust, Value, and Passion for Customers and Exactness, we take pride in making internationally aspirational products of the highest quality through innovative and sustainable processes. We are the only two-wheeler company to have received the prestigious Deming Prize. Our products lead in their respective categories in the J.D. Power IQS and APEAL surveys. We have been ranked No. 1 Company in the J.D. Power Customer Service Satisfaction Survey for consecutive four years. Our group company Norton Motorcycles, based in the United Kingdom, is one of the most emotive motorcycle brands in the world. Our subsidiaries in the personal e-mobility space, Swiss E-Mobility Group (SEMG) and EGO Movement have a leading position in the e-bike market in Switzerland. TVS Motor Company endeavours to deliver the most superior customer experience across 80 countries in which we operate.

For more information, please visit www.tvsmotor.com.

This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)

(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, July 2: Delhi's Patiala House Court on Saturday rejected the bail plea of Alt News co-founder Mohd Zubair and granted 14-day Judicial custody in a case related to an alleged objectionable tweet. Zubair was produced before the court after his 4-day police remand came to an end today. The Delhi Police had sought his judicial custody.

Presenting the argument in the court, Advocate Vrinda Grover, representing Mohd Zubair, said, "The mentioned tweet belonged to film 'Kissi Se Na Kehna' by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, it's a lovely comedy & was allowed by censor board...They say the tweet is provocative & sensitive, but still no direction from Twitter to remove it." The lawyer argued that formatting the phone is not illegal.

"I was not aware of the FIR and phone was not summoned... It's not illegal to format my phone. It is not arms & ammunition, or a drug... It's not illegal to format my phone... I take serious legal & constitutional objections," Grover said.

Meanwhile, Atul Shrivastava, representing Delhi Police sought the dismissal of the bail plea stating that there are donations from countries like Pakistan and Syria and therefore the case is "not just of a simple tweet".

"It is not a case of time-barred... It is still a continuing offence as the tweet is still there... When the film was released, it was not the age of the internet. Donations are from Pakistan, Syria, so considering gravity,it's not just a case of a simple tweet...accused is Pravda Media director, he smartly deleted everything...In such circumstances, bail application should be dismissed...deletion of data from phone after FIR is important."

Delhi Police has sought judicial custody of Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair after his 4-day remand ended on Saturday in a case related to an alleged objectionable tweet. The police have also alleged conspiracy and destruction of evidence in the case by the accused and the relevant sections of the same were added in the FIR.

The police also stated in the court that Zubair received donations from foreign countries.Delhi Police have added three new Sections - 201 (for the destruction of evidence - formatted phone and deleted tweets), 120-(B) (for criminal conspiracy) of IPC and 35 of Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, in the matter.

The FIR against Zubair was lodged on June 20 based on the complaint filed by the Duty Officer of the IFSO unit of the Delhi Police Special Cell which tackles cyber crimes.

Zubair was arrested and sent to one day of police custody after a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against him based on a Twitter posting, which another Twitter handle alleged "hurt Hindu sentiments."

Delhi Police said that Zubair was evasive during questioning and did not cooperate in the investigation. "He was evasive on the questions and neither provided the necessary technical equipment for the purpose of the investigation nor cooperated in the investigation," said Delhi Police senior officials.

(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, July 2: A three-year-old Pakistani child who inadvertently crossed the International Border (IB) was handed over to security personnel of the neighbouring country by the Border Security Force (BSF), the officials said on Saturday.

BSF informed that on Friday at about 7:15 pm, troops of 182 Bn BSF, Ferozepur Sector apprehended one Pakistani child aged approximately 3 years while he crossed the border and entered Indian territory. BSF Hands 3-Year-Old Boy Back to Pakistani Rangers After He Accidentally Crosses Border to the Indian Side.

BSF Hands Over 3-Year-Old Child to Pakistan

On 1st July, troops of 182 Bn BSF, Ferozepur Sector handed over a 3-yr-old child, who had crossed the border to the Indian side inadvertently, to Pakistan Rangers as a goodwill gesture. The child was apprehended at about 7:15 pm & handed over at 9:45 pm: PRO, Punjab Frontier, BSF pic.twitter.com/lSbwV7g7No  ANI (@ANI) July 2, 2022

The said child was unable to reveal anything and was kept under safe custody of BSF, the statement read. As it was a case of inadvertent crossing, BSF further approached Pak Rangers and at about 9:45 pm, said Pakistani child was handed over to Pak Rangers as a goodwill gesture and on humanitarian ground.

"BSF always takes a humane approach while dealing with inadvertent border crossers," it read.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Hyderabad, Jul 2 (PTI) Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao not welcoming Narendra Modi on his arrival in Hyderabad is an insult not to the individual but to the institution of prime minister, the BJP said on Saturday.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP national executive meeting here, Union minister Smriti Irani said it is a usual practice and part of the protocol that a chief minister welcomes the prime minister on arrival in his or her state.

Also Read | Delhi Police Constable Found Dead in Car in Prashant Vihar.

By not welcoming Modi, "KCR has insulted not the individual but the institution," she said.

"The prime minister has given a clarion call for cooperative federalism and in the last eight years met all leaders and deferred to them with respect as is validated by 'maryada'. That KCR has disrupted what has been a constitutionally federal protocol reflects on him," she said.

Also Read | Udaipur Murder Accused Not Its Member, BJP Denies Congress Allegation.

Rao is commonly called KCR.

On a question about KCR's son and state minister KT Rama Rao's swipe at the BJP meet, Irani said that "political clownage" could be the process of his TRS.

"Politics may be a circus for them and the political clownage could be the process of his (KTR) party. But for the workers of BJP, it is for social emancipation and nation building. And for our workers hosting and participating in national executive is matter of national pride," she said.

She also hit back at KTR's statement that what Telangana does today India does tomorrow, and said Telangana is doing dynastic politics.

"What Telangana doing today is dynastic politics and India will never do it tomorrow. This model India will not accept," she said.

Poking fun at the delegates who descended here to attend the BJP meet, KT Rama Rao has asked them to enjoy world famous Hyderabadi Dum Biryani and Irani tea during their stay in the city.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
India supplied the seventh batch of medical assistance to Afghanistan on Thursday consisting of 6 tons of essential medicines as a part of its ongoing humanitarian assistance.

India supplied the seventh batch of medical assistance to Afghanistan on Thursday consisting of 6 tons of essential medicines as a part of its ongoing humanitarian assistance. The consignment was handed over to the Indira Gandhi Hospital, Kabul.

"In view of the urgent appeals made by the United Nations to assist the Afghan people, India has, so far, supplied 20 tons of medical assistance in seven batches, which includes essential life-saving medicines, anti-TB medicines, 500,000 doses of COVID vaccine, etc. These medical consignments have been handed over to the World Health Organization(WHO) and Indira Gandhi Children Hospital, Kabul," MEA said in a statement.

Furthering our commitment to assist people of Afghanistan.



India delivered 6 tons of essential medicines to Afghanistan today.



Press Release  https://t.co/eDUeQOCOld pic.twitter.com/oSdyqqnus7  Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) June 30, 2022



It further added, "In order to ensure food security in Afghanistan, India has provided food assistance of 35,000 MTs of wheat."

Moreover, in the wake of the recent tragic earthquake, India, as the first responder, supplied almost 28 tons of earthquake relief assistance in two relief flights. These relief consignments were handed over to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), the UN World Food Program (WFP) and the Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS).

"Furthermore, India is in the process to ship more medical and wheat assistance to Afghanistan in coordination with the UN agencies on the ground," the MEA statement mentioned.

On June 22, a 5.9-magnitude earthquake jolted parts of Afghanistan including the capital city Kabul killing over 1000 people across Barmal and Giyan districts in Paktika province and Spera district in Khost province.

In addition, at least 1,455 people were injured across three of the six most affected districts of Barmal, Giyan, and Spera - many of them seriously. Over 10,000 houses were destroyed.

In wake of this, India handed over the first consignment on June 23 to support the Afghan nationals affected by the earthquake.

India also deployed a team to the Embassy in Kabul to coordinate the efforts of stakeholders for the delivery of humanitarian aid.

The Taliban welcomed India's decision to return its technical team to continue humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, immediate humanitarian assistance was dispatched to affected areas on June 22, including 10 tons of medical supplies sufficient for 5,400 surgeries and medical treatments covering 36,000 people for three months by WHO.




Jaipur, Jul 2 (PTI) Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday called Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat "useless", using the Hindi word "nikamma", a term he had used for his former deputy Sachin Pilot two years ago.

Gehlot had used the word for Pilot in 2020 during a political crisis in the state triggered by the his former deputy's rebellion against him.

Also Read | Delhi Police Constable Found Dead in Car in Prashant Vihar.

Addressing a party meeting on the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) here, Gehlot said, "We will ask the PM someday why he keeps such a "nikamma" (useless) minister who remains absent-minded in your meetings," Gehlot said.

Gehlot made the remark days after the Union Jal Shakti minister while apparently referring to the political crisis had said at a meeting in Chomu town that had the government changed, water would have reached state areas through the canal project.

Also Read | Udaipur Murder Accused Not Its Member, BJP Denies Congress Allegation.

Gehlot said Shekhawat was present in public meetings of the Lok Sabha elections when PM Modi talked about the ERCP.

Gehlot said state minister Mahesh Joshi during an inter-state conference had innocently said PM Modi had made a promise to declare the ERCP a project of national importance but the Union minister gave him a lecture, saying he would resign if the PM had said even a word about the project.

"He even issued a firman' for the CM and the PHED minister to resign. A central minister who himself was present in the PM meeting is talking about such things. It means that you remain absent-minded. It is not good to remain absent-minded in PM's meetings," Gehlot said.

Referring to a letter written by the secretary, Jal Shakti Ministry, to the state chief secretary, asking not to carry out work on the ERCP without having an inter-state consensus, Gehlot said the Centre does not have the right to stop the work.

"It is our water and funds. The Centre is not giving us funds then why the Centre is not letting people and farmers have their rights," Gehlot said.

He said the project was initiated by the previous BJP government and the Congress government did not stall the work. The prime minister should fulfil the promise of declaring it the project of national importance, he said.

The chief minister said the state government is committed to complete the project and they have released a budget of Rs 9600 crore from the state fund for it.

(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], July 2 (ANI): Soon after the news of Alt News co-founder Mohd Zubair's bail plea being rejected made rounds on Saturday, his lawyer Soutik Banerjee alleged that Delhi Police DCP KPS Malhotra "leaked the order to the media" even before the "magistrate pronounced the order".

He called for an introspection behind the leakage of the magistrate's order before it was officially pronounced.

Also Read | IAF Recruitment 2022: Apply for 21 Group C Civilian Posts of the Indian Air Force; Check Details Here.

Earlier, Malhotra claimed that Zubair's bail plea was rejected by the Patiala House Court and was granted 14-day judicial custody.

The Alt News co-founder was produced before the court after his 4-day police remand ended today.

Also Read | West Bengal Shocker: Building Promoter Shot Dead in Bhatpara.

"Arguments took place until lunch and the judge reserved the matter for judgment. The judge hasn't come after lunch yet. Shocked to see that DCP KPS Malhotra has leaked in the media that our bail plea has been rejected and 14-day judicial custody granted," Banerjee said.

Calling the entire unfolding of events "scandalous", the lawyer said that it "speaks the status of rule of law in our country".

"Extremely scandalous and speaks of the status of rule of law in our country today that even before the judicial magistrate has sat and pronounced the order, police has leaked the order to media. How KPS Malhotra knows what the order is beyond me. This calls for introspection," he said.

Presenting the argument in the court, Advocate Vrinda Grover, representing Mohd Zubair, said, "The mentioned tweet belonged to film 'Kissi Se Na Kehna' by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, it's a lovely comedy and was allowed by censor board...They say the tweet is provocative and sensitive, but still no direction from Twitter to remove it."

The lawyer argued that formatting the phone is not illegal.

"I was not aware of the FIR and phone was not summoned... It's not illegal to format my phone. It is not arms and ammunition, or a drug... It's not illegal to format my phone... I take serious legal and constitutional objections," Grover said.

Meanwhile, Atul Shrivastava, representing Delhi Police sought the dismissal of the bail plea stating that there are donations from countries like Pakistan and Syria and therefore the case is "not just of a simple tweet".

"It is not a case of time-barred... It is still a continuing offence as the tweet is still there... When the film was released, it was not the age of the internet. Donations are from Pakistan, Syria, so considering gravity, it's not just a case of a simple tweet...accused is Pravda Media director, he smartly deleted everything...In such circumstances, bail application should be dismissed...deletion of data from phone after FIR is important."

Delhi Police has sought judicial custody of Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair after his 4-day remand ended on Saturday in a case related to an alleged objectionable tweet.

The police have also alleged conspiracy and destruction of evidence in the case by the accused and the relevant sections of the same were added in the FIR.

The police also stated in the court that Zubair received donations from foreign countries.Delhi Police have added three new Sections - 201 (for the destruction of evidence - formatted phone and deleted tweets), 120-(B) (for criminal conspiracy) of IPC and 35 of Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, in the matter.

The FIR against Zubair was lodged on June 20 based on the complaint filed by the Duty Officer of the IFSO unit of the Delhi Police Special Cell which tackles cyber crimes. (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], July 2 (ANI): Delhi Police has sought judicial custody of Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair after his 4-day remand ended on Saturday in a case related to an alleged objectionable tweet.

The police have also alleged conspiracy and destruction of evidence in the case by the accused and the relevant sections of the same were added in the FIR.

Also Read | India Reports 17,092 Fresh COVID-19 Cases, 29 Deaths in Past 24 Hours.

Meanwhile, Atul Shrivastava has been appointed as the Special Public Prosecutor for Delhi Police in a case related to an alleged objectionable tweet by Zubair.

The police also stated in the court that Zubair received donations from foreign countries.

Also Read | SpiceJet Aircraft SG-2962 Makes Emergency Landing in Delhi After Crew Notice Smoke in Cabin.

Delhi Police have added three new Sections - 201 (for the destruction of evidence - formatted phone and deleted tweets), 120-(B) (for criminal conspiracy) of IPC and 35 of Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, in the matter.

Notably, Section 35 of the FCRA states the punishment for contravention of any provision of the Act, whoever accepts any foreign contribution or any currency or security from a foreign source, in contravention of any provision of this Act or any rule or order made thereunder, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years, or with fine, or with both.

Meanwhile, a bail application has been filed by the counsel for Mohd Zubair which is likely to be heard today.

The accused was produced before the Patiala House court in Delhi today after the end of his 4-day police remand.

The FIR against Zubair was lodged on June 20 based on the complaint filed by the Duty Officer of the IFSO unit of the Delhi Police Special Cell which tackles cyber crimes.

Zubair was arrested and sent to one day of police custody after a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against him based on a Twitter posting, which another Twitter handle alleged "hurt Hindu sentiments."

Delhi Police said that Zubair was evasive during questioning and did not cooperate in the investigation. "He was evasive on the questions and neither provided the necessary technical equipment for the purpose of the investigation nor cooperated in the investigation," said Delhi Police senior officials.

Meanwhile, Zubair moved Delhi HC challenging the police remand granted by Patiala House Court to the Delhi Police Special Cell.

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court on Friday issued a notice to Delhi Police on the plea moved by Zubair challenging the police custody remand granted by a trial court.

He was remanded to four days of police custody on 28 June in a case related to an objectionable tweet.

The vacation bench of Justice Sanjeev Narula issued notice to Delhi Police on the plea and directed it to file a reply in two weeks and a rejoinder to it in one week. The matter has been listed for July 27 for further hearing.

Justice Narula observed, "This petition raises a legal question on the remand granted by the lower, the matter will be heard. I am inclined to issue notice on the petition."

The bench also said, "The remand is ending tomorrow, the court will decide the matter according to the material police have after the remand."

The hearing at the lower court would not be prejudiced by the arguments of the counsel who appeared in this petition and during the pendency of it, the bench observed. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Dimapur, Jul 2 (PTI) Five people were killed and three others seriously injured when a taxi carrying them was hit by a truck in Nagaland's Chumoukedima district on Saturday, police said.

The accident took place in Kukidolong area at 10 AM, Commissioner of Police, Dimapur, Rothihu Tetseo said.

Also Read | Delhi Shocker: 9-Year-Old Boy Dies After Lanter of a House Falls on Him in Rohini.

Three occupants of the taxi died on the spot while two others succumbed to their injuries on way to a hospital, police said.

The injured persons, including the driver of the taxi, have been admitted to Christian Institute of Health Sciences and Research.

Also Read | India Rejects US Commission Report on Religious Freedom, Says Comments Reflect Lack of Understanding of Countrys Plurality.

The truck which fled from the spot was intercepted by the police escort of Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton after a hot chase, police said.

The driver of the truck has been arrested, police said.

In a tweet, the deputy chief minister expressed grief over the loss of life in the accident.

Patton also praised his escort team members for their brisk action in apprehending the driver.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Thrissur (Kerala), Jul 2 (PTI) The opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) on Saturday took out protest marches to district collectorates across Kerala demanding a comprehensive probe into the allegations that have cropped up against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his family members in the gold smuggling case.

Also Read | Mohammed Zubair Case: Delhi Police Officer KPS Malhotra Admits He Informed Media Incorrectly About AltNews Co-founders Bail Plea.

Besides the district headquarters, a protest rally was taken out to the Secretariat, the administrative hub, in the state capital also.

Also Read | Narendra Modi Govt Spent Rs 3,960 Crore Per Year on Rail Works in Gujarat, Six Times More Than UPAs Rs 590 Crore, Says Amit Shah.

Senior front leaders, MLAs and former ministers led the marches in various districts criticising the stand being taken by the Left government and the Chief Minister on the issue.

Inaugurating the protest rally here, Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly V D Satheesan alleged that the Chief Minister and his government were on the defensive on the issue.

"Several serious allegations have been levelled against the Chief Minister in the case. We have raised many questions in and outside the Assembly over the issue but neither Vijayan nor any of his party collegues have given any clear answer," he said.

The Congress leader said the Marxist veteran should answers the questions being raised by them.

He also alleged that those who want to shift the focus of the attention in the gold smuggling case were behind the recent attack against the AKG Centre, the CPI(M) headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram.

Senior leader Ramesh Chennithala, who flagged off the rally in Kollam, asked why the Chief Minister was yet to file a defamation suit against Swapna Suresh, the prime accused in the gold smuggling case, if her recent revelations against him were wrong.

The UDF has been criticising the Chief Minister in the gold smuggling case for some time after Suresh came up with some startling revelations against him, his family members and some top bureaucrats.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Chennai, Jul 2 (PTI) The tussle in the opposition AIADMK over the single leadership issue became rancorous with former Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam on Saturday clearly asserting that he continued to function as the party's coordinator.

Panneerselvam's one-line retort appears to challenge the open submission of K Palaniswami that he ceases to be coordinator with effect from June 23.

Also Read | Kerala Gold Smuggling Case: Rahul Gandhi Alleges Understanding Between BJP And CPI(M).

"As per the party by-laws, I continue to be the AIADMK coordinator till date," Panneerselvam told reporters after greeting NDA Presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu at a five-star hotel here.

Declining to take further questions on the ongoing leadership crisis in the party, Panneerselvam said he had called on Murmu and wholeheartedly extended AIADMK's support for her in the election.

Also Read | Shyam Saran Negi, Independent Indias 1st Voter Since 1951, Popularly Known As Masterjee Turns 105.

In his one-page letter addressed to his colleague on June 30, Palaniswami, buoyed by the support of majority members in the party, emphatically said that Panneerselvam ceased to be coordinator as the June 23 General Council of the AIADMK did not endorse the amendments made to party by-laws on December 1, 2021.

"Hence your post of coordinator ceases to exist," Palaniswami said in the letter.

The Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP which continued to address the two leaders as coordinator and joint coordinator, ensured the infighting did not spill over during Murmu's visit.

Both the leaders were received cordially and introduced to the Presidential candidate. As Palaniswami, accompanied by his supporters, greeted Murmu, and took the stage, Panneerselvam along with his supporters waited in a room at the hotel and called on her after Palaniswami left.

"The AIADMK leaders sought for separate audience with our Presidential candidate and we obliged," a senior leader in the BJP told PTI. The BJP leader exuded hope that the leadership struggle in the AIADMK would not affect the prospects of Murmu at the hustings.

Addressing Palaniswami as headquarters secretary of the AIADMK, his supporter and former state minister D Jayakumar blamed Panneerselvam for not abiding by the decision of the General Council.

"The General Council is the deciding authority. Panneerselvam is to be blamed for the crisis in the party," he told reporters here.

(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], July 2 (ANI): The Chief Justice of India NV Ramana on Saturday said that the political party in power believes that every governmental action is entitled to judicial endorsement and the parties in opposition expect the judiciary to advance their political positions and cause but the judiciary is answerable to the Constitution only.

Chief Justice Ramana affirmed at a felicitation organised by the Association of Indian Americans in San Francisco, US.

Also Read | NVS Recruitment 2022: Navodaya Vidyalaya Begins Hiring for Post Graduate Teachers And Others on navodaya.gov.in; Check Details Here.

"As we celebrate 75th year of Independence this year and as our Republic turned 72, with some sense of regret I must add here that we still haven't learnt to appreciate wholly the roles and responsibilities assigned by the Constitution to each of the Institutions," Chief Justice Ramana said.

"The party in power believes that every Governmental action is entitled to judicial endorsement. The parties in opposition expect the judiciary to advance their political positions and causes. This flawed thinking of all hues flourishes in the absence of proper understanding among people about the Constitution and the functioning of the democratic institutions," he said.

Also Read | Udaipur Beheading Row: Congress Alleges One of Main Accused Riyaz Attari Is 'BJP Member'.

CJI further said, "It is the vigorously promoted ignorance among the general public which is coming to the aid of such forces whose only aim is to run down the only independent organ i.e., the judiciary. Let me make it clear. We are answerable to the Constitution and Constitution alone. To enforce checks and balances envisioned in the Constitution, we need to promote Constitutional culture in India. We need to spread awareness about the roles and responsibilities of individuals and institutions. Democracy is all about participation."

Both India and the United States are known for their diversity, said the CJI adding that this diversity needs to be honoured and cherished, everywhere in the world.

It is only because the United States honours and respects diversity, that you were all able to reach this country and make a mark through your hard work and extraordinary skills, CJI told the Indian diaspora there.

He said, "It is the tolerance and inclusive nature of American society that is able to attract the best talents from all over the world, which in turn is contributing to its growth. Honouring qualified talents from diverse backgrounds is also essential to sustain the confidence of all sections of the society in the system. This principle of inclusivity is universal. It needs to be honoured everywhere in the world, including in India."

He said that we need to focus on issues that unite us and not on those that divide us.

"Inclusivity strengthens the unity in society which is key to peace and progress. We need to focus on issues that unite us. Not on those that divide us. In the 21st century, we cannot allow petty, narrow and divisive issues to dictate human and societal relationships. We have to rise above all the divisive issues to remain focused on human development. A noninclusive approach is an invitation to disaster."

CJI Ramana also reminded the audience while they may be leading an affluent life in USA, their parents and relatives back home in India should also be able to live in a peaceful society which is free from hate and violence.

"Please remember. You all might have become millionaires and billionaires. For you to enjoy your wealth, you need to have peace around you. Your parents back home also should be able to live in a society which is free from hate and violence," he said.

The nation that welcomes everyone assimilates all cultures and with open arms, a nation that honours every bound to be progressive, peaceful and vibrant, he said. It is this notion that language is the character that promotes prosperity, CJI added.

The Indian Diaspora in the United States has played an active role in building modern America, said the CJI. From modest beginnings, you have transformed not only your identities but also the face of this nation. This journey was made possible only because of your sheer hard work, passion, and dedication, he said.

"It is the progressive partnership between the people of India and America that has led to massive bilateral goods trade worth 113 billion dollars in the year 2021. I am very happy to learn that 50 per cent of the Business - to - Business Start-Ups in Silicon Valley are founded or funded or run by Indians.

This huge leap will certainly inspire and motivate Indians everywhere," the CJI said while addressing the gathering. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 2 (PTI) Senior Kerala politician P C George, who was arrested by the police for alleged sexual assault, was granted bail by a Magisterial court in the city.

Also Read | Kerala Gold Smuggling Case: Rahul Gandhi Alleges Understanding Between BJP And CPI(M).

The 70-year-old politician was taken into custody by the Museum police from a guest house in the capital city this afternoon in a dramatic move, on a complaint filed by an accused in the solar panel case.

Also Read | Shyam Saran Negi, Independent Indias 1st Voter Since 1951, Popularly Known As Masterjee Turns 105.

At that time, the senior politician was being grilled by a team of Crime Branch personnel in connection with a conspiracy allegedly hatched to defame the Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in smuggling charges levelled by gold smuggling case accused Swapna Suresh.

He was later taken to Nandavanam AR Camp and his arrest was recorded before he was produced before a magistrate court.

Granting bail, the court directed him to cooperate with the investigation.

According to police sources, the sudden move to arrest George was made based on a secret statement given by the accused and according to a written complaint filed directly by the victim at the local police station here in this regard.

According to the complaint, George had allegedly behaved in a way insulting her modesty on February 10 at a guest house here and sent her indecent messages on mobile phone.

Soon after filing an FIR over the charges, a team led by the Cantonment Assistant Commissioner took George into custody.

He was charged under IPC Section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 354 (a) (sexual harassment).

However, George rejected the charges and claimed he had not done anything indecent and it was a false complaint.

A former chief whip when the Congress-led UDF was in power, George also alleged the accused came up with a complaint now as he did not give a statement in favour of her in a case she had filed against former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.

While speaking to the reporters outside the police station, the politician again courted controversy by insulting a woman TV journalist who questioned him for naming the accused, which is illegal.

Besides journalists, senior CPI(M) leader and state Education Minister V Sivankutty was among those who strongly condemned his act. George, however, apologised to the woman scribe when he emerged from the court after securing bail.

The politician had earlier sparked off a controversy in May this year by asking non-Muslims in Kerala to avoid restaurants run by the community.

However, within a few hours of his arrest, George had secured bail from a Magisterial court.

He had lost Poonjar, his bastion, to the Left Democratic Front candidate in the 2021 Assembly polls in a triangular fight.

(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, Jul 2 (PTI) Former prime minister Manmohan Singh has condoled the demise of former diplomat Satinder Lambah and described him as one of the most outstanding members of the Indian Foreign Service who gave utmost devotion to the normalising of India-Pakistan ties.

In his condolence letter to Nina Lambah, the wife of the former diplomat, Singh said he learnt with profound sorrow the demise of Satinder Lambah.

Also Read | Kerala Gold Smuggling Case: Rahul Gandhi Alleges Understanding Between BJP And CPI(M).

"He was one of the most outstanding members of the Indian Foreign Service. He gave utmost devotion to the normalising of Indo-Pak ties. Throughout his career as a diplomat both before and after retirement from government, Lambah carried a legacy of special relationships with each country he served in," Singh said in his letter.

He conveyed his deepest condolences to her on this sad occasion.

Also Read | Shyam Saran Negi, Independent Indias 1st Voter Since 1951, Popularly Known As Masterjee Turns 105.

Lambah, 81, passed away in New Delhi on Thursday.

He headed the crucial backchannel diplomatic negotiations between India and Pakistan from 2005 to 2014. He was India's High Commissioner in Islamabad from 1992 to 1995.

Lambah helped shape relations with Pakistan, Afghanistan and Russia. He also served as special envoy for Afghanistan under prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee from 2001 to 2004.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Mumbai, Jul 2 (PTI) Rebel Shiv Sena MLAs who support Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde returned to Mumbai from Goa on Saturday evening on the eve of a special two-day session of the state legislature which will see election for the post of Assembly Speaker as well as a floor test of the new government.

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NCP chief Sharad Pawar claimed that Narhari Zirwal, the deputy Speaker, can still perform officiating Speaker's duties even though a no-confidence motion is pending against him. The post of Speaker is vacant since last year.

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Earlier in the day, Sena MLA and Uddhav Thackeray loyalist Rajan Salvi filed his nomination as the candidate of the Shiv Sena-NCP- Congress coalition for the Speaker's election, which will be held on Sunday.

He will face off with first-time BJP legislator Rahul Narvekar who also filed his nomination.

On July 4, newly sworn-in Chief Minister Shinde will take a floor test.

As many as 50 MLAs who support Shinde, including 39 rebel legislators of the Shiv Sena, on Saturday evening flew to Mumbai from Goa by a chartered flight. Shinde, who had flown to Goa in the morning, accompanied them back.

The MLAs were camping at a starred hotel in Dona Paula since June 29 after flying to Goa from Guwahati. Many of them had left Maharashtra on June 21 along with Shinde.

After landing in Mumbai, the rebel MLAs would be staying in a hotel before they attend the special session on Sunday morning, sources said.

In Mumbai, security had been tightened at the airport to avoid any untoward incident in the wake of the recent violent protests against rebel MLAs by Shiv Sena cadres in some parts of the state.

On Wednesday, Thackeray resigned as chief minister after the Supreme Court refused to stay the floor test ordered by the governor and it became apparent that Shinde had support of the majority of Sena MLAs.

Shinde took oath as CM the next day with BJP's Devendra Fadnavis as his deputy.

The post of Assembly Speaker has been lying vacant since Nana Patole of Congress resigned in February 2021 to become his party's state unit president. Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal was officiating as acting Speaker in the meantime.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar, meanwhile, said there would be a long legal battle ahead for deciding which faction of the Shiv Sena would be considered as the `original' party.

"The court will have final say is what I feel, he told reporters in Pune.

On Friday, Uddhav Thackeray, who heads the Sena, removed Shinde as `Shiv Sena leader' for "anti-party activities". MLA Deepak Kesarkar, a Shinde supporter, said the chief minister will challenge the decision in a court.

Earlier, Thackeray had appointed Ajay Chaudhary as the party's group leader in Assembly, replacing Shinde, which was approved by acting Speaker Zirwal.

On the other hand, several Independent MLAs who support Shinde also moved a motion of no-confidence against Zirwal.

Pawar claimed that the no confidence motion "does not restrict him (Zirwal) from serving the office" and he can still perform the duty of acting Speaker.

The Shiv Sena on Saturday said Fadnavis, a former chief minister, taking oath as deputy CM was a "shocking climax" to the drama of political instability in the state, and questioned the BJP why it did not show a "big heart" by honouring the pact of rotational CM in 2019 when the Sena had demanded the CM's post for two and a half years.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Keeping up with its policy of developing infrastructure in friendly countries without any quid pro quo or collateral benefit, India on June 11, 2022 handed over the India-Tajikistan Friendship Hospital ( ITFH) at Bokhtar, near Dushanbe to the Tajik government.

As per the official statement, Ambassador of India to Tajikistan Viraj Singh handed over the hospital on behalf of the Indian Government. "The entire complement of medical equipment, medicines, stores, and support equipment, including an Operation Theatre, X-Ray machines, laboratories, critical care ambulances, and administrative vehicles were also handed over to the Tajik side," the Indian Embassy in Dushanbe stated.

The hospital was refurbished by the Indian Government and inaugurated in October 2014 based on an MoU signed between both sides in January 2013. "This fully-fledged 50-bedded hospital has rendered free-of-cost valuable medical services for the last 8 years to the Armed Forces and civilian populace of Tajikistan based on technical support and financial assistance from the Government of India," the Embassy informed.

What medical facilities are provided at ITFH?

A vast range of medical facilities including Medicine, Pediatrics, ENT, Surgery, Gynecology and Dental treatments are provided at the ITFH. A team of Indian Army doctors and medical staff over years, 100,000 patients have got support from this hospital and almost 2000 surgeries over the last couple of years. The Indian Army doctors have also played an important role in training the local Tajik doctors and medical staff. India has sent around 42 tons of `Made in India medicines to ITFH.

Besides the hospital, New Delhi has also provided medical assistance to Tajikistan in other forms. India provided 2 million doses of oral polio vaccine through UNICEF in 2010 after the outbreak of Polio in southwest Tajikistan.

"In March 2018, India gifted 10 ambulances to various regions of Tajikistan. In May 2020, India provided 50,000 HCQ tablets and 100,000 paracetamol tablets to Tajikistan. In 2021, approx 700,000 Made in India Covishield vaccines were supplied to Tajikistan," the official statement read.

The Embassy expressed confidence and hope that the Tajik side will continue to run the hospital effectively and efficiently with the capacities created by India.

"The ITFH will continue to be a symbol of the close and friendly relations between India and Tajikistan," it stated.
Jaipur, Jul 2 (PTI) Heavy rainfall was recorded in parts of Rajasthan in the past 24 hours as the monsoon swept across the state on Saturday, six days before the normal date.

In a rain-related accident, two brothers were killed after a wall collapsed in Chhatargarh of Bikaner district.

Also Read | Shyam Saran Negi, Independent Indias 1st Voter Since 1951, Popularly Known As Masterjee Turns 105.

Police said the deceased were identified as Rakesh Kumar (10) and Anil Kumar (8). The incident happened when the duo was sleeping inside their house.

According to a MeT department spokesperson, in the last 24 hours beginning 8.30 am Friday, 13 cm rainfall was recorded in Ajmer, 12 cm each in Kotda of Udaipur and Kishangarh, 11cm each in Abu Road, Pushkar and Mount Abu, 10 cm in Ajmer tehsil, 9.6 cm in Nawan of Nagaur, 9cm in Srinagar of Ajmer, 8cm each in Bhilwara tehsil, Pisangan of Ajmer and Chittorgarh.

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Various places recorded 1 to 7 cm rainfall during the period.

The spokesperson said the Southwest Monsoon further advanced into remaining parts of the Rajasthan on Saturday.

On Saturday, till 5.30 pm, 26 mm rain was recorded in Sikar, 20.2 mm in Dabok (Udaipur), 19 mm in Barmer, 8.4 mm in Bhilwara, 5.4 mm in Alwar, 4.4 mm in Ajmer, 2 mm in Churu, 0.8 mm in Jaipur.

Various places recorded rainfall ranging from 1 to 8 mm on Saturday.

Jaipur Meteorological (MeT) department Director Radheshyam Sharma said even on Saturday, the circulation system remains in the lower and middle levels of the atmosphere over east Rajasthan and Monsoon Trough Line is also active. Due to the effect of this system, rain will continue at most places of the state for the next 24 to 48 hours.

He said that another new circulation system has formed over the Bay of Bengal and adjoining West Bengal region. With the effect of this system, the state will witness another wet spell from July 5-6.

He said that during this period, monsoon activities will increase at most places in east Rajasthan, while in Jodhpur and Bikaner divisions of western part of the state, rain activities will increase again at some places. During this period, there is a possibility of heavy rain at some places.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Bhopal, Jul 2 (PTI) The COVID-19 tally in Madhya Pradesh reached 10,44,603 on Saturday after the detection of 107 cases, while the toll rose to 10,743 with one death in the last 24 hours, an official said.

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The positivity rate came down to 1.5 per cent from 1.6 per cent the previous day, he added.

Also Read | Amravati Murder: MP Navneet Rana Writes To HM Amit Shah Over Udaipur-Style Murder of Chemist Umesh Kolhe.

The recovery count increased by 62 to touch 10,33,224, leaving the state with 636 active cases, the official informed.

With 7,065 samples examined during the day, the number of tests in MP went up to 2,95,17,775, he said.

A government release said 12,05,20,848 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered so far in the state, including 37,522 on Saturday.

Coronavirus figures in MP are as follows: Total cases 10,44,603, new cases 107, death toll 10,743, recoveries 10,33,224, active cases 636, number of tests so far 2,95,17,775.

(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, July 2: Delhi Police on Friday said that the suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma has already joined the investigation and they have recorded her statement on June 18 for allegedly hurting religious sentiments.

The Delhi Police's statement came hours after the Supreme Court slammed her for controversial comments and held her responsible for whatever communal incidents is happening across the country. Nupur Sharma's Prophet Muhammed Remark Row: Delhi Police Provide Security to Suspended BJP Leader, Her Family Over Death Threats.

"After the FIR was registered against Nupur Sharma, the Delhi Police sent a notice to Nupur Sharma to join the investigation under Section 41A CrPC. She already joined the investigation and Delhi Police had recorded Nupur Sharma's statement on June 18, 2022," said police.

The Delhi Police on June 8 had registered a case as against several persons including Nupur Sharma and Naveen Kumar Jindal under various provisions for spreading hateful messages, inciting groups and creating an atmosphere detrimental to the maintenance of public tranquillity.

The Supreme Court on Friday came down heavily on suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma stating that her outburst is responsible for an unfortunate incident in Udaipur, where a tailor was murdered.

The apex court further blamed the suspended BJP leader and said that she and "her loose tongue" has set the entire country on fire and she is single-handedly responsible for what is happening in the country and said she should "apologise to the whole country".

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and JB Pardiwala slammed Sharma for her statement made during a TV news channel debate and while referring to the Udaipur incident, where two men murdered a tailor, said, "her outburst is responsible for an unfortunate incident."

However, the apex court also declined Sharma's request to transfer to Delhi of all the FIRs registered against her across the country for her controversial remarks on Prophet Mohammad and allowed her to withdraw her plea from the top court and avail alternate remedies.

Rejecting Sharma's request to transfer all the FIRs to Delhi for investigation, the bench told her counsel Maninder Singh, "No, Mr Singh. The conscience of the court is not satisfied. We can't mould the law accordingly". Senior advocate Maninder Singh who appeared for Sharma then withdrew the plea.

The bench also took a grim view of the TV news channel for hosting the discussion on the Gyanvapi case which is a subjudice matter in which Sharma, who was one of the guests, made the controversial remarks.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Puri (Odisha) [India], July 2 (ANI): Foreign devotees who joined the Jagannath Rath Yatra celebrations in Odisha's Puri, expressed their happiness and sought the blessings of Lord Jagannath.

After a gap of two years following the COVID pandemic, the Jagannath Rath Yatra celebrations began on Friday.

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"There is so much devotion around. It's amazing to witness the Lord from so close, we are overjoyed with love and gratitude," a foreign devotee from England who joined Jagannath Rath Yatra celebrations in Puri told to ANI.

"I feel so grateful to be here today, everything is so perfect. I am very happy," the foreign devotee said.

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"It feels very nice, I am seeing so much devotion in people", said another foreign devotee Chnadkala said.

A devotee from Poland said, "It is so overwhelming, feeling loved and grateful."

"I am happy that this year we can have 'Darshan' of Lord Jagannath. This is the first time I come to Rath Yatra. I and my wife are very happy to be here, " said Haridas from Spain.

On Friday, with an aim to curb the challenges during the Rath Yatra in Puri, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik introduced the Srimandir Heritage Corridor project (Srimandir Parikrama Project), informed the officials.

The devotees are deeply thankful to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for his visionary leadership in envisioning this massive transformation of the surroundings of the Srimandir through the Srimandir Parikrama Project.

The Ratha Yatra, also known as the Chariot Celebration of Lord Jagannath, Devi Subhadra, and Lord Balabhadra, is the most prominent Hindu festival in the Puri city of Odisha. This festival takes place every year on the second day of the Shukla Paksha in the months of June or July. This year the festival falls on July 1.

The three chariots are built a new, every year ahead of the annual chariot festival.Vibrant colours, enthusiastic faces, crowded shops, and cheery craftspeople are just a few of the highlights of Rath Yatra in Puri, the popular Chariot celebration held on a big scale every year outside Jagannatha Temple. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], July 2 (ANI): The pourakarmikas across Karnataka launched an indefinite strike starting on Friday for the regularisation of their services.

The municipal workers gathered at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on Friday morning and staged their agitation.

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The pourakarmikas are demanding dignified working conditions, provision of safety equipment, post-retirement benefits and permanency of jobs, along with other welfare measures.

They alleged that the issues have been consistently ignored by the state government.

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The protest was being organised by the Pourakarmikara Sanghatanegala Janti Horata Samiti, of which Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Powrakarmikara Sangha is a co-organiser.

Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders joined the pourakarmikas who are protesting at Freedom Park demanding redressal of their problems.

Speaking to reporters, Karnataka AAP president Prithvi Reddy said, "AAP in Delhi and Punjab has encouraged pourakarmikas to participate in the elections and win them. This has given political strength to the sentiments of pourakarmikas. However, in Karnataka, BJP has turned blind to the problems and pains of pourakarmikas. The BJP government is stubborn by not responding to repeated protests of pourakarmikas."

The AAP leader said the state government must provide safety shields, retirement facilities, equal pay for equal work, gratuity, maternity allowance and holidays to pourakarmikas. "Direct job recruitment must be done. Wherever necessary, toilets must be built. If holidays are not provided, additional payment should be made for extra work done. Government must at least now work on fulfilling the demands of pourakarmikas," Reddy said.

AAP state vice-president Bhaskar Rao said that protesting pourakarmikas have complete support from the party. He demanded that the jobs of pourakarmikas must be made permanent.

"If pourakarmikas refuse to work even for a single day, waste disposal problem will worsen and people will have to close their noses. Sanitation workers, including cleaners and sweepers, are paid a meagre salary. They are unable to meet their basic needs with this salary. So, their jobs must be made permanent," said Rao.

In 2017, he said the Siddaramaiah government had proposed in the cabinet to regularise pourakarmikas, which was approved but implementation failed. None of the subsequent governments paid any attention to it.

"Under the Special Recruitment Rules 2017, only those who clean roads were treated as pourakarmikas. Sewage cleaning workers, garbage collectors, garbage truck drivers, garbage loaders and helpers are working on a contract basis. Government facilities must be made available to them," emphasized Bhaskar Rao. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Panaji, Jul 2 (PTI) A group of rebel Maharashtra Shiv Sena MLAs and Independents led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday evening left for Mumbai from Goa in a chartered flight.

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The MLAs, led by Shinde, left for the airport at Dabolim from the starred hotel in Dona Paula where they had been camping since June 29 in two buses.

The chartered flight took off at 7:10 PM, airport officials said.

In Mumbai, security has been tightened at the airport to avoid any untoward incident against the backdrop of protests by Shiv Sena cadres in the recent past.

These MLAs are expected to attend the special two-day session of the Maharashtra Assembly beginning July 3 during which a new Speaker will be elected and the newly-formed Eknath Shinde government will face the vote of confidence.

The breakaway MLAs had landed in Goa from Guwahati with Shinde on June 29 amid the political crisis in Maharashtra.

On Wednesday, the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government collapsed following the resignation of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray a day before the floor test.

Shinde took oath as the CM on Thursday with Devendra Fadnavis of BJP as his deputy.

(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], July 2 (ANI): Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Friday removed Eknath Shinde who revolted against him and succeeded him as the new Maharashtra Chief Minister from the post of Shiv Sena leader.

Shinde has been removed for indulging in "anti-party activities", said a Shiv Sena statement.

Also Read | Delhi: Nearly 700 kg of Plastic Items Seized in National Capital To Curb Single-Use Plastic.

The political crisis in Maharashtra was created by a revolt in Shiv Sena led by Shinde who stayed in Guwahati with other MLAs supporting him. Uddhav Thackeray resigned on Wednesday.

Earlier on Friday, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray lashed out at the BJP for giving the Chief Ministerial slot to Eknath Shinde, a rebel Shiv Sena leader, and said that had the former ally partner agreed to this earlier, there would have been no Maha Vikas Aghadi in the state.

Also Read | Maharashtra: Unable to Bear Grief of 18-Month-Old Daughters Death, Couple Commits Suicide in Sangli.

The Shiv Sena and BJP had parted ways after the 2019 Assembly elections in the state after the former demanded 2.5 years of Chief Ministership each for both the parties during the term of five years, which the latter had not agreed to. Shiv Sena had then stitched an alliance with rival NCP and Congress to form the government.

Talking about the swearing-in ceremony of Shinde who was appointed as the Chief Minister and Devendra Fadnavis who was sworn in as his Deputy, Thackeray said, "About what happened yesterday, I had told Amit Shah earlier as well that there should be a Shiv Sena CM for 2.5 years (during Shiv Sena-BJP alliance). Had they done this earlier, there would have been no Maha Vikas Aghadi."

Hitting out at Shinde, who led the revolt against him for over a week which culminated in the resignation of Thackeray from the office, the Shiv Sena chief said that the new CM is not from his party which the BJP has aimed at making. He said that he had told Union Home Minister Amit Shah in 2019 about the distribution of the Chief Ministerial post for 2.5 years each.

"The manner in which government has been formed and a so-called Shiv Sena worker has been made CM, I had said the same to Amit Shah. This could have been done respectfully. The Shiv Sena was officially with you (at that time). This CM (Eknath Shinde) is not a Shiv Sena CM," Thackeray said.

The Eknath Shinde's government in Maharashtra will face a Vote of Confidence on July 4, to prove its majority in the State Assembly.

The Special Session of the Maharashtra Assembly will be held on July 3 and 4. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Thane, Jul 2 (PTI) Thane district in Maharashtra has reported 546 new coronavirus positive cases, taking its infection tally to 7,28,511, a health official said on Saturday.

Also Read | Delhi: Nearly 700 kg of Plastic Items Seized in National Capital To Curb Single-Use Plastic.

With the addition of these cases on Friday, there are now 5,110 active cases in the district, he said.

Also Read | Maharashtra: Unable to Bear Grief of 18-Month-Old Daughters Death, Couple Commits Suicide in Sangli.

As one patient died due to the infection during the day, the fatality count reached 11,907, while the number of recovered patients has gone up to 7,10,948, the official added.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Ajmer (Rajasthan) [India], July 2 (ANI): National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday took custody of the two men, who beheaded a tailor in Udaipur, from Ajmer's high-security jail to bring them to Jaipur to produce before NIA court.

Both accused Riyaz Akhtari and Ghouse Mohammad were brought to Ajmer high-security jail amid tight security on Friday.

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After the order issued by the Udaipur Court on Saturday, both the accused are being taken to the Jaipur High Court for production.

The beheading of tailor Kanhaiya Lal in Udaipur by two men for allegedly posting content in support of suspended Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Nupur Sharma, had sparked public outrage across the country.

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The assailants identified themselves in the video as Riyaz Akhtari and Ghouse Mohammad. In the video, Riyaz was seen attacking 47-year-old Kanhaiya Lal with a sharp-edged weapon while the other, Ghouse, recorded the crime on his mobile phone.

The victim reportedly had recently shared a social media post in support of Nupur Sharma-- former BJP leader who had made controversial remarks against Prophet Mohammad.Riyaz and Ghouse were arrested from Bhim in the Rajsamand district.

Kanhaiya Lal was cremated on Wednesday in Udaipur in the presence of a large number of people who raised slogans demanding capital punishment for the accused. His last rites were performed amidst heavy police security.

Rajasthan Police on Wednesday said that the main accused involved in the killing of the tailor in Udaipur were in touch with Pakistan-based organisation Dawat-e-Islami and one of them also went to Karachi in Pakistan in 2014 to meet the organisation.

Rajasthan Director General of Police (DGP) ML Lather said that besides the main accused police have also taken three other people into our custody, with whom they were in contact.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday took over the investigation of the brutal murder of a tailor Kanhaiya Lal in Rajasthan's Udaipur who was hacked to death inside his shop by two men in broad daylight.

The incident took place in Udaipur's Maldas area. Soon after committing the crime, the two accused posted a video on social media boasting about the "beheading" and threatened Prime Minister Narendra Modi's life as well, police said. The two accused were arrested within hours of the incident.

NIA on Thursday said it suspects the role of a "terror gang and not a terror outfit".

The anti-terror agency, however, made it clear that there is a role of a bigger gang behind the brutal killing and that it was not just an act done by only two persons, who were arrested by state police after the incident.

As per the agency, the accused, both residents of Udaipur, will be questioned at NIA's Jaipur office and not be brought to Delhi. (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], July 2 (ANI) A Delhi court on Saturday dismissed the bail application of Alt news co-founder Mohd Zubair who was arrested in a case related to an alleged objectionable tweet.

The court remanded him to 14 days of judicial custody.

Also Read | Delhi Police Constable Found Dead in Car in Prashant Vihar.

Chief metropolitan magistrate Snigdha Sarvaria dismissed the bail petition after hearing the submission of the defence counsel and special public prosecutor (SPP) Atul Srivastava for Delhi.

The court observed in the order that since the investigation is at the initial stage and in view of the circumstances and gravity of the offence, no ground is made out for bail. Application dismissed and the accused is remanded to judicial custody till July 16, 2022.

Also Read | Udaipur Murder Accused Not Its Member, BJP Denies Congress Allegation.

The police have also alleged conspiracy and destruction of evidence in the case by the accused and the relevant sections of the same were added in the FIR.

Delhi Police sought judicial custody of Mohd Zubair. He was produced before the court after four days of police custody. He was arrested on June 27, 2022.

Special public prosecutor (SPP) Atul Srivastava submitted that three new sections for the destruction of evidence, criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the violation of the Foreign Contribution (Regulations) Act have been added to the FIR. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Just 25 years after the handover, Hong Kong is no longer the world's freest economy and has plummeted in global press freedom rankings following a citywide crackdown on dissent under the national security law, RFA reported.

On July 1, 1997, the British flag came down for the last time in Hong Kong, as the city returned to Chinese rule.

The ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) under Deng Xiaoping had promised it could run its own affairs under "one country, two systems," with the city's freedoms preserved for at least 50 years, and with progress promised towards fully democratic elections.

The reality has been rather different. "People who stayed are like the frog in a pan of gradually warming water," economist Law Ka-chung told RFA.
New Delhi, Jul 2 (PTI) Minister of State for IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar met UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday and discussed future collaborations and partnerships between India and the UK in innovation and technology sectors, according to an official release.

Briefing reporters later, Chandrasekhar said both India and the UK want to dramatically expand the innovation economy, the release said.

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"Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Friday met UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson along with a delegation of Indian startups, unicorns and innovators," it said adding that they both discussed future collaborations and partnerships between the two sides on innovation and the technology sector.

Chandrasekhar also met Paul Scully, British MP in this regard.

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"We want to take the digital economy to be 25 per cent of the total economy. The UK government also wants to expand the slice of that pie too," Chandrasekhar told reporters.

He also held ministerial roundtable discussions with Priti Patel, Home Secretary- UK, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board of Trade- Government of UK and Chris Philip, Minister for Technology and Digital Economy UK at the India Global Forum.

Chandrasekhar outlined the rapid strides taken by India in the field of technology, and informed that the country is designing 5G gear and manufacturing devices that go into making of 5G products.

Chandrasekhar also attended a session on the Future of Digital at the IGF, UK where he spoke on the rapid digitalisation and the need for safeguarding `Digital Nagriks' against user harm.

He called for collaboration among counties, especially like-minded democracies, to ensure safety and trust for the users in the boundaryless domain of cyberspace. Safety and trust would be paramount, he said adding that India is keen to work with partner countries in shaping the future of a secure internet.

"The data economy has created an awareness that something needs to be done for the safety of user citizens. We as policymakers, have to look at data from the prism of user safety. In the growth of the internet and big tech influence, we are at an inflection point," the minister said.

(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], July 2 (ANI): With a split keyboard option, Google's Gboard keyboard app for Android is offering a benefit to users of foldable phones (or, at least, for the time being, to beta users of the programme).

According to The Verge, it aims to make typing on big, extended screens like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 or a Microsoft Surface Duo 2 less unpleasant and slightly more ergonomic.

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With the keyboard divided in half, all of the keys are considerably closer to the sides of the foldable phone, where your thumbs may naturally rest when holding the device. Although Z Fold phones already have access to this capability through Samsung's keyboard software, some Android users prefer Gboard's typing interface and auto-correct features.

The r/GalaxyFold subreddit was initially alerted to the feature's covert inclusion by Android Central. Visit the app's page in the Google Play Store on your smartphone to sign up for the beta if you want to try it out for yourself.

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9to5 Google states that the beta version 11.9.04 will include this feature. However, you might need to wait for Google to turn on a server-side switch before you can access it if you can't see it in your app.

If a split keyboard icon appears in the toolbar above your foldable's on-screen keyboard (I've highlighted it in light orange in the images below), you have it. By pressing it, the keyboard will split in half, and a symbol that can bring the two halves back together will take its place.

Surface Duo 2 and Galaxy Z Fold 3, are two devices that, despite their tardy arrival in late 2021, have undergone enough advancements to become significantly more enticing in 2022. And typing on it is now simpler than ever. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Beijing [China], July 2 (ANI): China's growing influence poses a threat to the dominance of the existing superpower country, the US and also threatens the peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region.

"China has become the world's second-largest economy, third strongest military power and global hegemony in the 21st century. It is challenging the dominance of the existing superpower the USA," Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS) Indonesia said in a press release.

Also Read | Pakistan: Two Shot Dead, 11 Injured as Argument over Power Cut Turns Fatal at Lakki Marwat Mosque.

Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS) Indonesia on Friday organized an international webinar, titled "China's ruling party at 101: History and challenges for the world", where eminent scholars from Australia, India and Jakarta participated.

CSEAS has chosen July 1 for its webinar as it coincides with the birthday of the Chinese Communist Party, which was established on July 1, 1921.

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According to the statement, during the webinar, the speakers exposed the dangers posed by an assertive China to the world and also discussed the current tensions in the South China Sea, and China's aggressive behaviour with Japan, Taiwan, India and Australia.

The speakers also exposed the dangers of China's debt-trap diplomacy and discussed the implications of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) dependency on China.

"China claims more than 90 per cent of the South China Sea (SCS), including a certain portion of Indonesia's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the North Natuna Sea. It has serious problems with Taiwan, Japan, India, Australia and other countries," the statement reads.

The statement also pointed out that to increase its influence in the world, China launched the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013. With an estimated investment of USD 1 trillion, China has expanded its influence in more than 68 countries in Asia, including Indonesia, Africa, Europe and South America through BRI.

It is pertinent to mention that the Chinese Communist party is 101-year-old and adopted predatory economic practices like providing huge subsidies, low taxes and cheap finances to Chinese companies.

According to the statement, China has given huge loans for unnecessarily unproductive projects, which is nothing but a seductive trap for various countries. "Like a house of play cards, many countries one after the other are collapsing economically as they do not have any money left to repay Chinese debts. Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia and many others are examples of the victims of China's debt-trap diplomacy," the statement reads.

China uses trade, investments, loans and tourists as tools to make countries dependent countries.

From a military point of view, China has been building its military power since the 1990s and during the last six years, China has spent more than USD 1 trillion on its military.

According to the statement, China is now making more nuclear bombs, hypersonic missiles and aircraft carriers, threatening the peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region and igniting an arms race in Asia.

"China has been threatening, bullying and intimidating many countries. Assertive China is also threatening Taiwan with daily air intrusions, deploying warships near Taiwan," the statement reads. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Karachi [Pakistan], July 2 (ANI): An agreement is reached between a Chinese company and Pakistan to run a new bus service in Karachi, local media reported.

The bus service will be on the pattern of 'Peoples Bus Service'. The Chinese company, Shandong Hi Speed, during a meeting of a delegation of the Chinese company with Sindh Transport Minister Sharjeel Inaam Memon in Karachi reached an agreement.

Also Read | Typhoon Chaba Makes Landfall in Chinas Guangdong Province.

Pakistan Minister Sharjeel Memon has asked the Chinese company to complete the process of procurement of buses, reported Pakistan's local media portal Radio Pakistan.

Under this new bus service, there will be a fleet of five hundred buses, which will reach Karachi within four months.

Also Read | Pakistan: Imran Khan To Hold Public Gathering in Islamabad Against Shehbaz Sharif Govt.

An impoverished but friendly Pakistan has welcomed China, mainly through the multi-billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), allowing the latter's expansion and access into the Indian Ocean region.

In reality, however, it has proved to be an expensive venture on several counts, not the least in terms of lives lost. Twenty-four Chinese nationals have died and many more injured in targeted attacks in the last year alone.

The April 26 terror attack in the heart of the University of Karachi indicates that militancy in Pakistan, of both religious and ethnic variety, while not sparing traditional adversaries - minorities and the state -- is increasingly getting a distinct anti-China edge, and it should worry self-touted "iron and all-weather friends".

The target was not a CPEC project that attracts opposition from the locals, but Confucius Institute, China's cultural hub, one of the many set up worldwide. Begun in 2004 to impart free education in the Chinese language and culture, it has been rejected in many Western countries as a purveyor of propaganda.

Besides, many - unaccounted or kept secret - died during the making of the Gwadar port and naval base and other projects in the pre-CPEC era.

The woman who carried out the 'suicide attack' was Shari Baloch. Her photograph with a smile and a 'V' for victory sign, was available on social media. She belonged to the Balochistan Liberation Army's Majeed Brigade that has claimed responsibility for the attack.

As Shari Baloch was a post-graduate and a teacher by training and profession it confirms that the militancy's face in Balochistan has radically changed. It is not from the impoverished tribal youths alone but also draws from the urban and educated classes of the province that feel exploited as a result of the CPEC.

With CPEC, the governments of Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan have battled unsuccessfully, unable to deal with coordinated surprise attacks, despite oppression by the state and hundreds of youths having 'disappeared', ending up dead or in jail indefinitely. Forming an elite division of the Army exclusively for CPEC's security has not helped.

The new government of Shehbaz Sharif has announced its resolve to address the militants, particularly those in Balochistan. But security in the provinces is managed by a mishmash of intelligence agencies, both civil and military, and there remain militants who are nursed as 'assets', to be played one against the others, till they turn rogue. Thus, it has a tough task on hand. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Geneva [Switzerland], July 2 (ANI): 'Every day there are at least one or two women who commit suicide', said a former deputy speaker of the Afghan Parliament on Friday, highlighting the lack of opportunity and ailing mental health that is taking a toll on Afghan women.

This revelation came during a rare urgent debate on the woman's rights issue at Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva.

Also Read | Pakistan: 27 Cellphone Company Staff Detained by Karachi Police After Violent Protest Over Alleged Blasphemy.

The HRC held an urgent debate on the human rights of women and girls in Afghanistan to discuss the rights situation in the country since the takeover by the Taliban. This meeting comes as Afghan women are witnessing the most significant and rapid roll-back of their rights across the board in decades.

"Every day, at least one or two women committed suicide due to the lack of opportunity and mental health pressures. Girls as young as nine years old were being sold, not only because of economic pressure, but because there was no hope for them and their family. This was not normal and the women of Afghanistan did not deserve this," said Fawzia Koofi, former deputy speaker of the Afghan Parliament.

Also Read | Pakistan: Two Shot Dead, 11 Injured as Argument over Power Cut Turns Fatal at Lakki Marwat Mosque.

Echoing widespread international concern for ordinary Afghans, UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet condemned the massive unemployment of women, the restrictions placed on the way they dress, and their access on basic services.

Women-owned and operated businesses have been shut down, Bachelet added, saying that 1.2 million girls no longer have access to secondary education, in line with a decision by the de facto authorities who took power in August 2021.

"The de facto authorities I met with during my visit in March this year, said they would honour their human rights obligations as far as [being] in line with Sharia law.

"Yet despite these assurances, we are witnessing the progressive exclusion of women and girls from the public sphere and their institutionalised, systematic oppression".

Bachelet encouraged the re-establishment of an independent mechanism to receive complaints from the public and protect victims of gender-based violence.

"Beyond being right, it is also a matter of practical necessity", said the High Commissioner. "Amid the economic crisis, women's contribution to economic activity is indispensable, which itself requires access to education, and freedom of movement and from violence".

Despite public assurances from the Taliban to respect women and girls' rights, they are reinstituting step by step the discrimination against women and girls.

Koofi, a former member of the peace negotiation team with the Taliban said that the fundamentalists "obviously have not kept their promises of what they were telling us during the negotiations, in terms of their respect for Islamic rights for women".

She added that "in fact, what they do is in contradiction to Islam. Our beautiful religion starts with reading. But today, Taliban under the name of the same religion, deprive 55 per cent of the society from going to school". (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Colombo [Sri Lanka], July 2 (ANI): Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Mizukoshi Hideaki on Friday said that Japan is ready to support Sri Lanka for its economic programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and for the development activities of the country.

In a statement, the President's Media Division said that during the discussion between the Japanese Ambassador and Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Hideaki said that continuous efforts will be made to further strengthen the economic, social and cultural relations with island nations, Daily Mirror Online reported.

Also Read | Pakistan: Two Shot Dead, 11 Injured as Argument over Power Cut Turns Fatal at Lakki Marwat Mosque.

Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa during the discussion expressed his deep appreciation to Japan for its support to Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, the Japanese Embassy in a statement on their FaceBook page said that Japan is closely paying attention to the current difficult economic situation in Sri Lanka and the severe humanitarian situation accompanying it.

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"Considering such a situation, the Government of Japan has decided to provide Emergency Grant Aid of USD three (3) million through UNICEF and WFP in order to provide medicine and food in a manner that would directly benefit the Sri Lankan people. Japan sincerely hopes that this assistance will be of help to overcome the hardship faced by the people of Sri Lanka, Japan's long-standing friends," the Embassy said as quoted by Daily Mirror Online.

The statement further added that the Japanese government would like to consider its further contribution to Sri Lanka in consultation with the Government of Sri Lanka and other developing partners while giving attention to the situation of Sri Lanka and the negotiation progress between Sri Lanka and IMF. Earlier also, Japan had come forward and helped Sri Lanka. Even Japan had joined hands with Sri Lanka to address the crisis in Sri Lanka.

Both the countries reached this agreement after the meeting on May 24, on the sidelines of the powerful regional grouping, the 'Quadrilateral Security Dialogue' (QSD) meeting, Colombo Gazette reported.

"They also discussed the situation in Sri Lanka and confirmed that they will cooperate with each other in light of the current economic crisis and deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the country," the Japanese Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Earlier in May, the Japanese government came forward to help Sri Lanka by providing USD 1.5 million for essential medicines through UNICEF to meet the urgent needs of the population.

The contribution of USD 1.5 million will help UNICEF to procure the medicines for over 1.2 million people including 53,000 pregnant mothers and nearly 122,000 children in immediate need, Colombo Page reported.

Deputy Ambassador of Japan in Sri Lanka, Katsuki Kotaro said, "It is our great honour that Japan will be providing USD 1.5 million emergency grant assistance to the people of Sri Lanka to procure the most urgently needed 25 types of medicines within the next two months through UNICEF. We believe that this will help improve access to essential life-saving medical services, especially for pregnant women and children, who are most likely to be affected by the economic crisis."

Presently, Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis since independence with food and fuel shortages, soaring prices, and power cuts affecting a large number of the citizens. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
The Assembly session will begin at 11 am on Monday and Delhi government minister Kailash Gahlot will table a bill proposing to hike the salary and allowances of MLAs. Durgesh Pathak, newly elected AAP MLA from Rajinder Nagar, will also be administered the oath of office during the session.
A heavy police force was deployed outside the #NIA court where a large group of people gathered and raised slogans when the accused were being brought out of the court. pic.twitter.com/iCfAKtJzyo IANS (@ians_india) July 2, 2022

(SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)
Karachi, July 1: The police in Karachi detained 27 employees of a mobile phone company on Friday following a violent protest by a mob over alleged blasphemy, media reports said.

A spokesperson for the Karachi South police said in a statement that the SHO of Preedy police station received information at around 11 am that a 'WiFi device' had been installed at the Star City Mall which allegedly played comments against the Holy Prophet's companions, Dawn reported.

Witnesses at the site told Dawn.com that the protesters, who had gathered at the site, damaged signboards at the mall, resulting in the closure of the mobile phone market, Dawn reported.

"Realising the gravity of the matter, the SHO rushed to the spot, got the device shut, and seized it," the statement said, adding that 27 employees of a private company were also detained.

The spokesperson said an inquiry committee led by the Saddar SP has been constituted to investigate the matter and if anyone is found involved in blasphemy, strict legal action would be taken against them. Pakistan: Two Shot Dead, 11 Injured as Argument over Power Cut Turns Fatal at Lakki Marwat Mosque

Meanwhile, South SSP, Asad Raza, told Dawn.com that the police are trying to ascertain, with the help of the Federal Investigation Agency's (FIA) CyberCrime Wing, who all were responsible for installing the device.

"Twenty-seven men [from] Samsung office have been detained and an inquiry is underway," he added, Dawn reported.

For its part, Samsung Pakistan issued a statement saying the company maintained neutrality on religious sentiments.

"Samsung Electronics has reiterated its firm stance that it endeavours to maintain objectivity on all matters of religious significance... With reference to the recent developments in Karachi, Samsung Electronics stands firm on its stance that the company has utmost respect for all religious sentiments and beliefs and holds the religion of Islam in utmost respect."

The company also said that it has "immediately" started an internal investigations into the matter, Dawn reported.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 02, 2022 08:38 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Will Smith's friend, DJ Jazzy Jeff, is still not over the infamous Oscars slap nearly three months ago, as he defenses the actor from what he did against Chris Rock.

The DJ made defended the actor during his recent interview with the "Faq Podcast," claiming that the Oscar slap would have happened regardless of who was on stage and made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, according to Black Enterprise.

"It did not matter who was there. Will would've got his ass beat, but he was going to do what he was going to do regardless of who it was," DJ Jazzy Jeff underscored.

He also pointed out that Smith would have even slapped Mike Tyson or a grizzly bear.

"It wasn't for fake. It wasn't for show. I have to protect... I know him," Jeff added.

DJ Jazzy Jeff also shared how Will Smith is as a person.

"Let me tell you something about Will... Will was the person that whatever he's afraid of, he runs to," Jeff said, adding that he is different from his friend.

Previously, Jeff also defended Smith for what he did at the Oscars. The DJ noted that he can name 50 times that Smith should have "smacked the sh** out of somebody but he did not."

Jeff then stressed that the slapping incident at the Oscars signifies that Will Smith is still human because he still has a lapse in judgment.

READ NEXT: Will Smith 'Devastated' After Slapping Chris Rock During Oscars, per Tyler Perry

Will Smith Slap: Mike Tyson Comments on the Infamous Oscars Incident

Weeks before DJ Jazzy Jeff once again defended Will Smith from slapping Chris Rock, Mike Tyson also weighed in on the incident at the awards show.

During an interview on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," Tyson was asked about his opinion on Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars 2022.

Tyson noted that Smith's reaction to Rock's joke during that time was "pretty interesting."

Tyson added that he has no idea if Will thinks the slap was "necessary."

"If he's not shocked, I'm not shocked," Tyson said.

Chris Rock Oscars 2022: The Infamous Will Smith Slap

In April, Chris Rock was slapped by Will Smith during the Oscars ceremony this year after the comedian made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith being bald. Rock apparently did not know that Jada has a condition called alopecia.

A day after he slapped Rock, Smith took to Instagram to apologize to the comedian, claiming that he was wrong with what he did and that he was embarrassed.

Smith's actions prompted him to be banned from attending the Oscars, in-person or virtual, for at least 10 years. Several Hollywood personalities also urged Smith to return his Oscars, but the Academy said they are not liable for such actions.

Jada Pinkett Smith made a plea with the comedian and the actor to reconcile, urging the two to heal, and talk what happened out.

However, a source claimed last month that Rock is not concerned with Pinkett Smith's plea, adding that the comedian is focused on his tour and is preoccupied with the preparation of his comedy special.

READ NEXT: Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith: Here's Why the Hollywood Couple Is Still Inseparable Even After More Than 2 Decades of Marriage

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written By: Joshua Summers

WATCH: DJ Jazzy Jeff talks Will Smith Oscars Incident - From FAQ Podcast
This period has also helped the President to regain his confidence, rudely shaken by the wave of violence on May 9-10 that resulted in the exit of PM Mahinda Rajapaksa.

by Col R Hariharan

Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu (also known as Lao Tze)s well known saying A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step is coming true in Sri Lankas economic recovery process. However, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, seems to have spent the month trying to find the first single step to begin the journey. It was not his fault that the recovery plan as outlined by him was hazy, as it depends upon factors beyond his control. These include both internal and external factors.

President Gotabaya Digs In Aided by Prime Minister Ranil

Internal factors include President Rajapaksas backseat driving to prove himself as a worthy president and the PMs dependence upon the political stability of a shaky coalition of members supporting him. In addition to the outburst of public anger, there is simmering anger among the youth disillusioned with the political class. They have taken to social media to scrutinise every utterance and action of leaders in power. Their potential as political influencers of the public is still an unknown quantity.

During his six weeks plus in office, the PM has bought time for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to weather the mounting mass protests demanding the resignation of Rajapaksas from power. PM Wickremesinghes regular public communications to prepare the people to face the difficult times ahead have probably helped the administration to manage public protests despite continued aberrations in governance.

This period has also helped the President to regain his confidence, rudely shaken by the wave of violence on May 9-10 that resulted in the exit of PM Mahinda Rajapaksa. President Rajapaksa in his May 12 statement agreed to support the 21st Amendment (21A) to the constitution (to curb powers of the executive president) as it was Ranil Wickremesinghes precondition to join the government as PM. President Rajapaksa has changed his narrative as he does not seem to apprehend any threat to his office in the near term. Probably, this led to the President to publicly apologize for his mistakes and announce he would serve the full term to see the country through its economic recovery.

Constitutional Powers of President  22A

He seems to have used the new found bonhomie with PM Wickremesinghe to further water down the 21A draft, which was gazetted after all party consultation. The main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJP) party which did not attend the all-party meeting, prepared its own draft of 21A. However, the effort became still-born after the Supreme Court ruled the SJB draft required a national referendum to become a law. Now, the government has gazetted a revised draft, christened as 22nd Amendment to avoid semantic confusion with the SJB version of 21A draft. The 22A as gazetted will be placed before parliament for enactment after discussion.

The 22A appears to be a compromise between 19th amendment and 20A. The 19A was passed when PM Wickremesinghe in his earlier stint as PM. It made the executive president accountable to parliament and curbed his powers to make key appointments. On the other hand, the 20A enacted by President Rajapaksa in his present term, superseded the 19A and restored the powers of the executive president. Passions are likely to run high when the parliament discusses the draft 22A. The final form of 22A will also have to satisfy the civil society both at home and abroad, who have become influencers of public policy discourse. The problem in Sri Lanka politics is unpredictability. Often, there is a disconnect between thought and action, living upto the Biblical quote: the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

The final form of the act will show how meaningful it is in increasing the executive presidents accountability to parliament. That will indicate the level of political power of the Rajapaksas continue to wield in influencing the parliament and the constitution. This may well decide the future course of drafting a new constitution that President Rajapaksa had promised.

PM Wickremesinghe also made an attempt to draft a new equitable constitution during his term with the earlier Yahapalana government. The effort was never allowed to go beyond the first draft stage by the same political class now in power. But it may be too early to undertake that exercise as opposition parties, particularly SJB and JVP are watching the performance of the government from the wings to decide their future course.

External Factors

Externally, the PMs economic recovery exercise has probably fared better. Talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) were initiated and hopefully positive results can be expected shortly. Measures have been initiated to repair damage caused during the Rajapaksas spell in Sri Lankas relations with the US and Japan as well as the oil-rich Gulf countries. Of course, India had taken the initiative to closely monitor and repair its relations with Sri Lanka. India started to economically help Sri Lanka, even before the May upheaval. It has now become an indispensable partner in Sri Lankas recovery process. This is more so, in meeting Sri Lanka's urgent need for fuel and other necessities. India has extended over $3.5 billion line of credit and rescheduled its loans. It has also extended further credit for urgent supply of diesel. There is regular consultation, cooperation and coordination between India and Sri Lanka to meet the islands real time needs.

But it was the UN warning early in the month that Sri Lankas unprecedented economic crisis could develop into a dire humanitarian crisis that triggered international attention and aid. The UN humanitarian agency OCHA appealed for $47 million aid to address the immediate needs of 1.7 million of the most vulnerable people. The UNICEF representative in Colombo sought help to save e 56,000 children who are potentially at the risk of dying due to malnutrition.

The UN warning probably triggered the US to become an active partner in Sri Lankas economic recovery. From mid-June, the US has announced a series of fund allocation for Sri Lankas small and medium businesses ($120 million), dairy industry ($27 million) and humanitarian assistance ($5,75 million). In the recent G7 Summit, POTUS Joe Biden announced $20 million in additional assistance to strengthen food security in Sri Lanka. This funding aims to support a school nutrition programme to feed 800,000 Sri Lankan children and benefit over 27,000 pregnant and lactating mothers. This takes the total US humanitarian assistance since June 16 to $32 million. Plans are also afoot to support approximately 300,000 farmers through agricultural assistance and cash to increase food production. The US is also assisting Sri Lanka in its talks with the International Monetary Fund.

Internal Dissent  Simmering Discontent

The government ended the month with its back to the wall adopting a series of firefighting measures to curtail activities that involve fuel consumption after it ran out of supplies. It suspended fuel sales to the public till July 10, except to keep essential services going. Bus services between provinces have been halted. Schools have been shut and the government servants have been asked to attend offices only thrice a week. Private enterprises have been requested to work from home, as far as possible. Though diesel shipment is expected in the second week of July, there is no word of petrol supplies.

The JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake has come out with a strong indictment of the efforts of PM Wickremesinghes performance so far. Speaking at Matara on June 29, he accused PM Wickremesinghe of saving Gotabaya who was contemplating his resignation. He appealed to political parties to sink their differences and come together to get rid of corrupt rulers. He appealed to them to take to the streets and said the JVP will announce a day and call upon people to suspend whatever they are doing and come to the street to join the final push to send them home. These words could escalate public protests, increasing their potential to explode into full fledged civil unrest. That could destabilise the country when it needs a period of stability for economic recovery.

[Col R Hariharan, a retired MI specialist on South Asia and terrorism, served as the head of intelligence of the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka 1987-90. He is associated with the Chennai Centre for China Studies. Email: haridirect@gmail.com ]
Imagine saving up for decades to be able to build your own house... only to find out that there are mummies buried in the lot you are planning to build on. That is exactly the problem that Peruvian mechanic Hipolito Tica is facing as he tries constructing his house in the capital of Lima.

The centuries-old mummies have been buried in the lot where Tica was planning to build his home for hundreds of years. A mechanic by trade, Tica talked to the Associated Press about his conundrum with his rather unique "neighbors" who have been in the land long before he was even born.

How a Mechanic From Peru Made an Archeological Discovery by Accident

According to Tica, he tried building his home back in 1996 after saving up enough money to build one, However, as he tried to dig a latrine on the lot he was building on, he found out about his "neighbors." He said that he was taking a break from hefting some bricks when the ground suddenly collapsed.

He would run away, but came back with a flashlight soon after. He said that the hole which opened up was around 5 meters deep and 3 meters wide. And as he shined his light into the hole, he discovered what his "neighbors" really were, Incan mummies. He recalled seeing funerary bundles as he tried investigating the hole inside the lot he was building on.

Tica admitted he wasn't sure what to do or who to tell at that time. He did not have a building permit like many Peruvians trying to build a home on the outskirts of Lima. He knew that reporting the mummies could get the attention of authorities, and it could cost him his planned house. However, still decided to tell archeologists what he found.

Luckily, the lot he was working on was only a few meters from the El Sauce archaeological site on the eastern edge of Lima. He found some archeologists who were excavating Incan ceramics nearby. Unfortunately, he said that these archeologists did not pay him much attention and he decided not to press the issue. And with that, he just decided to coexist with his rather unique "neighbors."

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Tica Wins the Rights to the Property, But Peruvian Government (and Tica) Still Want Mummies Protected

As time went on, residents of the neighborhood, most of whom were informal settlers, fought to obtain titles to the area. The Los Angeles Times reports that Tica was one of them. And they went ahead to apply for various services including water and sewage. But with the Incan mummies ever-present, they still required to get approval from the Secretary of Culture, as well as a local museum, as the government still wanted these sites protected.

Tica, who had little formal education, would put in the time and effort to research ancient Incan culture, as well as other ancient Peruvian civilizations. However, he still wanted his home built and even thought about just covering the burial chamber with concrete and building his house on top of it. Fortunately, he found a solution.

The mechanic said that he wanted future generations to know about ancient Peruvian culture and that the area had a history. And because of this dedication, he found archeologist Julio Abanto of the Ruricancho Cultural Institute. He approached him and just said that he has a burial area he wanted the archeologist to see.

Abanto got a team together and investigated the site. They found three bundles, each one containing more than one mummy. It is not clear yet how many people were buried in that tomb. However, they found plenty of artifacts, including a crown, bracelets, and other implements. Abanto's team is still investigating the site, though they theorized that the people buried there must have been members of the local elite.

As for Tica, the Associated Press reports that he is currently in the process of finally building his home. But this time, with more appreciation of the heritage the area has.

READ NEXT: Mexican Feminist Groups Are Helping US Women Gain Access to Abortion After Roe v. Wade Overturned

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: 800 years old mummy discovered in Peru | Mummification | Latest English News | World News - WION
A former head of the National Search Commission in Mexico was sentenced Thursday to three years in prison after being found guilty of DNA mishandling.

According to Washington Post, Roberto Cabrera was found guilty of sharing confidential genetic information from thousands of recovered human remains with a private company.

A judge said Cabrera helped the company that "merchandised the suffering of families" searching for their loved ones. Cabrera was the strategy coordinator in the national public security system when he started sharing the genetic material in 2017.

He became the public face of the government's effort to find and identify the missing the next year as the first commissioner in charge of the search for the disappeared.

Karla Quintana, a Harvard-educated human-rights lawyer who took the same role in 2019, filed a criminal complaint against Cabrera after learning that he had turned over genetic material from at least 45,000 people to the biotech company AND Mexico.

READ NEXT: Mexico: 400 Missing Persons Found Dead in Guanajuato State Plagued by Mexican Drug Cartels

DNA Mishandling Scandal in Mexico

Lawyers noted that much of the material came from remains the government was trying to identify. However, some DNA may have belonged to relatives of the disappeared who had undergone testing.

The National Search Commission had already acquired DNA from missing person cases in several states through contracts with local authorities and tests sought by family members.

Officials had found that AND had drafted a possible $3.5 million contract with Roberto Cabrera in which the firm would compare relatives' DNA to the genetic material in a government database to help them identify missing loved ones.

The contract was never signed, but prosecutors said AND had started contacting families of the missing and offered to perform the service free.

Quintana noted that the company seemed to see a business opportunity in the DNA collecting and matching and sent sales representatives to events held by the families.

She said the main victims of these events are the families of the disappeared people, adding that the company "was playing with the profound pain" of family members.

Mexico National Search Commission

In April, the agency revealed that there are 20,148 missing or unlocated women. Most of the missing were between the ages of 15 and 19. Half of the missing 20,148 come from the state of Nuevo Leon.

Amnesty International Mexico's director, Edith Olivares Ferreto, noted in an Infobae report that Mexico is a country where they have around 100,000 missing persons.

She said the fifth part of the missing person were women, adding that she thinks it was important to remember that many of those who were reported missing were later victims of femicide.

Olivares Ferreto noted that Mexican families "live with a fear that anything will happen to women." The Search Commission also outlined that during Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's administration, a total of 7,901 disappearances were recorded.

In 2018, there were 1,687 unlocated women, while in 2019, 1,890 missing women were recorded. In 2020, there were 2,250 missing and 2,795 in 2021. It was an increase of 65 percent.

So far, the registry noted that there were 1,688 women and 2,594 men missing in 2022. A United Nations investigation noted that corrupt state officials and organized crime factions are to blame for the increasing number of disappearances in Mexico, The Guardian reported.

READ MORE: Mexico: 9th Mexican Journalist Killed This Year Found Wrapped in Black Bag on Sinaloa Road

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: UN Urges Mexico to Tackle 'Alarming' Rise in Disappearances - From Al Jazeera English
Decapitated human heads and burned corpses were found as 15 people were reported killed in Mexico's Baja California state, plagued by Mexican drug cartels.

According to The Daily Star, the murders occurred in several different neighborhoods of Tijuana in Baja California in a little more than a day.

The State Investigation Agency said the first case happened in the early hours of Sunday, June 26, with two human heads - a male and a female - found on Prolongacion Segunda street in front of El Mirador's La Isla residential complex.

Authorities also found cardboard with a message from La Menchiza that read: "This is for all the whores who support the scourge in Playas. There is already a new administration."

Next, a half-buried male body in a state of decomposition was discovered in the Granjas Buenos Aires neighborhood. The man was not identified.

A 43-year-old individual named Gonzalo Chavarria Ramirez was shot to death on Rio Mixcoac Avenue in the Torres del Matamoros neighborhood.

Human remains, including a female head, torso, and other body parts, were also found inside a sack. Human remains were also discovered inside two plastic boxes left in front of Conalep High School in Villa Floresta. One of the boxes contained the torso of a man aged between 65 and 70, while the other had two female legs.

Zeta Tijuana reported that a charred corpse was also found on El Pino street in the Terrazas del Valle neighborhood. Authorities have yet to identify the victim's age or sex.

On the same day, a corpse in an advanced state of decomposition was found in the trunk of an abandoned vehicle in the Las Torres neighborhood, while a charred corpse was reported on Turquesa Street.

A 24-year-old man, identified as Manuel Alejandro Alfaro Rodriguez, was found dead with injuries caused by a firearm.

The bodies of a woman and a headless man were next found in a riding school in the Manuel Paredes 3 neighborhood before a certain Salud Estrada Almaraz, 59, was shot to death in the Zona Norte neighborhood.

The following morning, June 27, a certain Jorge Alberto Sonora Carraza, 28, was killed by a gunshot in Avenida Lomas De La Hacienda. At around 8 a.m, a charred body was discovered in the Paseos del Vergel subdivision.

READ NEXT: Jalisco Cartel Leader 'El Senoron' Who Receives Orders From Boss' El Mencho' Arrested in Mexico

Death Toll in Mexico's Baja California State Amid Wars Between Mexican Drug Cartels

A few days before the end of June, a total of 175 violent deaths were recorded in Tijuana in Baja California, making June the city's bloodiest month of 2022.

These deaths also mean that a total of 1,241 intentional homicides have now been recorded so far in the state of Baja California this year.

In April, around 200 soldiers had been deployed to Tijuana to fight the ongoing wars between Mexican drug cartels in the city, according to Border Report.

General Francisco Javier Hernandez Almanza, the head of Mexico's National Guard in Baja California, earlier said the conflict over control of production, distribution, and sales of drugs by Mexican drug cartels in Baja California "generated a large number of homicides as a result of these activities."

Hernandez Almanza noted that there are now more than 3,500 soldiers in Tijuana. He said the soldiers will be dispatched across the city to do vehicle stops and checkpoints "as a way to try and reduce violent events."

"We've had positive results, I don't know how many, but we've recovered weapons and drugs," Hernandez Almanza added.

2 Human Heads Found Inside Coolers in Chihuahua State in Mexico

Two human heads were also discovered early this week in Mexico's Chihuahua state, which also has been fighting a war with Mexican drug cartels.

On Tuesday, authorities found a beheaded body in the Arboledas neighborhood in Chihuahua, and the head was discovered in a nearby ice chest, along with a message that read: "thief."

A human head, also placed inside a cooler, was found in the Revolucion neighborhood on Monday. The ice chest was among the garbage a group of workers removed on a property.

The property was being cleaned up when the human head was found. According to reports, the head was from a man with a dark complexion and short hair.

READ MORE: Jalisco Cartel Boss El Mencho's Daughter, La Negra, Freed After More Than 2 Years in U.S. Prison

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Drug War in Michoacan: Mexican State Faces Unprecedented Wave of Violence - From FRANCE 24 English
Irish Water has launched a new Experience Based Accreditation Scheme that will be available for Experienced Contractors in Laois.

The scheme will accredit Experienced Contractors to deliver new water services infrastructure in public roads for housing developers.

This is the latest initiative as part of Irish Waters commitment to support the delivery of housing across Ireland. The scheme supports the efficient delivery of essential water services infrastructure in the public road by Experienced Contractors while ensuring best practice procedures and standards.

It follows the successful rollout of Irish Waters self lay in the public road programme, whereby developers can deliver water and wastewater infrastructure in the public roads to service new housing developments.

The new scheme, which has been launched 18 months ahead of schedule, recognises contractors adherence to Irish Waters Standard Details, Codes of Practice and Quality Assurance procedures. These best practice procedures and standards have been developed by Irish Water to prevent a reoccurrence of legacy issues that exist across the country.

Welcoming the self-lay programme and the new accreditation scheme, Darragh O'Brien TD, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, said: This latest initiative from Irish Water is another fantastic step forward in ensuring housing developments are completed efficiently across the country. Im delighted to see such support for my Departments Housing For All strategy, and to see Experienced Contractors across Ireland support the efficient delivery of homes. Irish Water listened to industry calls and responded quickly.

"Through the Housing For All strategy, my Department aims to see an average of 33,000 homes provided each year to 2030, and to know these homes will be completed as efficiently as possible is a fantastic assurance.

The scheme, which is also supported by the Construction Industry Federation (CIF), the Irish Homebuilders Association and Commission for Regulation of Utilities, is the latest in a number of initiatives Irish Water has implemented to support Governments Housing For All strategy.

Other initiatives include the publication of water and wastewater capacity registers which give an indication of the capacity of water and wastewater treatment plants all around the country, making it easier for developers and local authorities to prioritise areas with services.

As part of its commitment to open communication, Irish Water has also hosted several webinars for industry players to explain the application process and to highlight issues that may cause delays in the process.

The utility continues to support the housing industry through its dedicated connections and developer services team which offers a range of resources and support material, including extending a helping hand through the entire process from housing development pre-planning stage right through to construction.

These initiatives have resulted in strong progress being made in the delivery of housing, with over 32,000 housing connections offered by Irish Water in 2021.

Yvonne Harris, Irish Waters Housing Programme Director, said: We are committed to supporting Governments drive in developing more homes across the country and ensuring these homes can be completed efficiently.

"Weve launched our new Experienced Based Accreditation Scheme following calls from industry where, following a series of webinars with industry members, many highlighted the need for self-lay of water services infrastructure in public roads for new housing developments. Irish Water listened and is now ensuring that Experienced Contractors across every county in Ireland can become accredited to deliver new water services infrastructure in public roads for new housing developments.

We have ensured our Experience Based Accreditation Scheme is easy and hassle-free to register for, and weve already seen strong interest from applicants. It ensures safe and reliable water services will continue to be provided to new home buyers and existing residents, now and into the future.

James Benson, Director of Housing, Planning & Development with CIF, added: CIF welcomes this excellent initiative by Irish Water which will facilitate us to deliver housing in a timely and efficient manner. Our members are committed to meeting the highest standards in the construction of housing and associated infrastructure. This Experience Based Accreditation Scheme recognises this and supports the ongoing development of expertise in the water industry by developers and contractors through accreditation.

Shane Carty of Carty Contractors, a contractor who participated in the pilot self lay programme, said: We welcome the proposal by Irish Water to establish an accreditation scheme that will recognise the positive engagement by Contractors with Irish Waters requirements since 2014.
The need for a comprehensive national policy on water resource management is critical if life is to be sustained in the country and for future generations to enjoy the lifestyle that their past generations enjoyed. Of course, strict enforcement of such a policy, free from political interference and self-destructive, short term gain avarice is even more critical

by Raj Gonsalkorale, Janendra De Costa, Vijith Gunawardena and Mohanlal Peiris

In Part 1 of this article that was published, the authors set out to present the view that water resources, and all its composites need to be considered as an integral component of what is referred to as the whole, or the broader context of land, and the anticipation of threats, and what needs to be done to address such threats, and not reactions to threats when they occur. The need for a futuristic, sustainable water management policy for the country within the purview of a broader policy framework for land and land management was stressed. In this second part of the article, the water resource situation in Sri Lanka and challenges faced, and possible remedies is explored.

Threats and challenges to the future of water resources in Sri Lanka

The future water resources that will be available for human consumption, agriculture, hydropower generation and various industrial purposes will depend on a range of factors and processes that influence the inputs, extractions, losses and retention of water. Some of these processes are part of the global macroclimate which is largely beyond human control.

Greenhouse gas-induced climate change is one such process. Increasing air temperatures, one of the clearest signals of climate change, accelerates the hydrologic cycle by increasing evapotranspiration from vegetation and direct evaporation from open water surfaces such as the oceans, lakes, reservoirs, and rivers.

The greater amounts of water vapour, so released to the atmosphere, can increase precipitation in some regions of the world, where the atmospheric processes that cause rainfall are active and operational. This will have a positive impact on water resources if adequate structures and mechanisms, both natural and man-made, are in place to capture the additional input of water from increased precipitation. On the other hand, in regions where adequate rainfall-causing mechanisms are not present, increased evaporation losses due to global warming could diminish the existing water resources. This future scenario is summarized as climatic change causing wet areas to get wetter and dry areas to become drier.

In the latest assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC-AR6), which was published in 2021, in predictions of future climate using the current state-of-the-art global circulation models (GCMs), Sri Lanka is identified as a region which is likely to experience increased precipitation during this century. However, almost all GCMs predict an increase in rainfall variability and in the frequency of extreme climatic events. This means that increased future precipitation could come through several high-rainfall events, which could cause more harm via floods and landslides than benefits. It is also possible that increased rainfall variability could result in longer rainfree periods between successive rainfall events, thus increasing the possibility of droughts occurring at greater frequency. The recently identified phenomenon of flash droughts, meaning droughts that develop fast within about a month without much warning could be a manifestation of increased variability in rainfall and overall climate.

While there is observational and anecdotal evidence that such flash droughts may be occurring with greater frequency in Sri Lanka, especially in the wet and intermediate zones, systematic analyses of long-term climatic data are urgently required to verify the observational and anecdotal evidence. This is a critical area that should be covered by a policy framework as proposed in this document.

Furthermore, it is possible that while the overall country-wide precipitation in Sri Lanka may increase in accordance with the predictions of GCMs, the phenomenon of wet areas getting wetter and dry areas becoming drier may operate in the different climatic zones of Sri Lanka. For example, rainfall in the wet zone in the South-West part of Sri Lanka and the Central Highlands may increase while the intermediate and dry zones in the rest of the country may experience decreased rainfall. Such changes in future rainfall patterns in Sri Lanka as induced by global climate change will have enormous implications on its water resources and their utilization for different purposes. While increased rainfall in the wet zone and the Central Highlands will increase water availability for drinking, hydropower generation and irrigation (via transfer to reservoirs in the dry zone), it is important to have measures and mechanisms in place to mitigate the adverse impacts of floods and landslides. Similarly, it is important to devise adequate water conservation measures for the dry and intermediate zones to mitigate the possibly increased frequency of droughts, and especially flash droughts.

Future water resources in Sri Lanka will depend not only on changed patterns of water inputs (i.e. rainfall), but also on changed patterns of water extraction and the capacity of land to retain water, many of which are within human control. Increased water extraction, especially from the deep aquifer, for drinking and agriculture in the dry and intermediate zones could deplete the aquifer further. This could threaten the long-term sustainability of both agriculture and human settlements in the dry and intermediate zones.

It is notable in this regard that Sri Lanka contains substantial tracts of water-scarce land areas in all its climatic zones, despite having a high overall rainfall and water availability regime by global standards.

How much water is extracted from the deep aquifer to supply the water demand in these areas will be a crucial factor in determining the magnitude of the future water resource that will be available to Sri Lanka. Of equal importance will be the capacity of the land to retain water, especially in a future scenario of increased rainfall.

Future patterns of land use and land use change will have a crucial bearing in determining the capacity of land to retain water. Presence of a vegetation cover, especially a forest cover, minimizes overland flow of rainwater and facilitates its slow infiltration in to soil to re-charge the aquifer and the water bodies (called the sponge effect). Deforestation and conversion of vegetated land to other forms of land use by removing the vegetation cover would not only reduce retention of rainwater within the land and the aquifer, but also increase land degradation through soil erosion. Removal of the vegetation cover and subsequent conversion of steep lands, especially at higher altitudes and in the Central Highlands, to either agriculture or human settlement could cause serious adverse impacts on the future water resources. A policy on land use with adequate regulatory measures to control land use change is an urgent need in this regard.

Optimisation of fresh water use for agriculture and potability

Water optimisation is based on reducing water loss, use or waste, avoiding damage to water quality, and improving water management practices that reduce or enhance the beneficial use of water. While pollution renders large quantities of water unusable, treating it for usability requires electricity and chemicals, an added cost. The question that should be asked is what percentage of water is unusable due to pollution and what preventive measures are in place to prevent or reduce such pollution.

The next issue is about the amount of water that has added value downstream prior to flowing into the sea. Ancient rulers of the country saw the need to make maximum use of water for agriculture prior to this eventual flow, and the building of reservoirs was their strategy to achieve such an optimization. While scope for further expansion of large-scale reservoir systems may be limited, potential surely exists to increase smaller systems. While the droughts cause delays in planting seasons and are responsible for crop damages, floods have been destroying mature crops awaiting harvest. The total cultivated area in Sri Lanka is estimated at around 1.86 million ha, while 632,000 ha. of this area or approximately 33% of it, is irrigated and the rest is rain-fed. Excessive rain and droughts impact on both.

Growing less water consuming Rice

While water has played an integral role in Sri Lankan agriculture throughout its 2000-plus years of recorded history, there is a need to re-visit and re-think the way in which water is used in Sri Lankan agriculture. The cultivation of rice in lowland paddies, where water is impounded and maintained as a layer of standing water, is a cropping system with a high-water requirement. This is a system which incurs substantial losses of water due to evaporation from the open water surface and deep percolation due to the high hydrostatic pressure exerted by the layer of standing water. As such, the production of Sri Lankas staple food grain, rice, in the lowland flooded cultivation system requires up to 2500  3000 cubic meters of water to produce 1 ton of rice grain.

The magnitude of this water requirement of rice can be understood when it is placed within the context of the water requirements of other staple food crops such as wheat, which requires only 1000 cubic meters of water to produce one ton of grain. The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) made it a priority in the new millennium starting from the year 2000 to find alternative cultivation systems which are able to fulfil the increasing demand for rice while using less water. This change in IRRIs central mission and priority was summarized by the term more crop per drop.

This is very much in line with the overall goal that the authors identified in the introductory article on land that utilization of land must be based on a policy of reaping more with less land. Rice scientists in IRRI and other rice-growing countries, including the scientists in Sri Lanka, have devised, and introduced water-saving irrigation technologies in place of the traditional lowland rice cultivation with continuous standing water.

Saturated Rice Culture (SRC), Alternative Wetting and Drying (AWD) and Aerobic Rice Culture (ARC) are three of the major alternative water management systems that have been designed and recommended for rice cultivation in Asia, including Sri Lanka.

Saturated Rice Culture involves maintaining the soil at saturation without maintaining a layer of standing water and thereby aims to reduce water losses due to standing water in the traditional lowland rice culture. Alternative Wetting and Drying is a system which allows the soil to dry below saturation during non-critical periods of the crops life cycle and thereby aims to reduce the water requirement even below that of SRC. Aerobic Rice Culture involves growing rice as an upland crop without standing water at any point during its life cycle, which reduces the crops water requirement further.

Research on all these alternative water management systems has shown that the rice crops will incur a yield loss in comparison to the traditional lowland rice cultivation. However, importantly, the water use of the rice crop was shown to decrease by a proportionately greater margin than the decrease in rice grain yield, so that the water use efficiency (or water productivity as it is called in irrigation and water management), measured as the grain yield per unit of water used, was higher in the alternative systems as compared to the traditional system.

Despite the superiority of alternative water management systems in terms of greater water use efficiency, especially SRC and AWD, they had not been widely adopted by the Sri Lankan rice farmers. Therefore, a substantial effort is needed in agricultural extension to promote these water management technologies. This important research-oriented initiative too should be part of the policy framework that is urgently needed in Sri Lanka.

Similarly, a paradigm shift is needed on the way farmers view and use water in the cultivation of their upland crops such as maize, grain legumes, root and tuber crops, vegetable crops, spice crops, sugar cane etc,. Farmers often perceive water as a freely available, unlimited resource and use excessive quantities for irrigating their crops. As such the predominant method of irrigating upland crops by Sri Lankan farmers has been surface irrigation, where irrigation water is applied along the land, often with very little control on the amount used and the uniformity of application.

The amount of water used for irrigating upland crops can be reduced substantially by using alternative irrigation methods such as drip irrigation. While drip irrigation of upland crops, especially fruit crops such as mango and banana, has been adopted by farmers to a greater extent than the alternative water management technologies for rice cultivation, there is still much more room for improvement in terms of farmer adoption.

While supplementary irrigation is essential to achieve the maximum potential land productivity from agricultural crops, especially in the dry and intermediate zones of Sri Lanka, use of poor-quality water, in which a variety of chemical ions are dissolved, for irrigation could lead to gradual salinization of arable lands. In view of the absence of strong regulatory measures for preventing the pollution of water resources by a variety of institutions and individuals, Sri Lanka should be especially vigilant on the possibility of salinity development in the agricultural lands under major and minor irrigation schemes. Once the process of salinization of an arable land start, it is difficult to reverse it and measures of desalination such as large-scale drainage are expensive. As irrigated lands contribute a proportionately greater share of the national food production, salinization of these productive lands could have serious repercussions on national food security and farmer livelihoods.

Ada Derana report on the 12th June cited the Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera as saying that uncultivated or abandoned paddy lands across the island are to be acquired for a period of five years for the cultivation of food crops. This indicates that tracts of land that had been cultivated earlier, had not been cultivated for whatever reason. It would be important to enquire why they were not cultivated as a possible reason may be the unavailability or unpredictability of water for cultivation as the demand for water is high in paddy cultivation compared to many other crops. Sri Lankas dry zone is the main paddy producing area in the country and its been reported that paddy production is set increase by 10% by 2025. While this would require an additional amount of water to the totally irrigated land, some parts of this area may face a serious scarcity of water by 2025 based on present trends.

To manage those challenges, there is a need for a new approach of water resource management to face the rising threat to water security. This calls for a holistic approach where agricultural water management is considered a part of an overall strategy of natural resource management. This thinking falls in line with the premise of interdependency and interconnectedness of all components that the authors have labelled as land.

For example, the management of water for Agriculture from an irrigation tank largely depends on the management of the catchment area of the tank. The catchment area will have other crops and even other industries that require water, resulting in pollution of water, and giving rise to numerous challenges to those engaged in activities requiring water. Managing catchment areas is therefore a substantial challenge, leading to the need to have a national water management policy that includes management measures in such catchment areas.

Readers are referred to a very comprehensive research work titled A review on water governance in Sri Lanka: the lessons learnt for future water policy formulation (https://iwaponline.com/wp/article/23/2/255/80096/A-review-on-water-governance-in-Sri-Lanka-the) on the subject of water use for agriculture. This study encapsulates the essence of this article in regard to the goal of more with less and more crop per drop in order to maximise the utilisation of this increasingly scarce resource.

In its conclusion, it says, quote, There are significant efforts by governments over the past few years to establish new infrastructure, rehabilitate or renovate existing dams, reservoirs, and canals, and promote agro wells and micro-irrigation technologies to meet the rising demand for agricultural water. Despite such efforts, however, the problem of water scarcity continues grow. To meet the future demands of agricultural water innovative approaches are needed. The demand for agricultural water has to be balanced with the municipal and industrial water demands. In balancing these demands, the goals of public health, environmental protection, economic viability, and food security need to be carefully assessed. The development of crop varieties that demand less water is one possible strategy to manage competing demands for water.

The selective adoption of technologies appropriate for small farmers is another tool. Planning and coordinating irrigation water is also very important to save the excess use of water. Farmer organizations, local institutes, and state agencies such as the Agrarian Development Department, Department of Agriculture, Department of Meteorology all have an important role to play. They must work closely and share knowledge and information so that irrigation water can be better managed unquote.

The need for a comprehensive national policy on water resource management is critical if life is to be sustained in the country and for future generations to enjoy the lifestyle that their past generations enjoyed. Of course, strict enforcement of such a policy, free from political interference and self-destructive, short term gain avarice is even more critical thereafter. Such a policy has to consider region-based realities and grass root needs as well.

The policy has to be comprehensive in that it needs to address water resource management from the broader perspective of the whole, which includes components such as agriculture, fisheries, hydropower, energy in general including renewable energy, forestry, wildlife protected areas, bio diversity, pollution and importantly, climate change.

It is also strongly suggested that children are exposed from their initial school going age, to an increasing degree of sophistication as they progress towards higher classes at school on issues relating to the broader context of land, as described above and in the introductory article titled A futuristic, sustainable land management policy for Sri Lanka. Formative years are the most important for the next generation and the ones to follow in understanding and appreciating the value of these resources and their finiteness.

Concluded: The authors: Raj Gonsalkorale, MBA, International Management Consultant, Janendra De Costa, BSc (Agric) PhD, Senior Professor and Chair of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Vijith Gunawardena, BA, Land Management Practitioner, Mohanlal Peiris, BSc(Hons), MSc (Loughborough University), DipWEM, CEng, Regional Water and Sanitation Specialist at UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia (ROSA)
Teagasc announced the winners of the Equine Farming and Biodiversity photo competition. The overall winner is Max Solan Clinton from Boyle, Co. Roscommon. Maxs winning image was selected from over 150 diverse images featuring examples of biodiversity in harmony with equines on farms around the country, which were recently submitted to the Equine Farming and Biodiversity photo competition. Max will receive vouchers valued at 250.

In congratulating Max on his achievement, Teagasc Countryside Management Specialist Catherine Keena said: The photo shows a vegetated margin with flowering grasses and broadleaved plants, which support a wide range of wildlife. Seed eating birds such as goldfinch and linnet feed on small grass seeds, while butterflies such as Meadow Brown and Speckled Wood lay their eggs and their larvae feed on tall grasses.

Teagasc Equine Specialists Wendy Conlon and Sean Keane added their congratulations saying Maxs photo resonated with the judges for its simplicity yet captivation of the landscape and most particularly demonstrating the biodiversity value of field margins.

Second place is Kristine O Neill from Ardrahan, Co. Galway. Catherine Keena highlights the network of hedges depicted in the photo. These linear habitats provide corridors of movement for birds, bats and small mammals through this farmed landscape. The two types of hedges are visible: Escaped hedge / treeline and the Topped hedge containing occasional trees.

Wendy Conlon compliments Kristine on framing her grazing Irish Draught mare and foals, while showcasing the aesthetics of the surrounding landscape. Kristine is delighted to receive vouchers valued at 150.

n third place is Brian Morgan from Ennistymon, Co. Clare, who will receive vouchers valued at 100. Sean Keane praises Brians representation of the Connemara Pony mares and foals grazing well-sheltered pasture suited to the breed. Catherine Keena appreciates the beautiful escaped hedge or treeline, with huge biodiversity value in its canopy for nesting and roosting birds, bats, bees and butterflies. Scattered rush cover shown in the photo is beneficial as the tussocks provide shelter and benefit wildlife. Such pastures provide ideal habitat for breeding waders, where damp soils allow birds with long beaks to probe for invertebrates.

It was gratifying for the judges to experience the range of excellent images from participants. The winning Equine Farming and Biodiversity photos can now be viewed at www.teagasc.ie/equinecomp

Teagasc sincerely thanks all participants for taking the time to enter and wishes everyone continued enjoyment of their surroundings, while encouraging all to strive to both sustain and improve biodiversity on their farms.
Monument to Lenin in the mining town of Barentsburg, on the Svalbard archipelago in northern Norway, May 7, 2022. JONATHAN NACKSTRAND / AFP

While the leaders of NATO member states were meeting in Madrid for a special summit against the backdrop of the Russian war in Ukraine, Norway was targeted on Wednesday, June 29, by a large-scale cyberattack, paralyzing several of the kingdom's government agency and media websites. The actions were claimed by Killnet, a group of pro-Russian hackers. Two days earlier, the same hackers claimed responsibility for the cyberattack on Lithuania, carried out in retaliation for the Baltic state's restrictions imposed on rail traffic between Russian territory and the enclave of Kaliningrad.

On this occasion, the hackers said they wanted to target NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, the former prime minister of Norway, who has been labeled Russia's "enemy N1." On the Telegram messaging system, they justified the motivation for their acts: The blocking of a cargo of goods at the Norwegian border which was intended for Russian miners on Norway's Svalbard archipelago. It has been a point of tension between Oslo and Moscow, and in recent days has been threatening to turn into a diplomatic crisis.

Read more Subscribers only Entente glaciale: Finland's long and complex history with Russia

Applying European sanctions

At the heart of the matter lie 20 tonnes of supplies, including seven tonnes of food. The two shipping containers left Murmansk, in the north of Russia, in May, in trucks headed for the Norwegian port of Tromso, 1,000 kilometers to the west. The containers were to be loaded onto a ship bound for the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. Their final destination was the Russian mining town of Barentsburg, where Russian state enterprise Trust Arktikugol maintains coal-mining operations.

Even though Norway is not a member of the European Union, it has nonetheless been applying European sanctions against Russia almost to the letter. Since April 29, Russian trucks are no longer allowed to cross the border between the two countries and Russian ships are banned from Norwegian ports.

Read more Subscribers only 'Sanctions on Russia won't stop the war in Ukraine'

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But there are two exceptions. Russian fishing boats continue to be allowed to enter Norway to deliver their catch  a way for Oslo to ensure that the joint management, with Russia, of Barents Sea fishing stocks continues normally. In addition, Russian ships are allowed to dock in Svalbard under the 1920 Treaty of Paris, which recognizes Norway's sovereignty over the islands, but guarantees signatory states the freedom to exploit the archipelago's natural resources.

Of the little more than 2,800 inhabitants, about 400 of them are Russians and Ukrainians who live and work in Barentsburg, Svalbard's second largest town. It was to them that the 20 tonnes of supplies were being sent. But the containers never made it through the Storskog border crossing, which has been closed to Russian traffic since April 29.

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Riot police confront migrants in Melilla, June 24, 2022. JAVIER BERNARDO / AP

Sara Prestianni is a migration specialist at the NGO EuroMed Rights. She analyzes how migration policies have become a form of blackmail between Spain and Morocco.

More than 35 migrants died on June 24 while trying to enter the Spanish enclave of Melilla. Was this tragedy foreseeable?

This is the product of months of tension with migrants in Morocco. After the April 2022 agreements between Rabat and Madrid, in which both countries pledged to strengthen their cooperation on migration, the atmosphere has hardened. This can be seen in the camps being dismantled around the city of Nador (bordering with Melilla), the arrests of migrants, or the increased difficulty in accessing health care.

Read more Subscribers only Calls for investigation after 'spiral of violence' led to migrants' deaths in Melilla

This tragedy is also the consequence of the desperation of the migrants, who try to cross at any cost. Moroccan forces were ready to do anything to stop them in order to ease relations with Spain. The border did the rest, with its multiple barriers where hundreds of people were crushed. There were more than 37 deaths, according to a non-definitive NGO estimation, there were arrests and almost 400 people were turned back to Nador while already in Spanish territory. There were also attempts to bury the bodies before they were even identified.

Are there any precedents?

In October 2005, six migrants were shot dead in Melilla during several hundred attempts to cross. The enclave route was not widely used at the time, but it was beginning to be used as an alternative to crossing the Strait of Gibraltar, where a radar and camera interception system had just been set up. In 2005, the fence in Ceuta and Melilla was no more than three meters high and migrants crossed it using ladders. Now, the border in Melilla is 10 meters high.

Read more Deaths rise to 23 in stampede as thousands of migrants attempt to enter Spanish enclave Melilla

Many Sudanese were among the victims. How should we understand this?

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This is a new element. Previously, the Sudanese went through neighboring Libya to cross the central part of the Mediterranean into Italy. But surely the increased capacity of the Libyan authorities to intercept them at sea (thanks to European and especially Italian support), the level of violence in detention centers, or the number of deaths at sea have pushed them to take other routes. On Wednesday, June 29, it was revealed that the bodies of 20 migrants, thought to be Chadian, had been found in the Libyan desert near the borders with Sudan and Chad. The group had gotten lost.

These examples show us how the reinforcement of a border without the opening of legal access routes to European territory only shifts the routes to other "doors to Europe" while making them more costly in terms of human lives.

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VOLUNTEERS for the Irish Red Cross in Limerick have been recoginsed for their work during the pandemic and beyond.

For the first time since 2019, members from branches across the city and county gathered last week for their annual awards night.

Mayor of Limerick City and County Cllr Daniel Butler attended the event and praised the volunteers for their tireless efforts.

Mr Butler handed out awards to members who had been specifically chosen for going above and beyond for the organisation over the last two years.

He commended the volunteers for their ongoing dedication to the people of Limerick and for giving up their free time to help others.

He said that those who volunteer their time for similar organisations represent the best of Limerick.

The Member of The Year award was given to Gina Kelly for her ongoing work with the charity, specifically her leading of the organisation's response to welcoming Ukrainian refugees to Limerick.

Dr. Andrew Kelly, Area Director of Units in Limerick said it had been a difficult two years but the members of the Red Cross in Limerick had prevailed.

The Limerick Area of the Irish Red Cross was founded in 1940 with just a small number of members.

Now they have more than 600 members actively volunteering in Limerick City and County.

The organisation offers a range of services including first aid and ambulance cover at events, first aid training, health and social care support and a Red Cross Youth section.
THE UNIVERSITY of Limerick and Mary Immaculate College are to open talks on closer alignment into the future.

But the president of the teacher-training college at the South Circular Road has ruled out a formal merger with the third-level institution in Castletroy.

As the academic year came to a close, Prof Eugene Wall, who leads Mary Immaculate College, told staff talks were planned regarding what its spokesperson described as a closer structural alignment between the two higher education institutions.

A spokesperson for the university also confirmed this, adding: Mary Immaculate College (MIC) and University of Limerick (UL) have developed close working relationships with UL accrediting degrees for MIC and also collaborate on a number of higher education projects in the region and nationally.

Limerick Live understands the talks between the two educational centres are at a very early stage.

A lot of it relates to the fact Mary Immaculate College is not a university. There are drawbacks to this, in that the college cannot apply for funding streams and rankings. Closer alignment with UL means these might be possible in the future, said a well-placed source.

There were fears among some staff that Mary Immaculate College could ultimately merge with the University of Limerick.

But Prof Wall told staff on a number of occasions throughout the 90-minute event held at the end of term that this is not something that was on the cards.
A COUNTY Limerick entrepreneur has been named grand champion of the annual Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA).

Nick Cotter, CEO and co-founder of Cotter Agritech, which specializes in targeted, selective treatment systems for sheep was one of more than 1,000 finalists in the prestigious competition.

Nick, who is from Abbeyfeale learned of his victory during the final episode of a four-part mini-series called Start it Up, which was produced by the awards programme.

GSEA is the premier global competition for students who own and operate a business while attending college or university and 2022 marks the 16th year that the Entrepreneurs Organization has hosted the awards.

Candidates nominate their businesses through an open application process and compete against their peers worldwide in a series of local and national competitions. For the 2021-2022 competition, 1,093 applications were received from students in 40 countries and six continents. 60 students advanced to the global finals, leading to the top six finalists.

Nick Cotter has been an entrepreneur from a young age, setting up his first business, Cotter Bros Firewood at when he was just 13.

In 2019, he set up a second business, Cotter Organic Lamb, which directly sells the award-winning, 100% grass-fed, organic lamb raised on his home farm in Abbeyfeale, to homeowners and local restaurants.

Nick, who is studying law and business studies at University College Cork, has been awarded US40,000 to invest in his business.

"It's much more than I ever thought was possible, becoming global champion. Thank you, GSEA. For my mentor, Tyler Olson, this is for you as well. It's for all those who know who they are. Each stage of the competition is quite intense, and you hope. It's an incredible achievement and pure joy for me," said Nick after he was revealed as the winner.
A man has been arrested following two stabbing incidents in Belfast city centre.

The 27-year-old was detained by police in the early hours of Saturday.

The injuries received by both victims are not believed to be life-threatening, police said.

Inspector Donna McGrady said police were alerted at about 1.15am by a member of the public on Bedford Street to a fight going on in the area.

Police attended and found a male with several stab wounds to his head and chest. He was brought to hospital by colleagues from Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, she said.

Arrest of man aged 27 after two stabbing incidents in Belfast City Centre in the early hours of today pic.twitter.com/iXJKJOkURT  Police Belfast City Centre (@PSNIBelfast) July 2, 2022

It was then reported that the man with the knife made off in the direction of Amelia Street where he stabbed a second man.

Police attended and the injured party received treatment from ambulance crew for a wound to his upper chest.

The injuries of both men are not considered to be life-threatening at this stage.

We have made an arrest in connection with this and enquiries to establish the circumstances are ongoing.

We are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed anything, or has any information which could assist, to contact police on 101, quoting reference number 162 of 02/07/22.
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Google is taking a new step to protect user privacy in the wake of the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

The internet giant will automatically delete location entries from users accounts shortly after they visit particularly personal medical facilities, including abortion clinics, Google senior VP Jen Fitzpatrick wrote in a blog post Friday. The change will take effect in the coming weeks.

We understand that people rely on Google to keep their personal data secure. Weve long been committed to this work, and today were sharing additional steps were taking to protect user privacy around health issues, Fitzpatrick wrote.

In addition to abortion clinics, Google will auto-delete data about user visits to medical facilities such as counseling centers, domestic violence shelters, fertility centers, addiction-treatment facilities, weight loss clinics and cosmetic surgery clinics.

Googles Location History is turned off by default and can only be turned on if you opt in. To shut off the location-tracking feature, the company provides instructions at this link.

With Roe v. Wade rolled back, reproductive-rights advocates have raised new alarms about state laws that criminalize abortion  and give local law-enforcement officials investigating violations of new anti-abortion statutes the power to subpoena data records.

Google has a long track record of pushing back on overly broad demands from law enforcement, including objecting to some demands entirely, Fitzpatrick wrote, noting that it was the first major internet company to regularly share stats about government demands for data in its transparency reports. We remain committed to protecting our users against improper government demands for data, and we will continue to oppose demands that are overly broad or otherwise legally objectionable.

Longer term, Google supports bipartisan congressional efforts to pass federal privacy protections that move the burden of privacy off individuals and establish good data practices across the board, according to Fitzpatrick.

Were committed to delivering robust privacy protections for people who use our products, and we will continue to look for new ways to strengthen and improve these protections, the Google exec wrote.

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ISLAMABAD (AP)  A three-day assembly of Islamic clerics and tribal elders in the Afghan capital concluded Saturday with pledges of support for the Taliban and calls on the international community to recognize the country's Taliban-led government.

The meeting in Kabul was tailored along the lines of Afghanistans traditional Loya Jirgas  regular councils of elders, leaders and prominent figures meant to deliberate Afghan policy issues.

But the overwhelming majority of attendees were Taliban officials and supporters, mostly Islamic clerics. Women were not allowed to attend, unlike the last Loya Jirga that was held under the previous, U.S.-backed government.

The former insurgents, who have kept a complete lock on decision-making since taking over the country last August, touted the gathering as a forum on issues facing Afghanistan.

According to Mujib-ul Rahman Ansari, a cleric who attended the gathering, an 11-point statement released at the end urges countries in the region and the world, the United Nations, Islamic organizations and others to recognize a Taliban-led Afghanistan, remove all sanctions imposed since the Taliban takeover and unfreeze Afghan assets abroad.

Ansari said that more than 4,500 Islamic clerics and elders who attended renewed their allegiance and loyalty to the Talibans supreme leader and spiritual chief, Haibatullah Akhundzada.

In a surprise development, the reclusive Akhundzada came to Kabul from his base in southern Kandahar province and addressed the gathering on Friday. It was believed to be his first visit to the Afghan capital since the Taliban seized power.

In his hour-long speech carried by state radio, Akhundzada called the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan a victory for the Muslim world.

His appearance added symbolic heft to the gathering. The Taliban are under international pressure to be more inclusive as they struggle with Afghanistans humanitarian crises.

The international community has been wary of any recognition or cooperation with the Taliban, especially after they restricted the rights of women and minorities  measures that hark back to their harsh rule when they were last in power in the late 1990s.

Saturday's 11-point resolution called on the Taliban government to pay special attention and to ensure justice, religious and modern education, health, agriculture, industry, the rights of minorities, children, women and the entire nation, according to Islamic holy law." The Taliban adhere to their own strict interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia.

On Friday, Akhundzada, who rose from a low-profile member of the Islamic insurgent movement to the leader of the Taliban in a swift transition of power after a 2016 U.S. drone strike killed his predecessor, Mullah Akhtar Mansour, also offered prayers for Afghanistan's earthquake victims.

The powerful quake in June killed more than 1,000 people in eastern Afghanistan, igniting yet another crisis for the struggling country. Overstretched aid groups already keeping millions of Afghans alive rushed supplies to the quake victims, but most countries responded tepidly to Taliban calls for international help.

The gathering in Kabul also touched on the Taliban's chief rivals, the militant Islamic State group, and appealed on Afghans across the country, saying that any kind of cooperation" with IS was prohibited.

On Thursday, at the start of the gathering, gunfire was heard near the heavily guarded assembly venue, the Loya Jirga Hall of Kabuls Polytechnic University. Later, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told reporters that security forces fired on someone suspected to have a hand grenade, but that there is nothing of concern.

However, IS claimed responsibility for the attack. It said in a statement that three of its fighters climbed onto the roof of a building near the gathering and posted a video showing a group of heavily armed men, their faces masked, who say they have taken positions very close to the gathering and are awaiting orders to attack.

The IS affiliate in Afghanistan, known as Islamic State in Khorasan Province or IS-K, has been operating since 2014. Since the Taliban takeover, IS militants have staged numerous assaults on Afghanistan's new rulers and the Taliban have launched a sweeping crackdown against IS in the country's stronghold in eastern Afghanistan.

___

Associated Press writer Maamoun Youssef in Cairo contributed to this report.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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A teenage girl was bitten by a shark and seriously injured in Florida
The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) today published its Annual Report for 2021.

In welcoming the report, Damien English TD, Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail said:

Last year the WRC worked through the challenges that the global pandemic continued to present, and I commend everyone involved for ensuring that their services were maintained despite the difficult operational environment.

The WRC delivered a robust workplace relations service and employment rights framework for employers and workers across Ireland for the betterment of the economy.

Minister English highlighted that the WRC recovered 964,281 in unpaid wages for workers over the year and concluded by saying:

I am confident that the WRC will continue to deliver its statutory remit while also pushing to innovate, improve, refine and reshape its services - ultimately delivering fair and compliant workplaces for all.

Dr David Begg, Chairperson of the Board of the WRC commented:

The Report indicates the successes of the year which were achieved not only in relation to the many challenges presented during the year, but which were very much in line with the Boards broader strategic goals for the organisation.

Mr. Begg concluded by saying that:

The experience of the last two years and the ability of the staff of the WRC to respond agilely had very much fed into the Boards new Strategy Statement which was devised and submitted to the Minister in 2021.

Mr. Liam Kelly, Director General of the WRC indicated that the trajectory of the pandemic across the year required the WRC to continuously fashion its services to changing circumstances and that he felt that the WRC had been particularly successful in this regard.

In that time he said, despite the challenges posed by Covid, the WRC handled a 6 per cent increase in enquiries, an 8 per cent increase in individual and collective disputes, had scheduled more adjudication hearings than prior to Covid, had inspected 4,500 workplaces and published a Code of Practice on the Right to Disconnect and a Commentary on WRC jurisprudence as well as opening a new office in Cork which is now hosting the vast majority of in-person adjudication and conciliation hearings in the region.

In addition, Mr. Kelly noted that the WRC had successfully adapted its processes and procedures to ensure that they were fully in line with the judgment of the Supreme Court delivered in 2021 which found that the WRC was administering justice in terms of its adjudicative function.

Mr. Kelly concluded by thanking the Minister, the Department and the WRC stakeholders for their support over the period.

Highlights of the 2021 Annual Report include:

WRC Information and Customer Services Unit:

Operating remotely, the WRCs information line dealt with 55,810 calls in 2021: an increase of almost 6% on 2020.

WRC Inspection Division:

In 2021, the Inspectorate of the WRC recovered just under one million Euro in unpaid wages for employees and completed 3,433 inspections over the period. In addition to carrying out its primary function in relation to employment rights, the WRC Inspectorate assisted the Health and Safety Authority in relation to monitoring the Return to Work Safely (RTWS) Protocol.

Adjudication, Mediation and Conciliation Services:

Over the course of 2021, some 12,000 individual complaints were received by the Adjudication Service and the number of hearings held increased by 75% on the previous year  almost all the hearings were held virtually.

Almost 90% of disputes dealt with at the WRC through its Conciliation Service were resolved.

The Report also states that:

A new Southern region office in Cork City opened in 2021.

A new case management system for the Conciliation Service was rolled out in 2021.

The 2021 Annual Report can be accessed on the WRC website here

And at the following link for the Irish version of the Report click here
A man with almost 60 previous convictions has been jailed for one month after being convicted of stealing a mans social welfare weekly payment, a court has heard.

Daniel Kavanagh (28) Peter McVerry Trust, 77A St Stephens Green, Dublin 2, pleaded guilty to an offence under the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud) Offences Act at last weeks sitting of Longford District Court following an incident on November 15 2021 at Longford Post Office.

Sergeant Enda Daly, for the State said gardai had been alerted to a possible theft having taken place after receiving notification from a member of the public in the immediate aftermath of the incident.

He said in the immediate aftermath of an investigation having been launched, Mr Kavanagh was identified and later spotted by Garda Joe Kavanagh where full admissions in relation to the alleged theft were made by the accused.

On November 17, 2021 at New Street, Longford, gardai received reports of a male that his social welfare had been collected at Longford Post Office by an unknown male without his consent, he said.

CCTV footage was viewed of the defendant collecting the money and a description was taken.

Garda Kavanagh was on mobile patrol on November 17 and observed a male he had seen on CCTV footage walking down the street. He was stopped and the defendant gave his name and was asked about the incident and a voluntary caution statement was taken from him in which he fully admitted the offence using a temporary social welfare card in the name of the injured party.

The court was informed the accused had been approached by a female who agreed to hand Mr Kavanagh 40 to collect the social welfare payment on behalf of her son who was incarcerated at the time.

Judge Bernadette Owens was also told Mr Kavanagh, who was in custody at the time of last weeks hearing on unrelated matters, was an individual with 57 previous convictions to his name.

Defence counsel Andrea Callan said her client was in no way deviating from his behaviour on the day, saying the offence was largely attributable to Mr Kavanaghs ongoing battle with addiction related issues.

The context in relation to the offence speaks for itself. He was a gentleman who was approached by another individual and made full admissions at the time, she said.

He needed money. He was homeless up until recently and is in custody on another matter and has had somewhat of a chaotic last few months.

He seems to have regulariosed his position somewhat and he wants to remain in custody during which he wants to get himself a treatment place.

A lot of his offending behaviour and in particular this offence is related to addiction issues.

Ms Callan asked the court to consider structuring a sentence that would allow Mr Kavanagh, take up a spell with a suitable treatment centre in due course.

Judge Owens, in running the rule over Mr Kavanaghs previous track record noted that there were no recent indiscretions that were recorded over the past two year period.

She also alluded to how Mr Kavanaghs early guilty plea and admissions of remorse had saved the State considerable time and effort in following through with their prosecution.

The only relevant previous conviction goes back to 2019, she said.

I am also taking into account Mr Kavanagh has pleaded and it strikes me had he not and had it gone to a full hearing there may have been issues arising in proving the case and Mr Kavanagh is entitled to credit for that.

She sentenced Mr Kaavanagh to one month in prison in connection to a Section 4 theft charge.

An accompanying Section 26 charge of using a false social welfare card was taken into consideration.
Northern Ireland-born actor Jamie Dornan has described feeling emotional at the ending of Derry Girls, as well as his frustration at shambles at Stormont.

He admitted sending the soppiest text message to its writer Lisa McGee after watching the final episode of the hit series  which captures the sense of hope in 1998 at the signing of the Belfast Agreement following decades of violence.

Appearing at an Our Time In Space event at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast to talk about integrated education, Dornan also hit out at the current impasse at Stormont.

He described local politics as a shambles, and politicians as archaic in the way they talk in the same sentences theyve been talking about for 50 years  a situation exasperated by Brexit.

They are not the conversations we should be having. Its ultimately really damaging, he said.

Obviously Brexit has called into question so many uncomfortable truths for people here, questions about the very case of how you identify has been upended by Brexit and suddenly all these people who, all they care about is feeling British, feel like they are undermined by not feeling British enough. Its a mess, thats not changing.

Mr Dornan described his experience attending Methodist College, a school which is mixed in terms of pupils backgrounds  although not in the officially integrated sector, as having shaped him.

He said the scenes in Derry Girls where the girls take part in cross community programmes reminded him of his school days going on a trip to the Share Centre in Co Fermanagh.

I massively identified with Derry Girls, I get emotional talking about the finale, he said.

I know Lisa well, thats about the soppiest text I have ever sent to anybody when I finished the finale, trying to tackle the nuanced complications of being from this part of the world at that time with such integrity and such humour is almost impossible, I dont know how she managed to do it, its incredible and so poignant.

He said those of his and McGees generation are now making the decision about where to send their children to school.

Were in a post-conflict society and your decision making on where to send your kids to school has altered, he said.

Methody shaped me it was then slightly more Protestant than now, but also had a big international community. The mixing of all those different elements is a helpful thing, to have a broader understanding of what its all about.

Division never felt real, it was never near the surface. It wasnt a thing, I feel like as time goes on, the influence of the church is weakening.

While most Protestant pupils attend controlled schools in Northern Ireland and most Catholic children attend maintained schools, both sectors insist they are not exclusive to single faiths and have increasingly diverse intakes.

When #JamieDornan was asked why he spoke up about integrated education at the film premier of #Belfast I dont see anything positive about dividing kids based on what their parents are. And making it matter from 4 years old is just wrong#OurPlaceInSpace pic.twitter.com/EMvwOraZ2T  Our Place in Space (@ourplaceearth) July 1, 2022

Currently around 7% of schoolchildren in Northern Ireland attend a school officially designated as integrated.

Just under 70 of the regions 1,091 schools are integrated.

Mr Dornan described the figures as too low.

I have a strong understanding of why there would be certain factions of society who would be opposed to that faction being bigger, but I dont think taking kids at four years old and dividing them, and deepening the idea of division and tribalism is the right way to go, he said.

However he conceded some schools outside the sector, such as Methody, are more mixed than some realise.

When people find out I went to Methody, they instantly think, youre just some posh prod, I guess officially I kind of am, but I was also brought up non-religious, and I have never felt more Protestant than Catholic, he said.

The event comes on the 40th anniversary of the founding of the first integrated school in Northern Ireland, Lagan College on the outskirts of south Belfast.

Dornan took part in an in conversation event with artist Oliver Jeffers, Baroness May Blood and Hugh Odling-Smee about the future of the sector.

Mr Jeffers and Mr Odling-Smee, who both attended integrated schools, spoke about their experiences.

Mr Jeffers described an influence on his work as an artist, describing a theme of duality, and being able to talk to different people in different ways.

Mr Odling-Smee said during his time at Lagan College in the 1980s, there had been a Catholic chaplain, who he said took risks to be there.

Its a difficult issue, the place of religion, and where it sits in the school, he said.

Baroness Blood, a long-term campaigner for integrated education, stressed the importance of the mix of backgrounds in terms of income as well as religious/cultural background.

She described the Catholic and Presbyterian churches as the biggest barrier to the expansion of integrated education.

But she said it is the future, adding she felt the churches are seeing more of their parishioners going to integrated schools.

She also revealed the current demand for integrated schools, saying 1,500 children were turned away last year.

Our Place in Space is running a programme of free events at venues across Belfast unyil July 3, which has included an appearance by Chelsea Clinton.
A lawyer, fined by a Palma court for drink driving, attempted to get an employee to take the blame for having been driving at the time of an accident.

In the early hours of August 19, 2018, the lawyer's car collided with a parked van on C. Despuig in Palma. A police breath test recorded that he was four times over the limit. He maintained that he had not been driving the car. The police didn't believe him.

As it happened, the accident was near to where an employee from the lawyer's firm lived. The lawyer tried to convince the police that the employee had been driving. They again didn't believe him. The story was then repeated at police headquarters and at the court of instruction, where the employee finally admitted that he hadn't been the driver.

The Prosecutor's Office had accused the employee of simulation of a crime, but the court cleared him on Friday, as his actions were not criminal. It had all been the lawyer's idea, but the police never gave this the slightest credence.
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MANISTEE  The Tabernacle Church in Manistee hosted a free event, Family Fun Day, at the Armory Youth Project on Saturday.

There were more than 15 booths that families could check out. There was a dunk dank, bounce houses, games for kids, hot dog lunch and much more.

This is the second year the Tabernacle has hosted the event.

Booths were hosted by the Manistee City Police Department, Manistee Fire Department, U.S. Coast Guard Manistee Station, Republic Services, Northern Michigan Dragway, Purple Paintbrush, Armory Youth Project, Manistee Library, Northwest Michigan Health Services, Great Start Collaborative, Vogue Theatre, Safe Families for Children, Manistee County Conservation District, U.S. Forest Service and several booths were hosted by the Tabernacle.
The whole Jordan Peterson scandal with Eliot Page, the actor he refuses to call by his name as a recently transitioned man. Peterson has always been at the forefront of controversy when it comes to topics related to gender, he is also unapollogetic about it. But this man is only the tip of the iceberg, there are many more figures who are also part of the conservative side of public opinion. In fact, the list is too long to make a single one so we decided to list only a few of the most controversial figures from the right.

The story behind Jordan Peterson's ban from Twitter

Stephen Crowder

Comedian and Youtuber who is a conservative and got a lot of recognition for his 'Louder With Crowder' Youtube show. If you have seen the famous 'Change My Mind' meme, that man sitting on a chair is Stephen Crowder. He often deals with topics that get all liberals pretty riled up and he seems to do it for fun. Major topics such as abortion, gender or racism are the norm in his conversations.

Alex Jones

We all grew up with 'Info Wars' the difference is that some took it far more serious than it truly was. Alex Jones has even gotten sued for his controversial views on different topics but his famous thoughts about the Sandy Hook massacre will haunt him for life. We are talking about probably the biggest conspiracy theorist on the planet. Although he's decided to lay low recently, you can find clips of him on Youtube talking about the wildest stuff you can imagine.

Ben Shapiro

In a vein similar to Jordan Peterson, Ben Shapiro is one of the strongest part of Daily Wire, one of the most important and famous conservative Youtube channels in existence. Shapiro often deals with topics that are true to his nature, he advocates for gun rights and he always has something to say against liberal thinking. Although he isn't as funny as Jones and Crowder, Shapiro does make a lot of people laugh simply by listening to his views.

Tomi Lahren

Alongside Anne Coulter and Marjorie Taylor Greene, Tomi Lahren is probably one of the most hated conservative women in America. They all have extreme vies about any topic you can think of and value their religious ideas above everything else. Only Lahren has the youth that the other two lack, she will be around preaching the conservative agenda for many years to come.

Joe Rogan

Joe Rogan gets a really bad reputation simply by allowing people from both spectrums to speak on his podcast, which is the most listened in the world. Rogan has this idea that giving a voice to everyone is the true meaning of democracy. He's offered space to controversial figures in order to speak about the most controversial topics you can imagine at 'The Joe Rogan Experience' podcast. However, Rogan's personal views appear more liberal than previously believed. Although he is a gin advocate, Joe also has views that are similar to those preached by Bernie Sanders.
The YouTube community is in mourning after Minecraft YouTuber, known to his fans as Technoblade, passed away at the age of 23 after battling cancer.

The content creator, whose real name was Alex, rose to fame by live-streaming and posting clips of himself.

Diagnosed with sarcoma, a rare bone and soft tissue cancer, back in August 2021, his father read a letter the content creator wrote to fans prior to his death in a YouTube died titled 'so long nerds'.

"Hello everyone, Technoblade here. If you're watching this, I am dead," the message began. "So let's sit down and have one final chat.

"Thank you all for supporting my content over the years. If I had another hundred lives, I think I would choose to be Technoblade again every single time as those were the happiest years of my life.

"I hope you guys enjoyed my content and that I made some of you laugh. And I hope you all go on to live long, prosperous and happy lives, because I love you guys. Technoblade out."

His father explained that a portion of proceeds from online orders for his late son's merchandise would now go to charity.
In addition to visiting her famous client, Johnny Depp, and going to Elton John and The Rolling Stones concerts, Camille Vasquez, the most well-known attorney around, will have lavish celebrations for her 38th birthday.

Her partner organised the celebrations for her, and they'll be spending the special day outside of the United States and, more specifically, in Europe.

Fans chant Johnny Depp's name after defamation verdict AP

According to sources quoted by TMZ, Vasquez recently travelled to London, the home of her lover Ed Owen.

Not only do they have Wimbledon as part of their plans, but will also attend concerts by The Rolling Stones and Elton John.

Camille Vasquez to celebrate her birthday with Johnny Depp

They will then take a flight to Prague to watch Johnny Depp and Jeff Beck perform live.

Whether Depp will welcome her onto the stage is still an unanswered question. If so, the crowd are likely to greet her warmly.

Vasquez already said that Johnny had invited her to Europe

Early in June, Vasquez stated that the actor had asked her to travel to Europe with him this summer.

"I will hopefully be in Europe this summer where he [Johnny Depp] will be playing, so he told me 'if you want, come and watch,'" Vasquez said at the time in an interview with Univision.

Additionally, she again refuted claims that she had an affair with Depp, with whom she was spotted being affectionate with in court.

"Of course I did [hug him], he is my friend, but first he is my client," Vasquez repeated. "He was going through something very difficult.

"I love my clients very much and I like to hug and touch people, not kisses, but I did give him a hug because he needed it."

Several law firms want her after winning Depp's case

According to TMZ, Vasquez has been receiving offers from law firms following her significant victory in the media defamation case between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard in the Fairfax, Virginia, courtroom.

Projects in the pipeline

According to the same media outlet, the lawyer is apparently in discussions with agents and network executives about a variety of ventures, including broadcasting jobs, giving talks, and possibly starting her own production company.
Update narration See full narration

Ever since we saw those planning boards during a podcast, we all wanted to see this July 2 UFC 276 event that would grant us another title defense from Israel Adesanya. The last 'Stylebender' is giving Jared Cannonier his shot at the belt, which makes this fight even more exciting because they haven't met in the octagon yet.

Inside the already legendary T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Adesanya is defending his title. However, this is the main event and we are getting a treat for the rest of the main card. To start off the evening, we are getting a Bantamweight bout between Sean O'Malley and Pedro Munhoz. Robbie Lawler and Bryan Barbena will fight next in a Welterweight fight.

Who has the co-main event at UFC 276?

After the first two fights, things get a lot more interesting with Sean Strickland fighting Alex Pereira in the Middleweight division. The UFC's biggestt shit talker is trying to prove himself in the same event Adesanya is defending his belt. His biggest goal is to keep climbing spots in order to get his chance to defeat Izzy.

But the co-main event is definitely one of the most exciting ones to look for. Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski is getting to defend his belt one more time against one of the true OGs. Max Holloway is getting another shot, the man who has never been knocked-out in the UFC despite having 29 fights under his belt.

This definitely seems like a night everybody will remember, the potential is endless and the escitement is at an all-time high. Adesanya has defended his title perfectly thus far with only one loss that is a weight class above him. However, the Middle weight division is his playground but that dominance will be tested by Cannonier tonight. Follow all the live updates right here!
Letting NATO wash over Asia would be dangerous to countries in the region and the stability of the global order. /CGTN

Editor's note: CGTN's First Voice provides instant commentary on breaking stories. The daily column clarifies emerging issues and better defines the news agenda, offering a Chinese perspective on the latest global events.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, on Wednesday, for the first time in its guiding blueprint, openly admitted that China's rising strength and global influence challenge the alliance and Beijing's closer ties to Moscow went against Western interests.

"The People's Republic of China's (PRC) stated ambitions and coercive policies challenge our interests, security, and values," NATO's strategic concept published at a summit in Madrid said. "It strives to subvert the rules-based international order, including in the space, cyber and maritime domains."

The contention is rather rich coming from a military alliance of U.S.-led Western nations that has threatened global security through its coercive and expansionist policies and actions over the decades. Emerging from the vestiges of World War II, initially as an alliance of 12 member states from Europe and North America in 1949, NATO expanded to 16 members by 1982 and portrayed the Soviet Union as its adversary through the Cold War era.

After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 marking the end of the Cold War, NATO added 14 more members from 1999 to 2020 in an attempt to encircle Russia, which as a successor state of the Soviet Union remained a target of the bloc. Russia was naturally irked as some of the new members were formerly a part of the erstwhile Soviet-led Warsaw Pact, a rival of NATO. This hasn't stopped NATO from seeking to bring Finland and Sweden, Russia's Nordic neighbors, into its fold.

Let's not forget that NATO's expansionist design to encircle Russia is at the core of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Having caused enough damage through its military operations in Europe and the Middle East, lately, NATO seems to be looking further east, towards Asia-Pacific, and particularly China.

While NATO has publicly stated on many occasions that it will remain a regional alliance and that it does not seek a geopolitical expansion into other regions, in recent years, the U.S.-led military alliance has repeatedly made forays into the Asia-Pacific region carrying out provocative maritime drills near China's waters, creating tensions and fanning up disputes.

Family photo of the leaders minutes before the start of the NATO 2022 Summit at the IFEMA Exhibition Center, Madrid, Spain, June 29, 2022. /CFP

It was no coincidence that leaders from Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand were invited to attend this year's NATO Summit in Madrid. These Asia-Pacific nations have already been drawn into one or the other U.S.-led strategic-military alliances in the region, such as the Quad, AUKUS, and Blue Pacific  all with an unspoken yet clear goal of containing China's ever-growing might and global influence. Their participation at the Madrid summit further stoked fears of a confrontationist West forging an 'Asian NATO' to encircle China while fanning another Cold War.

China has repeatedly warned NATO to discard its Cold War mentality and zero-sum game mindset and stop making enemies. "NATO has sought to make advances into new areas and domains and clamored for bloc confrontation. The world needs to keep its vigilance and firmly reject it. NATO should stop drawing ideological lines, stoking political confrontation, or seeking to start a new Cold War," Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters on Wednesday.

But let's face it: An archaic Cold War-era military alliance of the Western Bloc will always need an Eastern Bloc to remain relevant. Over the decades, NATO has sustained itself on wars and conflicts, or the fear of an external threat. It will lose its relevance among its backers  the military-industrial complex  and dissipate in the absence of a credible foe, so it relentlessly pursues to find newer, mostly imaginary, adversaries and enemies. That explains its existential desire to increasingly paint China as a threat and its new challenge.

China's development presents an opportunity for the world, not a challenge for anyone. It pursues an independent foreign policy of peace and, unlike the U.S.-led West, does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries or export its political ideology, still less engage in long-arm jurisdiction, economic coercion or unilateral sanctions. NATO must immediately stop spreading false and provocative statements against China.

As a product of the Cold War and the world's largest military alliance, NATO has long clung to the outdated security concept and become a tool for the U.S. to maintain hegemony. This goes against the legitimate desire of a large section of the international community for a multilateral, multi-polar world order.

Peace, development, and cooperation represent the trend of the times and the shared aspiration of people around the world. Any nation or a bloc that clings to the Cold War mentality and ideological prejudices, encourages bloc confrontation and forms closed circles targeting China or Russia or any single major power will receive no support and will not succeed.

NATO has already disrupted Europe with its confrontational and expansionist agenda, it should desist from taking actions aimed at destabilizing Asia and the world. That's the resounding message that the U.S. and the West need to hear.
NEW YORK (AP)  A 3-year-old boy died after falling from a 29th floor balcony of a New York City apartment building on Saturday morning, police said a preliminary investigation shows.

Officers found the injured toddler lying on a 3rd floor scaffolding after receiving a 911 call at 11:09 a.m. The boy was taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.

We believe the child exited through a window, but exactly how that occurred is under investigation at the time, a police spokesperson told The Associated Press. The apartment is located in the Taino Towers residential complex in Harlem.

New York City law requires owners of buildings with three or more apartments to install window guards if a child age 10 years or younger lives there or if a tenant or occupant requests them. It's unclear whether window guards were installed in this particular apartment.

The spokesperson said the child's death is under active investigation and police are speaking with two individuals who were inside the apartment when the boy fell.

Nidia Cordero, who lives on the 34th floor of the building, told the New York Post that she suddenly heard what she believes was the mother of the child screaming.

And I looked, she said, and the baby was in the scaffolding.

Richard Linares told the New York Daily News he was outside the apartment complex when the toddler fell.

We heard a big bang, he said. My boy that was here ran to the front. He ran up the scaffold to find the baby. The baby was still crying and breathing when he got there."

He later added: "By the time the paramedics brought him down, they had a towel over his face.

Tanjelyn Castro, a neighbor, described to the Daily News a frantic scene as police and residents tried to reach the child.

Everybody that was outside was running, climbing, she said. Every man you saw was trying to get to the scaffold. It was a whole bunch of emotion.
MIDLAND  Yes, Mosquito Control has visited your route recently.

No, you just didn't hear the fog units. And that's a good thing.

Midland County Mosquito Control has three battery-powered fogging units that only reach up to 80 decibels. By comparison, an operator of a gas-powered unit is likely wearing ear-protection outside of the vehicle. This difference has caused many residents to wonder whether or not Mosquito Control made a routine visit.

Midland County's Director of Mosquito Control Dr. Carl Doud explained how an electric spraying method has introduced a new model and experience for residents. Midland County observed the electric fogging models in Bay County, which was one of the first in the nation to adopt the electric spraying method in 2014.

"These electrics just have a whine to 'em," he said. "It's got a spinning ceramic sleeve that goes up to about 28,000 RPM (revolutions per minute) so it spins very, very fast. When that's up, it's got a hum to it that is not even louder than the sound of the vehicle running. It's very nice in that regard."

Because gas-powered foggers are quite noisy, residents have become accustomed to the noise being an association with a visit from Mosquito Control. Doud said operators of gas-powered foggers must wear hearing-protection outside of the vehicle.

Manager Rebecca Brandt of Bay County's Mosquito Control said Midland's regional neighbors have asked a similar type of questions since adding electric foggers to its total vehicle fleet. Despite the increase in calls, Doud and Brandt both told the Daily News of plans to purchase another electric fogger next year.

Photo Provided Midland County Mosquito Control

Mosquito Control spray times Midland County Director of Mosquito Control Dr. Carl Doud said the electric foggers help disperse material in a fine mist that stays aloft in the air for a period of time to contact active, or flying, mosquitoes. "That's why we operate in the evenings and not all throughout the day because the majority of mosquitoes are active in the evening," he said. Midland County operates until 11:30 p.m. Adulticiding involves the application of products to reduce the number of adult mosquitoes and protect you from mosquito-borne disease. Visit Midland County's GIS Map for more information. Bay County Manager Rebecca Brant said even with our gas-powered machines, Mosquito Control will sneak up on the property owners. "People don't hear us, or notice us go by, because (it is) so late at night," she said. "Anywhere from 9 p.m. until one in the morning." See More Collapse

Brandt said she likes the hushed feature, but one of the main perks is less maintenance overall with the electric machines. Plus, she said the carbon footprint has reduced.

Depending on the time of year, Brandt said more residents call with presence of rain, which likely means, more pests.

In addition, the insecticide doesn't work below 59 degrees. As an effort to be fiscally responsible with taxpayer dollars, Administrator/Controller Bridgette Gransden said the foggers are turned off if the temperatures are below the threshold and technicians go back to the shop.

Currently in Midland County, 3 units of 11 total units are electric. Bay County has 15 total units, with 4 electric foggers.

Mosquitoes collected in the Bay County area recently tested positive for the Jamestown Canyon Virus. These are the first infected mosquito pools of 2022 in Michigan. Over Fourth of July weekend, Mosquito Control of Bay County reminds regional residents to spray bug-spray in an effort of public health.

"Mosquitoes aren't just a nuisance," Brandt said. "Mosquitoes do have the potential to spread viruses."

More mosquito news First Mosquito-Borne virus of 2022 discovered in Bay County

Gransden confirmed public health is also a priority of Midland County.

Residents with questions can contact Midland County Mosquito Control at (989) 832-8677. For more on Mosquito Control abatement methods and routes, visit www.co.midland.mi.us/MosquitoControl.aspx
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP)  A storm that has hurled rain on the southern Caribbean and the northern shoulder of South America was expected to hit Central America as a tropical storm over the weekend and eventually develop into a hurricane over the Pacific, forecasters said Thursday.

The fast-moving disturbance known merely as Potential Tropical Cyclone Two has been drenching parts of the Caribbean region since Monday without ever meeting the criteria for a named tropical
BIG RAPIDS  Cynthia Glazier was angry, and social media made her want to pick up a picket sign.

The Paris resident posted on Ask Big Rapids, a community Facebook page, about her plans to help put together a protest. Waves of comments came in deriding her and harassing her for being pro-choice, but she said this isnt a Roe v. Wade issue. Its about bodily autonomy.

Its none of my business whether youre pro-choice or pro-life, she said. Its also none of my business what you do with your body.

Im pro-freedom, which is what this country was founded on, she added. Independence Day celebrates that, and I want people to realize the freedom to own their own bodies.

To her, the SCOTUS decision harkens a dystopian future where the state can control what people do with their bodies in their private lives, she said.

Shes been a little concerned for my safety because of some online comments which made her reconsider sharing protest details online, she said.

I decided most people are keyboard warriors and Im the one who decided to make this a public thing, so I need to stand behind it, she said.

She'll be meeting with other protestors at Hemlock Park on Sunday at 1 p.m. to make signs and plan for the Monday protest, she said. Because of the harassment, she is keeping the exact protest locations private.

The last location, Sawmill Saloon, was canceled after the owners told Glazier to change locations, she said.

Im not out there with a megaphone. Im not out there waving anything in anyones faces, she said. I just want my voice and other peoples voices to be heard.

So far, at least 30 people expressed interest in protesting, she said.
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MANISTEE  From young talent to seasoned bakers, there was plenty in store at Saturday's Manistee National Forest Festival.

 Rosie Solberg Memorial Bake Sale

The late Rosie Solberg was known for her chocolate chip cookies.

Now, a group that previously worked alongside Solberg for years doing bake sales during the festival has decided to rename the event in honor of their former fellow baker who died about two years ago.

Near the corner of Fifth Avenue and Hastings Street, the Manistee United Methodist Women teamed up to host a bake sale, raising funds for local causes.

Kathy Schoenberger, a participant and fellow baker, said the money is used for women and children ministries in Manistee County through the Armory Youth Project, Choices of Manistee County domestic violence services and the Lighthouse Pregnancy Center.

Martha Day noted that Solberg "used to bake cookies like crazy."

"She would hand them out, walk into a doctor's office, she'd come up to church with cookies, the dentist, different merchants downtown," Day said. "She was famous for her chocolate chip cookies and also she used to make cinnamon buns every year when we'd have the sale out here."

The group hoped to sell out of all the baked goods set out for sale in their booth, but they said if they did not sell all the goods the plan was to take the treats to church.

 Little Big Shots

The Little Big Shots talent show at the Lions Pavilion at Manistee's First Street Beach featured a list of young talent doing everything from stand up comedy to guitar playing and to singing.

About 13 youth performed ranging in ages from 4-16, gaining awards from performances.
A full year into Connecticuts legalization of adult-use cannabis, the state has yet to reap a single tax dollar from sales of recreational marijuana.

But while the rollout has been slightly bumpy, with the General Assembly passing a law this year to halt informal, untaxed sales of cannabis that had emerged from the underground, the state is on-track to begin retails sales by the end of the calendar year with dozens of new businesses owned by people from neighborhoods that for generations had been targets in the failed war on drugs.

By the end of the 2020s, direct and indirect revenue generated from cannabis sales and associated revenues could push over a billion dollars while creating hundreds of jobs in the industry and hundreds of millions in new tax revenue annually, once the rollout evolves into a mature market.

Until then, though, Connecticut residents will slip over the border into southern Massachusetts for their cannabis supplies, bringing their revenue to the northern neighbor and nearby towns including Springfield, Boston, Easthampton, Northampton, Great Barrington and Pittsfield.

Over the next six months, the department will continue to review and approve medical marijuana preservation plans and provisional license applications, as well as conduct additional lottery rounds, said Michelle Seagull, commissioner of the state Department of Consumer Protection. At the same time, the Social Equity Council will be reviewing applications submitted by social equity applicants and work force development plans submitted by medical marijuana producers and dispensaries applying to convert to the recreational program. We expect adult use sales to commence around the end of 2022.

The state recently received 41 applications for cultivator licenses under the social equity provisions to grow in facilities at least 15,000-square feet in size, in one of the disproportionately impacted areas identified by census tracts as generally low-income urban areas, identified by unemployment rates and cannabis convictions.

The Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis at UConn found in a 2020 study that even measured conservatively, adult-use retail sales will mean increased business growth and significant creation of new jobs, especially if the state can beat New York and Rhode Island to open its marketplace.

New York is still developing its adult-sales regulations, while Rhode Islands new law was signed in May, with sales scheduled to begin as soon as December 1.

Jeff Smith, legal and regulatory reporter for the Denver-based MJBizDaily, which tracks the cannabis industry, said Thursday that while Connecticut has been thorough in its planning, Rhode Island will start its retail sales industry by letting existing growers and dispensaries go right into recreation production and sales. New Jerseys recent shift to adult-use recreational sales took the same path, Smith noted.

Connecticut, on the other hand, has emphasized the social equity aspects of the new industry.

I think its been fairly smooth and efficient in Connecticut so far, but theres no firm date yet for retail, Smith said in a phone interview. They still have a lot to do, with lots of applications for small licenses. Connecticut has one of the best equity programs, with half of the licenses going to those applicants. But people who applied are facing long odds.

Smith said that the $3 million needed to become a cultivator is an incredibly high amount, necessitating a well-funded financial, likely corporate, backer. It will be interesting to see the kind of partnering up that will be going on, Smith said. Existing medical marijuana producers can go into adult-use retail for $3 million, as well.

New projections from MJBizDaily formerly called Marijuana Business Daily, indicate that Connecticuts first full year of sales should range from between $300 million and $375 million, while by the fourth year, sales should range between $650 million and $800 million. Various taxes include the 6.35 percent state sales tax, plus 3 percent taxes for locations that host cannabis businesses and a sliding scale of addition levies based on potency of THC levels of 10 to 15 percent.

DeVaughn Ward, senior legislative counsel for the Marijuana Policy Project, said Thursday that overall, hes disappointed with Connecticuts program, including secret lotteries while allowing existing medical marijuana operators to get a leg up in the adult-retail realm. And while the state Department of Economic and Community Development has a seat on the Social Equity Council, the agency is making investments in large corporate cannabis operations, Ward said.

Its a far cry from what many were led to believe, Ward said, stressing that the results of Connecticuts cannabis market remain to be seen later this year..

But on the positive side, Connecticut is no longer spending money to prosecute people for cannabis, Ward said in a phone interview from Hawaii, where he is working on lobbying that states legislature. And starting Friday, folks who have criminal records for possessing four ounces or less can petition the court for the erasure of criminal records, which is a huge step.

kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT
Kamco Invest, a regional non-banking financial powerhouse, acted as the Partial Purchase Offer Manager to Qurain Petrochemical Industries Company (QPIC) in purchasing a key stake in leading Kuwaiti group Advanced Technology Company (ATC).

A major distributor and marketer of healthcare products and services, ATC caters to nearly 1000 customers in the Kuwait region including dental practitioners and laboratories, physician practices and animal health practices, as well as government and other institutions.

Announcing its key role in the deal, Kamco Invest said the transaction involved QPIC offering the shareholders of ATC a total of 13.5 million shares, representing 9% of the company's stake at a price of 500 fils per share.

This transaction marks the first acquisition by way of Partial Purchase Offer completed in Kuwait pursuant Module 9 (Merger and Acquisition) of the Executive Bylaws of Law No. 7 of 2010 regarding the establishment of the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) and its Executive Bylaws, as amended, it stated.

This Partial Purchase Offer is in line with QPICs strategy to diversify its investments, while simultaneously focusing on the healthcare sector as one of the defensive sectors, it added.

Abdullah M. AlSharekh, Managing Director of Markets and Investment Banking at Kamco Invest, said: "This marks the first Partial Purchase Offer transaction in Kuwait, following the recent amendments on the Executive Bylaws concerning partial purchase transactions."

The amendments now permit shareholders to purchase additional stake in the company by a minimum of 5% to increase their holdings to reach between 30% to 50% of the companys capital. Through its role, Kamco Invest contributed to the seamless and successful execution of the Partial Purchase pursuant to the guidelines and timeline stipulated by the regulatory authorities," he added.

With this transaction, Kamco Invests total investment banking mandates has risen to a cumulative value of over $29.7 billion since inception; across equity capital markets, debt capital markets and mergers and acquisitions.

The Investment Banking team advised on deals in Kuwait, Egypt, United Arab of Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Jordan, and Bahrain.

Mohamed Sherif El-Rafie, Executive Director of Equity Capital Markets at Kamco Invest, said: "This is a testament to the commitment we uphold to provide our clients with innovative and custom-tailored solutions that aid them in achieving their financial and strategic goals."

"The success of this transaction would not have been possible without the continuous support of Boursa Kuwait and Kuwait Clearing Company, the oversight of the Capital Markets Authority, as well as the cooperation of all parties involved including the legal advisor Al-Hossam Legal  Al-Turqi & Partners Legal Consultants & Attorneys," he added.

A major player in the regional financial sector, Kamco Investment Company is an independently managed subsidiary of Kipco Group regulated by the Capital Markets Authority and Central Bank of Kuwait.

It has over $16 billion of assets under management as of March 31, 2022 allocated to various asset classes and jurisdictions, making it one of the largest asset managers in the region.-TradeArabia News Service
The Royals activated right-hander Joel Payamps from the COVID-related injury list today. In the corresponding move, Kansas City outrighted right-hander Daniel Mengden off the 40-man roster and assigned him to Triple-A.

Payamps was placed on the COVID list on June 13, and he returned to the field last week to make a trio of Triple-A outings as part of a rehab assignment. Despite below-average strikeout and walk rates, Payamps has a 2.42 ERA over 26 relief innings for K.C. this season, relying on a 53.7% grounder rate, a lack of hard contact, and zero homers allowed. The righty used a pretty similar recipe for success in 2021, as Payamps posted a 3.40 ERA over 50 1/3 innings with the Blue Jays and Royals in his first full MLB season.

Payamps is only 28 years old but he has 11 years of pro experience, including time in the majors in each of the last four seasons. While not a premium bullpen arm, his numbers could get him some looks from other teams heading into the trade deadline, as the Royals are already known to be open to offers on veteran players.

Mengden signed a minor league deal with Kansas City in March, and in fact got his contract selected to the Show when Payamps was first placed on the COVID-IL. Mengden appeared in four games with the Royals, posting a 2.08 ERA over 4 1/3 innings  this marked his first MLB action since 2020, as Mengden pitched in South Korea last season.

Though the Royals have only deployed Mengden as a reliever to date, he has started 11 of his 12 games for Triple-A Omaha, and has worked as a starter for the bulk of his career in the majors, minors, and the KBO League. Mengden had some solid numbers pitching for the As in 2017-18 before control problems hampered him in 2019.
02.07.2022 LISTEN

After two failed marriages, this portal can state emphatically that legendary Ghanaian actor Kofi Adjorlolo has found the love of his life and is ready to tie the knot again.

Oh, yes, if you are a fan of the legendary actor, then get ready to see him walk down the gangway. Astonishingly, the woman who has captured the heart of the legendary actor is the mother of celebrated dancehall artiste Shatta Wale; Madam Elsie Avemegah popularly known as Shatta Mama.

Speaking exclusively to Hotfmghana.com, Kofi Adjorlolo and his newly found sweetheart, Shatta Mama confirmed that they're seriously in love and are set to announce the date of their marriage soon.

The legendary actor and Shatta Mama are both in their 60s. Kofi Adjorlolo who has featured in over hundred Ghanaian and Nigerian movies and blessed with two children lost his wife-to-be, a 49-Year-old Ms Charity Nyarko in 2011.

Shatta Mama who has also been a divorcee to Shatta Wale's father, Shatta Capo for over a decade now is also blessed with three Children including Shatta Wale.

With Adjorlolo, his two children have already given him their permission to marry another woman but the question Hotfmghana.com would like to ask is, will Shatta Wale also give his mother the go-ahead since they're currently not on good talking terms?

Source: hotfmghana.com
A new wave of violence in jihadist-hit northern Mozambique uprooted nearly 33,000 children last month, the UN reported Friday.

June saw a surge in attacks in Cabo Delgado province, where jihadists launched a bloody insurgency in 2017, sparking a regional military mission last year that had restored a sense of security.

Statistics released by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) showed that 60,141 people, including 32,978 children, fled their homes in June.

The IOM said close to 785,000 people had now been displaced since 2017.

The June figure was the highest monthly tally for children in the history of the crisis, it said.

Brechtje van Lith, Save the Children's country director in Mozambique said people were running out of options for shelter.

"This is not the first time they are going through this -- many are experiencing violence for the umpteenth time with no end in sight," she said in a statement.

The British charity said it was worried about mental health among those had fled.

"Many of them have lost loved ones or witnessed horrors that no child or adult should ever need to see," said van Lith.

The UN children's agency UNICEF told AFP it was "very concerned" for children in Cabo Delgado following the recent displacements.

Dozens of people were killed in June, according to the conflict watchdog ACLED, which lists nearly 4,100 fatalities since the insurgency broke out in October 2017.

Some 3,100 troops from several African countries deployed in Cabo Delgado last June and retook control over much of the territory.

Map of Mozambique locating the province of Cabo Delgado and the city of Palma.. By Kun TIAN (AFP)

Diplomatic and humanitarian officials say the insurgents have since split into three groups.

"The pattern of insurgent activity is increasingly characterized by hit-and-run raids on remote, vulnerable targets across multiple districts, most likely with the intention of stretching the security forces' resources," said ACLED's conflict observatory, Cabo Ligado.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed a "new start" in relations with France as he met President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Friday, following an acrimonious row between the countries over a submarine contract last year.

"My presence here represents a new start for our countries' relationship," Albanese said after arriving at the Elysee Palace.

"Australia's relationship with France matters. Trust, respect and honesty matter. This is how I will approach my relations."

Macron said that Albanese's recent election and the first conversations between the pair marked "a willingness to rebuild a relationship of trust" between the two countries based on "mutual respect".

After acknowledging "difficult times", Macron emphasised France and Australia's strategic partnership, their shared war history in Europe and their joint interests in having stability in the Indo Pacific.

The statements, which followed a warm greeting between the two men and their wives in the courtyard of the presidential palace, mark a seachange in ties since the departure of former Australian prime minister Scott Morrison.

Major diplomatic fallout

Macron was left furious last year after Morrison secretly negotiated to buy US-designed submarines and then ditched a landmark submarine contract with France worth 33 billion euros when it was signed in 2016.

France broke off diplomatic contact with Australia, and Macron repeatedly accused Morrison of having lied to him during a dinner they had in Paris in June 2021.

Outgoing French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian then applauded Morrison's election loss in May to Albanese, saying it "suits me fine".

Morrison's actions were marked by "brutality and cynicism", Le Dran said in May, adding they even smacked of "unequivocal incompetence".

Albanese announced earlier this month that French submarine maker Naval Group had agreed to a "fair and an equitable settlement" of 555 million in compensation for Australia ending the decade-old submarine contract.

"It is important that that reset occur," Albanese told national broadcaster ABC in an interview on 24 June.

(With AFP)
The Member of Parliament for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin has said there is a difference between the current government seeking help from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and that of the erstwhile National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration.

He said the erstwhile Mahama administration run to the IMF after mismanaging the economy.

According to him, the Akufo-Addo government is seeking support from the IMF due to the pressures from the covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.

He said this when the Minister of Food and Agriculture Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto was answering questions in the House.

This candid decision by the government through a statement by the Minister of Information, it is as though they dont know about IMF. You (NDC) have been to IMF when you were not confronted by an international crisis. You went to IMF because of mismanagement. Why are you now telling us that we are going to IMF?

Mr Speaker, when they were in government there were no international crisis yet they went to IMF, he stated.

Earlier today, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo instructed the Finance Minister to engage the IMF for a financial bailout.

In a statement signed by Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, President Akufo-Addo had a telephone conversation with the IMF Managing Director, Miss Kristalina Georgieva, conveying Ghanas decision to engage with the Fund.

Ghana runs to IMF seeking monetary assistance to provide balance of payment support as part of a broader effort to quicken Ghanas build back in the face of challenges induced by the Covid-19 pandemic and, recently, the Russia-Ukraine crises, according to the statement from the presidency.

This is the second time Ghana is seeking support from the Bretton Wood institution in seven years after the country engaged them in 2015 under the erstwhile John Dramani Mahamas government.

In February 2022, the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta, said Ghana will not return to the IMF for a bailout despite the mounting economic challenges.

According to him, Ghana is a nation of pride and will seek solutions to the current financial challenges it is facing within.

I can say we are not going to the IMF. Whatever we do, we are not. Consequences are dire, we are a proud nation, we have the resources, we have the capacity. We are not people of short sight, but we have to move on.

So lets think of who we are as a strong proud people, the shining star of Africa, and we have the capacity to do whatever we want to do if we speak one language and ensure that we share the burden in the issues ahead, Mr Ofori-Atta told a gathering at the E-Levy town hall meeting in the Northern Regional Capital of Tamale.
Abu Dhabi-based AD Ports Group has announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire a 70% equity stake in International Associated Cargo Carrier BV, which wholly owns two Egypt-based maritime companies, Transmar International Shipping Company and Transcargo International (TCI).

The total purchase consideration (Enterprise Value) of this transaction amounts to AED514 million ($140 million).

The first international acquisition realised by AD Ports Group will be fully funded from AD Ports Group's existing cash reserves, which stood at over AED3 billion as of March 31, 2022.

Transmar is a regional container shipping company that operates across the Middle East, Red Sea, Arabian Gulf and Eastern Coast of Africa. In 2021, Transmar handled 109,000 TEUs.

TCI is a terminal operator and stevedoring company, mainly operating out of the Adabiya Port, where it is the exclusive container operator. Its two lines of business are container and bulk cargo services. In 2021, TCI handled 92,000 TEUs and 1.2 million tonnes of bulk cargo.

Together, Transmar and TCI reported LTM revenue and ebitda of AED325 million and AED108 million, respectively. For full-year 2022, management is on track to deliver triple-digit growth year-on-year driven by both volume and rate increases.

These synergistic and value-accretive acquisitions provide AD Ports Group with a market-leading platform for further growth opportunities in Egypt, but also in the entire Red Sea and Gulf regions. The El Ahwal family and their executive team will remain in the management of the companies.

AD Ports Group Chairman Falah Mohammed Al Ahbabi said: "This is the first overseas acquisition in AD Ports Group's history and an important milestone in our ambitious international expansion plan."

"This acquisition will support our wider growth targets for North Africa and the Gulf region and broaden the portfolio of services we are able to offer in those markets," he noted.

"AD Ports Group continues to diversify and take bold steps to expand our global reach, in line with the vision and guidance of our wise leadership. We look forward to working with the two new Egypt-based operations and bringing them into the AD Ports Group family," he added.

Managing Director and Group CEO Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi said: "AD Ports Group continues to build up its presence in Egypt as part of our wider strategy for global expansion. The acquisition of Transmar and TCI, which both have strong regional presences and deep client relationships, is another key step in increasing our geographical footprint and bringing the benefits of our integrated portfolio of services to more customers."

"Egypt and the Red Sea coast are increasingly important parts of our global maritime offering, and we believe we are well-placed, thanks to the guidance and continuous support of our wise leadership, to boost trade and economic growth for customers and communities along these routes."

KPMG LG acted as the financial advisor, PwC as the commercial advisor and Matouk Bassiouny and Hennawy as the legal advisor to AD Ports Group in these transactions.

EFG-Hermes acted as the exclusive financial advisor and White & Case acted as the legal advisor to Transmar and TCI on this acquisition.

This deal is the latest in a series by AD Ports Group in the Egyptian maritime industry, including agreements with the Egyptian Group for Multipurpose Terminals for the joint development and operation of Egypt's Ain Sokhna Port and an agreement with the General Authority for Red Sea Ports for the development, operation, and management of cruise ship berths at Sharm El Sheikh Port.
Demonstrators held rallies in several Spanish cities and in Rabat late Friday to protest over the deaths of 23 African migrants who died in a crush trying to enter the Spanish enclave of Melilla in northern Morocco.

Thousands of protesters gathered in Barcelona, Malaga, Vigo and San Sebastian and in Melilla itself to denounce migration policies and the "militarisation of borders".

In the Moroccan capital, a few dozen representatives of the Collective of Sub-Saharan Communities in Morocco and associations helping migrants demonstrated in front of parliament calling for Rabat to "stop playing the role of EU policeman".

"We demand an end to the migration policy funded by the European Union, the opening of an independent investigation and the return of the bodies to the families," activist Mamadou Diallo told AFP.

Facts and locations of the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Mellila in Morocco.. By (AFP)

"The Europeans colonised us and took everything from us to develop. Today, if we go to them, it means that we have the right to leave," he said.

Moroccan prosecutors have initiated proceedings against 65 migrants, mostly Sudanese, accused of having taken part in the mass attempt to enter Melilla from Morocco a week ago.

At least 23 migrants died when around 2,000, mostly from sub-Saharan Africa, tried to break through the fence into the Spanish enclave, according to Moroccan authorities, while NGOs say at least 37 lost their lives.

The death toll was by far the worst recorded in years of attempts by migrants to cross into Spain's Ceuta and Melilla enclaves, which have the EU's only land borders with Africa, making them a magnet for those desperate to escape grinding poverty and hunger.

'Borders kill'

The tragedy has provoked international indignation, including an unusually strong response from the United Nations, and the opening of investigations by Spain and Morocco.

In Madrid, several hundred people took up the slogans of the "Black Lives Matter" movement and chanted "No human being is illegal!" and held up signs that read: "Borders kill."

Demonstrators also rallied in the Moroccan capital Rabat calling for an investigation. By - (AFP)

"This country makes me ashamed," said Carmen Reco, 77, attending the protest after this "injustice which resulted in the murder of migrants because they were trying to enter Spain".

Renzo Rupay, who works in transport, said he was shocked by "the images of the border".

"I too am a migrant, arrived with a child's travel papers. Not everyone has the possibility of arriving legally in Spain," the 28-year-old said.

"It's not normal that so many people die. We're talking about human lives, people fleeing war and we kill them at the border," said Eva Ruiz, a 24-year-old student.

According to Rabat, the victims died "in jostling and falling" from the top of the metal gate that separates Morocco from Melilla during an attempt to storm the border "marked by the use of very violent methods on the part of migrants".

But images quickly emerged that "show bodies strewn on the ground in pools of blood, Moroccan security forces kicking and beating people, and Spanish Guardia Civil launching teargas at men clinging to fences," according to Human Rights Watch.

The migrant rush in Melilla came after Madrid and Rabat normalised their diplomatic relations following an almost year-long crisis centred on the disputed Western Sahara territory.

For Spain, the main objective of the diplomatic thaw was to ensure Morocco's cooperation in controlling illegal immigration.
President Akufo-Addos Senior Advisor, Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo, has apologised for saying Asantes were not part of Ghanas independence struggle, which, he noted, was led by the Akyems.

The apology follows the leakage of a tape on which he is heard making the ethnocentric comment while having a conversation with some colleagues.

The former Finance Minister issued a statement on Friday, 1 July 2022, saying the comment was never intended to stir up ethnic tensions between Akyems and Asantes.

Ethnic tension is not a thing I want for our country or the NPP, he added.

Despite the nature and circumstances of the discussion, I concede that I erred, he said.

I, therefore, wish to offer my unqualified and sincere apologies for these comments, he added.

According to him, his many years of public service creating divisions is not a thing I will seek to do for a country that I love and spent many decades serving as a public officer.

Beyond party politics, I will continue to share a common objective and vision for the country, even if the pathway to getting there might differ.

This is the second time Mr Osafo-Maafo has been caught on tape making ethnocentric comments.

The first incident happened in February 2015, when Mr Osafo-Maafo was captured on tape saying that even though about 90 per cent of Ghanas natural resources are concentrated in mainly Akan-speaking regions of the country, it is people who come from regions without resources who were governing  at the time.

The comment was contained on an audiotape secretly recorded as Mr Osafo-Maafo addressed some party members ahead of the 2016 general elections.

Mr Osafo-Maafo, who spoke the Twi language punctuated with some English, was heard bemoaning why Akan-speaking people, whose regions are rich with natural resources, are not the ones at the helm of managing those resources.

You have all the resources, but you have no say in the management of your resources and that is what is happening. Your development depends on the one who has no resources, he said, cautioning: You cant say this openly, except among Asantes. We should protect ourselves, we should protect our income. No one who is the source of income, the source of revenue, the source of resources allows another person without those resources the chance [to rule over them]. Its never done anywhere in the world. In the world over, it is the group with the most resources that rules and not the other way around, he added.

In his estimation, as reported at the time, 86.5 per cent of resources in Ghana come from five regions: Brong Ahafo, Ashanti, Eastern, Western, and Central. This is where 86 per cent of the resources of Ghana come from.  And the oil was also discovered in the West. It will change the formula to about 90 per cent. We cannot ignore these five regions. We should not.

However, clarifying the comment to the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Friday, 20 January 2017 during his vetting as Senior Minister-designate, Mr Osafo-Maafo said: This is one of those distorted cut-and-paste statements.

Im the Chairman of the Council of Elders of the NPP in the Eastern Region. We were fighting this election [2016] on the economy and I was giving a series of lectures on the economy to various groups within the region. When it got to the turn of the Council of Elders, the regional chair spoke, Hon Hackman spoke, I spoke and I spoke on the economy, but you dont talk about the economy by starting with the resource location  I started by talking about how poorly this economy has been managed that we have gone from GHS9.4bn debt to GHS110bn debt at the time, and how growth, without oil, was GHS1.9bn and had dwindled to about 4% etc.,  And I said something which Ive said in this room: that Ghana is not poor and that the resource base of this country is found in five regions and I mentioned the regions specifically because I was making a strong economic argument.

Now, people removed all that I said about the poor management of the economy and then made it look like I started by talking about the resource locations of this thing and put it forward and changed certain things to make me look like I was being a tribalist and it was bad, this is where I find people very mischievous  You take the whole thing out of context and make it look very tribalistic, so, I think, yes, it happened, newspapers reported something wrong and I think people should be ashamed of themselves when they do this kind of cut-and-paste to create that wrong impression in the system Mr Osafo-Maafo explained.

Source: Classfmonline.com
Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo Prampram, Sam Nartey George has slammed the Akufo-Addo government for running down the economy despite the boastful talks that it has the competent 'men.'

In a tweet spotted by Modernghana News on Friday, July 1, 2022, the lawmaker said the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) government boasted of having men who can help manage the economy.

He noted that the NPP after running down the economy are now flocking to a women-led IMF for a bailout.

Please, they said they had the men. IMF is headed by a woman, that why we are going there. Stop saying we are incompetent. Did we say we have the women? #NPPLogic, he tweeted.

His remark follows Finance Minister Ken Ofori Attas comment who boasted about the NPP's ability to solve economic challenges for which reason an IMF bailout cannot be an option.

Whatever we do, we are NOT going to the IMF. We are a proud Nation. We have the resources. We have the capacity. We are the Joshuas and Calebs. Don't listen to those Pharisees and Sadducees talking about IMF. We have the MEN! said Ken Ofori Atta.

Miss Kristalina Georgieva is the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which explains Sam Nartey George's jab.

In the past weeks, there have been heightened calls for the government to consider enrolling onto an IMF programme in the face of the continuous economic challenges.

Although, the government had in the past stressed that it was using home-grown solutions to tackle the issues, it has now decided to go to the IMF for help.

The government of Ghana is in discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to seek support amid the economic challenges that have brought unbearable hardships to Ghanaians.

In a press release issued by the Ministry in charge of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah disclosed that President Akufo-Addo has already informed the IMF of plans to seek help.
Africa has always been a foreign policy priority for India. However, the new Government under PM Narendra Modi has displayed unprecedented eagerness to deepen its age-old relationship with the African continent. India's engagement with the African continent has intensified as never before, reflected in more than thirty-five outgoing visits to different African countries at the level of President, Vice President and Prime Minister.

In seven years of the Modi government, each and every country of Africa has been visited by at least one Union Minister. Similarly, India hosted more than 100 African leaders during the same period, which included 41 leaders for the India-Africa Forum Summit. Over the years, multiple changes in political leadership have taken place in both India and Africa, particularly in Africa, where the change of government is often forced. However, the partnership remained constant. In fact, the spirit of collaboration, instead of losing its spark, rather have constantly been growing.

India's relationship with Africa has advanced using consultative and responsive mechanisms under the rubric of the India-Africa Forum Summit. Starting in 2008, today, it has become one of African leaders' largest regular diplomatic gatherings. There have already been three editions: in 2008 in India, in 2011 in Ethiopia, and in 2015 again in India. The Summit of 2015 was a remarkable milestone as all 54 African countries participated in it. The COVID pandemic has caused the IAFS 4 to be delayed, although it should still occur later this year, possibly in Mauritania.

The main components of India's development partnership are capacity-building programmes, Lines of Credit (LoC), Grant assistance, Small Development Projects (SDP), Technical Consultancy, Disaster Relief and Humanitarian aid, as well as military partnerships.

The principal mode of India's development relationship with Africa has been capacity building and skill development, and ITEC played a significant role in it. Introduced in 1964, the India Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme has been an essential aspect of the India-Africa collaboration. In fact, the African continent is now the largest recipient of the ITEC program.

In 2019, India introduced the first pilot e-ITEC course for two African countries. And since the outbreak of the pandemic, the e-ITEC has become the new normal. To respond to the needs of changing times, new and innovative courses such as Big Data Analytics, urban infrastructure management, WTO-related topics, and solar technology were introduced organically.

The Pan African e-Network (PAeN), founded in 2004 by the late Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam, has immensely contributed to the development of tele-education and telemedicine. So far, a total of 19 countries have signed MoUs to collaborate on tele-education and telemedicine networks. Following the success of PANEP, in 2019, India introduced EVAB (e-Vidyabharati and e-Arogya Bharati).

India remains one of the top five destinations for African students looking to study abroad. As per the Association for African Students in India, there are now more than 25,000 African students registered in various universities around India. The potential for India's knowledge diplomacy with Africa is high.

Indian Army's training courses are universally recognised for their professional content and apolitical nature. India has trained army personnel from the Central African Republic and several other African nations. Hydrographic surveys to improve the navigability of coastal waters and provision of maritime equipment are undergoing for Tanzania, Kenya and Mozambique. Agreements on White Shipping have been signed with Kenya and Nigeria. DRDO is continuously exploring cooperation in Defence R&D with African nations, and in that respect, an MoU was recently signed with Nigeria.

The maritime element of India's cooperation with countries of Africa, especially in the East & Southern African region, is also expanding. In 2018, the Indian navy participated in Exercise IBSAMAR-VI in South Africa with the South African and Brazilian navies. During the Exercise, Indian ships visited Mombasa (Kenya), Maputo (Mozambique), Simon's Town (South Africa) and Toamasina (Madagascar).

Indian ships were also deployed in the Southern Indian Ocean Region countries of Seychelles, Mauritius, Reunion, Madagascar and Comoros. During the deployment, the Indian navy also participated in Phase III of EX-VARUNA at Reunion Island. INS Satavahana has undertaken a full-fledged introductory submarine course for South Africa.

In March 2019, India hosted the inaugural multination exercise for African nations at Pune, where 17 African nations participated in the exercise with troops and three African countries deputed observers. Recently India has deployed a tri-service training team in Tanzania, an Indian Coast Guard team in Mozambique and Indian defence training teams in Uganda and Namibia. In addition, a Navy training team will soon be sent to Madagascar.

Indian navy also conducts Milan Exercise biennially. Milan 2020, postponed due to corona, would draw participants from 41 nations and several African countries such as Mozambique, Sudan, Somalia, Kenya, Egypt, Tanzania, Comoros, Mauritius, South Africa, Madagascar, Djibouti, Eritrea, and Seychelles would participate.

On March 15, 2019, in the aftermath of Cyclone IDAI, the Indian navy was the first responder in the evolving humanitarian crises in Mozambique, for evacuation of people in coordination with local authorities and for dropping off food & water packets in cyclone-affected areas. India also provided relief materials to the other countries hit by the cyclone: Madagascar, Zimbabwe and Malawi.

India is actively assisting Africa in combatting terrorism, supporting peacekeeping and cybersecurity. In fact, India's first-ever overseas training institution in Africa was the Imperial Military Academy at Harar, Ethiopia, established as early as 1958. India has also been involved in peacekeeping since the first UN Mission in Congo in 1964. India has participated in almost all UNPKOs in Africa. India is currently Africa's fourth-largest supplier of troops to PKO, having contributed 200,000 soldiers and police forces as part of the blue helmets since independence. In the Congo, Morocco, Sudan, South Sudan, and Somalia, 4,483 Indians currently serve in five peacekeeping missions.

India has strongly emphasised defence manufacturing during the previous eight years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. As emerging defence partnerships represent an essential investment in the future of Indian diplomacy, Africa has a lot to benefit from this indigenous Indian defence equipment and promote India's defence manufacturing.

In the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. 25 African countries received medical assistance from India. Also, India offered an e-ITEC course on "COVID-19 Pandemic: Prevention and Management Guidelines for Healthcare Professionals' to healthcare workers in Africa.

The economies of Africa and India have had some of the fastest economic growth worldwide. Many of the world's fastest-growing economies are found in Africa, which has a $2.4 trillion GDP overall. By 2030, Africa's share of the global workforce and consumer marketplace will be about one-fourth.

Today India-Africa relationship constitutes a vibrant partnership between the two continents, animated by the spirit of developing together as equals, focusing on capacity building, development cooperation and economic and technological initiatives. India and Africa have emerged as twin growth centres and are prepared to elevate their multifaceted relationship to a greater level as they transition to the post-pandemic world order takes place.

By Samir Bhattacharya

The author is a Research Associate with the Vivekananda International Foundation and doctoral scholar at Jawaharlal Nehru University
Arise Ghana has taken note of the decision by the Government of Ghana to engage with the IMF on the way forward for the financial and economic management of the Republic of Ghana as contained in a statement dated July 1, 2022 and signed by the Minister for Information, Hon Kojo Oppong Nkrumah.

Like the majority of the Ghanaian people, we are not surprised by this decision. We are however concerned that the government out of propaganda turned a deaf ear to all the expert advice in the wake of the poor and sorry state of the Ghanaian economy arising from very bad economic policies of the government.

Though a very late decision in our view, we hope the governments impending engagement with the IMF will fashion out policies that will serve the interest of the country and steer Ghana out of the current economic doldrums.

It would be recollected that in the governments quest to saddle Ghanaians with the burden of the obnoxious E- Levy, it was presented as the alternative to any possibility of an engagement with the IMF. As such, the government should take steps to immediately withdraw the E-levy Act without any further delay since the country is on its way to the IMF eventually.

However, it is important to remind the government that until and unless, the President and his government makes a conscious effort to cut down on its profligate spending and focus on priority expenditure, no IMF policy will solve our common issues of corruption, misplaced priority, opaque procurement processes and a virtual abuse of the public purse.

Arise Ghana will at all times stay true to its overarching objective of holding the feet of government and all duty- bearers to the fire in our demand for accountability.

Signed

Cmde Rex Omar

Leading Member, Arise Ghana
The recent decision by the Nana Addo Government to seek a bailout from the IMF superficially suggests the nail in the coffin to send NPP to the opposition and bring NDC back to power. From a deeper and dispassionate instinct and analysis, I think otherwise.

The recent economic challenges do not in any way suggest that Ghanaians will bring the NDC back to salvage the situation in the 2024 elections. It is self-evidence that Ghanaians are settled in their minds that Mahama has failed, and Akufo Addo didn't live up to expectations. Certainly, a new face will be sought.

Nana Addo will be done with his second term, and he is not eligible to contest again. So NPP will present a new face who has not been tried as a president before.

If the above analysis is anything to go by, it implies NPP is presenting a new face untried and untested as a president and NDC will present the old face that has been tried, tested, and discarded as a result of incompetence.

To go deep, the NDC candidate, which is Mahama, in the unlikely event that he wins the 2024 elections, is going to serve for only 4 years and he is not eligible to contest again.

If not for selfish- interest, Mahama knows very well that 4years is insignificant to meaningful turn things around in. In Mahama's own words captured by Joynews on 16 August 2016, "four years is not enough for any president, adding that the framers of the constitution were well aware of that and there gave an option for a second term for sitting presidents".

If he happens to be elected again, he is going to start from scratch, and this implies he is coming probably not for the sake of turning things around for the ordinary Ghanaian but to feather his own nest.

With the current situation in Ghana due to the global challenges and their clear impact on Nana Addo Government, NDC seems to be in their usually comfortable lead syndrome. However, history shows that any party that goes into an election overly confident always loses and NDC is certainly on that trajectory.

In politics, there is a cycle, and this means that things go up as well as down. What history teaches above all else is that politics is never a straight line; you cannot project from the way things are now to how they will be in the future. There are always discontinuities and surprises.

With is unique for the NPP and which is indeed a blessing in disguise is that the current hardships are not happening in an election year. The fact that the government is using this year to push through the most difficult and controversial measures portents a lot. Almost Always, painful reforms only pay off over time and they should be introduced early so that their benefits are felt before the party has to go to the people again, rather than introducing them as another election looms.

Even though things look grim for now, it is in the early days for NPP supporters to throw their hands in despair or for the NDC to start jubilation. 2024 elections is certainly a crossroads decision for Ghanaians to make and NDC should not prematurely jubilate and NPP supporters should not also throw their hands in despair.
Former President John Dramani Mahama has welcomed the governments decision to begin engagements with the International Monetary Fund for a bailout programme to help revive the economy, although he says the decision was taken a little too late.

In a statement, Mahama said the announcement by the government is important to help address the many challenges that have plagued the Ghanaian economy.

He however said the government must develop a more impactful home-grown programme that will complement the IMF programme that will be agreed upon after negotiations.

I welcome President Akufo-Addo's decision to formally engage the IMF with the view to entering into a programme under the Fund. Though belated, it should mark an important step towards addressing the dire economic situation, which has left Ghanaians wallowing under intense suffering and hardships, he said.

The Ministry of Information on Friday, July 1, 2022, announced that President Akufo-Addo had given approval for Ghana to begin engagements with the IMF for a bailout.

The statement added that the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta will be leading the negotiations with the IMF but John Mahama in his statement said the minister must not be allowed to be part of the team of negotiators.

He has lost credibility and the trust and confidence of stakeholders in our economy. President Akufo-Addo must take a bold decision to replace his finance minister immediately with a more assured and competent person who is willing and able to work tirelessly to turn our almost hopeless situation around, Mahama indicated.

He further reiterated his earlier call for Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia to be removed from his post as the chairman of the economic management team given his obvious failures.

Read Mahamas full statement below:

I welcome President Akufo-Addo's decision to formally engage the IMF with the view to entering into a programme under the Fund.

Though belated, it should mark an important step towards addressing the dire economic situation, which has left Ghanaians wallowing under intense suffering and hardships.

Beyond the announcement of engagement with the IMF, a comprehensive home-grown programme should be fashioned out and presented to the Fund for support. It is imperative that a team of skilled and competent negotiators is put together to obtain the best set of measures with the Fund.

The Finance Minister who has supervised the disastrous collapse of the economy cannot and should not be part of the team of negotiators. He has lost credibility and the trust and confidence of stakeholders in our economy.

President Akufo-Addo must take a bold decision to replace his finance minister immediately with a more assured and competent person who is willing and able to work tirelessly to turn our almost hopeless situation around.

In addition, given his obvious failures, the Vice President must be relieved of his responsibility as Chair of the Economic Management Team to enable the President to reconstitute the team.

We must draw useful lessons from this episode and avoid cheap politicking with the economy; that can only yield the disastrous outcomes that have brought us here.

citinewsroom
The Minority spokesperson on Communications, A.B.A Fuseini is demanding that government immediately cancel the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy) after going back on its word of not going to the IMF for a bailout.

According to him, the government has deceived the Ghanaians and must humblyly offer an apology.

They told us that despite COVID and the Russia-Ukraine war they are not going to the IMF, is that not what they told us? They told they will never go to the IMF, what has changed because they told us they have the men. Where are the economic expertise and experience they said they have?

So they should eat their humble pie and apologize to the people of Ghana for taking us for a ride and imposing the obnoxious Electronic Transfer Levy (E-levy) on us. They should first and foremost apologize to Ghanaians and immediately announce the cancellation of the E-levy, A.B.A Fuseini told Starr News.

On Friday, July 1, 2022, a Ministry of Information press release confirmed that the government of Ghana is returning to the IMF.

The release signed by Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah noted that President Akufo-Addo has tasked Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to lead the engagements with the fund.

The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has authorized Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to commence formal engagements with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), inviting the Fund to support an economic program put together by the Government of Ghana.

This follows a telephone conversation between the President and the IMF Managing Director, Miss Kristalina Georgieva, conveying Ghana's decision to engage with the Fund, parts of the Ministry of Information press release reads.
The argument made by Alexander Afenyo-Markin, a member of parliament for Effutu, that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the Coronavirus are to blame for the NPP political party's defection to the IMF is utterly absurd.

Since every Ghanaian is aware that the NPP government is the kind of administration that not only accepts responsibility but also finds it very difficult to provide an apology when they wrong the populace, I am not at all surprised by the meaningless comment made by Afenyo-Markin.

No one can overlook the devastating effects of the coronavirus on the world's economy and employment. The NPP government, however, finds it very difficult to communicate or acknowledge the fact that Ghana was already having problems as a nation under the control of the inept NPP government before COVID-19 struck the world.



If Afenya-Markin is correct in his assertion that the former Mahama administration sought financial assistance from the IMF after mismanaging the country's economy, then, I have the right to counter that the NPP government kowtows to the IMF because it is incompetent, dishonest, and particularly notorious for stealing COVID funds.

Afenyo-Markin claims that COVID-19 is to blame for the NPP administration's visit to the IMF. That is a massive falsehood because the money could have benefited the economy more than it has if the COVID monies granted by the World Bank and the European Union hadn't been stolen.

As a result, Afenyo-Markin needs to have the intelligence to talk about the missing COVID funds that the administration misappropriated, rather than bemoaning the effects of the coronavirus.

Even the Russian government is aware that Ghana's economy was already in trouble before its government and Ukraine launched the conflict, with a high unemployment rate and systemic severe corruption. One of the reasons Putin's government continues to take Ghana's government to task whenever it attributes Ghana's ailing economy and depreciating currency to the Russia-Ukraine war.

Since the NPP government never accepts responsibility, when the NPP government initially failed, they thought for a while and decided that the former president of Ghana, John Mahama, would be the appropriate person to blame. They then began their false propaganda against a president who is no longer in office.

As if they were praying for something to attribute to their failure, the coronavirus strikes the world, which became their real reason to blame, followed by the Russian-Ukraine, and frankly speaking, I dont know what comes next after the COVID and the Ukraine war, for the lazy NPP government to blame.

Going to the International Monetary Fund is not something shameful but the NPP government is currently ashamed because they queried John Mahama when he went to the IMF. More importantly, Ken Agyapong, who represents Assin Central in parliament for the New Patriotic Party, had said that only a failed government goes to the IMF.

Afenyo-Markin shouldn't try to hide the shame of the NPP government by claiming that "there is a difference between the current government seeking help from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and that of the erstwhile National Democratic Congress administration" if he isn't prepared to amuse Ghanaians with comedy.

If Afenya-Markin is correct in his assertion that the former Mahama administration sought financial assistance from the IMF after mismanaging the country's economy, then, I have the right to counter that the NPP government kowtows to the IMF because it is incompetent, dishonest, and particularly notorious for stealing COVID funds.
Former President John Dramani Mahama has charged the Akufo-Addo's government to fashion out and present a comprehensive home-grown programme to the IMF for support.

Reacting to news that the President Akufo-Addo government has finally decided to go to the International Monetary Fund for a bailout, the leading member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) said it is welcoming.

According to the 2020 presidential candidate of the largest opposition party, although the decision to go to the IMF is belated, it is an important step that will address the dire economic situation of the country.

I welcome President Akufo-Addos decision to formally engage the IMF with the view to entering into a programme under the Fund.

Though belated, it should mark an important step towards addressing the dire economic situation, which has left Ghanaians wallowing under intense suffering and hardships, John Dramani Mahama has said in a post on his Facebook page.

The former President adds that during the IMF engagement, the government should fashion out a comprehensive home-grown programme and present it to the Fund for support.

John Dramani Mahama also proposes that a team of skilled and competent negotiators is put together to obtain the best set of measures with the Fund.

Read the full post on the Facebook page of the former President below:

I welcome President Akufo-Addos decision to formally engage the IMF with the view to entering into a programme under the Fund.

Though belated, it should mark an important step towards addressing the dire economic situation, which has left Ghanaians wallowing under intense suffering and hardships.

Beyond the announcement of engagement with the IMF, a comprehensive home-grown programme should be fashioned out and presented to the Fund for support. It is imperative that a team of skilled and competent negotiators is put together to obtain the best set of measures with the Fund.

The Finance Minister who has supervised the disastrous collapse of the economy cannot and should not be part of the team of negotiators. He has lost credibility and the trust and confidence of stakeholders in our economy.

President Akufo-Addo must take a bold decision to replace his finance minister immediately with a more assured and competent person who is willing and able to work tirelessly to turn our almost hopeless situation around.

In addition, given his obvious failures, the Vice President must be relieved of his responsibility as Chair of the Economic Management Team to enable the President to reconstitute the team.

We must draw useful lessons from this episode and avoid cheap politicking with the economy; that can only yield the disastrous outcomes that have brought us here.
Bahrains economic activity is set for a moderate rebound in 2022 and the fiscal and external positions will improve considerably in the near-term and over the medium-term, growth is set to stabilize at 3%, according to a review by International Monetary Fund (IMF).

A gradual post-Covid recovery is underway, while the renewed fiscal reform momentum - with the recent doubling of the VAT rate to 10% and high oil prices - are mitigating Bahrains fiscal and external vulnerabilities, stated the Executive Board of the IMF in its conclusion of the Article IV consultation with Bahrain.

Under Article IV of the IMF's Articles of Agreement, the IMF holds bilateral discussions with members, usually every year. A staff team visits the country, collects economic and financial information, and discusses with officials the country's economic developments and policies.

On return to headquarters, the staff prepares a report, which forms the basis for discussion by the Executive Board.

In this report, IMF stated that the Bahraini economy grew by 2.2% in 2021, driven by 2.8% growth in non-hydrocarbon GDP.

The recovery was supported by a strong performance in non-hydrocarbon manufacturing as well as by the retail trade and hospitality sectors.

With the economic recovery and higher oil prices, the state budget deficit narrowed to 6.8% of GDP in 2021, while the overall fiscal deficit narrowed to 11.1% of GDP and debt declined slightly to 129% of GDP, it stated.

According to IMF, the kingdom's current account improved markedly and posted a surplus of 6.7% of GDP in 2021 and international reserves increased to about 2.4 months of prospective nonoil imports. Banks' soundness indicators remain resilient, but the financial sector support package might have masked some vulnerabilities.

Bahrain implemented a strong vaccination campaign that covered all residents, was one of the fastest globally, and allowed the broad reopening of the economy in summer 2021. The support package provided relief to the private and banking sectors, helping to contain job losses and corporate strains.

All these measures helped in the kingdom's speedy recovery and IMF is now projecting steady growth over the medium-term which is set to stabilize at 3%.

Lauding Bahrain's efforts, the IMF said its authorities were strongly committed to their reform agenda outlined in the Economic Recovery Plan and the revised Fiscal Balance Program, including ambitious reforms to reduce the fiscal deficit and public debt.

In concluding the 2022 Article IV consultation with The Kingdom of Bahrain, Executive Directors endorsed the staffs appraisal as follows:

*Bahrain implemented a commendable pandemic policy response and is moving ahead with fiscal and structural reforms. The authorities crisis policy actions successfully mitigated the health and socioeconomic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, prevented job losses, and helped the economic recovery as soon as containment measures were lifted.

*Renewed fiscal reform momentum and favorable oil prices eased fiscal and external vulnerabilities. The recovery is projected to continue at a moderate pace, with headwinds stemming from fiscal adjustment and the tightening of global financial conditions. Risks to the outlook remain tilted to the downside.

The IMF called upon Bahrain to continue the fiscal reforms to put debt on a firm downward path. It welcomed the renewed fiscal reform momentum and recommended that the authorities take advantage of the current favorable macroeconomic and financing conditions to legislate a set of fiscal measures in the upcoming 2023/24 Budget Law in line with their FBP.

The pace and composition of the medium-term adjustment could be balanced to support both growth and fiscal sustainability while reducing reliance on oil revenue and increasing spending efficiency. Any oil revenue windfalls should be used to rebuild buffers, it stated.

The kingdom should also improve fiscal transparency by phasing out extrabudgetary spending and reduce reform implementation risks, stated IMF in the review.

"Monetary policy should continue to be tightened in line with the Fed. The exchange rate peg remains an appropriate monetary anchor and the CBB should continue to follow the Fed tightening cycle to stem capital outflow pressures, it added.

IMF said phasing out the FX overdraft at the CBB, together with fiscal consolidation, would support the external position and thus the peg.

In the longer run, monitoring FX balance sheet risks and further deepening domestic financial markets would help prepare for a more independent monetary policy in the post-oil economy, it stated.

The IMF report commended CBB for successfully preserving financial stability during the crisis and called upon the kingdom's central bank to unwind the pandemic support measures.

The blanket loan moratoria should be phased out and, if needed, could be replaced with targeted and time-bound measures aimed at viable borrowers, while nonviable exposures should be resolved, it stated.

According to IMF, macroprudential instruments should be recalibrated to their neutral stance given comfortable banking system liquidity and capital buffers.

The authorities should enhance the macroprudential policy framework, including by adding real estate indicators to their financial stability analysis. Efforts to strengthen the resolution framework should be continued, it stated.

Bahrain's labour market and other structural reforms will help promote private sector job creation and economic diversification, it added.

Welcoming the economic recovery plan, IMF said containing public wages, addressing skills mismatches and facilitating labor mobility would help Bahrain's recovery and boost job creation.

"Efforts to support higher womens participation in the labor force should be continued. Improving business environment, advancing digitalization and enhancing access to finance, especially for SMEs and women, and pursuing reforms to support the transition toward a low-carbon economy would spur a strong, inclusive, and green recovery," it added.-TradeArabia News Service
French anti-terrorism prosecutors in Paris are investigating allegations connected to Groupe Castel for possible complicity in war crimes in the Central African Republic (CAR), according to Reuters newswire, citing a source close to the matter.

The source indicated that the local office of the large French drinks company is suspected of paying local militia.

The investigation comes nearly a year after an article published on the US-based The Sentry investigative website last year that indicated that the local office had been giving Union for Peace in Central Africa (UPC) militia a vehicle and money in order to obtain a stronger hold on the drinks market there.

The UPC has carried out murders, rapes, torture, and has displaced civilians, according to the United Nations. It adds the group has also engaged in illegal taxation, warfare, and arms trafficking.

The source told Reuters that the investigation had been opened against X, and not targeting Groupe Castel or executives. This allows for prosecutors to investigate all possible aspects of the case.

A spokesman for Bordeaux region-based Groupe Castel said the company was fully cooperating with French authorities. He added that after an internal investigation was launched after the first accusations, the company found no evidence of wrongdoing.

One of the biggest drinks companies in the world, manufacturing wine and beverages, it also sells some of the most popular beers on the African continent.

One French business magazine gives the Castel family fortune at an estimated 14 billion euros.

The prosecutor's office would now be able to hear witnesses and order searches and seizures, said lawyers for the investigative news site The Sentry.

"War profiteering has fueled long-term and devastating armed conflicts throughout the world, too often without legal and financial consequences for the perpetrators," said John Prendergast, co-founder of The Sentry.

This probe shows that multinational companies can be held to account for criminal operations, even when working in countries with limited judicial systems, says Prendergast.
We are not superstitious but wish to revisit some negative occurrences which happened to our country in the month of June.

These of course are against the backdrop of the bloody demonstration organised by the NDC in the twilight of last month.

It was on June 30, 1982 that three high court judges and a retired Army Major were abducted under bizarre circumstances and murdered in the most horrendous manner by agents linked to the junta which has metamorphosed to the NDC today.

It is a subject which will continue to resonate in the minds of Ghanaians especially, scholars of local contemporary political history.

It happened 40 years ago, 1982, in a country which had no experience of such dastardly act.

Even more worrying was the involvement of junta actors although futile efforts were made to change the impression. Not even the sacrifice of one of the actors was enough to clear the bloodied image of the junta which promised salvation yet, muddied the country up in a fashion unparalleled in contemporary history.

Celebrating this blight is just right because it reminds us about how a group of Ghanaians embarked upon this act of vengeance by visiting most despicable murders on their compatriots whose only crime was that, they were living up to the billing of their profession.

It is instructive that many years down the lane, NDC actors continue to regard the judiciary as an enemy. Pronouncements have been made by some of them which point at their party not believing in the rule of law. Unfortunately, the country has moved on and democracy remains the choice of the people warts and all.

Talking about the month of June reminds us also about June 4, 1979, another dark day in our contemporary history. It was a day on which a mutiny took place. Top retired senior military officers were rounded up and shot on the stakes.

On June 3, 2015, Accra witnessed the most horrifying disaster when during a downpour, there was a fire at a filling station which claimed 40 lives and injured scores of others.

June is one month during which the NDC loves visiting its bloody incidents on Ghanaians.

Had the night time demonstration with an NDC- engaged private security personnel providing so-called protection been allowed, only heavens could have predicted the outcome.

For us, therefore, without the intention of plagiarising Shakespeare, we ask our compatriots whether we should not beware the ides of June?
The Gbane Traditional Council in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region has urged the public to disregard and treat with disdain a publication purporting Prince Paazie Naabil as a suspected robber.

The Council further refuted allegations that Prince Paazie Naabil threatened to attack a small-scale miner, Zongdan Buyak Kolog (Poloo).

The council also described a publication on June 21, 2022 with the headline suspected robber on bail threatens to attack Talensis Polo as malicious and a calculated attempt to tarnish the image of Prince Naabil.

At a press conference in Gbane, Spokesperson of the Council, Solomon Yintota, said, the disagreements between the Prince and Zongdan Kolog in 2012 was resolved out of court and was never related to robbery.

He further indicated that, disagreements between the two parties at the Catholic social centre on June 16, 2022 over the disbursement of 2% gross profit shares among small scale miners from Earl International Group Ghana Gold Limited was also amicably resolved.

Why would a journalist recall the 2012 incident without stating the facts and painting a picture as if we were serial robbers? To my dismay, Zongdan Kolog(Poloo) says he has no knowledge of the malicious publication and is not in support of same.

I would like the general public to know that I am not a criminal and neither of my brothers is a criminal nor have any criminal record as the story sought to portray, and Gbane Chief Palace does not condone crime.

Mr. Yintota reiterated that, there have been disagreements between Zongdan Kolog and Prince Naabil but never resulted in any form of violence as they were amicably resolved.

He added that, the traditional council was investigating the rationale behind the malicious reportage and will in due course seek legal remedy.

Mr. Yintota entreated the public to treat the malicious reportage with the contempt it deserves.

citinewsroom
Dr. John Kwakye, Senior Economist at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), says the government must explain to Ghanaians what accounted for its decision to seek an IMF bailout.

According to him, citizens, as integral parts of democracy, must be briefed and made aware of key decisions the government take.

Speaking on The Big Issue on Saturday, he said giving details about the governments decision will help analysts and other stakeholders appreciate the rationale and hopefully be convinced that it is a step in the right direction.

He argued that the government ought to have held broad consultations on the subject before taking the decision.

The announcement doesnt give us enough information as to why we have decided to go to the IMF. Some explanation should be given to Ghanaians. The sooner we get it, the better because we are in a situation where people are taking different positions, so they should give us enough reasons to convince us on why they have decided to go to the IMF. That is currently missing, he said.

The Ministry of Information on Friday, July 1, 2022, announced that President Akufo-Addo had given approval for Ghana to begin engagements with the IMF for a bailout.

The ministry said the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta will be leading the negotiations with the IMF in the coming days.

The news has been received with mixed feelings, as it comes as a major U-turn by the government after it vowed not to ever go under an IMF programme.

Dr. Kwakye said he is certain that the government is still anxious about going under the programme since, based on how precarious the economy is at the moment, they are not sure of the confines of the programme they should put together that will allow them to get the trust of the international community.

He stressed that the IMFs work with Ghana while under a program will help Ghana gain credibility on the international market that can bring some respite.

When the IMF comes, the international community will now accept that now that the IMF is with you, you will do the right thing. We are in such a serious financial situation that they cant go to the international financial market [currently], he added.

citinewsroom
02.07.2022 LISTEN

This open letter to GhanaWeb, ModernGhana and the renowned journalist Kwesi Pratt as well as to the Christian Council is primarily meant to open up a bank account into which the Diaspora could pay their immediate humanitarian aid.

National Democratic Party of Ghana is appealing to the Ghanaian Diaspora in Europe, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the U.K. as well as those residing elsewhere in the World, to donate at least 10 to 20 Euros per month as an immediate humanitarian help to the People of Ghana in the midst of this catastrophic economic situation.

The National Democratic Party urge the following groups in Ghana to help facilitate the creation of a bank account in which donations can be paid into:

Mr. Kwesi Pratt Jr., the renowned Ghanaian Journalist,

GhanaWeb and ModernGhana, two renowned news platforms who have served the readers of Ghana news with a wide range of information, and

the Christian Council of Ghana.

The role of the Christian Council at this critical junction of the history of our Nation cannot be overemphasised. Information reaching us here in Europe talk of catastrophic economic situation leading to famine as well as the sick not being able to pay for their hospital bills.

At this critical moment I cannot think of any other trustworthy organisation to help the needy in Ghana than the Christian Council.

To you, all the people of Ghana abroad, please do your utmost, with 10 or 20 Euros monthly to help save our People in Ghana from hunger. It is urgent !

We thank GhanaWeb and ModernGhana for publishing this appeal.

However, we, the National Democratic Party of Ghana, reject the participation of the main two parties in our Country and their members, namely the NDC and the NPP, who have contributed to the situation at which the People of Ghana find themselves at the moment. They cannot be trusted.

The National Democratic Party is also appealing to the Christian Council to arrange for a Memorial Service for those who lost their lives through road traffic accidents. The initiation of such a memorial service should have come from the government and since the government is not doing anything about it, the NDP is asking the Christian Council to help arrange for such a memorial service.

The initiator of this appeal for humanitarian aid is:

Dr. Edward K. Poku M.D.,

Consultant Physician Specialist

Resident member of the National Democratic Party of Ghana

Tulpenstr. 14

35104 Lichtenfels

Germany

email: [email protected]

Contact Address in Ghana:

Mr. Alhaji Frimpong

General Secretary of the NDP

Box KN 5159

Kaneshie

Accra

Ghana

email: [email protected]
Private Legal Practitioner and Managing Partner at the Africa Legal Associates, Gabby Otchere-Darko has refuted claims that the government is returning to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a bailout because it lacks fiscal discipline.

On Friday, July 1, 2022, the Ministry of Information through a press release announced that the President of the Republic, H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has directed Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to engage the IMF for support.

From the conversations that have followed, financial experts have argued that the IMF option has become necessary because the ruling government has struggled to stay disciplined when it comes to financial issues such as borrowing and spending.

Speaking on the New File programme on Joy News on Saturday, July 2, 2022, Gabby Otchere Darko said that the argument is far from right.

According to him, the government has decided to return to the IMF because it wants investors to have confidence in the country.

Government is not going to the IMF because it lacks discipline but for confidence.

We did not want to go to the IMF but once we are there we should take full advantage of it, the leading member of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) said.

Gabby Otchere Darko added, What we need to have is a national conversation on how to move forward, and what we can do is to pay more taxes.

My fears are that there are certain things we have the sensitivity to protect. One of them is public sector employment.

Amid calls for Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to be sidelined during conversations with the IMF, Gabby Otchere Darko says he should rather be supported.

The Finance Minister has shown that he has the creativity and he needs the support of his party and Ghanaians, Mr. Otchere Darko noted.
President Akufo-Addo's cousin, Mr Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, has said the minority caucus in parliament is to blame for the government's resort to the International monetary fund for a bailout.

"We had a major way of raising revenue which had been frustrated for six months. The point is: yes, there were challenges, but the government came up with its policies to see how to address those challenges and those policies were frustrated by the very parliament that we have", he told Accra-based Joy FM on Saturday, 2 July 2022.

"The Minority Leader was actually bragging and taking credit for frustrating governments attempt to raise money, delaying that by six months", Mr Otchere-Darko said.

"I am not too sure how any government in Ghanas situation would have rescued that (situation)", the Danquah Institute founder said.

I think when you have an opposition party which believes that nothing matters than political capitalisation of situations and can go out to the public and say that: 'Yes, praise us because we stopped the government from getting its way in raising revenue to solve the situation and the problems facing the ordinary Ghanaian, then I think those are the things we need to focus on, he added.

The e-levy, which the government proposed in the 2022 budget that was read in November 2021, was only passed some two months ago due to staunch resistance from the minority caucus in the 8th hung parliament.

Despite it's passage, Mr Otchere-Darko recently revealed that only about 10 per cent of the projected revenue was realised from the tax, thus, leaving a huge hole in the government's kitty that must be fixed immediately.

Source: Classfmonline.com
Mr Mark Agyemang, a Project Consultant, has suggested the government use a portion of the crude oil and mining revenues to finance free primary healthcare for the poor and vulnerable in society.

Just as the government is financing Free Senior High School with revenues from crude oil to improve education in the country, it could also consider implementing similar intervention for the health sector for the poor and vulnerable, he said.

Mr Agyemang made the call on the sidelines of an engagement forum between Friends of the Nation (FON), a non-governmental organisation, and the Ministry of Finance, in Accra, to discuss issues relating to the extractive sector.

He made proposals to be considered when reviewing the Petroleum Revenue Management Act (PRMA) in order to make the legislation more pro-poor.

The FoN, together with some queen mothers from the Western Region, called on the Ministry on proposals to be considered during the amendment of the PRMA.

This comes after the NGO went around the country to monitor some projects and programmes being financed with petroleum revenues.

Mr Agyemang, who was the Lead Project Consultant in the proposed review of the PRMA, said education, health and social services should be equitably financed to benefit all citizens, especially the poor and the vulnerable.

He also called for an improved and targeted disbursement of the oil revenue to the agricultural sector.

Mr Agyemang said all roads being financed with the petroleum revenues should be linked to agriculture production hubs to improve the sector.

Agriculture is a priority area in the development of the economy, but most of the investments in the sector were not targeted at improving agricultural production, Mr Agyemang observed.

Mr Agyemang, therefore, appealed to the Finance Ministry to conduct an impact analysis and projects assessment on how oil revenues had been utilised over the last few years.

That, he said, would help the government to know and understand where investments were bringing the needed dividends and areas that needed to be relooked at in the disbursement process.

Nana Akosua Gyamfiaba, the Acting Queen mother for Shama Traditional Area, appealed to the Ministry to construct agro-processing facilities for women farmers.

We appealed to the Ministry to provide cold storage facilities for fishmongers in the Region, she added.

The Acting Queenmother also called on the Ministry to provide low-interest loans for women farmers to enable them to scale-up production.

Mr Joseph Sarpong, the Head of Energy and Petroleum Unit at the Finance Ministry, said the concerns raised by the NGO, the Project Consultant and key stakeholders would be considered when reviewing the PRMA.

Mr Sarpong said the Ministry had already begun inputting some of the proposals in the review process.

The PRMA was passed in 2011 and was amended in 2015.

However, in 2019 the Ministry of Finance constituted a Review Committee to commence amendment of the Act to meet current goals.

GNA
Turkish Technic, a leading provider of technical services and solutions for commercial airlines and private jets, and the sultanate's national carrier Oman Air, have signed a comprehensive 10-year component pool and advance exchange contract for the airline's Boeing fleet.

As per the contract, Istanbul-based maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) provider, Turkish Technic, will provide component pool, component maintenance and advance exchange services for Oman Airs Boeing B737 Next Generation and Boeing B737 MAX family fleet.

This multi-year contract will enable Oman Air to benefit from Turkish Technics decades of experience in component maintenance.

Turkish Technic CEO Mikail Akbulut said: "We are happy that Oman Air has decided to partner with us for component pool and exchange services. As a leading component service provider of more than 900 aircraft from all around the world, we will strive to ensure Oman Air continues to meet its customers expectations."

"With another milestone contract in our partnership, we look forward to supporting Oman Airs fleet of Boeing B737 Next Generation and Boeing 737 MAX family," he stated.

Oman Air COO Captain Nasser Ahmed Al Salmi said: "We are pleased to entrust the leading trademark, Turkish Technic, with the maintenance of our aircraft. We put our confidence in the globally recognised services provided by Turkish Technic."

"The services to be provided by Turkish Technic were selected for being the ideal solutions for Oman Air Boeing B737 Next Generation and Boeing 737 MAX operations," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
18 Jul 2022 | 11:46 AM

New Delhi, July 18 (UNI) Ahead of the Monsoon Session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the monsoon season has started and the weather is hot but "don't know if temperature inside (Parliament) will come down or not."

Speaking to reporters in the Parliament House Complex, Modi said, "This session is related to the weather. Though the rainy season has started in Delhi, the temperature outside is not decreasing. However, can not say whether temperature inside (Parliament) will come down or not."

Urging the MPs to maintain the dignity of the Parliament, he said, "We always consider the House to be an efficient medium of communication, a pilgrimage center where open dialogue and debates are held. Here, issues are analysed in detail, so that a positive contribution can be made in policy and decisions."

"I would urge all MPs to hold discussions to make the house as productive as we can," he added.
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Certification of natural gas as responsibly sourced continues to gain traction in the energy industry, with Chevron joining ExxonMobils XTO Energy, Laredo and Chisholm Energy in testing certification programs.

Chevron this week announced it had received Project Canarys highest ratings on operational and environmental performance at five sites in the Midland Basin and in Chevrons Mustang Development Area in the DJ Basin of Colorado. Of the 85 wells analyzed by Project Canary, 82 received the highest Platinum status and three the second-best Gold status. The five sites involved produce a total of approximately 80 million cubic feet of natural gas per day.

The initial pilot phase will last through 2022 and next steps will be informed by the experience and learnings of the pilot, Catie Matthews, public and government affairs advisor in Chevrons Mid-Continent Business Unit, told the Reporter-Telegram by email. We expect the pilot to help verify our strengths and identify opportunities to further improve methane performance, familiarize us with the certification process, and grow our understanding of the current RSG market.

Chevron plans to market RSG from the certified assets in the second half of 2022.



Chris Romer, chief executive officer and co-founder of Project Canary, told the Reporter-Telegram in a telephone interview that he was excited by Chevrons leadership in the Permian and DJ Basins.

Its great to have a leading producer like Chevron accelerate the responsibly-sourced gas market, he said. Their commitment to transparency is the foundation of the energy transition. He said he expects many other Permian Basin producers will now follow Chevrons lead.

Increasing the certification of natural gas as responsibly sourced will not only provide the world with needed fuel that has been verified as clean carbon but will produce great jobs in Midland, Romer said.

We can cut methane emissions and have a healthy environment and have affordable energy, he said. Its been done in Colorado and now its being done in the Permian Basin.

Whats also exciting to him is that markets are recognizing the viability of certifying natural gas through the actions of blue-chip companies like Chevron, he added.

There will be lots of buyers and that will be good for the Permian Basin, he said.

Romer estimates that 40 percent of the natural gas produced in the US will be certified by the end of the year and will come from most of the nations producing basins.
Supply concerns marginally outweighed inflation fears as crude managed a weekly gain for the first time in three weeks.

West Texas Intermediate on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose three of five trading days, but those declines included a $1.98 drop Wednesday and a $4.02 plunge Thursday. Prices rebounded Friday with a $2.67 gain to end the week  and the first half of 2022 -- at $108.43. Thats down from $109.57 at Mondays close but up from $107.62 at last Fridays close. The posted price ended the week at $104.91 per barrel.

Natural gas followed the path set by crude, rising three of five trading days, starting with a 28-cent jump Monday. But just as crude took a hit Thursday, so did natural gas, which plunged $1.07 to fall below $6 per Mcf. And lie crude, natural gas rebounded on the NYMEX Friday, rising 30 cents to close at $5.73 per Mcf.

Fears over a possible recession will likely drive commodity prices lower, but I expect WTI to remain above $100 for the remainder of this year. Demand will continue to outpace global supply, even with the easing of production quotas from OPEC+ members, many of which simply cannot increase capacity in the short term, Ed Longanecker, president of the Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association, told the Reporter-Telegram by email.

Longanecker added that various factors will contribute to increased volatility in the months ahead, including the prolonged war in Ukraine, growing concerns over a recession and continued efforts to tax and over-regulate the U.S. oil and natural gas industry, which will only exacerbate the current energy crisis.

He included in a long list of failed energy policy proposals the prospect of banning new American offshore oil and gas drilling projects, which would further restrict supply and drive prices even higher.

While the American Gas Association doesnt make market predictions, the association Friday sent out its Natural Gas Market Indicators summary. In its new summary, the association noted that domestic natural gas demand hit a record high in June and overall demand is expected to increase over the coming weeks as the Southwest, most of Texas and the Northeast could see record-breaking heat in July. At the same time, the association reported, demand for long-term liquefied natural gas contracts reached its highest point in five years. Wood Mackenzie reported prices for 10-year LNG contracts are 75 percent over 2021 levels.

AGA also cited Energy Information Administration reports that working gas in storage are 296 Bcf lower than this time last year and 322 Bcf below the five-year average of 2,573 Bcf.

Edward Moya, senior market analyst, The Americas at Oanda, said in his daily newsletter crude prices got support from Libyas political crisis, which is leading to a steep drop in exports.

Weve seen this movie before and a tight oil market and force majeure at key ports should provide underlying support for oil prices, he wrote.

Moya observed that recession fears are killing the crude demand outlook but predicted oil prices, which are roughly 17% lower than the March peak, shouldnt go much lower given the current supply outlook.
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TOKYO (AP)  Canadian rock legend Randy Bachmans long search came to an end Friday when he was reunited in Tokyo with a cherished guitar 45 years after it was stolen from a Toronto hotel.

My girlfriend is right there, said Bachman, 78, a former member of The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive, as the Gretsch guitar on which he wrote American Woman and other hits was handed to him by a Japanese musician who had bought it at a Tokyo store in 2014 without knowing its history.

He said all guitars are special, but the orange 1957 Gretsch 6120 Chet Atkins he bought as a teenager was exceptional. He worked at multiple jobs to save money to buy the $400 guitar, his first purchase of an expensive instrument, he said.

It made my whole life. It was my hammer and a tool to write songs, make music and make money, Bachman told The Associated Press before the handover at the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo.

When it was stolen from the Toronto hotel in 1977, I cried for three days. It was part of me, he said. It was very, very upsetting. He ended up buying about 300 guitars in unsuccessful attempts to replace it, he said.

Bachman talked frequently about the missing guitar in interviews and on radio shows, and more recently on YouTube programs on which he performed with his son, Tal.

In 2020, a Canadian fan who heard the story of the guitar launched an internet search and successfully located it in Tokyo within two weeks.

The fan, William Long, used a small spot in the guitar's wood grain visible in old images as a digital fingerprint and tracked the instrument down to a vintage guitar shop site in Tokyo. A further search led him to a YouTube video showing the instrument being played by a Japanese musician, TAKESHI, in December 2019.

After receiving the news from Long, Bachman contacted TAKESHI immediately, and recognized the guitar in a video chat they had.

I was crying, Bachman said. The guitar almost spoke to me over the video, like, Hey, Im coming home.'

TAKESHI agreed to give it to Bachman in exchange for one that was very similar. So Bachman searched and found the guitar's "sister  made during the same week, with a close serial number, no modifications and no repairs.

To find my guitar again was a miracle, to find its twin sister was another miracle, Bachman said.

TAKESHI said he decided to return the guitar because as a guitar player he could imagine how much Bachman missed it.

I owned it and played it for only eight years and Im extremely sad to return it now. But he has been feeling sad for 46 years, and its time for someone else to be sad," TAKESHI said. I felt sorry for this legend.

He said he felt good after returning the guitar to its rightful owner, but it may take time for him to love his new Gretsch as much as that one.

Its a guitar, and it has a soul. So even if it has the same shape, I cannot say for sure if I can love a replacement the same way I loved this one," he said. There is no doubt Randy thought of me and searched hard (for the replacement), so I will gradually develop an affection for it, but it may take time.

Bachman said he and TAKESHI are now like brothers who own guitars that are twin sisters." They are participating in a documentary about the guitar on which they plan to perform a song, Lost and Found, together.

They also performed several songs at Friday's handover, including American Woman."

Bachman said he will lock the guitar up in his home so he will never lose it again. I am never ever going to take it out of my house again," he said.
Although some groups have resumed meetings, others schedules may have changed because of pandemic restrictions. It is recommended you contact the group in advance to verify details. Any changes in meeting schedules can be emailed to JJCsocial@myjournalcourier.com.



ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

217-370-4002

Jacksonville locations:

 First Baptist Church, 1701 Mound Ave. Wheelchair-accessible.

 Club HOW, 638 S. Church St.

Monday

 Closed discussion, 7:30 a.m. at Club HOW.

 Closed discussion, noon at Club HOW.

 Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at First Baptist Church. Bowen Group.

 Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at Club HOW.

Tuesday

 Open discussion, noon at Club HOW.

 Womens open meeting, 5:30 p.m., First Christian Churchs Fireside Room.

 VIRGINIA: Closed discussion, 7 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church, Main and Washington streets.

 ROODHOUSE: Closed discussion, 12-step/12 traditions, 8 p.m. at Grace Center, 114 W. Palm St.

Wednesday

 Closed discussion, noon at Club HOW.

 Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at Club HOW.

Thursday

 Closed discussion, 7:30 a.m. at Club HOW.

 Closed discussion, noon at Club HOW.

 Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at Club HOW. Newcomers Group.

Friday

 Closed discussion, noon at Club HOW. TGIF Group.

 Closed discussion, 5:15 p.m., Big Book Study at Club HOW.

 VIRGINIA: Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at United Methodist Church, 401 E. Broadway Ave.

Saturday

 Open speaker, 8 p.m. at Club HOW.

 Open meeting, noon at Club HOW.

Sunday

 Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at Club HOW. 12 & 12 Group.

 Closed discussion, 10 a.m. at Club HOW. (Second Sunday is open)

 SPRINGFIELD: AA for Women, 10 a.m. at Discovery Club, 313 W. Cook St.



AL-ANON

Meetings are nonsmoking and open to anyone. The only requirement is that there be a problem of alcohol with a loved one or friend.

217-248-6434.

Wednesday

 Al-Anon, 7:30-8:30 p.m. at Centenary United Methodist Church, 331 E. State St. (use Morgan Street entrance).



NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS

All meetings are nonsmoking. Not affiliated with any religious organization.

Jacksonville locations:

 First Christian Church, 2106 S. Main St. (enter through far southeast door). 217-883-1975.

 Lutheran Church for the Deaf, 104 Finley St. (enter through back door). 217-883-1975.

Wednesday

 Open discussion group, 8 p.m. at Lutheran Church for the Deaf.

Friday

 Open discussion group, 7:30 p.m. at First Christian Church.



OTHER MEETINGS

Monday

 Hope Lives On support group for mothers who have lost children to suicide, 7 p.m., Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce, 155 W. Morton Ave.

 Addicts Victorious, 7-8 p.m. at Faith Tabernacle, 571 Sandusky St. Use side entrance to church hall.

 PITTSFIELD: Addicts Victorious, 7-8 p.m. in the basement of Subway in Pittsfield. 1-800-323-1388.



Tuesday

 Jacksonville Sunrise Rotary, 7 a.m. Holiday Inn Express meeting room, South Jacksonville. 217-243-6895.

 Dementia Caregiver support group, 2-3 p.m., free virtual event. Call 800-272-3900 to register, which is required. Hosted by the Springfield office of the Alzheimers Association Illinois.

 American Legion Post 279, first Tuesday of every month, 7 p.m. at 903 W. Superior Ave.



Wednesday

 Breastfeeding support group, 6 p.m., Jacksonville Memorial Hospital, Meeting Room 2.

 ROODHOUSE: Women with Hearts of Love (WWHOL), 6-7 p.m. at House of Restoration, 208 W. Franklin St. 217-602-1670.



Thursday

 Jacksonville Area Chess Club, 6-9 p.m. at Jacksonville Public Library. 217-370-0882.

 Jacksonville Kiwanis Club, noon at Hamiltons.

 WHITE HALL: Addicts Victorious, teens 5:30-6:30 p.m.; adults 7-8 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of New Life Church, 626 Curtis St.



Friday

 Jacksonville Rotary Club, noon at Hamiltons.

 PITTSFIELD: Addicts Victorious, 6 p.m. at Assembly of God, 575 Piper St. 800-323-1388.



Saturday

 Jacksonville Amateur Radio Societys Net, 9 p.m. Transmitted on K9JX repeater. K9JX.com.
Macedonians protest French proposals over rift with Bulgaria View Photo

SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP)  Tens of thousands massed outside government offices late Saturday to protest a French proposal for solving North Macedonias dispute with Bulgaria that is blocking the countrys membership talks with the European Union.

North Macedonias government has said the proposal is a solid base. But the main opposition center-right VMRO-DPMNE party rejects the proposition, arguing it favors Bulgarian demands that dispute Macedonian history, language, identity, culture and inheritance.

We do not need Europe if we have to be assimilated, opposition leader Hristijan Mickoski told reporters before the start of the protest. The answer is no for the latest French proposal.

If Europe is not ready to accept us civilized Macedonians where we belong, then we will wait until there are people who will understand that Macedonia and Macedonian identity is above and before all, he added.

Bulgaria, a member of the EU, has insisted that North Macedonia formally recognize that its language has Bulgarian roots, acknowledge in its constitution a Bulgarian minority and quash hate speech against Bulgaria.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced earlier this week at the NATO summit in Madrid that he believed a compromise solution had been achieved, without giving details. Im convinced we have found a compromise solution, he said.

North Macedonias foreign minister, Bujar Osmani, said that Macedonian language and identity are protected by the French proposal and it should be accepted as soon as possible for the country to start the accession talks with the EU.

North Macedonia has been a candidate for EU membership for 17 years. The country received a green light in 2020 to begin accession talks, but no date for the start of the negotiations has been set.

Bulgaria has used its power as an EU member to block North Macedonias membership, since all enlargement decisions require unanimous approval from the 27-nation bloc.

The dispuate has also stalled Albanias progress toward EU membership because the bloc is treating the pair as a political package. All three countries are NATO members.

The protest ended peacefully. Another one was planned for Sunday.

By KONSTANTIN TESTORIDES

Associated Press
CDC Covid Community Levels June 24 View Photos

Tuolumne County Public Health There are 236 new lab-confirmed community cases and 18 Sierra Conservation Center (SCC) inmate cases, with eight hospitalizations from Saturday, June 25th to today, Friday, July 1st. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation reports 21 active cases at SCC. There are 212 active community cases down from 260 last week which was up from 129.

Tuolumne Office of Emergency Services Coordinator, Dorie Bietz detailed the Tuolumne epi team is coordinating several outbreaks including an assisted living facility and care homes. One challenge for the teams is the CDC changed their definition of a close contact from within six feet for 15-minutes to anyone within a shared air space or room without protective devices for more than 15-minutes. This reflects a changed understanding of how the virus spreads and not necessarily that the virus is more contagious.

Bietz shares the current wave of Covid Variant Omicron BA.2 is decreasing but Omicron Variants BA.4 and 5 are increasing and now make up 50% of sampled lab tests. The the overlap of the two waves of variants combined to drive current surge numbers higher. Bietz says, I dont have a projection on when we will be up and going back down. She notes that nationally BA.4/5 is more transmissible than BA.2, not necessarily producing worse disease or more hospitalizations, but as more are get infected hospitalizations are going up. The impact to the local hospital currently is not severe, Cases are, for the most part med surge, they are a step down, they are not significantly taking up ICU beds. Tuolumne County Health Officer Dr. Kimberly Freeman noted two of the three most recent Covid deaths were cases that were hospitalized locally and had comorbidities, the other death was a delayed report of a death that occurred in May. Dr. Freeman agrees for the most part the impact to the hospital has been the same as to other businesses with impacts on staffing due to multiple staff members home due to illness.

Influenza Locally and throughout the region, Tuolumne County reports We have experiencing elevated levels of Influenza, including 14 patients who were admitted to Adventist Sonora in the past 2 months. Influenza is a respiratory illness and the way to prevent spreading and getting sick with the flu is the same as protecting yourself and those around you from COVID-19:

Get vaccinated; contact your healthcare provider or pharmacy about flu vaccine

Wear a mask in public, especially indoors

Stay home when sick!

Keep your distance and avoid crowds when possible

Wash hands and clean surfaces frequently

From waste water samples throughout California it is known that Covid cases are increasing but no specific percentage of infected people in a given community is known. Tuolumne County Health Officer Dr. Kimberly Freeman reports, Its not really possible to estimate, nobody really knows how many people are sick and are testing at home and its not being reported.

The newly reported Covid-19 community cases this week include 12 cases age 17 and younger and 110 cases age 60 or older. The new Covid cases demographics: 5 girls and 5 boys age 0 to 11, 1 girl and 1 boy age 12 to 17, 21 women and 8 men age 18 to 29, 20 women and 11 men in their 30s, 15 women and 11 men in their 40s, 15 women, 11 men and one other in their 50s, 17 women and 25 men in their 60s, 19 women and 12 men in their 70s, 14 women and 8 men in their 80s, and 11 women and 4 men age 90 or older.

The total current case rate, a 14-day average for Tuolumne County increased to 38.5 from 38.5 per 100,000 population. A total of 74 more are counted as released from isolation, in all 11,538 have been released from isolation. The 7-day test positivity rate is 24.2% up from 24.2%.

Monkeypox Tuolumne Public health says, We continue to monitor and coordinate on the monkeypox disease situation. There are currently 89 probable and confirmed cases in California, (up from 39 last week) none so far in Tuolumne County. The risk to the general public is considered low at this time and we will continue to provide updates as the situation evolves. Click here for more about monkeypox, including prevention information.

Calaveras Public Health updates weekly on Tuesdays. They report 83 new lab-confirmed cases from June 22nd to the 28th. The number of cases is up from 77 new lab-confirmed cases among residents the week before. They report 38 active cases, last week there were 22 active cases. There is one active Covid hospitalization to report.

COVID-19 Testing If you test positive or have been exposed to COVID-19  Isolation instructions (click here) To make an appointment for testing at the testing site visit: https://lhi.care/covidtesting

The regular hours of the Mother Lode testing site are: Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The State testing site at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds launched Test to Treat operations as detailed here.

The site will be closed due to the Mother Lode Fair and Independence Day holiday from Wednesday, June 29th through Monday, July 4th. They will reopen on Tuesday, July 5th and will be open Wednesday, July 6th for an additional day of operation.

At-home test kits can be ordered for free at https://www.covid.gov/tests.

Families with school-age children may obtain free kits by contacting the Tuolumne County Superintendent of Schools office.

A limited number of free at-home kits are available at the Public Health Department (note, as a healthcare facility, masks are required at all times in our lobby).

At-home test kits are also available for purchase at pharmacies.

Testing sites at other locations near the area can be found by visiting: https://myturn.ca.gov/testing.html

COVID-19 Vaccine children aged 6 months to 5 years are now eligible for COVID vaccination. The Tuolumne Public Health team has added vaccinations for this age group to our clinic schedule beginning next week or families can check with their childs healthcare provider. Appointments for June 27, June 29, or July 1 at the health department on Cedar Road in Sonora are available at myturn.ca.gov. For more information click here: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-authorizes-moderna-and-pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccines-children

More information about Covid Vaccine booster shots can be found at: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/clinical-considerations/covid-19-vaccines-us.html. Appointments in Tuolumne and Calaveras can be made through myturn.ca.gov or by calling 833-422-4255 or through local pharmacies, more details are here.

County

Date

New

Active (Hospital)

Est. Total 2022 All Cases (All Deaths) Amador

6/20 to 6/27 51 76 (3) 2,238 6,415

(78) Calaveras 6/22 to 6/28 83 38 (1) 3,013 7,770

(127) Mariposa 6/24 to 6/30 81 29 (3) 1,830 3,696

(35) Mono

6/24 to 7/1 15 N/A 1,109 3,081

(9) Tuolumne 6/25 to 7/1 254 212 (8) 6,657 14,940 (185) Colors indicate CDC Community Level: Green-low, Yellow-medium, Orange-high
Afghan clerics assembly urges recognition of Taliban govt View Photo

ISLAMABAD (AP)  A three-day assembly of Islamic clerics and tribal elders in the Afghan capital concluded Saturday with pledges of support for the Taliban and calls on the international community to recognize the countrys Taliban-led government.

The meeting in Kabul was tailored along the lines of Afghanistans traditional Loya Jirgas  regular councils of elders, leaders and prominent figures meant to deliberate Afghan policy issues.

But the overwhelming majority of attendees were Taliban officials and supporters, mostly Islamic clerics. Women were not allowed to attend, unlike the last Loya Jirga that was held under the previous, U.S.-backed government.

The former insurgents, who have kept a complete lock on decision-making since taking over the country last August, touted the gathering as a forum on issues facing Afghanistan.

According to Mujib-ul Rahman Ansari, a cleric who attended the gathering, an 11-point statement released at the end urges countries in the region and the world, the United Nations, Islamic organizations and others to recognize a Taliban-led Afghanistan, remove all sanctions imposed since the Taliban takeover and unfreeze Afghan assets abroad.

Ansari said that more than 4,500 Islamic clerics and elders who attended renewed their allegiance and loyalty to the Talibans supreme leader and spiritual chief, Haibatullah Akhundzada.

In a surprise development, the reclusive Akhundzada came to Kabul from his base in southern Kandahar province and addressed the gathering on Friday. It was believed to be his first visit to the Afghan capital since the Taliban seized power.

In his hour-long speech carried by state radio, Akhundzada called the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan a victory for the Muslim world.

His appearance added symbolic heft to the gathering. The Taliban are under international pressure to be more inclusive as they struggle with Afghanistans humanitarian crises.

The international community has been wary of any recognition or cooperation with the Taliban, especially after they restricted the rights of women and minorities  measures that hark back to their harsh rule when they were last in power in the late 1990s.

Saturdays 11-point resolution called on the Taliban government to pay special attention and to ensure justice, religious and modern education, health, agriculture, industry, the rights of minorities, children, women and the entire nation, according to Islamic holy law. The Taliban adhere to their own strict interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia.

On Friday, Akhundzada, who rose from a low-profile member of the Islamic insurgent movement to the leader of the Taliban in a swift transition of power after a 2016 U.S. drone strike killed his predecessor, Mullah Akhtar Mansour, also offered prayers for Afghanistans earthquake victims.

The powerful quake in June killed more than 1,000 people in eastern Afghanistan, igniting yet another crisis for the struggling country. Overstretched aid groups already keeping millions of Afghans alive rushed supplies to the quake victims, but most countries responded tepidly to Taliban calls for international help.

The gathering in Kabul also touched on the Talibans chief rivals, the militant Islamic State group, and appealed on Afghans across the country, saying that any kind of cooperation with IS was prohibited.

On Thursday, at the start of the gathering, gunfire was heard near the heavily guarded assembly venue, the Loya Jirga Hall of Kabuls Polytechnic University. Later, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told reporters that security forces fired on someone suspected to have a hand grenade, but that there is nothing of concern.

However, IS claimed responsibility for the attack. It said in a statement that three of its fighters climbed onto the roof of a building near the gathering and posted a video showing a group of heavily armed men, their faces masked, who say they have taken positions very close to the gathering and are awaiting orders to attack.

The IS affiliate in Afghanistan, known as Islamic State in Khorasan Province or IS-K, has been operating since 2014. Since the Taliban takeover, IS militants have staged numerous assaults on Afghanistans new rulers and the Taliban have launched a sweeping crackdown against IS in the countrys stronghold in eastern Afghanistan.

___

Associated Press writer Maamoun Youssef in Cairo contributed to this report.

By RAHIM FAIEZ

Associated Press
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday pardoned a former inmate who received a life sentence when she was a teenager for killing her former pimp.

Its the final step in an official redemption that has spanned more than a decade and three governors of both political parties.

Hers was among nearly three dozen such pardons and clemencies Friday that also affected older and younger offenders. They included 82-year-old Henry Pachnowski, who was born to Polish parents who were later imprisoned in Nazi labor camps in World War II.

Sara Kruzan was 16 when she killed George Gilbert Howard in a Riverside motel room. She was 17 when she was sentenced to die in prison for the 1994 murder of the man she said had sexually abused her and trafficked her for sex starting when she was 13 years old.

She served 18 years in prison until Newsoms predecessor, then-Gov. Jerry Brown, allowed her release in 2013.

Browns predecessor, then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, had commuted her sentence to life with the possibility of parole just before he left office in early 2011.

By then Kruzan had become something of a cause celebre for state lawmakers and reform groups seeking to soften harsh life sentences for those who committed their crimes as juveniles.

Leland Yee, a Democratic state senator who himself later went to prison for corruption, at the time called her case a perfect example of adults who failed her, of society failing her. You had a predator who stalked her, raped her, forced her into prostitution, and there was no one around.

Newsom said in his pardon that Kruzan has since shown that she is living an upright life.

Since the slaying, he said she has transformed her life and dedicated herself to community service. The pardon, Newsom said, does not minimize her crime or the damage it caused, but it does recognize the work she has done since to transform herself.

Kruzans was among 17 pardons announced Friday.

A pardon does not expunge or erase a conviction, the governors office said, but can help blunt the lingering impact on the recipients life. For instance, three others he pardoned face the possibility of deportation based on their criminal history, including one who already has been deported.

Newsom also commuted the sentences of 15 current inmates and granted a reprieve to an inmate who is at high medical risk.

The commutations give the inmates the chance to appear before a parole board that will decide if they are suitable for release.

One of the commutations, of inmate Darnell Green, was recommended by the states corrections secretary based on his exceptional conduct in prison after he was initially sentenced for a 1997 armed robbery in which no one was hurt.

Two others whose sentences were commuted have worked as inmate firefighters.

Newsom commuted the sentences of one inmate who was arrested at age 15, and another who is now 78 years old.

Newsom also pardoned the 82-year-old Pachnowski, who now lives in Maryland. He pleaded guilty in 1967 in Orange County to a misdemeanor charge of soliciting a lewd act and was sentenced to 10 days in jail and three years of probation.

In his pardon application, Pachnowski said he was having consensual intimacy with a another man in a car in a deserted industrial area when they were caught by a security guard who said we had gone against God and nature. He said he pleaded guilty to avoid prosecution on a more serious charge of sex perversion.

A pardon would not only recognize and remedy the injustice that I suffered from being targeted and convicted because of my sexuality; it would also ensure that I do not face any future obstacles, such as employment and housing-related ones, stemming from this conviction, he said in the application.

In his pardon, the governor said Pachnowski was convicted and sentenced on a charge that was used to punish men for engaging in consensual adult sexual conduct with other men, criminalizing them based on stigma, bias, and ignorance.

With this act of executive clemency, I acknowledge the inherent injustice of the conviction, he wrote.

Newsom has now granted 129 pardons, 123 commutations, and 35 reprieves.

By DON THOMPSON

Associated Press
A man who led authorities to the remains of an 18-year-old acquaintance he had admitted to raping and fatally shooting was sentenced to death by a Medina County jury.

Family members of Bridget Townsend declared victory at the Wednesday conclusion of the two-week murder trial of Ramiro F. Gonzales, 23.

"My little girl can rest in peace now," Patricia Townsend, 59, said after the jury's verdict.

Townsend vanished from her Bandera County home in January 2001, but her fate wasn't known until October 2002, when Gonzales told authorities he killed her. Gonzales' confession came shortly after he was sentenced to two life sentences for kidnapping and raping another woman.

Gonzales led Bandera County deputies to Townsend's skeletal remains at a ranch where he lived in Medina County. He said he kidnapped Townsend while he was burglarizing her home for cocaine. Townsend's former boyfriend testified during the trial that he was Gonzales' drug dealer.

Despite his confession to authorities, Gonzales had pleaded not guilty to the crime.

Gonzales showed no reaction as the verdict was read, but his grandmother, Frances Gonzales, was helped out of the courtroom, sobbing and screaming.

"This whole thing has been a tragedy, both for the Townsends and the Gonzaleses, as you see," defense lawyer Lisa Jarrett said.

In closing arguments, Jarrett said Gonzales was remorseful for his crimes and that his childhood was marked by neglect, drug use and sexual abuse. She asked the jury to spare his life.

"What could he have been if he had been nurtured?" she said.

But Assistant Attorney General Laura Baymouth Popps called Gonzales a sexual predator who enjoyed killing his victim.

"He wasn't about to stop himself," she said. "He would have kept on going if he hadn't been caught."

The judge rejected Gonzales' request to apologize to Townsend's family.

___

Information from: San Antonio Express-News, http://www.mysanantonio.com
MERIDEN  Bishop Joseph J. Norfleet stood on the steps of 152 S. Colony St., a building his church owns that is currently used by another smaller Christian congregation. He held letters addressed to the church he leads from the citys tax assessors office. Some of them were new tax bills.

The building, one of three in Meriden owned by the Faith Center Church of God in Christ, has newly assessed property taxes. The church, a federally registered non-profit organization, has also been assessed taxes on one of its vehicles, which happens to be a repurposed ambulance. Norfleet said the church uses it to transport members who use wheelchairs or other assistive devices.

Norfleet said it is the first time in the 33 years since he and his wife established the church that it has been subject to taxes.

So thats why it came as a shocker, Norfleet said. In 33 years, weve never had an issue  any issue  and we never had a problem with the city of Meriden.

Norfleet pledged to challenge the taxes.

Another faith leader, the Rev. Dante Moss of the Apostolic Community Church on Center Street, said his church also received a new tax bill  for the rectory next to the churchs primary building.

The church had used that building as a parish office, for one-on-one conferences and to store church supplies. The rectory has been broken into on multiple occasions. During a recent burglary, copper was stolen, Moss said. So the building is used less frequently than it had been before the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile church leaders are looking for ways to repair it and bring it to full use.

Both Norfleet and Moss said things changed soon after Melinda J. Fonda was hired as Meridens city assessor. Her office revised the schedule for when quadrennial reports must be filed, both pastors said. Fondas office sought more details regarding the properties, including the items owned by the churches and further financial details, including asking whether the churches had any rent-paying tenants.

She wanted statements on things like, who are you renting your property to? Were not renting to anyone. We dont do that. Were a church, Norfleet said.

Norfleet said the first form he returned was filled with numerous responses he marked as N/A  not applicable.

Initially I thought we were being targeted by the city because they felt like we werent being cooperative, Norfleet said.

But he said, the church, as a federally registered nonprofit, is not required to provide all of that information to the city.

Neither Fonda, nor City Manager Timothy Coon, responded to requests for comment related to this story.

A Record-Journal reporter on Thursday requested an explanation from city officials outlining their rationale for removing the tax exempt status of the church properties. That inquiry went unanswered and was instead referred to city attorneys as a public records request made under the state Freedom of Information Act.

That same day, a reporter visited the city assessors office requesting to speak with Fonda. A staff member told the reporter Fonda was not available to speak and instead suggested the Record-Journal submit a public records request, which the newspaper has done.

Both Norfleet and Moss described being rebuffed in their efforts to discuss the assessments with Fonda.

Norfleet said it came to a head after he requested to meet with Fonda following a notification the church received about the citywide property revaluations.

Norfleet described Fonda as confrontational. When he asked questions, she answered defensively.

The interactions were different from church leaders interactions with other employees in the assessors office, he said. Norfleet described those exchanges as cordial and professional.

Vulnerable time

Moss described the current climate between city finance officials and nonprofit organizations and religious groups, amid the backdrop of a global pandemic, as the perfect storm.

City officials are looking to increase the Grand List, Moss said, referring to the list of all taxable property in a city or town. So theyre going after nonprofits to increase the Grand List. In increasing the Grand List, youve got to find money somewhere. So youre hitting churches and nonprofits that serve poor people.

Moss church serves a population that is largely low income. The churchs income is mostly derived through contributions from members.

Thats money from the pockets of people, Moss said of where the tax dollars would come from.

On top of that, churches like Moss have seen significant declines in their membership and financial contributions as a result of the shutdown of in-person gatherings and services during the early months of the pandemic. Efforts to bring members back and to welcome new members are ongoing.

Moss said the impact on churches was significant.

A lot of my friends lost their parishes, he said. What resources churches had were used on expenses, like utilities.

So city tax officials caught religious groups at a particularly vulnerable time coming out of the pandemic.

Moss said the fact churches had to shut down was used against them.

Very confident

Previously, officials had chalked up the local dispute on tax exemptions to a lack of clarity from state officials around the rules for applying those exemptions.

It appears one rule  regarding temporary housing provided by nonprofit groups  has been clarified by the Connecticut Supreme Court. The courts ruling last year in Rainbow Housing Corporation v. Town of Cromwell, stipulated that temporary housing does not need a specific duration to be tax exempt.

That decision established the definition of temporary housing to mean impermanent and transitory, without the need to specify a duration.

Faith leaders fight against their newly levied taxes comes on the heels of other non-profit leaders challenges to their recent tax assessments.

The Meriden-New Britain-Berlin YMCA filed suit in Superior Court on June 24, stating the city had improperly levied property taxes on more than a dozen properties owned by the agency.

YMCA Director John Benigni said the matter is in the hands of the agencys attorney.

Were very confident that our properties will not be taxable, Benigni said.

Other legal battles are ongoing, including challenges waged by MidState Arc Inc. and Easterseals. One lawsuit, filed by Women & Families Center, was resolved in late 2021, with the city promising to refund the center for property taxes paid on its WYSH House, which provides temporary housing for homeless youth.

So far neither Apostolic Community or Faith Center has filed a court challenge to the citys tax determinations. The churches leaders left that as a possible step.

Moss said part of his job as a minister is helping members of his church overcome obstacles.

Youre taking the money from people who are not rich, he said as if addressing city officials directly. ... And you come in and take money that you doesnt deserve...Were a 501c3 Ive given you all of my documents and you still want to tax us as if were trying to get one over on the system. It doesnt make sense to me.

It doesnt add up, Moss said.

Reporter Michael Gagne can be reached at mgagne@record-journal.com.
AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

(Bloomberg) -- Walt Disney Co. announced Splash Mountain attractions will complete their makeover in late 2024, transforming the ride into Tianas Bayou Adventure.

Splash Mountain was previously themed around The Song of the Southa controversial 1946 film that centered around happy-go lucky Uncle Remus living in a post-Civil War plantation. In the new iteration, the ride will be based on The Princess and the Frog, a 2009 animated film that featured Disneys first Black princess as she struggles to open a restaurant in Louisiana. The company made the announcement at the Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans.
Much has been written about cowboy hat shop Paris Hatters, which has been family-run in downtown San Antonio since 1917. The customizable Stetson shop has long been a landing place for the stars, from country crooner Dwight Yoakam to ZZ Top.

On one occasion, Tony Parker's mom casually brought in her friend from France, designer Christian Louboutin, for a fitting. The local Archbishops once pooled their money to gift one to Pope John Paul II (I can't help but wonder if they blessed it first), and Tori Amos dropped by just the other week.

I'll tell you what else I think is interesting about Paris Hatters. It's what I'll call the Yellowstone effect, and it's directly impacting one of San Antonio's longest running businesses. Essentially, it's the rise in cowboy hat popularity whenever there are "hot" cowboys in movies or on TV.

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 John Davenport/San Antonio Express-News Show More Show Less 2 of 3 John Davenport/San Antonio Express-News Show More Show Less 3 of 3





Have you seen Yellowstone? You know, the Paramount neo-western family drama starring Kevin Costner and a herd of other multi-generational, categorically hunky dudes wearing cowboy hats?

Truthfully I've only ever seen one episode. But ever since it first aired in 2018, the Cortez family running San Antonio's iconic custom Stetson destination has seen an up-tick in young men moseying into their downtown store with some very specific requests.

"I finally watched it like a few months ago, just so I can understand, because I was getting people every day that were like ' I want to look like Rip' or 'I want a hat like Walker,'" says Alex Sledge, manager and daughter of owners Abe and Myrna Cortez. "I'm like, who are these people?'"

It's not the first time a show or film has drawn a flock of hunky hopefuls into the shop, Myrna says. It happened with Mad Men  everyone wanted to rock a 60's Fedora  and it really happened with John Travolta's Urban Cowboy.

She remembers that craze well. It was 1979, Myrna and Abe were in the middle of wedding planning, and Abe was just starting to take over the store from his father, who was already the second Cortez behind the counter. The timing was perfect really.

"Travolta had just done this movie and it was really a boon to the hat industry. People went crazy because they looked so good in their hats," she says of her and Abe's early days at the helm.

Paramount Pictures/Getty Images

Over the years, musicians and Hollywood have established something that feels evergreen: cowboy hats are cool. This maybe explains why Paris Hatters has maintained popularity for over 100 years, even through multiple recessions, different fashion eras, and a pandemic.

What exactly is happening when people watch Yellowstone or Urban Cowboy and decide they need a cowboy hat, and what are people seeking? Maybe it's just an upgraded wardrobe or new sexual charisma  perhaps a certain ruggedness. It could also be a symbolic rejection of modern cosmopolitan life, in favor of plain and simple hard and honest work.

Just as the mythic cowboy rides off into the unknown, wearing one of their hats could also symbolize moving toward uncharted futuristic pathways. It's interesting that bald billionaire Jeff Bezos decided to wear one when he blasted off into the frontier of outer space and that Elon Musk wore one during his cyber rodeo. There's also something to be said about cowboys and queerness, a theme prevalent in the film Brokeback Mountain, and more recently in The Power of the Dog.

What makes Cowboy hats endlessly interesting items of clothing is that they seem to symbolize different ideals to different people.

John Davenport /Staff photographer

Not all cowboys wear rhinestones

We'd be remiss to forget that not all cowboys wear rhinestones. Paris Hatters' offerings, not all of which are Stetsons, range in price from $60 to around $7,000, so naturally, they service a variety of clientele.

Along with the tourists and celebrities, the historic shop draws lot of real-deal cowboys and people who buy their hats for practical usage, Cortez shares. One of their employees even breaks cattle on the side.

Although the western hat as we know it was officially coined by Stetson in 1865, some believe the design was influenced in style and functionally by the sombreros of Mexican Vaqueros.

In a place with so much land and livestock, it's easy to see how they became such a cultural thing. A lot of people will even get hats fitted for their weddings  I've definitely seen this in my Instagram feed. While pervasive throughout the west, they do feel quintessentially Texan.

From her observations, most of the people they service are people who subscribe to a certain set of values, Cortez says. There's a Stetson model that encapsulates this idea, she says, called the "codido"  a reference to "the cowboy code."

"It basically says a real cowboy has integrity and love of family and love of God, and they do the right thing. That's kind of the cowboy code. And that's kind of like the way that I think the wearers of cowboy hats feel," she says.

San Antonio Staff Photo/San Antonio Light

Tipping your hat ahead

Cortez and Sledge explain that the Stestson factory in Garland, Texas, where the majority of their inventory is produced, is currently overwhelmed with orders.

"It's never been like that," says Cortez. This is partially due to supply chain issues with sourcing smaller hat materials, but it's also the demand.

In the last 15 years or so, the mother and daughter have seen an increase in younger people, and especially women, coming into the shop looking to find a unique cowboy hat of their own.

"The last couple of generations are much more bold than they used to be, they want to wear something that stands out," mom declares.

With Sledge's help, the shop has also adapted to offer even more customizations, including hand embroidery. When asked about the future of the iconic hat store, where it will be in 20 or 30 years, Cortez casts her bets on her daughter and her husband running the show.

The family owns the building, she says. There's really no one to tell them to ride off into the sun.

"I don't think that the Western hat will ever go out of business. In fact, it's just picking up more steam," Cortez says.

Paris Hatters is the longest continuously running business in downtown San Antonio. You can mosey on in yourself for a custom fitting Monday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and Sunday from 12:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Courtesy/U.S. Border Patrol

A man has been arrested for the smuggling attempt of 60 migrants in a refrigerated box truck, according to court documents.

Aaron Vasquez was arrested and charged with transport, attempt to transport and conspire to transport migrants.
We the users want Google to delete our data. Our rights depend on it.

This is a moment I've long worried would arrive. The way tens of millions of Americans use everyday Google products has suddenly become dangerous. Following the Supreme Court decision to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling, anything Google knows about you could be acquired by police in states where abortion is now illegal. A search for "Plan B," a ping to Google Maps at an abortion clinic or even a message you send about taking a pregnancy test could all become criminal evidence.

There is something Google could do about this: stop collecting - and start deleting - data that could be used to prosecute abortions. Yet so far, Google and other Big Tech companies have remained silent about making changes that might endanger their ability to profit off our personal lives. Nor have they publicly committed to if or how they might fight legal demands related to prosecuting abortions.

The core issue is Google knows too much about everyone, way beyond just abortion. How much does Google know? I checked, and it's got about 167 gigabytes just on me, including lots of photos. That's roughly equivalent to 83,500 Stephen King novels. (You can download your data here, or see its map of your location history here.) Google built a $1.5 trillion business by grabbing every bit of data it can, with very few restrictions.

Most of us understand on some level that Google and other tech companies invade our privacy. But Silicon Valley has made us think the stakes are quite low. Google provides useful products, and in exchange we might be targeted with annoying ads. Big whoop.

Until now. The danger of all that data feels different after the end of Roe, said Shoshana Zuboff, an emerita Harvard Business School professor who popularized the term "surveillance capitalism" to describe Google's business. "Every device becomes our potential enemy," she told me.

Earlier this week, even the Department of Health and Human Services decided it needed to publish an advisory on locking down health information when using a smartphone "to protect yourself from potential discrimination, identity theft, or harm to your reputation."

Zuboff, whose writings are like the "Silent Spring" of the digital age, is very concerned about where our surveillance society goes from here. "The harsh reality is that while we're now worried about women who seek abortions being targeted, the same apparatus could be used to target any group or any subset of our population - or our entire population - at any moment, for any reason that it chooses," she said. "No one is safe from this."

Of course, Google isn't alone in collecting intimate information. In the past week, many concerned patients have focused on the privacy practices of period-tracking apps, which store reproductive health data. Other Big Tech companies facilitate data grabs, too: Facebook watches you even when you're not using it, Amazon's products record you, and Apple makes it too easy for iPhone apps to track you.

But in many ways, Google's reach into the life of a person seeking reproductive health information is unrivaled. Just one example: For much of this year in the United States, Google searches for "Am I pregnant?" have outranked "Do I have covid?" Searches for the emergency contraceptive drug "Plan B" far outnumber both combined.

The sheer volume of Google's surveillance also makes it likely the most attractive police target. Across all topics, it received more than 40,000 subpoenas and search warrants in the United States in the first half of 2021 alone.

That means whatever Google does next, it can't remain neutral - and will set the tone for how the entire industry balances our rights with the business imperative to grab more data.

Google didn't make an executive available for an interview. "We've long focused on minimizing the data we use to make our products helpful and on building tools that allow people to control and delete data across our platforms," emailed spokesman Matt Bryant. "We're also committed to building on our long track record of protecting our users against improper government demands for data, and will continue to oppose overly broad or otherwise legally improper demands."

Starting in 2019, Google began offering users a setting to retain certain data for select periods of time rather than infinity, and in 2020 it made the default 18 months.

In reality, Google knows very few people use its controls, and even 18 months is a very long time. The only way to really protect its users is to make whole swaths of data off-limits by default.

- - -

- Four ways to build civil rights into Google products

So what are the most urgent kinds of data Google should stop collecting? I spoke to privacy advocates to start a list of demands.

"It is their responsibility as a company to keep people's data secure - but as it currently stands, it shifts the work onto the user to figure out how to delete their data," said Jelani Drew-Davi, campaigns director of Kairos, a left-leaning digital advocacy group.

I understand there's a sad irony in this exercise. "Take a minute and just feel how intolerable it is for us to essentially be supplicants toward a massively wealthy, massively powerful data company, saying, 'Please, please, please stop collecting sensitive data,' " said Zuboff.

"We shouldn't be relying on the goodwill of individual companies to protect our data," said Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., who introduced a bill called My Body, My Data in response to the end of Roe that would put new limits on how companies store reproductive or sexual health data.

We know there's zero chance Google will overnight exit the lucrative personal data business. And frankly, Congress has been asleep at the wheel on protecting our data rights for decades.

Yet I also know there are employees inside Google who want to do the right thing. There is immediate harm that could be reduced with even more subtle changes to how Google collects and stores our data.

Bryant, the Google spokesman, said the company would "continue to look for ways to protect user privacy across our products" but didn't outline any.

So I will. Here's an action plan for Google to build our civil rights into its products.

1) Delete search queries and web-browsing history

By default, Google keeps a record of what you search for (whether by typing or speaking) and the websites you visit in the Chrome browser. It saves this information to your Google account, where it's linked to your email address, phone number or other identifying information.

As an individual user, you can change how long it retains this sort of data under Google's "My Activity" settings, including telling Google to delete it immediately. Google could make using these tools much clearer, but even still only a fraction of its users will ever mess with its default settings.

Instead, Google should categorize some queries, websites and keywords as just too sensitive to keep records around. It should delete anything about sexual health from records immediately, regardless of account settings.

While they're at it, how about deleting information related to any health query whatsoever? The sad truth is Google is not covered by America's existing health-privacy law. When people aren't confident their information - or even just their research - is private, they may end up with worse health outcomes.

Some privacy advocates worry there's no way to ever draw the lines around "sensitive" data that will actually protect people. Even queries "seemingly unrelated to abortion may still be used against people seeking care or those who assist them," said Matt Cagle, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Northern California.

So an even better solution would be for Google to change its default to delete all user data after one week - or less - unless we specifically ask for it to be held longer. It's doable: Rival DuckDuckGo by default doesn't share or save any user search or location histories.

2) Stop saving individual location information

For almost any Google service you use, from search to maps, Google tries to get you to hand over location data with the promise of a better experience. On an Android phone, Google has at least eight ways to collect and use your location. It wants this, of course, not only to provide you more relevant information but also to show you much more targeted ads.

All of this information leaves Google with a map of your life that's akin to a team of private investigators tracking your moves. And increasingly, Google is receiving what's known as "geofence warrants," where it's asked to hand over the identities of people known to be in a certain area.

You can stop some of this location data harvesting by turning off location access on your phone, or telling your Google settings to "pause" saving location information to your account. But it's time to recognize the consequences of gathering this data are greater than the benefits.

In the wake of the Roe ruling - and, frankly, even before it - privacy advocates and even lawmakers called on Google to just stop storing individual location data.

"Do not collect this data in a way that's vulnerable to digital dragnets," said Albert Fox Cahn, the founder of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project. "If you are going to have this data for a single individual, or you can see everyone who went to a certain area - that is too much power."

But wait, might this ruin the functionality of Google Maps? It doesn't have to: Apple, for example, designed its maps service to not store personal information associated with how you're using Apple Maps, except when you submit a rating or photo of a place.

3) Make Chrome's 'Incognito mode' actually incognito

Google's web browser is extraordinarily popular because it's speedy - but it's terrible for your privacy. It's one of the few tech products I've ever just straight-up labeled "spyware" because it facilitates so much data collection not only by Google but lots of other companies as well.

One of the most dangerous parts of Chrome is the so-called Incognito mode, which tells users it lets you "browse privately." What it really means is, while you're using this mode Chrome will no longer save your browsing history on your computer. But it doesn't necessarily make you anonymous to websites you visit, your internet service provider or even Google itself (if you log into your account).

One example: Just this week, my colleague Tatum Hunter reported that Google (as well as Facebook and TikTok) was sent personal information when patients use the Planned Parenthood website scheduling pages. The problem was marketing embedded in the code of the page - and Chrome does little to stop that kind of tracking.

Google has the technical muscle to make Incognito actually mean something. Already rivals such as Mozilla's Firefox by default block attempts to track what you do online by data brokers and even Facebook and Google.

An even better version of Incognito would make sure that nobody could know what sites you're visiting. Apple is testing a version of this with its paid iCloud Private Relay service. The nonprofit Tor offers free anonymous-surfing software, which sends internet traffic bouncing between volunteer computers around the world so it can't be easily traced back to you. It has lately seen an uptick of use by people in Russia likely seeking unfiltered information about the war in Ukraine.

4) Better protect texts and messages

Are the chats we have on Google products totally private? The answer is, it depends.

For people with Android phones, last year Google finally turned on end-to-end encryption for the default messaging app, meaning the contents can be seen only by the participants. But it comes with some conditions: It applies only to conversations with just two people, and both parties have to be using Google's Messages app. (When a conversation is actually encrypted, you'll see a lock icon.)

That means chats with friends who use iPhones are definitely not private. We'd all be better off if Google and Apple could summon the will to work together on common secure messaging technologies that would encrypt conversations across platforms by default. (After passing a new law, the government in Europe may finally force them to open up and work together - at least in Europe.)

Google Chat, the messaging function built into other Google products, does encrypt content at rest and in transit. But when I asked whether Google could hand over the contents of chats if it gets a search warrant, the answer was still yes. That doesn't fit my definition of private.

Google's smart product designers should find ways to provide warnings to us when our current activities or settings may result in the retention of sensitive information - and leave us vulnerable.
Yves here. This post about Bidens latest bad trade illustrates why Team Dem is in the mess it is. The Republicans play for keeps. The Dems play for the next news cycle.

Having said that, I wonder if the relationship between McConnell and Andy Beshear is what drove how this trade went down (not that Biden should have gone along). The Beshears are the Democratic dynasty in that state, and have also been overmuch involved in the Kentucky Retirement Systems fiasco.

By Jake Johnson, a staff writer at CommonDreams. Originally published at CommonDreams

The details of President Joe Bidens deal with Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to nominate an anti-abortion lawyer to a lifetime federal judgeship came into clearer focus on Friday, sparking fresh calls for top congressional Democrats to block the proposed agreement.

Slates Mark Joseph Stern reported Friday that McConnell will allow Biden to nominate and confirm two U.S. attorneys to Kentuckypositions that are term-limitedif the president nominates Republican lawyer Chad Meredith to a post on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.

Under the arrangement, Meredith would take the seat currently occupied by Judge Karen Kaye Caldwell, a George W. Bush nominee, Stern noted. Caldwell submitted her move to senior status on June 22, which, once complete, will allow Meredith to take the seat. A lawyer with connections to the Kentucky governors office who is familiar with the agreement told Slate that Caldwell conditioned her move upon the confirmation of a successorspecifically, the conservative Meredith.

The terms of the deal as well as its timingright on the heels of the Supreme Courts decision last week to strike down Roe v. Wadeinfuriated Democratic lawmakers and advocates who are currently fighting to shield reproductive rights from Republican officials like Meredith, who defended anti-abortion laws during his tenure as Kentuckys solicitor general.

Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Ky.), who had planned to recommend nominees for the Eastern District in the case of a vacancy, told Slate that Bidens deal with McConnell is indefensible and that he has expressed his outrage to the White House, which has yet to publicly acknowledge the arrangement.

I understand how brutally manipulative Mitch is, but at some point you have to stand up to him, Yarmuth told the outlet. You have to just confront him and say, No, were not gonna appoint your people. Were not gonna let Mitch McConnell appoint judges and other federal officials in a Democratic administration.'

3. The White House was supposed to consult with @RepJohnYarmuth and @AndyBeshearKY on judicial nominees when a vacancy arose, but cut this deal with McConnell instead. Yarmuth and Beshear were blindsided because only the White House knew about the vacancy. https://t.co/R57iFtSuZ3  Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) July 1, 2022

McConnells ability to obstruct Democrats U.S. attorney nominees despite being in the minority stems from the majority partysand, apparently, the presidentscontinued adherence to the blue-slip tradition that gives senators veto power over nominees for posts in their home states.

Senate Republicans abandoned the blue-slip courtesy when they were last in power, and progressives have urged Democrats to follow suit.

Ian Millhiser, a senior correspondent for Vox, slammed the Biden-McConnell deal as unconscionable and called on Democratic leaders to ensure Meredith is not confirmed.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, should pledge that Meredith will receive no hearing, Millhiser wrote.

And Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Millhiser added, should pledge hell get no floor vote.
Yves here. Poskett takes issue with the Euro-centric story of science and discovery.

By Dan Falk (@danfalk), a science journalist based in Toronto. His books include The Science of Shakespeare and In Search of Time.. Originally published at Undark

Think of a famous scientist from the past. What name did you come up with? Very likely, someone from Europe or the United States. Thats hardly surprising, because science is often taught in Western classrooms as though its a European-American endeavor.

James Poskett, a historian of science at the University of Warwick in England, believes this myth is not only misleading but dangerous  and its something he sets out to correct in his recent book, Horizons: A Global History of Science. Billed as a major retelling of the history of science, the book frames the last five centuries of the scientific enterprise as a truly globe-spanning project.

In a recent Zoom conversation, Poskett explained why he believes this retelling is needed. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Horizons: A Global History of Science, by James Poskett (Penguin Books, 464 Pages).

Visual: Penguin Books

Undark: You point out that the history of science, as its usually taught, focuses on figures like Galileo, Newton, Darwin, and Einstein. And I think we can agree that those people did actually make vital contributions. But whats left out when we focus on those figures?

James Poskett: I agree, its really important to emphasize that those figures did make contributions that were significant. So my book isnt about Newton and Darwin and Einstein not mattering. As you say, those people feature in the book. Theyre all significant figures in their own right. But by focusing exclusively on them, we miss two global stories.

The first global story is that these famous figures weve heard of in fact relied on their global connections to do much of the work that theyre famous for. Newton is a good example, in terms of him relying on information he was collecting from around the world, often from East India Company officers in Asia, or astronomers on slave-trading ships in the Atlantic. So we miss the global dimension of these famous scientists  not just collecting information, but often actually relying on the culture and knowledge of other peoples too.

The other part is the people from outside of Europe who made their own really significant contributions in their own right. There were Chinese, Japanese, Indian, African astronomers, mathematicians, later evolutionary thinkers, geneticists, chemists, who made genuine important contributions to the development of modern science. It completely skews the story if we have this exclusive focus on White European pioneers.

UD: Another interesting point you make is that when textbooks or popular histories of science do mention the contributions of, say, Islamic science or Chinese science, its often framed as a historical episode. The reader gets the impression that this was something that happened in the past. In your book, you say this is not only misleading but it can have harmful consequences. How so?

JP: Were quite actually familiar with the idea that civilizations in the Middle East and Asia, the Islamic world, Hindu civilizations, Chinese civilization  that these contributed in some way to science. But its always told as part of a narrative of an ancient or medieval golden age. And I always tell my students, you should be super suspicious, as soon as you hear the term golden age, because its massively loaded: Its telling you that there was once this great achievement, there was this once-great civilization  but the emphasis is on once, because the golden age bit implies a fall from grace, or a dark age afterwards.

At face value, it sounds good  you know, Islamic mathematicians, chemists, astronomers made important contributions in the 10th century  but actually, thats kind of pushing those achievements way back in the past. It has the rhetorical effect of saying that Islamic science isnt modern, or Chinese science, or Hindu science, or Mesoamerican science are not part of modernity; theres something kind of anti-modern about it

Of course, the Islamic world made important contributions to science in the medieval period. But it didnt suddenly stop. It continued throughout the 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. And thats really the message of the book.

UD: An obvious turning point, not just in the history of science, but in human history writ large, is when Europeans first made contact with the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. In your book, you say that these encounters were critical in terms of thinking of human beings as part of nature. You even write, The discovery of the New World was also the discovery of humankind. What do you mean by that?

JP: Broadly, for Europeans, the discovery that there was a new world was a major shock to the very foundations of how they thought about knowledge. Knowledge was supposed to be based on ancient texts; it was supposed to be on the authority of ancient Greek and Roman authors, people like Aristotle, or Pliny for geography. And also the Bible was kind of wrapped up with that as well, as a source of ancient authority.

But of course, none of these ancient authors mentioned this enormous continent. And not only was this continent full of life, full of animals and vegetables and plants and minerals that in some cases had not been seen before and werent mentioned in the ancient texts  it was full of people!

So this then made thinkers in Europe start saying, well, maybe actually, knowledge isnt best derived from ancient texts exclusively; maybe we need to go out into the world and look at things to make discoveries. And of course, thats the metaphor we still use. We talk about scientific discoveries.

Humans were seen as separate from the natural world. They were created  in Christian Europe, and most of the major religions at that time  theyre created separately. Humans have a moral element that can be analyzed philosophically and morally, but theyre not meaningfully part of nature in the same way a horse is. But this idea of discovering nature also opened the opportunity that there were things that were to be discovered, not just about the outside world, but about the kind of internal world of the human  that if you could discover a tomato by looking out into the world, maybe you could discover something about humans by looking inside them.

UD: You point out that when we think of the structure of the atom, we tend to think of the New Zealand-born British scientist Ernest Rutherford, whos often credited with figuring it out. In the book, you talk about an often overlooked figure, Hantaro Nagaoka. Who was he? What was his contribution?

JP: Hantaro Nagaoka was a Japanese physicist. He was born in the mid-19th century. He came from a Samurai family, like many 19th century Japanese scientists, and he was studying physics at a time that Japan was industrializing; where the Samurai were finding a new place for themselves in this modern industrial society. And in the very early 20th century, in 1904, he gave an account of the structure of the atom. He called it the Saturnian atom.

Hed worked this out theoretically, rather than by doing experiments. He worked out that, based on complex theoretical assumptions and following these through, that there must be a large, central, positively charged nucleus, surrounded by orbiting electrons. And he called it the Saturnian atom after the planet Saturn, with a big central thing with its rings around it. This is the basic structure of the atom that Rutherford later was famous for developing, for doing the experimental work for  but Rutherford published his paper seven years later, in 1911.

And in fact Rutherford would have acknowledged this. Rutherford cites Nagaokas paper at the end of his famous 1911 paper. And Rutherford actually corresponded with Nagaoka. Nagaoka wasnt some unknown scientist nobody had ever heard of. He was attending conferences in Paris; he came to Britain and actually had a tour of Rutherfords laboratory in Manchester, where Rutherford did the experiments. And actually, if you look at textbooks from the early 20th century, they mention Nagaoka  hes kind of just fallen out of the history later on.

So he made this really serious contribution to atomic physics. But hes one of the smoking gun examples of someone who really came up with a key theoretical piece of science, that was a major influence in the 20th century, but is almost completely forgotten outside of Japan.

My point isnt that Rutherford stole the idea. My point is that science is made through these processes of global cultural exchange, through these different people making different contributions.

UD: Turning to the present day: You describe the current relationship between the U.S. and China as being like a new Cold War. How does science fit in to this new war?

JP: Science fits into it in some ways like the original Cold War, in that science has a practical function. And thats clearly how states like China, like the United States, like India, the United Arab Emirates they see it as part of their economic strategy. Basically, that investment in sciences like artificial intelligence will allow a transformation of the economy, increased production  and this is really important for keeping citizens happy, and ultimately having the kind of economic clout to dominate the world economically and politically and through soft power.

Also, in more practical terms, space science has a really clear military element with respect to satellites, rocketry. I talk a lot about climate science being a science that fits with the new Cold War, in that its seen by states as a kind of security problem. For China, climate science is important to invest in because their coastal regions are major economic centers. They dont want those going underwater.

So there are practical elements  but its also ideological. Were seeing a return of a kind of nationalism  this weird combination of globalization and nationalism. Xi Jinping is a nationalist, much more so than some of the previous Chinese leaders. Hes just the most prominent example, and probably the person thats most likely be able to to walk the walk as well as talk the talk. But nationalist leaders in India, in Turkey, in the UAE, in America, in Britain. Boris Johnson talked about making Britain a new scientific superpower. So science also becomes an ideological marker of national prestige.

UD: Throughout the book you sort of argue that its wrong to frame the history of science as a European endeavor or an Anglo-American endeavor. Why do you feel its so important to rewrite or update that framing?

JP: For overlapping reasons. A basic one is about representation and diversity in science; equity. Science, in Europe and Britain, certainly in America  United States and North America generally  is not equitable, particularly in terms of diversity with respect to minority ethnic groups, but other kinds of diversity as well, in terms of class and gender, disability, and the like.

So I think if the scientific profession is disproportionately people like me  White men who went to Cambridge  then part, but not the exclusive reason for that, is because we repeatedly present to the public, to school children, to university students, an image of the sciences which looks like me. Its people like Newton or Einstein or Darwin  theyre these White men. And again, my point isnt that theyre not part of the story. Absolutely they are. But that there are other people from around the world, from different cultural backgrounds, who are part of it.

Were at a kind of crossroads in history, but also in science. And the narratives that scientists were taught and told themselves in the West was a narrative that was built for the Cold War. But the Cold Wars over  the original one. Yet were still telling these narratives about Western science, science being neutral. And I think a lot of public mistrust in the sciences generally is actually a function of this  that we need to present publicly a more realistic, political, diverse account of how science is done  how we got to now  in order to have the consent and engagement of the mass public in the sciences.

I really think that this kind of history of science shouldnt be seen as a threat to scientists. Im not doing it because I want to see the end of science, and for all of us become vaccine deniers. Im doing it for the opposite reason: I think if you want to stem the tide of vaccine and climate denial, and xenophobic nationalism, then you need a history of science which really engages with these quite difficult histories.
analysis

The PAP's failure to elect a president for over a year further undermined its already doubtful legitimacy.

It took a stern intervention from African Union (AU) Commission chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat. But eventually the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) in Midrand, South Africa, managed to elect its president and four vice presidents this week - one year late.

A year ago the attempted elections collapsed in farcical chaos, verbal abuse and even violence. The Southern African region had insisted that the general AU principle of rotation among the continent's five regions should be applied to the PAP.

Southern African MPs prevented elections that would probably have elected a Malian candidate from going ahead. They said West Africa had already held the presidency, as had Central Africa (twice) and East Africa. So it was now the turn of the South and the North.

The South put up a candidate, Zimbabwean Chief Fortune Charumbira - a traditional chief and senator nominated to the Zimbabwean Parliament by the Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front government. The others would have none of this, saying no AU rotational principle could be forced on the PAP, which was an autonomous body that had never adopted this principle itself.

Faki meanwhile ordered his legal advisers to investigate the issue. They advised that the rotational principle be applied. This was endorsed by the AU's executive council and its Assembly of heads of state, Faki said at the PAP this week.

South Sudan's government claimed this decision had never been endorsed by the AU and insisted on the legitimate candidacy of its MP, the former child soldier Albino Aboug.

A year ago the attempted PAP elections collapsed in farcical chaos, verbal abuse and even violence

Faki acknowledged this week that the principle of rotational presidency had unfortunately not been ratified by the required number of states, and so was legally unenforceable. He nonetheless urged the PAP to adopt it to resolve the embarrassing deadlock that had tarnished the image of this institution and that of the entire continent, rendering it incapable of performing its functions properly.

'The unbearable scenes projected on TV and social media, which were seen by Africans, belittled the Parliament. It was a disgrace for the continent,' he lectured from the podium.

Thus suitably chastened, the PAP adopted the principle of rotation, South Sudan stood down and Charumbira was duly elected unopposed, with 203 votes for, 161 against, 31 abstentions and 11 spoilt ballots. He declared: 'I am a president for all of you, despite how you voted,' and urged MPs to put aside linguistic and other divisions and conflicts.

The unseemly 2021 non-elections merely served to reinforce the widespread perception that without any real purpose, the PAP had simply degenerated into an arena of contestation over positions, per diems and patronage rather than programmes and principles. The non-elections had already been preceded by a hiatus of almost a year when the previous president resigned under a cloud of corruption.

The PAP was launched in 2004 as part of a panoply of pan-African institutions of the newborn AU. It was conceived by the AU's founding fathers (mainly South Africa's Thabo Mbeki, Nigeria's Olusegun Obasanjo and Algeria's Abdelaziz Bouteflika) as an august body that would help Africa's people hold their leaders to account and eventually attain legislative and not just consultative and advisory powers.

It is almost impossible to imagine AU member states conceding any real powers to continental legislators

The latter has never happened and seems unlikely to - as the same Malabo Protocol that would have endorsed the principle of rotation and conferred legislative powers on the PAP has never entered into force, because of insufficient national ratifications.

In any case it is almost impossible to imagine AU member states conceding any real powers to continental legislators. Most leaders, arguably, don't concede such power even to their own legislatures.

Which, as Institute for Security Studies (ISS) senior researcher Liesl Louw-Vaudran points out, lies at the heart of the problem. How do you get a legitimate Parliament continentally, when democracy is so weak in many countries? How can one really believe in a supposedly democratic institution that will now be headed by someone appointed by his government, not elected? And in a country not well known for the legitimacy of its elections anyway?

Charumbira will have to rise well above his national limitations if he is going to make an impact.

Louw-Vaudran nonetheless believes that the PAP, even without such far-off legislative powers, could still serve a useful purpose by functioning as an oversight body, mainly holding the institutions of the AU to greater account. She finds it telling that it took Faki to come to Midrand this week to tell the PAP how to conduct its elections.

That was a reversal of the proper roles, she noted, as the AU Commission - after all merely the bureaucracy of the AU - should be taking advice from the PAP. But because of the undignified spectacle of its elections last year, Faki's adult supervision was unfortunately necessary.

African governments no doubt see little benefit in a strong PAP which would hold them to better account

Louw-Vaudran believes the PAP should be sending observers to African elections as it used to, and its president should routinely address AU summits, to elevate its importance.

It has in the past scrutinised AU budgets, but this role should be strengthened and given institutional status, one should add.

The East African (EA) Legislative Assembly - the continent's most successful multilateral legislature - monitors the East African Community's (EAC) economic functions. Ideally the PAP should play a similar role over the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement, say - though this would require great technical skills.

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The EA Legislative Assembly, incidentally, is directly elected by voters of the EAC constituent countries. Whatever its powers, the PAP would surely benefit from similar direct elections, versus the present indirect elections through national parliaments, which appear to have diminished opposition representation over the years.

As Louw-Vaudran notes, African governments no doubt see little benefit in a strong PAP which would hold them to better account. It must surely then be Africa's citizens - particularly its national legislators - who bear the responsibility to shape the PAP into something worthwhile. Though in its usual rumbustious way, the MPs of South Africa's Economic Freedom Fighters have played some of that role in the PAP by questioning its purpose.

She also notes that at their summit in Lilongwe last August, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) leaders resolved to transform the existing SADC Parliamentary Forum into a Parliament, albeit as 'a consultative and a deliberative body.'

If the PAP is anything to go by, that would be a terrible idea. At the very least, SADC should be embarking on a region-wide campaign to seek the advice of its citizens on whether this would be a good idea; and if so, what would be necessary to make it work.

Peter Fabricius, Consultant, ISS Pretoria
(Natural News) The United States is unlikely to survive more than a few weeks of heavy warfare against another industrialized power.

In a recent episode of Health Ranger Report, Mike Adams pointed out that the U.S. isnt even able to properly arm its ally Ukraine in its ongoing war against Russia. (Related: Biden announces MASSIVE military expansion in Europe in response to string of Russian victories in Ukraine.)

Adams further noted that the war in Ukraine, while the biggest war Europe has seen in nearly a century, is really just a small-scale operation. It was a special military operation from the beginning. I wouldnt even call it a war  not yet, anyway, said Adams. Maybe its going that direction, but the question is, can the United States even sustain a war?

To support his arguments, Adams cited an article by retired Lt. Col. Alex Vershinin published on the website of the Royal United Services Institute, a think tank focusing on issues of defense and international security.

In the article, titled The Return of Industrial Warfare, Vershinin argued that the scale of combat in Ukraine shows that the West, and America in particular, needs the kind of industrial capacity it had during World War II to still be called the arsenal of democracy.

The effort to arm, feed and supply these armies is a monumental task, wrote Vershinin.

Vershinin pointed out that the winner in a prolonged war between two or more powers of relatively equal strength is the side with the stronger industrial base. This means a country needs to have the manufacturing capacity to produce enough weapons, ammunition and heavier military hardware, or otherwise have manufacturing industries that can be used in the war effort.

Unfortunately, the West no longer seems to have either, wrote Vershinin.

America doesnt produce enough weapons or ammo to wage war

In an analysis of American weapons production, Vershinin noted that America would run out of ammo for its artillery guns within 10 days to two weeks, or maybe three weeks if stockpiles were rationed, if the country were to enter a war in which it would use relatively the same number of artillery rounds used by Russia in Ukraine.

Vershinins assessment of Americas wartime production capabilities, unfortunately, doesnt end with artillery ammunition. Everything from the production of man-portable anti-tank missiles and air defense systems to the production of massive ballistic and cruise missiles shows that the U.S. is severely lacking compared to states of relatively equal strength like Russia.

The bottom line is, the United States cant wage war any longer because the industrial base of America has been, well, wiped out over the last few decades, said Adams. This isnt World War II, where the U.S. was the industrial center of the world. No, this is America that has outsourced everything to China or Mexico or Korea or somewhere else. The U.S. barely makes anything, and it certainly doesnt make enough weapons.

Learn more about the many national security issues America needs to deal with at NationalSecurity.news.

Watch this episode of the Health Ranger Report as Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, goes into detail about how the U.S. cant sustain any kind of large-scale war for more than a few weeks.

This video can be found in the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com.

More related articles:

TERMINATORS: Killer robots join Ukraines line of defense against Russian troops.

Biden continues to draw down stocks of U.S. weapons and ammo with ongoing military assistance to Ukraine.

Ukraine is running out of ammunition as Russia continues to overpower its military.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

RUSI.org
(Natural News) Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich of Arizona announced via Twitter on Wednesday night, June 29, that the law is still in force.

Last March, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey signed legislation that prohibited abortions at 15 weeks, but this is not the one Brnovich is referring to. He is referring to the ARS 13-3603, which bans abortion completely.

That law states: A person who provides, supplies or administers to a pregnant woman, or procures such woman to take any medicine, drugs or substance, or uses or employs any instrument or other means whatever, with intent thereby to procure the miscarriage of such woman, unless it is necessary to save her life, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not less than two years nor more than five years.

Brnovich said his office has concluded that the Arizona Legislature has made its intentions clear regarding abortion laws, that it is back in effect and will not be repealed in 90 days by the 15-week abortion ban bill. We will soon be asking the court to vacate the injunction, which was put in place following Roe v. Wade in light of the Dobbs decision earlier this month, he said.

This move put Brnovich at odds with Governor Doug Ducey, who said that the law he signed in March takes precedence over one that had been in place in 1901, which is 11 years before Arizona received its statehood,

However, abortion opponents who wrote the new law and the Republican who sponsored it, Nancy Barto, said the old law could be enforced due to a specific provision that said it didnt override the ARS 13-3603.

The governors spokesman said the office was reviewing Brnovichs decision and had no immediate comment on the matter.

Abortion rights activists fighting against laws

Abortion clinics in Arizona have stopped providing procedures within hours after the Supreme Courts ruling, citing concerns that the old law could be enforced.

Planned Parenthood Arizona, however, is not going to back down quietly. Brittany Fonteno, its president and CEO, said they are working diligently with their team of attorneys to understand the states tangled web of conflicting laws, so that they can ensure that their patients know what their rights are and how they can have access to legal abortion.

She stressed: Our extremist Attorney General has announced his plans to reinstate an antiquated, enjoined 1901 law that will ban all abortion in Arizona until the new law takes effect. Its unconscionable and drastically out of line with the 7 in 10 Arizonans who support abortion access. (Related: Democratic lawmakers suddenly concerned with tracking software, say it could be used to hunt women seeking abortions.)

There had been around 13,000 abortions in Arizona in 2020 as per official reports. Out of those, fewer than 650 were performed after 15 weeks of gestation.

After the Supreme Courts decision, around 7,000 to 8,000 abortion rights protesters gathered at the state Capitol as the Legislature tried to complete their work on the yearly session, eventually forcing the Arizona Senate to go into recess due to the threats. News reports noted that the protests had forced lawmakers to huddle briefly in a basement as they rushed to complete their 2022 session.

SWAT team members with the Department of Public Safety fired tear gas from the second floor of the old Capitol building to disperse protesters in the mall between the current House and Senate buildings. the report said, with additional information that officers opened fire when several protesters started banging on glass doors of the Senate building.

Protests continued for two days, and several have been arrested. (Related: Roe decision brings us incredible CLARITY on the LUCIFERIANS running the abortion child sacrifice cult.)

Arizona is joining more than 20 other states that will enforce pre-Roe abortion laws that remain in the books, while others may enforce trigger laws that will ban abortion when Roe was reversed, including Texas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Arkansas and Kentucky. Missouri was the first state since the reversal of law to ban abortions completely.

Watch the video below for more discussions about the abortion industry.

This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Deranged abortion activists eat abortion pills outside Supreme Court as Roe v. Wade challenged.

THIS IS TOLERANCE? Christian crisis pregnancy center in Colorado vandalized, set on fire over Roe v. Wade.

Normally moderate Roberts savages Roe v Wade, becomes hero for saying what everyone else is thinking.

Dr. Alan Keyes talks about abortion, slavery and the COVID-19 pandemic  Brighteon.TV.

Nolte: Pro-abortion Democrats riot in Democrat-run cities LOL.

Sources include:

LifeSiteNews.com

AZLeg.gov

NPR.org

ABCNews.go.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) According to new claims from The National Pulse, the infamous EcoHealth Alliance head Peter Daszak is once again working on isolating new coronaviruses, this time in Russia with the help of Kremlin-backed researchers.

One of them is the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome or MERS, which Daszak, 49, appears to be tampering with, possibly to create another new bioweapon strain of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19).

A paper published on June 10, bears Daszaks name on it, suggesting that he is the only person who worked on it. But the Pulse discovered that there are another 11 researchers who participated as well, hailing from Kremlin-run facilities such as the Federal Service on Consumers Rights Protection and Human Well-Being Surveillance, as well as Moscow State University.

The study was funded by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, the national science funding body of the Russian government, and the state-run Russian Science Foundation, writes the Pulses Natalie Winters.

Researchers conducted analyses of bat viromes, which have been used to identify novel viruses with potential to cause human infection,' she further adds, citing the paper directly.

Peter Daszak is a sick, sick man

The paper goes on to explain that Daszak and his partners collected 26 fecal virome samples from six different bat species during a 2015 expedition in the Moscow region. Of these 26 samples, 13, or half, were found to be coronavirus positive.

We sequenced and assembled the complete genome of a novel MERS-related Betacoronavirus from Pipistrellus nathusii, named MOW-BatCoV strain 15-22, the paper further reveals.

Using what appear to be similar tactics as those employed at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in communist China, where Daszak also worked, the Russian team focused primarily on the coronavirus strains spike protein.

The spike protein, we are told, is the mechanism through which coronaviruses penetrate host cells and cause infection. In the case of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), that spike protein is believed to have been manipulated by researchers in Wuhan to become more lethal to humans. Bat coronaviruses were also tampered with to become infectious to humans.

To predict and analyze the interaction of MOW-BatCoV Spike glycoprotein with DPP4 receptors of the different mammalian species, the three-dimensional structures of these proteins were obtained by homologous modeling. The DPP4 proteins of two bats (Myotis brandtii and Pipistrellus kuhlii), the hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus), domestic cat (Felix catus) and mouse (Mus musculus) were used for analysis, the new paper further reads.

A full analysis of the complete genomes of the novel coronavirus discovered in the paper further reveals that it falls into clade of human/camels MERS viruses together with a few bat viruses.

One wonders just how many other illicit bioweapons projects that Daszak, who is British, has been involved with over the years. How many people have needlessly died because of his fetish for manipulating animal diseases into human contagions?

As you may recall, Daszak was hand-selected by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to be its lead investigator into the supposed true origin of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). He also seems to be allied to the Western military-industrial complex, which is supposedly at odds with communist China.

Will we ever know the complete story about Daszak and his continued involvement in secret bioweapons research? And more importantly, will he ever be held accountable for his crimes against humanity?

Biden was hand-picked to be the U.S. president by them, too, wrote a commenter at Natural News about how the CCP is said to be one of Bidens puppet masters.

They paid him well and they have gotten their moneys worth.

More related news about illicit bioweapons research can be found at Bioterrorism.news.

Sources include:

TheNationalPulse.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) One of the most influential pro-life activists in the U.S. is taking a defamation lawsuit triggered by his calling abortion murder to the Texas Supreme Court, now with fresh optimism brought on by the U.S. Supreme Courts reversal of Roe v. Wade.

(Article by Emily Mangiaracina republished from LifeSiteNews.com)

Mark Lee Dickson, director of Right to Life for East Texas and founder of the growing Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn Initiative, was accused by abortion funds of defamation after he called them criminal groups that assist in the crime of murder.

The legal battle began when Dicksons Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn Initiative, now encompassing 44 cities in Texas and a few cities outside the state, included ordinances that declared abortion providers and fund groups to be criminal organizations.

While an initial lawsuit taking issue with this language was dropped after the cities removed their ordinances references to criminality, three abortion funds have pushed forward with new lawsuits against Dickson for what they consider to be defamatory comments.

The Lilith Fund accused Dickson of paint[ing] abortion rights organizations  as criminals, citing his statements in City Council meetings accusing pro-abortion groups of aiding and abetting literal murder, according to the lawsuit. Dickson is also being sued by the Texas Equal Access Fund and the Afiya Center.

Dicksons case is being brought to the Texas Supreme Court in the wake of a clash between courts: Dallas Fifth Court of Appeals ruled against Dickson in his case against the Texas Equal Access Fund and the Afiya Center, but Amarillos Fifth Court of Appeals ruled in his favor in his case against the Lilith Fund.

The Amarillo-based court concluded as a matter of law that Dicksons comments were non-defamatory opinion, noting that even the Lilith Fund acknowledged that generally calling abortion murder alone is not defamatory.

Dickson recalled to LifeSiteNews how at one point during the Amarillo hearings, interestingly, the Lilith Fund attorney clarified to the judge that their lawsuit did not take issue with a reference by Dickson to Lilith, the mythological figure for which the group is named, as a demon that preys on women and children.

I thought that was kind of funny because Lilith is a demon that preys on women and children, Dickson told LifeSiteNews, adding that he sees the fund as just that. He pointed to his 2019 comment, Perhaps they have a desire to live up to their name.

Dickson pointed to the opinion of the Amarillo-based court that his statements were protected speech as fundamental to his case. In that opinion, the court highlighted his argument that Abortion is Freedom in the same way that a wife killing her husband would be freedom  Abortion is Murder.

Dickson told LifeSiteNews, We would not be in this fight if abortion wasnt murder. If abortion was like having an appendix removed or having a tooth extraction, then we wouldnt be making the arguments were making.

Were making the arguments were making because we really believe that this is a human life that is having their arms and legs ripped apart, that this human life is being taken because of a side that wants to profit off of the murder of innocent children, Dickson said.

He honed in on the crux of the case as a freedom of speech issue, telling LifeSiteNews, Those who are engaged in this battle, whether it be behind the pulpit or at Republican club meetings or in schools  they need to be able to speak with full confidence that theyre not going be able to sued for defamation for saying abortion is murder.

He continued, And right now the way this stands is that when you live in East Texas, saying abortion is murder could result in you getting sued for defamation. But if you say it in West Texas, well, youre good. We dont only need freedom of speech in West Texas  We need it all the way across the board. And so thats why this is so important. Its not just about abortion. If they can sue us over defamation, they can sue us for anything.

Dickson also made the case that, even before Roe was reversed by the Supreme Courts Dobbs opinion on Friday, pre-Roe Texas statutes on the illegality of abortion were still part of state law, meaning that his statements are not only protected free speech but are legally true.

The legislature is the only body of government that has the power to repeal the laws that it enacts, Dickson told LifeSiteNews. And so the fact that the legislature had never repealed these laws  that still makes them the laws of Texas. The courts dont have the ability to erase laws. Until that law is repealed, its on the books.

Commenting on the effect he expects Roes undoing will have on his case, Dickson told LifeSiteNews, This only solidifies our position that much more. And we believe that this is going to help pave the way for a victory in this case.

Read more at: LifeSiteNews.com
(Natural News) Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched an investigation into retail giant Walmart to determine whether or not it filled prescriptions improperly and failed to report suspicious prescriptions for opioid drugs.

According to Paxton, he filed a Civil Investigative Demand that requires extensive documentation from the company, including records going back to 2006, at a time when it was required to report opioid prescription sales to the Drug Enforcement Agency as well as Texas state agencies.

A news release on his website also said that Paxton is investigating potential violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

Paxton said he is fighting for Texans who have been tragically impacted by the illegal marketing and sale of opioids, which have caused addiction and the untimely deaths of thousands of people each year.

I am committed to holding pharmacies accountable if they played a role in this devastating epidemic, said Paxton.

Walmart, for its part, said that it will comply with the demand, but remains certain that its pharmacies in Texas have done nothing wrong in this regard.

In a statement to Fox News, the retail giant said that it has never manufactured, marketed or promoted opioids because its pharmacists arent doctors and dont write opioid prescriptions.

We are confident in our record helping fight the opioid crisis, and we are proud of our pharmacists, who help patients understand the risks of opioid prescriptions and have refused to fill hundreds of thousands of opioid prescriptions they thought could be problematic, the statement said.

The company also mentioned that, if anything, it has been called too aggressive when it comes to rejecting opioid prescriptions, pointing out that many health regulators, including the Texas Medical Board, other medical groups, doctors and patients have said that Walmart has gone too far in refusing to refill opioid prescriptions and have been told that they have improperly interfered with doctor-patient relationships. (Related: Big Pharmas addictive opioids are causing the ruination of society.)

Walmart and our pharmacists are torn between the demands on pharmacists imposed by opioids plaintiffs on one side and health agencies and regulators on the other, and patients are caught in the middle, the company said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that opioids, whether prescribed or illicit, have claimed the lives of over 564,000 people from 1999 to 2020. There had also been 91.799 drug overdoses in 2022 alone, 75 percent of which involved an opioid.

Walmart, other retailers subject of federal lawsuit on suspicious opioid orders

Other reports also said that Walmart is currently the subject of a federal lawsuit over the method in which it reports what the federal government termed suspicious opioid orders.

The said lawsuit, however, was put on hold until after the court has decided on a case involving two doctors who had been convicted of misusing their medical licenses in filling opioid prescriptions.

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the doctors earlier in the week, clearing the way for the resumption of Walmarts federal civil cases in July.

Walmart, CVS and Walgreens have all been found liable for contributing to the opioid crisis in two Ohio counties in November 2021. However, a ruling on the damages the companies must pay has not yet been issued  a federal judge will later decide how much the three pharmacies must pay in damages to the counties involved. (Related: No good reason for the opioid epidemic: Clinical trial showed no significant difference in pain relief for treating arm or leg pain using opioids vs non-opioids.)

Adam Zimmerman, who teaches mass litigation at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, said at the time that it was the first opioid trial against the three major household name companies, all of which had been the least willing group of defendants to settle the case.

This verdict is at least a small sign to them that these cases wont necessarily play out well in front of juries, Zimmerman said.

The decision could also prompt pharmacy defendants to opt for settlement instead of a trial and the companies have already said that they will appeal the verdict.

Watch the video below for more information about the Walmart investigations.

This video is from the RandomMedia channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Big Pharma firms paid doctors to push OPIOIDS to patients, documents show.

Justice Department announces massive criminal crackdown on opioid prescription fraud: 76 doctors, 23 pharmacists, 19 nurses charged.

Opioid pharma giant ordered to pay $225 million after being caught bribing doctors to prescribe more deadly fentanyl pills to patients.

Study: Doctors are PRESSURED to recommend opioids when asked much later in the day.

Doctors prescribe deadly opioid for pain-related issues that arent even legal.

Study: Doctors are PRESSURED to recommend opioids when asked much later in the day.

Sources include:

WesternJournal.com

FoxNews.com

TheEpochTimes.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Professor Mattias Desmet, a Belgian psychologist with a masters degree in statistics, gained worldwide recognition toward the end of 2021, when he presented the concept of mass formation as an explanation for the absurd and irrational behavior we were seeing with regard to the COVID pandemic and its countermeasures.

(Article by Dr. Joseph Mercola republished from Articles.Mercola.com)

He also warned that mass formation gives rise to totalitarianism, which is the topic of his new book, The Psychology of Totalitarianism. Desmets work was further popularized by Dr. Robert Malone, whose appearance on the Joe Rogan podcast was viewed by about 50 million people.

But as the search term mass formation exploded in popularity, Google responded by manipulating the search engine results in an attempt to discredit Desmet and show people in their search results information that would cause them to discount the importance of this work. Why? Because Google is at the core of the global cabal and movement toward totalitarianism.

Understanding the Psychology of the Times Is Crucial

Those who refuse to learn from history are bound to repeat it, they say, and this appears particularly pertinent in the present day because, as explained by Desmet, if we dont understand how mass formation occurs and what it leads to, we cannot prevent it. How did Desmet reach the conclusion that we were in the process of mass formation? He explains:

In the beginning of the Corona crisis, back in February 2020, I started to study the statistics on the mortality rates of the virus, the infection fatality rates, the case fatality rate and so on, and immediately, I got the impression  and with me, several world-famous statisticians, such as John Ioannidis of Stanford, for instance  that the statistics and mathematical models used dramatically overrated the danger of the virus.

Immediately, I wrote an opinion paper trying to bring some of the mistakes to peoples attention. But, I noticed immediately that people just didnt want to know. It was as if they didnt see even the most blatant mistakes at the level of the statistics that were used. People just were not capable of seeing it.

This early experience made him decide to focus on the psychological mechanisms at play in society, and he became convinced that what we were seeing were in fact the effects of a large-scale process of mass formation, because the most salient characteristic of this psychological trend is that it makes people radically blind to everything that goes against the narrative they believe in.

They basically become incapable of distancing themselves from their beliefs, and therefore cannot take in or evaluate new data. Desmet continues:

Another very specific characteristic is that this process of mass formation makes people willing to radically sacrifice everything that is important to them  even their health, their wealth, the health of their children, the future of their children.

When someone is in the grip of a process of mass formation, he becomes radically willing to sacrifice all his individual interest. A third characteristic, to name only a few, is that once people are in the grip of a process of mass formation, they typically show a tendency of cruelty towards people who do not buy into the narrative, or do not go along with the narrative. They typically do so as if it is an ethical duty.

In the end, they are typically inclined, first, to stigmatize, and then, to eliminate, to destroy, the people who do not go along with the masses.

And thats why it is so extremely important to understand the psychological mechanisms at work, because if you understand the mechanisms at work, you can avoid the mass formation to become so deep that people reach this critical point in which they really are fanatically convinced that they should destroy everyone that does not go along with them.

So, its extremely important to understand the mechanism. If you understand it, you can make sure that the crowd, the mass, will first destroy itself, or will exhaust itself, before it starts to destroy the people that do not go along with the mass.

So, its of crucial importance, and thats what my book describes. It describes how a mass, a crowd, emerges in a society, under which conditions it emerges, what the mechanisms of the process of mass formation are, and what you can do about it. Thats extremely important. I will mention this from the beginning.

Usually, it is impossible to wake up the masses. Once a process of mass formation emerges in a society, its extremely difficult to wake the masses up. But, [waking them up is] important, [because] you can avoid the masses and their leaders becoming so fanatically convinced of their narrative that they start to destroy the people who do not go along with them.

Indeed, to those of us who did not fall under the spell of the irrational COVID narrative, the cruelty with which political leadership, media and people at large tried to force compliance was shockingly abhorrent. Many were physically attacked, and some even killed, simply for not wearing a face mask, which we knew was a useless prevention strategy.

Historical Context for Mass Hypnosis

It is easier to understand what mass formation is if you consider it as mass hypnosis, because theyre not merely similar, theyre identical, Desmet says. Mass formation is a kind of hypnosis that emerges when specific conditions are met. And, disturbingly, these conditions, and the hypnotic trance that emerges, almost always precede the rise of totalitarian systems.

While totalitarianism and a classical dictatorship share certain features, there are distinct differences at the psychological level. According to Desmet, a classical dictatorship, at the psychological level, is very primitive. Its a society that is frightened of a small group, a dictatorial regime, because of its aggressive potential.

Totalitarianism, on the other hand, arises from a very different psychological mechanism. Interestingly, the totalitarian state didnt actually exist before the 20th century. Its a relatively new phenomenon, and its based on mass formation or mass hypnosis.

The conditions for this mass hypnotic state (listed below) were first met just before the emergence of the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, so thats our historical context. These conditions were again met just before the COVID crisis. What were seeing now is a different kind of totalitarianism, largely due to technological advancements that have created extremely effective tools to subconsciously influence the public.

We now have very sophisticated tools with which to hypnotize far larger masses of people than they could in earlier times. But while our current-day totalitarianism is global rather than regional, and the information war more sophisticated than anything the Soviets or Nazis could muster, the basic psychological dynamics are still identical.

Understanding Hypnosis

So, what are those psychological dynamics? Mass formation is a clinical term that in laymans jargon could simply be translated as a kind of mass hypnosis, which can occur once certain conditions are fulfilled.

When you are being hypnotized, the first thing the hypnotist will do is to detach or withdraw your attention from the reality or environment around you. Then, through his hypnotic suggestion  usually a very simple narrative or sentence stated out loud  the hypnotist will focus your full attention on a single point, for instance, a moving pendulum or just his voice.

From the perspective of the hypnotized person, it will seem as though reality has vanished. An extreme example of this is the use of hypnosis to make people insensitive to pain during surgery. In that situation, the patients mental focus is so narrow and intense, that they dont notice that their body is being cut into.

In the same way, it doesnt matter how many people are injured by the COVID measures, because the focus is on COVID and everything else has vanished, in psychological terms.

People can be killed for not wearing a mask and the hypnotized wont raise an eyebrow. Children can die from starvation and friends can commit suicide from financial desperation  none of it will have a psychological impact on the hypnotized because to them, the plight of others doesnt register. A perfect example of this psychological blinding to reality is how COVID jab deaths and injuries are simply unrecognized and not even considered to be causal.

People will get the shot, suffer massive injuries, and say, Thank goodness I got the shot or it would have been so much worse. They cannot conceive the possibility that they were injured by the shot. Ive even seen people express gratitude for the shot when someone they supposedly loved died within hours or days of getting it! Its just mindboggling. The psychological dynamics of hypnosis does explain this irrational and otherwise incomprehensible behavior, but its still quite surreal.

Even while I know the mechanisms at work, Im still baffled every time it happens, Desmet says. I almost cant believe what I see. I know someone whose husband died a few days after the vaccine, during his sleep, from a heart attack.

And I thought, Now she will open her eyes and wake up. Not at all. She just continued in the same fanatic way  even more fanatic  talking about how happy we should be because we have this vaccine. Unbelievable, yes.

The Psychological Roots of Mass Formation

As mentioned, mass formation, or mass hypnosis, can occur when certain psychological conditions are present in a large-enough portion of society. The four central conditions that need to exist in order for mass formation to arise are:

Widespread loneliness and lack of social bonding, which leads to: Experiencing life as meaningless, purposeless and senseless, and/or being faced with persistent circumstances that dont make rational sense, which leads to: Widespread free-floating anxiety and discontent (anxiety/discontent that has no apparent or distinct cause), which leads to: Widespread free-floating frustration and aggression (frustration and aggression have no discernible cause), which results in feeling out of control

How Mass Formation Emerges in a Society

Once a large-enough portion of society feels anxious and out of control, that society becomes highly vulnerable to mass hypnosis. Desmet explains:

Social isolation, lack of meaning, free floating anxiety, frustration and aggression are highly aversive because if people feel anxious, without knowing what they feel anxious for, they typically feel out of control. They feel they cannot protect themselves from their anxiety.

And, if under these conditions a narrative is distributed through the mass media, indicating an object of anxiety, and at the same time, providing a strategy to deal with the object of anxiety, then all this free-floating anxiety might connect to the object of anxiety.

And, there might be a huge willingness to participate in a strategy to deal with the object of anxiety, no matter how absurd the strategy is. So, even if it is clear from the beginning  for everyone who wants to see it  that the strategy to deal with the object of anxiety might claim many more victims than the object of anxiety itself  even then, there might be this huge willingness to participate in a strategy to deal with the object of anxiety.

That is the first step of every major mechanism of mass formation. Whether it concerned the Crusades, or the witch hunts, or the French Revolution, or the beginning of the Soviet Union or Nazi Germany, we see the same mechanism, time and time again.

There is a lot of free-floating anxiety. Someone provides a narrative that indicates an object of anxiety and a strategy to deal with it. And then all the anxiety connects to the [proposed] object of anxiety.

People participate in a strategy to deal with the object of anxiety that yields a first important psychological advantage, and from then on people have the impression that they can control their anxiety. Its connected to an object and they have a strategy to deal with it.

The Problematic Social Bonding of Mass Formation

Once people who used to feel lonely, anxious and out of control start to participate in the strategy presented to them as the solution to their anxiety, a brand-new social bond emerges. This, then, reinforces the mass hypnosis, as they now no longer feel isolated and lonely.

This reinforcement is a kind of mental intoxication, and is the real reason why people buy into the narrative, no matter how absurd. Theyll continue to buy into the narrative, because it creates this new social bond, Desmet says.

While social bonding is a good thing, in this instance it becomes extremely destructive, because the free-floating frustration and aggression are still there, and need an outlet. These emotions need to be directed at someone. Whats worse, under the spell of mass formation, people lose their inhibitions and sense of proportion.

So, as weve seen during the COVID pandemic, people will attack and lash out in the most irrational ways against anyone who doesnt buy into the narrative. The underlying aggression will always be directed at the part of the population that isnt hypnotized.

Speaking in generalized terms, typically, once mass formation is taking place, about 30% of the population will be hypnotized  and this typically includes the leaders who pronounce the hypnotizing narrative to the public  10% remain unhypnotized and do not buy into the narrative, and the majority, 60%, feel theres something wrong with the narrative, but go along with it simply because they dont want to stick out or cause trouble.

Another problem with the social bonding that emerges is that the bond is not between individuals, but rather a bond between the individual and the collective. This gives rise to a feeling of fanatic solidarity with the collective, but theres no solidarity toward any given individual. So, individuals are remorselessly sacrificed for the greater good of the faceless collective.

This explains, for instance, why during the Corona crisis, everybody was talking about solidarity, but people accepted that if someone got into an accident on the street, you were no longer allowed to help that person unless you had a surgical mask and gloves at your disposal.

That also explains why, while everybody was talking about solidarity, people accepted that if their father or mother was dying, they were not allowed to visit them, Desmet says.

In the end, you end up with a radical, paranoid atmosphere in which people do not trust each other anymore, and in which people are willing to report their loved ones to the government.

So, thats the problem with mass formation, Desmet says. Its solidarity of the individual with the collective, and never with other individuals. That explains what happened during the revolution in Iran, for instance. I talked with a woman who lived in Iran during the revolution, which was actually the beginning of a totalitarian regime in Iran.

She witnessed, with her own eyes, how a mother reported her son to the government, and how she hung the rope around his neck just before he died, and how she claimed to be a heroine for doing so. Thats the dramatic effects of mass formation.

With No External Enemy, What Happens?

Were now facing a situation that is more complicated than at any previous time, because the totalitarianism that is now arising has no external enemies, with the exception of citizens that arent hypnotized and dont buy into the false narratives. Nazi Germany, for example, was destroyed by external enemies that rose against it.

On the other hand, theres advantage to this, because totalitarian states always need an enemy. Thats something that was very well described by George Orwell in his book 1984. In order for the process of mass formation to continue to exist, there must be an external enemy onto which the state can focus the aggression of the hypnotized masses.

Nonviolent Resistance and Outspokenness Are Crucial

This brings us to a key point, and that is the need for nonviolent resistance and speaking out against the narrative. Violent resistance automatically make you a target for aggression, so resistance from within a totalitarian system always has to stick to the principles of nonviolent resistance, Desmet says. But you must also continue to speak out in a clear, rational and nonabusive way. Desmet explains:

The first and foremost principle the resistance has to stick to during a process of mass formation and emerging totalitarianism, is that people who do not go along with the masses have to continue to speak out. Thats the most crucial thing.

As totalitarianism is based on mass formation, and mass formation is a kind of hypnosis, the mass formation is always provoked by the voice of the leader, which keeps the population in a process of hypnosis. And when dissonant voices continue to speak out, they will not be able to wake the masses up, but they will constantly disturb the process of mass formation.

They will constantly interfere with the hypnosis. If there are people who continue to speak out, the mass formation will usually not become so deep that there is a willingness in the population to destroy the people who do not go along with the masses. Thats crucial.

Historically speaking, if you look at what happened in the Soviet Union and in Nazi Germany, its clear that it was exactly at the moment when the opposition stopped to speak out in public that the totalitarian system started to become cruel.

In 1930, in the Soviet Union, the opposition stopped to speak out, and within six to eight months, Stalin started his large purges, which claimed tens of millions of victims. And then, in 1935, exactly the same happened in Nazi Germany.

The opposition was silenced, or stopped to speak out. They preferred to go underground. They were thinking that they were dealing with a classical dictatorship, but they were not. They were dealing with something completely different. They were dealing with a totalitarian state.

And by deciding to go underground, it was a fatal decision for themselves. So, also in Nazi Germany, within a period of one year after the opposition stopped to speak out in public, the cruelty started and the system started to destroy first its opponents. Thats always the same.

In the first stage, totalitarian systems or the masses start to attack those who do not go along with them. But, after a while, they just start to attack and to destroy everyone, group after group.

And, in the Soviet Union, where the process of mass formation went very far, much further than in Nazi Germany, Stalin started to eliminate the aristocracy, the small farmers, the large farmers, the goldsmiths, the Jews, all people who according to him would never become good communists.

But after a while, he just started to eliminate group after group without any logic. Just everyone. So, thats why Hannah Arendt said that a totalitarian state is always a monster that devours its own children. And that destructive process starts when people stop to speak out.

Thats probably the reason why, in the beginning of the 20th century, there were several countries where there was mass formation, but where there was never a full-fledged totalitarian state.

Probably, there were enough people who didnt shut up, who continued to speak out. Thats something that is so crucial to understand. When mass formation emerges, people typically feel that it doesnt make sense to speak out because people dont wake up. People dont seem sensitive to their rational counter arguments.

But, we should never forget that speaking out has an immediate effect. Maybe not that it wakes the masses up, but that it disturbs the process of mass formation and the hypnosis. And in that way, prevents the masses from becoming highly destructive towards the people who do not go along with them.

Something else also happens. The masses start to exhaust themselves. They start to destroy themselves before they start to destroy the people who do not go along with them. So, thats the strategy to be used for internal resistance towards totalitarian regimes.

Push Back Against Transhumanism and Technocracy

As mentioned earlier, the leaders who declare the narratives are also always hypnotized. They are fanatics in that sense. However, while todays world leaders are fanatics about transhumanism and technocracy, they may not necessarily believe what theyre saying about COVID.

In the end, the ultimate challenge is not so much to show people that the coronavirus was not as dangerous as we expected, or that the COVID narrative is wrong, but rather that this ideology is problematic  this transhumanist and this technocratic ideology is a disaster for humanity  To show people that, in the end, a transhumanist view on man and the world will entail radical dehumanization of our society. ~ Mattias Desmet

Many know that theyre telling lies, but they justify those lies as necessary in order to bring the ideologies of transhumanism and technocracy to fruition. The ridiculous COVID agenda is a means to an end. This is another reason why we must continue to push back and speak out, because once the counter arguments disappear, these leaders will become even more fanatic in their ideological quest.

In the end, the ultimate challenge is not so much to show people that the coronavirus was not as dangerous as we expected, or that the COVID narrative is wrong, but rather that this ideology is problematic  this transhumanist and this technocratic ideology is a disaster for humanity; this mechanistic thinking, this belief that the universe and man is a kind of material mechanistic system, which should be steered and manipulated in a mechanistic technocratic transhumanist way.

Thats the ultimate challenge: to show people that in the end, a transhumanist view on man and the world will entail radical dehumanization of our society. So, I think thats the real challenge we are facing. Showing people, Look, forget for a moment about the Corona narrative.

What we are heading for if we continue in the same way, is a radically, technologically controlled transhumanist society, which will leave no space whatsoever for life for a human being.

Itll Get Worse Before It Gets Better

Like me, Desmet is convinced that were rapidly headed toward global totalitarianism and that things will get far worse before they get better. Why? Because were only in the initial stages of the process of totalitarianism. On the horizon, digital identity still looms large, and with that comes an unfathomably powerful control grid capable of breaking just about anyone.

The glimmer of hope is this: Everyone who has studied mass formation and totalitarianism has concluded that both are intrinsically self-destructive. They cannot survive. And, the more means it has at its disposal to control the population, the sooner it might destroy itself, because totalitarianism destroys the core of the human being.

Ultimately, totalitarianism refers to the ambition of the system. It wants to eliminate the ability of individual choice, and in so doing, it destroys the core of what it is to be human, because psychological energy in a human being emerges at every moment a human being can make a choice that is really its own choice, Desmet says. The quicker a system destroys the individual, the sooner the system collapses.

Again, the only weapon against the brutal destruction of humanity is to push back, to speak out, to nonviolently resist. It may not stop totalitarianism in its tracks, but it can keep the most heinous atrocities at bay. It will also provide a small space where the resistant can try to survive together and thrive in the midst of the totalitarian landscape.

Then, if we want to succeed, we will have to think about parallel structures which can allow us to be a little bit self sufficient. We can try to make sure that we dont need the system too much anymore. But, even these parallel structures would be destroyed in a moment if the people do not continue to speak out. So, thats the crucial.

I try to bring this to the attention of everyone. We can build parallel structures as much as we want, but if the system becomes too destructive and decides to use its full aggressive potential, then the parallel structures will be destroyed. But, the system will never reach this level of depth of the hypnosis if there are dissonant voices that continue to speak out. So, Im very dedicated myself to continue to speak out.

While its impossible to make accurate predictions, Desmets gut feeling is that itll probably be at least seven or eight years before the totalitarian system currently emerging with burn itself out and self-destruct. Could be more, could be less. Society is a complex dynamic system, and even simple complex dynamic systems cannot be predicted even one second in advance. This is known as the deterministic unpredictability of complex dynamic ecosystems.

More Information

Regardless of how long it takes, the key will be to survive it all and do what we can to minimize the carnage. A key challenge on an individual level will be to maintain elementary principles of humanity. In the interview, Desmet discusses Aleksandr Solzhenitsyns book, The Gulag Archipelago, which highlights the importance of holding on to your humanity in the midst of an inhumane situation.

That, maybe, is the one and only thing that can guarantee us of a good outcome of the entire process  which is a necessary process, I think. This crisis is not meaningless. Its not meaningless. Its a process in which society can give birth to something new, something much better than exists up until now, he says.

To learn more about this truly crucial topic, be sure to pick up a copy of Desmets book, The Psychology of Totalitarianism.

Read more at: Articles.Mercola.com
(Natural News) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau defended Canadas vaccine mandates while calling the overturning of Roe V. Wade an attack on everyones freedoms and rights.

(Article by Roberto Wakerell-Cruz republished from ThePostMillenial.com)

During the interview with the CBC, Trudeau again insisted that Canadas vaccine mandates were a choice and that nobody was ever was going to force anyone into doing something they dont want to do. Canadas federal vaccine mandates made it so that public servants were required to be vaccinated to keep their jobs, and made it so that the unvaccinated could not board a plane or train in Canada.

The prime minister also provided $5 billion in funding to the provinces so that they could put into place vaccine passport systems that barred the unvaccinated from most restaurants, bars, and in many cases, religious institutions. In all, the unvaccinated had to be willing to lose their job, lose their ability to travel, be barred from their local religious institutions, and be subjected to name-calling from Trudeau, who called the unjabbed sexists, racist extremists who dont believe in science.

Trudeau insisted to the CBC that It was their choice and nobody ever was going to force anyone into doing something they dont want to do. But there are consequences when you dont. You cannot choose to put at risk your co-workers. You cannot choose to put at risk the people sitting beside you on an airplane.

Trudeau continued, comparing his views on abortion with his views on the unvaccinated, saying: Any time youre going to take a strong position, especially one that is contested in society, there are going to be people who feel that you are strong against them. And what you have to do every step of the time as a leader is figure out whether or not it is worth the division to stand up on something that you know is right, and whether its womens rights or the freedom of people to be protected during a pandemic.

On Friday, following the Roe decision in the US, Trudeau spoke as if he was a staunch defender of human rightsrights that he said should not be taken for granted.

The news coming out of the United States is horrific. My heart goes out to the millions of American women who are now set to lose their legal right to an abortion. I cant imagine the fear and anger you are feeling right now.  Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) June 24, 2022

Today, I think of those generations of women around the world, and specifically in the United States, who fought so hard to gain rights and continue to fight today to get more and more rights, because theres still so much more work to do, and are facing this devastating setback, he said while in Rwanda.

It shows how much standing up and fighting for rights matters every day. We cant take anything for granted. We need to continue to stand strong to defend everyones rights and freedoms, he said, in Canada and internationally, standing up internationally as well, whether its fighting for womens rights here in Africa, or supporting people fighting for their rights in the United States.

These words from the same prime minister who invoked the never-before-used Emergencies Act on peaceful protestors who had been directly discriminated against by the prime ministers policies. Those protestors, whose livelihoods were already at risk or had already been taken away, were then threatened with having their bank accounts frozen by the government.

Read more at: ThePostMillenial.com
(Natural News) Author, filmmaker and radio show host Steve Quayle believes that there are people out there who are trying to hide the truth about ancient aliens and their connection to humanity.

The bottom line is they will discredit the truth. They will discredit the truth-tellers. They will do everything they can to steal the narrative. The entire UAP [unidentified aerial phenomena] presentation before Congress was nothing but a bunch of horsefly manure. And the thing is that there are in excess of two million files Im told by insiders that exist on the whole alien UFO [unidentified flying object] phenomenon. Two million, not 1,500 pages, Quayle told host Mike Adams during the June 29 episode of Brighteon Conversations.

Quayle and his team have unearthed artifacts in Mexico, which will be shown in a documentary titled The Egyptian and Alien Connection in the Americas. Adams noted that the artifacts are thousands of years old. (Related: Elongated skulls unearthed in ancient Chinese tombs may indicate social status, researchers say is there another explanation?)

The founder and editor of NaturalNews.com believes aliens exist and have visited the planet long before modern history. Now, some people are trying to use that fact to their advantage.

Information about aliens has been allowed to leak out into the public consciousness by globalists as an effort to try to enslave humanity by claiming that people must join together to resist a possible alien takeover, Adams said.

Quayle agreed. The globalists are going to play the alien savior card, he said.

The former editor and publisher of Survival Quest mentioned that his expedition team in Mexico found tens of thousands of artifacts using ground-penetrating radar. He added that what they unearthed were artifacts that go back 6,000 years.

Quayle related that the astonishing artifacts and relics were identified as Egyptian and they turned up everything from pyramids and serpent staffs with human DNA on them.

Smithsonian is gatekeeper that alters humanitys knowledge of real history

Elsewhere in the program, Adams talked about the Smithsonian, which he said is the gatekeeper that is altering humanitys knowledge of its real history and its real contact with ancient aliens. The Smithsonian is like the Ministry of Truth of archaeology, which is trying to reshape and selectively censor all the kinds of history they dont want people to know about, he said.

The Brighteon.TV founder cited the ancient Egyptian history as an example, with the origins of the Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx being censored and completely covered up by the Smithsonian and the so-called science institutions.

According to Adams, science deception has been going on in archaeology and geology for a long time.

Quayle is fully aware that people will also try to discredit what they have unearthed. But it wont deter him to tell the truth.

Their expeditions have turned up 38 different species of aliens with some of them absolutely looking like those from the Alien movie. Quayle explained that many Hollywood movies that people see as science fiction are actually science fact.

The filmmaker and author said there was a time when no science fiction movie could get made without passing through the intelligence sensors.

Follow UFOs.news for more news about ancient aliens and UFOs.

Watch the video below to know more about the artifacts and relics discovered by the team of Steve Quayle.

This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Aliens struck a deal with the US to keep their existence secret, says ex-Israeli space chief.

Human-like aliens may have come from another dimension, according to declassified FBI file.

We may finally find ALIENS by 2026, thanks to NASAs new space telescopeUFOs come from alien bases deep within our oceans, British ex-cop claims.

Scientists identify 29 planets where aliens can observe Earth from a distance.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

SteveQuayle.com
With quick developments in the steel, electric, and automobile industries, the early 1900s were just an exciting moment for the entire world.

A turning point throughout our climate is also marked by the changes in the industry. The sea level has risen 18 centimeters since the turn of the 20th century, according to a group of researchers from around the world conducted by the University of South Florida (USF).

Sea levels

Over the past century, the sea level has been rising globally, and recently the rate has accelerated. The global sea level reached its highest annual average ever recorded by satellites in 2014, rising 2.6 inches (67 mm) above the average of 1993. (1993-present). The sea level is still growing at a rate of about 3.2 mm or one-eighth of an inch annually as per National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Since storm surges now move farther inland now than they ever did due to rising sea levels, unwanted flooding will also occur more frequently.

In coastal communities in the United States, unwanted flooding is expected to be approximately 900 % more common than it was 50 years ago. It is intrusive and pricey.

Even though water expands as it warms, the temperature rise of the oceans and increased going to melt of land-based ice, including glaciers and ice sheets, are the two leading principles of global sea-level rise.

More than probably rise at rates faster than those of the present century for many centuries as a result of ongoing ocean and earth's atmosphere warming.

Due to local aspects of land subduction from natural processes, the pullout of groundwater and fossil fuels, adjustments in regional ocean currents, and whether the property is still rebounding from the sheer weight of Ice Age glaciers, sea level rise at particular locations may be greater or less than the global average.

Rising sea levels pose a threat to urban infrastructure that supports local employment and regional industry. Sea level rise puts virtually every piece of human infrastructure at risk, including roads, bridges, subways, water supplies, oil and gas wells, power plants, sewage treatment facilities, landfills, and more.

Read More: Rising Sea Levels May Lead to More Volcanic Eruptions, Impacting Volcanic Islands

Rising sea levels

The research, which is depicted on the cover of the Science Advances issue for July 1, aims to determine early industrial sea levels and investigates how modern greenhouse warming affects sea level rise, as per ScienceDaily.

The group, which 90% of the extra heat in the atmosphere is caused by emissions in the atmosphere is being absorbed by the ocean.

Ocean levels will also include graduate students from USF, who went to Mallorca, Spain, which has more than 1,000 cave systems, some of which contain deposits that date back millions of years. They analyzed deposit accounts from 4,000 years ago to the present for this study.

The team discovered proof of a previously unrecognized 20 cm sea-level rise that took place when ice caps melted normally and over course of 400 years at a rate of 0.5 millimeters per year, roughly 3,200 years ago.

Otherwise, the sea level remained remarkably stable until 1900 despite significant climatic events like the Little Ice Age and the Medieval Warm Period.

The team took 13 samples from eight caves along the Mediterranean Sea coast to make the timeline. Since the deposits are uncommon and only appear near the coast in cave passageways that have been periodically inundated by seawater, they serve as precise indicators of gradual changes in sea level.

Each deposit provides essential information about the past and the future, assisting researchers in predicting how rapidly the sea levels could rise over the next few decades and centuries.

Related Article: Modern Sea-Level Rise Started in 1863: New Study
According to a recent study, the majority of injured North Atlantic right whales that are wrapped in fishing gear pass away within three years.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Endangered Species lists North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) as critically endangered due to population decline.

Since 2011, when there were more than 400 whales, their numbers have been dropping due to fishing entanglements, ship collisions, and climate change. The IUCN estimates that there are currently between 200 and 250 of these whales left in the wild as the population continues to decline. There are reportedly fewer than 350 left, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Researchers examined the results of these incidents to determine how entanglements in fishing gear have affected the species' decline. Between 1980 and 2011, they monitored the outcomes of 1,196 entanglements involving 573 right whales. Depending on how badly injured the whales were, they categorized each encounter.

Robert Schick, a research scientist at Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment, explains that right whales frequently become entangled, but it can be difficult to comprehend the sublethal effects of each entanglement. The frequency of whales suffering from both moderate and severe injuries as a result of these entanglements has been rising over time. Gaining a better quantitative understanding of both the lethal and sub-lethal effects was essential. Schick is a co-lead author of the recently published study.

He continued by describing the various stresses that right whales experience. A framework for comprehending stressors one at a time is provided by their study.

Tracking Run-Ins

The researchers combed through four decades' worth of monitoring data from Canadian and American research institutions to analyze entanglements.

The heads of North Atlantic right whales have callosities, which are knobby white patches of rough skin. They are stocky and black in color. The distinctiveness of the patches makes it simple for the researchers to recognize specific animals. They lack dorsal fins and have pectoral flippers that are short and broad.

Read also: Rare Megamouth Shark Washed Ashore a Philippine Coastal Village

Right Whales

According to NOAA, right whales were called such because they were the "right" whales to hunt because they moved slowly and floated after being killed. Schick also notes that right whales can be distinguished by natural markings on their heads.

The research team was able to search for indications of attached fishing gear or wrapping scars from entanglements on individuals' bodies thanks to the detailed photographic catalog of them. They were able to calculate the number of distinctive entanglement events and the gravity of the injuries as a result.

The team can perform visual health assessments for each person using the same photographic evidence, and then use a statistical model to estimate an underlying estimate of health over the course of an individual's lifespan. The team then looked at how these injuries affected survivorship and reproductive output.

Unwanted Entanglements

Entanglements frequently occur when whales become entangled in the ropes holding underwater fishing equipment, such as lobster pots. The whale may only have minor wounds due to its superficial wounds. However, during more dangerous encounters, a fishing line may wrap tightly around the whale's body, frequently resulting in serious injuries and necessitating the whale to use more energy to drag the heavy equipment behind it.

Researchers discovered that male right whales with severe injuries from gear had an eight-fold higher mortality rate than those with only minor wounds. The lowest birth rates were observed in females who had endured serious injuries, Treehugger reports.

Related article: Rescued 12-Meter Humpback Whale in Spain Expresses 'Thank You' to Divers
analysis

What has changed between the 2019 protests, when the people rose up to remove al-Bashir, and today's movement?

On 30 June, at least tens of thousands of protestors marched across Sudan against the country's military leaders. It was one of the largest demonstrations since the 25 October 2021 military coup and shows that opposition to the army's rule remains strong despite months of oppression.

Yet so far, protestors in Sudan have not been able to topple their authoritarian regime, as they previously did when they helped remove Omar al-Bashir in 2018-2019.

Why?

There are three key differences that are worth exploring between the 2018-2019 protests and today's demonstrations.

Was sent this video by a friend with a drone in central Khartoum - big big numbers out for today's protest against #Sudancoup pic.twitter.com/dr0cnTVz6I-- James Copnall (@JamesCopnall) June 30, 2022

From specific goals to broad politics

The core of Sudan's protest movement was not originally created to push for regime change. The driving force behind protests in 2018-2019 was the Sudanese Professionals Association, or SPA. It was formally established in 2018 when underground unions banded together amid economic crises. The association's membership was overwhelmingly middle-class urban workers - teachers, journalists, doctors - even though 90% of Sudan's economy occurs in the informal sector. Accordingly, the SPA focused on laws regulating the formal economy and its initial goal was to increase the minimum wage.

It was in December 2018, as demonstrations against rising bread prices broke out, that the SPA changed their tactics. It became the main group organising the fast-growing protests that were soon calling for the removal of al-Bashir.

The SPA's origins show how many social movements form. As sociologist Charles Tilly noted, they often begin with special interests because their constituents are more motivated by a specific goal. The SPA, for instance, initially struggled to attract followers promoting lofty concepts like justice or peace but had more appeal campaigning for a living wage. As Muhammad Yousif, a professor and SPA leader told me in the summer of 2019, "always focus on the specific and immediate concerns of issues".

Why couldn't the SPA ignite protests again in 2021? One reason is that its identity changed. When the group's goals switched from focusing on the special interests of union workers to much bigger political questions, its internal dynamics inevitably shifted.

From leaderless to leadership

The change in internal dynamics led to a second reason the SPA was unable to protest as effectively following the 2021 military coup.

When the SPA was first created, its organisational structure was flat. There was not a hierarchy of strong leaders but a grassroots movement of groups within groups. This structure had profound benefits during the protests in 2018-2019 because it meant that al-Bashir could not co-opt the movement. When his regime arrested many SPA leaders in early-2019, it did not have a great impact. A group of new leaders replaced the ones who had been detained.

However, once al-Bashir was overthrown, the SPA's flat leadership structure became an albatross around its neck. Charged with making political decisions instead of protesting, the group struggled. Leadership battles commenced and egos clashed. While senior figures tended to believe they had no choice but to form a partnership with the military junta that had removed al-Bashir, the association's rank-and-file rejected the idea of "compromise".

During the transition period as SPA leaders took up positions in the civilian-military power-sharing government, rifts in philosophy only grew. Internal disagreements continued and a new leadership was elected that changed the core makeup of the group. As the SPA's power started to decline, localised "resistance committees" grew in strength and came to represent Sudan's grassroots movement.

The arc of the SPA echoes that of the OTPOR! student movement that led to the downfall of Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic in 2000. It too succumbed to infighting, which contributed to the group's decline, after it took on political responsibilities. In the 2003 parliamentary election, the OTPOR! party didn't even manage to reach the 5% minimum to win any seats.

From soldier solidarity to mistrust

A key date in the 2019 protests was 5 April. On that date, the SPA called for the Sudanese army to abandon the president. The military had been the dictator's most reliable source of power and the SPA used it against him. On 11 April, al-Bashir was overthrown.

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As political scientist Gene Sharp has explained with his notion of "pillars of support", even a powerful leader like al-Bashir cannot rule a nation alone. Rather, he relied on the armed forces to coerce the population using violence. However, when the SPA called on the army and specifically low-level soldiers to abandon him, the armed forces went from the Sudanese leader's greatest strength to his greatest weakness.

Why didn't Sudan's protest movement repeat its tactics after the 25 October military coup in 2021? Because, according to activists I spoke to, they simply didn't trust the army anymore. The armed forces had broken too many promises in the protestors' eyes and, instead of wanting to just remove military leaders, demonstrators wanted the entire army out of politics. These concerns were entirely justifiable, but it meant Sudan's 2019 playbook was no longer available.

Justin Lynch is a writer and researcher living in Sudan. He is a co-author of Sudan's Unfinished Democracy: The Promise and Betrayal of a People's Revolution (African Arguments/Hurst, 2022).
Off the coast of South Africa, two killer whaleshave taken a liking to the great white sharks' internal organs, driving the top predators away from a popular spot for shark watching and upsetting the marine ecosystem.

A killer whale pair that scientists think has been killing great white sharks and eating their livers is the subject of a recent study published in the African Journal of Marine Science. Sharks have left the areas they had long controlled in favor of avoiding conflict with the new predators.

In the Western Cape, close to Gansbaai, eight great white shark carcasses have washed up on beaches since 2017. Seven of them had their livers removed and some of them had their hearts removed. According to researchers, the same pair of orcas made their wounds, which are easily distinguished.

Shark-Watching Spot Without Sharks to Watch

Tourists are drawn to the popular shark-watching location of Gansbaai, which is east of Cape Town, for pursuits like cage diving. The sharks appeared to leave the area quickly, according to tagging data, and sightings did decline in the years following the orca attacks, according to the researchers.

Alison Towner, the lead author of the study and a senior white shark biologist, pointed out that in Gansbaai, individual Great White Sharks typically disappeared for several weeks or months after an Orca attack. The longer the Great White Sharks stay away, the more frequently the Orcas visit these locations.

Since data collection started in Gansbaai, there were only two instances before these shark predations where they went missing for a week or more. They were not present in 2007 nor again in 2016, Huffington Post reports.

Towner observed that the essential balance of the ocean ecosystem is being upset by the great white sharks' long absence. If there are no sharks to feed on cape fur seals, the seals can hunt more endangered African penguins or fight for the small fish that the penguins eat.

The bronze whaler shark, known to be eaten by great white sharks, has also emerged as a new mid-level predator as a result of this. However, orcas also seem to be consuming bronze whaler sharks.

Although it is only a hypothesis at this point, Towner asserted that there is a limit to how much stress an ecosystem can withstand and that the effects of orcas killing sharks are probably much more widespread.

Read also: Tilikum: Grim History of SeaWorld's Killer Orca That Violently Killed 3 People

Killer Whales, Great White Sharks, Bronze Whaler Sharks

One of the most potent predators in the world, orcas, also known as killer whales, are the largest of the dolphin species.

The largest predatory fish on Earth, great whites are found in cool, coastal waters all over the world. They can grow up to 15 feet in length on average, but records exist of specimens that were 20 feet long and 5,000 pounds in weight.

Copper sharks are another name for bronze whaler sharks. The species has a bulge at the base of the upper caudal fin and a long, moderately rounded, broad snout. Most fins have dusky edges and are typically white below and olive-grey to bronze above. A light blaze runs along its flanks from the dorsal fin to the tail.

Related article: Fisherman Films Killer Whale on US Coast, Experts Anticipate Orca - Shark Showdown
UNESCO has advised Malta to prepare for a tsunami within the next 30 years, with at least one of its coastal towns having tsunami measures in place by the end of 2023.

The likelihood of a tsunami occurring over the next three decades is "100%," according to UNESCO, pushing at-risk Mediterranean Sea coastal communities to become "tsunami-ready."

Tsunami in Malta

There is no doubt about it in the Mediterranean: it is not if, but when, according to Denis Chang Seng, program expert for the Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Tsunami Early Warning and Mitigation System in the North-Eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean, and related waters, as per Lovin Malta.

The danger statement issued by UNESCO refers to one-meter waves in the Mediterranean area. These can move and pull automobiles off the ground, while smaller ones can create 65km/h water barriers.

Calculating the impact of an impending tsunami on the island would need socioeconomic data and knowledge of asset values, according to Chang Seng.

However, if Malta is caught off guard by a tsunami, the damage will be severe due to a large number of boats and expensive vessels.

The risk has "already materialized and is not just numbers and theory," Seng added, as proven by the "major" tsunamis that have already happened in Greece and Turkey in 2017 and 2020.

A tsunami does not have to wait 30 years. Chang Seng told the Times of Malta that it might happen at any time, including tomorrow, albeit the dangers in terms of percentage would be reduced.

He was approached after a recent Guardian piece identified Marseille, Alexandria, Istanbul, Cannes, and Chipiona on Spain's Atlantic seaboard as vulnerable and bracing for a Mediterranean tsunami.

Read more: Anchor from St. Paul's Shipwreck Recovered in Malta, Researchers Claim

Risk in Malta

However, Bernardo Aliaga, the senior tsunami specialist for the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, acknowledged that Malta, located in the heart of the Mediterranean, is also at risk and that efforts to limit damage are underway.

CoastWAVE, a 30-month EU-funded Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission project, will see Malta join six other Mediterranean nations whose localities will be recognized as tsunami-ready, culminating in the installation of a permanent tsunami-alerting system.

According to seismologist Pauline Galea of the University of Malta's Department of Geosciences, UNESCO and its local partners, the University of Malta and the Civil Protection Department (CPD), are preparing to launch activities that will lead to a national tsunami-ready plan.

Malta does not yet have a national tsunami warning center, thus the university is filling that need.

However, Chang Seng advised that the government consider establishing the correct framework to collect tsunami information from service providers in Italy, Greece, or Turkey and provide scientific recommendations for the CPD to then determine what action to take.

The UNESCO-funded initiative, which builds on a previous Last-Mile effort, trains selected Mediterranean villages to be ready for the possibility, according to IOC rules.

Marsaxlokk, which was chosen as a case study, was on track to become Malta's first 'tsunami ready' area by meeting 12 parameters, including hazard preparedness and response.

Related article: Minimalist Living in Malta: How to Declutter Your Life
The start of the Independence Day weekend in the northeastern United States may be hampered by stormy weather, but the good news for those expecting to see a fireworks display on the celebration itself is that the weather will gradually improve across the majority of the region as the long weekend develops.

Because of the robust character of the system, fears of a cold front descending in and slamming the brakes over the mid-Atlantic are fading.

However, that bigger system will bring heavy rain and thunderstorms to tens of millions of people over the early half of the weekend.

Independence day weather

The Fourth of July weekend is one of the biggest travel weekends of the year. According to AAA, an estimated 48 million people will travel for holiday weekend celebrations, and the weather will play a significant part in influencing outdoor plans, as per The Washington Post.

The heat will be the main story in many locations throughout the long weekend, but storms will be scattered over the country's center. A handful of them might be severe, with destructive winds.

Another prominent story is the severe drought gripping the West, with parched vegetation and abundant dried-out fuels turning half of the Lower 48 into a veritable tinderbox.

Fireworks have traditionally increased wildfire occurrence around Independence Day, and officials are encouraging people to avoid lighting off fireworks in high-risk locations.

The main topic for the western United States will be a fire risk, both natural and caused by fireworks misuse or outdoor fires when camping.

This is due to a years-long drought that shows little signs of abating in terms of coverage or severity in the foreseeable future.

According to the US Drought Monitor, over two-fifths of the West is experiencing severe or exceptional drought.

When explaining drought impacts, the EPA noted, "Reservoir levels are extremely low; hydropower production is limited, alternative electricity is expensive; groundwater declines; water allotments to farmers and ranchers are reduced."

Nevada and California are now suffering the hardest, and no rain is expected for them over the holiday weekend or into next week.

However, due to moisture from the southwest monsoon, isolated to scattered thunderstorms are probable throughout New Mexico and Colorado from Saturday to Monday.

Read more: US Weather Forecast: Coastal Storm to Bring Heavy Rain and Snow in New England

More thunderstorms in the northeast US

Many individuals in the Northeast have had several days of sunlight, low humidity, and mild afternoons.

Temperatures and humidity levels were rising on Friday, ahead of a front from the Upper Midwest that is expected to bring showers and potentially severe thunderstorms.

Temperatures hit or exceeded 90 degrees Fahrenheit Friday afternoon from Boston to New York City and Washington, D.C.

The greater humidity and bright early July sunshine drove AccuWeather RealFeel Temperatures toward 100 degrees in the afternoon.

Despite an increase in cloud cover, RealFeel temperatures in Pittsburgh reached the 90s.

From sections of Ohio through southeastern Michigan, southern Ontario, and portions of Pennsylvania and New York, the chance of heavy, gusty, and locally severe thunderstorms with destructive gusts, hail, and flooding downpours will persist into Friday night.

Motorists and people who get an early start on outdoor activities should be prepared to avoid storms in these locations throughout the afternoon and nighttime hours.

Friday afternoon, the hail of at least one inch in diameter was observed in Wyomissing and Shellington, Pennsylvania, northwest of Philadelphia.

Instead of dry air rushing along the coast Saturday afternoon, storms are expected to develop and turn severe.

This is because the front has shifted to the northwest, allowing the humid air and heat of the day to create additional storms.

Saturday is expected to bring a morning rain with maybe some thunder and lightning, followed by another round of thunderstorms in the late afternoon and overnight hours, according to Dombek.

With a few exceptions, the day should not be a total washout along the Atlantic Coast, and the middle portion of the day should be suitable for outdoor activities.

Related article: US Weather Update: Tropical Disturbance Could Hit Florida, Gulf Coast States from June 3
Jonathan the Seychelles giant tortoise, who recently celebrated his 190th birthday, has surpassed Tu'i Malila's Harriet, a tortoise that passed away in 1965, to hold the title of "Oldest Living Land Animal." However, compared to the two, Adwaita, a giant tortoise from Aldabra was older than both of them. Unconfirmed rumors claim that Adwaita was born at the height of the Little Ice Age and passed away in 2006 at the ripe old age of 255 from an infection brought on by a crack in his shell.

There are other cold-blooded animals with unusually long lifespans besides tortoises. The tuatara, a lizard-like reptile with a line of spikes running down its spine, can live well over a century, and the blind cave salamander, an amphibian withvery poor eyesight nearly translucent skin, can live to be over 70.

David Miller, a professor of wildlife population ecology at Penn State, said that there is anecdotal evidence that some reptiles and amphibians age slowly and live a long time, but no one has examined this issue extensively across many species in the wild before. According to Miller, knowing what causes some animals to age more slowly can help us understand aging in humans. Miller also noted that since many reptiles and amphibians are threatened or endangered, the knowledge could be used to develop conservation strategies for these species.

Miller and an international team of 113 scientists conducted the largest study of aging and longevity to date, using information gathered from 77 species of wild reptiles and amphibians over 60 years. Their goal was to identify the factors that affect rates of aging. The researchers discovered that the animals that aged the slowest had defense mechanisms against predators. Amazingly, animals with hard shells, like turtles and tortoises, barely aged at all, refuting the notion that aging is a natural part of evolution.

Thermoregulatory Hypothesis

The thermoregulatory hypothesis, which contends that creatures with a higher metabolic rate age more quickly, was put to the test by Miller and his team. This theory holds that warm-blooded animals age more quickly because of their high metabolisms, which they depend on to produce heat. On the other hand, cold-blooded animals absorb heat from their surroundings, which results in a slower metabolism and slower aging.

However, the team's findings show that cold-blooded animals age at much more varied rates than previously believed. On the one hand, some cold-blooded animals appeared to age absolutely nothing. To put it another way, the animals' risk of death did not rise with age, which is a characteristic shared by only one warm-blooded animal, the naked mole-rat.

On the other hand, compared to one of the warm-blooded animals that age the fastest, the impala, a dozen of the cold-blooded species aged four times more quickly. This suggested that more than just controlling body temperature is responsible for the variation in aging rates between species.

Read also: 29 Countries in the World With the Longest Life Span

Protective Phenotype Hypothesis

The protective phenotype hypothesis, a less well-known theory that contends that animals with protective traits, such as a shell or venom, have slower aging, was investigated by the researchers to solve this mystery. Beth Reinke, the first author of the study and expert in evolutionary biology explained that because they are not being eaten by other animals, these various protective mechanisms can lower the mortality rates of animals. They are under more pressure to age more slowly because they have a higher chance of living longer, Big Think reports.

Physical protection, such as armor and shells, and chemical protection, such as skin toxins and venom, were both categories of protection taken into consideration by the researchers. When comparing only species with cold blood, those with physical protection aged five times slower than those without it, and those with chemical protection aged twice as slowly.

This finding is unlikely to lead to the discovery of an anti-aging cream that makes humans grow a shell like a tortoise. However, the study allows a more comprehensive portrait of aging across animals, human aging included.

Related article: Axolotls Life Span: Are These Giant Salamanders That Can Regenerate Body Parts Going Extinct?
For months, a threatening space rock, 2021 QMI, lingered at the top of risk lists around the globe with a real chance of asteroid impact on April 2, 2052.

European Space Agency (ESA)'s asteroid team working with experts at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) has officially removed '2021 QM1' from their asteroid risk list, a result of skilled observations and analysis of the faintest asteroid observed with one of the most sensitive telescopes ever constructed.

With Asteroid Day Live 2022 set for June 30, experts said that the asteroid impact of the riskiest space rock known to humankind in the last year will not impact the Earth for a century.

2021 QMI and Impact 2052

On August 28, 2021, the Mount Lemmon Observatory in Tucson, Arizona first discovered 2021 QM1.

Richard Moissl, ESA's Head of Planetary Defense, said that these early observations gave us more information about the asteroid's path, which we then projected into the future.

Moissl further said that the asteroid's future paths around the Sun, and in 2052 could come dangerously close to Earth. The experts said that the more they observed the asteroid, the greater risk it became.

However, it is important to note that orbit calculations based on only a few nights of observations are subject to some uncertainty, which is why asteroids often get added to the risk list compiled by ESA soon after they are discovered. The asteroids are then removed once more data is gathered, uncertainties are less, and the asteroid is proven safe.

Marco Micheli, Astronomer at ESA's Near-Earth Object Coordination Center (NEOCC) explained that after waiting, they observed that 2021 QM1 was also moving away from Earth in its current orbit. Which means that by the time it moved away from the glare of the sun, it might be too difficult to detect.

Read also: NASA: Massive Asteroid to Make a Close Approach to Earth on May 27

Very Large Telescope

Through the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT), the 50-meter asteroid was seen as it edged out from the sunlight.

Olivier Hainaut, Astronomer at ESO explained that they had a brief window in which to spot our risky asteroid. More challenges in viewing the asteroid became apparent when the Milky Way became its backdrop.

250M Times Fainter than the Faintest

On May 24, a series of new images was taken by ESO's VLT during the night. The data arrived and Hainaut and Micheli began to process them, stacking subsequent observations on top of each other and removing the background stars.

After processing the results show a positive detection of the faintest asteroid ever observed. Using a magnitude of 27 on the scale experts say that 2021 QM1 was 250 million times fainter than the faintest stars visible to the naked eye from a dark spot. Such magnitude is used by astronomers to observe the brightness of objects in the sky.

One Down, 1377 To Go?

With these new observations, the asteroid impact in 2052 was ruled out, and 2021 QM1 was removed from ESA's risk list with 1,377 remaining, SciTech Daily reports.
analysis

The pandemic has accelerated generational shifts as more women join the once male-dominated construction industry.

Last year, Charity Nyoni walked by a group of men who were painting a house and asked if she could help.

They laughed. When she insisted, the team's leader agreed to let her join them the next time.

"When I arrived at the said place, the men were shocked," Nyoni says. "I held a paintbrush for the first time in my life, I enjoyed it, and I have never looked back."

In Victoria Falls, a global tourism destination and one of Zimbabwe's fastest-growing cities, more women are seeking jobs in the construction industry than ever before. This generational shift has accelerated due to the pandemic, which led to half a million Zimbabweans having at least one family member losing a job, especially in the travel and hospitality sectors, according to a World Bank analysis.

Women like Nyoni, a single mother who used to work as a waitress in a hotel, began to take a closer look at construction work to support their families. It had previously seemed off-limits due to gender-based cultural expectations. But necessity and determination prevailed.

By the end of this year, Nyoni will have completed two journeyman courses, 12-month construction training programmes offered by vocational centres, and hopes to have her own painting company up and running.

"Not having professional qualifications in the construction field has affected me because I have lost opportunities to work with big companies as I do not yet have the qualification certificates to show I have trained for the job," she says.

In 2019, the percentage of women working in construction was 2.7% in Ghana, 4% in Tanzania and 4.5% in Uganda, according to the International Labour Organisation. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe's figure had reached 9%, according to the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency.

Yet as the pandemic and generational shifts have inspired even more women to break down gender barriers and find work as painters, bricklayers and mechanics, Nyoni says most men still tell them they should be focusing on more traditional household duties.

Taruvinga Dzokamushure, general secretary for the National Employment Council for the Construction Industry, a trade union, says there are "no women joining the industry" and that employment numbers across the country are trending downward. But local construction officials in the capital Harare and Victoria Falls say they see growth, which they predict will be reflected in the next round of census data.

Crispen Tsavarai, CEO of the Zimbabwe Building Contractors Association, says the group has observed a significant increase in women joining the industry. Out of 500 active members, 38 are women -- all except one added just in the past year. During that same period, only 30 new men joined the association, he adds.

"In May last year, we set up a women's desk within our organization as a way of mainstreaming gender in the male-dominated construction industry," he says. "From having one woman on that desk when it was set, we currently have 38 women."

Membership in the association is voluntary but comes with access to networking and training benefits. Beyond encouraging women to join, the women's desk lobbies for government funding for their training and equipment needs and offers programmes to educate teenage girls and college students about construction-related career paths.

Kuda Hove, a single mother, first entered the field when she decided to build her own home.

She works for her family's medical supply company, which requires traveling outside Zimbabwe to meet with customers. When the coronavirus hit, she got stuck in Australia for six months. Realising she could not cross international borders easily anymore, and with her finances dwindling, she decided to focus on building a home for herself and her two daughters, now 12 and 14.

"I was renting a house, but I had already bought a piece of land to build my house," she says. "I realised to save rental money I had to start building my house, and that is how I got into the construction industry."

Like Nyoni, Hove began learning the trade through hands-on experience: managing workers, identifying and buying building materials, and figuring out the needs of different parts of her house.

"I have to learn fast," says Hove. "I was cheated several times before finding trustworthy workers and suppliers."

She began taking online construction courses and pursuing a diploma in construction management. While working on her third project in January 2021, she set up her own construction business, Lewa and Company, that employs 17 men and three women.

"COVID-19 made people think of creating ways of survival and unexpectedly created opportunities for women in the construction field," Hove says. "However, because of job losses, men are also after the same opportunities, and in most cases construction companies prefer to hire men."

Women can also be their own worst enemies, she says. "As women we are perfectionists, and at times that can work against you in such environments as you are likely to be isolated when you raise concerns such as issues of health and safety at the workplace."

Laura Tofts, who specialises in coating and has a warehouse in Harare, says she has also observed more young women, fresh out of school, seeking employment as electricians, plumbers, painters and bricklayers.

"The facts and stigma about women being less strong are dying, and this power shift will naturally play out with time," she says.

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Men in the industry have various opinions about more women joining their trades. Reginald Mutsvakiwa, a builder for the last 15 years in the Victoria Falls region, says although more women have joined the construction industry, it remains men's work.

"Construction in itself needs lots of manpower," he says. "Physically and biologically, it is difficult for women."

But Blessing Sunday, who has worked in construction since December 2020, says it is admirable that women like Hove, a family friend, are applying their skills. "The construction industry is very broad, so I do not see why women cannot join the industry," he says.

Hove says she is increasing her collaborations with women and expanding her business to include a showroom to display and sell materials. It's important for women to help each other grow professionally, she says, whether through taking courses or by learning on the job.

"There are a lot of women out there who have no skills," she says, "but have strength and can have a profession in this industry."

This story was originally published by Global Press Journal. Global Press is an award-winning international news publication with more than 40 independent news bureaus across Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Fortune Moyo is a Global Press Journal reporter based in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. She specialises in stories about the impact of Zimbabwe's fragile economy on education.
People once again took to the streets in Sudan's capital, Khartoum, on Friday, a day after a brutal police crackdown on protesters left at least nine dead.

Funeral marches for the deceased quickly turned into public expressions of anger against the military that has ruled the country since a coup in October 2021.

Thursday's protests were the largest seen in months, and the police crackdown was also the most violent.

Some 113 people -- including 18 children -- have been killed in the weekly protests since last year's coup.

Sudan's disrupted path to democracy

The Sudanese protesters are demanding a return to the country's transition to democracy that began in 2019 after a popular uprising ousted strongman President Omar al-Bashir.

The military takeover by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has disrupted the fragile process.

A group of major stakeholders, including the UN's mission to Sudan and the African Union, has been trying to broker a return to the transition but so far without success.

On Friday, protest groups released a joint statement expressing "disappointment over the continued use of excessive force by security forces and lack of accountability for such actions, despite repeated commitments by authorities."

Anniversary of key protest

Thursday's protests marked the mass rallies in 2019 that ultimately brought the military to the negotiating table to form an agreement with pro-democracy groups on implementing elections.

The 2021 coup scuppered these plans and led to the pro-democracy groups calling for the immediate removal of the generals from power.

Although Western governments have thrown their support behind the protesters, they have also drawn their ire by engaging with the military leadership, a tactic the pro-democracy movement now rejects.

"We are heartbroken at the tragic loss of life in yesterday's protests," the US Embassy in Sudan said in a statement Friday. "We urge all parties to resume negotiations and call on peaceful voices to rise above those who advocate for or commit violence."

ab/sms (AP, AFP)
Ethan Simmons is a reporter at The News-Gazette covering the University of Illinois. His email is esimmons@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@ethancsimmons).
Reporter

Mary Schenk is a reporter covering police, courts and breaking news at The News-Gazette. Her email is mschenk@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@schenk).
The gold tooth of former freedom fighter Patrice Lumumba was buried on Thursday in Congo. The ceremony sought to bring peace, not only to the grieving family but to the entire Congolese people:

He will now rest in a specially built mausoleum in the capital Kinshasa. Previously, people had been able to say goodbye to the only mortal remains of the former prime minister at various locations.

60 years of pain

For many Congolese, Lumumba is a national hero. In 1961, at the age of 35, he was kidnapped, tortured and assassinated -- following a military coup backed by Western powers -- with the support of Belgian operatives and the U.S. intelligence agency CIA.

His body, dissolved in acid, was never found.

A Belgian police officer involved in the disposal of the body apparently kept the gold tooth as a trophy. Following the intervention of Lumumba's daughter, it was turned over to the Belgian government, which until recently refused to give it to his descendants.

"More than 60 years of pain" -- that's how Juliana Lumumba described her family's feelings in a DW interview in mid-June.

"For us as a family, yes, we have to move on somehow, but to do that we have to bury our father's remains."

The tooth is also a symbol of Belgium's dark history in Congo. A period that Belgium is still struggling to come to terms with, says Juliana Lumumba.

Many Congolese echo her sentiments. Patrick Batiki, a 41-year-old civil servant, thinks Belgium's return of the tooth is important -- but not enough.

"They should also compensate the family. By returning the tooth, they are indirectly accusing themselves of being the ones who killed him," Batiki said in interview with DW.

Continuing Lumumba's fighting spirit

Many Congolese see Belgium's recent attempts at reconciliation as a sign of rapprochement. But the moves are considered insufficient to atone for the country's colonial past.

The occupation of Congo -- which was initially the private property of King Leopold II from 1885 and later became a Belgian colony -- is considered one of the most brutal chapters in African history.

It was Patrice Lumumba who, after his election in June 1960, denounced the crimes and humiliations committed under Belgian rule, promising the Congolese that the country's vast deposits of raw materials -- gold, ivory, diamonds, rubber and uranium -- would be nationalized.

That way, Lumumba hoped, more people would benefit.

At the height of the Cold War, Lumumba's rise sparked fears in the West that he might turn to the Soviet Union. Just three months after his election, he was ousted from office by a corrupt army colonel, Joseph Mobutu, who arrested and killed him. Mobutu would subsequently oppress the people as a brutal dictator.

The Congolese should continue Lumumba's struggle, said Augustin Bidonda.

The 30-year-old accountant is impressed by Lumumba's courage. In view of this, the $2.4 million (2.3 million, 2 million) price tag for the mausoleum built by Chinese companies is almost nothing in his opinion.

"Lumumba deserved more. I would like to see such a story done again in several provinces," he told DW.

Family rift

Nurse Armand Onyangunga also considers Lumba's gold tooth a significant symbol.

"The Congolese people must know about the struggle that Lumumba waged. It is thanks to him that we sing about the victory of independence," they said.

But there are other voices in Kinshasa criticizing the expensive construction of the memorial.

"It's not the right time to build this," Mpia Mudiandambu told DW. "Look around our neighborhood; people are suffering a lot. This is unacceptable! There are no roads, no electricity, no water, and food supplies are difficult."

Even Lumumba's family is divided. Two of his children opposed the ceremonies organized by President Felix Tshisekedi.

Michel Lumumba and Guy-Patrice Lumumba denounced the political appropriation of their father. "Our father's mortal remains belong to us," they said.

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Guardians of democracy

Belgian-Congo expert Ludo De Witte, on the other hand, does not believe the tooth's burial will have much impact on current Congolese politics.

The bigger problem, he said, is that, despite words of regret, the Belgian government is still not clearly addressing its country's dark past. Because Lumumba's assassination had repercussions: It was followed by decades of Mobutu dictatorship and several civil wars in eastern Congo.

But for many young people involved in civil society movements, Lumumba is an important point of reference, said historian Karine Ramondy: "Because these movements really represent what you call the guardians of democracy. You need a movement in a country, and especially in eastern Congo, that embodies the possibility of a better future."

Collaboration: Jean Noel Bamweze (Congo), Wendy Bashy, Priyanka Shankar

This article has been translated from German.
Ngonnso has a central role for the Nso as she is considered a mother deity

Njobati Sylvie, a resolute restitution activist, could not hide her joy and reprieve after Germany's Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation made the announcement that Ngonnso has been given the green light to return home.

Ngonnso is a mother deity of northwestern Cameroon's Nso people. She was taken by Kurt von Pavel, a colonial officer in Cameroon, who subsequently donated her to Berlin's Ethnological Museum in 1903.

"I feel super elated, it has been a journey that has culminated to a win for the Nso community, Cameroon and by and large the entire African continent," Njobati told DW in an exclusive interview.

The restitution journey

Njobati started the Twitter campaign #BringBackNgonnso in 2020 which massively raised people's awareness.

But her restitution activism actually started before that -- when she decided to reconnect with her Nso heritage and trace her roots.

She grew up in the Cameroon's Anglophone region with her mother and the heir apparent of the Nso community -- her grandfather.

He couldn't take up the leadership position because he became a Presbyterian pastor.

"I grew up with my grandfather totally disconnected with my culture and tradition. I was embedded into Christianity," she told DW.

Sylvie's identity crisis

When she finally joined University in Yaounde -- the French speaking side of Cameroon -- her Anglophone background made her feel unwelcome. This led to an identity crisis and emptiness.

"I remember one day at the market someone called me an Anglofool. This was just the beginning of a backlash I received as a young person from the English speaking expression," she said.

It is at the this point in her life that Njobati realized that she has been "fully covered by cultures that are not hers."

"I also remember asking myself, who am I if I'm stripped off the colonial heritage, who I'm I if stripped off the English or French system of education, law or even religion," she quipped in despair.

But all these multiple identity crisis embolden her quest to return to her roots and try to reconnect with her original tradition and heritage.

History unfolds

"Some of my young peers felt like I'm putting up a show. They thought like I'm not qualified to have a conversation with myself of going back to find my roots. They believe only African diasporas do such things."

This journey of reidentification is what resulted to her realization that Ngonnso -- "the founder of Nso community" was not in her rightful place.

When she was told the history of the events that unfolded before the statue was taken from the Nso people, she felt disturbed and developed a steadfast commitment to lead the quest of its restitution.

"Ngonnso was stolen from the palace, in violent expedition, the palace where it used to sit, was razed down by the German colonialists. There is no way it can continue being away from its rightful place," she said.

"I remember promising my grandfather that I will ensure that we BringBackNgonnso. He also wanted to see Ngonnso back. Unfortunately my old man died before this could happen," she said introspectively.

Tapping into social media's power

Njobati embarked on a strategic approach that involved rallying masses on social media to pay attention to the importance of restitution.

Especially, the campaign to #BringBackNgonnso which she has been pushing through Twitter and Facebook.

"Some of my peers thought that this was a waste of time and resources. But I asked myself how many people with the desire to see Ngonnso back to Cameroon will die before her restitution happens," she posed.

Thanks to the campaign, the statue which was placed -- for decades -- under the basement of Humboldt Ethnological Museum, was finally brought up for public display.

Youth involvement in restitution

Njobati's unending resolve brings to the forefront the conversation about young people's involvement in confronting colonial past.

"Restitution of Africa's stolen artefacts is a central part of confronting colonial past. The young people should be key stakeholders in this conversation," she charged.

Restitution seems a complex and non-interesting topic for average young African person.

This is in consideration of the multiple challenges that affect them like unemployment to mention the least.

However, according to Njobati, a true African rebirth will only be realized "when the youth get reconnected with their true heritage" and confronting colonial past is part of it.

Why restitution now?

Germany has agreed toreturn a trove of looted African colonial artifacts.

According to Njobati, the successful quest she led that began the restitution process of Ngonnso should be an encouragement to other young Africans.

"For us it's Ngonnso, a sacred statue, but there are thousands of stolen African artifacts still being displayed in multiple European museums. We, the youth, should lead the quest of bringing them back," she told DW.

"I'm always asked why is it important to have the objects back, for me it's about the principle of justice. Africa has suffered colonial crimes for a long time. We must deal with these issue if we want to remain true to confronting colonial past," she further added.

According to the 31-year-old restitution activist, "continued display of the artifacts at European museums is disrespectful and a simple a show of power."

She further adds that "it demonstrates that the colonialists came, conquered African nations, took they their integral heritage some with spiritual significance, and are holding them captive at museums" to amplify the message.

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What's next for Ngonnso?

The Prussian Cultural Heritage foundation is now set to hold further talks with Nso people's representatives on how Ngonnso will arrive in back in Cameroon.

Njobati is part of this talks. She now further believes this successful quest has opened possibilities of calling for the other thousands of objects being held at varied European museums.

"The quest that began with the need of bring back Ngonnso will now advance to a quest to take back all the heritage that belongs to the African continent," she said.

"My intention is to rally young people, historians, researchers in a bid to have what is rightful ours brought back. This is our heritage. Let the artifacts be brought back to us."

Speaking to DW Prussian Cultural Heritage foundation president Hermann Parzinger said that objects that were not necessarily looted "should also be repatriated."

"We are open to restitution and after the due diligence is followed we are obliged to return .... In every restitution process we must get a claim and we access them diligently and independently," Paringer added.

Edited by: Keith Walker
(Newser)  If you happened across some of Anna Weyant's paintings in the summer of 2019, displayed on a beach towel at a Hamptons art fair and going for about $400 each, it would have been a wise investment to scoop one up. Because as the Wall Street Journal explains in a profile, the 27-year-old Weyant is currently one of the fast-rising stars in the art world. Her paintingsincluding "Summertime," which you can see herenow sell for north of $1 million at Christie's and Sotheby's. As Kelly Crow of the Journal writes: Weyant "is now internationally coveted for her paintings of vulnerable girls and mischievous women in sharply lit, old-master hues." Or this shortcut: "Imagine Botticelli as a millennial." The waiting list to buy one of her paintings is about 200 names long.

The story traces Weyant's rise: The native of Calgary, Canada, grew up with little interest in painting, but gravitated to the medium at the Rhode Island School of Design. Feeling vulnerable and scared in her new country, Weyant painted vulnerable and scared women and girls. Upon graduation, she was noticed by the right people on Instagram, including art critic Jerry Saltz, and helped along "by a savvy handful of artists, dealers, and advisers." One aspect of her life "being scrutinized in art circles," writes Crow, is that for the past year she has been dating 77-year-old Larry Gagosion, founder of the influential Gagosian gallery. Amid all the attention, Weyant continues to paint away in her quiet Manhattan apartment. After a big sale at Christie's, "people kept congratulating me, she says, but "all I felt was pressure. (Read the full story, which digs into Weyant's challenge of translating her meteoric rise into a sustained career.)
(Newser)  A Russian airstrike on residential areas killed at least 21 people early Friday near the Ukrainian port of Odesa, authorities reported, a day after the withdrawal of Moscow's forces from an island in the Black Sea had seemed to ease the threat to the city. Video of the attack before daybreak showed the charred ruins of buildings in the small town of Serhiivka, about 31 miles from Odesa. The office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said warplanes fired three missiles that struck an apartment building and a campsite, per the AP. "The occupiers cannot win on the battlefield, so they resort to vile killing of civilians," said Ivan Bakanov, head of Ukraine's security service, the SBU.

Ukrainian authorities interpreted the attack as payback for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Snake Island a day earlier, though Moscow portrayed their departure as a "goodwill gesture" to help unblock exports of grain. Russian forces took control of the island in the opening days of the war in the apparent hope of using it as a staging ground for an assault on Odesa, Ukraine's biggest port and the headquarters of its navy. Ukraine's military reported late Friday on social media that two Russian Su-30 warplanes bombed Snake Island with phosphorus bombs. Black-and-white aerial video showed two blasts hitting the island. The warplanes reportedly struck from the east, from Belbek, on the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula. The Russian military didn't immediately comment.

Early in the war, the island became a symbol of Ukrainian defiance. When a Russian warship demanded that its defenders surrender, they supposedly replied: "Go [expletive] yourself." Large numbers of civilians were killed in Russian bombardments earlier in the war, including at a hospital, a theater used as a shelter, and a train station. Until this week, mass casualties involving residents appeared to become less frequent as Moscow concentrated on capturing eastern Ukraine's Donbas region. Russian missiles struck the Kyiv region last weekend after weeks of relative calm around the capital, and an airstrike Monday on a shopping mall in the central city of Kremenchuk killed at least 19 people. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated claims that Moscow isn't targeting residential areas.

(Read more Russia-Ukraine conflict stories.)
(Newser)  New York has answered the US Supreme Court's ruling last week that overturned state restrictions on carrying concealed weaponsa law that had been in place for more than a century. "I just signed a new law to keep New Yorkers safe," Gov. Kathy Hochul tweeted after signing the measure Friday night, "even in the face of a monumental setback from the Supreme Court." The Democrat had summoned lawmakers to a special session on Thursday who quickly agreed on the wording and won approval of the measure in both houses on Friday, CNN reports. Republicans were critical of the fast passage.

The newly approved law forbids people to carry firearms in schools, parks, libraries, government buildings, mass transit, and other sites considered "sensitive places," per WHAM. Health care facilities and places of worship also are included. In addition, New Yorkers are prohibited from carrying firearms into a business unless it displays a sign saying guns are welcome inside. In a news conference earlier Friday, Hochul said laws like the one the Supreme Court threw out made the state safer. The court, she said, "removed longstanding limitations that we were able to use in the state of New York to make smart decisions on who should have the right to carry a weapon." (Read more gun control stories.)
Nairobi  Deputy President William Ruto has committed to de-politicize and remove weaponisation of the criminal justice system to fight corruption in his administration if he clinches the presidency in August.

The plan is contained in the Kenya Kwanza manifesto which was unveiled on Thursday.

Ruto noted that by doing so, "I will be allowing the relevant institutions to freely exercise the independence given to them by the Constitution."

"We are for completing the implementation of the 2010 Constitution, strengthening the rule of law, increasing access to justice and ensuring respect for human rights," Ruto said.

A majority of Ruto allies have alleged that they have been subjectively and wrongfully targeted by the State in the fight against corruption for the sole reason of their alliance to their party leader.

The leaders have been insistent that many government institutions especially those mandated to fight corruption have been compromised by the Executive.

The war against corruption continues to be a hot potato in the political scene ahead of the August high-stake polls which is 38 days away.

In his administration, Ruto also committed to grant financial independence to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the police to prevent their reliance on the Office of the President.

Whereas the Judiciary remains a very significant player in the war against graft, Ruto has promised to entrench its independence by operationalizing the Judiciary Fund.

Ruto has often been accused by his opponents of being corrupt and tainted and unfit to run for Presidency.

A defiant Ruto has however on numerous occasions dismissed the allegations and challenged them to table evidence.

Ruto will face off with three other candidates including Azimio La Umoja Presidential candidate Raila Odinga, George Wajackoyah of Roots Party and David Mwaure of Agano Party.
(Newser)  The schools police chief blamed for law enforcement's handling of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School says he's resigning from his new position on the Uvalde City Council. Pete Arredondo was elected May 7 and sworn in to office a week after 19 students and two teachers were shot to death May 24 at the school. "After much consideration, I regret to inform those who voted for me that I have decided to step down as a member of the city council for District 3," Arredondo told the Uvalde Leader-News. "The mayor, the city council, and the city staff must continue to move forward without distractions. I feel this is the best decision for Uvalde."

The top Texas police official has said Arredondo was the law enforcement officer most responsible for the much-criticized response to the gunman, per the Texas Tribune. Arrendondo, who has been placed on administrative leave by the school district, has said he didn't consider himself in charge of the scene. He took the oath of office for his council post in secret and has yet to attend a meeting, after the council turned down his request for a leave of absence. The city charter says the council can consider members who miss three straight meetings to have vacated their seat, per the Leader-News.

City officials said they'll decide what to do about the opening once they have confirmation of Arredondo's resignation, per NBC News. As of Saturday, they said they hadn't heard from him. Neither Arredondo's lawyer nor a school district spokesperson could be reached to comment on whether he plans to resign as police chief. That job pays about $90,000, a Texas salary study shows, more than the Uvalde County sheriff or city police chief make. (Read more Pete Arredondo stories.)
(Newser)  The Texas Supreme Court has blocked an order that had briefly allowed some clinics to resume abortions in the state, the latest development in legal scrambles across the US since Roe v. Wade was overturned. The court on Friday night stopped a three-day-old order by a Houston judge who said clinics could resume abortions up to six weeks into pregnancy. The practical impact of the decision was difficult to measure at the start of the holiday weekend, the AP reports. Planned Parenthood's affiliates in Texas had not resumed abortion services even after the restraining order was put in place Tuesday.

Whole Womans Health, which has four Texas clinics, had said it would start working through a waiting list and resume abortion services, but that was before the Supreme Court intervened at the request of Attorney General Ken Paxton. No one at Whole Woman's Health could immediately be reached for comment Saturday. At issue is a long-dormant 1925 criminal law that targets individuals who perform abortions. Clinics had argued that it was invalid after abortion became a constitutional right across the US in 1973. The US Supreme Court, however, struck down the landmark Roe decision June 24, leaving abortion policy to states.

"Pro-life victory! ... Litigation continues, but I'll keep winning for Texas's unborn babies," Paxton, a Republican, said on Twitter. Separately, Texas has a 2021 law that was designed to ban abortion in the event that Roe were overturned. It takes effect in the weeks ahead. The ruling Friday does not allow prosecutors to bring criminal cases against abortion providers, per the Texas Tribune, but it does mean anyone who helps another obtain an abortion could face fines and lawsuits.

(Read more anti-abortion laws stories.)
(Newser)  Google has announced that it will remove users location history entries soon after they visit an abortion provider, after facing pressure over fears the information could be used in prosecutions. An executive detailed the privacy change in a blog post Friday, the Hill reports, saying it will take effect in the coming weeks and apply to other places, as well. "Some of the places people visitincluding medical facilities like counseling centers, domestic violence shelters, abortion clinics, fertility centers, addiction treatment facilities, weight loss clinics, cosmetic surgery clinics, and otherscan be particularly personal," Jen Fitzpatrick wrote.

Anticipating the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade, a group of Democrats wrote to Google in May asking the search engine to stop collecting and preserving data on users locations, fearing prosecutors enforcing abortion bans will seek it. Even before the ruling, the company was receiving hundreds of search warrants daily, per the Washington Post, and turning over users' emails, location data, and documents parked in the cloud. Users also are able to edit their own location histories, per the AP. Other tech companies face similar questions. A period tracker announced this week it now allows personal information to be removed in the app. (Read more Google stories.)
From the Alaska Post  Every senior leader I have heard speak about living the Army values and the Warrior ethos almost always highlights that developing and maintaining positive healthy relationships with family, friends, loved ones, faith communities, leaders, etc. is foundational.
Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers. High 61F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Cloudy with rain developing after midnight. Low 48F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

The decision by the European Union to recognise the COVID-19 certificates issued by Bahrain reflects their confidence in the health system of Bahrain, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday.

The mutual recognition reflects the international confidence in the health system of Bahrain and the measures it took to address COVID-19 following the highest international standards, the ministry said.

These are result of the efforts of Team Bahrain, led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, the statement stressed. The decision allows Bahrain and the European Union countries of their mutual recognition of digital certificates related to vaccination, examination and recovery from COVID-19, as well as their acceptance of all travellers coming from both sides as of July 1, 2022.

The foreign ministry explained that the approval of the request came after confirming the readiness of Be Aware Bahrain and its compliance with the international technical standards in ensuring the validity and safety of official certificates.

The European Commissioner for Justice Affairs, Didier Reynders, welcomed the accession of Bahrain to the European Union system linked to 75 countries. The Commission of the European Union has announced that it has decided to recognise the COVID-19 certificates issued by Bahrain, Ecuador, Korea, Kosovo, and Madagascar.

The European Union mission of Bahrain praised this step, which would facilitate travel procedures, as the European Union extended the use of digital COVID-19 certificates until the end of June next year.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Manama Souq Development Committee (MSDC) discussed its revival plans during a meeting held by Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority.

The meeting showcased diverse efforts to revive the market's tourism, heritage, commercial, and social status as one of the region's most significant markets.

BTEA Chief Executive Officer Dr Nasser Qaedi unveiled plans to implement the overall development of the Manama Souq in cooperation with the committee and other relevant authorities.

He commended the committee members, praising their support to the authority.

BTEA is keen to continue conducting several events in the Manama market. Building on the success of the authority's recent market events, including Bab Al Bahrain fashion show, and the Manama Gold Festival, which featured more than 150 stores and generated sales of more than 1 million dinars among other events. Dr Qaedi said.

He noted the success of the Manama Souq Tours programme as well as the high turnout from tourists and visitors to participate in these tours, stressing the authority's ambition to increase the number of such tours and expand their itinerary to include more heritage landmarks and recreational activities.

Dr Qaedi addressed several initiatives that BTEA is devoted to putting into action in the market, including Bahrain Design Week and tenders for the renovation of historic cafes and public spaces.

He emphasized plans to complete a sizable percentage of this development process before the start of next winter when the Manama market is experiencing an increase in visitors.
The business side of the media in its entirety has been challenging and threatening as far as sustainability is concerned. Many studies have pointed out the poor state of the media economy in Liberia, worsened by COVID-19.

Advertisements or commercials, as traditional media lifeblood, have failed significantly due to several factors, including the broad-based advantage of social media and the tight national economy. Media managers struggle daily to uphold the tenets of independent reporting, at the same time, to satisfy the business nature of the media. They do have daunting tasks, but "heavy is the head that wears the crown," Shakespeare would say.

With the second post-war presidential elections featuring an incumbent underway in 15 months, the media, like all relevant sectors to these elections, should be assessing their capacity for independent coverage. Do media entities have the moral and logistical capacity to play independent reporting roles in such elections, previewed as competitive between "fragmented opposition and ambitious incumbent government"?

Already Liberia experiences a swelling media climate, challenged by increasing political ownership and influence. The few independent media outlets are accessing limited resources to keep up integrity in practice. Government remains the biggest advertisers, but decides where to direct their advertisement contracts. Critical and independent outlets expect less or no contract from the government. Even media outlets that receive frequent advertisement support from the government suffered delayed payments. So, the ground is hard for all.

Notably, social media have presented a huge advertising advantage to advertisers with or without huge cost associated. Most job vacancies are placed online, using Facebook and websites. Print media advantage or readers re-reading content is even advanced on the new media. Arguably, the readership and viewership turns out higher than we can imagine in traditional media.

Considering the contemporary media environment and its associated challenges, one could assume that poverty is surmounting Journalism; thereby exposing the discipline to high attrition rate and likely ethical weaknesses. Despite the growing challenges that confront independent and viable press, Liberia's democracy still needs the robust traditional press.

The 2023 general and presidential elections may elevate and demand the significance of independent reporting. One would argue in favor of such prepositions, because pre-election activities and mindset that politicians take to elections could necessitate a non-partisan kind of Journalism that upgrades integrity in the process.

Strengthening the field of Journalism, whether at commercial and community levels, there is a need for all actors in the profession to succumb themselves to reform -- a paradigm shift from doing media business as usual. The media need to recognize that in addition to its mission to Journalism, they are also business organizations that need to exist within the business qualities or attributes in the context of a tough economy like ours.

As a business, media houses need to have strategic projections that cover their goal, their mission, business plan including financial projections/budgeting. It is interesting to note that many media outlets, commercial or community radio, operate shooting in the dark -- no vision. This does not come as an intentional condemnation to the media, but a wakeup call for reform and strategic thinking.

Thanks to Liberia's media development partners such as Internews, USAID, the Swedish Embassy, among others. These donors are funding and guiding strategic media management and sustainability directions, but all they do is always temporary as in projects. The Liberian media themselves should preserve and practice the value of strategic planning and robust marketing which go beyond rate sheet driven marketing.

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Relative to 2023 Elections, Liberian politicians have demonstrated their proof of political strength by cash inducement. With no fear, many have gone on campaign tours with bags of money for voters. If cash is dished out in the open for voters, what more could you imagine that may change hands for reporting favor to struggling media practitioners and entities that may be pressed and tempted to take gifts for survival, even for a short while?

Media fundraising, advancing a new approach to marketing, is the way out to upholding institutional and individual integrity. Payrolls are either non-existent or too pintsized to sustain the workers and the quality they are required to bring to their institutions and profession. A media business conference to begin dialogue on crucial financial capacity issues for the purpose of improving the economic state of the Liberia media seems to be pressing and helpful to save the day. To fight corruption in government, the media need to fight poverty.
KDDI Corp, one of Japan's top three carriers, said Saturday its mobile customers have been facing difficulties making calls and getting online for over half a day, with the disruption of its nationwide networks also impacting services from banking and transmission of weather data to parcel deliveries.

The au mobile brand operator said work to restore the networks continues after the disruption began at around 1:35 a.m., but no time frame for a resumption of services has been provided.

The trouble, which the company said is due to a failure with its voice call system, has also affected its low-cost UQ Mobile brand and its lower-priced "povo" wireless customers, as well as other firms using KDDI's networks.

KDDI apologized and said it is still investigating the number of users who complained about being inconvenienced. As of March, its infrastructure has around 62 million mobile subscriptions, with individual contracts for the au, UQ Mobile and povo brands accounting for about 31 million users.

The communications ministry has yet to classify the disruption as a "serious incident." Japan's telecommunications business law stipulates that the government can apply the label requiring a report on the issue's cause within 30 days if 30,000 people or more cannot dial emergency numbers such as 110 or 119 for an hour or longer.

Users of Rakuten Mobile Inc and Jcom Co's low-cost mobile services have also been affected as their services use KDDI's lines.
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ALBANY, N.Y. (AP)  New York lawmakers approved a sweeping overhaul Friday of the states handgun licensing rules, seeking to preserve some limits on firearms after the Supreme Court ruled that most people have a right to carry a handgun for personal protection.

The measure, signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul after passing both chambers by wide margins, is almost sure to draw more legal challenges from gun rights advocates who say the state is still putting too many restrictions on who can get guns and where they can carry them.

Hochul, a Democrat, called the Democrat-controlled Legislature back to Albany to work on the law after last weeks high-court ruling overturning the states longstanding licensing restrictions.

Backers said the law, which takes effect Sept. 1, strikes the right balance between complying with the Supreme Courts ruling and keeping weapons out of the hands of people likely to use them recklessly or with criminal intent.

But some Republican lawmakers, opposed to tighter restrictions, argued the law violated the constitutional right to bear arms. They predicted it too would end up being overturned.

Among other things, the states new rules will require people applying for a handgun license to turn over a list of their social media accounts so officials could verify their character and conduct.

Applicants will have to show they have the essential character, temperament and judgment necessary to be entrusted with a weapon and to use it only in a manner that does not endanger oneself and others.

As part of that assessment, applicants have to turn over a list of social media accounts they've maintained in the past three years.

Sometimes, theyre telegraphing their intent to cause harm to others, Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, said at a news conference.

Gun rights advocates and Republican leaders were incensed, saying the legislation not only violated the Second Amendment, but also privacy and free speech rights.

New Yorkers constitutional freedoms were just trampled on," state Republican Chair Nick Langworthy said.

The bill approved by lawmakers doesn't specify whether applicants will be required to provide licensing officers with access to private social media accounts not visible to the general public.

People applying for a license to carry a handgun will also have to provide four character references, take 16 hours of firearms safety training plus two hours of practice at a range, undergo periodic background checks and turn over contact information for their spouse, domestic partner or any other adults living in their household.

Hochul's chief lawyer, Elizabeth Fine, insisted the state was setting out a very clear set of eligibility criteria and noted that the legislation includes an appeals process.

The measure signed into law Friday also fixes a recently passed law that barred sales of some types of bullet-resistant vests to the general public. The previous law inadvertently left out many types of body armor, including the type worn by a gunman who killed 10 Black people in a racist attack on a Buffalo supermarket.

The Supreme Courts ruling last week struck down a 109-year-old state law that required people to demonstrate an unusual threat to their safety to qualify for a license to carry a handgun outside their homes. That restriction generally limited the licenses to people who had worked in law enforcement or had another special need that went beyond routine public safety concerns.

Under the new system, the state won't authorize permits for people with criminal convictions within the past five years for driving while intoxicated, menacing or third-degree assault.

People also won't be allowed to carry firearms at a long list of sensitive places," including New York City's tourist-packed Times Square.

That list also includes schools, universities, government buildings, places where people have gathered for public protests, health care facilities, places of worship, libraries, public playgrounds and parks, day care centers, summer camps, addiction and mental health centers, shelters, public transit, bars, theaters, stadiums, museums, polling places and casinos.

New York will also bar people from bringing guns into any business or workplace unless the owners put up signs saying guns are welcome. People who bring guns into places without such signs could be prosecuted on felony charges.

That's a reverse approach from many other states where businesses that want to keep guns out are usually required to post signs indicating weapons arent allowed.

Gun advocates said the law infringes on rights upheld by the Supreme Court.

Now were going to let the pizzeria owner decide whether or not I can express my constitutional right, said Sen. Andrew Lanza, a Staten Island Republican. This is a disgrace. See you in the courts.

___

Associated Press/Report for America writer Maysoon Khan contributed to this report. Maysoon Khan is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues. Follow Maysoon Khan on Twitter.
VANCOUVER, BC, July 1, 2022 /CNW/ - Modern Plant Based Foods Inc., (CSE: MEAT) ("Modern Plant Based Foods") or (the "Company"), an award-winning plant-based food company is pleased to report that Snacks from the Sun., (SFTS) a portfolio company of Modern Plant-Based Foods has rolled out its vegan, gluten-free sun baked chips into Asia beginning with Southeast Asia after receiving initial order from a supermarket chain based in the Philippines through Global Brand and Export Development LLC, (GSMS LLC). Global Brand and Export Development LLC is a company representing and serving manufacturers, importers, retailers, distributors and consumers, with dedicated sales and expertise with global exports to over 60 countries around the world. They are partnered with KeHE Distributors LLC in the United States; Be Organics Distributors in Chile; International Exports for shipping to Middle East and Africa; BTS Group Trade and Se Logistics through US & Mexico; Delvi Logistics exporting to top supermarkets in Panama; U.S. International Foods for customs clearance to Asia; Smart Mexico distributors servicing the entire country of Mexico; I AM Foods servicing the Caribbean and Central America; and Caribbean Shipping through Florida and Puerto Rico.

GSMS LLC is a sister company to KeHE Distributors, who is currently purchasing and distributing the Snacks from the Sun brand in the United States. KeHE Distributors is one of the nation's top pure play wholesale food distributors with 16 distribution centers across North America. With over 5,500 employees, KeHE represents 8,500 brands and services more than 30,000 natural food stores, chain and independent grocery stores, ecommerce retailers and other specialty product retailers throughout North America.

The supermarket chain purchasing the Snacks from the Sun products is a leading player in the mid-premium supermarket segment of Southeast Asia and is one of the fastest growing supermarket operators. The chain is located in 25 cities and municipalities and growing across the Philippines and continues to banner a global standard in the local supermarket industry. The supermarket chain believes that the Filipinos deserves access to higher quality and healthier foods, such as Snacks from the Sun baked chips.

Snacks from the Sun has received confirmation on initial purchase for its Vegan Sour Cream & Chive, Vegan Nacho, Sweet & Tangy BBQ, Cracked Pepper and Sea Salt, Vegan White Cheddar Puff, Original Sea Salt, for stores in Southeast Asia through GSMS LLC. The purchase orders will be fulfilled from the KeHE warehouses currently managing and storing Snacks from the Sun inventory in the United States, allowing the company to avoid extra fees and overhead in order to facilitate sales.

"This initial interest from one of the most popular health food chains in the Philippines proves demand for our product globally and solidifies our relationship with Global Brand and Exports, allowing easier access to global distributors. We see great potential for products in our portfolio as the demand for better-for-you products continues to rise in countries outside of North America." States Avtar Dhaliwal, Chief Executive Officer of Modern Plant-Based Foods Inc.

About Modern Plant-Based Foods

Modern Plant Based Foods is a Canadian food company based in Vancouver, British Columbia that offers a portfolio of plant-based products including meat and dairy-free alternatives, soups, and vegan snacks. Our products are available at select restaurants and retailers across Canada including our own Modern Wellness Bar located in Vancouver. We take a holistic approach to plant-based living and understand the importance of providing nutritious and sustainable alternatives to consumers without sacrificing taste. We want people to feel good about the food they eat which is why we are deliberate in choosing ingredients free of soy, gluten, nuts, and GMOs. Our mission is to change the way food is produced and consumed for the benefit of people, animals, and the environment by using natural plant-based ingredients.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian securities legislation that are not historical facts. Forward- looking statements involve risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results, performance, prospects, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: the Company and the Company's business and prospects; the Company's objectives, goals or future plans; the Company's sales growth, planned expansion, awareness of the Company's brands, future sales and revenue growth, and the business, operations, management and capitalization of the Company. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic and social uncertainties; local and global market and economic uncertainties arising in respect of the COVID-19 pandemic; litigation, availability of key product ingredients, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; the ability to effectively expand manufacturing and production capacity; the ability to obtain retail partners to distribute Company products, the success of market initiatives and the ability to grow brand awareness; the ability to attract, maintain and expand relationships with key strategic restaurant and food service partners; our ability to predict consumer taste preferences; delay or failure to receive regulatory approvals; the sufficiency of our cash to meet liquidity needs; those additional risks set out in the Company's public documents filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com; and other matters discussed in this news release. Accordingly, the forward-looking statements discussed in this release may not occur and could differ materially as a result of these known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting the Company. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these statements, which only apply 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. Except where required by law, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

SOURCE Modern Plant Based Foods Inc.

For further information: Cassidy McCord, Chief Corporate Officer, [email protected], 604-395-0974
Raut was interrogated by the ED on Friday for ten hours in connection to a money-laundering case involving the Rs 1, 034 crore Patra Chawl property scandal

Sanjay Raut, a Shiv Sena lawmaker, was interrogated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday for ten hours in connection to a money-laundering case involving the Rs 1, 034 crore Patra Chawl property scandal.

Raut claimed to have cooperated completely with the investigation team and provided all the information requested by the ED investigators as he left the ED office following the exhaustive questioning.

In a brief conversation with the media, Raut remarked, I have provided all the information and specifics required for the inquiry. Ive also promised to return and meet their demands if they need any further information.

Raut arrived at the ED office early on Friday morning in response to the second summons that had been issued earlier in the week, followed by a sizable group of supporters and a barrage of attorneys.

ED issued attachment orders on assets allegedly connected to Raut, his wife, and a business colleague in April in relation to the land fraud that was being investigated by the ED.

These included a property of Rs 2 crore owned by Rauts wife Varsha and an additional eight plots of land in Raigad worth Rs 9 crore owned by his accomplice Pravin Raut, who was also detained.
Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde was ousted from his position by Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Friday after he took his place as the next Maharashtra Chief Minister.

Indulging in anti-party actions, Shinde was fired, according to a Shiv Sena statement.

An uprising within the Shiv Sena, led by Shinde, who remained in Guwahati and had the support of other MLAs, was the reason behind the political crisis in Maharashtra. Following the chaos, Wednesday saw Uddhav Thackerays resignation.

Speaking on the swearing-in of Devendra Fadnavis, who was selected as Shindes deputy, and Shinde, who was appointed as the Chief Minister, Thackeray stated, Regarding what transpired yesterday, I had already advised Amit Shah that the Shiv Sena CM should serve for 2.5 years (during Shiv Sena-BJP alliance). There wouldnt have been a Maha Vikas Aghadi if theyd taken these actions earlier.

Shiv Sena leader attacked Shinde, who spearheaded the mutiny against Thackeray that lasted for over a week and ended with Thackeray resigning from office, and said that the new chief minister isnt from his party, as the BJP had intended. He said that he had discussed the division of the Chief Ministerial seat for 2.5 years each with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in 2019.

Earlier on Friday, the former chief minister of Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray, criticized BJP for electing rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde to the position of chief minister. He claimed that if the previous ally partner had agreed to this earlier, there wouldnt be a Maha Vikas Aghadi within the state.
Indian Diplomat in Islamabad was called to a meeting by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who explained that these Indian actions violated international standards

Indian Diplomat in Islamabad was called to a meeting by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who explained that these Indian actions violated international standards, obligations, norms, and the framework for information flow and revealed the alarming rate at which India is closing off space for diverse viewpoints and restricting fundamental freedoms.

It was underlined that the Indian governments recent illegal practice of restricting the internets diplomatic accounts in an effort to silence criticism was a direct violation of both the right to access information and the fundamental freedom of speech.

Indian government has been asked to quickly undo the barring of the Twitter accounts of Pakistans diplomatic missions in India. India must also uphold the established international standards and norms proclaimed by the UN, as well as ensure that basic rights and dissent are respected.

Under the Information Technology Act of 2000, India blocked the official Twitter accounts of various Pakistani diplomatic missions, journalists, and several well-known individuals. India has been charged with trying to silence pluralistic views by Pakistan.

The action came as a part of government campaign against various Pakistani social media accounts and channels for disseminating unreliable and false information.
Modi will attend the BJP's national executive meeting, which will be held at the Hyderabad

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the BJPs national executive meeting, which will be held at the Hyderabad International Convention Center today and tomorrow (July 2 and 3). Prime Minister Narendra Modi is anticipated to arrive in Hyderabad on July 2 and would probably speak at the gathering.

The main topic of discussion during the conference, according to a senior BJP leader, would be the partys growth. They will also talk about locations where more party employees need to be hired, according to sources.

A national executive committee is being conducted in Hyderabad after 18 years. The city has decorations. National leaders, chief ministers, and other officials are touring 119 districts where a sizable public gathering is scheduled for July 3. We anticipate a sizable gathering, stated NV Subhash, a BJP leader in Telangana.

NV Subhash had stated before to PM Modis arrival a day earlier, PM Modi would arrive at Begumpet on Saturday. There will be a free reception for everyone. The Prime Minister will next make his way to Parade Ground, where a sizable demonstration and a public address are planned. These three days will have an influencing effect, causing people to support the BJP.

BJP is using the meeting as a launchpad to seize control of the state. Party has assigned its leaders to the states 119 assemblies for two days to gather feedback and held what it thought would be a significant public gathering on July 3, immediately after finishing the executive meeting.
Regional transport officer for Udaipur, claims that Mohammad Riyaz Attari, the owner of the car, was penalized Rs 1000 for the registration number "2611"

When it was discovered that one of the suspects went over and above to secure the registration number 2611 for his two-wheeler, it served as more evidence of the fanatical anti-India attitude of those suspected of beheading tailor Kanhaiya Lal earlier this week.

Prabhu Lal Bamaniya, the regional transport officer for Udaipur, claims that Mohammad Riyaz Attari, the owner of the car, was penalized Rs 1000 for the registration number 2611, which very probably refers to the day of the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.

According to the police, RJ-27-AS-2611 was the bikes registration number.

Both accused were taken into custody by Rajsamand police after being overpowered by them.

Earlier on June 27, Riyaz and Gaus Mohammad broke into Kanhaiyas tailor shop and hacked him to death for endorsing BJP politician Nupur Sharmas now-suspended offensive remarks against the Prophet Muhammad.

Later, the murderers released a video in which they discussed the crime. They also warned PM Modi and Nupur Sharma for their lives.

NIA has taken over the investigation into the beheading case in Udaipur and has stated that it suspects a terrorist group of being involved.
Atiku Abubakar deployed Adamu Waziri to meet Nyesom Wike, who is on holiday in Turkey, after the governor rebuffed several attempts by the candidate to arrange a meeting between them.

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on Thursday in Turkey refused to grant audience to a former Minister of Police Affairs, Adamu Waziri, who was sent to speak with him by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, those familiar with the matter have told PREMIUM TIMES.

Atiku, our sources said, deployed Mr Waziri to meet Mr Wike, who is on holiday in the Eastern European country, after the governor rebuffed several attempts by the candidate to arrange a meeting between them.

The former vice president has been unable to see Mr Wike since he overlooked him to pick his Delta State counterpart, Ifeanyi Okowa, as his running mate.

Sources said Mr Abubakar had wanted to personally inform Mr Wike that he was not his vice presidential pick before making the public announcement, but the governor left Abuja the night before the announcement, having found out that Atiku had settled for someone else.

The governor has also refused to speak on telephone with Atiku and his emissaries who were trying to have a meeting with him.

Having got wind that Mr Wike was away in Turkey, aides said Atiku deployed the former minister who tracked the governor down to Hilton Conrad Hotel in Istanbul on Thursday.

However, despite the two men running into each other in the lobby of the hotel, Mr Wike declined his request for the two of them to huddle to enable him deliver a message from Atiku.

Mr Waziri was said to have called several friends and some leaders of the PDP in Nigeria on telephone to help persuade Mr Wike to discuss with him, but the governor did not yield.

Contrary to the claim by Mr Waziri on Thursday that he met Mr Wike in Istanbul, aides of the governor insisted that Mr Wike did not grant an audience to the former minister.

Mr Waziri made the claim while debunkinga statement by a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos, Joe Igbokwe, that Mr Wike flew to France to meet the party's presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, who is in that country.

"Governor Wike came directly from Nigeria to Istanbul, Turkey. He did not go to France as speculated. This is to debunk the propaganda of the APC through Igbokwe. This is fake news orchestrated by the sinking ruling party which is on its way out," he said in a telephone chat as reported by Daily Trust newspaper.

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When the newspaper asked him of his mission to Istanbul, he snapped; "What is your business with our mission? We came to rest after our national convention. Of course, as a political animal, I do politics anywhere I find myself."

Speaking in an interview with Arise TV on Wednesday, Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, accused Atiku of not being fair to Mr Wike.

"Atiku should go to him (Wike). Why won't he ignore their calls? Is that not an insult? Wike is a pillar in the party.

"Currently, Nobody in the party has contributed more for the party to move forward than Wike. If Atiku was not going to honour the decision of the committee, he should have called Wike earlier and informed him. He didn't do that. You can't do things anyhow and expect us to be happy," Mr Ortom said.

Mr Wike had been spotted with Abia State governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, in Turkey. Another picture on Thursday showed the two governors and their Oyo State counterpart, Seyi Makinde, together in Turkey.

Mr Waziri's telephone number could not be reached as of the time of this report. Mr Wike did not answer or return multiple calls made to him.
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HAMDEN  Carol May never thought the small nonprofit her husband and his friend thought to launch after a conversation around her kitchen table would last 10 years.

But a decade later, House of Heroes Connecticut branch, a Hamden-based organization that helps veterans with home repairs free of charge, has completed 173 house projects, according to May, who carried on the work after her husband, Bill May, died in 2016 following a battle with cancer.

Bill May was a veteran himself. A Black Hawk maintenance test pilot, he served in the military for 23 years, according to his wife, who said he was on active duty for seven of them and joined the National Guard after moving to Connecticut.

He was so passionate about the military  veterans and service, Carol May said. He always knew that he wanted to do something that would give back.

May remembered how one day in the early 2010s, the couples friend, Steven Cavanaugh, came to the Mays home. He told them he wanted to use his skills as a general contractor to help the community.

A couple of days later, Bill May suggested they focus on veterans, according to Cavanaugh.

Some research turned up a Georgia-based organization called House of Heroes, according to Carol May, who said her husband and Cavanaugh began a Connecticut branch. The group competed their first home repair project in 2012; all their projects are completed in a day.

One of the first veterans to receive assistance from Connecticuts House of Heroes was Jesse Ede. At the time, he was several years out of the military after doing two tours in Iraq, he said, and he was still struggling to adjust to civilian life.

Ede had one child and another on the way, he said. He had just bought his first home.

We were very busy, and we were first-time homebuyers, Ede said. My family didnt own before me.

He knew little about home repairs.

Then he learned about House of Heroes, which sent over Bill May and a group of volunteers to repair Edes house, located in Berlin.

They did hours and hours worth of work that saved me thousands of dollars, Ede said.

For Ede, the experience was not just a practical matter.

Its hard to talk about it without getting all the emotions, he said. It was an overwhelming day, and not in a bad way.

Ede remembered how the workers would not let him help in any way, instead telling him to relax.

And then he got to talk to Bill May.

He was very open and very receptive, said Ede. He was just supportive of me and my family.  He was that person that knew how to get along in a civilian world and how to be a veteran at the same time.

Ede was able to share his story with someone who understood it.

Coming back into the civilian world, when youre trained military, youre not trained to be a civilian, said Ede. People dont necessarily know how to listen to veterans so well, and this organization does that.

Seeing a group of people mobilize to help Ede out also meant a lot to the young veteran. It gave him validation that being in the military served a purpose, because theres a good nation that wants to support us and help us.

This phenomenon  that a days worth of home repairs can be deeply moving for the veteran being assisted  is one Carol May also described.

While House of Heroes does almost all of its projects in Connecticut, in 2015 it received a grant from Stanley Black & Decker to do five projects in other states, May said.

One of the clients, a Vietnam veteran living in Indiana, needed significant help with his home, May said, adding that House of Heroes gathered about 200 volunteers to get the job done.

(The veteran) said that this was one of the most important days of his life, even more important than when he came home from Vietnam, May recalled. Just the goodness of everybody being there  was overwhelming to him.

The veteran said no one previously had thanked him for his service due to the controversy over the Vietnam War, according to May. Thats one of the reasons she thinks the House of Heroes project meant so much to him.

Bill May was there that day, performing a small ceremony House of Heroes does for every veteran it serves. He would thank the projects sponsors and tell the veterans story, Carol May said.

Though at that time Bill May already had been diagnosed with cancer, Carol May said, he was determined to see the out-of-state projects through.

When he died in 2016, Carol May and Cavanaugh decided to keep moving forward with the work. May currently serves as the organizations executive director, while Cavanaugh serves as its president.

While they started with a trailer and a small storage unit, Carol May said, they now have an office in Hamden, a cadre of tools and a truck.

Thanks to a new partnership with the Connecticut carpenters union, Cavanaugh said, the nonprofit can do more than before. He hopes eventually to set up a leadership team in all of Connecticuts counties so that House of Heroes can complete eight projects each Saturday.

On Memorial Day weekend, which marked 10 years since the groups first home repair, House of Heroes completed five projects, Cavanaugh said.

One of the veterans they served was 91-year-old North Haven resident Frederick Lubenow.

House of Heroes enlarged Lubenows bedroom door so that his wheelchair could fit through, Lubenow said. They also did a significant amount of work in his yard and power-washed his house, he said.

Since then, Lubenow said, neighbors have told him how good his yard looks.

The day was very good, he said. They really did a great job.

meghan.friedmann@hearstmediact.com
Ned Gerard / Hearst Connecticut Media

BRIDGEPORT  A Hartford man pleaded guilty in federal court to illegally possessing a handgun, according to the U.S. Attorneys office.

Eric White, 31, of Hartford, faces up to 10 years in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 30, U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery said in a news release.
At a handful of mostly small, private Connecticut schools, theres been a sharp increase in the number of students receiving exemptions from vaccination requirements based on claims doing so would conflict with their religious beliefs, according to new state data, prompting concern among some health experts.

The rise in religious exemptions at some K-12 schools comes as a state law is due to fully take hold in September, eliminating the right for all future students to cite their faith as an acceptable reason to bypass state-mandated vaccines.

Those required vaccines protect against a variety of long standing diseases such as polio, measles, and tetanus. COVID-19 vaccines are not required in Connecticut schools.

At Torrington Christian Academy, which enrolled 88 students in the 2020-2021 year, religious exemptions tripled between 2019 and 2020 and the school now has the second-highest rate of students with a religious exemption to vaccines.

A spokeswoman for the school attributed the spike in religious exemptions to a strong increase in parents filing for them ahead of the laws passage.

Many of them expressed wanting to have an exemption on file if there happened to be a vaccine put on the schedule at some point down the road that they weren't in agreement with religiously, she said.

But, she said, that does not mean people actually opted out of vaccines, and those families were/are up-to-date on their vaccines.

Dr. John Schreiber, medical director of infection control at Connecticut Childrens Medical Center in Hartford, said while religious beliefs should be respected, strong vaccine requirements are important to maintain public health. Schools with high numbers of religious exemptions could be putting their population in harms way.

High percentages of students without the required vaccines puts schools at risk for an outbreak, he said.

In April 2021, Connecticut became the sixth state to ban exemptions to vaccines in schools on religious grounds, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

For children in kindergarten through 12th grade, a religious exemption will remain valid for the rest of their time in Connecticut schools provided that the exemption was filed by April 27, 2021. However, religious exemptions for pre-K students will no longer be valid beginning Sept. 1 of this year.

All students can still receive exemptions for medical reasons. When they banned religious exemptions, state lawmakers took steps to make it easier for families to receive medical exemptions.

A lawsuit filed against the state and several school boards in federal court seeking to restore the right to religious exemptions failed in January. Since then, other challenges have been filed. In one lawsuit filed in April, the plaintiffs objected to the use of cell lines from aborted fetuses used in the development of some vaccines.

Overall, among the approximately 1,300 schools statewide, religious exemptions to school-mandated vaccines remain relatively rare, though they have increased modestly over the past several years, from 1.4 percent in 2012 to 2.3 percent of students in 2020, according to data from the Department of Public Health. The number of faith-based waivers peaked in 2018 at 2.5 percent. The national average stands at 1.9 percent, according to the Department of Public Health.

At some schools, there were dramatic increases in students with religious exemptions between the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years, the most recent years of data available.

At Heritage Baptist Academy in Wallingford, which enrolled 65 students in 2020-2021, 79 percent of students claimed a religious exemption to state-mandated vaccines, up from just 2 percent the year before. A representative for the school, which had the highest exemption rate in the state in 2020-21, declined to comment.

No other school saw such a significant increase in the percentage of students with waivers.

Officials at other Connecticut schools that saw significant increases in religious exemptions  including Hartford Seventh Day Adventist, Central Christian Academy and Midstate Christian Academy  did not respond to requests for comment last week.

Those schools are among two dozen which have rates of students with religious exemptions higher than 10 percent. All but one are private schools, and all are small.

At Housatonic Valley School in Newtown, which had the highest exemption rate in 2019 and the third-highest in 2020, Christina Dixcy, the schools communications director, said she cant speculate as to why parents chose to vaccinate or not.

Nearly half of students at Housatonic Valley School claim a religious exemption, a slightly lower figure than the year before. Dixcy said the school would follow public health guidelines in the event of a disease outbreak.

All parents enrolling at any school in CT for the first time will learn that vaccines are required unless they already had a valid exemption on file so it will affect all schools, not just ours, she said. Were we ever to have an outbreak detected at school for a vaccine-preventable illness, unvaccinated children would need to stay home in quarantine during the incubation period for that disease.

Eric Scoville, a spokesman for the state Department of Education, said the agency does not oversee private schools, and he pointed out overall religious exemptions are in the single digits. In 2020-2021, 146 schools had no religious exemptions at all.

We have provided guidance for schools (including non-public schools) regarding the immunization schedules and the change in the law, he said. We will be issuing additional communication this summer to schools.

Data from the state Department of Public Health shows the percent of schoolchildren who received state-mandated vaccines dropped during COVID-19, following years of steady decline. Experts and state education officials attributed the drop in immunizations to difficulty in securing medical appointments and growing vaccine hesitancy.

Overall, the rate of vaccination against those several diseases hovered between 95 percent and 96 percent for the 2020-2021 school year depending on the vaccine, down by as much as a point compared to the school year before the pandemic began, and a decline from a high of 97 percent during the 2012-13 school year, the earliest year for which data is available.

Experts say even such modest declines in vaccination rates are cause for concern.

In a statement, Chris Boyle, spokesman for the Department of Public Health, said because the law has been on the books for over a year, the department is not making special efforts to communicate with schools or parents where religious exemption rates are high.

We expect all children to be properly vaccinated in order to enter school as required, he said. This is the same requirement as in previous years, and we have no reason to believe that this coming year will be any different.
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WILTON  Some renters in town say they are facing increases as much as $650 per month lease-over-lease or nearly $8,000 a year.

For some, its forcing them to leave Wilton for places where there are more affordable housing options. Some say the rising rents are turning away young families and professionals  key demographics the town's Wilton Center master plan process aims to attract.

Hearst Connecticut Media Group interviewed a number of renters in town who say they are frustrated with the increasing costs to live in Wilton and the limited number of non-single family housing options. The renters interviewed declined to have their names published because they feared retribution from their property management or landlords.

According to the towns affordable housing plan, 41 percent of Wilton renters are considered cost-burdened, which means at least 30 percent of their annual income goes toward housing.

Officials are looking to address this in town and across Connecticut, where it is also an issue, though vary on the approach and whether to create a commission to address concerns about high rent hikes on top of increasing the housing stock.

Feeling squeezed out

One resident raised concerns they would have to move their family and children outside of Wilton due to price hikes while others question how they would afford their next lease increase, calling it absurd.

Avalon Bay, which owns and operates Avalon Wilton on River Road, and Lincoln Apartments, which owns and operates White Oaks on Danbury Road, have not responded to inquiries on lease pricing trends in their regional properties.

I think that everybody wants their grandkids and their kids to be able to come back to this state and start a career here, start a small business here, start a family here and maybe before they can afford one of the big single-family homes in town, said state Sen. Will Haskell, who also rents. And I think that everybody wants their grandparents to be able to retire here, to downsize from their big single-family home without having to abandon the community where they built their lives.

He also believes those who work in town  including teachers, firefighters and police officers  should be able to afford to live in the communities in which they serve, whether it be Wilton, New Canaan or Ridgefield.

Some renters have come forward and said the rent is currently untenable for young families looking to have their children attend the highly sought-after school district. Some, though, are grinning and bearing it to be able to keep children in the schools and in the community they so deeply admire.

According to United Way of Connecticut, a nonprofit that provides residents with information and connection to services, there were 53 calls related to housing from Wilton residents between June 21, 2021 and June 21, 2022 in the Town of Wilton.

Haskell said these concerns have been addressed this year at a state level, but dont directly impact Wilton, yet.

Fair Rent Commission

Legislators voted in April to mandate all towns and cities over a population of 25,000 institute a fair rent commission for renters citing these kinds of issues. This directly impacts 45 communities in the state.

Although Wiltons population falls under 19,000, according to Connecticut General Statue 7-148b, any municipality has the authority to establish a fair rent commission by an act of the city or towns legislative body. That commission would then have the authority to receive and investigate rent complaints, issue subpoenas, hold hearings and order landlords to reduce rents for justifiable reasons.

First Selectwoman Lynne Vanderslice said that would have to be something that was brought to the selectmen and, eventually, a town vote. However, she said she is unlikely to bring that to the board. The focus for the town, she said, is bringing in more development to provide more units and a diversity of housing options.

Right now, what we are doing, we are trying to encourage more diversity of housing in Wilton. I think putting something like this in place would discourage investment in Wilton, she said. So it wouldnt be consistent with the goals of the community.

Haskell, who voted in favor of this measure, said that if the statute is successful with larger towns, maybe it could be built upon in other communities with smaller populations.

Lack of options & supply issues

Both Vanderslice and Haskell said there need to be more housing options in town, which could in turn help with rent prices due to supply and demand.

In terms of market rate units, theyre exactly that: market rate, Vanderslice said, adding that the town does not play any role besides trying to add to the towns housing stock: both affordable and market rate.

It is important to note that none of the units in question by those residents who have come forward are over affordable housing units. Both Vanderslice and Haskell referenced Wiltons adopted affordable housing plan to help add more, which the latter commended.

The towns Planning and Zoning Commission has approved multifamily developments in the past two years and continues to review new applications. But some residents worry for the interim while those developments are being planned and built. Those who have come forward have cited a lack of other options in town.

Haskell did also agree with Vanderslice that there is an issue of supply in Wilton and across the state.

According to the latest statistics compiled from the U.S. Census Bureau in November 2020 by the National Multifamily Housing Council, Connecticut ranked 26th in the country in total apartment stock. In Wilton, per a study by Partnership for Strong Communities, 8.6 percent of its housing units lie in buildings with 10 or more total units, compared to Fairfield Countys 14.2 percent.

Weve come in dead last when I look at how many units Connecticut has built over the last six years, Haskell said. Because we are not building housing, and because people want to live here, it makes perfect sense that rent is increasing for so many families who can barely afford it.
WAGON MOUND, N. M. (AP)  New Mexico State Police say they suspect alcohol was a factor when a speeding car slammed into a sedan backing out of a driveway late Friday, killing a woman and two children riding with her.

State troopers reported a car driven westbound on State Road 120 in the small northeastern community of Wagon Mound by 22-year-old Jesse Joel Blanco hit the other car around 10:45 p.m. Friday.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, has disclosed that between January and June, the country has recorded a total of 204 suspected Monkeypox, MPX, cases out of which 62 cases were confirmed to be positive.

Disclosing these during a Virtual media dialogue on Monkeypox titled:"Monkeypox Spread, Infodemic and Public Health Response in Nigeria.", the Incident Manager, National Monkeypox Emergency Operations Centre, Dr Lateefat Amao, said between 2017 and June 2022, that about 25 States have recorded cases of Monkeypox in Nigeria.

She said: "Monkeypox is endemic in some of Nigeria. The epidemic has been mostly stable over the last five years since the resurgence. Some progress has been made in improving, prevention, detection and response.

"However, obvious challenges and gaps remain. There is a need for sustained MPX preparedness and response efforts with the support of all stakeholders and partners.

Detailing the sequence of the distribution and test positivity rate of MPX over the last five years, Amao said: "In 2017 there were 198 suspected cases whereas 88 cases were confirmed and test positivity rate, TPR % was 44.4.

"In 2018, suspected cases were 116, 49 confirmed and TPR was 42.2 percent. In 2019, 65 suspected cases, and 47 cases were confirmed and 72.3 TPR per cent. In 2020, there were 35 suspected cases, then eight confirmed cases and 22.8 TPR percent. In 2021, there were 98 suspected cases and 34 confirmed cases then 35.0 TPR percent. Finally, in 2022, 204 suspected cases, then 62 confirmed cases and 30.4 TPR percent."

She noted that the case appeared to have gone up because of great surveillance by the team together with great awareness.

She emphatically pointed out that before 2022, South East, South-South and South-West were the regions where these cases were confirmed but due to great awareness and efforts of the NCDC cases were discovered in the other areas that were under-reported such as Zamfara, Adamawa, Plateau and Taraba.

Meanwhile, the Director-General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control & Prevention, Dr Ifedayo Adetifa, said the dialogue was part of risk communication and infodemic management efforts by the NCDC in collaboration with the World Health Organization, WHO and partners; to strengthen the Monkeypox response in Nigeria while contributing to the global response.

According to him, "Over the last five years, Nigeria has witnessed catastrophic effects of infectious diseases such as Ebola, Lassa fever, Dengue, rabies, yellow fever, COVID-19, and most recently, monkeypox.

"As we continue to ensure that all infectious diseases receive adequate attention using a One-Health approach, we remain grateful to our partners including the WHO-AIRA (Africa Infodemic Response Alliance) and Breakthrough Action Nigeria for the support they provide to institutionalise a system for effective management of infodemics associated with these outbreaks in the country.

"This birthed the National Infodemic Management Team (NIMT) domicile in NCDC that conducts active social and community listening to identify information gaps relating to the monkeypox outbreak, with critical support from partners.

"Since the 1st of January this year, several countries worldwide have been affected by an unprecedented outbreak of monkeypox, leading to over 3,000 laboratory-confirmed and one death from the virus as of 22nd June 2022.

"In Nigeria, we have seen an uptick in MPX cases. If the current trajectory continues or is sustained, we may match or exceed the peak number of cases seen in 2017 when MPX re-emerged.

"However, we believe ongoing efforts to strengthen surveillance, increased awareness from global news headlines and our investments in RCCE have also contributed in part or while to this observed increase in cases. We will continue to monitor the situation even as we sustain ongoing response efforts."

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He noted that prevailing media perception and misinformation on monkeypox has fuelled false narratives about the virus, and the potential risk of discrimination and stigmatisation from this requires urgent social and behaviour change intervention.

He said: "Since its sudden resurgence in 2017, a multi-agency Technical Working Group (TWG) coordinated at the NCDC has led Nigeria's efforts to improve the detection, prevention, and control of monkeypox.

"Importantly, we have gained a better understanding of the epidemiology of the virus to inform preparedness and response in-country.

"This has been achieved through increased surveillance at all levels, strengthened public health laboratory services, training of healthcare workers, development of guidelines on IPC and case management for the disease and other critical areas

"Currently, genomic sequencing is ongoing at NCDC's National Reference Laboratory to identify possible mutations and the epidemiology of the virus," NCDC DG stated.
The Independent National Electoral Commission has said 1,955,657 registered voters are expected to participate in the July 16 Osun governo...

The Independent National Electoral Commission has said 1,955,657 registered voters are expected to participate in the July 16 Osun governorship election.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education, Mr Festus Okoye, said this at a roundtable media executives dialogue on Friday in Osogbo.





Okoye said that 15 political parties would participate in the election in all the 30 local government areas in the state.





According to published particulars by INEC, all of the governorship candidates are males, while six of the deputy governorship candidates are females.

The listed candidates are Adegboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who is the incumbent governor of the state; Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Omigbodun Akinrinola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).





Others include Lasun Yusuff of the Labour Party (LP); Adesuyi Olufemi (ZLP); Adeleke Adedapo (BP); Adebayo Elisha (APP); Awoyemi Lukman (APM); Awojide Segun (AAC); Akinade Ogunbiyi (Accord); Kehinde Atanda (ADP); Rasaq Saliu (NNPP); Ayodele Adedeji of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and Ademola Adeseye of Young Peoples Party (YPP).





He, however, urged media executives in the state to ensure credible and fair reportage during the governorship election.

Okoye, who added that the media is very important to the electoral process, said without the media, the commissions election process and procedures might not get to the electorate and the parties candidates.

We are meeting the media today because they are critical stakeholders in the electoral process.





We appeal to the media to do proper investigation during the election before publishing any report.





Breaking news is good but fact checking is also important for the right information to be sent out, he said.





Okoye said that Bimodal Accreditation System (BVAS) would be used for the authentication and verification of voters.





He also said that the election would be conducted within the ambit of the constitution, electoral act, INECs regulation and guidelines.





Okoye said that the election would be free, fair and transparent.





We have the power to do what is right and we will put everything in place to do that, he said.





Okoye said that INEC Chairman, Prof. Mohamood Yakubu, would be in the state between July 3 and July 7 to oversee preparation for the election.





He added that mock exercise and accreditation with BVAS would be done during the period. (NAN)
Presidential candidate of the Action Alliance (AA), Hamza Al-Mustapha, has insisted he does not have any regrets working with late Head of...

Presidential candidate of the Action Alliance (AA), Hamza Al-Mustapha, has insisted he does not have any regrets working with late Head of State, Sani Abacha.

Al-Mustapha worked as the Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to the late dictator.

Abacha was Nigerias president from 1993 until his sudden death on June 8, 1998.

Speaking on Channels Television on Friday, Al-Mustapha who was accused of plotting at least four coups from prison, insisted that serving Abacha was part of his job description.

I have no regrets. When you join the Military, you should be open-minded to work anywhere.

You can be in the worst part of the country or world. It is my experience.

My personal destiny took me to where I served. Wherever I serve, you will see the distinct difference.

I have done so all my life and career.

I never canvassed to be posted anywhere. They know what they saw in me and posted me to everywhere they took me. And I gave my life and made sacrifices that are indelible in the history of Military.

Al-Mustapha won the AA presidential ticket in June ahead of the 2023 general election.

He won the partys primary with 506 votes, defeating his only opponent, Samson Odupitan
Atiku Abubakar, a presidential aspirant on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has debunked reports that Governor Nyesome Wike ...

Atiku Abubakar, a presidential aspirant on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has debunked reports that Governor Nyesome Wike snubbed his emissary in Turkey.

Reports had emerged that Wike refused to grant audience to a former Minister of Police Affairs, Adamu Waziri who was sent by Atiku.

It was also reported that Wike refused to speak on telephone with Atiku and his emissaries who were trying to have a meeting with him.

This comes amid speculation that Wike might be looking to dump the opposition party, after losing the PDPs presidential ticket to Atiku Abubakar.

Atiku also snubbed Wike for Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state when he picked his running mate.

This has resulted in tension within the leading opposition party.

But, Paul Ibe, Atikus Senior Special Adviser on Media, denied the reports, saying the PDP Presidential candidate did not send any emissary to Turkey.

He assured that all issues with Governor Wike and other aggrieved leaders will be amicably resolved

The report that H.E @atiku sent an emissary who was shunned by Gov Wike is at best hogwash. The @OfficialPDPNig presidential candidate did not send any emissary to Turkey.

Those trying to create a wedge between the leaders do not mean well for the PDP and Nigeria. I wish to assure them that all extant issues with the Rivers State Governor and other aggrieved leaders will be amicably resolved so that the party can focus on booting out the ruinous APC administration and commence the arduous task of reconstructing our nation, he tweeted.
Popular Nollywood actress, Toyin Abraham, is fighting to clear peoples doubt about peace in her marriage.

Popular Nollywood actress, Toyin Abraham, is fighting to clear peoples doubt about peace in her marriage.

Just recently on Twitter, Toyin Abraham had to give it hot to a concerned fan, whose only offence was asking her if all was well in her marriage.

I heard that you are having issues in your family..I was so sad because I really love you and I dont want anything to happen to you the fan, @abolarintemita4 tweeted.

Please stop! I am not having any issues in my marriage, Toyin Abraham answered.

Toyin Abraham may have to do more than denying there is a rift in her marriage, as social media has been trending with gist of how Toyin Abrahams marriage may be the next to crash, just a few days after JJC announced his separation from Funke Akindele, his wife of more than six years.

It all started after popular blogger, Gistlover, reported that Toyin Abrahams husband, Kolawole Ajeyemi has been complaining about Toyins attitude towards him, her refusal to follow him to church and her skipping to sleep at home for a couple of days and lots more.

A blog, Gistlover posted this: Dear Toyin, information reaching Vawulence headquarters be say your marriage has been sha*king all along, no be today the info Dey come, guess your husband got tired and confided in a friend.

No push am out. He said and I quote I have been managing in that marriage.

Prior to when Toyin got pregnant, sometimes she doesnt sleep at home for days, she doesnt take up her responsibilities as a wife, she doesnt even follow them to church and all.

He told his friend that he has just been managing hoping things get better, that some of the post Toyin makes at time calling oloko are apology post stylishly.

He said a lot but in as much as we dont want another loud breakup just like Funke Akindele, Dear Toyin kindly retrace your step. I am not saying make una no debunk oooo,

Na una way. But I said what I said and you both know I am not lying, but it is what it is, the couple goals must keep going but please make it a genuine one, not a patched one.

There is still time for amendments though because Kola said a lot ooo, he was even advising the said friend that no perfect marriage and that they have just been patching theirs too.

I pray It doesnt happen. If it does happen, just know I warned ahead. I come in peace.

Gistlovers crisis claim was, however, debunked by Toyin and her husband, through a press statement released last week, as they both confirmed that their marriage is fine.

The statement read in part: We just saw a report of an untrue and alleged shaky marriage of our talent, Toyin Abraham and her Nollywood star husband, Kola Ajeyemi.

Oftentimes, people say there is no smoke without fire, but this time around we assure all fans of Toyin and Kola Ajeyemi that there was no smoke talk more of fire.

This story is not true. Toyin has not slept out in months except for location or when shes out of town for jobs.

Most often than not, she and her husband holiday together both within and outside Nigeria.
The Nigerian Army has decried the posting of images of the soldiers killed by terrorists in the Ajata-Aboki, Gurmana ward in Shiroro Local...

The Nigerian Army has decried the posting of images of the soldiers killed by terrorists in the Ajata-Aboki, Gurmana ward in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State on Thursday.

The gunmen had attacked a mining site in the area killing over thirty Nigerian soldiers, seven mobile policemen and six civilians, just as scores were wounded and several others abducted.

The Army in a press statement signed by Brigadier General, Onyema Nwachukwu, Director Army Public Relations urged Nigerians to show some restrain in posting such images.

He argued that those who lost their breadwinners deserved to be properly notified of the incident and not to get such information through the media.

Nwachukwu said, some clips of the incident have surfaced online and we wish to encourage well meaning Nigerians to exercise some restraint in posting images of such occurrence, mindful that our brothers and sisters who may have lost their breadwinners deserve to be properly notified and not to get such information via the media. We mention this, mindful of the inalienable rights of citizens to use the social media which is respected.

The Director Army Public Relations explained that the soldiers paid the supreme price on their way to respond to a distress call of an attack on a mining site in the area, when they ran into an ambush staged by the criminal elements.

According to him, the troops of the Nigerian Army (NA) deployed in Shiroro general area responded to a distress call of bandits attack on people operating a mining site. Enroute the location, the troops ran into an ambush staged by the criminal elements. Sadly, a number of personnel paid the supreme price in fierce firefight that ensued.

The statement also stated that the location had been reinforced and troops were on the trail of the criminals with some already neutralized, adding, the GOC 1 Division has moved to the location to take charge of the follow up operations.
Some candidates running for the highest office in the country have reportedly told the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) th...

Some candidates running for the highest office in the country have reportedly told the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that their academic credentials are missing.

According to The Tribune , Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC); Atiku Abubakar, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate; Ifeanyi Okowa, PDP vice-presidential candidate; Sani Yabagi, Action Democratic Party (ADP) presidential candidate; AbdulMalik Ado Ibrahim, Young Progressives Party (YPP) presidential candidate; and Kabiru Masari, placeholder for VP slot of the APC, have all given reasons why they do not have some of their original academic credentials.

BOLA TINUBU

In an affidavit, Tinubu, former governor of Lagos, reportedly said he went into exile during the reign of the late Sani Abacha, former head of state, and at the time he was away from the country his property was looted with his certificates missing.

I went on self-exile from October 1994 to October 1998, when I returned and discovered that all my property, including all the documents relating to my qualifications and my certificates were looted by unknown persons, he was quoted as saying in the affidavit to INEC.

ATIKU ABUBAKAR

The PDP presidential candidate, in an affidavit presented to the electoral commission, reportedly said he wished to be known by his current name because his WAEC certificate carries the name Siddiq Abubakar.

The former vice-president reportedly declared GCE certificate obtained in 1965 and a masters degree obtained in 2021.

ABDULMALIK ADO IBRAHIM

The YPP presidential candidate reportedly said he lost his original B.Sc and diploma certificates.

[I lost my] original BSc certificate issued by American College of Los Angeles, dated 1988; High School Diploma issued to me by Langley High, Norwich, UK dated 1979 and official degree transcript, Ado Ibrahim reportedly said in an affidavit to INEC.

That all efforts made to trace the said documents have proved abortive.

SANI YABAGI

In an affidavit, the ADP standard-bearer reportedly changed the name on his University of Colombia (US) certificate obtained in 1978 from Sani Yusuf to Yabagi Yusuf Sani.

IFEANYI OKOWA

In an affidavit, the PDP vice-presidential candidate reportedly said his WAEC certificate obtained in 1974 is missing.

That I personally enrolled and sat for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) West African School Certificate (WASC) examinations in the year 1974 at Edo College, Benin City, in now Edo state, he was reported to have said in the document.

That I passed the said examinations and was subsequently issued the said certificate therefore. That the original of the said certificate issued to me is now missing, lost and cannot be found.

That I make this oath for the records and do so knowing and believing the same to be true and in accordance with the Oaths Law of the Bendel State as applicable to Delta state.

KABIRU MASARI

Masari, the placeholder for the VP slot of the APC, reportedy said he lost his Katsina teachers college and primary school certificates while in transit in Abuja.

That sometime in January 2021, while in transit within Wuse Area, FCT, Abuja, I discovered that my original Certificate of Occupancy of plot NoKT 17522, GRA Katsina Estate; Certificate of Kaduna State Development Centre from 1994-95; Grade 11 Certificate from Katsina Teachers College from 1979-83 and First Leaving School Leaving School Certificate issued by Masari Primary School Katsina State from 1972-78 got lost, he was reported to have said.

That all efforts made to trace the documents proved abortive hence this affidavit. That this affidavit is required for record purpose and for all authorities and persons concerned to take note.
Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola said the All Progressives Congress (APC) will beat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on July 16. ...

Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola said the All Progressives Congress (APC) will beat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on July 16.

Both parties will go head to head in two weeks in the states governorship election.

Oyetola visited Ila-Orangun in Ila Local Government Area on Friday.

It will take the PDP 30 years to recover from the shock it will receive due to the defeat, he boasted.

Oyetola said his eight years in power as governor is sure with God on my side.

He advised opposition parties to prepare for governance rather than contesting.

The governor, however, appealed to the electorate not to sell their vote.

They will be going about with money, but do not be swayed by their actions.

The APC candidate further described his opponents as opportunists
The camp of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidates running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa, has said the Delta State governor wou...

The camp of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidates running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa, has said the Delta State governor would work with his Rivers State counterpart, Nyesom Wike.

Reports have it that Wike and some PDP chieftains are aggrieved over the choice of Okowa as the partys presidential running mate.

Following his emergence, the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, constituted a committee to select his running mate.

The committee had picked Wike, who came second during the PDP presidential primary election in Abuja.

But, Atiku had ignored the committees recommendation and opted for Okowa as his running mate.

Atikus decision is believed to have aggrieved Wike and other party chieftains.

However, the Delta State Commissioner for Information, Charles Aniagwu, assured that Okowa needs Wikes support ahead of the 2023 presidential election.

Aniagwu assured that Okowa would work with other leaders in the south to get votes for the PDP.

The Commissioner said, Okowa will work with other leaders in the south and across the country to galvanize the voters. He (Okowa) believes that to have an inroad in Rivers State, for example, he will need leaders led by Wike to get the votes.

Okowa will work with Wike very well. Okowa will also reach out to our brothers and sisters in the South-West and in the South-East, which is already happening. The challenge at hand is not a one-man show.

Beyond members of our party, Nigerians believe that the PDP should get it right as the major option for the people ahead of the 2023 general election.
President Muhammadu Buhari has thanked Lisbon city in Portugal for assisting victims of the Russia-Ukraine war. The Nigerian leader ...

President Muhammadu Buhari has thanked Lisbon city in Portugal for assisting victims of the Russia-Ukraine war.

The Nigerian leader met with Fernando Medina, Mayor of Lisbon and City Council Members on Friday.

He expressed gratitude to them for accommodating Nigerians and other nationals fleeing Ukraine.

The President also congratulated Medina and his party on their electoral victory.

Buhari said Lisbon shares a number of similarities with some Nigerian cities such as Lagos, the former capital.

He recalled that Lagos was named Lago de Curamo (Lake of Curamo) by Portuguese explorer Rui de Sequeira during his visit in 1472.

Buhari said Nigeria, like Portugal, has many unique, historic, and cultural assets, as well as a developing hospitality industry, which both countries can exploit.

We are also keen to establish a direct air link between our two countries to further stimulate tourism, people-to-people contact and social, sporting and cultural relations, he noted.

The President invited prospective investors to Nigeria as the next top investment destination.

We are ready to extend our bilateral trade beyond oil and gas, he added.
The soldiers were ambushed by the bandits who invaded the mining site killing several of them.

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday said the attack on security forces in Ajata-Aboki community in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State by terrorists was a direct assault on the Nigerian state which will not go unpunished.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that at least 43 people including 37 security personnel were killed during the attack.

Mr Buhari's media aide, Garba Shehu, in a statement, said the president paid tributes to the security officials who lost their lives during the attack.

"We honour our security forces, and particularly those brave souls who have given their lives fighting against the evil that is terrorism. They constitute the best that Nigeria has to offer and we remember each of them.

"Sadly, Nigeria's fight against terrorism continues. It is a battle that is taking its toll on all of us. But we shall not relent, nor shall we surrender.

"We say it again that we have reduced Boko Haram to a shell of its former self. But terrorists are parasites. They thrive when the world is suffering.

"This atrocity only serves to further strengthen us against them. Nigeria is united in obliterating these demons. Each day we grow closer to that goal. When they lash out during times of global suffering it is the act of a cornered animal, an act of desperation.

"As always, their goal is the same: to sow fear and division amongst us. We will not let them.

"Instead let us pray for the families and loved ones of those who sacrificed their lives in the fight against evil, and let us pray for the safe and speedy return of those abducted. We will do everything possible to ensure their return.

"And to the sadists, I say this: we are coming. No matter what rock you crawl under, what hole you sink into, what lie you hide behind, we are coming and we will find you. Shiroro will see justice. Nigeria will know peace," the president assured in the statement.
A number of children allegedly kidnapped have been discovered in a churchs basement on Friday night in the Valentino Area of Ondo town, hea...





A number of children allegedly kidnapped have been discovered in a churchs basement on Friday night in the Valentino Area of Ondo town, headquarters of Ondo West Local Government Area of Ondo State.





According to information gathered, the kids were allegedly victims of a kidnapping syndicate and kept in the underground of the church.





A source stated that the victims were over 50 when police saved them, adding that the pastor of the church and some members of the church had been detained by the police.





In a widely shared video, the kids were seen being driven to the police station by security operatives in a patrol car.





A voice could be heard saying, There are kidnapped children recovered in the underground cell of a church in Valentino Area of Ondo, in a video that lasts one minute and 40 seconds.





Speaking on the development, SP Funmilayo Odunlami, the state commands Public Relations Officer, confirmed that the victims had been brought to the police headquarters in Akure.





They are transporting the casualties to the headquarters, but Im still unsure of the specifics.





I will provide you with the information as soon as I receive it from the DPO.
Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

Rain this morning with thunderstorms developing for the afternoon. High 76F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Cloudy and damp with rain early...then becoming partly cloudy. Low 66F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
The queen heads, such as the one seen in this picture, are particularly impressive.

The Federal Government says many of the1,130 looted Benin Bronzes to be repatriated to Nigeria from Germany got to German public institutions via trade and donations

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said this on Friday in Berlin during the signing of a historic joint declaration between Nigeria and Germany.

The signing of joint declaration according to the minister, will pave the way for the return of the 1,130 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria,

A statement issued on the ceremony in Berlin made available to newsmen in Abuja, said that Mohammed, and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Zubairu Dada signed for Nigeria.

In the statement signed by Mr Segun Adeyemi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany, Ms Annalena Baerbock, and the Minister of State for Culture and Media, Ms. Claudia Roth, signed for Germany.

Adeyemi is the Special Assistant to the President (Media) Office of the Minister of Information and Culture

As contained in the statement, Mohammed said that Germany did not colonise Nigeria and was not part of the looting of the artefacts.

The minister recalled that the artefacts were looted from the ancient Benin Kingdom during the Benin Expedition of 1897 by the British force.

Mohammed thanked the government and people of Germany for what he described as the "single largest repatriation of artefacts anywhere in the world".

"We also want to most sincerely thank the authorities of the various German regions, cities, museums and institutions that have been working in concert to ensure the manifestation of the history-making event that we are witnessing today.

"By this singular action, Germany has taken the lead in correcting the wrongs of the past," he said.

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The minister said that Germany and the great people of the nation decided it was better to shape the future by correcting the ills of the past.

He said pace-setting action by the Federal Government of Germany would become a harbinger of more repatriation of cultural property to their place of origin.

According to Mohammed, other museums and institutions are expected to take a cue from what Germany has done.

"Germany has gained more friends in Nigeria and all over the world by returning to Nigeria what rightfully belongs to it," he said.

On his part, Dada described Germany as the 'champion of justice and fairness'.

Also Speaking, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany said, "It was wrong to take the (Benin) bronzes. It was wrong to keep them for (125 years). This is the beginning to right the wrong."

According to the statement, in a symbolic gesture signifying the impending return of the artefacts, two of the Benin Bronzes were handed over to Nigeria at the ceremony.

The signing was witnessed by top Nigerian and German government officials, including the Nigerian Ambassador to Germany, Mr. Yusuf Tuggar, and the Director-General of Nigeria's National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Prof. Abba Tijani.
Megan Braden-Perry, center, dressed and ready for a night of music and parties as she stands in the Ace Hotel during Essence Fest in New Orleans on Thursday, June 30, 2022. (Photo by Chris Granger | The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Seasoned restaurateurs know that timing is everything. Byblos partners Tarek Tay, Gabriel Saliba and Hicham Khodr first looked at the Elmwood space that eventually housed Nacho Mamas on Clearview Parkway 15 years ago and had been keeping an eye on the location ever since.

We got distracted with other things and it didnt happen, Tay says. But we kept in touch with the owner and let him know that if he ever was going to leave, to let us know first. The owner did just that mid-pandemic and this time, the moment was right.

Byblos, a Lebanese restaurant named for Salibas home village, will celebrate 28 years on Metairie Road in October. Their 3 of a Kind Restaurant Group has opened and closed a handful of restaurants over the years, and their current holdings include the original location and Byblos Market on Veterans Memorial Boulevard, which opened in 2001 with its casual vibe and stock of Middle Eastern staples.

Byblos What Byblos  Elmwood Where 1000 S. Clearview Parkway, Harahan, (504) 766-9785; byblosrestaurants.com When Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. How Dine-in and outdoor seating available Check it out Lebanese and Mediterranean fare in Elmwood

They opened the 3,200-square-foot Elmwood location in March with combined indoor and outdoor seating for 140. Tay is enthusiastic about it and says the restaurant is exactly the size and location that represents the direction the company is heading.

People want a place they can park easily, take their families without any worries, he says. I have three boys. This is the kind of place I want to be.

Tay wishes the kitchen were a little bigger, but sacrificed that for the spacious bar area, with its lovely Lebanese-inspired yellow stone. Its so pretty, he says.

Executive chef Tiffany Thomas is running the kitchen, bringing experience including five years at Commanders Palace and stops at Jack Rose and Hotel Saint Vincent before taking over the Byblos kitchen in May.

The Elmwood menu is similar to the one from the original location. We took some items, like grape leaves and moussaka, off the menu. Those are high prep items, and this is a bigger and busier restaurant than Metairie Road, Tay says. Im also encouraging chef Tiffany to play around beyond Middle Eastern cuisine to include Mediterranean dishes as specials. France, Italy, Spain are all on the Mediterranean, and in Spains case, that cuisine is very influenced by the Middle East.

For a recent special, Thomas served grilled tuna with grapefruit beurre blanc. It sold like crazy, she says. We are thinking outside the box a little and seeing what our customers want.

The restaurants favorites are undisturbed, including starters like the sumac fried cauliflower, baba ghanoush, spanakopita and hummus. Additions include fried Brussels sprouts with a buttermilk garlic drizzle, smoked trout dip with fried pita wedges, and bacon-wrapped shrimp. A mix of feta, jack and cream cheese are fried in egg roll wrappers and drizzled with pepper jelly. Kebabs, shawarmas, steak frites, rack of lamb and daily fish specials are a few of the main course options.

One side of the restaurant is dominated by a large pizza oven, which produces pita rounds with a sourdough tang to their puffy goodness. Thompson plans to make more use of that oven in the near future, perhaps with flatbreads and roasted seafood.

Although the staff is still growing, the management team is in place, Tay says. The general manager is Jeannette Stansbury, who last managed Katies Restaurant & Bar in Mid-City.

We are surrounded by a concentration of workers, Tay says. River Ridge is close. We draw from the West Bank since were right over the bridge. And were close to Metairie.

Although Elmwood has more than its share of chain restaurants, Tay believes that is going to change. I believe this area is going to be a major draw for local chefs in the next few years, he says.
The Supreme Court this week may have limited the Environmental Protection Agency ability to fight climate change, but the battle will continue on other fronts, the agencys director said during a visit to New Orleans on Friday.

By a 6-3 vote, the Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the Clean Air Act does not give the EPA broad authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants that contribute to global warming.

The decision was extremely disappointing, EPA Director Michael Regan said in an interview at the Loews Hotel. Its a setback, but it did not take away our ability to regulate greenhouse gases. And we are going to regulate, and do it in a way thats impactful.

A majority of court justices ruled that the EPA cannot actually cap emissions under current laws, no matter how beneficial such a move might be.

Capping carbon dioxide emissions at a level that will force a nationwide transition away from the use of coal to generate electricity may be a sensible solution to the crisis of the day,'" Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the decision. But it is not plausible that Congress gave EPA the authority to adopt on its own such a regulatory scheme.

Several power plant operators also applauded the decision this week, saying it would grant them the flexibility to curb emissions on their own timeline while also increasing power grid reliability.

Coal and natural gas plants account for about 30% of the nations carbon dioxide pollution. With the EPA taking a lead role, President Joe Bidens administration had aimed to slash carbon emissions in half by 2030 and eventually steer the power sector toward an emissions-free goal before 2040.

Regan says that goal is still achievable. The EPA is still assessing the full impact of the decision on its ability to regulate power plants, but Regan said the agency can take an even more aggressive approach against other emitters, including vehicles and the oil and gas industry.

Weve already (enacted) the most stringent emission standards on light-duty cars, and were proposing more for heavy duty vehicles, he said. And weve proposed rules for methane emissions for the oil and gas industry that are the most stringent in history.

The agency is also curbing the use of hydrofluorocarbons, the climate-warming chemicals used in air-conditioners and refrigerators.

Regan was in New Orleans for appearances at the Essence Festival of Culture. While musical performers like rapper Nicki Minaj prepped for the festivals Friday night concerts, Regan took part in two afternoon panel discussions about environmental justice and economic development in the Black communities.

The Supreme Court and the members of the Republican party deny science and want us breathing dirty air, drinking dirty water, and they dont care, he said during a gathering of social justice and environmental groups.

Before he was selected the first Black man to lead the EPA, Regan oversaw the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, creating its first environmental justice advisory committee and leading negotiations with energy companies over a toxic coal ash spill in the Dan River.

Regan has shown a keen interest in how pollution is harming Louisianas low-income and Black communities. In November, he toured several parts of the state, stopping in New Orleans to visit Gordon Plaza, a New Orleans subdivision built on top of a toxic landfill, and making stops in St. John the Baptist, St. James, and Calcasieu parishes to hear about air pollution from chemical plants and refineries.

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Air pollution in the states industrial belt, an area between Baton Rouge and New Orleans often referred to as Cancer Alley, is rising while the estimated air quality relative to other states is getting worse, according to a 2019 analysis by ProPublica and The Times-Picayune.

The burden is not being shared evenly. Many of the new chemical plants planned in Louisiana are being built in or near communities that EPA models estimate already have some of the most dangerous air in America. Problems are especially acute in predominantly Black and poor communities, the analysis found.

Louisiana also faces the nations highest rate of land loss, intensifying hurricanes and increasing flood risk from harder rains -- all of which is human-caused climate change.

You in New Orleans are at ground zero, he said. Youre experiencing the climate crisis every day.

The Supreme Court decision didnt address emissions at chemical plants. How it will affect power plants in Louisiana is unclear.

The Supreme Court case, West Virginia v. EPA, that led to this weeks decision began with an Obama administration plan that would have required states to cut emissions from power plants, particularly coal-fired ones.

The plan was blocked by the Supreme Court in 2016 and then repealed by the Trump administration.

Regan noted the court struck down a rule that never actually took place. But it had an impact because power plants began reducing emissions and closing coal plants to get ready for it.

The decision could have been much worse, Regan said. Some legal experts expected the court to go further, possibly limiting the EPAs regulatory authority in several other areas. Had the court taken that approach, it might have revolutionized American administrative law, possibly stripping other federal agencies of regulatory authority and placing it in the hands of Congress.

The court could have taken that step but they chose not to, Regan said. They still could. It still looms out there. But it has not deterred us from taking an aggressive approach to finding climate solutions.
Libyans in several cities took to the streets on Friday to express their anger with the government over power cuts.

Local television stations reported that protesters broke into the building of the parliament in Tobruk and committed acts of vandalism. Images also showed columns of black smoke coming from outside the building.

Security forces protecting the parliament withdrew from the site, Reuters cited an eyewitness as saying.

Libya's parliament, or House of Representatives, has been based in Tobruk, hundreds of kilometers east of the capital, Tripoli, since an east-west split in 2014 after the uprising and western intervention that ousted longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi three years earlier.

A rival body, formally known as the High Council of State, is based in Tripoli.

Protests across the divided country

In Tripoli's Martyrs' Square, several hundred people gathered to shout slogans demanding electricity, criticizing armed factions and politicians and demanding elections in the capital's biggest protests against the ruling elite for years.

Smaller protests of dozens of demonstrators also took place in each of Benghazi and Tobruk and some smaller towns, showing how anger at the situation extends across the geographical divide between the country's rival forces.

Libya has endured several days of power cuts, worsened by the blockade of several oil facilities against the backdrop of political rivalries.

"We want the lights to work," protesters chanted.

Deadlock in Libya

Presidential and parliamentary elections, originally set for December last year, were meant to cap a UN-led peace process following the end of the last major round of violence in 2020.

But the vote never took place due to several contentious candidacies and deep disagreements over the polls' legal basis between rival power centers in the east and west.

The United Nations said on Thursday that talks between the rival Libyan institutions aimed at breaking the deadlock had failed to resolve key differences.

sms, dh/msh (AFP, Reuters)
The U.S. senators describe the state of religious freedom in Nigeria as abysmal and call for its redesignation and a Country of Particular Concern (CPC).

Five American senators have asked the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, to redesignate Nigeria as Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over the deteriorating state of religious freedom in the country.

"Given the abysmal state of religious freedom in Nigeria, it is incumbent upon you to reverse last year's decision and redesignate the country as a CPC. The moment demands that you do so without delay," the senators said in the June 29 memo.

In a memo seen by PREMIUM TIMES, the senators, all Republican, informed Mr Blinken that religious violence and intolerance directed toward Nigerian Christians has worsened in recent years, hence their request.

Apart from attacks on Nigerian Christians, the senators also said, the Nigerian authorities also restrict and "crack down on religious minorities and detain individuals indefinitely on blasphemy-related charges."

The memo was signed by Josh Hawley (Missouri), Marco Rubio (Florida), Mike Brawn (Indiana), Tom Cotton (Arkansas), and James Inhofe (Oklahoma).

In November 2021, PREMIUM TIMES reported that the U.S. government removed Nigeria from its list of countries that violate religious freedom, ignoring the recommendation from the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

"Last year, you inexplicably removed Nigeria's designation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) despite no demonstrable improvement in the country's religious freedom conditions. On the contrary, the situation in Nigeria has grown worse. We previously urged you to immediately reverse your misguided decision, and we write today to renew our call," the memo said.

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The senators cited recent cases of the attack on the St Francis Catholic Church, Owo and the alleged case of blasphemy that led to the burning of Deborah Samuel in Sokoto.

'Muslims, others also persecuted'

According to the memo, Nigeria earns the dubious honour--for the second consecutive year--of being the deadliest country on earth for Christians following an unnamed report that documented more than 4,650 cases of Nigerian Christians who were killed for their faith in 2021.

It added that "not only has the government of Nigeria failed to take meaningful steps to mitigate such violence, Nigerian authorities restrict and crack down on religious minorities and detain individuals indefinitely on blasphemy-related charges."

The senators also expressed concerns that the Nigerian government is failing to protect the religious freedom and basic safety of its Christian citizens.

The memo noted that the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) found that Nigerian government authorities directly participate in the persecution of Christians, Muslims, and even non-theists, most notoriously through arrests and convictions under blasphemy laws.

"Make no mistake: continued enforcement of state-sanctioned blasphemy laws enables the type of deadly violence that killed Deborah Emmanuel Yakubu and so many others," it said.

Chiamaka Okafor is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe.
Residents said cattle herders, who are committed to finding lasting peace with the Dansadau farming communities, played a role in freeing the hostages.

The gunmen who kidnapped three health workers inZamfara State last Saturday along the Gusau Dansadau highway in Maru Local Governmen, have released the hostages.

The bandits, as the gunmen, terrorising the state and the rest of the northwest region, are called by the Nigerian media, also returned a N5 million ransom paid for the release of the health workers.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the gunmen ambushed the health workers including Muhammad Mansur, a medical doctor, in charge of Dansadau General Hospital Dansadau, in the Maru council area.

Mr Mansur, who appears to be surrounded by sympathisers confirmed their release to our reporter in a brief telephone response Friday morning.

The hostages were released Friday morning.

Residents said cattle herders who are committed to a lasting peace with the Dansadau farming communities, intervened and secured the release of the health workers as well as stopping the payment of the N5 million ransom the bandits demanded.

A traditional ruler, Mustapha Umar, said the concerned cattle herders escorted the ransom bearer, Sama'ila Nagogo, to the delivery location and caught the armed bandits, and took them to their superiors.

They (cattle herders) asked them to free the suspects and returned the N5 million ransom which they did, the traditional ruler said.

"The ransom was returned to the owner, Mamman Tsafe, whose children were among the kidnapped victims.

"We learned that the bandits are popular in the area and probably not aware of the peace truce entered between the crop farmers and the cattle herders in the Dansadau Emirate, " the traditional ruler said.

Peace dialogue

The residents of Dansadau had entered a truce last year with cattle herders, including armed bandits, in the district.

The truce was reached after years of tit-for-tat attacks in the area.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how a bandits' kingpin, Ali Kacallah, initiated the peace dialogue when he sent emissaries to the Dansadau community.

Dansadau is about 97 kilometres from Gusau, Zamfara State capital, and is vulnerable to attack by bandits. The area sits at the edge of a forest of ungoverned boundaries with Katsina, Kaduna, Kebbi, and Niger states.

The community realised it could not wait for the government to secure the area and thus agreed to co-habit peacefully with the bandits.
Yaounde, Cameroon  Blind people in Cameroon were protesting this week against job discrimination when according to witnesses, police bundled them up and dumped them outside the city. Despite the alleged abuse, the protests continue.

Scores of blind Cameroonians continued a week-long protest Friday in the capital against job discrimination, despite allegations this week of police abuse.

The visually impaired braved heavy rain Thursday in Yaounde to protest in groups of nine along seven major streets.

They raised their white canes and said the world should know that Cameroon's police abused them every day this week while they were asking the government to provide them with jobs.

Arnaud Djikissi is a spokesperson for the protesters.

He says on day one of the protest on Monday, Cameroon police destroyed their white canes, tore dresses, and arrested and detained blind persons for up to six hours. Djikissi says on Tuesday, while they protested in front of the prime minister's office, his group of more than 60 blind men was again abused by police. He says the police bundled them in buses, dumped blind persons outside of the capital Yaounde, and told the sightless people to find their way back home.

When contacted by VOA, Cameroon police acknowledged clearing the streets of the blind protesters for what they said were illegal protests.

But officials at Yaounde's first central police station would not comment on allegations they drove blind people outside of Yaounde and abandoned them.

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Eyewitnesses told VOA that police dumped the blind protesters in different districts outside of Yaounde, some as far as 30 kilometers away. The protesters had to call family members or appeal for rides from drivers passing by to get home.

Local media reported that blind people on Thursday protested the police abuse in towns including Bamenda, Buea and Mbalmayo.

Tancho Fidel is president of the Bamenda-based Organization for the Realization of an Inclusive Society.

"Blind people in Cameroon are not given jobs," said Fidel. "They are considered as underdogs. When they come out to decry the situation, they are tortured. We want the Cameroon government to consider us as able people and normal human beings."

Cameroon passed a law in 2010 mandating protections for people with disabilities, including the visually impaired.

But blind Cameroonians say most employers ignore the law, which is rarely enforced.

Cameroon's government says there are about 600,000 blind people in the country and more than one million who are visually impaired.
HAMMOND  Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. has prevailed in a legal battle with the county commissioners over the sheriff's authority to independently contract for goods and services relating to the county jail.

The ruling by Lake Superior Judge Stephen Scheele specifically clears the way for Martinez to proceed with a disputed agreement for Correctional Health Indiana Inc. (CHI) to continue providing medical care to inmates at the Lake County Jail.

"The board of commissioners and auditor are directed to process and approve and pay or satisfy purchase orders and/or invoices submitted by the sheriff attendant to the second CHI 2022 contract," the judge ruled.

Martinez said in response: "It is evident from reading the order that Judge Scheele had a very good understanding of the factual and legal issues involved in this matter and agreed with our position that the sheriff of Lake County has full legal authority to enter into contracts to provide medical and other care for inmates in the Lake County Jail."

Attorney Andrew Miroff, representing Martinez, argued a month ago that a state law directing the sheriff to "take care" of jail inmates in his custody gives Martinez express authority to do whatever is required to fulfill that duty.

Scheele agreed.

"The Lake County sheriff, and not the Lake County Board of Commissioners, has the authority to enter into contracts to take care of the Lake County Jail and the prisoners there," the judge said.

Miroff also claimed the money needed to pay the CHI contact was authorized last year by both the Lake County Council and the county commissioners in the annual county budget, giving the sheriff the means to reach an appropriate agreement without having to obtain additional approval from the commissioners.

"Somebody must act, and the duty to act is on the sheriff," Miroff said.

Commissioners attorney Mike Limrick countered that if the General Assembly wanted the sheriff to have independent contracting authority it would have used more explicit language than the "take care" clause.

Limrick also pointed out a budget line item is not a requirement for that money to be spent. He said the contracting process is intended to get county taxpayers the best possible goods or services for their money, and allowing a sheriff to sign contracts with no public review or oversight is an open invitation for corruption.

The commissioners filed paperwork Friday seeking to delay implementation of the court's ruling.

They're also expected to seek review of the decision by the Indiana Court of Appeals, or may ask the General Assembly to clarify the statute in its upcoming special session.

"I'm a little bit taken aback by the decision," said Commissioner Mike Repay, D-Hammond. "Now it becomes a point of interest for the other commissioners and sheriffs in the rest of the state."

Records show the commissioners in December declined to approve the sheriff's proposed contract with CHI for 2022 inmate medical services at a cost of $6.1 million, a 5% increase compared to 2021, and 20% more than 2020.

According to court records, Martinez signed the 2022 contract with CHI anyway. But Lake County Auditor John Petalas declined to pay CHI under the sheriffs contract because it wasnt approved by the commissioners.
CROWN POINT  A judge scheduled a trial for a man who was back in court Friday on attempted murder charges following a decision by the Indiana Court of Appeals to reinstate his case.

Jarod D. Johnson, 25, of Gary, was arrested Monday after failing to appear for a court hearing June 24 before Lake Criminal Court Judge Salvador Vasquez.

Johnson initially was charged in Lake Criminal Court in April 2019 in connection with allegations he shot woman in Gary and left her for dead after she refused to tell him, his brother and his mother where to find her relative.

Prosecutors alleged Johnson and his family were trying to find and silence the relative, who was slated to testify against Johnson about his involvement in a 2017 shooting.

The U.S. attorney's office took over prosecution in 2019 of the cases against Jarod Johnson; his brother Jaron D. Johnson, 23; and his mother, Patricia Carrington, 49.

Jaron Johnson and Carrington each pleaded guilty last year in federal court in Hammond. Carrington received 17.5-year sentence in late 2021, and Jaron Johnson received the same sentence in early June.

However, a U.S. District Court jury acquitted Jarod Johnson in March 2021 of kidnapping.

Lake County prosecutors refiled charges against him in April, but they did not include a kidnapping count. Johnson previously pleaded not guilty to attempted murder, aggravated battery, two counts of battery, and intimidation.

Vasquez dismissed the case in July 2021 after finding Indiana's double jeopardy statute barred further prosecution because the state and federal cases were based on the same conduct and circumstances.

The Court of Appeals concluded the state could prosecute Johnson because alleged acts outlined in its latest case were not the same as the alleged acts linked to the federal kidnapping charge.

"In reaching these conclusions, we observe, as did the trial court in its remarks from the bench, that there is scant Indiana case law ... ," the Court of Appeals wrote. "Although both parties cite to several Indiana state cases in support of their appellate arguments, none of the authority cited by either party involves a state prosecution following a federal acquittal on charges pertaining to conduct that occurred on the same day involving the same victim over an approximately two-hour time span."

The Lake County public defender's office asked the Indiana Supreme Court to review the Appeals Court decision, but the high court declined transfer.

Johnson's public defender, Marc Laterzo, asked Vasquez to set a hearing to review his client's bail, which was set at $150,000 surety or $15,000 cash. The judge scheduled the hearing for July 15.

Vasquez also granted Lake County Deputy Prosecutor Tara Villarreal's request to set Johnson's trial for the week of Oct. 24.
CROWN POINT  A judge refused to reduce bail Friday for a man accused of driving with cocaine in his system last year when he caused a crash that killed a 14-year-old girl.

William L. Cromwell, 48, of Cincinnati, was seeking to have his bail reduced from $50,000 surety or $5,000 cash to $25,000 surety or $2,500 cash.

Lake Criminal Court Judge Salvador Vasquez denied Cromwell's request after Lake County Deputy Prosecutor Jacquelyn Altpeter said Cromwell was arrested earlier this year after authorities found him hiding in a home that belonged to his girlfriend, a former Cincinnati councilwoman.

Cromwell made his first court appearance in Lake County in February, following his extradition from Ohio.

Cromwell's girlfriend, Yumorria Laketa Cole, was indicted on obstruction of justice charges, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.

Cromwell's defense attorney, Roseann Ivanovich, said the former councilwoman is the mother of Cromwell's child and her charges were dismissed.

Altpeter said the situation showed Cromwell could be a flight risk.

Vasquez said it was "troublesome" that Cromwell might have known about his warrant but was unwilling to return to Indiana.

According to charging documents, Cromwell had cocaine in his system and a suspended driver's license when he crashed into a car July 27, 2020, on northbound Interstate 65 in Crown Point.

Sage Albert, 14, of Union, Ohio, a passenger in a Honda Fit that had become disabled after hitting a deer, was killed in the crash.

At Altpeter's request, the judge scheduled Cromwell's trial for the week of Oct. 17.
GARY  In February, Mayor Jerome Prince officially tabled plans to locate a trucking facility in the former Ivanhoe school building after over 20 residents spoke out against the development.

Now the second part of the project, locating a similar facility in the former Edison school building, is moving forward.

The contentious project has drawn ample public comment during recent city meetings, including at a Plan Commission public hearing on May 19 and a Planning and Development Committee meeting on June 28.

Djuric, a Hammond-based trucking firm, is looking to relocate to Gary because its current location is being taken over for the South Shore Line's West Lake Corridor project.

Originally, the family-owned business submitted purchase agreements for both Edison, located at 5400 W. Fifth Ave., and Ivanhoe, located at 5700 W. 15th Ave.

The properties still needed to be rezoned from R2 residential to Planned Unit Development. In February, over 90 people attended the virtual Plan Commission public hearing for the rezones.

The Plan Commission voted to table both requests after more than 20 residents spoke in opposition to the project, many citing environmental and safety concerns, as Ivanhoe sits near the West Side Leadership Academy high school.

The purchase agreement for both properties was rescinded and the "Ivanhoe component is off the table," Gary Executive Director of Redevelopment AJ Bytnar said.

Djuric's current plans are to rezone just Edison, turning the vacant school into its corporate headquarters. Some residents still fear Djuric locating in Edison will increase truck traffic and cause air-quality issues, while others say the project will bring much-needed development to the area.

The right location?

Located in Gary's Brunswick neighborhood, the former high school-turned middle school closed in 2003. Councilman Cozey Weatherspoon, D-2nd, whose district encompasses Edison, said the property has become a dumping ground.

"In my opinion to have a company such as Djuric come in and offer what they are offering is a godsend," Weatherspoon said. "We cant wait another 15 years for maybe a shopping area, for maybe a grocery store. ... Brunswick has not seen that kind of development in years."

Various trucking businesses already populate Fifth Avenue, which is why Djuric selected the Edison location, Bytnar said, adding that the city does not "anticipate the retail returning (to Fifth Avenue) in the capacity it was before."

Djuric's project proposal reiterates the fact that they "are not a truck stop." Only Djuric vehicles will be allowed to park at the facility and its trucks will only use dedicated trucking routes.

Djuric hopes to maintain 70% of the Edison school building. The almost 62,000 square-foot structure will include administrative offices, storage and a maintenance shop. Designs for the surrounding property include a parking area, some landscaped greenspace, fencing and security.

Residents who oppose the project have repeatedly asked Djuric to look at less residential locations.

We are not saying you cant come to Gary, we just dont want you there, Brunswick resident LaTasha Hall said during the May 19 public hearing. Its not that we dont want economic change, its that we want the right economic change.

The building design, which will maintain the "historic" look of the school, and the planned landscaping will help beautify the area, showing that "there is an investment there," Bytnar said.

They are a good company," Bytnar said. "They are going to be raising the bar for what other trucking organizations are.

However, during the May 19 meeting, resident Bianca Hall said the project should be "about more than beautifying."

The health impacts of truck emissions have been a top-concern for residents. Djuric Vice President Stevan Djuric said all the company's trucks are certified clean idle, meaning they adhere to California emission laws, which are "the strictest in the country."

The trucks are also all newer models, meaning they are quieter and their engines automatically shut down after five minutes of idling.

I would say that most cars produce more emission issues than our trucks do, Djuric said.

Sitting vacant, Edison "does not add to the citys value, it does not help the people in the community, Bytnar said.

However, the Djuric development would generate real estate taxes for the city and bring more jobs to the area. Djuric plans on adding 44 more employees over the next 10 years with an average wage of $67,000.

A group of local environmentalists called Gary Advocates for Responsible Development, or GARD, believe that the Edison building needs to be removed. GARD recently started an online petition demanding Djuric's rezone be rejected and Edison be demolished.

Djuric Trucking is not asking for any financial incentives from the city. If the Djuric development is successful, Bytnar hopes more companies will be drawn to Gary.

Having investment from employers will lead to more commercial development which will stabilize residential communities, Bytnar said. "This is part of the tapestry we are weaving to revitalize the city.

The Gary City Council will vote on the proposed rezone during its July 5 meeting, which begins at 6 p.m.
Lagos government says that 13 riders and passengers were arrested in the raid.

The Lagos State Task Force team impounded 55 motorcycles in Oshodi during a raid on Friday.

The enforcement team also arrested 13 defaulters including riders and passengers, Jubril Gawat, the state governor's media aide said in a statement.

"The Lagos State Task Force raided okada riders today at Toyota bus stop Oshodi Apapa Expressway and BRT Routes along Abeokuta Expressway," he said.

Mr Gawat said the team will continue to enforce the ban across restricted routes.

Okada ban

Following a mob attack that led to the death of a sound engineer, David Imoh, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu imposed a fresh ban on Okada riders in the state.

The ban restricted Okada riders from plying six local government areas in the state - Eti-Osa, Ikeja, Surulere, Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland, and Apapa and nine local government councils areas.

It is not the first time the government would impose the measure. In January 2020, the government banned the operation of motorcyclists in 15 local councils across the state.
A Valparaiso couple who got lost and separated in a southern Indiana wilderness area were reunited Friday following an extended search by rescue crews.

According to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Jason Craig, 44, and Hannah Daugherty, 36, were hiking together in the Charles C. Deam Wilderness of the Hoosier National Forest when they got badly lost.

Around 6 p.m. Thursday, Craig called Monroe County 911 asking for help. Searchers from the DNR and the Monroe Fire Protection District then set out on foot, all-terrain vehicle and boat hoping to find the couple, the DNR said.

According to the DNR, Craig was located Thursday night near the area of Grubb Ridge Trail, but his wife, Daugherty, was still missing.

The pair had separated when Daugherty became too exhausted to walk and Craig left her to find help, the DNR said.

Ultimately, the search for Daugherty was suspended overnight due to steep terrain and other hazards in the area.

Rescuers, including U.S. Forest Service personnel, began searching again at sunrise Friday and Daugherty was located at 9 a.m., according to the DNR.

The DNR said both hikers were checked out by emergency medical personnel and released.

The Deam Wilderness comprises 12,953 acres of the Hoosier National Forest and features 36 miles of trails for hiking, backpacking, and horse riding near Monroe Lake southeast of Bloomington.
Officials did not say how the people had died, but suggested that the extreme heat had been a cause. San Antonio and other cities across Texas have been experiencing heat in June that is at or near record levels. The temperature on Monday in the city had topped 100 degrees.

Imagine being abandoned inside an 18-wheeler left to die, Representative Tony Gonzales, whose congressional district stretches from the outskirts of San Antonio to the border, wrote on Twitter. Will @AliMayorkas even mention their names? he added, referring to Alejandro Mayorkas, the secretary of homeland security.

A spokesman for the Texas state police referred questions to the San Antonio Police Department, which did not respond to requests for comment. The Department of Homeland Security, was expected to take over the investigation.

The federal agency said in a statement that it was working with state and local authorities to investigate the deaths. Agents from Homeland Security Investigations, a unit specialized in smuggling, was collecting evidence inside the trailer, officials said.

San Antonio is a major transit point for migrants making their way from Texas to places across the United States. Tens of thousands of migrants have passed through the city in recent months, according to immigrant advocates.

For more than a year, Mr. Abbott has poured billions of dollars in state funding into increasing the presence of the Texas State Police and National Guard soldiers at the border. But the effort has been unable to stop the flow of migrants crossing from Mexico either to seek asylum or, in other cases, to evade the authorities and enter the country illegally.
Enshrining the right to abortion in the states constitution will be more onerous. Amending the State Constitution is a yearslong process, which starts with passage by the Legislature. Then, after a general election, another session of the Legislature must pass the amendment before it is presented to voters in a ballot referendum.

But lawmakers took a first step on Friday when the legislature passed the Equal Rights Amendment, which along with guaranteeing rights to abortion and access to contraception, prohibited the government from discriminating against anyone based on a list of qualifications including race, ethnicity, national origin, disability or sex  specifically noting sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and pregnancy on the list of protected conditions.

Some of the protected classes in the language of the measure appeared to anticipate future rulings from the court, which also indicated last week that it might overturn cases that established the right to same-sex marriage, same-sex consensual relations and contraception.

Were playing legislative Whac-a-Mole with the Supreme Court, said Senator Brad Hoylman, a Manhattan Democrat. Any time they come up with a bad idea well counter it with legislation at the state level.

Civil liberties are hanging in the balance, he added.

New York Republicans, who have little sway in either legislative chamber, split over the Equal Rights Amendment, with seven voting in favor and 13 against. But they were united in opposition against the concealed carry bill, saying Democrats had tipped the balance much too heavily in favor of restrictions.

Instead of addressing the root of the problem and holding violent criminals accountable, Albany politicians are preventing law-abiding New Yorkers, who have undergone permit classes, background checks and a licensing process from exercising their constitutional right to keep and bear arms, said Robert Ortt, the Republican leader in the Senate, who is from Western New York.
SAN FRANCISCO  Google said on Friday that it would delete abortion clinic visits from the location history of its users, in the companys first effort to address how it will handle sensitive data in the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.

The location data change will take place in the coming weeks, Jen Fitzpatrick, a Google senior vice president, wrote in a blog post. The policy will also apply to trips to fertility clinics, domestic violence shelters, addiction treatment facilities and other sensitive locations.

Google, which holds reams of intimate information about its billions of users, has come under scrutiny since the Supreme Courts decision last week to strike down Roe v. Wade, eliminating the constitutional right to an abortion after almost 50 years. Some supporters of reproductive rights have pushed people to delete apps that track their menstrual cycles online, while experts said search and location data from companies like Google are more likely to be used as evidence.
State Representative Kevin McDugle, a Republican, said that while he supported the death penalty, he would push to outlaw it if the state executed Mr. Glossip, who he believes is innocent.

If we put Richard Glossip to death, I will fight in this state to abolish the death penalty, simply because the process is not pure, Mr. McDugle, who represents a district outside of Tulsa, said at a news conference last month. He said on Friday that he stood by his promise.

Lawyers for several of the other men on death row say they suffer from severe mental illnesses or have sought to redeem themselves while in prison. The man who is scheduled to be killed first, James A. Coddington, admitted at trial that he had killed a 73-year-old co-worker with a hammer in 1997 when the co-worker, Albert Hale, would not lend him money to buy drugs.

Theres nothing I can do to make up for what I did, Mr. Coddington said at his 2003 trial, according to The Oklahoman.

But his lawyer, Emma Rolls, is arguing that he should not receive the death penalty for his crime, and said in a statement on Friday that Mr. Coddington embodies the principle of redemption.

James is the most deeply and sincerely remorseful client I have ever represented, she said.

Robert Dunham, the director of the Death Penalty Information Center, said it was unusual in recent years for a state to schedule so many executions at once.
Outside experts say election officials already need well over $2 billion just to replace aging voting machines and beef up security against both physical and cyber attacks. And that doesnt include the cost of improvements like high-speed ballot scanners, envelope-opening machines and additional employees that would make counting faster. Some of these ideas are under discussion on Capitol Hill.Elections have always run long because of the days of backstage work, validating tallies and verifying questionable ballots, that has to happen even when winners are declared early.

The public never saw that sausage-making. But now it is causing delays in some states, opening the door to much of the misinformation and disinformation that is clouding election results and casting doubt on the integrity of the vote.

Different parties, different views of the problem

Advocates on the left and right see different problems.

California can be particularly thorny because of how slowly and unevenly it counts in votes. In 2018, The Associated Press called one Central Valley congressional race for Representative David Valadao, a Republican, only to make a rare retraction when the Democrat pulled ahead weeks later.

More recently, the slow vote-counting in last months primaries caused a shift in final results from the initial tallies. On election night, the early leader in the Los Angeles mayoral contest, the mall developer and self-styled crimefighter was Rick Caruso. He now trails a more liberal Democrat, Karen Bass, who argued that Los Angeles cannot arrest its way out of crime.

Progressives complained, loudly, about how the initial results  in Los Angeles and from the successful recall of San Franciscos district attorney  were framed as a warning about the potency of crime, including in this newspaper. Some progressive prosecutors won, such as Diana Becton in Contra Costa County, whose campaign received a late $1 million ad blitz fund by a PAC linked to the liberal financier George Soros.

On the right, Trump and like-minded candidates are quick to claim fraud whenever a slow vote count leaves one of them endangered or defeated. And Republican officeholders, increasingly hostile to voting by mail, may see little incentive to make it work better.
The debate over timing comes as investigations into the behavior of Mr. Trump and his associates are gathering steam. The Justice Department is looking into efforts to keep Mr. Trump in office after his defeat. Prosecutors in Fulton County, Ga., have convened a grand jury as part of an investigation into whether the former president and his team tried to influence the vote count there. Each is separate from the House committee scrutinizing his conduct in the run-up to the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6.

Among those urging Mr. Trump to announce soon is Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. Mr. Graham said the former president would be blamed for  or credited with  whatever happened in the November elections and suggested that an early announcement would focus Mr. Trumps attention on policy.

Its up to him if he runs or not, Mr. Graham said in an interview. But the key to him being successful is comparing his policy agenda and policy successes with what is going on today.

Other Republican leaders have sought to dissuade Mr. Trump from an early announcement.

Ronna McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, had urged Mr. Trump to wait until after the midterms, worried that news about his campaign could derail the partys midterm messaging. One R.N.C. official noted that when Mr. Trump opened a campaign, the party would stop paying his legal bills related to an investigation by the New York attorney general. Still, Ms. McDaniel has recently resigned herself to the idea that he will announce before the elections, according to people familiar with the conversations.

But even Trump aides who are supportive of another campaign worry that the former presidents path to a third nomination has become more difficult than hes willing to acknowledge.
Still, he became something of a folk hero on the right, someone who offered not just hope amid the pandemic but also an alternative to the medical establishment and Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who insisted that months of research would be needed to find an effective treatment.

Dr. Zelenko continued to text and speak with Mr. Meadows, Mr. Giuliani and several members of Congress. But he clashed with leaders in Kiryas Joel, who said that his talk of treating hundreds of Covid patients gave the impression that the community was overwhelmed by Covid, potentially stoking antisemitism.

Over the next few months, researchers cast further doubt on the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine. A study published in The New England Journal of Medicine found no benefit from the treatment, and other studies highlighted a risk of dangerous heart arrhythmias in some patients.

Those results and others led the F.D.A. to revoke its emergency authorization on June 15, 2020.

A quiet, unassuming man, Dr. Zelenko seemed unprepared for the attention he received, which included harassing phone calls and even death threats. In May 2020, a federal prosecutor opened an investigation into whether he had falsely claimed F.D.A. approval for his research.

That same month, Dr. Zelenko announced in a video that he was closing his practice and leaving the Kiryas Joel community. He accused several of its leaders of instigating a campaign against him.

After the F.D.A. rescinded its approval of hydroxychloroquine as a Covid treatment, he founded a company, Zelenko Labs, to promote other nonconventional treatments for the disease, including vitamins and quercetin, an anti-inflammatory drug.
The occupiers are destroying one house after another with heavy artillery and other weapons, said the governor of the Luhansk region, Serhiy Haidai.

Standing in front of what was left of the apartment building in Serhiivka, Mr. Yenin said their aim is to scare the Ukrainian people and put an end to our resistance. But the effect is the opposite. We will never surrender. This is our land. Alluding to Mr. Putin, he said Russian society has been poisoned by him.

Clutching her 5-year-old niece behind the residential building where her apartment on the second floor had been damaged, Oksana Sorochan, a seamstress, said: I dont understand much. I only understand that they are killing us, and thats it.

She was sitting with other survivors in a childrens playground where shattered glass lay between the swings and seesaws and slides. The concrete building, with its shattered windows and smashed satellite dishes dangling from it, loomed over them.

The soft summer sunlight and the shards of hot metal that descended out of the early morning sky seemed hard to reconcile. In fields opposite the building, fallen cherries and plums lay scattered across the rich earth.
Also in 2016, Turkey arrested a visiting pastor, Andrew Brunson, on espionage charges. The case was widely seen as an effort to pressure Washington to extradite a Turkish dissident living in the United States. Mr. Brunson was released in 2018 amid warming diplomatic ties.

Venezuela arrested six American oil executives in 2017, as the Trump administration was secretly participating in talks about overturning that countrys government. Venezuela released one of those executives in March of this year, along with an American tourist detained last year for bringing a photography drone into the country. Their releases came as Washington was discussing renewing oil imports from Venezuela to counteract rising prices.

Iran is considered a leading offender when it comes to hostage diplomacy, having arrested dozens of dual nationals, including the Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, who was imprisoned from 2014 to 2016 on spurious espionage charges. In 2009, amid rising tensions over the countrys nuclear program, Iran arrested three American hikers near Iraqs border with the country.

The hikers fates were left dangling for two years, forcing Washington to weigh the issue alongside its nuclear demands to Tehran. The Americans were released just as reformists, who favored engagement with Washington, were gaining power within Iran at the expense of hard-liners who pushed for confrontation with the West.
He said the high cost of diesel which recently jumped from N600 per litre to N730 per litre was threatening the survival of the medical institution.

The Medical Director of Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Abeokuta, Adewale Musa-Olomu, says the hospital spends over N44 million monthly on the purchase of diesel to power its generating sets.

He disclosed this at a medical outreach organised for journalists in the state by the hospital on Thursday.

The medical doctor lamented the high cost of the product in the country, saying it is adversely affecting the running of the institution.

Mr Musa-Olomu, a professor, called on the federal government to, as a matter of urgency, declare a state of emergency in the energy sector.

He said the high cost of diesel recently jumped from N600 per litre to N730 per litre and was threatening the survival of the medical institution.

He added that the institution was blessed with a lot of equipment but had been struggling to power them following the rising cost of diesel.

He explained that the "government needs to declare a state of emergency on the energy sector and most importantly, the use of energy in tertiary institutions; it is just very necessary.

"In FMC Abeokuta, we used to spend N5 million worth of diesel every two weeks, which comes to N10 million in a month, but suddenly the thing (diesel) jumped to N22 million (every two weeks), which came to N44 million in a month. So, how are we going to cope?

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"Everybody knows the state of diesel; it is what we all use to power our generators and if as a medical centre we were spending N10 million, but suddenly jumped to N44 million, how are we going to cope?.

"But if the Federal Government could declare a state-of-emergency on the energy sector and probably give us solar panels of about 1,000MW, it would help us a lot."

Mr Musa-Olomu said that the medical outreach was organised to enable journalists to ascertain their health status.

He appealed to journalists to cultivate a healthy lifestyle and shun alcohol and cigarette consumption.

He said "we know from our experience over the years that quite a lot of people can get lost in their professions and forget to take care of themselves, especially journalists.

"That is why we are organising this outreach to call their attention to it that it is necessary to take some time out to check one's health."
The making of borscht  a red soup featuring a broth infused with beets that can include mushrooms, fish or sweet peppers  is deeply woven into Ukrainian culture, where it is prepared in large pots and served with bread. Ukrainian cooks have long wondered why is it commonly assumed to be Russian, a national dish of their current archenemy.

Though some Russian culinary historians acknowledge that borscht originated in Ukraine, Russia has seemed to stake more of its own claim to the soup since the breakup of the Soviet Union. In 2019, the Russian government posted on its Twitter account a recipe and a message proclaiming that borscht is one of Russias most famous and beloved dishes.

That outraged some Ukrainian cooks. In 2020, a Ukrainian chef, Ievgen Klopotenko, started a campaign supported by the Ministry of Culture and Parliament to set the record straight  submitting an application to UNESCO for it to list borscht as part of Ukraines cultural heritage. UNESCO added borscht to the countrys cultural heritage list the following year.

But on Friday, at Ukraines request, a UNESCO committee went further, voting to put the culture of Ukrainian borscht cooking on the list of traditions that need urgent safeguarding.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates  At least five people were killed by a magnitude 6.1 earthquake in southern Iran early Saturday, state media reported. Two other strong quakes later hit the area.

An emergency services spokesman, Mojtaba Khaledi, told Iranian state television that 49 people had been injured, half of whom were discharged from the hospital later Saturday. Officials said search-and-rescue operations had ended, suggesting that no one was believed to be trapped under rubble.

The state news agency IRNA said the first quake, which did extensive damage to the village of Sayeh Khosh, a village in Hormozgan Province near Irans Persian Gulf coast, was followed by two others, with magnitudes of 6.3 and 6.1. There were more than a dozen aftershocks.
Then, after 27 years away from the shoe business, he returned, starting the Samuel Hubbard Shoe Company, which he named for his grandfather and the company he founded in the 1930s.

Image Advertisements for Rockports popular RocSport walking shoe stressed that feet have feelings, too. Credit... C. Heyworth

Bruce Richard Katz was born on Feb. 17, 1947, in Newton, Mass. His father, Saul, was drafted by his grandfather to work at the Hubbard Shoe Company and eventually took it over. His mother, Dorothy (Golden) Katz, was a social worker who later oversaw human resources at Hubbard.

Bruce graduated from Cornell University in 1970 with a bachelors degree in engineering physics. Around that time, the Hubbard Shoe Company shut down, a victim of cheap imports that were flooding the United States shoe market. He and his brother gave their father, who had been wiped out, $20,000 each from their trust funds to start a new business: importing shoes, in particular a moccasin, from Brazil.

Bruce still had enough left of his trust fund to go into business. He imported English double-decker buses and taxicabs to the United States, his brother said, and he also bought and sold steel, partly in the hope of using some of it as rebar to build a sailboat.

Meanwhile, his father needed someone to sell his imported shoes.

He had a container full of shoes from Brazil that had arrived too late to be accepted by his original customers and was sitting in storage, Mr. Katz said in an interview for the Samuel Hubbard website. He said, Why dont you try to sell those for your boat project? So I started driving around the countryside peddling the moccasins and eventually sold the lot.
Today the American flag has been co-opted by the very cohort who rejected it so roundly during my childhood. Driving through rural Tennessee last week, I saw an American flag hanging from the bucket of a cherry picker parked on the side of the road. The flag waved above a tent offering fireworks for sale. The flag was even bigger than the tent.

Take a drive through any red state, and you will see American flags flying above truck stops, dangling from construction cranes, stretched across the back windshields of cars, emblazoned on clothing and, of course, waving from front porches  and not just on the Fourth of July. The sheer volume of American flag paraphernalia that white people seem to own boggles my mind, tweeted the Times columnist Tressie McMillan Cottom last month. I assume it just sort of flows to them & they arent buying all of it? Im not sure.

Im pretty sure white people are buying this stuff.

But not all of us. Old Glory has become such a strong feature of Trump rallies that many liberals have all but rejected it, unwilling to embrace the symbol of a worldview that we find anathema. Today, flying the flag from the back of a pickup truck or over a lawn is increasingly seen as a clue, albeit an imperfect one, to a persons political affiliation in a deeply divided nation, Sarah Maslin Nir wrote last year in The Times.

My husband and I stopped hanging up our own flag years ago, long before it got usurped by the MAGA crowd. Our old maple tree had simply grown around the flag mount over the years, eventually enfolding it entirely, and we never got around to putting up another.
Just last week, Moroccan forces set upon a crowd of migrants that had rushed to scale a fence into Spain, killing at least 23 people, according to human rights groups monitoring the Moroccan-Spanish border. A scathing statement from N.G.O.s in both countries blamed the deaths on a security deal between the two governments and European policies to externalize the E.U.s borders, with the complicity of a southern country, Morocco.

Nobody is going to call out anybody else, because theyre all doing it, said David Owen, a British political philosopher and the author of What Do We Owe to Refugees? At some point this has to crack. Either we decide that human rights just dont matter, or at least the human rights of some people dont matter, or the international community will start taking this more seriously.

We imagine a planet of nations and borders, but a growing chunk of humanity lives in camps. Most displaced people are likely to die in limbo, without ever being resettled. Refugee camps and transitional shelters have turned, increasingly, into long-term, even lifelong, homes. And that burden is unfairly distributed: Eighty-three percent of the worlds refugees are hosted by low- and middle-income countries.

In the meantime, the inhabitants of the worlds more comfortable places exist obliviously behind governments that do the dirty work. President Donald Trump fantasized aloud about electrified walls and a trench of alligators, but perhaps our most impenetrable border protection is the psychological insulation that separates the things we do from the way we prefer to think about ourselves.

A Supreme Court decision handed down on Thursday could chip away at a backlog of people waiting in Mexico, allowing a limited number of asylum seekers to enter the United States while they wait for cases to be resolved. But the effect will be modest, experts warned, as long as Title 42s overarching ban of asylum seekers stays in force. The real issue on the border is Title 42, an A.C.L.U. lawyer, Lee Gelernt, said. This wont change anything on the ground. (In fact, he added, the ruling could take the pressure off the government by deflecting criticism of Title 42.)

In the concrete realm of borders and checkpoints, certain patterns reappear from one place to the next. Many governments make a show of punishment and deprivation, for example, turning asylum-seeking into a de facto crime in their eagerness to scare off potential arrivals. Migrants are locked up, families get separated, and asylum seekers are held in far-flung locations, creating the sensation of abandonment and exile.
Bitcoin is the regimes currency, primarily designed for foreign crypto enthusiasts. Some of them are V.I.P. attendants to the presidents private parties. They go out in helicopters or on surfing and fishing trips, often escorted by the police, and are taken on private tours to government facilities. They even give advice on public policy.

Its obvious that their use of the currency was part of Mr. Bukeles intentions. A large number of the presidents messages about Bitcoin are in English because they are designed for Bitcoin believers, not the Salvadoran people, even though the project is funded by taxpayer money. Salvadorans know this, too. A December national poll showed that only about 11 percent of respondents believed the main beneficiaries of the Bitcoin law are the people, while about 80 percent believed its either the rich, foreign investors, banks, businesspeople or the government.

When major players in the world crypto market  like Brock Pierce, a founder of Tether, and Jack Mallers, the C.E.O. of Strike  come to El Salvador and sing Mr. Bukeles praises to the media, theyre acting as de facto ambassadors for the regime. Missives like theirs fill social media and crypto-friendly English outlets with propaganda about how great Bitcoin is for El Salvador, how nice living here is and how bold and audacious Mr. Bukele is as a leader. Some have suggested that its good for the country to have these crypto influencers reshaping the image of El Salvador before the world, that theres some sort of invaluable rebranding happening by someone paying for a coconut in Bitcoin. Its a mirage.

The narratives Bitcoiners spin about our country are often blatantly false. In February, Stacy Herbert, a Bitcoin and Bukele promoter, said that mass emigration out of El Salvador has stopped even as the United States Customs and Border Protection detained, on average, 255 Salvadorans daily at the United States southern border that month. The Bitcoin Beach project, run by Mike Peterson, a California surfer, tweeted that El Salvador is a kids paradise, even though its a country where 90 percent of rapes against minors go unpunished. President Bukele retweeted it, adding Were building a place where your kids can live the life you lived when you were a kid.

The life that Mr. Bukele is building looks markedly different for Salvadorans. Over the past three months, the government has used a state of emergency to imprison almost 40,000 people, often without defense. Mr. Bukele has begun to crack down on press freedom, through a gag law that prohibits reproducing messages from gangs and his government hasnt investigated the illegal use of Pegasus spyware to monitor dozens of journalists who cover El Salvador, including me, from independent news outlets between 2020 and 2021. Reporters have already fled the country, fearing reprisal for doing their jobs.

Mr. Bukele has used his notorious crypto-bro persona to distract the public eye from other damning scandals. On the campaign trail, he had promised to fight corruption by cooperating in an international commission against impunity facilitated by the Organization of American States. After his election, he pulled out of the agreement. The next day, he announced his Bitcoin Law, presumably to distract from outrage against his withdrawal. In May, another scandal emerged. My investigative outlet, El Faro, published details about covert negotiations between the Bukele administration and MS-13 to reduce homicides. When the deal fell through, 87 people were killed in reprisal. Instead of addressing the issue or even denying claims that he was aware of the negotiations, Mr. Bukele tweeted about Bitcoin. His government has yet to comment on the investigation, which has been read widely.
According to Karen Swallow Prior, Roe elevated radical autonomy over moral agency. Perhaps she should say her moral agency, the one she will impose on others or would have imposed on my mother, had she lived. But she didnt live, because the moral agency at the time forbade her access to a safe, legal abortion.

My mother was a moral person, generous, giving and forgiving, a Roman Catholic, although not particularly religious. Dr. Prior says legalized abortion was the consolation prize given to women in 1973 for the centuries of inequality and oppression that stemmed from their sin of not being men. I find that remark cynical and dismissive. Legal abortions are about safety, about offering women the consolation prize of not dying, of not giving birth after rape, of not having to endure the possible result of incest.

I suppose Dr. Prior and those like her can claim victory. But I wonder at what price. I wonder, too, when a moral concept is valued more highly than an actual life, is it truly moral? And I wonder when, from this time forward, we will hear of the first unnecessary death of a young woman, and of the first sad child to lose a mother. And then the next and then the next.

Anthony Motzenbacker

Los Angeles

To the Editor:

Karen Swallow Prior begins one key sentence in her opinion piece with If you believe, as I do, that abortion unjustly ends the life of a being that is fully human and goes on to make a good case for her stance against abortion. But I dont believe as she does. A microscopic blob of cells, still undifferentiated, with no brain or nervous system and looking nothing like a baby, simply doesnt seem like a human life to me. Im not Catholic or evangelical, so Im not informed by the same religious teachings she subscribes to, and I deeply resent current attempts to make the rest of us live by the religious tenets of others.
Mr. Harden must first win a July 19 primary against Heather Mizeur, a progressive herb farmer who once represented Montgomery County, a much more urban area, in the state legislature. Ms. Mizeur has more money and name recognition than Mr. Harden, but he believes he has a chance because she seems out of step with the conservative district, which is considered a safe Republican seat.

Mr. Harden is trying to chart an alternative path for Democrats in rural areas. Hes no fan of Donald Trump. He left a 22-year career in the Foreign Service in 2018 because he didnt want to serve the Trump administration. But when it comes to regulations, Mr. Harden doesnt sound all that much different from Mr. Trump.

The regulations in rural economies are ridiculous, he told me.

Mr. Harden is trying to walk a difficult line, appealing to voters who are angry about government overreach without turning off the Democratic base. He says he doesnt oppose reasonable environmental regulations, but he rails against rules that make it harder for small businesses to survive.

Its a message that comes naturally to him. He spent years trying to improve the business environments in Iraq and the Palestinian territories as a senior U.S.A.I.D. official. He led a program in the West Bank town of Jenin that opened up a border crossing with Israel and prevailed on the Israeli government to allow more Israeli cars into Jenin so that Israeli Arabs could shop there, helping to start an economic revival.
When Calhoun developed this idea, however, the South was not on the defensive. Southern elites held powerful positions in every branch of government. They elected presidents, dominated the Senate and could claim the Supreme Court as their own. And as political antislavery sentiment took hold in the North in the decade before the Civil War, these Southern elites  operating at the apex of their power  used those same tools of states rights, federalism and the counter-majoritarian institutions of the American system to try to extend and entrench their power over the nation.

The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 did not require Northern states to condone slavery, but it did force them to assist in apprehending escaped slaves. The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 did not impose slavery in the territories, but it did give slaveholders a chance to expand the institution through plebiscite. And in 1857, although the Supreme Court chose not to invalidate state laws forbidding slavery in Dred Scott v. Sanford, it did say that the Constitution could not and would not recognize the rights of Black Americans.

Two different generations of Southern elites used many of the same tools. But where one wielded them like a sword, the other used them like a shield.

Here in the present, the conservative movement has, through the agency of the Republican Party, also weaponized federalism, states rights and the counter-majoritarian institutions of the American system. But theyre not using them to defend a particular, localized social order; theyre using them to create and extend one beyond the borders of so-called red states to the rest of the country.
It is possible that there is a particular balance of gases that can provide a clear biosignature, one that cannot be maintained without the help of life.

We need extremely favorable scenarios to find these biosignatures, said Dr. Rathcke. Im not saying that its not possible. I just think its far-fetched. We need to be extremely lucky.

Joshua Krissansen-Totton, a planetary scientist at the University of California, Santa Cruz, said that finding such a balance may require the Webb telescope to observe a planet repeatedly passing in front of Trappist-1.

If anyone comes forward in the next five years and says, Yes, weve found life with J.W.S.T., Ill be very skeptical of that claim, Dr. Krissansen-Totton said

It is possible that the James Webb Space Telescope simply will not be capable of finding biosignatures. That task may have to wait for the next generation of space telescopes, more than a decade away. These will study exoplanets the same way that people look at Mars or Venus in the night sky: by observing starlight reflecting off them against the black background of space, rather than observing them as they pass in front of a star.

Mostly, well be doing the very important groundwork for future telescopes, Dr. Rathcke predicted. I would be very surprised if J.W.S.T. delivers biosignature detections, but I hope to stand corrected. I mean, this is basically what Im doing this work for.
press release

Kampala  Promises to Halt Security Force Abuses; End Curbs on Journalists, Civil Society

President Yoweri Museveni should accelerate steps toward fulfilling his commitments to end abuses by security forces and restrictions on civil society and journalists in Uganda, Human Rights Watch said following its meeting with him on June 29, 2022. Uganda should hold to account high-level officials responsible for human rights violations and create and respect space for civil society and journalists to operate without interference by the authorities.

"President Museveni's pledges to improve Uganda's increasingly repressive human rights record is a positive step," said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. "But they are meaningless as only rhetoric, and he needs to initiate concrete measures to ensure that Ugandan authorities and policies respect and comply with human rights standards."

During the meeting with Roth and with Mausi Segun, Human Rights Watch Africa director, Human Rights Watch urged President Museveni to ensure that high-level perpetrators of human rights violations - notably Frank "Kaka" Bagyenda, the former director of the domestic intelligence agency, the Internal Security Organization (ISO) - are held to account.

In a March 2022 report, Human Rights Watch exposed cases of enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, unlawful detention, torture, rape, extortion, forced labor, and other ill-treatment by the police, army, military intelligence, and the intelligence agency in unlawful places of detention in 2018, 2019, and around the January 2021 general elections. Former detainees told Human Rights Watch that Bagyenda played a central role in their abduction and detention and often personally interacted with detainees.

On October 8, 2020, Museveni fired Bagyenda as head of ISO, but days later in a bizarre twist, asked Parliament to approve him as Uganda's ambassador to Angola. The appointment was not approved because Bagyenda failed to appear before the appointments committee. Despite the Human Rights Watch report as well as a 2020 report by the Parliament's human rights committee implicating the agency in the torture and other abuse of detainees in unsanctioned places of detention, the authorities have yet to prosecute Bagyenda or other ISO officials.

During the meeting with Human Rights Watch, Museveni pledged to ensure that Bagyenda is thoroughly investigated and prosecuted for extorting money, appropriating the property of victims of unlawful detentions, and overseeing torture in "safehouses" operated by the agency under his command and control.

President Museveni also pledged to send strong messages to Uganda's military, the Uganda People's Defense Forces (UPDF), and other security agencies, that unlawful detention, torture, and other abuses of detainees are unacceptable. He also promised to ensure that those responsible for rights violations within the security forces are prosecuted.

Ahead of the meeting with Museveni, a cross section of civil society and victims' groups told Human Rights Watch that the authorities have increasingly restricted their work in recent years through a plethora of somewhat confusing legal and regulatory requirements. Museveni promised to address this.

On August 20, 2021, the NGO Bureau, Uganda's nongovernmental organization regulatory body, announced, without prior notice, that it had halted the activities of 54 civil society groups, including human rights and election monitoring organizations. On June 22, 2022, Museveni announced the restoration of the Democratic Governance Facility, a European Union fund for nongovernmental groups that he suspended in 2021, on the condition that the government is included in its decision-making on the disbursement of funds to Ugandan organizations.

Museveni defended these actions as a reaction to perceived interference by foreign governments in Uganda's internal affairs through the provision of funding for civil society groups. These same excessive regulations, however, have been used to shut down local groups that receive no foreign funding and those that do vital human rights work. Uganda should immediately end these restrictions, which constitute violations of freedom of association and are abused to harass human rights defenders, Human Rights Watch said.

Museveni also pledged to publicly call on security forces to allow journalists, who play a key human rights role in ensuring a functioning democracy, to do their work unhindered. The police and military have beaten and arbitrarily detained journalists covering Uganda's opposition leaders' election campaigns and protests. The authorities have also threatened direct violence against journalists. Among those issuing threats is the police chief, Martin Okoth Ochola, who said at a January 8, 2021 pre-election news conference that "we shall beat you [journalists] for your own sake."

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Uganda's 1995 Constitution and other domestic laws prohibit arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, and torture and ill-treatment, including of detainees. The Human Rights (Enforcement) Act of 2019 provides that public officers who commit human rights violations, including both torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, may be held personally liable.

"Museveni has the opportunity to ensure justice for the many victims of human rights violations whose plight has been ignored for years," Roth said. "Anything less than real security sector reform, alongside the prosecution of government officials implicated in serious abuses, would signify not only Museveni's tolerance of these abuses, but his complicity."
In Louisiana, for example, though the state constitution expressly says there is no right to abortion, the legal challenge has allowed three clinics to continue serving women whose plans to end their pregnancies were thrown into disarray by the courts decision.

We have to take these things in steps, said Joanna Wright, a partner at Boies Schiller Flexner who, with the Center for Reproductive Rights, is leading the Louisiana case. A lot can change in a day, a month and six months. Time will tell the rest, but this is the fight right now.

The Supreme Courts decision has flipped the dynamic of abortion strategy that has prevailed for the half-century since Roe, when anti-abortion groups chipped away at legal access by electing like-minded state legislators and passing increasingly strict laws, and abortion rights groups could rely on Roe to prevent the most severe bans from taking effect.

Now, anti-abortion groups and congressional Republicans discuss federal legislation that would ban abortion across the country after 15 weeks of pregnancy, and abortion rights groups have begun climbing the steeper and narrower path state by state.

Democracy is a collective action, said Ms. Wright, and what weve seen from the anti-abortion movement is an ability to mobilize all the pieces of that, which culminated, she added, with the overturning of Roe.

By Friday, the groups had temporarily blocked bans from taking effect in Utah, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Florida; judges have set hearings over the next several weeks to consider permanent injunctions. But they lost bids to hold off bans in Ohio and Texas.
Ive met personally with the chief and he has told me that he hasnt found that evidence, Mr. DiCello said. He said that the police chief told him that moments before the shooting began, two officers tried to use stun guns on Mr. Walker and missed.

Mr. DiCello said that the parking lot Mr. Walker ran into was large, empty and did not have places for him to hide. He said Mr. Walker was not gesturing in a threatening way when the shooting began.

Imagine a person running away and starting to turn to look back behind them as one is running and its at that point that the gunshots erupt, Mr. DiCello said.

Mr. DiCello also raised questions about the police reports narrative that Mr. Walker had fired a gun while driving away from officers.

The rear windshield is intact, the front windshield is intact and all side windows are intact, he said. Theres no call, theres no report that weve seen and theres been no mention by the chief in personal discussions with him that a gun was seen outside the car, waving at or being pointed at anyone.

Mr. Walker had an unspecified gun in the car, but he was not carrying that, or anything else, when police chased him on foot, Mr. DiCello said.
As the political divide between the states becomes more pronounced, what political scientists call sorting may accelerate. The conservative Illinois billionaire Kenneth Griffin announced last week that he had moved to Miami from Chicago, and would take Citadel, his hedge fund, with him. He told his employees that Florida offered a better corporate environment.

At the same time, Ms. Caprara said the Pritzker administration routinely boasts of the states welcoming political environment, where abortion rights are codified and companies will never find themselves in the position the Walt Disney Company now occupies in Florida  squeezed between a conservative government constraining gay and transgender rights, and liberal consumers demanding a corporate pushback.

Companies dont want to have to deal with people boycotting their business, or struggling to get people to move to them, especially younger workers, she said.

Joanna Turner Bisgrove, 46, a family physician at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, had worked her whole professional life in Oregon, Wis., a small town south of Madison, when her hospital was purchased by a Catholic health care chain, that began restricting abortions and transgender care. After the Wisconsin Legislature took up the issue of transgender girls in sports, she said, friends of her gender-fluid child became magnets for bullying so bad that it made the local news.

Nearly a year ago, the Bisgroves finally moved across the red-blue border, to Evanston, Ill., where, Dr. Bisgrove said, her children would be accepted and her medical practice could thrive.

In the end, she said, my morals would not square with what I could do.
It was not always so.

If you go back to the 80s, every time the court did something Congress didnt like, they passed a law, said Richard J. Lazarus, a law professor at Harvard. It was an iterative process between Congress, the agencies and the courts.

Congressional inaction following Supreme Court rulings on statutes is not especially new, but it has taken on added importance as the court has veered to the right and is increasingly insisting on clear grants of congressional authority to executive agencies. In addition to the ruling on climate change, the court has recently declared that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was not authorized to impose a moratorium on evictions and that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration was not authorized to tell large employers to have their workers vaccinated against Covid-19 or undergo frequent testing.

Congress is, of course, powerless to revive a law that the Supreme Court has struck down as unconstitutional. In such cases, the court gets the last word, and only a constitutional amendment or a later overruling can undo its work.

The courts decisions on campaign finance, including one in May, were based on the First Amendment and are examples of such constitutional rulings. The decision overturning Roe v. Wade, on the other hand, eliminated a constitutional right, allowing state and federal lawmakers to restrict or expand access to abortion.
The Texas Supreme Court allowed a 1925 law banning abortion to take effect late on Friday night, overturning a lower court ruling that had temporarily blocked it.

The decision was the latest in a series of legal battles across the country following the Supreme Courts decision on June 24 to overturn Roe v. Wade, a nearly half-century-old ruling that had established a constitutional right to abortion nationwide.

In Texas, that meant a 1925 law written before Roe that had banned abortions and punished those who performed them with possible imprisonment automatically went into effect, said Ken Paxton, the states attorney general. Though the law was not enforced after Roe was decided in 1973, it had nevertheless remained on the books.
Estonia has also banished from cable television four Russian television channels, which had previously been the main source of news for many ethnic Russians, who make up nearly a quarter of Estonias population.

Russian television can still be watched in Narva with the purchase of a small antenna, but Moscow has nonetheless lost its propaganda stranglehold. Ms. Larchenko, the mother who shed her illusions about Russia, said she had not watched Russian television for three months and now gets all of her news from the internet, including from sites critical of the Kremlin.

Alyona Boyarchuk, a Ukrainian single mother who took refuge in Narva soon after Russia invaded her country, said that when she first arrived, she faced hostility from ethnic Russians. She is now mostly treated with respect and gets asked whether what Moscow says about the war is true.

People here are no longer zombies, she said.
Military analysts warn Russia now faces the difficult task of maintaining its slowing offensive into the neighboring Donetsk province to achieve its stated war aim of capturing Ukraines eastern Donbas region as its losses mount.

Russias growing use of Kh-class missiles has coincided with rising estimates of Russian military casualties by Western intelligence agencies. The British defense chief, Ben Wallace, said this past week that 25,000 Russian soldiers had been killed in the war. That number, the highest estimate yet provided by a senior Western official, could not be independently confirmed. The most recent estimate by the Pentagon put Russian losses at 15,000.

Moscow doesnt want to end the war, but it needs to catch its breath to heal wounds and partly replenish its weapons stock, Mr. Luzin said.

The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, said Friday night that the Russian forces had lobbed more than 3,000 missiles at Ukraine in four months of the war.

More broadly, Ukrainian officials are warning that the sharp rise in civilian attacks could signal a new phase of the war, as Russia tries to make up for its shrinking military capacity with attempts to degrade Ukrainian morale.
Volunteers to the territorial defense group are not forced to redeploy with their unit, but many do, spurred by patriotism or a sense of duty, and perhaps a desire not to let down their comrades. And while they know it will be bad at the front, there is little to prepare them for the violence of frontline engagement, veteran soldiers say.

These are people of peaceful professions, people from peaceful territories, said Col. Valeriy Kurko, the commander of the 103rd brigade of the territorial defense, where Mr. Brukhal served.

Colonel Kurko said that most people who joined his group had never served in the army. The notion that people could simply spring to action when the war crept closer is wrong, he said. By then, it is too late.

His brigade, currently stationed in the eastern Donetsk region, is made up of men from the Lviv area, in western Ukraine. Several of the men have died in the past month, Colonel Kurko said, with at least three buried in Lviv in the start of June.

Despite having limited time, they receive basic skills and training, he said, but acknowledged that the units morale had undoubtedly shifted.

I wont hide from you the fact that some people were not ready to leave the territory of their region, he said in an interview, but added that there were no soldiers from his brigade who refused to go east.
KYIV, Ukraine  Ukraines army has accused Russia of dropping incendiary white phosphorus on Snake Island on Friday, the day after Moscows forces retreated from the strategic rocky outcrop on the southwestern part of the Black Sea that is key to the Kremlins war aims.

Control of the island, a tiny speck of land 20 miles off the coast of Odesa that has played an outsize role throughout the war, is vital for control of the Black Sea, including important shipping routes. Some observers speculated that the strike was a move by Russia to destroy equipment that it had abandoned on the island so that it did not fall into Ukrainian hands.

Andriy Zagorodnyuk, a former Ukrainian defense minister who leads the Center for Defense Strategies, a think tank in Kyiv, on Saturday described the strikes as weird, because according to a video released by the Ukrainian military, he said, it appeared that most of the shots were missed.
The UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet on Friday expressed alarm over the killing of at least nine protesters by security forces in Sudan a day earlier, including a 15-year-old child.

The High Commissioner said in a statement that the deaths had occurred, "even after the police had announced they would not use lethal force to disperse the demonstrators."

#Sudan: UN Human Rights Chief @mbachelet is alarmed by the killing of at least 9 protesters by security forces yesterday, incl. a 15 y/o child. Authorities must conduct independent, transparent, thorough & impartial investigations & ensure accountability:https://t.co/i5DbbixRaH pic.twitter.com/RAB29JU1d1-- UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) July 1, 2022

The protests in the capital Khartoum and elsewhere, marked the third anniversary of the major demonstrations that led to the overthrow of long-term leader, Omar al-Bashir.

Thousands on the streets

Tens of thousands took to the streets, according to news reports, many railing against the military coup eight months ago that ended the power sharing agreement between top military and civilian leaders, ending a period of transitional government, towards national elections.

Security forces reportedly fired tear gas and used water cannons in an effort to prevent demonstrators from marching towards the presidential palace.

The UN High Commissioner said reports indicated that security forces had also used live bullets.

No accountability

"The latest killings, which took place at a time when the mobile and internet communications had been shut down across the country, bring the number of people killed by security forces in the context of protests since the coup last year, to 113", she said.

"So far, no-one has been held accountable for these deaths."

Ms. Bachelet said that according to medical sources, most of those killed were shot in the chest, head, and back. Security forces also arrested at least 355 protesters across the country, including at least 39 women and a considerable number of children, she added.

"I again stress to the Sudanese authorities that force should be used only when strictly necessary and in full compliance with the principles of legality, necessity, precaution, and proportionality", said the UN rights chief.

Lethal force must be 'last resort'

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"In no case is force permissible to dissuade or intimidate protesters from exercising their rights to freedom of expression and of peaceful assembly, or to threaten them with harm for doing so. Lethal force is a measure of last resort and only in cases where there is an imminent threat to life or of serious injury."

She reminded that the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and participation in public affairs are protected under international human rights law, "including under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Sudan is a State Party".

She called on the military authorities to conduct an independent, transparent, thorough, and impartial investigation into the response by the security forces under their command, in accordance with relevant international standards, including the Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death, and to hold those responsible to account.

"Victims, survivors, and their families have a right to truth, justice and reparations."
Though many school graduates plan to continue their studies remotely from abroad, Alina said she was committed to staying and studying in her home city.

I hope the war will end by the end of this year, so I want to study here, she said. Tourism is not possible in Ukraine these days, but it will be for sure after our victory.

Not all students have had such a straightforward graduation process. In the countrys east, the grinding war made it impossible for some to complete their studies. And in cities occupied by Russian forces, even organizing how to issue diplomas has become a battlefield.

Nataliia Siedova, 52, who works in human resources at a vocational college in Kherson in southern Ukraine, fled to the safety of Uzhhorod in April with the intention of spending two weeks there to process the diplomas of students set to graduate from the university this year.
In the months since President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia called the invasion of Ukraine a denazification mission, the lie that the government and culture of Ukraine are filled with dangerous Nazis has become a central theme of Kremlin propaganda about the war.

Russian articles about Ukraine that mention Nazism A line chart of Russian articles about Ukraine showing the number referencing Nazism increased significantly after Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. 2,500 articles Articles referencing Nazism spiked on the day Russia invaded Ukraine. 2,000 1,500 Fewer articles about Ukraine were published after Russias withdrawal from Kyiv, but coverage picked up again as the war shifted to the Donbas in Ukraines east. 1,000 500 7-day average Jan. 1, 2020 2021 2022 Feb. 24 2,500 articles Articles referencing Nazism spiked on the day Russia invaded Ukraine. 2,000 1,500 Fewer articles about Ukraine were published after Russias withdrawal from Kyiv, but coverage picked up again as the war shifted to the Donbas in Ukraines east. 1,000 500 7-day average Jan. 1, 2020 2021 2022 Feb. 24 2,500 articles Articles referencing Nazism spiked on the day Russia invaded Ukraine. 2,000 1,500 Fewer articles about Ukraine were published after Russias withdrawal from Kyiv, but coverage picked up again as the war shifted to the Donbas in Ukraines east. 1,000 500 7-day average Jan. 1, 2020 2021 2022 Feb. 24 Articles referencing Nazism spiked on the day Russian invaded Ukraine. 2,500 articles 2,000 Fewer articles about Ukraine were published after Russias withdrawal from Kyiv, but coverage picked up again as the war shifted to the Donbas in Ukraines east. 1,500 1,000 500 7-day average Jan. 1, 2020 2021 2022 Feb. 24 2,500 articles Articles referencing Nazism spiked on the day Russian invaded Ukraine. 2,000 1,500 Fewer articles about Ukraine were published after Russias withdrawal from Kyiv, but coverage picked up again as the war shifted to the Donbas in Ukraines east. 1,000 500 7-day average Jan. 1, 2020 2021 2022 Feb. 24 Source: Semantic Visions

A data set of nearly eight million articles about Ukraine collected from more than 8,000 Russian websites since 2014 shows that references to Nazism were relatively flat for eight years and then spiked to unprecedented levels on Feb. 24, the day Russia invaded Ukraine. They have remained high ever since.

The data, provided by Semantic Visions, a defense analytics company, includes major Russian state media outlets in addition to thousands of smaller Russian websites and blogs. It gives a view of Russias attempts to justify its attack on Ukraine and maintain domestic support for the ongoing war by falsely portraying Ukraine as being overrun by far-right extremists.

News stories have falsely claimed that Ukrainian Nazis are using noncombatants as human shields, killing Ukrainian civilians and planning a genocide of Russians.

The strategy was most likely intended to justify what the Kremlin hoped would be a quick ouster of the Ukrainian government, said Larissa Doroshenko, a researcher at Northeastern University who studies disinformation. It would help to explain why theyre establishing this new country in a sense, Dr. Doroshenko said. Because the previous government were Nazis, therefore they had to be replaced.

Multiple experts on the region said the claim that Ukraine is corrupted by Nazis is false. President Volodymyr Zelensky, who received 73 percent of the vote when he was elected in 2019, is Jewish, and all far-right parties combined received only about 2 percent of parliamentary votes in 2019  short of the 5 percent threshold for representation.

We tolerate in most Western democracies significantly higher rates of far-right extremism, said Monika Richter, head of research and analysis at Semantic Visions and a fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council.

The common Russian understanding of Nazism hinges on the notion of Nazi Germany as the antithesis of the Soviet Union rather than on the persecution of Jews specifically said Jeffrey Veidlinger, a professor of history and Judaic studies at the University of Michigan. Thats why they can call a state that has a Jewish president a Nazi state and it doesnt seem all that discordant to them, he said.

A host on Russias NTV, which has been under state control since 2001, juxtaposes images of a far-right rally in Ukraine with historic footage of a Nazi rally during a broadcast on April 3.

Despite the lack of evidence that Ukraine is dominated by Nazis, the idea has taken off among many Russians. The false claims about Ukraine may have started on state media but smaller news sites have gone on to amplify the messages.

Social media data provided by Zignal Labs shows a spike in references to Nazism in Russian language tweets that matches the uptick in Russian news media. You see it on Russian chat groups and in comments Russians are making in newspaper articles, said Dr. Veidlinger. I think many Russians actually believe this is a war against Nazism.

He noted that the success of this propaganda campaign has deep roots in Russian history. The war against Nazism is really the defining moment of the 20th century for Russia, Dr. Veidlinger said. What theyre doing now is in a way a continuation of this great moment of national unity from World War II. Putin is trying to rile up the population in favor of the war.

Mr. Putin alluded to that history in a speech on May 9 for the Russian holiday commemorating victory over Nazi Germany. You are fighting for our motherland so that nobody forgets the lessons of World War II, he said to a parade of thousands of Russian soldiers. So that there is no place in the world for torturers, death squads and Nazis.

A key feature of Russian propaganda is its repetitiveness, Ms. Richter said. You just see a constant regurgitation and repackaging of the same stuff over and over again. In this case, that means repeating unfounded allegations about Nazism. Since the invasion, 10 to 20 percent of articles about Ukraine have mentioned Nazism, according to the Semantic Visions data.

Share of Russian media articles about Ukraine that mention Nazism A line chart showing that since Russia invaded Ukraine, a higher percentage of Russian articles about Ukraine have referenced Nazism. 25% References spiked in 2021 on the May 9 Russian holiday celebrating the defeat of Nazi Germany. 20% 15% 10% 7-day average Jan. 1, 2020 2021 2022 Feb. 24 25% References spiked in 2021 on the May 9 Russian holiday celebrating the defeat of Nazi Germany. 20% 15% 10% 7-day average Jan. 1, 2020 2021 2022 Feb. 24 25% 20% 15% 10% 7-day average Jan. 1, 2020 2021 2022 Feb. 24 Source: Semantic Visions

Experts say linking Ukraine with Nazism can prevent cognitive dissonance among Russians when news about the war in places like Bucha seeps through. It helps them justify these atrocities, Dr. Doroshenko said. It helps to create this dichotomy of black and white  Nazis are bad, we are good, so we have the moral right.

The tactic appears to work. Russians access to news sources not tied to the Kremlin has been curtailed since the government silenced most independent media outlets after the invasion. During the war, Russian citizens have echoed claims about Nazism in interviews, and in a poll published in May by the Levada Center, an independent Russian pollster, 74 percent expressed support for the war.

A collection of headlines from Russian news websites making false claims about Ukrainian Nazis. Headlines from Russian news websites TASS, Komsomolskaya Pravda, Vesti and Pravda show examples of false Russian narratives about Ukrainian Nazism.

Part of what makes accusations of Nazism so useful to Russian propagandists is that Ukraines past is entangled with Nazi Germany.

There is a history of Ukrainian collaboration with the Nazis, and Putin is trying to build upon that history, Dr. Veidlinger said. During the Second World War there were parties in Ukraine that sought to collaborate with the Germans, particularly against the Soviets.

Experts said this history makes it easy for the Russian media to draw connections between real Nazis and modern far-right groups to give the impression that the contemporary groups are larger and more influential than they are.

The Azov Battalion, a regiment of the Ukrainian Army with roots in ultranationalist political groups, has been used by the Russian media since 2014 as an example of far-right support in Ukraine. Analysts said the Russian medias portrayal of the group exaggerates the extent to which its members hold neo-Nazi views.

Russian television regularly featured segments on the battalion in April when members of the group defended a steel plant in the besieged city of Mariupol.

For Russia, it was a perfect opportunity, Dr. Doroshenko said. It was like, Weve been smearing them for so long and theyre still there, theyre still fighting, so we can justify our tactics of destroying Mariupol because we need to destroy these Nazis.

Russias false claim that its invasion of Ukraine is an attempt to denazify the country has been criticized by the Anti-Defamation League, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and dozens of scholars of Nazism, among others.

The current Ukrainian state is not a Nazi state by any stretch of the imaginiation, Dr. Veidlinger said. I would argue that what Putin is actually afraid of is the spread of democracy and pluralism from Ukraine to Russia. But he knows that the accusation of Nazism is going to unite his population.
A TOTAL of 36 companies from a wide variety of sectors have now registered for the first ever Offaly Job Fair which takes place this weekend.

Organised by Tullamore and District Chamber of Commerce, Offaly Job Fair takes place in the Tullamore Court Hotel on Saturday, July 2 next from 10am to 6pm

Organisers believe that up to 500 jobs will be available to job seekers from across the region

Firms from sectors such as construction, retail, finance, hospitality, pharmaceutical, manufacturing and engineering are set to take part in the job fair.

The job fair is aimed at a wide range of job-seekers  from the school leaver hoping to find an apprenticeship or further their education, to the commuter looking to work closer to home and enjoy a better work/life balance, to those looking to further their careers and to those financially stretched wanting to live outside the major cities where the cost of living is more affordable.

Those planning to attend are asked to pre-register at www.tullamorechamberofcommerce.com/offaly-jobs-fair

Tullamore Chamber President Anthony Hanniffy said Offaly and Tullamore were great places to work and live in.

Mr Hanniffy stressed the Chamber has worked to support its members through some very difficult times in the recent past.

As we come out of the Covid landscape we consulted with local businesses on the type of supports that would benefit the local business community the most. We expected recent events to have negatively impacted businesses but were pleasantly surprised at the strength and resilience of our community, with most businesses looking to push forward and grow despite these challenging times. One issue that raised its head again and again during our conversations was the difficulty in getting staff, and it is from these seeds that the Offaly Job Fair have grown.

The Chamber President said the event wouldn't have been possible without the support of Offaly Local Development, Offaly Local Enterprise Office, LOETB and the Technical University of the Shannon.

I would like to thank them for the tremendous time and effort they have put in to help us to make this event a reality, added Mr Hanniffy.

He said the job fair was expecting to welcome Ukrainian job seekers who have fled to safety in Ireland and Offaly following the Russian invasion.

We all feel a great sorrow for recent events and sympathise with what you have gone through and what some of your families are still going through. We welcome you with open arms into our communities and will endeavour to assist you as best we can, stressed the Chamber President.

Mr Hanniffy said he was very upbeat about the future of business in Offaly.

We have a strong generation coming through into adulthood, our businesses are remaining strong and growing, our community spirit is high and these all make the county a wonderful place to live and work, he pointed out.

Among the firms taking part in the inaugural Offaly Job Fair are

Enva

Tullamore Credit Union

Supermac's

Lidl

the HSE

Grove Remote.ie

Tullamore Court Hotel

FRS Recruitment

Cardinal Health

Integra

Palladio Group

Spectrum Plastics

Zoetis

Nua Healthcare

Choice People

Bord na Mona

Glass Innovations, Ferbane

Acoustic Interiors

Simpli Baked

All Pro Recruitment

Banagher Concrete

Salutem Advisory

National Learning Network

Irish Whjeelchair Association

The Ability Programme

All About Trees

Home Instead

More details on the Offaly Job Fair can be found at www.tullamorechamberofcommerce.com or on the Offaly Job Fair Facebook page.
A judge has been urged to revoke the legal aid of a woman in the Midlands accused of carrying out a feud-related assault

The woman spent ten days in Turkey getting cosmetic dental treatment done while on free legal aid after getting her bail terms relaxed.

Thirty-five-year-old Teresa Dinnegan, 18 Grian Ard, Longford jetted out to the Aegean coastal city of Izmir after Judge Bernadette Owens relaxed her bail terms for two weeks for the purposes of dental work to be carried out.

Ms Dinnegan, who together with two other co-accused, is charged with carrying out an assault on another woman inside Penneys, Longford Shopping Centre on March 16.

All three were arrested and subsequently charged after an alleged brawl broke out in front of shocked customers and staff, resulting in the stores closure for a number of hours.

Details surrounding Ms Dinnegan's bail while depending on the taxpayer-funded criminal legal aid system has led to stinging criticism for a major overhaul.

Fine Gael Senator Micheal Carrigy said the controversy was effectively showing two fingers to the taxpayers of Longford and urged for the courts to take a tougher hand when granting bail.

When you see people granted bail and given legal aid and then are able to travel abroad on a holiday, I just think there needs to be a review of the free legal aid (system), said Senator Carrigy.

I think the judiciary needs to take a stronger view and take into consideration the views of local gardai.

We cant have a situation where people have conditions to their bail and then have the ability to leave the country.

I dont agree with it. Bail conditions are there for a reason and should be kept and in this case, it needs to be reviewed and revoked.

Those sentiments were shared by Longford Fianna Fail Cllr Seamus Butler, who said the controversy illustrated the need for justice chiefs to closely examine an individuals personal financial circumstances before signing off on free legal aid.

"If you didn't know better you would think it was some kind of set-up," said local Cllr Seamus Butler.

"What this does is it absolutely epitomises regardless of a person's circumstances, the need for a person's means to be rigorously examined because anyone that can go on a trip to Turkey and have cosmetic dentistry carried out needs to be investigated.

"What this is is a slap in the face to so many people who are struggling to make ends meet with the cost of living and with so many struggling with fuel poverty. It's a complete and utter circus."

Ms Dinnegan is due to reappear before Longford District Court on July 5 when DPP directions will be made known.
A man who forced a curtain pole into the anus of his mother's lover in a vile, sadistic, vicious, cruel and barbaric attack in the Midlands has had his jail term increased by the Court of Appeal.

Nathan Doherty (24), from Legan, Co Longford, attacked Derek Murphy with the broken pole in the bedroom of a house at Lisnacreeva, Colehill, Co Longford, after arriving at the property in the early hours and discovering his mother Sharon Doherty naked in bed with Mr Murphy.

During the assault, Doherty repeatedly hit Mr Murphy over the back with the curtain pole until it snapped in two. He then took one half of the broken pole and forced it inside Mr Murphys anus at least twice and left it there.

Doherty pleaded guilty to one count of intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm and one count of producing an article capable of causing serious harm and was sentenced to six years imprisonment for the attack, with the final three years suspended for 10 years.

He was also ordered to pay his victim compensation of 30,000, with payments of 5,000 per year to be made when he has served his sentence.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) appealed the suspended portion of the sentence imposed by Judge Keenan Johnson at Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court in January 2021.

On Friday, Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy read out the decision of the three-judge court which increased Doherty's sentence from three to five years' imprisonment.

Mr Justice McCarthy said the attack was an "extremely violent" one but said that the headline sentence identified by the trial judge was "appropriate". He said the trial judge halved the jail sentence to "foster rehabilitation" for "first-time offender" Doherty and added that the financial restitution element to the sentence was "understandable".

However, Mr Justice McCarthy then said the court would quash the existing sentence on grounds of "deterrence" and sever the financial aspect from the jail term by making a separate order under Section 6 of the Criminal Procedures Act. This, said the judge, would mean there was no specific linkage of the financial restitution to the custodial sentence.

After quashing the existing sentence, Mr Justice McCarthy re-sentenced Doherty to six years' imprisonment with the final year suspended for two years.

Doherty is also to now pay compensation of 25,000 to Mr Murphy in annual instalments of 5,000 starting 10 months after his release.

The court previously heard that Mr Murphy suffered severe internal injuries and was forced to use a colostomy bag for several months as a result of the attack on June 3, 2018. He has also suffered psychological trauma.



He later told a court the pain inflicted on him by Doherty had been excruciating and that he thought he was going to die during the assault.

The State appealed on the grounds that the 50 per cent reduction in the time Doherty would spend in prison represented a substantial departure from other sentences handed down for similar egregious offences.

Shane Geraghty BL, for the DPP, told the Court of Appeal that Judge Johnson had described the assault as vile, sadistic, vicious, cruel and barbaric, and I dont think we should depart from that.

Mr Geraghty said rehabilitation had been a central factor when Judge Johnson sentenced Doherty.

He said Doherty had entered the property uninvited and forcibly and had even struck his own mother before assaulting Mr Doherty.

In the circumstances, a three-year jail term was an insufficient censure and insufficient in the context of deterrents, Mr Geraghty said.

Desmond Dockery SC, for Doherty, told the court that his client was a dutiful son who had been goaded by his father into using the broken implement to attack Mr Murphy.

Last month, Derek Doherty (52), of Vicarstown, Ballymahon, Co Longford, was sentenced to 80 months in prison with the final 17 months suspended at Longford Circuit Criminal Court for his role in the attack.

His father led this, Mr Dockery said, adding that the parent had instructed his son to do the bastard during the 3am attack.

There were other wide-ranging mitigating factors in the case, counsel said, including his clients early guilty plea which had been tendered at height of the pandemic when there had been a backlog of cases.

He said Judge Johnson had been entitled to a certain latitude to go that extra mile to help a first-time offender towards rehabilitation, and asked the court not to interfere with the sentence handed down by a very experienced and thoughtful judge.
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A statement from the Tinubu Media Office Friday described media reports about the meeting as "fake news."

The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, did not hold a meeting with Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State in France, the APC leader's spokesperson has said.

A statement from the Tinubu Media Office Friday described media reports about the meeting as "fake news."

"It has become imperative to set the record straight. Although Asiwaju Tinubu is presently in France, he didn't have any meeting with Governor Wike whether in that country or anywhere whatsoever," read the statement issued by Tunde Rahman, Mr Tinubu's spokesperson.

"This, however, does not detract from the fact that the APC presidential candidate holds Governor Wike in high esteem."

Mr Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos, travelled to France on Monday "for an important meeting," his spokesperson had said in a statement earlier this week.

Mr Wike, who lost the PDP presidential ticket to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, is holidaying in Turkey, a roughly 3,000 kilometres distance from France.

Read the statement by Mr Tinubu's media office below.

PRESS STATEMENT

Asiwaju Tinubu's supposed meeting with Governor Wike in France is Fake News

We have seen a viral social media post made by one of the chieftains of All Progressives Congress in Lagos State and media reports emanating from same about a supposed meeting in France between APC Presidential Standard-bearer, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and His Excellency, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.

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It has become imperative to set the record straight. Although Asiwaju Tinubu is presently in France, he didn't have any meeting with Governor Wike whether in that country or anywhere whatsoever.

This, however, does not detract from the fact that the APC presidential candidate holds Governor Wike in high esteem.

And given the national and across-party lines appeal of Asiwaju Tinubu's candidature, he will not hesitate to meet any important national leader when desirable.

As made public earlier, Asiwaju Tinubu is in France for some important engagements. He will return to the country shortly.

We would like, once again, to advice journalists to always cross-check their information with appropriate officers before rushing to press to avoid unintended errors.

Tinubu Media Office

Tunde Rahman

July 1, 2022
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Ukraine's army has denied claims by Moscow-backed separatists to have encircled the city. The capture of Lysychansk would allow the Russians to push deeper into the eastern Donbas. DW has the latest.
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BEAR LAKE TWP.  Manistee County voters will be asked to consider three millage renewals for the Bear Lake Township Fire Department in the Aug. 2 primary election.

Bear Lake Township Fire Chief Sean Adams said his department is grateful for the community supporting the millages in the past.

"I believe we haven't had any tax increases as far as new millages, other than the 0.75 (mill) one, and this will be the second renewal of that one," he said. "We're really appreciative and just trying to do our best to be maintain our department without having to increase taxes in the township."

On the ballot is a fire and rescue vehicles and equipment millage renewal, for which the department is asking a 0.75 mill renewal for a period of five years  from 2023-'27. The renewal would allow the department to replace a fire engine which is approaching its shelf life. If approved, the renewal could generation up to $68,895 in the first year.

"With this round of millage for rescue vehicles ... we would be purchasing a new engine to replace a 25-year-old one," Adams said. "That's next on our vehicle replacement plan."

The township is also asking for a 0.50 mill operations renewal, which would span a period of five years and generate up to $45,930 in its first year.

"It pays the crew, helps to cover medical equipment replacements  the equipment we use out on medical runs  and things like that," Adams said. "It helps to replenish our inventory for that."

Adams said the department currently has 16 crew members and averages around 200 runs annually.

"We're currently at about 90 runs for the year so far," he said. "We're a little bit above average right now."

Also on the ballot, Bear Lake Township is asking for a 0.25 mill renewal of an operating millage for a period of five years for fire and rescue equipment acquisition. If approved, it is estimated that the revenue generated by this proposal in the first year would be $22,965.

Adams said the renewal would cover the cost of turnout gear and other equipment.

"The key factor to the renewals is they let us continue on with a good, quality fire service and rescue service for our township," he said.

Adams said departments around the nation have been struggling to recruit new members to join the department and volunteer, and Bear Lake is no different.

"We used to have a roster of around 25 people, but with the continued amount of training that is required at the state level now, it's getting harder and harder to get volunteers," he said. "Our community continues to age, also. It's been a struggle to get the youth more involved and more willing to do the things that need to be done to serve our communities."

Adams said, if renewed, the millages will help the Bear Lake Township Fire Department in its recruiting efforts by ensuring crew members have adequate equipment.

"Because of these millages we've been able to purchase some nice equipment that helps to foster and encourage volunteers," he said. "They know when they come to be part of our fire department they're going to be using some of the best equipment, which helps to keep them safe while they do their job and volunteer for us."

The ballot language for the three millage renewals is as follows:

Fire and rescue vehicles and equipment renewal

Shall the limitation on the amount of ad valorem taxes which may be levied by the Township of Bear Lake, Manistee County, Michigan, against taxable property in the Township by up to 0.75 mill ($0.75 per $1,000 of taxable value) for a period of five (5) years 2023-2027, inclusive for purpose of providing funds for the purchase of fire department vehicles and related equipment. (This renewal, if approved and levied in its entirety, it is estimated that the revenue generated by this proposal in the first year would be $68,895.00.)

Fire and rescue operations renewal

Shall Bear Lake Township, Manistee County, Michigan, increase the constitutional limitation on the total amount of general ad valorem taxes imposed upon real and tangible personal property for all purposes in Bear Lake Township, Manistee County, Michigan, by up to an additional one-half (1/2) mill ($0.50 per $1,000 of taxable valuation) and levy an additional one-half (1/2) mill ($0.50 per $1,000 of taxable valuation) for a period of five (5) years (2023-2027, inclusive) for Township Fire and rescue operations? (This is a renewal of the one-half (1/2) mill for Township Fire and rescue operations which expired in 2022; if approved, it is estimated that the revenue generated by this proposal in the first year would be $45,930.00.)

Fire and rescue equipment renewal

Shall Bear Lake Township, Manistee County, Michigan, increase the constitutional limitation on the total amount of general ad valorem taxes imposed upon real and tangible personal property for all purposes in Bear Lake Township, Manistee County, Michigan, by up to an additional one- quarter (1/4) mill ($0.25 per $1,000 of taxable valuation) and levy an additional one-quarter (1/4) mill ($0.25 per $1,000 of taxable valuation) for a period of five (5) years (2023-2027, inclusive) for fire fighting and emergency response equipment acquisition and operating purposes? (This is a renewal of the one quarter (1/4) mill fire fighting and emergency response equipment acquisition and operating purposes which expired in 2022; if approved, it is estimated that the revenue generated by this proposal in the first year would be $22,965.00.)
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KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Russian forces pounded the city of Lysychansk and its surroundings in an all-out attempt to seize the last stronghold of resistance in eastern Ukraine's Luhansk province, the governor said Saturday. A presidential adviser said its fate would be decided within the next two days.

Ukrainian fighters have spent weeks trying to defend the city and to keep it from falling to Russia, as neighboring Sievierodonetsk did a week ago.

Over the last day, the occupiers opened fire from all available kinds of weapons, Luhansk Gov. Serhiy Haidai said Saturday on the Telegram messaging app.

A river separates Lysychansk from Sievierodonetsk, and Oleksiy Arestovych, an adviser to the Ukrainian president, said during an online interview late Saturday that Russian forces had managed for the first time to cross the river from the north, creating a threatening situation. He said they had not reached the center of the city, but control over Lysychansk would be decided by Monday.

Volodymyr Nazarenko, the second in command of the Svoboda battalion who was part of the June 24 retreat from Sievierodonetsk, said the Russians had methodically leveled the city. He described how Russian tanks targeted one building after another, moving on after each one was destroyed.

So they use these tactics where barrages of ammunition are used to destroy the city and turn it into a burnt-down desert, Nazarenko said from the relative safety of Bakhmut, a city to the southwest.

He also said Russian troops obliterated any potential defensive positions with constant artillery and burned down forests to prevent trench warfare."

Luhansk and neighboring Donetsk are the two provinces that make up the Donbas, where Russia has focused its offensive since pulling back from northern Ukraine and the capital, Kyiv, in the spring.

Pro-Russia separatists have held portions of both eastern provinces since 2014, and Moscow recognizes all of Luhansk and Donetsk as sovereign republics. Syria's government said Wednesday that it would also recognize the independence and sovereignty of the two areas and work to establish diplomatic relations with the separatists.

In Slovyansk, a major Donetsk city still under Ukrainian control, four people died when Russian forces fired cluster munitions late Friday, Mayor Vadym Lyakh said on Facebook. He said the neighborhoods that were hit didn't contain any potential military targets.

The leader of neighboring Belarus, a Russian ally, claimed Saturday that Ukraine fired missiles at military targets on Belarusian territory several days ago but all were intercepted by the air defense system. President Alexander Lukashenko described it as a provocation and noted that no Belarusian soldiers are fighting in Ukraine. There was no immediate response from the Ukrainian military.

Belarus hosts Russian military units and was used as a staging ground for Russia's invasion. Last week, just hours before Lukashenko was to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian long-range bombers fired missiles on Ukraine from Belarusian airspace for the first time.

Lukashenko has so far resisted efforts to draw his army into the war. But during their meeting, Putin announced that Russia planned to supply Belarus with the Iskander-M missile system and reminded Lukashenko of how dependent his government is on economic support from Russia.

Lukashenko on Saturday also claimed that two Belarusian truck drivers were killed in Ukraine. Ukraine said the truckers were at a gas station when it was hit by a Russian airstrike in March, but Lukashenko claimed the organs were cut out of their bodies to hide evidence that they were shot.

Elsewhere in Ukraine, investigators combed through the wreckage from a Russian airstrike early Friday on residential areas near the Ukrainian port of Odesa that killed 21 people.

Ukrainian Prosecutor-General Iryna Venediktova said the investigators were recovering fragments from missiles that struck an apartment building in the small coastal town of Serhiivka. They also were taking measurements to determine the trajectory of the weapons and "the specific people guilty of this terrible war crime, she said.

Larissa Andruchenko said she was in the kitchen making tea at about 1 a.m. when a blast blew the doors open. At first she thought the propane gas tank had exploded, and called her husband to the kitchen.

And right then the lights went off and it was nightmare. The two of us are in the kitchen with glass flying, everything was flying," she said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said three anti-ship missiles struck an ordinary residential building, a nine-story building housing about 160 people. The victims of Friday's attack also included four members of a family staying at a seaside campsite, he said.

'I emphasize: This is deliberate direct Russian terror, and not some mistake or an accidental missile strike," Zelenskyy said.

The British Defense Ministry said Saturday that air-launched anti-ship missiles generally don't have precision accuracy against ground targets. It said Russia likely was using such missiles because of a shortage of more accurate weapons.

The Kremlin has repeatedly claimed that the Russian military is targeting fuel storage sites and military facilities, not residential areas, although missiles also recently hit an apartment building in Kyiv and a shopping mall in the central city of Kremenchuk.

On Saturday, Kremenchuk Mayor Vitaliy Maletskyy said the death toll in the mall attack had risen to 21 and one person was still missing.

Ukrainian authorities interpreted the missile attack in Odesa as payback for the withdrawal of Russian troops from a nearby Black Sea island with both symbolic and strategic significance in the war that started with Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine.

Moscow portrayed their departure from Snake Island as a goodwill gesture to help unblock exports of grain.

In other developments:

 The director of a charity helping the family of a British man captured in eastern Ukraine said Dylan Healy was detained on April 25 at a Russian checkpoint in the south of the Zaporizhzhia region. Dominik Byrne, director of operations at Presidium Network, told The Associated Press that Healy is an aid worker and has no connection either to the Ukrainian or the British military.

Healy is among at least five foreigners, including four Britons, being held by separatists, who accuse them of being mercenaries fighting for Ukraine. Three have been sentenced to death. The charges against Healy were announced Friday.

___

Follow AP's coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
AUSTIN, Texas (AP)  Following the horror of a human-smuggling attempt that left 53 people dead, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott ordered state troopers to inspect more trucks  again expanding a border security mission that has cost billions, given the National Guard arrest powers and bused migrants to Washington, D.C.

What Abbotts get-tough plans havent done in the year since he began rolling them out is curb the number of people crossing the border.

Along the border in Texas, where officials say Mondays fatal tractor-trailer journey began, U.S. authorities stopped migrants from crossing illegally 523,000 times between January and May, up from 417,000 over the same span a year ago. It reflects how, across the nations entire southern border, crossings are at or near the highest in about two decades.

The deadliest smuggling attempt in U.S. history illustrated the limitations of Abbott's massive border apparatus as the two-term governor, who is up for reelection in November, points the finger at President Joe Biden. Immigration advocates have disagreed with Abbotts criticism and said Biden is focused on enforcement.

Texas is going to take action to do our part to try to reduce the illegal immigration coming into our country," Abbott said Wednesday while on the border in the town of Eagle Pass.

He said that state troopers would begin inspecting more tractor-trailers in wake of the tragedy. He did not provide details about the extent or location of the inspections. But unlike an inspection effort three months ago that gridlocked the state's 1,200-mile (1,930-kilometer) border for a week, troopers are not checking every tractor-trailer as it comes into Texas.

The Texas Department of Public Safety did not respond to questions Friday about how many trucks have been inspected since the governor's order or whether any migrants have been found.

Critics have questioned the transparency and metrics of what is now a $3 billion mission since Operation Lone Star was launched in the spring of 2021. Some arrests, including for low-level amounts of marijuana during traffic stops, appear to have little to do with border security. After a rushed deployment of the Texas National Guard, some members complained of low morale, late paychecks and having little to do.

Since April, Abbott has offered bus rides to Washington, D.C., to migrants who cross the border, saying he was taking the immigration issue to Congress' doorstep. So far, about 3,000 migrants have taken the trip at a cost of more than $5 million.

Greg Abbott, all he wants to do is gotcha phrases and gotcha stunts without any real solutions, said state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, a Democrat whose district includes the back road in San Antonio where the truck was found abandoned. Hes spent over $10 billion supposedly securing the border and hasnt done one damn thing to fix this.

U.S. border authorities are stopping migrants more often on the southern border than at any time in at least two decades. Migrants were stopped nearly 240,000 times in May, up by one-third from a year ago.

Comparisons to pre-pandemic levels are complicated because migrants expelled under a public health authority known as Title 42 face no legal consequences, encouraging repeat attempts. Authorities say 25% of encounters in May were with people who had been stopped at least once in the previous year.

Abbott's earlier truck inspection effort drew wide backlash and caused deep economic losses, and troopers found no migrants or drugs.

Abbott stopped the checks after signing agreements with governors in Mexico's four neighboring states, but warned he might reimpose them if he didn't see improvement. The number of migrants crossing in May was higher than in April.

Asked about it Wednesday, Abbott said accountability may come soon." He also blamed Mexico's federal government, saying it needs to do more.

He says the operation overall has been successful, pointing to more than 4,000 migrants arrested on state criminal trespassing charges, 14,000 felony arrests and drug seizures. He also said Texas has turned back more than 22,000 migrants over the last year  a fraction of the attempted border crossings across the southern border in a single month.

Before Mondays tragedy, the deadliest attempted smuggling in Texas was in 2003 when the bodies of 19 people were found dead in a sweltering trailer about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southwest of San Antonio. Jeff Vaden, a former U.S. attorney who helped prosecute that case, said sentences for smuggling migrants are not high enough.

Its not a deterrent for people taking that risk, he said.

One of the first to visit some of the migrants pulled from the truck and hospitalized in San Antonio was Antonio Fernandez, president and CEO of Catholic Charities, which provides migrants and their families with housing and assistance.

Fernandez said summer is usually a slower time, but not this year. A hotel used by Catholic Charities that typically shelters 50 people has lately been filled with 100 every night, and he now has eight members of staff who help families with immigration, up from just one.

My conversations with a lot of these people, clearly, they have nothing in their countries, Fernandez said. They dont have a life and they dont feel safe. Theyre hungry. For them, America is not a choice. Its the only option they have."
The Uvalde school districts police chief has stepped down from his position in the City Council just weeks after being sworn in following allegations that he erred in his response to the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School that left 19 students and two teachers dead.

Chief Pete Arredondo said in a letter dated Friday that he has decided to step down for the good of the city and to minimize further distractions. He was elected to the council on May 7 and was sworn in on May 31, just a week after the massacre, in a closed-door ceremony.

The mayor, the city council, and the city staff must continue to move forward to unite our community once again, Arredondo said in his resignation, first reported by the Uvalde Leader-News.

Arredondo, who has been on administrative leave from his school district position since June 22, has declined repeated requests for comment from The Associated Press. His attorney, George Hyde, did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment Saturday.

On June 21, the City Council voted unanimously to deny Arredondo a leave of absence from appearing at public meetings. Relatives of the shooting victims had pleaded with city leaders to fire him.

The Uvalde City Council released Arredondo's resignation letter Saturday, after city officials received notification of his intent to step down via email, but did not comment further.

Representatives of Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin have not responded to AP's requests for comment.

Col. Steven McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, told a state Senate hearing last month that Arredondo  the on-site commander  made terrible decisions as the massacre unfolded on May 24 , and that the police response was an abject failure.

Three minutes after 18-year-old Salvador Ramos entered the school, sufficient armed law enforcement were on scene to stop the gunman, McCraw testified. Yet police officers armed with rifles stood and waited in a school hallway for more than an hour while the gunman carried out the massacre. The classroom door could not be locked from the inside, but there is no indication officers tried to open the door while the gunman was inside, McCraw said.

McCraw has said parents begged police outside the school to move in and students inside the classroom repeatedly pleaded with 911 operators for help while more than a dozen officers waited in a hallway. Officers from other agencies urged Arredondo to let them move in because children were in danger.

The only thing stopping a hallway of dedicated officers from entering room 111 and 112 was the on-scene commander who decided to place the lives of officers before the lives of children, McCraw said.

Arredondo has tried to defend his actions, telling the Texas Tribune that he didnt consider himself the commander in charge of operations and that he assumed someone else had taken control of the law enforcement response. He said he didnt have his police and campus radios but that he used his cellphone to call for tactical gear, a sniper and the classroom keys.

Its still not clear why it took so long for police to enter the classroom, how they communicated with each other during the attack, and what their body cameras show.

Officials have declined to release more details, citing the investigation.

Arredondo, 50, grew up in Uvalde and has spent much of his nearly 30-year career in law enforcement in the city.
Joppa-Maple Grove School Board member Chris McGinness addresses the audience following Mondays meeting as he, Kevin Castleman and Peggy McNeill prepare to leave. The board voted 4-3 approving a resolution authorizing annexation proceedings of the district to Massac Unit 1. The three voted against. Seated are (from left) superintendent Dr. Vickie Artman, board president Danny Burnett and board secretary Rachel Henson.
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Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Angry young Libyan demonstrators Friday stormed the House of Representatives (Parliament) building in the eastern city of Tobruk, setting it on fire and destroying documents and furniture
Geneva, Switzerland (PANA) - The UN human rights chief, Michelle Bachelet, on Friday expressed alarm over the killing of at least nine protesters by security forces in Sudan a day earlier, including a 15-year-old child
Photo: (Photo : Diana Bagnoli)

A man was arrested in Litchfield and charged with murder for allegedly beheading a pregnant woman who would have given birth to her first baby this July.

Deundrea Holloway was accused of beheading Liese Dodd, 22, also causing her unborn child to die. Her head was found inside a rubbish bin outside her apartment, according to court documents obtained by the St Louis Post-Dispatch. The two are said to have an on-and-off dating relationship, but it was unclear if Holloway is the father of Dodd's child.

Police officers investigating the case described the crime as beyond reprehensible.

Dodd's mother discovered the horrifying scene

Dodd's mother, Heidi Noel, discovered her daughter's decapitated body Thursday afternoon when she went to check in on her after not hearing from her. She visited Dodd's place at the 3400 block of Bolivar Street in Alton and was met with the horrifying scene.

Detectives immediately searched for the suspect in the Litchfield area. Ironically, Holloway was arrested later that day in Gillespie, about 45 minutes away from Alton, for stealing a bike.

Read also: A Pregnant Woman Was Allegedly Burned Alive Inside Her Car by the Baby's Father

"What was observed, what was learned, what was found, is absolutely terrible," said Police officer Marcos Pulido, who is in charge of the case. He added that "She was decapitated by a freaking savage monster." KMOX reported.

Court records showed that Holloway has no convictions for assaults or other crimes relating to violence, but he stole cash from a friend three years ago.

Prosecutors are using two counts of murder for one victim to allow the jury an option. It revolves around what the killer's true intent was. One count of murder charges alleges Holloway planned to kill her or was aware that his action would cause her death; the second count banks on the strong probability that it would kill her. The jury cannot pick both.

Victim's unborn child would have been her first child

Dodd was expecting the birth of her baby girl on July 27, according to her online baby registry. The victim's family was planning a baby shower at the end of this month.

Noel told KMOV, "We were just excited and gathering the items you need to have a baby. Her wish list includes a pink princess crib sheet. She hasn't given the name of her baby yet, she just calls it her little bean."

According to Fox 2 Now, the victim had dated the suspect on and off for about two years and had recently moved to the area.

Tom Haine, Madison County State's Attorney, has offered his sympathy to the family of Dodd for the profound loss they are suffering.

"We believe the evidence will show that the defendant's gruesome actions here killed both a young woman and the child she carried," said Haine, adding, "In the eyes of the law, both these killings are equal."

Holloway is held on a $2 million bail

Related Article: Pregnant Woman Survives Harrowing Journey From Ukraine to the U.S., Prepares to Give Birth in NYC
Photo: (Photo : Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for MTV)

Zachary Levi made a name for himself on television, on the Broadway stage, and as a jovial and confident superhero in the 2019 movie "Shazam!" but underneath the costume was a man struggling with his relationship with his abusive mother, Susan Pugh.

Before taking on the role that would change the course of his acting career, Levi admitted that he was contemplating taking his life because his self-esteem was at an all-time low. He struggled with anxiety and depression and spent some time in a mental health facility, hoping to heal from the turmoil he had battled through since childhood.

Speaking with People, Levi said that living his life under the spotlight of Hollywood made him even more lost. But he learned to channel his struggles into his memoir, "Radical Love: Learning to Accept Yourself and Others."

Read Also: Texas Mom Sentenced to Life for Orchestrating Husband's Murder With High School Sweetheart: DOJ

What is "Radical Love" About?

Levi detailed his personal, emotional struggles in "Radical Love," particularly his experiences with his mom, who died in 2015. According to USA Today, the actor's mother did not receive proper mental health care before she passed on, but the therapists who took care of her said that she likely suffered from a borderline personality disorder with narcissistic tendencies.

The actor said his mother once told him she would be happier if he died. Levi, however, said that he wrote the book not to disrespect his mother's memory because Levi loved his mom despite her abusive behavior.

The actor described Pugh as someone who was "beautiful, vibrant, intelligent." He said that he could never see his mom as a wicked person because Pugh was also dealing with her own trauma from her parents.

Levi said that her mother had no clue of the trauma she afflicted on other people due to her mental health disorder. His book touches on how to embrace "radical love," which he believed refers to someone who uses the tools at their disposal, including trauma and fears, to create and maintain relationships. It is about having hope while trying to understand and heal.

Finding His Peace of Mind

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the "Shazam!" star said that he grew up feeling like the family's embarrassment because that's what his mother made him feel. When he got older, he turned to drugs, booze, and sex because he needed something to numb his emotional pain.

He was already an accomplished actor when he experienced a panic attack that triggered his need to seek therapy. Levi admitted that he didn't realize that he was on the verge of a mental breakdown until he turned 37.

"I had been in dark places in my life before," Levi said. "I didn't realize I was running away from so much."

After weeks of intensive and life-changing therapy, Levi is slowly finding peace of mind but acknowledges he's still a work in progress.

For anyone needing help and guidance, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Related Article: Pennsylvania Mom Got Over $70,000 in Benefits While Daughters Starved to Death
Photo: (Photo : JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images)

Georgia mom Quinn Shealey videotaped her 6-month-old twins Alana and Alani on Wednesday afternoon and was delighted with their reactions. She saw her kids smiling and laughing with both bellies full as they now had dozens of cans and bottles of baby formula.

This would not be possible without the help of strangers after watching her story on Fox 5 Atlanta. In an interview with the media outlet, the Chamblee-based realtor shared that she was driving to dozens of stores every day to look for the hypoallergenic baby formula, Nutramigen, that her girls badly need.

The mom said she visited 25 stores and called more than 50, but no one had the formula she needed. Shealey's twin daughters, born prematurely at 33 weeks, need that formula as they have severe food allergies and digestive issues.

Formula donations restored Shealey's faith in humanity

She said she is breastfeeding them but cannot produce enough milk to sustain both of her twins. According to Shealey, she was running out of formula for four or five days at a time. To address the shortage, she tried to supplement what powder and liquid formula she could find with apple juice, cereal, and water.

Shealey can be seen in a home video trying to feed one of her girls a bottle of water. She said that this was her daughter's third bottle of the day, and she was no longer interested and getting frustrated. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has advised parents not to make or feed homemade formula to their babies.

The mother expressed that she did not know what to do anymore because she physically couldn't feed her children. The response to her heartbreaking story was quick and overwhelming, with the mom saying that it restored her faith in humanity. She revealed that people from Chicago, Nevada, Florida, and Alabama sent her formula, and they now have all the formula they need.

Read Also: Baby Formula Makers Still Have to Wait Longer to Get FDA Approval Despite Nationwide Formula Shortage

Shealey hopes people will donate to Helping Mamas

Shealey hopes everyone who wants to help her twin girls will donate to a baby supply bank like Helping Mamas in Norcross, Georgia, which is running critically low on baby formula because of the ongoing nationwide shortage.

Helping Mamas CEO Jamie Lackey said the ongoing shortage, driven by a combination of a safety-related shutdown of the nation's largest manufacturer of formula, Abbott, and a shortage of key ingredients in formulas, is very real and is still happening.

Lackey said the best way people can help right now is to bring unopened and unexpired formulas to their office, which is located in Norcross. They also have drop-offs throughout the city.

Related Article: Many Baby Formula Plants Not Inspected in the US Because of COVID Pandemic
Photo: (Photo : Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Mayor Eric Adams said on Thursday, June 30, that New York City needs to examine if the Administration for Children's Services (ACS) had failed seven-year-old Julissia Batties, who was allegedly murdered by her mom just months after being placed back in her care.

The mayor was asked to respond to claims by the young girl's grief-stricken father that the city's system failed her. Julius Batties referred to the ACS decision to return Julissia to her mom Navasia Jones less than two months before his daughter was found beaten to death in August 2021. Jones and her half-brother Paul Fine were both charged with murder, according to CBS News.

Adams noted it should be assessed if there was a failure, as they have cases like this, wherein they are constantly analyzing how they could do something better.

Slain girl's dad blasts Adams

However, the mayor's response did not satisfy the aggrieved father. He said that all of this is black and white and that Adams should look at the records and return to him. Batties pointed out to Adams that they all work for the city, and ACS is run by the city.

He added that it was a shame on the city and worse shame on the mayor, referring to Adam's response. The grieving dad said that Adams should do his homework before speaking and judging the situation when he does not know what he is talking about.

The deceased youngster was the subject of a heated custody battle for nearly all of her life. Julissia's paternal grandmother, Yolanda Davis, was temporarily granted custody of the child after birth. Davis previously said in an interview that she begged ACS not to send the girl back to her mother.

Jones, charged with murder and manslaughter on Wednesday, June 29, had lost custody of her daughter at birth, along with her four sons, due to alleged physical abuse and negligence. Young Julissia cried hysterically in a heartbreaking audio recording obtained by the New York Post, begging her grandmother not to send her for a court-ordered weekend visit with her mother.

Read Also: US Military Struggling to Recruit Young Americans in 2022

Cops called at least six times

There was a known history of violence in the Jones residence, with cops being called to the apartment in New York City Housing Authority's (NYCHA) Mitchel Houses at least six times between May 2018 and March 2020 for suspected abuse of the young girl, according to sources.

Despite her emotional pleas, Julissia was still sent to visit her mother. The ACS placed her there permanently during the spring against objections by her court-appointed lawyer and grandmother, according to the Daily Mail. That proved to be a tragic mistake as Julissia's lifeless and battered body was discovered just a few months later, with evidence of trauma found all over the dead girl.

Related Article: Teen Boy Killed, 3 Others Injured in Shooting After Unpermitted Juneteenth Moechella Event in DC
Photo: (Photo : JONAS ROOSENS/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)

After two months of a manhunt, the fugitive parents who disappeared from their Georgia home following a house fire that killed their 10-year-old daughter were arrested by the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office Wednesday, June 29.

William McCue, 47, and Carina McCue, 38, are now in custody after they were discovered at the Appalachian Trail. Authorities have been looking for the parents since they fled in May when firefighters and investigators found their actual living conditions and gathered enough evidence against the parents.

The McCrue couple is facing charges of false imprisonment and child cruelty as they have been accused of depriving their five children of nutrition, hygiene, medical care, and education per 11Alive. Authorities also said that the kids were not allowed to leave their house and did not even know how to use basic items like toilet paper.

Read Also: Judge Rules Mom of Boy With Autism, Frozen to Death By Cop Dad, May Sue Child Protective Services

The Neglected Children

The couple's 15-year-old son, who was found at a church in Rockdale County, confessed to starting the fire. He has been taken into custody and charged with arson and the murder of his sister, Zoe.

The body of Zoe was discovered in a makeshift bed that appeared to be a bathtub inside a windowless room. Further investigations revealed that the kids were not treated well, and their house was also neglected, especially the toilet and the showers.

The cops said that the fugitive parents had their kids use "improvised camping-style toilets" discovered on the property, per the Daily Beast. A social worker told the court that there is evidence to suggest that the children have been deprived of their basic needs. The kids also presented bitemarks and whip marks on their bodies.

After collecting evidence against the parents, the sheriff issued the arrest warrant, but William and Carina disappeared.

GWINNETT COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE APPREHENDS TWO FUGITIVES

WANTED FOR CRUELTY AGAINST CHILDREN

(Cleveland, G.A., June 30, 2022)  The Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office Fugitive Unit has William and Carina McCue in custody.

Visit our Facebook for the full story. pic.twitter.com/EtqAEccCqo  Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office (@GwinnettSO) June 30, 2022

Timothy Wisniewski, the father of Carina, who is based in New York, told the authorities that he had no clue about his grandchildren's situation. He saw them a few times every couple of years, but he hasn't been inside the house since 2014 or 2015.

The grandfather also said that he brought his grandchildren ice cream during one visit, and they did not look unkempt. Thus, Wisniewski saw no reason to suspect that the children were neglected.

Reclusive Parents Filed for Divorce Twice

The family's neighbors for many years said that William and Carina, as well as the kids, were quite reclusive. The neighbor spoke to the McCrue couple just twice this whole time they've been living on the same street.

Wisniewski expressed shock about his daughter's arrest because he knew Carina was a good person. He said that he never liked William and described his son-in-law as someone who was easily upset and who had this attitude that everyone was out to get him, per Daily Mail.

The fugitive parents filed for divorce in 2010 and 2019 but ended up reconciling. They owned "fairly new, nice-looking vehicles," so Wisniewski did not think they lived in such horrific conditions. The father also said that his daughter knew she could always ask for help from him.

Meanwhile, it's still unclear if the murder charges against McCrue's 15-year-old son will be dismissed now that the parents are in police custody.

Related Article: Arizona Girl Dies of Severe Lice Infestation; Child Abuse Charges for Mom and Grandmother Upped to Murder
Photo: (Photo : PRAKASH MATHEMA/AFP via Getty Images)

A state in Australia could soon adopt new and radical birth certificate reforms that will allow the optional declaration of "mother" and "father" or let the individual change their gender every 12 months on the document.

The Queensland Department of Justice and Attorney-General detailed the proposal to two women's groups. A spokesperson told Courier-Mail that the reforms were laid out to recognize "trans and gender diverse people." The women understood that the proposal was meant to erase "sex" from official documents.

The public will also be allowed to pick any descriptor of their gender that are not numbers, symbols, or offensive words. If approved, any person above 16 years old will be able to self-identity provided they have the supporting documents from someone who has known them personally for at least 12 months.

On the other hand, kids between 12 to 15 years old may ask for a gender change in their birth certificate through one parent, while those below 12 years old will need supporting documents from both parents. Depending on the child's case, the court may also require additional support, such as testimonies of child development practitioners.

Currently, only Queensland and New South Wales require a person to have a gender change surgery before they make changes to their birth certificate. It's unclear how this proposal will impact the requirement.

Read Also: Parents Furious NYC Spent Over $200K for Drag Queen Shows in Schools

"I fell off my chair"

Kelly Carr, who represents International Women's Day (IWD) Brisbane, said she fell off her chair when she heard the proposal. As a mother, Carr said it was "really shocking" to take in what was discussed.

Bernard Lane of Gender Clinic News said it's a "puzzle" to allow people to change their gender every 12 months. It implies that the feelings of the minority, such as the trans or gender diverse people, are more significant than the "biological reality," per Sky News.

IWD professor Helen Waite fears this would be made into a mockery since there was no proposed limit to changing the gender on the birth certificate. Stassja Frei, the founder of Biological Reality, said this will be a win for trans lobbyists, but it is a "dangerous belief system."

I'm in a feminist activist group that campaigns for No Self ID in Qld. We've had a number of protests, most recently on 25 June. pic.twitter.com/nuvLQ7Jde2  Anna Mack (@annamack3) June 30, 2022

Queensland is not the first Australian state to propose radical birth certificate reforms. Victoria and Tasmania have also made changes, but Queensland's proposal is more exhaustive and far-reaching.

Mom and Dad Become "Parent 1" and "Parent 2"

Meanwhile, in France, in recognizing the minority and avoiding offending trans, gender diverse people and same-sex parents, the French government wants to impose schools to use "Parent 1" and "Parent 2" instead of mother and or father in all forms and documents.

Daily Mirror reported that the proposal passed the first reading in the legislature, which means it's one step closer to becoming a law.

But some officials are not happy with the proposal. Jean-Michel Blanquer, the education minister, described the move as a "legislative overreach" even if it is inclusive and progressive.

Related Article: School Officials Investigate Preschool for Using Flashcards Showing Pregnant Man
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A maiden three-day Ghana Trade Road show organized by the AfreximBank and Oakwood Green Africa, to promote in Afreximbanks mandate in Ghana, as well as foster deeper understanding of the banks products to the banking and business communities is under way in Accra.



The maiden Ghana RoadShow is under the Theme Supporting the Africa Trade Agenda-Ensuring the Last Mile.



The event would be used to consolidate various discussions initiated with the Central Bank of Ghana following the successful launch of the Pan African Payments and Settlements System (PAPSS) earlier this year in Accra.



The Roadshow would also hold series of forum to introduce to the Ghanaian market various funding initiatives being undertaken by Afreximbank, the AfCFTA and its partners in their bid to transform Africas trade, and the role Ghana could play in this endeavor.



It is being oganised in collaboration with the Ghana Export Promotion Authority, the Ghana Free Zones Authority, AfCFTA Secretariat, GCB and CBG, for banks and non-bank financial Institutions, as well as the business community in Ghana in efforts to boost intra-Africa trade facilitation capacity.



Issues to being discussed for the three days include Afreximbanks mandate and strategic initiatives, the programmes and facilities of the Pan African Payments and Settlements System (PAPSS)the MANSA KYC Repository (MANSA)and the implementation of the AfCFTA, strategic policies and using Ghana as the hub for the realisation of its drive for the development of value chains across various selected sectors.



The Deputy Minister for Trade and Industries Herbert Krapa, speaking at the opening ceremony, said Africas dependence on everyone else for everything good would soon be a thing of the past because it has the answer to all challenges comforting the continent.



Africa, he said is a is a continent of plenty yet our share of global trade stands at not so handsome3%interAfrica trade is some17%compared to 68%for zeroand59%forAsiaandour annualinfrastructuredeficitstandsatover100billion United States dollars..



Mr. Krarper, said Africas political and economic integration would advance equitable development for all of Africas if mini challenges of small fragmented markets, value adding to the continents abundant natural resources are harnessed to promote economic diversification and industrialization.



Thankfully, Afreximbank, he said has towered above the challenge and embraced it much to the satisfaction of stakeholders, the private sector, member states, and the banks partnership with Oakwood Green Africa because if the AfCFTA succeeds the continent benefits as strategic partnerships have become inevitable.



The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, Mr. Yofi Grant, urged participants to take advantage of the opportunities created and be part be part of the AfCFTA history making process.



Mr. Wamkele Meme, Secretary General of AfCFTA URGED African countries to focus on industrialization in other to promote the economic development of the continent.



The Managing Partner Oakwood Green Africa Limited Gabriel Edger urged African countries to unite and embrace regional trade to boost the economies of the continent.



Overall, the road show is expected to afford businesses in Ghana the opportunity to take advantage of Afreximbanks trade finance and intra-Africa trade facilitation capacity, and will focus on the following key areas with an in-depth presentation on each area by the respective subject area expert:



Afreximbank is the foremost pan-African multilateral financial institution devoted to financing and promoting intra and inter-African trade. Established in October 1993, the bank is a product of African governments, under a charter with its headquarters in Cairo, Egypt. The bank offers a range of financing programmes, solutions and advisory services to support the expansion, diversification, promotion and development of intra-African trade and trade development project.



The services provided by Afreximbank are the main prerequisite for vital investment that can really translate into sound economic growth. It is worth noting that, trade and project financing initiatives positively impact trade and project financing initiatives, trade and economic development across the African continent.



Oakwood Green Africa (Oakwood Green) is a growing Pan-African institution fueled by a passion to enable greatness across Africa. It has strategic investments in intra-Africa trade, capital and finance, knowledge capital, productivity enhancement and business.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Ayopo Ogunleye, who has fathered five sets of twins, has become something of a local celebrity in western Nigeria.



He told BBC Yoruba he was now bringing up his children alone in the Ado-odo area of Ogun state as his wife left years ago after her parents complained that she was having too many twins.



Now in his 40s, he is raising seven children as the couple lost the first set of twins as infants and a boy from the last set also died.



Mr Ogunleye said he had not been expecting twins the first time his wife conceived and was surprised when he was called from the hospital.



When I heard that my wife had given birth, I asked if it was a boy or girl, and they said I had twins.



This was a dream come true for him.



I had been praying about it from childhood, I gave thanks to God. I hugged my wife and congratulated her.



The Yoruba community, mainly found in western Nigeria, has one of the highest rates of twin births in the world.



Twins are called Ibeji and culturally they believe they have to be followed by a single birth - known as Idowu.



But Mr Ogunleye said each time his wife became pregnant, it was twins.



Second time twins, third time twins, fourth twins, fifth twins, he said.



The reason for having so many twins remains a mystery to him: he says he does not eat anything special or do anything differently to others.



Despite the financial and physical constraints of raising so many children, he would like to have more and hasnt ruled out marrying again.



Children are blessings from God, he said.

Source: BBC









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The Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Prof. Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa, has advised staff of the service to plan adequately for their retirement.

He advised them not to wait till they were left with some few years before they started to plan for life after pension.



You dont have to wait till the last minute before you start planning for your pension. If you do that, you will find yourself wanting. If you have about 20 years or 15 years to work and you put in a strategy by starting off something, it is most likely that by the time you finish active work, you will be able to put up a structure that you can lay your head, he stated.



Prof. Opoku-Amankwa gave the advice when he opened a two-day staff durbar and business activation fair for staff of the GES at the forecourt of the GES headquarters.



Accommodation

He said the issue of people going on retirement without a house to sleep in was a general problem with the Ghanaian workforce and often, it was because they thought their income were low so they could not afford to put up a house with it.



Sometimes, we also look at our age and think we have more years to retire and so there is more time. However, by the time we realised, the time is up for us to leave.



We want to try to avoid this situation and that is the reason why we organised the fair. The moment you get a job, you should start planning your pension, he explained.



Prof. Opoku-Amankwa said ever since he joined the GES, he had noticed that going on pension was almost a tango for some and the biggest challenge he learnt was that most of them did not have a place to lay their heads after retirement.



Estate property developers

He said often, people jumped to conclusion that it was expensive to purchase a house from estate property developers, adding that in their case, they would look at all the options available for their staff to explore.



Prof. Opoku-Amankwa gave an assurance that the service would give the staff all the support they needed to own property.



He added that the service would liaise with the Controller and Accountant General Department in that regard and also make sure that all the necessary documentation needed were available for the staff to begin the process.



The Director-General said the programme would be replicated in the regions so that staff of the service there would also benefit.



Six banks and seven estate developers participated in the fair and they took turns to explain the services they had to the staff.









Source: graphiconline.com









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The Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, has called on African leaders not to place their private gain and interests above those of the people.

He said public office holders must refrain from thinking all about themselves and stop amassing illicit wealth at the expense of the people and the progress of their countries.



Speaking at a dinner held in his honour at the fifth World Organic Forum in Kirchberg/Jagst in Frankfurt in Germany last Wednesday night, the Okyenhene said the situation where African leaders misused public funds led to needless suffering and slow progress on the continent.



As leaders, as we grow, we should understand that private gain must be put aside and we must begin to think about the public good. This is because when we think about public good, everybody wins and we are able to see the change our people are yearning for, he said.



Dinner

The dinner, which took place at the Kirchberg Castle and was organised by the Akademie Schloss Kirchberg, attracted a number of dignitaries, including the German Ambassador to Ghana, Daniel Krull; the Chairman of the Haus der Bauern Foundation, Rudolf Buhler, who is the Founder of the Akademie Schloss Kirchberg, and the Founder of the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology, Professor Dr Vandana Shiva.



The rest were the Head of the Akademie Schloss Kirchberg, Prof. Dr Franz-Theo Gottwald; the Senior Manager of Global Policy at IFAOM-Organics International, Gabor Figeczky, and the Honorary President of the Club of Rome, Prof. Dr Dr Ernest Ulrich von Weizsacker.



Illicit wealth amassing

Osagyefuo Ofori Panin said African governments must have a policy where leaders who watched over the public purse would be made to take their countries to the point he termed enough point.



Enough point meaning three square meals a day, children having access to quality education, individuals having incomes that can keep families going, he explained.



But, as it is now, public office holders amass wealth at the expense of the people. I do not mind those who have made the right investment and the ones who are disciplined enough.



But we have a situation where public office holders amass illicit wealth and the consequence is that society and the community suffer, he said.



So even in business, keep what you can but have compassion and a sense of generosity, giving some of your private gain and personal profits for the public good, he added.



Inspiration

Taking inspiration from the well-endowed German Kirchberg/Jagst city, Osagyefuo Ofori Panin said today countries had grown and communities had developed, not because of what those countries or communities had.



It has always been what the countries know, harvesting of knowledge and ideas to change the world, and that is what African leaders should also understand and appreciate.



We have plenty more than anybody else in the world; we have all the resources that God gave the planet, but we hold the enviable position of being the headquarters of poverty because we have not applied knowledge and ideas, he lamented.



He said the Kirchberg/Jagst community had shown him that you could be small and still be budding; you could be small and still be significant.



To initiate change, the Okyenhene disclosed that he and the German Ambassador to Ghana had discussed the possibility to offer hands-on training to the youth back home to bring about change.



Appreciation

Osagyefuo Ofori Panin expressed appreciation to the Founder of Akademie Schloss Kirchberg for the exceptional reception the founder and his wife had extended to him and his entourage.

So we are going home, knowing that our host has treated us with great, great hospitality, he said.



Mayor praises Okyenhene

The Mayor of Kirchberg/Jagst city, Stefan Ohr, expressed his delight at having welcomed Osagyefuo Ofori Panin to the city.



He said the city had much to do with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and that it was implementing various climate-smart projects, such as renewable energy, to aid the achievement of the UN Agenda 2030.

Source: graphiconline.com









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Former President John Dramani Mahama addressed a gathering on the economy in Accra, Thursday, June 30.



He spoke on various issues including e-levy, economy, and public debt.



Dead woods



Meanwhile, Mahama has urged President Akufo-Addo to sack Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta and remove the "dead woods" in his administration.



"It will serve the President well to use some instruments from the Presidential tool kit in times of crisis such as this. Fire your Finance Minister, conduct a major shake-up of Government to remove the many dead woods that have turned ministries into their fiefdoms and finally huddle with the best brains this country has to formulate a comprehensive recovery plan for our economy".



"I called on President Akufo-Addo and his Head of the Economic Management Team to end the non-chalance and indecision and take urgent steps to address the self-inflicted economic disaster that has brought unbearable economic

hardships, pain, and great suffering to the people of Ghana. I made it clear that the economic problems we are facing stem from imprudent election-related expenditure and reckless decision-making in the management of the economy" he added.

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Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Ghana has formally requested the International Monetary Fund to support its economic program.



It follows a telephone conversation between President Akufo-Addo and IMF Managing Director Kristalian Georgieva conveying Ghana's decision to apply for the support fund.



A statement issued in Accra on Friday 1st July, 2022 and signed by Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said, "the engagement with the IMF will seek to provide a balance of payment support as part of a broader effort to quicken Ghana's build back in the face of challenges induced by the Covid-19 pandemic and recently, the Russia-Ukraine crises."



Ghana is a member of the IMF and recently received 1 Billion dollars for its Covid-19 response program.



The government expects the IMF support to boost the funding sources needed to execute its economic program.



It is expected that capital markets and friendly sovereign countries may also contribute to the program.

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Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/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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Various church denominations have so far contributed GH2.21 million towards the construction of the cathedral.



Major donors to the project include the Church of Pentecost which has donated a total of GH700,000 through the Church of Pentecost Headquarters (200,000) and The Church of Pentecost (General Headquarters) which has contributed GH500,000 - making it the single largest donor.



Other major donors are the Southern Ghana Union of SDA, Presbyterian Church of Ghana and the Action Chapel International who have contributed GH200,000 each.



The Methodist Church Ghana, Triumphant Baptist Church-Kwadaso, Christ Apostolic Church International, the Breaking Yoke Ministry Church and the Christian Action Faith Ministry have also donated GH100,000 each.



The board disclosed this when it launched another mass fundraising strategy, dubbed: The National Cathedral Week, at a press briefing on June 29, 2022 in Accra.



Meanwhile, the total fundraising effort by the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral of Ghana towards the cathedral's construction have accrued GH31.75 million since 2018.

Source: graphiconline.com









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Former General Secretary of the ruling New Patriotic Party(NPP), Kwabena Adjei Agyepong, has raised concerns over the number of ministerial appointees made by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.



Speaking in a one-on-one interview on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo, Mr. Kwabena Adjei Agyepong was alarmed about the numerous Deputies that a Minister has under the Akufo-Addo regime.



"I think a country like Ghana can even survive with twenty(20) ministries, a lot of the ministries that have been chopped up should be consolidated," he told Kwami Sefa Kayi.



"I think every Minister should have one deputy. The President has one deputy who is his Vice. Why should the Minister have three? . . . it is making the cost of running government too expensive," he added.



Although he didn't relate his statement to Ghana's decision to resort to the IMF, he, however was of a strong view that the size of the ministerial appointees is "making the cost of running government too expensive".



Ghana has formally requested the International Monetary Fund to support its economic program due to the challenges confronting the citizenry.



Although the assertion for the nation going to the IMF for support has been vehemently opposed, particularly when Nana Addo, in his campaign to become President of the Republic, vowed never to drag the country to the IMF, Ghana is now running back to the IMF.



It follows a telephone conversation between President Akufo-Addo and IMF Managing Director Kristalian Georgieva conveyed the nation's decision to apply for the support fund.



A statement issued in Accra on Friday 1st July, 2022 and signed by Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said "the engagement with the IMF will seek to provide a balance of payment support as part of a broader effort to quicken Ghana's build back in the face of challenges induced by the Covid-19 pandemic and recently, the Russia-Ukraine crises".



Ghana is a member of the IMF and recently received 1 billion dollars for its Covid-19 response program.



The government expects the IMF support to boost the funding sources needed to execute its economic program.







Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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A Former General Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, has revealed that there are several leading members of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) who pretent to admire President Nana Akufo-Addo but secretly despise him.



Mr Agyepong, who stopped short of mentioning specific names, further disclosed that these stalwarts cannot tell the President to his face that they do not like him but rather during private interactions with him (Agyepong), they share their open dislike for the President.



"We have to protect ourselves, protect the party. I have been a Press Secretary to a President (John Agyekum Kuffuor) for close to 6 years. I will die with the secrets in my head because the leaders pretending to love President Akufo-Addo, they know that I know that a lot of them it is not correct...They come and talk to me. I know what they say. There are people I've gone to their houses, they know what they've said to me about the President. There are a lot of things that one has to go to the grave with," he revealed.



Speaking on a wide-range of issues in an exclusive interview with Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's morning show "Kokrokoo" on Friday, July 1, 2022, Mr Agyei Agyepong expressed deep bitter feelings about how the party has treated him over the years.



After seven (7) years since he was suspended and restored by the party, he has today set the records straight on whether or not he was guilty of the offences brought against him.



Kwabena Agyepong was suspended in 2015 with the partys former National Chairman, Paul Afoko and a former National Vice Chairman, Sammy Crabbe for misconduct.



His suspension was lifted in 2021 after a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting and the lifting of the suspension restored him as a member of the partys NEC, Steering Committee and the National Council according to the partys constitution.



An emotionally charged Mr Agyepong was emphatic that he was never at fault but rather some big wigs smeared his reputation so he can lose his position as General Secretary.



According to him, the allegations that were leveled against him, for which became grounds for his suspension, were pure lies which the NPP members and supporters and a section of the Ghanaian populace were made to believe in order for his detractors to succeed in their mission.



He stated that he never caused any confusion in the NPP during his time as General Secretary, stressing there is no way he would have done anything to ruin the fortunes of the party because he is a devout leading member of the party and also played an instrumental role in the candidature of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as President of the Republic.



To him, "those who wanted to benefit from my absence, they are the ones responsible for the confusion they caused in the party".



The One-time Director of Communications at the Presidency, also refuted claims that former President John Mahama's brother, Ibrahim Mahama gifted him a Land Cruiser, a story that was run by his adversaries to bait the NPP masses into believing he was working against Nana Addo and the party's fortunes.



"There was no confusion. It was a collaborative attempt to cause instability and heap it on us", he emphasized.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party, Kwabena Adjei Agyepong has hinted he may contest in the Presidential race of the party when it opens nominations.



Mr. Kwabena Adjei Agyepong subtly expressed interest in becoming President of Ghana when the question was posed to him by Presenter of Peace FM's morning show "Kokrokoo", Kwami Sefa Kayi, during an exclusive interview on Friday, July 1.



Although he resisted to give a definite answer to the question of whether or not he will run for President, he however submitted to Ghanaians that they may see him in action when the NPP calls for aspirants to pick their forms.



He said; "It's not about me being President, I'm very passionate about transformation of this country...I think that it is time for us to drive a new era of dedication and sacrifice for our country. So, if I'm coming to do something, it's because of my life; I want to use my life as an example of sacrifice and service to motivate the youth.



"The position I desire isn't so important to me but rather we have a duty, as a country, to restore the confidence of the people in democracy and I think I'm well-positioned with my experience, having worked with Adu Boahene, having worked with Kufour, having worked with Akufo-Addo, having worked with Kyerematen all in the past."





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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The Member of Parliament for Assin Central constituency, Kennedy Agyapong has expressed disappointment in the ruling government's decision to go to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for support.



President Akufo-Addo on Friday, July 1, 2022, ordered Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta to begin formal engagements with the IMF.



In a statement signed by Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the engagement will be to invite the Fund to support an economic program put together by government and it will provide balance of payment support as part of a broader effort to quicken Ghanas build back in the face of challenges induced by the COVID-19 pandemic, and recently, the Russia-Ukraine crisis.



The President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has authorised Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta to commence formal engagements with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), inviting the Fund to Support an economic program put together by the Government of Ghana, the statement added.



This announcement has received some backlash since the NPP government while in opposition had criticized the then NDC administration for seeking help from the Fund. Apart from that, there were earlier assurance and communication from some government appointees that they will not go back there.



Speaking to this at an on-going NPP National Constituency Officers Welfare workshop at Koforidua in the Eastern Region Friday, Kennedy Agyepong said the decision to run back to the IMF will make breaking the '8' difficult.



According to him, "It is just like handing over power to NDC without a contest, straight away because of the noise we made, and I chew my own words back when I said the NDC went to IMF because of mismanagement of the economy. So if NPP is going to IMF, what am I going to say? So breaking the eight is going to be tough".



My message to you is simple, you cannot; read my lips and I am not scared of anybody in the party, I will tell you the gospel truth, those who take you to IMF cannot break the eight. I'm very sad today when I saw the publication that we're going to the IMF. We should brace ourselves...it's only unity that will help us sail through, he added.





Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Calls for Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta to resign continue to increase especially as Ghana heads to the IMF.



Leader of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) adding his voice during a panel discussion on Kumasi-based Hello FM said President Akufo-Addo needs to appoint a new Finance Minister.



"Reshuffle is long overdue...especially the Finance Minister; he doesn't seem to know what he's doing. Some people have occupied a position for so long and they need to go..." he said.



Listen to him in the video below





Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Ghanaian Reggae and Dancehall Shatta Wale will headline the 18th edition of the Ghana Party In the Party (GPITP) festival.



The festival, slated for Saturday, July 16, 2022, at Trent Park in London, United Kingdom (UK) would witness a display of Ghanaian music, dance, a fashion show, a durbar of chiefs, and many others, with thousands expected to be present at the festival.



Other supporting artistes to thrill patrons of the festival include Gyakie, Kelvynboy, Kofi Kinaata, Eugy Official, and Camidoh.



Ghanaian Highlife music would also be on display, with award-winning artistes Ofori Amponsah, KK Fosu, Kofi Nti, Sydney and Barosky set to thrill fans with some live band music.



This year's music and arts festival would be preceded by a Ghana Business Expo scheduled to take place on July 14, 2022, as Ghanaian businesses explore opportunities with the diaspora community.



Tickets for this year's festival are on sale and enquiries can be made through the GPITP website.



This year's GPITP event is supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, GTA, Ghana Post, World Remit, Qatar Airways, KGL, EximBank Ghana, Ghana Export Promotion Authority, Taptap Send, and GREADA, among others.



The likes of Sarkodie, King Promise, Fuse ODG, Stormzy, Sway, Kidi, Kuami Eugene, and many more international acts have all performed at the festival, which attracts thousands across the globe.

Source: GNA









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Fiord West produces first oil, 10,000 bpd

The status of the CD2-310 well, which was initially designed to be the satellite's first development well, was changed by CPAI to a horizontal injector well in April.

The well was drilled by Doyon Rig 26. The largest mobile land rig in North America, it drilled CD2-310 to a total measured depth of 35,526 feet, making it the longest North American land based well.

"Decades in the making," planning for the Alpine satellite development started in 1998. CD2-310 "will be pre-produced for 5-6 months prior to being converted to permanent injection service," CPAI said May 19.

The company said data from the well will aid in optimizing the design of the next well, as reported in the most recent issue of Petroleum News, which was released online May 18.

In a May 18 status update of an April 11 annual update to federal and state officials on the 24th Colville River unit plan of development (Alpine is in the unit), CPAI said given the "significant challenges seen" in the CD2-310 well, the company's "drilling plans for 2022 had been updated to include a drilling break" for Doyon 26 this summer in order to "improve ERD drilling operations."

"Extended reach technology has been a game changer for ConocoPhillips," said Vincent Lelarge, vice president, Alaska Asset Development. "It's how we are able to responsibility develop fields like Fiord West Kuparuk with minimal footprint on the tundra and the surrounding environment."

Lelarge said CPAI has worked collaboratively on the Doyon 26 rig since 2011 when use of an extended reach drilling rig was being evaluated. From front-end engineering and design studies to ConocoPhillips Canada colleagues collaborating with Doyon Drilling during construction, the rig arrived on the North Slope of Alaska in 2020.

Doyon 26 is a technologically advanced rig, capable of drilling in excess of 40,000 feet, which substantially extends the reach from a single pad. That means the rig will be able to develop 154 square miles of reservoir from a 14-acre drilling pad versus 55 square miles using today's conventional rigs.

- KAY CASHMAN

See story in May 29 issue of Petroleum News, available online May 26 at www.PetroleumNews.com.

For information on PN's news bulletin service, call 907-522-9469.

PO Box 231647, Anchorage AK 99523-
Fiord West sets record at 35,526 feet MD

The total measured depth of the well is 35,526 feet, making it the longest North American land based well (a record that was previously held by a CD5 well).

CPAI said it is currently running completions in the well.

- KAY CASHMAN

See story in May 1 issue of Petroleum News, available online April 28 at www.PetroleumNews.com.

For information on PN's news bulletin service, call 907-522-9469.

PO Box 231647,
Agris Noviks Leads The Festival Tallinn Main Event Going Into Day 3

July 02, 2022 Matthew Pitt Editor

The Festival Tallinn Main Event continued progressing on Day 2 with another 50 players taking full advantage of the extended late registration, taking the total attendance to an impressive 552 players. Only 30 of those players remain in contention for what is a 56,100 top, and it is Agris Noviks (1,595,000) who leads them back into battle on Day 3.

The Festival Tallinn Main Event Day 2 Top 10 Chip Counts

Place Player Chips Big Blinds 1 Agris Noviks 1,595,000 80 2 Sascha Manns 1,175,000 59 3 Kristoffer Winterstein 960,000 48 4 Mikael Viggander 850,000 43 5 Gregory Partridge 785,000 39 6 Alberigo Stellanello 775,000 39 7 Mikael Zackariasen 770,000 39 8 Jari Mahonen 685,000 34 9 Inigo Naveiro 620,000 31 10 Jeroen Aarts 615,000 31

Noviks does not have a single recorded live cash according to The Hendon Mob but he's changed that fact here in Estonia because the money bubble of this event burst during Day 2. Noviks soared into the chip lead after winning one of the last hands of the evening's action. Maksim Petrov jammed for 400,000 at the 6,000/12,000/12,000a level with and Noviks looked him up with . The fives held as the community cards fell . Petrov busted and Noviks climbed to the chip counts' summit.

Sascha Manns (1,175,000) of Malta was the only other player to bag up more than one million chips at the close of play. Sweden's Kristoffer Winterstein (960,000) rounded out the podium positions.

Also in the top 10 chip counts going into Day 3 is Mikael Viggander, who you may recall triumphed in a 1,100 Hyper Turbo event at the delayed EPT Prague festival in March. Finland's Jari Mahonen (685,000), a player with more than $500,000 in live cashes, is another player to look out for on Day 3.

Each of the 30 returning players is guaranteed 1,730 for their efforts after the money bubble burst on Day 2 and 41 players busted inside those money places.

Peter Nordin was the unfortunate soul who burst the bubble. Nordin got his stack in with and found himself in a world of pain against the of Oleksandra Shenderei. A final board reading sent Nordin home in 72nd place and everyone else into the money places. You can find a list of busted players and their respective prizes here.

The plans for Day 3 are to get down to the final table. Return to PokerNews, later on, to discover who made it to the final table and which players fell by the wayside.
The 2022 World Series of Poker at Ballys and Paris Las Vegas continued today with Day 2 of Event #65: $3,000 Freezeout No-Limit Hold'em. The event attracted 1,359 players to create a prize pool of $3,628,530, and only 26 players now remain.

Phil Hellmuth (3,290,000) bagged a top-five stack thanks in part to an accumulation near the end of the day, and he will return with another opportunity for a record-breaking 17th bracelet.

Japans Keiji Ito bagged the chip lead by a sizable margin with a solid stack of 6,360,000, good for just under 80 big blinds when play resumes.

David Jackson (4,700,000), Julien Martini (1,825,000), Blake Bohn (1,600,000), Justin Saliba (1,430,000), Anton Wigg (1,230,000), Renan Bruschi (1,140,000), and Michael Trivett (1,080,000) are also among those who bagged for the third and final day.

The remaining players are guaranteed $20,149 when they return, but all eyes will be on the $598,173 first-place prize, which comes with the bracelet and the glory.

Event #65: $3,000 Freezeout No-Limit Hold'em Top Ten Chip Counts

RANK PLAYER COUNTRY CHIPS BIG BLINDS 1 Keiji Ito Japan 6,360,000 80 2 Richard Scardina United States 4,835,000 60 3 David Jackson United States 4,700,000 59 4 Jeffrey Lo Hong Kong 4,585,000 57 5 Phil Hellmuth United States 3,290,000 41 6 Timothy Sullivan United States 2,615,000 33 7 Neel Joshi India 2,215,000 28 8 Samy Dubonnet France 2,045,000 26 9 Chad Brewer United States 1,975,000 25 10 Onur Unsal Turkey 1,875,000 23

Action of the Day

There were 226 players returning to the felt today, although only 204 could grab a piece of the prize pool.

Kyle Kitagawa was on the wrong side of a cooler as he ran kings into aces on the bubble before the remaining players secured a min-cash of $4,818.

From there, players fell at a brisk pace as the field was whittled down.

Ito found a triple-up to survive, then nearly tripled again a short time later, and then survived a cooler rollercoaster on his way to the chip lead.

David Jackson held the top stack for a bit before losing a couple of all-ins while holding pocket nines to disperse some chips, although he still bagged the third-biggest stack heading into the finale

Phil Hellmuth held a modest stack throughout much of the day but went on a heater near the end to propel himself to one of the top stacks. He chipped up with a straight just before the dinner break, turned a superior two pair to eliminate a player later in the day, and then eliminated another player as the night came to a close.

Some of the players who made it into the money but werent able to bag for the final day include Michael Gathy (40th - $14,090), Hristivoje Pavlovic (52nd - $12,034), Hossein Ensan (86th - $7,401), Martin Kabrhel (105th - $6,351), Cary Katz (120th - $6,022), Alejandro Lococo (142nd - $5,269), Mike Watson (170th - $4,818), and Jesse Lonis (203rd - $4,818).

The 26 players will return on Saturday, July 2 at 2 p.m., and they are expected to play until a winner is declared.

Stay tuned as PokerNews continues to provide coverage of Event #65: $3,000 Freezeout No-Limit Hold'em until a champion is crowned.
Aiken, SC (29801)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. High near 90F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 73F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph.
The Reconstruction Era National Historic Network now includes a site in the City of Aiken, the Schofield Normal and Industrial School.

Dr. Walter Curry, a historian, and the Martha Schofield High School Alumni and Legacy Committee were among those who worked to get the Schofield Normal and Industrial School added to the network.

Curry said in 1868 Martha Schofield founded the school to provide education to former slaves after the Civil War during the Reconstruction Era.

That school provided quality education in industrial arts, Curry said. At the time industrial arts was pushed in the African American community, and other subjects as well I also know that later on Schofield had several famous graduates. One of them, Dr. Matilda Evans wrote some history about Schofield, and Dr. Matilda Evans became the first African American female doctor licensed here in South Carolina and Martha Schofield was her mentor.

+19 Aiken celebrates Juneteenth "Nobody is free until all of us are free."

Network creation

The Reconstruction Era National Historic Network was created following the John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management and Recreation Act of 2019. Nathan Betcher, a historian with the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park and The Reconstruction Era National Historic Network, said the Dingell Act envisioned the Reconstruction Era National Historic Park running the network as a source of information. He added there were two goals for the network.

One is sharing news about Reconstruction, and No. 2, and more practical, is we push out information on grants, Betcher said. We don't distribute grants, we don't hand them out or anything like that, but we do get in contact with the state historical preservation office and also that National Park service and entities that have historical grants.

Betcher said members of the network can exchange ideas, and if they're facing similar challenges, they can get advice on how to handle those issues.

Joining the network

The process to join the network is fairly simple, Betcher said, before adding that applicants have to fill out a form and answer some questions about the site and how it ties to the network.

It gets emailed to us and every quarter we convene a small board and go over the applications. Does it meet our criteria, have a tangible tie? And they get a thumbs up or thumbs down. It's not a very complicated process at all, and it's one of those things if people have questions we are there to answer them.

Betcher added that there are three criteria outlined in the Dingell Act that have to be followed.

Criteria A basically deals with National Parks Service sites. Criteria B is sort of if you're applying for a buildings or if on its historic merit itself, one of the things we have to look at is if it's on the National Register of Historical Places or if it's eligible to be on the register. Then does it fit within our timeline, we go form 1861-1900, so does it fit within that timeline. Third is the very tangible ties to Reconstruction, what happened here that very much tells the Reconstruction story and Schofield is a great example of educational opportunities during Reconstruction.

+7 Schofield event offers books and a haircut to student body Haircuts and hundreds of free books have been part of this week's action at Schofield Middle School, in a first-of-its-kind event for the enti

During his research on the network, Curry discovered that historical sites that are part of the network will receive educational promotional materials about the site. So the decision was made to submit an application.

We submitted our application and we also received help as well ... because the bell tower which is the only structure remaining of Schofield Institute is on the (Schofield Middle) school property, so we had to get approval from the Aiken County Public School District, Curry said. So they wrote a letter in support of Schofield to be part of the network, and once we received that letter our application was approved. So Superintendent King Laurence and Patrice Rhinehart-Jackson, who is the school board member who represents this area, were very helpful and supportive of the effort.

The entire process took about two months. Earlier in July they found out Schofield was accepted to the network.

We were excited, very excited, Curry said. The Rev. (Lester) Smalls and Delores Harris here have been very supportive of my efforts in promoting African American history here in Aiken County, so we were very excited about receiving the letter, and it will definitely help us further in promoting the history of the Schofield Institute for many years to come.

First site in City of Aiken

Betcher said Schofield is the first site in the City of Aiken to be accepted into the network and he is hoping for some more.

The ties between Aiken and the story we tell here in Beaufort, especially Prince Rivers, there's some strong ties there. I would like to see more stuff in Aiken, Betcher said.

I love the fact that when Dr. Curry and the Rev. Smalls put in the application, it was very much a grassroots driven thing, Betcher added about Schofields acceptance. "It was 'hey, this is our site,' I think that's awesome that people are very much connected to their history, their town's history and want to show off what they have ... I can't think of any reason why Schofield shouldn't be on that list and it is now. It's exciting that people recognize the historic gems.

As for what the acceptance means, Curry said that Schofield Normal and Industrial School will be listed on the network website.

That will also give us an opportunity to work with the network to promote its history with pictures, other initiatives that the alumni association has, Curry said.

According to Betcher, there are currently 82 sites that are part of the Reconstruction Era National Historic Network, with 43 in South Carolina.

We're in 26 states and the District of Columbia, Betcher said. A lot of people associate Reconstruction with the deep South and it's anything but. You've got homesteaders who moved out West the buffalo soldiers out West, railway workers, it's really, the whole gamut, the whole social strata, but also geographically. We've got a site in Idaho, Washington state, Yellowstone is one of our sites, we're looking to get a few more.

Betcher added that when looking at applicants, the network looks at the program.

"Sometimes people get hung up on the National Register part of the criteria," Betcher said. "If you have a museum or program, but youre located in a modern building  we look at the program itself. So being in a building built after 1900 doesnt eliminate you for consideration as long as your exhibits, interpretive programming, etc. is focused on Reconstruction."

Next steps

With Schofield's acceptance, the next step is to identify other historical sites throughout Aiken County, with Curry stating that many have connections to the Reconstruction Era.

We want to encourage other sites to be a part of the network as well, Curry said.

Smalls, a member of the Martha Schofield High School Alumni and Legacy Committee, was excited about the designation.

We certainly thank Dr. Curry for his motivations and efforts to lead us through that and it really has helped the resurgence and the consciousness of the Schofield neighborhood and beyond, Smalls said.

We're looking at other projects such as a Schofield book just to preserve some of the paperwork and other items, Curry said. We are very, very excited about this moment.

A list of all the sites part of the Reconstruction Era National Historic Network can be found online at https://www.nps.gov/subjects/reconstruction/network.htm.
The U.S. House of Representatives committee markup of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2023 includes full funding for the pit production operations at the Savannah River Site.

U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., the only member of Congress to work at the site, spoke to the Aiken Republican Club about the funding proposed in the act on Tuesday, June 28, at Newberry Hall.

The National Defense Authorization Act is one component of how the Department of Defense receives its funding. The act serves to recommend funding levels and establishes the policies as to how the funding will be spent. It alternatively originates in the House or the Senate. This year, it was introduced by House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith and referred to his committee.

The committee held its markup of the act on June 22.

Marking up is the process of a committee reviewing a piece of legislation. As part of the process, members of the committee can propose amendments to the text of the legislation. The committee then votes on what amendments to recommend to the full House.

Wilson serves as the No. 2 Republican on the committee and participated in the markup.

"We were able to maintain the two pit solution which means for certain that the development at the Mixed-Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility is going to continue," Wilson said.

Pits are an essential component of a nuclear weapon.

In order to understand what pits are, it's important to remember that all matter is composed of millions of tiny atoms, that atoms consist of protons, neutrons and electrons and that protons and neutrons form the nucleus at the center of an atom.

Normally, the nucleus of an atom is stable and doesn't change, but the nuclei of certain elements  hydrogen, uranium and plutonium  can begin to change when an extra neutron is added. When a neutron is added to uranium or plutonium, the nucleus splits into smaller versions of itself, releasing energy and neutrons. This is known as nuclear fission.

Those neutrons can cause a chain reaction when they're absorbed by nearby atoms of uranium or plutonium. In nuclear weapons, this chain reaction is uncontrolled and begins when neutrons are injected into a plutonium shell, called a pit, by an inward-focused explosion. Over time, the plutonium in these shells can begin to change on its own, which necessitates their replacement every so often.

The National Nuclear Security Administration has announced plans to construct the replacements at the Savannah River Site and Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. At the Savannah River Site, the pits would be built at the former Mixed-Oxide (MOX) Fuel Fabrication Facility.

But there have been delays in the process of getting the production started. Originally, plans called for pit production to begin in 2030. That date has since been moved back to 2035 or later.

Those delays have caused some consternation among decision makers.

Smith said at a Brookings Institution event that he was highly skeptical that the former MOX facility at the Savannah River Site could be turned into a pit production facility. Smith said the Savannah River Site gave him an involuntary twitch after the failure of the MOX facility and that he didn't believe the site could produce the pits the National Nuclear Security Administration's plan calls for it to by 2030.

Wilson said Russia's invasion of the Ukraine has led to changing attitudes about the necessity of modernizing the nuclear stockpile and doing it at the Savannah River Site.

"I almost have to give a little bit of credit to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin almost accidentally," Wilson said. "Over the years, on this issue about modernization of our nuclear capability, we've had to convince people about why we need to do it. Well, Putin's convinced people why we need to do it."

Smith told reporters recently that Congress should move forward with the plan to produce 80 pits per year by 2030.

Wilson said the final vote on the markup was 57-1.

He added in a news release that the act also contains full funding of the annual payments in lieu of taxes made by the Department of Energy to the counties that contain a part of the Savannah River Site.

The payments usually total around $5.7 million and fund schools and emergency services.

The next step for the act is consideration by the full House. From there, it goes to the Senate and its armed services committee. After that, assuming its approved, it would go to President Joe Biden for a signature.
He's an expert in the ways of the Air Force, having served Uncle Sam for decades as an aircraft mechanic, and Ted Walker is also fluent in the customs of America in the 1770s, when such figures as George Washington, Benedict Arnold, Nathanael Greene and Daniel Morgan dominated the military scene.

His prominent appearances around South Carolina, Georgia and occasionally beyond often have him in 1770s-style garb, as one of the state's most active advocates of the Sons of the American Revolution. At age 72, he can give the impression of having gone through a time machine  possibly having been born during the reign of King William III or Queen Anne, when the foundations of Yale University were laid and South Carolina was the scene of a brewing war between British colonists and several Native American tribes, most prominently the Yamasee.

"I'm learning that South Carolina was a major contributor to the success of the American Revolution," Walker said. "There's more than 250 battle sites, and 200 other sites of interest, and nobody ever talks about those things."

Walker, who was born into a Navy family and grew up in Graniteville, is a huge exception to that rule, as he travels throughout the state helping share historical insight, including work with Junior ROTC units. He is also with such organizations as the Aiken County Veterans Council (as a former commander), Disabled Americans Veterans Post 43, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5877 and American Legion Post 77.

Among Walker's longtime associates has been Dick Chelchowski, another Air Force retiree and fellow member of VFW Post 5877. He recalled support from Walker, from almost a decade ago, in an effort to improve the post.

"He comes through," Chelchowski said. "If he says he'll help you out, you can ask him anything and he will do his best to make sure it happens ... Ted Walker's as reliable an individual as you're going to find."

Walker is also the SAR's national representative to the Veterans Administration Volunteer Services for the Charlie Norwood VA Hospital, in Augusta, and a fan (and frequent associate) of the local Daughters of the American Revolution chapters.

"They're all awesome, and they all help out," he said. "They are really involved in the community, and when they have events that affect our community, they include the Sons of the American Revolution ... and include them in any of our SAR events."

Walker is also on track to be president of the South Carolina Sons of the American Revolution, having been inducted in May as the vice president.

Major events on the near horizon include one July 10-15, in Savannah. The SAR National Congress will have members coming from around the world, with plans to elect new officers and talk about the organization's future.

Walker touched on some of the reasons for his involvement in patriotic organizations. "I'm a patriot. I love my country, and the reason that I want to tell the story is because I believe that history repeats itself, and after living in Europe and being all over the world and visiting Third World countries, America is a wonderful place," he said.

Walker, a 1970 graduate of Aiken High School, has traveled throughout western Europe and knows the eastern United States up and down, as a former trucker. Much more recently, he encourages Americans to explore their ancestry and appreciate the country they call home. He also has a ready resource in terms of appreciation for history, as his wife, Linda, is from "across the pond," and their combined family tree includes five children and an adopted grandson.

"I was in the United States Air Force for 26 years, and one of my assignments was to England, where I met my wife," said the senior man of the house, recalling his time at Royal Air Force Lakenheath.

"We'd go on vacations and we'd go into castles and we'd go to places all over Europe, and it sparked an interest," he said. "I didn't realize how much history is so valuable and interesting."

He took a course, while abroad, with the University of Maryland and was assigned to visit a variety of theaters, so the couple went to London and took in the sights and sounds.

"It's like a kid in a candy store," he said. "When you go to Europe, everywhere you go, as an American, is like an adventure, going back in time, in history ... I mean, I took a class in a building at Cambridge University, where Darwin went to school, and the building was built in the 1100s, and when you walk through the door, the ambiance is unbelievable. That's just one example."

The spark that lit his ancestral history, he said, was lit by his inheritance of land in Barnwell County. "I was doing some deed work, and we noticed that the land had been in the family since the 1700s."

The couple did some research and found that one of Walker's ancestors had a role in the establishment of Williston. "I just started ... digging," he said. "The more you dig, the more you find, and I just got involved."

Walker "got involved" with the military several decades earlier, when he was finishing high school and the draft was a fact of life. Preferring to have some choice in the matter, Walker took an aptitude test and opted for the Air Force. "I didn't go in to stay, but once I got in, I really liked it," he said, recalling that his first duty assignment was in Myrtle Beach. His specialty was aircraft mechanics, and he tended to work on fighter aircraft.

"That was a pretty nice first assignment, and then I volunteered to go overseas, and I went to Europe, and I stayed in Europe for a total of 12 years, over two tours, and then I was in the Air Force for 26 years, and I was all over everywhere."

As for the job, he recalled, "I basically took care of airplanes. I could sit in the cockpit and run them, start them up and service them and take care of them  make sure they were safe for flight, for the pilots."

He focused mainly on F-100s, F-4s, F-111s and F-15s, and later worked as a recruiter in California, Florida and Maryland. "I did that for about 14 years, and I did all facets of that, from high school recruiting to officers, pilots, navigators and engineers, and then I recruited doctors and nurses and health-care ancillaries. I was a trainer and did marketing, and I loved it, because I love the Air Force."

Walker's post-military years included time (1997 to 2017) as a trucker. He started his own company and drove 18-wheelers throughout the eastern half of the U.S., possessing not only the skills to drive but also, from his Air Force years, to rebuild motors if needed. He hauled everything from Serta mattresses (made in Grovetown, Georgia) to dry ice, and held a license to haul hazardous material.

Trucking is a lonely and hazardous line of work, he said, noting that he chose to step away from the profession after having a heart attack and reaching the firm conviction that operating a massive moving vehicle was an extremely bad activity to combine with the risk of having another myocardial infarction.

His profound interest in American life from about 200 years earlier came more recently. "It was about five years ago. Since I was in Europe, I was interested in where we came from, and my wife ... tracked her family back to the 1500s, and she said, 'Well, why don't you track yours back?'"

He did, and as a result, is also now a member of the The National Society of the Sons and Daughters of the Pilgrims. "My ancestor was John Blake. He came over from Somerset, England, and he was actually an indentured servant. He had to work for seven years before he became a free man. He worked for the church, but in the Sons of the American Revolution, my ancestor's Thomas Maxwell, a famous Baptist minister. He was actually locked up, preaching the Baptist faith, and a famous guy by the name of Patrick Henry defended him in a famous religious case, which is documented, and got him off," Walker recalled.

Maxwell lived to age 95 and helped found 13 churches along the frontier. "He was really a wonderful old guy."

Walker, now into his own seventh decade, added, "I never paid attention when I was in school, and now I like it, because I'm learning about our country and about the freedom and ... I love this country."

He cited examples of ancestors who fought in the Revolutionary War (Maxwell) and the War of 1812 (Maxwell's son). "Then you go on down to the War Between the States. I've got grandfathers on both sides  a Union grandfather, and also a Southern grandfather that was in the Confederate states' army. Then you go to World War I. We haven't found anybody, but my dad was in World War II, and he served against the Japanese as a corpsman, and then I was in 26 years, so when somebody says, 'What did you do for your country?,' I stood up, and we all stood up, to protect America's freedom."
Moncks Corner, SC (29461)

Today

Partly cloudy with isolated thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 89F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. Partly cloudy skies. Low 74F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.
A Federal Maritime Commission member is asking President Joe Biden to intervene in a labor dispute at the Port of Charleston's newest shipping terminal, saying the disagreement is contributing to the nation's supply chain snarls.

Commissioner Louis Sola asked Biden to "examine this situation in South Carolina closely and pursue an aggressive agenda towards its resolution."

Sola visited the S.C. State Ports Authority's Leatherman Terminal on the former Navy base in May as part of a tour of maritime operations in Charleston and Savannah. He said in the June 23 letter to Biden that he is "shocked that this much-needed terminal is laying fallow during this time of crisis due to an organized labor dispute in a right-to-work state."

The International Longshoremen's Association says the terminal that opened last year violates its contract with container lines, which calls for cranes and heavy-lift equipment at new Southeast ports to be operated by union members. The ILA has pressured ship operators not to use the terminal and has filed lawsuits against companies that have called at its berth.

As a result, Leatherman is operating at just 50 percent capacity.

The SPA has said the terminal is not new because it was permitted more than a decade ago  long before the contract amendment the ILA cites took effect. The state maritime agency hires its own non-union staff to operate cranes at Leatherman, as it does for its other container terminals. The SPA has asked the National Labor Relations Board for a ruling, but it's not clear how long it will take to resolve the matter.

"Growing up in a union household, I am one who would generally be considered pro-labor," Sola said in his letter to Biden. "Nevertheless, the thought that a labor dispute would contribute to this nations current supply chain problem defies logic."

A SPA spokeswoman declined to comment on the letter, saying the agency's position on the dispute has been well-documented. An ILA spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.

Biden has previously put himself in the middle of maritime issues on the West Coast, advocating for around-the-clock operations at ports in Los Angeles and Long Beach, Calif., and meeting with executives as recently as last month to discuss investments to bolster trade and improve the supply chain. Sola said in his letter that the Leatherman Terminal issue is just as important and "worthy of equal energy."

The White House has not issued any statement about the Leatherman Terminal, and Biden's top labor official has been reluctant to intervene in the dispute.

Im not going to get too much into it, U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh said when he visited the Port of Charleston in November. Its not my place right now. But I hope things get worked out because its important that we continue moving goods and products into our country.

The Leatherman Terminal, the first new container terminal in the U.S. since 2009, has handled 132,026 cargo containers of all sizes through the first 11 months of this fiscal year. Its $1 billion first phase opened in March 2021 with a 1,400-foot berth capable of handling ships carrying as many as 20,000 containers. When fully built, the 286-acre, three-berth terminal will be able to handle 2.4 million containers a year, doubling the Port of Charleston's capacity.
Before the pandemic, Prayer Singleton and her husband, Matt Lizzi, would make the 30-minute drive from their Mount Pleasant home to Hanahan at least a couple of times a week to check on her in-laws.

Theyd bring groceries, run errands or shuttle their father-in-law to the doctors office.

When the pandemic hit, Singleton noticed her father-in-laws health began to deteriorate.

They were locked away at the height of the pandemic, Singleton said. They were isolated. They had very little contact with family and friends. Wed drop stuff off for them and talk through the door. You could just see that he was getting worse.

Singleton and her husband had been looking to buy a house. When her in-laws David and Maryanne Lizzi suggested he was willing to sell their Hanahan home and pool their resources, Singleton jumped at the opportunity.

We needed to have him close so we could take care of him, but we didnt want to be on top of each other, Singleton said.

The solution came in the form of a West Ashley house that featured a mother-in-law suite  a growing trend among homebuyers who are looking to have extra space for the long-term stay of one or multiple family members.

Instead of calling them mother-in-law suites, these days the arrangement is more commonly referred to as a multigenerational home and are designed to provide space for multiple generations to live under one roof.

Traditionally built with an aging parent in mind, mother-in-law suites normally feature a separate living area with a full bathroom and small kitchen. A separate entrance is also important.

This style of home is on the rise across the country because theyre practical, affordable and allow for more quality time with family.

A recent survey by the National Association of Realtors found that one in five Americans are living in multigenerational homes  a 30 percent increase since 2007.

While homes that include one of these suites account for only 5 percent of recent new home purchases, 34 percent of recent buyers would have been more likely to purchase a home if they included a suite with a private entrance.

Eighteen percent of recent new home buyers purchased their home with plans to accommodate an adult child, elderly parent or other family member or friend.

It just makes sense, said Singleton, whose home includes a mother-in-law suite in what used to be the garage. We can go days without seeing them but if they need us, were there. We can take care of them but we both have our independence and I've noticed how much better (David) is doing since they moved here.

A mother-in-law suite goes by other names, too, such as an "in-law apartment" or "granny flat." Some people refer to it as a "casita," especially in the American Southwest. A casita, however, has unique characteristics that distinguish it as a similar but different separate space.

The pandemic has amplified homes that had mother-in-law suites, said Owen Tyler, managing broker of The Cassina Group. Mother-in-law suites have been around forever, but during the pandemic folks lost touch with family members or couldnt see them and I think, as a result, we saw more consolidation of living arrangements.

Mother-in-law suites are not just for aging parents either. Adult children may move back into the home for an extended period of time  after college or a divorce.

Thats what happened to Archie Whatley when his son got a divorce and moved back into the familys North Charleston home for a year.

He needed a place to kind of regroup and we had converted a room over our garage into a short-term rental to make some extra money, Whatley said. It gave him a chance to save some money, get back on his feet and find a place of his own. With apartment rents what they are today, it would have taken him a couple of years to be able to afford his own place.

Singleton said the search for a home with a mother-in-law suite wasnt easy. It took several months before they landed their ranch-style home in West Ashley.

We put bids in for several homes but this market is crazy," Singleton said. "The homes we looked at in Mount Pleasant were around $900,000. We got the one in West Ashley for around $500,000 and it was perfect.
The $5.1 million sale of a Sullivan's Island home earlier this year didn't set a record on its own, but the buyers established a unique high watermark for the pricey seaside enclave when they snapped up a neighboring oceanfront lot.

The two side-by-side purchases at 1773 Atlantic Ave. totaled $10.875 million, according to Charleston County land records.

The sales were announced July 1 by Alex Brener of William Means Real Estate, who represented the buyers. The new owners, who are from North Carolina, were described as "lifelong beachgoers of Sullivans Island."

The real estate market will likely continue to change, but the desire to live in the Charleston area is not going anywhere, Brener said a written statement.

He said the buyers plan "to keep the vacant oceanfront parcel protected and treasured as an intact beach compound."

The 0.3-acre beachfront lot went for $5.775 million, which William Means said is a record for a piece of vacant land on Sullivan's. The deal closed on June 14, about three months after the buyers bought the home.

According to online materials, the nearly 2,800-square-foot residence near Station 18 was built in 1950 and was recently renovated. It features a private walkway to the beach.

County record show the buyers are Michael and Erika Smith. The sellers of both properties were affiliated with Columbia-based Blanchard Machinery Co., which sells, rents and services bulldozers, excavators and other types of heavy equipment. They were represented by Mac Jenkinson of Carolina One Real Estate.

The record for a single residential transaction in the sea island town was established in June 2021, when Brooke Gordon, ex-wife of NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon, sold a 5,844-square-foot spread near Station 19 for $10.5 million.

Tim Reese of Isle of Palms-based Dunes Properties, who handled the eight-figure listing, said demand has cooled a bit from last year, when houses on Sullivan's were going under contract almost immediately after hitting the market.

As of Friday, he said, about a dozen single-family properties and a one-bedroom condominium were up for sale, at prices ranging from $677,000 to $11.4 million. Also, a San Francisco-based real estate firm is offering one-eighth ownership interests in an I'on Avenue home for $902,000 each.

"The inventory remains low," Reese said.
A year after officially opening, a former North Charleston school that was renovated into office space is now 81 percent leased.

Jeff Baxter, with the real estate development firm Cityvolve, said 13 national and local tenants now occupy space in the 23,000-square-foot Ten Mile site, so named for its distance from Broad Street in downtown Charleston.

The 4.75-acre property at 5841 Rivers Ave. was once the site of Charlestowne Academy, which closed in 2010. 4S Builders of Summerville bought the site next to Jones Ford in early 2020, before the COVID-19 outbreak, for $1.5 million.

The property currently has four spaces available, ranging from 214 to 2,785 square feet.

Baxter said the owner has built out the spaces so that tenants can move in without having to pay for an upfit.

"That's a big selling point in the marketplace ... and it has been an important differentiator given rapidly increasing construction costs," Baxter said.

Ryan Smith, with 4S Builders, pointed out materials such as carpet, ceiling tiles and trimwork have already been bought and stored on site.

"That way tenants aren't waiting six months for something before they can move in," Smith said.

Baxter also said employers appear to be looking for higher-quality spaces to entice remote workers back to the office, and smaller tenants are leasing more square footage per employee, partially as a result of distancing related to COVID-19.

Overall leasing is on target. Baxter originally projected it to take about 12-18 months to lease up the site.

"Leasing interest has been steady, and we are tracking close to expectation," he said.

Among the new tenants are BrightView Landscape Services Inc., Garney Construction, Palmetto School of Career Development, R.L. Kunz Inc., Creative Builders Inc., NobleSol Art Group/The Okeeba Jubalo Fine Art Gallery/Young Black Entrepreneur Magazine, Unity Insurance Agency, Whiskey & Whitetails and Dumpsters.com.

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At this time last year, the firm had lined up tenants that included VIP Marketing with sister companies Craft Creative and 10 Mile Studios, as well as Tribal 1, HARV Tile & Wood Floors Installation and Simply State Retirement Solutions.

Defensive move

A North Charleston office building with mainly Defense Department tenants is now under new ownership.

North Rhett Executive Center at 5617 N. Rhett Ave. recently sold for $16.9 million, according to Ani Paulson of the Charleston office of commercial real estate firm Marcus & Millichap, who handled the transaction for the seller.

RRSC LLC of Los Angeles bought the 64,800-square-foot structure from Viking Partners North Rhett LLC of Cincinnati. Built in 2008, the building is 99 percent occupied.

New leases

Two mixed-use buildings soon to be completed in Cainhoy are now fully pre-leased.

The 9,000-square-foot front structure in Clements Ferry Park on Brandam Lane off Clements Ferry Road will be the home of Charleston Custom Carts and CARS, short for Car Audio, Radio and Security.

Another 5,400-square-foot structure behind the Custom Carts space includes three 1,800-square-foot units that will house office and warehouse users.

The buildings are expected to be completed by the end of July. A third structure in Clements Ferry Park with 21,600 square feet of warehouse space was completed in 2020. It sits behind the two new buildings.

The commercial real estate firm NAI Charleston handled leases for the landlord, Brantley Construction Co. Coldwell Banker Commercial Atlantic represented the tenants.
Charleston County defendants who have lost contact with the criminal justice system during the COVID-19 pandemic will get a "friendly chance" to restart their cases next week before judges issue bench warrants.

Charleston County General Sessions Court is hosting "Get a Lawyer Week" from July 5 to July 8 to encourage defendants to visit the Clerk of Court's office to update their addresses and apply for public defenders.

Defendants who can hire an attorney must file a notice of appearance with the clerk's office by July 8.

The four-day event will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Room 130 of the O.T. Wallace County Office near Meeting and Broad streets.

The court more often uses a hammer to address absentee defendants  if a person awaiting trial on bail misses a court hearing, a judge will issue a bench warrant for their arrest.

But there are thousands of defendants in Charleston County whose criminal cases were upended by the COVID-19 pandemic, which shuttered courthouses, delayed trials and forced proceedings to be held virtually.

Crucially, initial court appearances were also canceled in Charleston County. The hearings are a critical step in which a judge establishes whether a defendant has hired an attorney or needs a public defender.

Without defense attorneys, criminal cases cannot proceed.

Facing a similar dilemma, Berkeley County Clerk of Court Leah Dupree organized an "Amnesty Day" last summer, which allowed some 1,500 defendants to restart their cases without penalty before bench warrants were issued.

Deadra Jefferson, chief administrative judge for the 9th Circuit's General Sessions Court, acknowledged the hardships residents experienced during the pandemic in a press release about the event.

"We want to offer these defendants the opportunity to reconnect with the court, so that we can move their cases forward and ultimately resolve them, which will benefit all parties to the cases and the judicial system in general," she said.

Restarting court cases will also help clear the criminal docket's backlog, which criminal justice officials have acknowledged is a growing crisis.

Ninth Circuit Solicitor Scarlett Wilson said she is "happy" efforts to help defendants attain representation are happening, finally.

"We have been very vocal about the need for this type of initiative," Wilson said. "In almost every case, the earlier someone gets an attorney, either an appointed public defender or a retained private attorney, the better it is for them and for the efficiency of the system as a whole."

Ninth Circuit Public Defender Ashley Pennington called the initiative "novel" and "sincere."

By publicizing the event, the court may be able to reach people who have changed addresses, he said.

Its an attempt by the court  Judge Jefferson in particular  to use the news media to alert people ... that its time to establish contact with the Charleston County Clerk of Court," he said.

Though the event is intended to address disruptions caused by the pandemic, anyone with a pending case can provide their address and apply for representation through the clerk's office, South Carolina Judiciary spokesperson Ginny Jones said.
Gullah-Geechee communities are defined, in part, by their proximity to the water.

Many Black people in the South Carolina Lowcountry who escaped bondage or otherwise found liberty in the years before the Civil War sought refuge and relative safety along isolated sea islands. They were self-reliant, calling upon African memories to protect themselves from illness, to heal injuries, to feed the stomach and the soul, and to forge social bonds that persist today.

They formed fishing fleets that ventured into the ocean to find sources of protein. They paddled in canoes through the marshes to collect intertidal cluster oysters and to net crabs. They were familiar with the bounties of the maritime forest, the medicines and nutrients it provided.

Gullah people prayed to the east, baptized their youth in the sea, honored their ancestors lost in the middle passage.

Water permeates the culture, surrounds the settlements, nourishes daily life. And yet, it's likely that a majority of Black people in South Carolina today cannot swim. Drownings are more common among African Americans than among White people. Many Black children from low-income families have never been to the beach. The idea of setting foot on a boat can invoke fear both practical and historical.

The reasons for this nearly intrinsic ambivalence toward the water among African Americans mostly are rooted in centuries of white supremacy and racial discrimination. During the period of legalized segregation, from the end of Reconstruction through the 1960s, African Americans were forbidden to frequent public beaches and pools.

As a result, few learned to swim or to navigate the currents of the Atlantic Ocean. Whole generations developed a fear of the water, and passed on their trepidation to their children.

The numbers are stark. As much as 70 percent of African Americans cannot swim, according to studies from USA Swimming and the University of Memphis. Comparatively, about 30 percent of White people have not learned to swim. Swimming prowess and poverty are directly correlated. The chances that a Black child cannot swim increases among families that earn less than $50,000 a year.

Black people generally are 1.5 times more likely to die by drowning than White people, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports, citing various studies. African American children ages 5 to 9 are 2.6 times more likely to drown than their White counterparts, and Black children ages 10 to 14 are 3.6 times more likely to drown than White children the same age.

In swimming pools specifically, Black children ages 10 to 14 drown at rates 7.6 times higher than White children that age. African American children are more likely to drown in public pools, while White children are more likely to drown in residential pools.

It's not as if Black agitators during the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s werent aware of these disparities caused by racist laws and policies. They tried to do something. They organized wade-ins at pools and beaches protesting segregation.

The wade-ins were part of the larger effort to fight for equal access to public accommodations. They started in Biloxi, Miss., and extended to other places, including the Charleston area.

But African Americans and their White allies have been playing a perennial game of catch-up, seeking for decades to break intergenerational patterns of aquatic alarm.

Break through

One local organization, the Lowcountry Aquatic Project Swimming, or LAPS, purposefully addresses the legacy of discrimination by offering swim lessons to children in kindergarten and first grade at schools that predominantly serve low-income populations, said Mark Rutledge, executive director of the Logan Rutledge Childrens Foundation, which launched LAPS in 2009.

Most have never been in the water, he said.

The COVID pandemic put the program on pause, and now Rutledge is searching for a new director in time to relaunch early next year. LAPS gathers young children at the Danny Jones Pool near Park Circle in North Charleston, and at the Martin Luther King Jr. Pool on the corner of Lee and Hanover streets on the East Side of Charleston. The former, which is enclosed and therefore available year-round, is under renovation.

LAPS partners with the Charleston County School District and receives financial support from area municipalities, private donors and grant-making organizations, Rutledge said.

Instructors are motivated to help children become proficient swimmers not only because of the history of discrimination, but to provide young athletes a new competitive option they can consider in the future. LAPS organizes swim meets and hopes some of their students might eventually join swim teams, qualify for scholarships and find a rewarding pursuit.

The activities have an ancillary effect, Rutledge said. They motivate some parents to learn to swim.

Shannon OBrien retired from the school district in 2011 and took over management of LAPS. She ran the program for nine years. At its peak, LAPS had 25 instructors, she said. Children came twice a week for eight 30-minute lessons in the fall and eight in the spring. They rotated in and out of the pool constantly on those days.

It was such a beautiful thing, the gift we were giving, OBrien said.

At the pool, excitement and fear mixed together, especially during the first few lessons.

So we had to break through that, she said. It would take some children up to lesson five or six before they could even relax.

The teachers understood well that they were helping to break a cycle of discomfort and intimidation, OBrien said.

It was poignant, you could just see (the effects), she said.

Wade-ins

On Feb. 1, 1960, students at North Carolina A&T University made headlines when they asserted their right to be served at a Woolworths lunch counter in Greensboro. The protest reinvigorated the civil rights movement, inspiring thousands of high school and college students to join the freedom struggle.

Within weeks, students were organizing sit-ins across the South. They formed campus organizations, many of which soon were affiliated with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, founded at Shaw University in Raleigh that April.

Before long, students were looking for other targets  public places that discriminated against Black people  where they could organize nonviolent, direct-action protests. The options were many: libraries, public transportation, ice rinks, bowling alleys, state parks, churches, swimming pools and beaches.

A precedent had been set the previous year, on May 14, when Gilbert R. Mason, a Black doctor in Biloxi, Miss., decided to take friends and children for a swim at the beach. Police ordered them to leave, but Mason didnt give up. He and his associates challenged authorities to publicize the law that forbids African Americans from accessing the beach (there wasnt one), petitioned the Harrison County Board of Supervisors to permit unrestrained use of the beach, then organized two more wade-ins  one on April 24, 1960, which turned violent when police recruited a White mob to attack the Black bathers, and one on June 23, 1963, which also devolved into violence when White residents attacked the protestors.

Until the direct-action phase of the movement, African Americans had been relegated to small, undersupervised, sometimes polluted beaches  and some of these places were "beaches" only in name. Often they were located not facing the ocean, but along inlets, rivers, bays and lakes. In South Carolina, Black swimmers congregated at Atlantic Beach along the Grand Strand, or at Mosquito Beach by the marshes of James Island, or Hobcaw Beach in upper Charleston Harbor.

Several months after that first sit-in at Woolworths, on Aug. 17, 1960, Black residents in the Savannah area staged a wade-in on Tybee Island. The protest was led by the local NAACP youth council. The closest beach that African Americans could use was Singleton Beach on Hilton Head. Their petition to access Tybee Islands sand and surf had been rejected by White officials, so about 20 students strode onto the beach in their swimsuits. Police arrested 11 on the charge of disrobing in public.

A second wade-in was organized in June 1963, a year of intensified activism along the Southeast coast.

A couple years ago, island resident Allen Lewis, who is White, learned about the wade-ins and, with help from the Tybee Island Historical Society, the municipality and the TybeeMLK human rights organization , applied for a historic marker. The marker will be unveiled on Aug. 17  the 62nd anniversary of the wade-in.

'Marineland'

Meanwhile, in Charleston, students in 1963 also were organizing anti-segregation protests, including a quick flurry of beach challenges. On July 6, eight young men entered the ocean at Folly Beach a little after 1 p.m., walking into the surf until the water was chest-high then, 10 minutes later, walked out, according to a report in The News and Courier. A crowd of White people followed the protesters along the beach, but violence was avoided, the report stated.

Then early that evening, five Black men and three women waded in at Sullivans Island and, after a short swim, returned to their car and drove away.

Another wade-in planned for the Isle of Palms that day was abandoned after State Law Enforcement Division officers, city and county police, and highway patrolmen formed a welcoming committee at the beach, the news story stated.

A court order had recently taken effect prohibiting civil rights protests, but local African Americans defied it, marching down King Street to City Hall to hold a silent demonstration.

Minerva King, a James Island resident who lived downtown in the 1950s and 60s, recalled how other caravans of beach protesters had been stopped by law enforcement during that period.

Even Black people who owned property on Sullivans Island were prohibited from accessing the beach during daylight hours, she said.

In St. Augustine, Fla., tensions flared in 1964, and attracted national attention, as protesters staged wade-ins at pools and beaches that provoked attacks from White defenders of the status quo.

In Greenville, a large pool in Cleveland Park that opened in 1940 was used as an ice rink during the winter months. In 1961, eight young Black people tried to use the rink, were arrested and jailed, recalled Dorris DeeDee Wright. Litigation sponsored by the NAACP ensued and, in October 1962, the federal court ruled that segregation in public parks was unconstitutional.

So the city closed the pool/rink permanently to human swimmers, replacing them with sea lions and converting the facility into a Marineland.

Wright also remembered summertime wade-ins at the pool. She was among several students of Sterling High School who attempted to swim there. The authorities closed the pool to all swimmers rather than allow the Black children access, she said. Wright also participated in protests at the public library, the drug stores, the Statehouse in Columbia and the state parks.

The beaches and pools during the integrationist phase of the civil rights movement were flashpoints of racial tension in large measure because White people had stereotyped African Americans as dirty, and because they feared physical encounters, especially between Black men and White women, according to scholars such as Jeff Wiltse, author of Contested Waters: A Social History of Swimming Pools in America."

Freestyle

Decades later, the tensions have not completely subsided. In 2009, a suburban Philadelphia swim club revoked a contract with a predominantly Black and Hispanic day camp that would have allowed the campers to use the clubs pool.

Campers were not permitted to return after their first visit, and the club issued a refund of $1,950 without explanation, The New York Times reported. Later, the club cited safety issues, even as the camps executive director reported that several of the children had overheard White club members make racist comments.

In 2015, a video of a Texas police officer waving a gun at Black teenagers attending a pool party and shoving a 15-year-old girl in her bathing suit to the ground went viral. The officer, David Eric Casebolt, immobilized her with a knee to the back.

It was unclear at the time what had sparked the quarrel and allegations of police overreach, but one young partygoer conveyed in a YouTube video that White women had directed racial slurs toward Black teenagers. Other witnesses reported that the party had gotten out of control.

In Charleston, Mark Rutledge is hoping to find a new LAPS director soon so the group can get back in the water with their young trainees.

Theyll learn to float, to tread water, to swim freestyle with the arms fully extended, to breathe rhythmically. Theyll transform nerves into confidence, fear into fun.
Like sprouts of mushrooms, all those campaign signs from the recent Democratic and Republican primaries are still around the Lowcountry with no end in sight as to someone cleaning them up.

So everyone begins to wonder: Who is primarily responsible for their removal?

Short answer: The candidates.

Isaac Cramer, director of Charleston County's voting and elections office, said the candidates, both winners and losers, need to be the first line of responsibility.

After that "Local municipalities and counties are supposed to pick them up in Charleston County if the candidates themselves do not," he said.

The main governing rule during the course of an election, he said, is that candidate signs have to be at least 500 feet away from any precinct.

Beyond that, it's almost wide open on places they can go.

A lot of candidates or their workers will post their signs most anywhere, along roads, in yards or on public property. But it's the ones that hang on long after election season is done that concern election officials. They want to remind the candidates to remove the visible pollution in a timely fashion.

"For Berkeley County, the candidates are supposed to go pick them up," said Rosie Brown, director of the Berkeley County Election Commission. "We do not want them on our public property throughout the different areas in the county, creating an eyesore."

She added, "They are not supposed to be up within corporate limits in our county. If they are within said boundaries, the cities and towns will go and pick them up. When an election is over, it is over."

Campaign signs are not to be placed on any type of private property unless approved by the owner of the property.

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Another reason some of the signs may stay around is that the June primaries are just Round One of the voting process ahead of the general election finales in November when the winners are up again.

Then there's also the fatigue factor, post-election.

"In my experience with campaigns, people just forget where they put them," said Jalen Elrod, third vice chair of the S.C. Democratic Party.

"You have a team where people go out and just stick them in any legal place they can," he added. "It ends up being everywhere. If candidates remembered, they would come pick them up. It is so much of their budget and they want to save them for future races. It is probably one of the most important ways local candidates can get their name out that is not a television ad."

Cities are actively trying to pick them up as they see them along the road.

"We have people all over the city working," said Ryan Johnson, a spokesman for the city of North Charleston. "They know to pick up any sign they see now that the elections are over."

Responsibility falls on a host of city staffers.

"Whether they are building inspectors, normal city workers or anybody in City Hall," Johnson said. "They know they should not be out there. They take them and throw it in the back of their truck."

One important thing for members of the general public to know is that it is unlawful to deface, vandalize, tamper with or remove a lawfully placed political campaign sign prior to the election without the permission of the candidate or party, according to state law.

For any person who removes an election sign without the consent of the candidate, there is a civil infraction and a fine of up to $100 in store, the law warns.
On June 24, Play Network Studios, a Nigerian film production company in collaboration with Netflix, released Glamour Girls, an original film.

The movie is a remake of Kenneth Nnebues 1994 classic starring Liz Benson, Zack Orji and other veterans.

The remake follows a group of four female escorts navigating their relationships and a glamorous lifestyle.

The lead cast in the two hours and 5 minutes film are Sharon Ooja, Nse Ikpe-Etim, Segilola Ogidan, Joselyn Dumas and Toke Makinwa.

Others are Taymesan Emmanuel, Lilian Afegbai, James Gardiner, Jammal Ibrahim and Chukie Lynxxx Edozien.

In reviewing the film, PREMIUM TIMES noted that the film bore similarities with EbonyLifes Chief Daddy2, except this time the movie was about four ladies.

Criticism

Despite breaking the record for being the first Netflix Nigerian original movie to reach the top ten global list, it received several negative reviews from viewers and film critics shortly after its release.

While few praised the films outstanding cinematography, many criticised its absurd and rushed storylines, lousy acting, poor sound quality, and questionable plot.

The negative feedback grew as Nigerians called out the production company, urging them to stop remaking Nollywood classics and instead invest more in writing quality scripts.

READ ALSO:

It should be noted that this is the second Netflix original Nigerian film to receive widespread criticism; the first was Chief Daddy 2, which was released earlier this year.

See some of the reactions below.

So none of the actors in Glamour Girls stopped during the movies shooting to ask, what are we doing? This has to be the worst Nollywood movie Ive seen recently.@CHLemchi

I feel like Nollywood should start investing more in the story, and the writing than making the film appear expensive. @Aitiyahensley

If you watch Glamour girls with expectations, Im sorry, but itll be dashed; its not a great movie, but its not all that bad; its just an okay movie that would have been better if the producers tried a little harder. But Sharon Ooja killed her role as always. @dami_boye

Glamour Girls plays like they shot a 20-episode series, and then Netflix shouted, what?! Who tells una to do season feem? Na 2-hour feel we tell una na! Oya summarises, I am!

So they edited it down to 2 hours and cut out many things, @andyRoidO

The new Glamour Girls, now showing on Netflix, is not a remake. It is an accident, @Catchoris

You people should not bother wasting your precious data watching GLAMOUR GIRLS. Ive been there; its a total WASTE. No head, No tail, @Usmanashafe

I just watched glamour girls. All of you that hyped that movie, my God will Judge you for making me waste two hours  @unclebayotics

I can understand celebrities lying to encourage their colleagues, but for you n me to join n lie that glamour girls banged is a criminal offence. Haba naw Why una Dey lie like this? Some actors did a good job, yes, BUT IT IS ABOUT THE MOVIE ITSELF. STOP LYING  @AyeeshaLiquor

Producer speaks

In response to the negative reviews, the films producer and Play Network owner, Charles Okpaleke, acknowledged the films reactions so far.

He wrote: It has been exciting reading a lot of the reviews for Glamour Girls over the last couple of days. Your positive feedback and constructive criticism motivate us to keep doing more, to keep doing better. Thank you for loving, criticising, and watching while knowingly (or not) telling the world via your numerous platforms to do the same.

I hear we just broke a new record this morning! It has been milestone after milestone, record after record, since the very day we released Glamour Girls, a Netflix Original, on Netflix! The whole world is watching Glamour Girls (A film for us, By us).

Shout out to all Nollywood filmmakers constantly going through the nightmare of making movies in Nigeria. You guys are a blessing and an inspiration.

And, of course, a massive shout out to other self-proclaimed Nollywood filmmakers and critics, who have produced numerous movies in their heads, won awards with them and even climbed the stage to make speeches but are yet to create any in reality. We see you; we are rooting for you! A win for one is a win for all.
In 2019, the government of Borno State spent N150 million to purchase rams for the celebration of Sallah (Eid Al Adha), the states auditor generals report of 2020 has revealed.

An investigation by PREMIUM TIMES revealed that not only did the Boko Haram-ravaged state spend such an amount on the purchase of rams in violation of due process and the states procurement law, but it could not also provide the list of beneficiaries of the rams. Many of the states poor residents this newspaper spoke to said they did not benefit and were not aware that such public funds were spent to buy rams

The auditor-general flagged the spending for lacking necessary documentation and receipts.

It revealed that the contract to procure the rams was awarded by the states Ministry of Religious Affairs and Special Education and was executed by a committee.

There was no evidence of competitive bidding for the ram contract, and neither did the state publicly announce the contract, the bidding procedure and the eventual contractors. Also, Section 18 (21) of the Borno State Procurement Act, as amended in 2021, said: every procurement entity shall maintain both file and electronic records of all procurement proceedings made within each financial year and the procurement records shall be maintained for a period of ten years from the date of this award.

But the curious purchase of the Sallah rams is not the first time the ministry will run afoul of the states procurement regulation. In fact, the auditor generals report flagged the ministry as a recalcitrant violator.

The query about the purchase of the rams was among those flagged on various spendings undertaken by the ministry within the period under review.

During the audit of the payment vouchers for both Capital and Overhead Cost expenditures for the year 2019, fifteen (15) payment vouchers were observed not to have been attached to the relevant supporting documents, thus resulting in querying these payment vouchers, which involve the total sum of three hundred and fifty million nine hundred and seventy-two thousand seven hundred and three naira and twenty-nine kobo (N350,972,703.29) only. At the time of writing the 2019 Annual Report, the processes for these queries were not concluded and so not included in the 2019 Annual Report.

The attention of the accounting officer was drawn to these queries where he was requested to comment thereon, but his reply has not been received up to the time of writing this report, Shettima Bukar, the auditor-general of the state, said in the report.

Findings by PREMIUM TIMES also revealed that the N150 million purchase of rams was not captured in the states 2019 budget.

Projects approved under the ministry in 2019 were: purchase of office furniture and fittings at a cost of N11 million, construction/provision of public schools at N25 million; construction/provision of cemeteries at N50 million and construction/provision of community amenities (places of worship) N1 billion.

Other budgetary provisions for the ministry are pilgrims welfare logistical support at the cost of N750 million and ceremonial social welfare/provision of foodstuffs at N50 million.

Poor residents did not get rams

The slaughtering of rams is part of the annual celebration of the Islamic festival, Eid Al Adha. The celebration is also marked by the sharing of gifts by the wealthy, especially rams, to indigent people. On the face, it seemed the state government shared the rams to poor residents of the predominantly Muslim state.

However, many residents told this newspaper that they did not get rams or pieces of meat from the government.

The meat I got for the feast was what I was given for helping people kill and butcher their rams, said Ahmadu Musa, a father of six.

Mr Musa, a resident of the Shuwari area of Maiduguri, the state capital, was among many residents who spoke to the newspaper about how they coped during the celebration of Eid Al Adha in August 2019.

We dont normally buy ram during the celebration because we cannot afford it. Even to get ordinary rice sometimes to cook for children is difficult, said Falmata Ali, a mother of seven and resident of the Kaleri area of the state capital.

The Borno government and its religious ministry could not provide the list of the beneficiaries of the rams bought with public funds. The 2019 Eid Al Adha was held in August, over two months after Governor Babagana Zulum assumed office.

When contacted, the governors spokesperson said the governor has directed the ministry and others indicted by the auditor general to provide evidence of their transactions.

Zulum promotes accountability and transparency  Spokesperson

Isa Gusau, the media aide to Governor Zulum, said the government has directed officials of the state to provide supporting documents of their spending to the auditor general.

He said his principal was committed to accountability and transparency in how public funds are spent.

First of all, the auditor general acknowledged in his introductory note on page 4, that the audit was encouraged by Governor Zulums positive disposition towards the Office (of the State Auditor- General). He clearly implied that Zulum gave him the freedom to operate and encouraged him to monitor financial activities in Bornos MDAs.

It was because of Zulums support for transparency that in January 2020, he created the Borno State Public Procurement Board, which works hard to ensure transparency in all government expenditures by officials in ministries and agencies.

But as you know, the Borno State Government is large and has numerous government establishments so much that no matter how Governor Zulum tries to ensure proper accounting, there could be some circumventing by some.

No official in Borno State can have the audacity to try diverting funds under Zulum as Governor. Everyone knows the Governors stand and his way of strict monitoring, which was what made it possible for close to 700 capital projects and humanitarian aid worth billions of naira to have been visibly carried out.

In Zulums usual style, he has said it a number of times, that he only approves what is provided for in the budget and he has proved so over time. Any time Zulum approves funds for any project or programme, he often supervises himself to ensure such projects or programmes are delivered and on time.

I am sure whatever the fund was meant for, must have been done, except the issue of documentation, which some officials sometimes take for granted.

When confronted that the N150 million ram purchases were not included in the religious ministrys budget, Mr Gusau claimed that it was in another copy of the budget that contained a more detailed breakdown. However, he could not provide that copy.

As for budgeting, I can assure you that Zulum as a matter of policy, does not approve anything that is not budgeted for. Let me enlighten here that oftentimes, budget presentations of governors are mostly key highlights, not budget specifics. Governors normally highlight key priorities during their annual presentations but afterwards, ministries of budget and relevant officials prepare budget specifics, which in Bornos case, are published annually and Zulum keeps copies on his desk and refers to every relevant specific before he gives approval to memos, Mr Gusau explained.

The auditor generals report for 2020 and 2021 is yet to be published and state officials would not say if similar amounts were spent on rams in those years. PREMIUM TIMES will continue its investigations on the matter as part of its mandate of holding governments at all levels accountable.

Auditor General speaks

This reporter also spoke to the Borno auditor-general through a phone call.

I have finished my job and now the remaining is the work of the Public Accounts Committee of the State House of Assembly to do their work, he said when asked whether the ministry has answered its queries.

However, in the report, he recommended: Effective supervision and continuous training of concerned officers by both the Accounting Officers and the Office of the Accountant General. The Accountant General must empower the Inspectorate Unit of the Department of Inspectorate and Internal Audit to conduct a constant visitation of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) with a view to inspect and effect correction of observed errors immediately as they occur.

The Accountant General should also reinvigorate the sense of responsibility and powers of Internal Auditors in the discharge of their duties. If they can rise to the occasion, there would be a great improvement in payment voucher documentation. Accounting officers, Directors of Finance and Accounts and staff should embrace the Internal Audit functions as paramount without which the accountability process is incomplete.
Nigerias minister of health, Osagie Ehanire, has said one per cent of the health budget at all levels of the government will be allocated to family planning (FP).

The decision, the minister noted, is part of efforts to reduce the mother and child death rate in the country.

Mr Ehanire disclosed this in Abuja on Tuesday while launching Reproductive, Maternal Newborn, Child, Adolescent and Elderly Health Plus Nutrition (RMNCAEH+N) policy document and re-Inauguration of the Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) steering committee.

It was in commemoration of 2022 Safe Motherhood and Vasicovigina Fiscula (VVF) Day.

The event was organised by the Ministry of Health in partnership with Rotary Action Group for Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health, and German Cooperation.

The federal government of Nigeria is working to ensure availability of family planning commodities and services by launching the FP2030 commitment to increase domestic funding and sustainable financing through earmarking one per cent of the health budget at federal and state levels and perhaps also at local government level, the minister said.

Also, he said there are other actions taken by the government to ensure that everybody aligns with the initiative.

Mr Ehanire said the strategy allows eligible citizens including adolescents, young people and vulnerable populations to make informed choices and get equitable, affordable access to quality family planning participation in national development.

Maternal and parental death surveillance and response is a priority initiative that gives the serious subject of maternal, parental and infant mortality and morbidity audit the attention it requires, he added.

FP in Nigeria

Family planning in Nigeria is at a low level which is a major factor in the fertility pattern and population growth rate.

Despite several efforts in the last few years, the modern contraceptive prevalence rate is about 12 per cent, indicating the need for adoption of more innovative strategies and channels of service delivery.

The private sector channels have proven to be viable as data indicates the sector provides about 60 percent of FP services even among the poorest women in Nigeria (provide reference), the Nigeria FB 2030 commitment document said.

The NPHCDA Health Facility Assessment 2019, said there are only 8,389 functional primary health care facilities out of the 25,607.

The figure is grossly inadequate and cannot meet the needs of all women of reproductive age in Nigeria.

Hence there is a need to employ high impact strategies to rapidly scale-up the provision of FP service, the document said.

The minister said the initiative has been expanded to also incorporate child mortality audits making it Maternal, Natal and Child Death Surveillance and Response. The enabling bill has been passed by the National Assembly and is awaiting presidential assent.

The launch of the policy document

The minister said these developments are what informed the launch of the revised guidelines and tools from NPCDSR at the inauguration of the steering committee.

The committee is to be chaired by the honourable minister of health, while the president of the society of gynaecology and obstetrics and the president of the Paediatric Association of Nigeria (PAN) will be vice chairs.

Other members of the committee are the chairmen of both the senate and senate committees on health, commissioners of health of RNMCAEH+N and states, among others.

Parastatals and ministries like the NPHCDA, and the National Bureau of Statistics, National Population Commission, National Centre for Disease Control and National Health Insurance Agency, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and the National Orientation Agency, are all there, he said.
The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Iyorchia Ayu, has found himself at the centre of the face-off between the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar, and Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, which is tearing the main opposition party apart, ahead of the 2023 general elections.

The crisis worsened on Wednesday when two associates of Mr Wike, Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, and a former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, publicly expressed their reluctance to back their partys presidential candidate for the general election.

While Mr Ortom said he was still awaiting Gods direction on his decision on the issue, Mr Fayose declared that Mr Wike would not support Atiku.

Although both men hinged their grievances on alleged unfair treatment and disrespect of Mr Wike by the presidential candidate in the process of the nomination of Atikus running mate, PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the main contention at this point concerns the partys national chairman, Mr Ayu.

Mr Wikes camp has demanded that Mr Ayu relinquish his position so that the party can elect a new chairman from the southern part of the country.

They said Mr Ayus removal from the partys chairmanship is necessary to address the lopsidedness in the PDP hierarchy.

But Atiku is backing Mr Ayu to stay on, at least until after the elections next year, those familiar with the matter said.

According to a member of the camp, as the party made to elect Mr Ayu as chairman, the leaders agreed that in the event of a northern presidential candidate emerging, the former Senate President, who is from Benue State in the North Central zone, would resign and make way for a southern substitute.

Atikus victory at the primary had given the northern wing of the party all the top positions in the party with Mr Ayu as national chairman and Walid Jubrin as chairman of the partys Board of Trustees. The deputy national chairman (North), Umar Damagun, being from the same region, is next in line to Mr Ayu and takes responsibility whenever the chairman is not available.

Thus, when Atiku paid a visit to Mr Wike shortly after he won the primary, the Rivers governor reminded him of the need to ask Mr Ayu to step down.

During the visit, Wike and Atiku held a private meeting and it was Atiku who brought up the issue of his running mate, a source in Mr Wikes camp told PREMIUM TIMES.

He told Wike that he had not made up his mind on the issue and he asked Wike whether he would take it or nominate a person to take the slot. Wike told Atiku that he would need to consult with his people on the offer.

Then Wike reminded Atiku of the agreement that Ayu would resign if a northerner won the primary. Atiku said he would discuss it with Ayu but that both of them should keep the issue between them until he had persuaded the chairman to resign.

Unfortunately, we later heard that Atiku told Ayu that Wike was demanding that he should be removed. When we heard that, we were surprised because by then, Wike had not even told us that he discussed the issue with Atiku, the insider said.

They are now arguing that Ayu should be allowed to stay on until after the election. They are playing games so that if Atiku loses, they will say it is unnecessary for Ayu to leave. That way the South will continue to be marginalised in the party.

However, a source outside the camp said Mr Wike became unhappy with Mr Ayu after the party chairman visited Sokoto governor, Aminu Tambuwal, the day after the partys national convention in Abuja.

During the visit, Mr Ayu described Mr Tambuwal as the hero of the convention for stepping down at the last moment for Atiku, a development many believed swung the contest in favour of the former vice president.

Wike was angry with the chairman and said his statement to Tambuwal exposed his connivance in the conspiracy that denied him (Wike) and the southern region the PDP ticket. It was out of that anger that he demanded Ayus removal when Atiku visited him, the source said.

Members of Mr Wikes camp were said to be talking about their options but have not ruled out reconciliation with Atiku for the general election.

However, Mr Wike has also continued his meetings with other presidential candidates. He met separately with Labour Partys Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Port Harcourt before travelling to Turkey for what his aides said was for a holiday.

In a series of tweets on Thursday, a day after Mr Ortom and former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, indicated they might not support him at the election, Atiku insisted that the PDP remained united despite the disagreements.

The #OfficialPDPNig will remain united. Focus on our actions. We are taking action to address the feelings of all party members. The unity in our community is my priority. Our resolve to unify Nigeria starts in our party and moves to the community, then on to society.

Every Governor, Legislator, and other elected officials produced by our party, and party members and loyalists, are much loved and respected by me.

When they speak, I listen. I do not only listen. Appropriate actions have been taken, are being taken, and will continue to be advanced. -AA, he tweeted.

Also on Friday, an aide of Atiku, Segun Sowunmi, described the Rivers governor as the Jagaban of the PDP to underscore the high esteem in which the candidate held the governor.

Mr Sowunmi, who spoke on Arise Tv, described Mr Wike as a man of revolution.

Wike is our own Jagaban; how do you explain a governor being able to keep other governors in line? One thing you cant deny him is that he has the ability to say it as it is. He will not bend or colour things.

Atiku holds Wike in high esteem, time and space may not bring them together, but he does. Wike is a man of revolution; he is one of the totems of PDP, Mr Sowunmi said.

Mr Wike did not answer or return multiple calls made to him by this reporter.
The Abia chapter of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) said the founding National Chairman of the party, Chekwas Okorie, is no longer a member of the party.

The Chairman of APGA in Abia, Augustine Ehiemere, said this on Friday in Umuahia, while speaking with reporters on the authentic national leadership of the party.

Mr Ehiemere said Mr Okorie was expelled in 2003 for alleged anti-party activities.

He said Mr Okorie, after his expulsion, floated the United Peoples Grand Alliance in 2012 and later joined the All Progressives Congress.

Mr Ehiemere was reacting to a report which said Mr Okorie claimed to be the legitimate presidential candidate of APGA, and Edozie Njoku, the partys national chairman.

The party chairman in the state said that it was preposterous for Mr Okorie to claim to be APGAs presidential candidate, having left the party a decade ago to form another party.

He said: For record purposes, Chekwas Okorie is not a member of APGA, let alone being its presidential candidate.

He has lost his political value and credibility as far as Nigerian politics is concerned.

All his efforts now is to see how he can eke a living by joining Chief Edozie Njoku to parade themselves as the National Chairman and Presidential Candidate of APGA, respectively.

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They are both aware that their claims are false and fraudulent.

Mr Ehiemere described Messrs Okorie and Njoku as political impostors, who want to reap where they have not sown.

He said Ike Oye remained the authentic national chairman of APGA, Peter Umeadi is the partys presidential candidate.

APGA has only one presidential candidate for the 2023 general elections, Professor Peter Umeadi, who emerged from a special national convention of the party held in Abuja in June, he said.

Mr Ehiemere said Okorie and Njokus names were not in the APGAs register in their respective wards.

He expressed the partys loyalty to the Oye-led National Working Committee (NWC).

Abia APGA passes a vote of confidence on the NWC of our great party, led by Chief Victor Oye.

This is to appreciate the committee for its resilience, doggedness and astuteness in piloting the affairs of the party, which we hope would bring victory to us in 2023, he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Ehiemere and the partys Legal Adviser, Chukwuemeka Nwokoro, have described as non-existent the alleged Supreme Courts decision declaring Mr Njoku as the national chairman of the party.

No such Supreme Court decision exists anywhere. There is no such judgment by the apex court.

It all emanated from their fraudulent intentions to cause confusion in the party, Mr Nwokoro said.

He challenged Mr Njoku to institute a contempt suit against APGA, Mr Oye and INEC, if he was sure of the existence of such Supreme Courts decision.

When the decision of a court is flouted or disobeyed, the option left to the litigant is to institute a case of contempt of court, Mr Nwokoro said.

The APGA recently faced a leadership tussle, with Mr Njoku claiming he had obtained a Supreme Courts decision in his favour.

(NAN)
Nigeria Youth Futures Fund, a leadership initiative of MacArthur Foundation and Ford Foundation, says it has begun working with relevant parties to develop a youth-focused plan it hopes to pass to the Nigerian government to include in its Agenda 2050.

The group met with youth leaders and organisations on Wednesday in Abuja at a workshop to discuss and validate its plans and framework.

The government in 2020 appointed businessman Atedo Peterside and finance minister Zainab Ahmed as co-chairpersons of a committee to develop Nigerias new development plan, themed Agenda 2050.

President Muhammadu Buhari said a key objective of the plan is to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty within the next decade, in a country where the youth make up to 70 per cent of the population.

Formed in 2021, the NYFF said its mission is to enable young people be able to take leadership roles and help drive social change through policy engagements that would shape national development.

Dayo Olaide, McArthur Foundations Nigeria deputy director, said the initiative was motivated by the need to channel Nigerias youths formidable energy toward national development.

The major consideration for us is that there seems to be a reawakening among the Nigerian youths and our motivation is making our resources available to help harness that energy and direct it in a way that is productive, he said.

He said, In the last 20 years, it is clear that democracy is working only for the minority. That is not sustainable. Its dangerous, and unless we begin to reverse that, we might just be edging ourselves towards a major democratic crisis. Urgently, we need to get everyone benefitting from democracy.

Opeyemi Oriniowo, NYFF project lead, said the thematic focus of the project is on agriculture, healthcare, ICT and entrepreneurship, media, civic partnerships, and education.

Mr Oriniowo said the initiative was set up to strengthen and enable young people in Nigeria for youth leadership, activism and social change.

The workshop was to rally Nigeria youth behind the National Visioning process towards the development of an agenda/manifesto that will rise above the heterogeneous nature of the demography, he said.

After deliberations Wednesday, participants, at the event resolved to work together to develop a youth agenda for subsequent integration into the Nigeria Agenda 2050; push for the redefinition of youth that is applicable to the Nigerian context; develop a structural framework that enables larger participation of young people in the hinterlands and informal sector.

Organisations with representatives at the workshop include: Connected Development, YIAGA Africa, Budgit, Youngstars Foundation, ElectHER, TechHER, Teenage Network, Madiba Foundation for Good Governance, YouthHubAfrica and New Voices NG.

Others are: Start-up Bill Secretariat, Centre for the study of Economies of Africa, Palladium Scale Project, Kimpact Development initiative, Ignite Africa Challenge, Project Pink Blue, Education as a Vaccine, SunShine Series NG, See-Hear Initiative and Ability Plus Initiative.
Activities at the Calabar Port were boosted on Thursday as a general cargo vessel berthed with 204 heavy-duty trucks, 22 cubic metres of pipes and other containers.

Speaking with reporters on Friday in Calabar after the berthing of the vessel, Festus Olumati, the Port Manager, said this was coming three years after a ship berthed there last.

The manager said that Calabar Port was still viable and of economic benefit to the state and to Nigeria.

Mr Olumati said the port was safe for berthing, hence the need for customers to patronise it to clear their general containers.

The significance of the berthing of this vessel is to tell the world that Calabar Port is active and working. The rumour going round that nothing is happening in Calabar Port is fake.

The length of this vessel is 190 metres, and this has never happened in recent times at Calabar Port.

The cargo on board is 204 trucks, 22 cubic meters of general cargo, especially pipes, and we also have some containers in it.

In the past three years, it has never been like this. We are happy to tell the world that we are receiving a cargo vessel that we have not had in the past three years, Mr Olumati said.

He said the berthing of the ship was in line with the resolve of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to revamp the port to attract customers, adding that it would generate employment for Calabar residents.

Mr Olumati said more than 50 persons were supporting the shipping company in the discharge of the trucks and the containers.

Edward Akpan, the general manager of the terminal operator used in the berthing, said the vessel sailed from Singapore.

Mr Akpan said the owners of the cargo consider Calabar Port as a preferred terminal based on the support given to them over the years.

As a terminal operator, we woo our customers by giving them some incentives to berth at Calabar Port.

Our customers are satisfied with our mode of operations and I want to appreciate NPA for its continuous support for the terminals.

When vessels berth at Calabar Port, the owners are always here to ensure that their cargo is not dented and they have been so amazed with recommendations on our path for jobs well done, he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that there was beehive of activities at the port during the discharge of the trucks and the containers.

(NAN)
The police in Ebonyi State said they killed one person and arrested another during a raid on Thursday in a suspected hideout of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in the state.

The police spokesperson in the state, Chris Anyanwu, disclosed this in a statement in Abakaliki on Friday.

Mr Anyanwu said the operation was carried out by the tactical team of the command led by Jerry Maigorosom, a superintendent of police.

He said that the hideout was at Oriuzor Village in Ezza North Local Government Area of the state.

At about 1435hrs of June 30, the tactical team of the command stormed the camp of suspected IPOB adherents at Oriuzor Village through credible intelligence at the disposal of the command.

On sighting the operatives, the hoodlums opened fire on them, leading to a gun duel.

In the process, one of the hoodlums, identified as Elijah, was fatally wounded, while six others escaped with gunshot injuries.

Fortunately, one of them, Chibundu Ali, 18, a native of Ezzama, Ezza East Development Centre was arrested and taken into custody, said Mr Anyanwu, a superintendent of police.

The suspect is being interrogated by the police.

Mr Anyanwu said the camp had been destroyed and that some of the items recovered included one cut-to-size AK47 rifle with a few rounds of live ammunition and a locally fabricated pistol.

The police said the items were stolen during an attack on a divisional police station in Ezza South Local Government Area.

Mr Anyanwu said the police have also arrested some members of a robbery syndicate which allegedly specialised in snatching of vehicles and motorcycles in Enugu and the neighbouring states.

He said three suspects, including a woman and Ebubeagu personnel, were rounded up at Uburu in Ohaozara Local Government Area, while negotiating the sale of one of the stolen motorcycles.

(NAN)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has identified vote-buying and insecurity as some of its major concerns ahead of the forthcoming governorship election in Osun.

Speaking on Saturday on INECs preparedness for the election, the Commissions Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, said plans are on to record a smooth election in the state.

The poll, fixed for July 16, is one of the eight off-cycle governorship elections in Nigeria.

With the improvement recorded in the performance of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) among other technical successes recorded during the just concluded Ekiti poll, Mr Yakubu said he looks forward to replicating similar feats in Osun.

He, however, raised concerns about security and vote-buying, two major recurrences that have continued to undermine Nigerias electoral process.

Arising from the experience of the recent Ekiti State Governorship election, the Commission is keeping a close watch on the security situation in Osun State. Although it is generally calm at the moment, we are nevertheless concerned about reports of clashes in some places. In one recent example, the collection of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) was disrupted in Erin Oke and Erin Ijesha Wards of Oriade Local Government Area resulting in the loss of 46 PVCs.

While the matter is being investigated by the police, the collection of PVCs for the affected Wards is now taking place in the INEC office in Ijebu-Jesha. Meanwhile, the State office has compiled the Voter Identification Numbers (VINs) of the cards and the Commission has already reprinted the PVCs for the affected voters.

I would like to assure all valid registrants in Osun State that no one will be disenfranchised on account of such an incident. It is futile for anyone to attempt to vote using another persons PVC. The BVAS biometric accreditation will expose such fraud and persons apprehended will be prosecuted under the law, the INEC chairman said at a meeting of the inter-agency consultative committee on election security.

Mr Yakubu stated further, Again, arising from the experience in recent elections, vote buying remains a major area of concern. We appreciate the role played by the anti-corruption and security agencies in apprehending some of the perpetrators of this brazen assault on our democracy. In particular, we are working with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to ensure the prosecution of persons arrested in the recent Ekiti governorship election. Action will commence as soon as the EFCC completes its investigation. I appeal to all security agencies to continue to join hands with the Commission to tackle this menace, Mr Yakubu further said.

A representative of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Sanusi Galadima, applauded INECs feat at the Ekiti poll but urged the commission to double up in the forthcoming Osun poll.

Against the commissions concerns, Mr Galadima said there were no major security concerns during and after the Ekiti poll.

He called on residents of Osun State to come out enmasse to participate in the governorship poll.

Consequent upon the above, the NSA enjoined INEC, through the Department of voter education/publicity, to redouble efforts ahead of the Osun State guber election and the forthcoming general elections in 2023.

The NSA also urged ICCES members to build on the successes recorded from the Ekiti election as some disgruntled politicians may attempt to sabotage the process for their selfish gains, through vote buying and other forms of voter inducement as well as political thuggery, the NSA boss representative noted.
It is nearly five months now since the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) went on strike to protest the Nigerian governments failure to implement the agreements it entered with the union.

University campuses have been deserted, as lecturers continued to shun the classroom.

The National Association of Nigerian Students have staged protests, at different times, asking the government and ASUU to find a common ground and reopen universities in the country.

ASUU and the government are yet to reach a deal despite a series of meetings.

PREMIUM TIMES spoke recently with some students across various universities in Nigeria to find out what they have been doing with their time while their schools remained shut down.

Chibueze Jordan: (Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State)

I am learning web designing. I will do it till they call off the strike. Even when they call off strike, if I am in school, I will still be doing web designing so I can make extra income.

Dallas Nwachukwu: (University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Enugu State)

I am using this period to work on my personal development. I have been able to gain some knowledge about who I am, what I can do and what I cannot do. Second, I have learnt graphic designing and I am using it to make money now. So, I would say that this strike, in a way, is not a waste of time for me.

Blessing Okorie (Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State)

As a final year student, I did not expect this strike. I was hoping to graduate (this year) and then get engaged with other meaningful things. But since it happened, I have been getting lots of skills. I am teaching to get money to save so that once the strike is over, I can continue with my programme and other things. Secondly, I am learning hair-making and graphic designing. I am doing them because the (Nigerian) economy is no longer favorable to young graduates. So, with the hair-making, if I learn it very well, I can as well open my shop and be getting money from it daily while I still have something else, I can be getting money from monthly or so.

Emmanuel Justice (Imo State University, Owerri)

I am doing a couple of things, while waiting for ASUU to call off the strike. I am teaching French as a part time job in a primary school. I am also learning web development.

Precious Ukeje (University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State)

I picked up a job late last year before the ASUU strike (during a vacation). The moment the strike came up, I just remained in the job. I have also taken the opportunity to take some digital courses, something away from the traditional classroom programme. I am taking the time to build personal capacity by picking up training here and there. Whenever the strike is called off, I will combine the two until I finish my programme in the university.
A lawmaker in Abia State, Obinna Ichita, has appealed to the federal government to apply political solution to the Nnamdi Kanus case.

Mr Kanu, the leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra, is detained in Abuja where he is facing terrorism trial.

Mr Ichita, who is representing Aba South State Constituency, made the appeal in a statement in Umuahia on Thursday.

According to him, solving Mr Kanus lingering case through a political approach will usher in a lasting solution and permanent peace in the South-east.

He stated: As always, I am in support of a political solution to the issues that Kanu has with the Nigerian state.

Many eminent and well-meaning Nigerians believe that Kanus continued detention is largely responsible for the current tension and security breaches in the South-east.

They have severally recommended dialogue with Kanu and other separatist groups to douse the tension in the land.

I, therefore, urge the Federal Government to consider Kanus matter from the point of restoring peace in the zone and not as the cause of insecurity in the area.

Mr Ichita urged President Muhammadu Buhari to heed the counsel and appeals by eminent Nigerians to win their respect and confidence.

He particularly recalled the special appeal by a delegation of Igbo leaders, led by First Republic Minister, Mbazulike Amaechi.

It may not be well-meaning to ignore or disregard the appeal by Amaechi, asking the president to release Kanu to him.

We have had enough tension in the south-east.

Therefore, I encourage the Federal Government to take practical measures to restore peace in the zone.

There is always a solution to every problem. Every Nigerian deserves to live in an egalitarian and peaceful society.

Let us give peace a chance. A lasting peace is what will heal our land, Mr Ichita added.

He commended Mr Kanu for preaching peace in a media interview he granted during his Tuesdays appearance in court.

He said the appeal went a long way to calm frayed nerves among his followings.

(NAN)
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, on Saturday, departed Lagos for Accra, Ghana, to represent Nigeria at the 61st Ordinary Session of the Authority of the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government.

Mr Osinbajos spokesman, Laolu Akande, in a statement in Abuja on Saturday, said the vice-president would stand in for President Muhammadu Buhari at the summit which comes up on Sunday.

The vice-president will join other leaders to deliberate and take decisions on the political, security and humanitarian issues among others, regarding the sub-region at the regular ECOWAS summit.

The meeting will also review the situations in Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso, with regards to restoring democratic rule.

West African leaders have held several sessions since 2020, including emergency meetings, dedicated to finding lasting solutions to the resurgence of coups in parts of the sub-region.

At the summit, the Mediation and Security Council of ECOWAS will update leaders on political developments in the region and in the Sahel region.

The council will also provide updates on the issues of insecurity, challenges relating to youth unemployment and the impact of diseases and pandemics on social tensions in the region.

On June 4, in Accra, Mr Buhari joined other ECOWAS leaders to deliberate on the situation in the sub-region, urging more attention to be paid to the victims of unconstitutional change of government

On the sidelines of the summit, Mr Osinbajo will also attend a meeting of the five West African countries involved with The Abidjan  Lagos Corridor Highway Development Project.

The project is a flagship project of the Program for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA).

The highway connects the capitals of five West African statesCote dIvoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria and stretches for approximately 1,028 km.

A release from ECOWAS Commission said the objective of this 42 million-dollar project is to promote cross-border trade.

It also seeks integrate economies within the ECOWAS area, reduce transport costs, stimulate inter-regional trade and strengthen regional integration in West Africa.

The vice-president will be accompanied on the trip by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Zubairu Dada, and some other members of the Federal Executive Council.

He is expected back in Abuja on Sunday.

(NAN)
The very recent COVID-19 pandemic, the effect of which continues to reverberate all over the world, should serve as a cautionary tale to African governments who remain at best reactionary in their approach to diseases of public health importance. If we decide not to plan, we are by default, planning to fail. And for those of us who cant seem to keep our pants up and are thriving in the monkey business, Monkeypox will make you pay.

Gary Hart is an American politician, diplomat, and lawyer who represented the state of Colorado in the United States Senate from 1975 to 1987. He came into national prominence in the way he ran the very long-shot but highly successful campaign of Senator George McGovern of South Dakota for the 1972 Democratic presidential nomination. Although McGovern was roundly defeated by Richard Nixon, taking only one state and the District of Columbia, no one blamed this on Hart, who came to be regarded as a rising star in the Democratic Party. Two years later, he won a Colorado Senate seat in the Democratic landslide of 1974.

Gary first ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 but lost out to Walter Mondale, who served as Jimmy Carters vice president. He nevertheless established himself as a serious candidate who was seen as articulate, who offered fresh ideas, was attractive and, at the time, had age heavily on his side.

When in 1986 he declined to run for re-election to the Senate, it was to devote more time to winning the Democratic nomination for president in 1988. Gary quickly earned his spot as a clear front-runner and polls upon polls showed him far ahead of his closest rival, with more than 20 points. But that was before he got entangled in the career-ending monkey business and his candidacy turned into vapour. Gary Hart was that guy who couldnt keep his pants up.

After he formally announced his candidacy on April 13, 1987, rumours started making the rounds that he was involved in a slew of extra-marital affairs. As expected, the candidate strongly denied those allegations and even dared the press to follow him around. He joked that they would only get bored. But undeterred, they took him on his offer anyway. One beautiful evening in Miami, Florida, Senator Hart was photographed with an attractive blonde called Donna Rice, balanced flirtatiously on his laps, aboard an 83-foot luxury yacht named Monkey Business. A few days later, he announced his withdrawal from the presidential race.

Many years after Gary Harts meteoric rise and fall, there seemed to be an unhealthy, even if superstitious, relationship between sex and this one creature that often causes men to fall from grace. Today, the world is under the threat of another pandemic but this time, its not COVID-19 or its omicron variant. Its the Monkeypox. Monkey has proven not to be mans best friend.

One report stated that from September 2017 to the end of April this year, Nigeria reported a total of 558 suspected cases, with 231 (41.4 per cent) confirmed, and from the beginning of January till end of April, 46 suspected cases were reported, with 15 confirmed from seven states. No death has thus far been recorded this year. But this number may not tell the whole story because disease surveillance in Nigeria is poor

Monkeypox is caused by a virus similar to smallpox, and many outbreaks were thought to have started with human contact with infected animals in western and Central Africa, often near tropical rainforests. The first human case, we were told, was identified in a nine-year-old boy in the Democratic Republic of Congo. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), eleven African countries have so far reported cases since 1970 and it is believed to be endemic in those areas. What is more? Monkeypox, however, is now transmitting globally and has also been reported in Europe and America, with the latter now planning an aggressive nation-wide vaccination campaign against the virus.

One report stated that from September 2017 to the end of April this year, Nigeria reported a total of 558 suspected cases, with 231 (41.4 per cent) confirmed, and from the beginning of January till end of April, 46 suspected cases were reported, with 15 confirmed from seven states. No death has thus far been recorded this year. But this number may not tell the whole story because disease surveillance in Nigeria is poor and many of the monkeypox cases in the rural areas are likely to be missed.

Nigeria also lacks a comprehensive national policy to tackle the now spreading menace, other than the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)s talk about activating the Monkeypox Emergency Operation Centre in its press release of May 31.

Most cases present with lesions on the genitalia or peri-genital area, indicating that transmission is likely sexual, seen mostly in men who have sex with other men, although the virus can also spread via body fluids, skin contact and respiratory droplets.

Monkeypox often causes several days of flu-like symptoms, followed by a skin rash that often appears harmless and can be seen in locations such as inside the anus, and places that are so easy to miss. Nevertheless, the lesions are highly contagious and have been known to even contaminate surfaces or materials such as towels, which make it easy to spread from one person to another.

It may be a tad comforting from the prediction that Monkeypox is unlikely to spread as fast or pose public health challenges in the order of magnitude seen with COVID-19. Nevertheless, an important lesson of the past decade of COVID-19, Ebola and Zika epidemics is that unchecked transmission means the entire population is at risk.

Controlling epidemics of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) depend on prompt and accurate diagnosis, followed by effective treatment of infected people and their contacts. However, Nigeria and many other African countries bedeviled by poor resource management, are often caught flat-footed. Government funding for diagnosis and treatment is poor. Disease surveillance and contact tracing rarely exist.

Its time to get serious with offering safe sexual health services in both private and public health facilities. Since sex is increasingly being practiced at a much younger age these days, its time to demystify it so that teachers in schools and faith leaders in religious group could offer help in educating their subjects. Such will not only stem the tide of monkeypox outbreaks but will tackle the increasing incidence of other STDs.

It may be a tad comforting from the prediction that Monkeypox is unlikely to spread as fast or pose public health challenges in the order of magnitude seen with COVID-19. Nevertheless, an important lesson of the past decade of COVID-19, Ebola and Zika epidemics is that unchecked transmission means the entire population is at risk.

The very recent COVID-19 pandemic, the effect of which continues to reverberate all over the world, should serve as a cautionary tale to African governments who remain at best reactionary in their approach to diseases of public health importance. If we decide not to plan, we are by default, planning to fail. And for those of us who cant seem to keep our pants up and are thriving in the monkey business, Monkeypox will make you pay. Maybe not like Mr Hart but you will pay nonetheless.

Osmund Agbo, a public affairs analyst is the coordinator of African Center for Transparency and Convener of Save Nigeria Project. Email: Eagleosmund@yahoo.com
To end IFFs, action is required at different levels  the national level action; continental or regional action; and global international cooperation. There should be no illusion that this will come easily because there are vested interests at each of these levels of action that prefer the status quo. At the end of the day, we have to accept that tackling IFFs is a governance and political issue.

Interaction with the global community is the inevitable reality of modern nation states and, indeed, societies. It is not a recent phenomenon. It has only become more enhanced across all levels of governance and social interaction in the global North and South. More and more activities are controlled by global standards in the wake of enhanced globalisation. The parameters of engagement are however not democratically or equitably designed and do not address the concerns of all state parties in equal measure. It is therefore left for each state party to see to its interests within permissible parameters.

The terms of engagement presents opportunities and challenges. Engagement suggests the opportunity to negotiate and reject or mitigate inimical clauses and conditions against any negotiating party. Unfortunately, the proliferation of precedents, standard form clauses, capacity inadequacy, poor governance, corruption and other myriad of factors continue to disempower countries in the global South from making the best of negotiations. Often times, it is not clear to them what to negotiate in their own behalf.

These factors and more have enhanced capital flight and undermined the growth potential of countries of the global South, especially in Sub-Sahara Africa, with its generous nature endowed resources. To reverse this trend, Nigeria needs to improve its ability to protect its interest, first, on the negotiation table where the agreement for engagement with the rest of the world is reached and in sectors and areas that have positive multiplier impact on the economy and the well-being of the people.

Prior to securing the contemporary opportunity to negotiate presumably on fair and equitable terms, nation states were subject to gunboat diplomacy. The term gunboat diplomacy comes from 19th century literature and practice, when European powers intimidated less powerful states into granting concessions through a demonstration of superior military capabilities, usually naval power. During negotiations of any kind, European powers would deploy a fleet of ships to the coast of the other party, with great psychological impact of possible consequences should the negotiations fail. Gunboat diplomacy represents the use or threat of limited naval force, otherwise than as an act of war, in order to secure advantage or to avert loss, either in the furtherance of an international dispute or else against foreign nationals within the territory or the jurisdiction of their own state.

The ability to deploy naval power had advantages, therefore nations with capacity strategically established military bases around the world. The gunboat was also used to establish new trade partners, create colonial outposts and expand the empire. Nations without capacity depended on imperialists for raw materials and overseas markets. Gunboat diplomacy was used to collect foreign debts until the adoption of the Hague Convention (No 2) Respecting the Limitation of the Employment of Force for the Recovery of Contract Debts of 1907.

The gunboat approach was followed by diplomatic protection, whereby state parties exchanged notes on how their nationals, especially investors, were to be treated by other governments. Diplomatic protection meant that governments of investors and other negotiating parties would protest any unfair treatment of their citizens in trade and economic matters. This meant that once agreement was reached on any issue, that agreement must be respected, no matter how inequitable it may be to one party. Since it was negotiated, it was binding. Suffice to say that this approach has limitations, although it is still by and large applicable in international diplomatic relations, despite the fact that many of its guiding principles have be incorporated into post-World War II international multilateral treaties.

The trajectory of the development of advanced economies show that they developed largely on domestic public resources. Leaving international financial flows (IFFs) from Africa unattended is an existential issue because on the one hand, Africa is yoked by a debt burden, albeit of cheap loans and other development assistance (ODA) but there is a huge leak of IFFs since pre-colonial days that we are yet to plug.

Why focus on these areas?

Nigeria requires trade and investment to grow its economy. To attain this desire, we must have the potential to harness capital, technology and know-how in a manner that is not inimical to development. The investor, on the other hand, requires assurance of security and return on investment in a conducive business environment with ability to repatriate profit. The negotiated agreement is designed to protect the interest and concerns of the parties involved. Regrettably, developing countries like Nigeria have often found themselves on the wrong side of their aspirations as negotiators consistently and persistently negotiate perennial inimical bilateral investment agreements, in spite of available information about inimical clauses to avoid and existing bilateral investment treaties (BITs) to terminate or, at worst, review.

With trade, one of the key challenges is maximising the benefits from the liberalisation of trade and this is largely dependent on scope and coverage. Each country must select sectors where it can maximise its comparative advantage. This is a function of negotiation. Therefore, negotiators must understand the nitty-gritty of trade negotiation, otherwise inimical agreements will lead to illicit financial flows and further capital hemorrhage. The strenuous efforts of Europe to negotiate trade agreements with Africa, starting with the Yaounde Agreement to the Lome Agreement to the current Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) are based on the potential beneficial impact of trade between nation states. At the global level, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) is the multilateral legal framework, and more recently the long awaited African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) makes improved trade negotiation capacity more compelling for Nigeria, the epithet of largest economy notwithstanding. Economic benefits and advantages are not conferred on a platter of gold, they must be negotiated thus negotiators must know what to ask for and what to reject.

Undoubtedly, taxation remains the surest and most dependable source of state revenue, upon which development planning can be based with some level of assurance. In this regard, state tax entities must be able to assert authority over business entities operating within their jurisdiction. Unfortunately, companies that operate in more than one tax jurisdiction began to exploit gaps in tax treaties to shift profit to low tax jurisdictions to the disadvantage, usually of developing countries of the global south. The ability of multinational corporations to avoid full tax liability is embedded in different aggressive tax avoidance practices and illegal tax evasion practices that require great skill and understanding, for personnel of tax authorities to unearth in order extract their fair share of corporate taxes from MNCs. Furthermore, international legal hurdles erected by countries of the global North have to be re-negotiated or mitigated to ameliorate the negative consequences of the capital flight occasioned by exploitation of the tax regime by multinationals.

The last area of focus is the natural resource and environment sectors. Nigeria, like many African countries, is generously endowed with natural resources. Maximising the benefits of these natural resource endowments requires the ability to negotiate with those with the finance, technology and know-how to exploit the resources in a way beneficial to the environment and the ultimate owners of the resources. In the oil and gas sector, negotiations will typically be between a national oil and gas company or other entities representing government and a foreign investor entity, usually another corporation. Takeaways depend on the negotiation skills of the government representatives on all aspects of the agreement, ranging from exploitation of the resource to sale of the product, sharing of profits, technology transfer, local content, environmental issues, and community rights, amongst other issues.

Plugging IFFs and Enhancing Domestic Resource Mobilisation

Domestic public resources are central to development planning because no country has advanced its economy through reliance on foreign investment, official development assistance or borrowing. The trajectory of the development of advanced economies show that they developed largely on domestic public resources. Leaving international financial flows (IFFs) from Africa unattended is an existential issue because on the one hand, Africa is yoked by a debt burden, albeit of cheap loans and other development assistance (ODA) but there is a huge leak of IFFs since pre-colonial days that we are yet to plug.

To end IFFs, action is required at different levels  the national level action; continental or regional action; and global international cooperation. There should be no illusion that this will come easily because there are vested interests at each of these levels of action that prefer the status quo. At the end of the day, we have to accept that tackling IFFs is a governance and political issue.

We need to improve capacity for reviewing trade documentation and preventing records falsification, especially trade mispricing; evaluation of the operations of multinational corporations in all sectors but most especially in the extractive sectors; reviewing contract clauses that facilitate IFFs; avoiding unnecessary tax exemption clauses designed to attract foreign direct investment; and paying attention to channels of tax exemptions

So What Should We Do?

We need to improve capacity for reviewing trade documentation and preventing records falsification, especially trade mispricing; evaluation of the operations of multinational corporations in all sectors but most especially in the extractive sectors; reviewing contract clauses that facilitate IFFs; avoiding unnecessary tax exemption clauses designed to attract foreign direct investment; and paying attention to channels of tax exemptions, such as donor-funded projects, projects funded with contractors loans, projects funded with international development partners loans, contracts for projects on national security, etc. This will improve Nigerias desire to reduce IFFs, as many of these examples have become channels for IFFs.

Negotiators must desist from accepting contract splitting designed to facilitate IFFs e.g. artificially dividing a single contract into a number of smaller contracts in order to avoid tax, duties or levies. Multinational corporations with subsidiaries or associates in Africa are fond of splitting contracts into local and foreign components. The portion of the works that carries the larger value is later artificially classified as performed by the foreign company in its home country, typically a low-taxed foreign jurisdiction or a tax haven.

As a policy measure, Nigeria should avoid awards to shell companies incorporated in tax havens. Such companies win big contracts only to sub-contract them to local companies at the fractions of their costs and they then repatriate the huge difference (profits) abroad.

We need to also tackle corruption perpetrated by officials who accept gratification to award contracts and accept clauses with odious obligations for the government, which is inevitably defaulted, thus leading to penalties that are shared with officers that accepted such clauses in the first place.

Without dealing with IFFs, Africa cannot and will not achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She will also not be able to control its development priorities.

Bolaji Owasanoye, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), is the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
In real terms, we have the numbers to vote-in women contestants into the national and state legislatures, en bloc. But we must first switch our allegiances from political parties to ourselves and mobilise across party lines. We must take a stand that if a political party does not submit womens names on its list of candidates and provide them with all the support to ensure they win, it risks losing the election, because women will not vote for such party.

In the last two articles, gender-disaggregated data was employed to highlight womens historic and contemporary participation in elections in Nigeria. This final piece will analyse womens participation in the last two general elections held in the country in 2015 and 2019.

For the 2015 elections, a total of 746 candidates vied for seats in the Senate, out of which 128 were women, while for the House of Representatives, of 1,772 candidates, 270 were women. Overall, 398 women stood in these parliamentary elections, but only 29 won seats: Seven women in the Senate and 22 in the House of Representatives.

In 2019, 232 women contested for seats in the Senate out of a total of 1,083 candidates and 532 women, out of 4,548 candidates, vied for seats in the House of Representatives. In all, 764 women contested in the elections to the National Assembly, almost double the number in 2015. However, the results were dismal. A total of 21 women won seats in the 469-member legislature: Eight in the Senate and 13 women in the House of Representatives. Indeed, this translated into a drop in the total number of women occupying seats in the National Assembly from 29 in 2015 to 21 in 2019 i.e. from 6 per cent to 4 per cent.

A further breakdown of the data shows that in comparison with 2015, although there was an increase by 31 per cent in the number of women contestants for seats to the National Assembly in 2019, yet more women won in 2015, albeit marginally.

As such, which states are more favourably disposed to electing the handful of women into the national parliament, than others? In 2015, only six of 36 States, namely: Anambra, Adamawa, Cross River, Ekiti (two), Lagos and Oyo, elected women senators; while 14 states, namely: Abia (two), Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Baylesa, Borno, Delta, Edo, Enugu, Gombe (two), Kwara, Lagos, Osun, Plateau and Rivers, elected women into the House of Representatives.

In the 2019 elections, only seven states, namely: Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra (two), Ekiti, Lagos, Plateau, and Rivers, elected women senators; and 13 states, namely: Abia, Anambra, Benue, Borno, Ekiti, Gombe, Imo, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers and Yobe, put women in the House of Representatives. For both election cycles, only four States have women in both the upper and lower chambers: Anambra, Ekiti, Plateau and Rivers.

Another interesting point is that in 2020, there were two by-elections to fill vacant seats in the Senate in the Cross River North Senatorial District and Plateau South Senatorial District. One of the seats up for re-election, previously occupied by late Senator Rose Oko of Cross River State, was won by a male contestant; while in Plateau State, a professor of French, Mrs Nora Daduut won the vacant seat of the late Ignatius Lonjan. However, Senator Daduut will not seek re-election in the forthcoming elections in 2023.

Over the years, commentators and feminists have placed the blame firmly on several factors ranging from the nature of Nigerias politics and the element of money, absence of a legal framework and the socialisation/ gendered cultural beliefs about womens and mens roles in the public space.

Overall, an increase in the participation of women in the last elections did not alter the gender balance in the nations 469-member parliament. This leaves Nigeria with one of the lowest rate of women in parliament in Africa, with the numbers in steady decline since the 2011 elections.

As the data clearly shows, more women candidates will not guarantee more seats being won by them, thus we need to look beyond the figures and see what barriers hinder women from winning elections.

Over the years, commentators and feminists have placed the blame firmly on several factors ranging from the nature of Nigerias politics and the element of money, absence of a legal framework and the socialisation/ gendered cultural beliefs about womens and mens roles in the public space.

The element of money in party politics in Nigeria cannot be overlooked. It corrupts and influences the political system. But can this be curtailed? The provisions in the Electoral Act 2022, which replaced the Electoral Act 2010 to regulate the conduct of Federal, State and Area Councils in FCT, seeks to address campaign finance, amongst numerous other election-related issues.

Sections 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90 of the Act lists, amongst other provisions, offences in relation to the finances of a political party; the period to be covered in the annual statement; the power to limit contributions to a political party; and limitations on the election expenses of political parties, etc. For example, audited annual reports, election contributions and election expenses (this includes for the primaries) must be submitted at specific times after the elections.

Also Section 88 (2) states that the maximum election expenses to be incurred by a candidate at a presidential election shall not exceed N5,000,000,000, while the maximum election expenses to be incurred by candidates in respect of governorship, Senate and House of Representatives should not exceed N1 billion, N100 million and N70 million respectively.

A flaw in this section on campaign finance may be that the Act says candidates instead of political parties and this creates some ambiguity over who will be held responsible for any breach of the law. Afterall, candidates do not run on their own, but represent political parties. Overall, the entire Electoral Act says nothing that favours female citizens.

But could there be redemption from within Nigerias hierarchical and patriarchal political party system? Where all else has failed, could the answer lie in the application of voluntary quotas by the political parties? This temporary special mechanism is known to work and has boosted womens representation in legislative institutions in Europe, Latin America and United Kingdom.

In recent times, there have been women-friendly legislation in the National Assembly to address the systemic discrimination embedded in society, such as trado-cultural beliefs that women should not participate in public decision-making and governance. However, all have met with stiff resistance from the male-dominated upper and lower chambers. For example, the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill, which seeks to address, amongst other things, the under-representation of women in the legislative institution, has so far not been successful. Proposals on legislated candidate quotas, as well as reserved seats for women, have also failed. The Constitutional Review Exercise in March rejected five gender-related Bills. As a result, faith in any constitutional review and legal framework is fast dwindling.

But could there be redemption from within Nigerias hierarchical and patriarchal political party system? Where all else has failed, could the answer lie in the application of voluntary quotas by the political parties? This temporary special mechanism is known to work and has boosted womens representation in legislative institutions in Europe, Latin America and United Kingdom. Closer to home, this kind of quota system has significantly altered parliamentary landscapes in South Africa, Namibia and Mozambique, etc.

In South Africa, the African National Congress has perfected its voluntary party quota system and women form significant representation in its parliament.

Here in Nigeria, women form 49.5 per cent of the estimated 211 million population share. According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), during the last elections, we numbered 39,598,645 out of 84,004,084 registered voters i.e. 46.7 per cent.

In real terms, we have the numbers to vote-in women contestants into the national and state legislatures, en bloc. But we must first switch our allegiances from political parties to ourselves and mobilise across party lines. We must take a stand that if a political party does not submit womens names on its list of candidates and provide them with all the support to ensure they win, it risks losing the election, because women will not vote for such party. In other words, it is time for women to mobilise across party lines and vote-in from amongst their cohorts.

As things stand today, money politics and party affiliation are stumbling blocks to womens candidacy and electoral win into the state and national legislative houses.

Let us resolutely speak with one voice in order to alter Nigerias parliamentary map. Therein may be the answer to election cycles and Nigerian women.

Tayo Agunbiade is the author of Emerging From the Margins: Womens Experiences in Colonial and Contemporary Nigerian History.
If bans have failed to stop illicit drug flows, even with the billions that have been invested in enforcing these bans, why do policymakers think a ban on abortions and the limitation of womens reproductive rights will? We already know they do not work.

One thing about bans is that they rarely work. Some show positive results in the short term. In the initial months of prohibition in the U.S., alcohol consumption dropped by 30 per cent, arrests for drunkenness declined too, but the liquor trade moved underground. The only surety from any ban is the bifurcation of public opinion  those who support it and those who oppose it. Another consequence comes from how the aggressive war on drugs, the world over, has only seen to innovation in illicit drug production, trade and distribution. Most psychotropic drugs are illegal in Vietnam, with a death penalty on being caught. But drugs are still sold on the streets of Hanoi. With no intention of suggesting a moral equivalence between womens rights (especially to abortions) on one hand, and alcohol and illicit drug use on the other, the above examples simply show that bans oftentimes fail to have the desired result.

If bans have failed to stop illicit drug flows, even with the billions that have been invested in enforcing these bans, why do policymakers think a ban on abortions and the limitation of womens reproductive rights will? We already know they do not work.

Abortions are prohibited altogether in 19 countries, allowed on social or economic grounds in 12, to save a mothers life in 37, to preserve health in 44, and available on request in 73 countries (with varying developmental limits). Across the world, womens reproductive rights remain policed, albeit in varying degrees. And guess what? Abortions continue to happen. From eating papaya seeds, overdosing on vitamin c, using metal hangers, consulting back-alley doctors and, paying licensed medical professionals under the table; the fact remains that abortions have always happened and will continue to happen. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), six out of ten of all unintended pregnancies end in induced abortions, around 45 per cent of all abortions are unsafe, of which 97 per cent take place in developing countries and, unsafe abortions are a leading  but preventable  cause of maternal deaths and morbidities.

Rather than debate the morality and religiosity of abortions, which I have no intention of doing, I would instead consider the following questions, Why prioritise the life of a foetus that cannot exist independent of a host over the life of a living, independent human? How many people are willing to take charge of raising a child who is born unwanted by its parent?

Last week, the Supreme Court in the United States of America decided to overturn Roe v Wade, which effectively negates the argument that the 14th amendment to the American constitution that guarantees a right to privacy also applies to the right of women to seek and obtain abortions. The consequences will vary across states, as abortions in left-leaning states will remain legal, but access for others estimated at about 33 million women is expected to be severely limited or banned in its entirety. The implications of this are likely to be the same as they are in countries with similarly restrictive laws: Abortions will simply be more unsafe.

Rather than debate the morality and religiosity of abortions, which I have no intention of doing, I would instead consider the following questions, Why prioritise the life of a foetus that cannot exist independent of a host over the life of a living, independent human? How many people are willing to take charge of raising a child who is born unwanted by its parent? The removal of a womans right to choose, if and when she has a child, often has serious economic consequences that the woman is left to bear and can be damaging to the economy. As U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said, giving women their reproductive rights helped increase labour force participation, it allowed women to complete their education and earn more. Contrary to opinions about abortions I have learnt about that suggest women that have abortions are likely to have multiple of such, the turnaway study by the University of California San Francisco found that finances are the major driver of termination of unwanted pregnancies and, the National Bureau of Economic Research found that majority of women seeking to terminate pregnancies in America were near the gestational limits and earned below the poverty line.

Discourse is growing about how this could affect the global South. According to the Guttmacher Institute, while unintended pregnancies in Africa have decreased by 15 per cent in the last 30 years, abortions have increased by 13 per cent, even though many African countries have restrictive laws around abortions. Concerns about the ripple effect of the U.S. Supreme Courts decision across the globe are very real. From pop culture, film, fashion and politics, Americas influence on the African continent is undeniable; though while increasingly being threatened by China, its influence remains. America remains one of the  if not the  most influential countries across the globe, especially where the saying, when the U.S. sneezes, the whole world gets a cold rings through.

One thing that it has certainly done, is to make African countries unduly vulnerable to the whims and impulses of the West. Effectively putting Africa in the position of policy taker rather than policy maker. And this, will continue for the foreseeable future until African governments start getting things right.

Apart from Poland, El Salvador, Nicaragua and now the United States, decisions on the reproductive rights of women have been expansionary in nature. In Colombia, Ireland, Argentina, Mexico, Kenya and Benin Republic, women saw their rights and access to abortions expand and for many whose rights didnt, it brought renewed hope and signalled the possibility of change. With Americas influence and reach, its decision could reverse the progress that has been made, embolden anti-abortion movements, and have far-reaching consequences on womens reproductive rights everywhere.

Beyond the unintended policy spillovers that can happen because of the overturning of Roe v Wade, the decision can affect how America gives aid. An example is what happened in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The DRC recently updated the management of rape cases and wanted to include the provision of safe abortions to victims. In response, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which funds a significant portion of the DRCs health system, threatened to pull funding from the health ministry, if abortions for rape victims were included in the guidelines. This occurred because the Helms Amendment prohibits the use of American foreign aid funding for abortions. But these could signal the beginning of broader cuts on sexual and reproductive health and rights like birth control and sex education. Especially as some conservative states in America are already attempting to target birth control. With America funding a lot of development budgets in Africa, as Pansi Katenga from Ipas put it, They have influence, have power. Sometimes they dont even have to say anything.

In the past 60 years, well over US$1 trillion in development-related aid has been transferred to African countries. In the 2020 fiscal year, USAID and the U.S. Department of State provided US$8.5 billion in assistance to 47 countries and eight regional programmes in sub-Saharan Africa. That much money earns it its influence. As Dambisa Moyo highlighted in her book Dead Aid, after more than 50 years the lives of billions of Africans remain dependent on foreign financing. While financing has not done much by way of improving the lives of Africans, some like Moyo argue that it has actually left people worse off, as poverty levels continue to rise on the continent and growth rates have steadily declined. One thing that it has certainly done, is to make African countries unduly vulnerable to the whims and impulses of the West. Effectively putting Africa in the position of policy taker rather than policy maker. And this, will continue for the foreseeable future until African governments start getting things right.

Ehireme Uddin is an Economics graduate with a penchant for writing.
the choice of Okowa as Atikus running mate is in a way a fulfilment of Igbo quest for presidency. Okowa is from the Ika ethnic group, a subgroup of the Igbo tribe found in both Delta State and Edo State. So, it makes sense to say that his nomination answers the Igbo presidency question, since, to borrow an American metaphor, a Vice President is just a heartbeat away from the Presidents chair.

Political jobbers and war hawks are back on the swing. Many people had hoped that with the choice of the debonair governor of Delta State, Dr Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa as Wazirin Atiku Abubakars running mate, the party was set for a smooth ride to the villa, without any turbulence. However, the reports in the media purporting Governor Nyesom Wikes romance with the ruling party suggest the presence of fifth columnists in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) bent on throwing spanners in the works.

In a way, ThisDay newspapers lead story of today, Friday, July 1, hinting of a possible alignment between All Progressives Congress (APC)s presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Wike has confirmed the potency of a self-fulfilling prophecy  that those who do not mean the party well would foment crisis, following the choice of Okowa over Wike. Therefore, it is in the interest of all of us (lovers of Nigeria) that the ensuing drama is contained. And well contained too.

Many of us were so shocked for words when on Wednesday the governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom faulted the process that led to the choice of Okowa, alluding that the widening cracks in the party posed a threat to Atikus presidential ambition.

If Ortoms doomsday prophesy sounded like a bad joke, then all I could think of the ThisDay report of Wikes romance with Tinubu was Samuel Beckett and his theatre of the absurd. I am sure that even Beckett would have been so confounded by the script issuing from Governor Wike, whom Vice President Atiku Abubakar is said to have tremendous respect for.

But as said above, this is one phase in the chain of events leading to VP Atikus ascendency to the nations highest office that has been well foretold. I belong to the Atiku campaign inner circle and at least six out of every ten key movers and shakers I spoke to told me that an Atiku presidency is a done deal and the current turbulence in the party is at best a bargaining power play by some leaders to secure comfort zones in the impending Atiku administration.

The PDP top shots that I interacted with gave me two interesting reasons for their conclusion. One is APCs dismal performance, especially in the area of insecurity currently ravaging the country and the second reason is the impending implosion within the APC because of the partys attempt to run on a Muslim-Muslim ticket.

To ensure that the PDP takes advantage of the looming crisis in the APC, Atiku has commenced fence mending moves with a clear message that he remains a listening leader and would ensure that all grouses are addressed going forward. Atiku said on Thursday in a series of tweets, Focus on our actions. We are taking action to address the feelings of all party members. The unity in our community is my priority. Our resolve to unify Nigeria starts in our party and moves to the community, then on to society.

Every Governor, Legislator, and other elected officials produced by our party, and party members and loyalists, are much loved and respected by me.

When they speak, I listen. I do not only listen. Appropriate actions have been taken, are being taken, and will continue to be advanced, Atiku said.

This explanation is a forerunner to a series of engagements that will offer convincing explanation as to the altruistic reasons why the party picked the Delta State helmsman as running mate to Atiku. To be sure, the reasons are straight forward: Okowa is widely respected among the party elite and the larger political class, which is a reason why it is easy to draw an elite consensus around him. Hes gentle, calm and comes with barely any baggage. With seven years on the saddle as governor, Okowa hardly ever grabbed the headlines for any bad reason.

Okowa has had an unblemished career in the politics and public service of Delta and at the centre. He became secretary to the Ika Local Government and later chairman of the Ika North-East Local Government Council (19911993). He was Delta North Coordinator of the Grassroots Democratic Movement (GDM). He joined the PDP in 1998, and assisted in Governor James Iboris campaign in 1998/1999. He served as a commissioner in the Delta State government for Agriculture and Natural Resources (July 1999  April 2001), Water Resources Development (April 2001  May 2003) and Health (September 2003  October 2006).

Okowa resigned to contest in the 2007 Delta State PDP governorship primaries, but did not win the governorship primaries. In June 2007, he was appointed Secretary to the Delta state Government. He was elected Senator representing Delta North Senatorial District in 2011. Okowa won the Delta State Gubernatorial elections 2015 in April 2015 and was re-elected in 2019 and has demonstrated through his conduct, that governance is about service to the people. The point is: If he did all these with patience, perseverance and uncommon humility, then he is fit and proper to work as Atikus vice president.

Again, the choice of Okowa as Atikus running mate is in a way a fulfilment of Igbo quest for presidency. Okowa is from the Ika ethnic group, a subgroup of the Igbo tribe found in both Delta State and Edo State. So, it makes sense to say that his nomination answers the Igbo presidency question, since, to borrow an American metaphor, a Vice President is just a heartbeat away from the Presidents chair. It is therefore understandable that Okowas nomination by the PDP is well received by stakeholders from the South-South and the South-East as well.

But perhaps Okowas main qualification for the nations vice presidency is his sterling qualities that have translated into impeccable performance both as a senator and now as a governor. Atiku himself echoed this point while unveiling Okowa as his running mate in Abuja on Thursday, June, 16. On that occasion, Atiku said, You know him to be a fighter; you know him to care about winning; you know him to care about good governance; and you know him to care about our people. Now, my dear friends, lets do the disciplined hard work necessary to win this election. Lets go.

Wholly taken, it is easy to see that Atiku is deft when it comes to decision making, which is at the heart of those key attributes that mark him out as a foremost leader of contemporary Nigeria. These include a keen insight, a forceful imagination, a firm conviction of purpose, a clear sense of direction, an infectious capacity to inspire others, courage in the face of adversity, a steely will, an uncanny ability to anticipate the future and act proactively and strategically towards overcoming obstacles.

With the reproachment commenced by Atiku, victory is already in sight for the PDP in next years presidential election as a new Nigeria beckons.

Phrank Shaibu writes from Abuja.
The Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, is known for preaching the need for accountability and anti-corruption measures in governance. But his states 2020 auditor generals report suggests he barely walks the talk.

According to the report, five ministries in the state could not account for N414 million.

The states auditor general, Shettima Bukar, said 29 queries were issued to the ministries for lack of supporting documents for expenditures made in the period under review. Many of the queries were not responded to.

Nine of the queries were issued to two ministries  Home Affairs/Information/Culture and Housing/Energy  which spent a total of N22,155,800 without attaching official receipts, receipts for materials, approvals, for not signing payment vouchers and the absence of the stamp of the internal auditor as required by the states procurement regulation.

Five of the nine queries were issued to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Information and Culture to account for N21,650,000 while four queries were issued to the Ministry of Housing and Energy for not providing supporting documents for expenditure worth N505,800.

Similarly, during the writing of the Annual Report for the year 2019, there were unprocessed queries which were not included in the 2019 Report, which are material for inclusion in this years 2020 Auditor-Generals Annual Report.

These are twenty (20) queries involving a total sum of three hundred and ninety-two million four hundred and fifty thousand four hundred and twenty-three naira and twenty-nine kobo (N392,450,423.29) only, which were issued in respect of four (4) Ministries. And these queries were also not responded to up to the time of writing this report, Mr Shettima, the auditor-general, said.

The four ministries indicted in 2019 are those of Agriculture and Natural Resources; Housing and Energy; Religious Affairs and Special Education; and Local Governments and Emirate Affairs. They were unable to retire N357,720, N1,120,000, N350,972,703 and N40,000,000 respectively. These add up to N414,606,223.29.

The auditor-general attributed the anomalies to the inadequacies in the control system of most of the MDAs which left many payment vouchers lacking the necessary documentary evidence to justify the payments made.

The report also highlighted the lapses in the submission of some important financial, budgetary, and administrative documents.

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This has been reported in my previous reports and yet they persist without any remedy, the auditor-general said.

We asked Isa Gusau, the spokesperson for Mr Zulum, what the governor is doing about the indictments in the report.

He said, The Borno State Government is large and has numerous government establishments, so much that no matter how Governor Zulum tries to ensure proper accounting, there could be some circumventing by some.

No official in Borno State can have the audacity to try diverting funds under Zulum as governor.

He, however, said the governor is taking the report seriously.

Governor Zulum has since directed relevant officials to ensure the provision of support documents on those expenditures, insisting that it is not possible for N400 million to be expended under Zulum, without evidence of project, programme or any other government activity.

Recommendations

The auditorgeneral recommends the proper implementation of the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS), the importance of which includes greater disclosure of information, leading to transparency, integrity, accountability and comparability.

This, he says, will reduce the challenges or shortcomings of submission of copies of contract agreements, approvals for employment, council conclusions on government programmes, copies of conveyance of approvals for payments and establishment circulars etc. and shall no longer be a tedious task.
One of the soldiers who were killed by gunmen who attacked a mining site at Ajata-Aboki in Shiroro Local Government, Niger State, on Thursday, said he was sacrificing his life so that Nigerians can be safe.

In a video posted online a few months before the attack, the soldier, Husseini Muhammad, from Jigawa State, asked Nigerians to pray for troops in the bush fighting to keep the areas safe.

Hello guys, friends and lovely ones, parents and everybody, this is Minna forest where bandits are following to villages, we are there already.

So we need a lot of prayers, here we sacrifice our lives to the people, with their families and for the country, we came here to rescue them (the country) whether dead or alive, Mr Muhammad said in the video.

Mr Muhammads younger brother, Bashir, told PREMIUM TIMES that his deceased brother recorded the video after he was posted from Rivers State to Niger State.

In the video, he said we are praying to come back alive that is why we need your prayers. We will do our best to save many people and kill the bandits and kidnappers and rapists.

READ ALSO:

My fellow friends, I am not in Port Harcourt now, I am in Niger State forest, I dont know when we are coming back, just pray for us, Mr Muhammad said in the video.

Mr Muhammad was among the soldiers who responded to the report of an attack at the mining site.

The military said they ran into an ambush set by the bandits hence the high casualty.

He is survived by a wife, seven children, and his parents.
The police in Delta State have arrested three suspected child traffickers in Omerigboma, Oko, a community in Oshimili South Local Government Area of the state.

The police spokesperson in the state, Bright Edafe, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.

He said the police carried out the arrest in collaboration with some vigilante operatives in the area.

Mr Edafe said the arrests followed a petition that a 13-year-old girl was about to be trafficked to Onicha-Ugbo, another community in the state, for prostitution.

The victim hails from Izza North Council Area of Ebonyi State, South-east Nigeria.

Mr Edafe gave the names of the arrested suspects as Ada-Obi Oguguo, 38, Chidinma Osita, 36, and Nkiruka Ikechukwu, 30  all females.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects were into prostitution, Mr Edafe said.

The police spokesperson said the suspects, on June 22, also attempted to traffic a 16-year-old girl, Chidinma, to Mali for prostitution but the operatives foiled their attempt.

Investigation is ongoing and effort to arrest other members of the syndicate is also ongoing, Mr Edafe added.

Mr Edafe said police operatives in the state have also arrested a 45-year-old man for allegedly attempting to defraud a POS operator at Oko New International Market, Asaba, on Tuesday.

The suspect, Michael Ozor, who hails from Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, was said to have paid the POS operator with fake naira notes.

Mr Edafe said the operatives, during their routine patrol in the area, rescued the suspect from an angry mob who wanted to lynch him.

The suspect was arrested and the fake naira notes, to the tune of N80,000, was recovered from him, the police spokesperson said.

He said the police were investigating the incident.
A commotion ensued at the secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Friday, after workers accused their leaders of selling out to the state government.

The union leaders were billed to address their members on the outcome of their meeting with Governor Dapo Abiodun over the ongoing industrial action in the state.

However, chants of we no go gree rented the air as the leaders spoke, and in the ensuing commotion, a worker identified as Sunday Ogunjimi slumped.

His colleagues who rushed him to the hospital confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES that Mr Ogunjimi passed away.

Background

The workers declared an indefinite strike on Tuesday over their pathetic plight. They crippled the activities of the government, hospitals, and public schools across the state.

On Wednesday, Mr Abiodun called the leaders for a meeting.

The labour team was led by the State Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Emmanuel Bankole; Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Akeem Lasisi; and the Chairman of the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC), Isa Olude.

It was gathered that both parties had made some progress after three days of negotiation.

But members reportedly revolted against the leaders over the idea of shelving the strike, insisting that the government had not met their demands.

A combined team of security operatives was drafted to the venue to restore normalcy.

Strike continues

Following the violent protest, the labour leaders reportedly bowed to pressure to continue with the strike on Monday.

Mr Bankole denied that the labour leaders have signed an agreement with the government in order to call off the strike.

He appealed to members to always trust the leadership, saying they would not compromise their demands.

He also said the negotiation is still on, promising to give further updates next week.
Xinghuo BIF is a China initiated international blockchain infrastructure supported by all levels of the Chinese Government while MY E.G. Services Bhd ("MYEG"), via its Zetrix blockchain, runs the International Supernode of Xinghuo BIF to connect entities outside China to the Xinghuo BIF. Xinghuo BIF presently resolves 94mil identifiers daily, placing it as the most actively used platform and validates this use case in real world applications.

The BID, an official DID method listed in the DID Specification Registry of World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), is a new approach to realize decentralized identity based on Xinghuo BIF. The initial phase of the BID rollout will include the introduction of Chinese-related credentials, agreements and the corresponding legal frameworks that would serve as the foundation for the establishment of such agreements. Zetrix will connect Chinese parties signing on the domestic Xinghuo BIF network with their international counterparts signing on the Zetrix network.

The BID service is an extension of the existing Xinghuo BID and Xinghuo Blockchain-based E-Signing services that was officially deployed in February 2022. On 12th October 2021, a Memorandum of Understanding between China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) and Malaysia-based MYEG, which established the Zetrix chain, announced the strategic cooperation framework between Xinghuo BIF and Zetrix as the international infrastructure to connect China's Xinghuo network to international markets.

"BID and Verifiable Credential form a critical foundation for the digitalisation of trade and services. Beyond the process and trade efficiencies that we envision, this will also counteract the threats of counterfeiting," said Dr. Jin Jian, president of Institute of Industrial Internet and Internet of Things Institute (IIIIoT), CAICT

"BIDs and VCs are critical building blocks of more interconnected Web 3. They are the foundational tools that decentralised apps can call upon to deliver a myriad of new services that would unleash the full potential of blockchain platforms. No other blockchain platform currently provide these services at a scale that matches Xinghuo  Zetrix and we are excited to be the global industry leaders in this real world usecase," said TS Wong, Group Managing Director of MYEG.

Zetrix has engaged credential issuers and certification authorities to ensure the information registered are true to fact, and continues to engage with more stakeholders in strengthening the integrity of this vital facility. Further information is available at zetrix.com.

The missing layer of the Internet

Blockchain Identity has often been referred to as the missing layer of the Internet, though typically this has resulted in there being multiple identifiers for every user, which often times are temporary or not tied to the real-world identity of users.

Now, through the Xinghuo-Zetrix collaboration, this fundamental layer and its design would give direct control and ownership to its users, a key differentiating factor that will enable a new wave of Web 3 digital processes and transactions.

Zetrix DID solution, which conforms to the Xinghuo Blockchain-based Identifier (BID), will power an on-chain signing service to enable users to transact with certainty and verified identities.

The resultant Zetrix Blockchain-based E-signing Service provides:

Support for multiple signing templates and user-defined transactions, Verification of an individual's or product's documents/credentials, and Inquiry of documents or credentials

Organisations can use this service by keying in information and signing using their BID to issue certificates/credentials on the Zetrix blockchain. Users in China and elsewhere with access can search relevant information quickly through the BID identifier resolution service and vice versa.

The Zetrix Blockchain-based E-signing Service carries out signing management throughout the life cycle, maintains operations records and the extraction ability to meet the demand for inquiry and examination. Most importantly, these documents are legally binding if applicable to China laws.

This will in turn improve the efficiency of transactions and agreements across borders for various kinds of use cases. By supporting single-party and multi-party transactions, the service will be able to meet the demands of clients in many contexts including B2B and B2G.

Verifiable Credentials

The Xinghuo-Zetrix blockchain certificate service demonstrates that users can inquire the authenticity of any certificate or credentials. It ranges from Government issued credentials like official residency, to provenance of goods, to the adherence of international standards by enterprises.

Users can authenticate certificates online, instead of relying on traditional ways of issuing paper documents for proof. These credentials can then be independently verified using the issuer's public BID. In addition, digital credentials may incorporate smart features, i.e. programming logic.

The combination of the BIDs and Verifiable Credential services will enable a host of varied use cases, from simple issuance of certificates to smart product authenticity documents with ownership history and programmable government issued credentials.

As an ongoing concern, Zetrix will design more templates of signing occasions, extension environments, and API integration, providing safe and efficient identification services for all industries.

About Zetrix

Zetrix is a layer-1 public blockchain that facilitates smart contracts and delivers privacy, security, and scalability. The cryptographic infrastructure in Zetrix can be introduced in multiple industries to connect governments, businesses, and their people to a global blockchain-based economy.

The cross-border and cross-chain integrations with Xinghuo BIF enables Zetrix to serve as a blockchain gateway that facilitates trade and commerce globally by deploying critical building blocks for Web3 services.

About Xinghuo BIF

With the special support of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Xinghuo BIF is one of the largest blockchain infrastructure supported by all levels of the Chinese government led by China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT). As the foundation of digital economy, Xinghuo BIF is equipped with the interoperability of providing public identifier services across different industries and regions based on permissioned public blockchain and decentralized identifiers, enabling industrial digitalization and data valuation.

SOURCE MY E.G. Services Berhad
The DEAD EYE SALOON located at 110 Boston Post Road in Westbrook, CT is hosting a 4th of July Holiday RED, WHITE, & BREW BASH this Saturday, July 2nd and Sunday, July 3rd from 1pm to 10pm both days.

WESTBROOK, Conn. , July 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- You won't want to miss this! Live music ALL DAY each day, Beer trucks, $5 Draft Beers, Grilled food, Games, and much, much more! The Dead Eye Saloon also has a brand new outside bar and huge patio dining area. Plus tons of fresh seafood from Maine. And live bands every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Become a Dead Eye Saloon regular and start with the RED, WHITE, & BREW 4TH of July Holiday Festival this weekend! The Dead Eye Saloon overlooks the beautiful Westbrook, CT shoreline and is great for family and friends. They have the best Seafood from Maine flown in daily and are still reasonably prices. Can also follow on Facebook for additional upcoming Summer Events.

For Further Information, contact Kaydence Koloskie, Event Manager, 203-804-1088, [email protected] or Walter Bartkiewicz, Founder, 860-664-5667, [email protected]

SOURCE Dead Eye Saloon
BEIJING, July 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, on Thursday visited the Xiqu Center in Hong Kong's West Kowloon Cultural District, a venue for the art of Chinese traditional theater.



She watched rehearsals of Cantonese opera performances and a Hong Kong orchestra at the opera house and spoke highly of the performances, calling the show a display of the charm of Chinese culture.



During her visit, Peng also talked with young volunteers who were making traditional paper artworks. She encouraged Hong Kong's younger generation to have an in-depth understanding of fine traditional Chinese culture and inherit and promote the culture.



Peng together with Xi left Hong Kong Friday after a two-day trip there for a meeting celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
NEW ORLEANS, July 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until July 11, 2022 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Oscar Health, Inc. (NYSE: OSCR), if they purchased or acquired the Company's Class A common stock pursuant and/or traceable to the Company's March 2021 initial public offering (the "IPO"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Get Help

Oscar Health investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nyse-oscr/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.

About the Lawsuit

Oscar Health and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information in its IPO Registration Statement, violating federal securities laws.

On November 10, 2021, the Company disclosed a net loss for the quarter of $212.7 million, an increase of $133.6 million year-over-year, and that its Medical Loss Ratio ("MLR") for the third quarter 2021 increased 920 basis points year-over-year, to 99.7%, "primarily driven by higher net COVID costs as compared to the net benefit in 3Q20, an unfavorable prior year Risk Adjustment Data Validation (RADV) result, and the impact of significant SEP membership growth."

On this news, shares of Oscar Health fell $4.05 per share, or 24.5%, to close at $12.47 per share on November 11, 2021.

The case is Carpenter v. Oscar Health, Inc., et al., Case No. 1:22-cv-03885.

About ClaimsFiler

ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.

To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com.

SOURCE ClaimsFiler
NEW YORK, July 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --

WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of Energy Transfer LP (NYSE: ET) between April 13, 2017 and December 20, 2021, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important August 2, 2022 lead plaintiff deadline.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Energy Transfer 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 Energy Transfer class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=6844 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 August 2, 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. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. 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 concealed and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Energy Transfer had inadequate internal controls and procedures to prevent contractors from engaging in illegal conduct with regards to drilling activities, and/or failed to properly mitigate known issues related to such controls and procedures; (2) Energy Transfer through its subsidiary hired third-party contractors to conduct horizontal directional drilling activities ("HDDs") for the Rover Pipeline Project, whose conduct of adding illegal additives in the drilling mud caused severe pollution near the Tuscarawas River in Ohio when the April 13, 2017 release of drilling mud near the Tuscarawas River (the "April 13 Release") took place; and (3) Energy Transfer continually downplayed its potential civil liabilities when the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ("FERC") was actively investigating Energy Transfer's wrongdoing related to the April 13 Release and consistently provided it with updated information about FERC's findings on this matter. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Energy Transfer class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=6844 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.
NEW ORLEANS, July 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until August 5, 2022 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Teladoc Health, Inc. (NYSE: TDOC), if they purchased the Company's securities between October 28, 2021 and April 27, 2022, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Get Help

Teladoc investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nyse-tdoc/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.

About the Lawsuit

Teladoc and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

On April 27, 2022, the Company disclosed a host of negative financial results, including revenue of $565.4 million, below consensus estimates by $3.23 million, net loss per share of $41.58, primarily driven by a non-cash goodwill impairment charge of $6.6 billion or $41.11 per share, and revised FY 2022 revenue guidance to $2.4 - $2.5 billion and adjusted EBITDA guidance to $240 - $265 million, which the Company largely attributed to increased competition in its BetterHelp and chronic care businesses.

On this news, shares of Teladoc fell $22.48 per share, or 40.15%, to close at $33.51 per share on April 28, 2022.

The case is Schneider v. Teladoc Health, Inc., et al., No. 22-cv-04687.

About ClaimsFiler

ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.

To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com.

SOURCE ClaimsFiler
NEW ORLEANS, July 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until August 15, 2022 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Unilever PLC (NYSE: UL), if they purchased the Company's American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") between September 2, 2020 and July 21, 2021, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Get Help

Unilever investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nyse-ul/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.

About the Lawsuit

Unilever and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

On July 19, 2021, the Company's wholly owned subsidiary, Ben & Jerry's, announced a resolution to end sales of its ice cream in "Occupied Palestinian Territory" upon the expiration of the current licensing agreement by which its products had been distributed in Israel for decades. Then, on July 22, 2021, media sources reported that the states of Texas and Florida were investigating Ben & Jerry's actions for possible violations of the states' Anti-BDS (boycotts, divestment, and sanctions of Israel) legislation.

On this news, ADRs of Unilever fell $3.19 per share, or approximately 5.4%.

The case is City of St. Clair Shores Police and Fire Retirement System v. Unilever PLC, et al., No. 22-cv-05011.

About ClaimsFiler

ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.

To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com.

SOURCE ClaimsFiler
Deltic Energy was a notable riser as oil giant Shell made a decision that sets up the AIM-quoted group for a big opportunity in a new gas exploration project off the English east coast.

Deltic has a carried 30% stake in the Pensacola exploration well, which this week Shell advanced with the signing-up of Maersk for its Resilient jack-up drill rig  seabed operations are now expected to get underway later this month, followed by the spudding of the well in September.

The news quickly caught the imagination of small-cap investors, at 2.61p the share is up around 11% in the past five days, not least because it will be a high profile well with potential to add meaningful new domestic gas resources in the UK.

We are really excited about Pensacola, Deltic chief executive Graham Swindells told Proactive.

Its a very significant prospect that can be brought on-stream relatively quickly [if the exploration well is a success] and it would be a real play-opener for the Southern North Sea.

Swindells says Deltic, which has yet to test a prospect in its portfolio, is positioned for transformational growth if Pensacola, or one of its other UK North Sea prospects, comes good.

Were a relatively small company, with our market cap (just over 40mln today) and our low overhead, were really geared for exploration success. So I dont think Id be overstating it to say that a success in this well would be absolutely transformational for us and our shareholders.

Risers this week generally were special situations such as Deltic Energy.

Novacyt was another and also up 11%, to 161p, after the diagnostics company unveiled a test for monkeypox.

David Allmond, chief executive, said: "Whilst the risk of transmission of the disease to humans currently remains low, we believe our RUO assays are important tools to assist scientists and clinicians diagnose and monitor emerging infectious disease threats. 

Biotechs provided much of the other excitement. Abingdon Health climbed 15% to 10.6p after saying it would receive 8.9mln from the Department for Health and Social Care after settling a row over lateral flow test invoices.

Asthma treatment specialist Circassia was on the rise after it agreed the timing of the start of payments worth up to US$16.5mln from US group BeyondAir.

The two had been in dispute over the licensing of BeyondAir's LungFit device but reached a settlement just over a year ago.

Under the terms of the agreement, Circassia surrendered its rights to the product in return for payments to be made when LungFit - used for the treatment of hypoxic respiratory failure - was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.

That approval has now been received, so Circassia is due US$2.5mln within 60 days of the approval, US$3.5mln within 60 days of the first anniversary and US$4.5mln within 60 days of the second anniversary.

In addition, Circassia is entitled to a royalty of 5% of net sales of the device, starting on the second anniversary of approval, up to a maximum of US$6mln.

Circassia was up 17% on the week to 34p.

AIMs All-Share index did less well. Reflecting jitters among small cap investors over what a UK recession might hold it was down 2.7% over the past five days compared to a 1.1% fall by the FTSE All Share.

Among the AIM fallers, Oxford BioDynamics dropped by more than a fifth on Tuesday, before recovering, after warning it might need further funding.

The biotech company - which has just launched its flagship EpiSwitch CiRT product in the UK and US - saw half-year revenues fall from 0.25mln to 0.09mln and its operating losses rise from 3.5mln to 4.1mln.

SIMEC Atlantis Energy also nosedived, losing 40% with its shares down to 1.2p after it unveiled heavy losses.

The tidal power group was 19.4mln in the red in 2020 but last year that jumped to 74.1mln.

The increase came as a result of the recognition of 32mln of impairment losses at the Uskmouth power station following the decision in April 2022 not to proceed with its conversion to waste fuel.
The Vancouver Canucks announced Friday that the team has agreed to terms on a three-year extension with winger Brock Boeser, worth $6.65MM per season. The contract carries a total value of $19.95MM and will take him to unrestricted free agency in 2025. Per CapFriendly, Boeser will have a limited no-trade clause in 2024-25, allowing him to name a 10-team no-trade list.

General manager Patrik Allvin gave the following statement on Boesers signing:

Were very happy to have worked out a new deal for Brock. He is a very talented player and has been an effective goal scorer throughout his entire career. We look forward to seeing his game progress in the years to come. Now that his contract is in place for three seasons, Brock can shift his entire focus to on-ice performance.

The 25-year-old first-round pick has solidified a spot in Vancouvers top six, looking to become an important scoring option for them for years to come. However, Boesers production took a step back in 2021-22, registering 23 goals and 23 goals for just 46 points in 71 games. Hes still yet to hit his career-high of 29 goals again, set in his rookie season in 2017-18. Its that lack of scoring development thats led the Canucks to explore trading him, mainly because Boeser was due a qualifying offer worth $7.5MM. With the Boeser able to settle on a cheaper cap hit, though, a reunion between the two parties became a possibility.

Boesers production did increase drastically once Bruce Boudreau took over behind the bench, though, a good sign for optimist Canucks fans. If Boudreaus system can help him regain the play-driving ability that had previously made him an effective scorer, he can suddenly become a solid primary scoring option in Vancouver. If not, the team will likely have to settle on him as a secondary scoring option in order to be a contender in the Western Conference. With the team willing to commit over $6.5MM per season in an already tricky salary cap situation, though, theyre obviously banking on Boeser reaching his ceiling.
Brussels, July 2 : Ukraine's bid to join the European Union (EU) is "within reach" but requires "hard work, determination and above all unity of purpose," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

Addressing the Ukrainian parliament through a video link, she added on Friday that the path towards EU membership required reforms in many areas, including tackling corruption. She also took note of the steps Ukraine had already taken in this direction.

"You have created an impressive anti-corruption machine. But now these institutions need teeth, and the right people in senior posts," she said.

Von der Leyen added that Ukraine should appoint new heads for the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office and National Anti-Corruption Bureau as soon as possible, Xinhua news agency reported.

She also highlighted the need to reform Ukraine's constitutional court, which requires legislation outlining selection procedures for judges in line with the recommendations of the Venice Commission.

"Many of the laws and institutions you need are already in place. Now is the time to translate rules and bodies into positive and enduring change," she said.

Von der Leyen was addressing the Ukrainian parliament following the approval of Ukraine and Moldova as candidates for EU membership on June 23.

Ukraine applied for EU membership shortly after the conflict with Russia had begun at the end of February. The country handed over its application on February 28, while Moldova applied for EU membership on March 3.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Gaborone, July 2 : In remembrance of Sir Seretse Khama, the founding President of Botswana, President Mokgweetsi Masisi has urged the southern African nation to cherish the values of unity, freedom and peace that he strived and stood for.

Seretse Khama, born on July 1, 1921 and died at the age of 59 following a short illness, has been described as a central cog in the liberation of Botswana who had an immeasurable contribution to the democratisation of southern Africa.

"The visionary leadership of Seretse Khama puts into perspective the undeniable prominent role and contribution of Botswana in the liberation struggle against the white settler domination," said Masisi on Friday in his address on the occasion of Sir Seretse Khama Day commemoration in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana.

He added that Botswana's road to independence from being a British protectorate and the formative years of the southern African country were filled with the hardships of dehumanising poverty and underdevelopment, Xinhua news agency reported.

So staggering was the level of neglect by the British in their 70 years of colonial rule that well within the third anniversary of Botswana's independence, Sir Seretse Khama observed in his statement to the United Nations General Assembly on September 24, 1969, that Botswana was left in the humiliating position of not knowing many of the basic facts about Botswana on which development plans could be based, he said.

In essence, Masisi said Seretse Khama was graphically highlighting how the colonial education system that Batswana, the citizens of Botswana, received had prepared only a few of them for low-level literacy and academic skills.

He said the education system was woefully inadequate and irrelevant to the challenges and tasks of the administration that lay ahead of Seretse Khama's government.

"There were severely limited opportunities for the post-primary and post-secondary education in the Bechuanaland Protectorate, through which a set of higher order cognitive and practical skills as well as academically based knowledge could be attained," he added.

However, Seretse Khama, armed with the nationalist zeal and fortitude, could wrestle with the challenging landscape following the landslide ruling Botswana Democratic Party's victory in the 1965 general elections, according to Masisi.

Boga Manatsha, a senior lecturer in history at the University of Botswana, said on Friday that Seretse Khama personified an unyielding spirit and interminable fortitude in the exercise of his true beliefs that were always guided by the greater good for Batswana.
Tehran, July 2 : A senior Iranian lawmaker has said that they still cannot express "definite optimism" that Washington will remove sanctions against Tehran.

"We had reached a draft agreement in Vienna, but some issues remained to be agreed upon in this draft, and most of them are related to the sanctions that the US wants to maintain," Abolfazl Amouei, spokesman of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, told semi-official Mehr News Agency.

Doha talks, as the continuation of Vienna negotiations, were aimed at resolving the remaining issues and to "lift the sanctions in the interests of the people," he said, expressing hope that "the proposed model would accelerate the talks to resolve the remaining issues".

Amouei did not elaborate on the "proposed model," but reiterated the Iranians' remarks that "if the US is ready to lift sanctions, negotiations will be concluded".

After three months of pause, Iran and the US held indirect talks in Doha, capital of Qatar, earlier this week, but two days of intensive negotiations resulted in no agreement to settle their differences, Xinhua news agency reported.

Iran signed the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with the world powers in July 2015, agreeing to curb its nuclear program in return for the removal of sanctions on the country. However, former US President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the JCPOA in May 2018 and reimposed unilateral sanctions on Iran, prompting the latter to drop some of its commitments under the pact.

The Iranian nuclear talks began in April 2021 in Vienna but were suspended in March this year because of political differences between Tehran and Washington.
Tunis, July 2 : Tunisian President Kais Saied has validated the draft of a new constitution and unveiled it to the public ahead of the constitutional referendum scheduled for July 25.

The draft constitution, published late Thursday in the official bi-weekly gazette Journal of the Republic of Tunisia, comprises 10 chapters and 142 articles, with the most notable Article 1 stipulating that Tunisia is a republic with a presidential system.

The draft details that the President exercises executive power with the assistance of the government, the head of which is appointed by the President and will not be presented to the parliament for a vote of confidence, Xinhua news agency reported.

It meets expectations that Tunisia will abandon the mixed presidential-parliamentary system under the country's 2014 constitution, as Saied has vowed to reshape the political system on many occasions.

As expected, the draft constitution sets a new parliamentary chamber for "regions and districts," echoing the President's long-held vision for a decentralised democratic model that he described as a "democracy of individuals".

It also limits the presidency to a maximum of two terms, but the term can be extended when the President decides there is an imminent danger to the country.

The last chapter stipulates that the exceptional measures, announced by Saied and approved in September 2021, will remain in force until the next parliamentary elections due in December 2022.

The new constitution keeps most parts of the sections in the 2014 version that enumerated rights and liberties, including freedom of speech, the right to organise in unions, and the right to peaceful gatherings.

However, it forbids strikes held by certain sectors, such as security, army and court.

Tunisia has been trapped in an economic crisis, with declining public services, an increasing unemployment rate, and chronic political paralysis. On July 25, 2021, the President sacked the Prime Minister and suspended the parliament in response to a series of mass anti-government protests amid the economic collapse fueled by the Covid-19 pandemic.

After that, he appointed a new government and dissolved the parliament as well as the supreme judicial council.

In December 2021, Saied declared that a constitutional referendum will be held on July 25, the country's Republic Day, for a "new republic".

However, the planned referendum has met with mixed reactions. Some Tunisians welcomed it to "change the corrupt and inept old system," while others denounced it as a "power grab" by the President.

On Thursday, the Independent High Authority for Elections announced that nearly 9.3 million Tunisians have registered to vote in the referendum.
Dubai, July 2 : Dubai has started imposing a 25-fils (6 US cents) tariff for each single-use plastic bag, which is part of the UAE's plan to gradually ban the use of some single-use plastic products by 2024.

The move is "in line with enhancing environmental sustainability and encouraging individuals to reduce the excessive use of plastics," the Dubai Media Office said on Friday.

According to Dubai Municipality, the tariff in Dubai is mandatory for all shops, including groceries, retail stores, restaurants, pharmacies, e-commerce services and delivery services, that provide single-use bags (measuring less than 57 micrometres in thickness) to carry goods.

Meanwhile, stores are not obligated to provide free alternatives to their customers.

The move by the Dubai government follows Abu Dhabi's decision on June 1 to ban the use of single-use plastic bags across all stores in the capital of the UAE.
Lisbon, July 2 : The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has published a flagship report on the state of the world's oceans.

The first edition of UNESCO's "State of the Ocean Report" (StOR) was launched during the 2022 United Nations Ocean Conference, held in Lisbon, Portugal, from June 27 to July 1.

"The Report will help to efficiently monitor the progress of the UN Ocean Decade, and, in time, can become an eagerly anticipated worldwide publication that will contribute significantly to mobilising global society to act towards "ocean we need for the future we want"," said Vladimir Ryabinin, Executive Secretary of UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC-UNESCO).

IOC-UNESCO is the main United Nations body for the international coordination of marine sciences, to improve management of the world's oceans, coasts and marine resources, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Commission enables 150 member states to work together by coordinating programmes on capacity development, ocean observation and services, ocean science and tsunami warnings, and economic and social issues.

The State of the Ocean Report compiles the most up-to-date knowledge on the state of the world's oceans, from pollution to biodiversity, to assist key policy-makers in making informed decisions on ocean protection and sustainable planning.

The first edition of the report includes contributions from more than 100 renowned experts across all major marine science fields.

Subsequent editions will also invite contributions from other UN agencies, UNESCO said.

From now on, UNESCO plans to publish the State of the Ocean Report every year on United Nations World Oceans Day, which falls on June 8.
Paris, July 2 : French President Emmanuel Macron met Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to discuss the future ties between the two countries after the submarine row.

The French presidential palace, the Elysee, on Friday said Macron and Albanese reaffirmed their commitment to build a "closer and stronger bilateral relationship based on mutual trust and respect".

"The new Australia position, proactive, ambitious, offers us an opportunity to move forward together on new projects within the framework of initiatives launched these recent years," the French President said.

For his part, the Australian Prime Minister noted that his visit "represents a new start for our countries' relationship".

"Australia's relationship with France matters. Trust, respect and honesty matter. This is how I will approach my relations," he said.

In response, Macron said to the press that "we will speak about the future, not the past".

The relationship between Australia and France deteriorated when Australia in 2021 cancelled a multi-billion-dollar order for submarines with French-owned shipbuilder Naval Group, Xinhua news agency reported.
Tehran, July 2 : Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has said that the negotiations to revive the Iranian nuclear deal can succeed if the US provides durable guarantees for Tehran's economic benefits.

"America's realism and obtaining stable guarantees for Iran's full economic benefit from the agreement can make the outcome of the negotiations fruitful," he tweeted on Friday.

Amir-Abdollahian added that Ali Bagheri Kani, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, in full coordination with him, "seriously continues to negotiate logically, reasonably and actively for the lifting of sanctions".

"We continue our efforts with strength and logic," he said.

The remarks by Amir-Abdollahian followed the two-day indirect talks between Iran and the US in Qatari capital Doha earlier this week, which resulted in no agreement to settle the remaining differences amid the international efforts to restore the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Xinhua news agency reported.

Iran signed the nuclear deal with the world powers in July 2015, agreeing to curb its nuclear programme in return for the removal of sanctions on the country. However, former US President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the JCPOA in May 2018 and reimposed unilateral sanctions on Iran, prompting the latter to drop some of its commitments under the pact.

The Iranian nuclear talks began in April 2021 in Vienna, but were suspended in March this year because of political differences between Tehran and Washington.
Kiev, July 2 : Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with visiting Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store to discuss further support for Kiev, the presidential press service said.

During the talks on Friday, Zelensky thanked Store for the defense, political and humanitarian support and for the decision to allocate 1 billion euros for Ukraine.

For his part, The Norwegian Prime Minister said Norway will continue supporting Ukraine amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Xinhua news agency reported.

At their talks, the two leaders also discussed further defense support for Kiev and Ukraine's post-conflict recovery.

Store arrived in Kiev earlier on Friday.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Kiev, July 2 : Ukrainian authorities have confirmed that at least 21 people, including a child, were killed due to Russian missile strikes in the southern Odesa region.

In a statement, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (DSNS) said 16 people were killed when one missile hit a nine-storey building in the village of Serhiyivka on Friday night, the BBC reported.

A separate strike on a holiday resort in the same village led to five fatalities, including the 12-year-old child.

According to the DSNS, 38 people, including six children, were also injured in the strikes, which Russia has again denied of firing.

Ukrainian officials claimed that three missiles were launched from Russian warplanes over the Black Sea, reports the BBC.

Odesa regional administration spokesman Serhiy Bratchuk said Soviet-era X-22 missiles were believed to have been used.

The city's mayor, Gennadiy Trukhanov, told the BBC that there were no military installations or radar stations near Serhiyivka, despite the Russian Defence Ministry insisting there were.

He added that the people of Odesa are now "living their lives in fear" of further Russian attacks.

In response to the strikes, Andriy Yermak, President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff, accused Russia of being a "terrorist country".

"In response to defeats on the battlefields, they (Russians) are waging a war on civilians," he said.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Tripoli, July 2 : Anti-government protesters have stormed the Libyan Parliament in the city of Tobruk as demonstrations took place across the country, including the capital Tripoli, against an ongoing political deadlock, continued power cuts, and rising price.

A BBC report said that the protesters on Friday also set fire to part of the building as images posted online showed thick columns of smoke.

Meanwhile, the protesters in Tripoli called for fresh elections and their demand was backed by the head of the interim unity government, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, who said all the country's institutions needed to be changed.

The unrest came a day after UN-brokered talks in Geneva aimed at paving the way for a ballot ended with little progress.

Libya was expected to hold presidential elections on December 24, 2021.

However, the elections, part of a roadmap adopted by the UN-sponsored Libyan Political Dialogue Forum to regain stability in the country following years of political division and insecurity, were postponed indefinitely due to technical and legal issues.

Libya has witnessed escalating violence and instability ever since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011.
Bengaluru, July 2 : Lokayukta Special court in Bengaluru has sentenced a retired Superintendent of Police (SP) to four years' imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 1 crore for amassing wealth 53 per cent more than his known source of income.

If Srinivas Iyer fails to pay the penalty he will have to spend additional two years in jail, the order read.

In 2007, the accused's residence was raided by the Lokayukta police. He worked as the SP of the Armed Police Training School in Yelahanka, Bengaluru.

The raid was conducted on a tip-off regarding amassing of wealth disproportionate to income. The raids revealed that the accused possessed 53 per cent wealth in exceess to his income.

A complaint under the Prevention of Corruption Act has been lodged and a charge sheet submitted with the 77th City Civil and Sessions Court which is also known as Lokayukta Special Court.

Judge S.V. Srikanth has completed the inquiry and pronounced the judgment on Friday.
Washington, July 2 : The US has announced $820 million in additional security assistance for Ukraine which includes advanced anti-aircraft and aerial defense systems as well as additional ammunition for advanced rocket systems, the Department of Defence (DOD) said in a statement.

Totaling $820 million, the new weapons came in two parts, according to the statement issued on Friday.

Aid worth $50 million, of which additional ammunition for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems is a part, will be drawn from the presidential drawdown authority that authorizes President Joe Biden to directly tap into existing American weapons inventories.

The remaining $770 million falls under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, through which the US government contracts with arms manufacturers to make weapons for Ukraine.

In this part, the US will provide Ukraine with two National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, 150,000 rounds of 155 mm artillery ammunition for the howitzers and four counter-artillery radars, the DOD said.

According to the Department, the US has now committed approximately $7.6 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden administration in January 2021, including approximately $6.9 billion since Russia launched its ongoing invasion of Kiev on February 24.

The US has committed more than $8.8 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since 2014.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
New Delhi, July 2 : Delhi Police has invoked additional charges against Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair, who is facing a trial in Patiala House Court on Saturday, in connection with a 2018 contentious tweet.

The new charges are under Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) of Indian Penal Code(IPC) and Section 35 of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act.

Earlier, Zubair was charged under the IPC's Sections 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence) and 295 A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) for one of his objectionable tweets.

"Transmission and publication of such posts have been deliberately done by Mohammed Zubair through electronic media to insult the religious feelings of a particular community with the intent to provoke breach of peace," read the FIR.

As per the FIR, accused Zubair had used a screengrab of an old Hindi movie which showed an image of a hotel, with its board reading 'Hanuman hotel' instead of 'Honeymoon hotel'. In his tweet, Zubair had written, "BEFORE 2014: Honeymoon Hotel. After 2014: Hanuman Hotel".

The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notice to the Delhi Police on a plea moved by Zubair challenging the Patiala House court order allowing his police custody and seizure of his laptop in connection with the 2018 contentious tweet.
Islamists humiliates hindu teacher - Narail AL leader sacked - mobile phones bans in school-HM promised to act against the accused. Image Source: IANS News

Islamists humiliates hindu teacher - Narail AL leader sacked - mobile phones bans in school-HM promised to act against the accused. Image Source: IANS News

Islamists humiliates hindu teacher - Narail AL leader sacked - mobile phones bans in school-HM promised to act against the accused. Image Source: IANS News

Islamists humiliates hindu teacher - Narail AL leader sacked - mobile phones bans in school-HM promised to act against the accused. Image Source: IANS News

Dhaka, July 2 : Bangladesh's ruling party, Awami League has sacked a local leader after he humiliated the principal of a college in Narail.

A video of the incident on June 18 showed locals and students putting a garland of shoes around the neck of Swapan Kumar Biswas, the acting principal of Mirzapur United Degree College, in the presence of police, accusing him of "belittling Islam" for his alleged attempt to save a Hindu student from Islamists.

The suspension of the Awami League leader, Akter Hossain Tinku, who is also a teacher at the college, came after he was seen in the video.

Akter was president of Bichhali Union Council Unit of the party.

Meanwhile, education authorities in Narail have banned students from using mobile phones in schools, colleges and madrasas after the incident.

On Friday, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal announced that the government would ensure proper investigation into the incident.

Following the incident, the principal and the student were taken to to the police station.

However, police said the principal was not detained.

The Bangladesh Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education has formed a committee to investigate the incident amid protests across the country.

Swapan has not been staying at home since the incident. His wife said he went into hiding because he was feeling insecure.

The police have so far arrested four suspects.
New Delhi, July 2 : Expanding its retail footprint in India, LifeWear brand Uniqlo opens a new store in Lucknow. The Japanese retailer concept's of high-quality, functional apparel will now be available in Uttar Pradesh, UNIQLO, becoming the company's first location outside of Delhi NCR. The new store will debut in Lulu Mall this July.

Around 9,265 square feet in size, the store promises to give customers in this important regional metropolis a fresh shopping experience. The brand's seventh location in India represents the start of a larger, deliberate expansion in this quickly expanding market.

"This July marks the one-year anniversary of UNIQLO.com in India and we are thrilled to celebrate a new milestone in this timeline with the launch of our new store in a brand new market, Lucknow. We look forward to catering the customers in Lucknow by providing Uniqlo's highly functional and high quality apparel that we call LifeWear to make everyday living better. This launch also supports our underlying commitment to the ever-evolving Indian market and marks a major step forward for our business expansion in India," said Tomohiko Sei, Chief Executive Officer, UNIQLO India.

The store, which is situated on the bottom floor will have prominent storefront branding, and will include the full range of Spring/Summer items for adults, children, and babies, including the practical and cutting-edge AIRism, DRY-EX, UV protection, as well as items made of high-end materials like linen, supima cotton, rayon, and many more.

(IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in) ianslife/tb/
Shivamogga, : July 2 (IANS) Karnataka police have detained two minor boys of the minority community for celebrating the murder of Bajrang Dal activist Harsha in Shivamogga district of Karnataka, police said on Saturday.

The accused had made a collage of Harsha murder case photos along with theirs on the whatsapp status and added a film dialogue to it.

The post celebrated the murder of Bajrang Dal activist and projected the accused boys as the ones who killed him. Realising the sensitivity of the matter that it could spark communal tensions, police launched a search for the boys and detained them.

Shivamogga SP B.M. Lakshmi Prasad has confirmed that the police department has lodged suo motu cases against four boys for sharing posts which could disturb communal harmony. A hunt has been launched for the other two.

Harsha was hacked to death by a gang of miscreants in February at the height of the hijab crisis triggering concerns and law and order situation.

Popularly known as Harsha Hindu, Harsha was in the forefront of Hindutva activities and questioned illegal transportation of cows. He shared fierce Hindutva messages on his social media accounts and also commented on the hijab issue.

The murder has led to widespread violence and threatened to spread all over the state. The police department had clamped curfew orders since last Monday and as many as 2,000 policemen have been deputed to ensure no untoward incident happens.

The ruling BJP is claimed that few organisations are trying to give a message through the murder. The opposition Congress maintained that as elections are nearing, the BJP wants to take political advantage of the murder.

Meanwhile, the government is also probing on the connections of the murder with the hijab row that has turned into a crisis in the state. The larger bench which has been constituted has already completed the hearing of the case and posted the matter for judgment. The case is now being probed by the National Intelligence Agency.
Khartoum, July 2 : Police in Sudan announced that six protesters were killed during demonstrations that took place in the capital Khartoum and other cities.

According to a police statement issued late Friday, 96 policemen and 129 soldiers from the Sudanese Armed Forces were injured during Thursday's protests, reports Xinhua news agency.

The police accused the protesters of attacking the regular forces and strategic locations and damaging vehicles.

Meanwhile, the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors, a non-government organisation, said nine protesters were killed during Thursday's protests.

Sudan has been suffering a political crisis after the general commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan staged a coup on October 25, 2021 and dissolved the Sovereign Council and the government.

Since then, the capital and other cities have been witnessing continued protests demanding a return to civilian rule.
New Delhi, July 2 : Software Freedom Conservancy, a US-based nonprofit organisation, has called on the developer community to shun Microsoft-owned open source repository GitHub that now aims to make money with its commercial, for-profit product called "Copilot".

Software Freedom Conservancy, which is backed by Google, Red Hat and Mozilla, said that it has also ended all its own uses of GitHub, and announced a long-term plan to assist Fully Free and Open Source (FOSS) projects to migrate away from GitHub.

"While we will not mandate our existing member projects to move at this time, we will no longer accept new member projects that do not have a long-term plan to migrate away from GitHub," the organisation said in a statement.

GitHub has more than 83 million developers on its platform, including over 7.2 million developers from India.

There are more than 100 million repositories hosted on GitHub.

The organisation has urged its member projects and community members to avoid GitHub (and all proprietary software development services and infrastructure).

Microsoft and GitHub launched "Copilot" almost a year ago, developed in partnership with OpenAI, an AI research organisation owned by Microsoft.

The company has now launched the commercial version of "Copilot" which is like Gmail's "Smart Compose" tool that aims to help you suggest text as you type.

"Copilot appeared to be more of a research prototype than a product. Facts changed last week when GitHub announced Copilot as a commercial, for-profit product," said Software Freedom Conservancy.

"Launching a for-profit product that disrespects the FOSS community in the way Copilot does simply makes the weight of GitHub's bad behaviour too much to bear," it added.

GitHub was yet to react to the Software Freedom Conservancy.

The organisation said that refusing GitHub's services is the primary power developers have to send a "strong message to GitHub and Microsoft about their bad behaviour".
Patna, July 2 : RJD vice-president Shivanand Tiwari on Saturday questioned Bihar government's decision of providing land to the landless for constructing houses and developing residential societies.

Though the initiative is good, the manner in which they are wanting to take credit for it is "absolutely wrong", he asserted.

"The state government should reconsider its decision of naming colonies after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Giving credit to a government's initiative in the names of living persons, especially the chief minister or prime minister, is unethical and immoral as it involves the hard-earned money of taxpayers," Tiwari said.

There are so many respected leaders such as first Dalit poet Heera Dom, Jaglal Chaudhary, whose son was shot by the British force, former Chief Minister Bhola Paswan Shastri, Dashrath Manjhi, former deputy prime minister Babu Jag Jiwan Ram and other leaders of Bihar who deserve the honour, he added.

During the last day of monsoon session on Thursday, Land Reforms and Revenue Minister Ram Surat Rai announced to develop two residential colonies in the name of Chief Minister Kumar and Prime Minister Modi for landless people in every district of the state.

Rai said that the construction of the colonies has started. The first two colonies will be developed in Banka where the state government will allot three dismil plots to every landless person along with funds and basic amenities.
Burhanpur : , July 2 (IANS) At a time when it is fairly common to see reports of lack of facilities and development in rural India, this story of a village in Madhya Pradeshs Burhanpur comes as an odd outlier.

Here, in the village of Manjrod, 100 per cent of development work is said to be completed. Not only does every house have a toilet, but they also get pure drinking water. Pucca roads are said to be a common sight in the village, as well. What may seem all the more astounding is that Manjrod witnessed such development despite not a single election being contested in the history of the panchayat. Though if you ask the villagers, they'd say this was the very result of the lack of elections.

A community working together Rahul Jadhav, a resident of Manjrod, says that villagers have always come together to get any development work done. All decisions related to any form of upgrades are made with the consent of every member of Manjrod, from the sarpanch down to the last member of the village. Jadhav says that not only does the work get done faster, there is little scope for any corruption.

Take the example of the construction of a road in Manjrod five years ago. Jadhav says that once the work was done, a balance of around Rs 2 lakhs of the total allocated funds remained. Not to let the funds go to waste, the villagers collected more money via a donation drive and constructed a temple.

In another such instance dating back 10 years, the panchayat hit a financial roadblock during the construction of a community hall. So villagers pooled in land together to build the structure themselves.

But how does one go about achieving this efficiency? How does each one of the 1,000 households in the village have a toilet and receive drinking water? How did the village become one of the frontrunners in achieving the open-defecation-free tag? For these answers, 101Reporters visited Manjrod, located around 50km from the Burhanpur district headquarters in Khaknar block.

The gift of uncontested elections? With the dates for the panchayat polls in Madhya Pradesh drawing closer, the atmosphere is at a fever pitch. However, Manjrod offers a contrasting scenario. There's complete lack of any electioneering, no rallies, banners loudspeakers, or posters. The residents are content with the fact that elections won't be contested in Manjrod, as has been the case since independence. Here, villagers believe in working together and selecting their own panchayat rather than electing it. The opinion of elders, youth, women and everybody else is taken into account before anyone is given a position of authority unopposed. Manjrod is also the only panchayat in Burhanpur where the sarpanch, vice-sarpanch and other members of the upcoming panchayat are all women, making it a 'pink panchayat'.

Villagers say there's never been any conflict over elections in Manjrod. Current sarpanch Ashok Yawalkar, who incidentally will be vacating his post soon, says this trend of uncontested elections only benefited the village.

"This history can be traced back to the practices followed by the patels (village chieftains). Instead of contesting polls themselves, the chieftains would simply nominate people to the posts of pradhan or panchayat members. But even after the tradition of patels was ended, the villagers didn't stop following this practice," says Yawalkar, adding that the knowledge and expertise of the villagers makes them self-sufficient, and that even social organisations do not have much work to do in Manjrod.

Besides, Yawalkar also believes that with no elections to contest, there are no related expenses either: "Nobody spends money on campaigning or rallies. Instead, this money is spent on development." Vinod Jadhav, a villager, says this tradition gets work done faster and more earnestly.

"People in the village know they are answerable to each other. Hence, there's no delay in any development work." A panchayat of workers

Not one member of the newly-nominated panchayat in Manjrod comes with a political background. Incidentally, four of the 12 members of the new 'pink panchayat' are labourers, who contributed directly to several development works.

Take, for example, the family of Parvatibai Nandu, one of the new panchayat members. All the members of her family are labourers and have worked in development projects in Manjrod. They also work as farm labourers.

"I never imagined that coming from a background like mine, I'd get a chance to become a panchayat member," says Parvatibai.

The families of the sarpanch and vice-sarpanch own three acres of land each. There's only one member who owns 9 acres. As far as representation goes, villagers say every family in Manjrod gets an equal opportunity to be a part of the panchayat.

An inclusive participation When it comes to nominating people to the panchayat, the participation of all communities and religions of Manjrod is ensured. The village has only two Muslim families, but that has not hindered their representation. In the new panchayat, a Muslim woman, Ayeshabi Aqeel Qureshi, was elected unopposed, whereas a member of the other Muslim family in the village was elected sarpanch in the past.

This inclusivity goes across the line: the new sarpanch, Laadkibai Krishna, belongs to a Scheduled Tribe community; two members of the panchayat are from the Maratha community, one each from a Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe; one is from an Other Backward Classes community; and one other is a Muslim.

Leading by example With a panchayat comprising women from diverse backgrounds, the nominated leadership of Manjrod is as modest as it can get. While the six-member family of sarpanch Laadkibai Krishna has just 3 acres to its name, vice-sarpanch Lalitabai Vishnu Jagtap's family, too, owns 3 acres. Panchayat member Shamlibai Kanhaiya owns a 5-acre plot, while Laxmibai Keshav owns 3 acres. Member Sundarbai Pandhrinath's family owns the most land among the panchayat members, at 9 acres, while Poojabi Aaba Saheb's family owns 3 acres. Among other land-owning members, Deepalibai Ganesh's family has 3.5 acres to its name, while Ayeshabi Qureshi's family owns 2 acres.

Other members, such as Manisha Heeralal, Parvatibai Nandu, Draupadibai Heeralal and Chandrabai Bisram, are all labourers by profession.

Manjrod resident Madhukar Jagtap says that while most people in the village are farmers, there's always a demand for other forms of labour in the village due to regular development work.

As far as farming is concerned, residents here are looking to make expansions. Pradeep Jadhav, former president of the Burhanpur Mandi, says banana was the major crop grown in the village, with 50 per cent of the land here being used for its cultivation. But farmers in Manjrod are now slowly taking to growing turmeric, with 20 per cent of the land going towards its cultivation. Apart from these, farmers here also cultivate maize, wheat and soybean, which helps generate additional income.

Going for the record books While the idea of not holding elections to key posts at any level of government might seem a detrimental proposition to many, the people of Manjrod feel otherwise.

To begin with, the state government has announced a cash reward of Rs 15 lakh to the Manjrod village panchayat for nominating an all-women council. Earlier, too, the panchayat had received Rs 2 lakh for the same.

Resident Rahul Jadhav says Manjrod will become renowned for this tradition of holding consecutive uncontested polls.

"Everyone in the village is working hard to achieve a world record in this," says Jadhav.

Speaking to 101Reporters, outgoing sarpanch Ashok Yawalkar says the residents of Manjrod have never faced any trouble choosing its governing body. Once the names for posts are decided by all and made public, they are put forward for nominations. In almost all cases, the names once nominated are approved by all, says Yawalkar.

Understanding the process first-hand While in Manjrod, 101Reporters managed to organise a public meeting at a choupal near the statue of Shivaji Maharaj in the village - the same choupal where villagers decide their nominations for the panchayat. Speaking at the meeting, former Mandi president Pradeep Jadhav said that corruption had never been an issue in Manjrod, and that people got continuous work under schemes such as the MGNREGA.

Meanwhile, the new sarpanch promised to have a new hospital and high school constructed in Manjrod. Panchayat member Lalitabai VIshnu Jagtap also assured residents that the community hall would be renovated.

Meanwhile, villager Anil Jadhav says Manjrod had gone even beyond what the Madhya Pradesh government had asked for.

"The government had said women must be given 50% reservation in panchayats. Manjrod elected an all-women panchayat not once but twice!" he says, adding that the villagers would now demand the establishment of an Eklavya school in Manjrod.

(The author is a Khandwa-based freelance journalist and a member of 101Reporters, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters.)
Washington, July 2 : Some global companies could be "unknowingly supporting" China's use of Uyghur forced labour from the Xinjiang region by importing goods from Chinese companies headquartered in other parts of China, according to a new report.

The report by the Washington-based nonprofit Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS), says a new US law banning the import of goods produced by Uyghur forced labour in China includes loopholes that allow some products to enter global supply chains, VOA reported.

On June 21, the US government began enforcing the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), a law meant to ensure goods made "wholly or in part with forced labour" in Xinjiang do not enter the American market.

But enforcement is complicated by a Chinese policy that encourages companies located elsewhere in the country to open operations or manufacturing centers in Xinjiang. The so-called Xinjiang Pairing Assistance Program incentivizes companies to move their manufacturing operations into the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), according to Nicole Morgret, human security analyst at C4ADS and the author of the report.

"This means that many companies in XUAR are linked to eastern China, whether as subsidiaries of a conglomerate or through investment and corporate officer overlap," Morgret told VOA.

According to Morgret, global corporations doing business with Chinese companies that have corporate or manufacturing ties to Xinjiang risk "unknowingly" supporting forced labour.

"(Chinese) manufacturing corporations in the Uyghur region closely collaborate with the local government entities carrying out repression," Morgret said. "As such, global stakeholders will have to improve their due diligence practices to better assess the domestic Chinese corporate networks to identify ties to forced labour in XUAR."
New Delhi, July 2 : Fact-checking website Alt news' parent company Pravda Media has received a total donation of Rs 2,31,933 from foreign countries, a Delhi Police official said on Saturday.

"Analysis of the replies of Razorpay Payment gateway shows that there were various transactions in which either the mobile number or the IP address belonged to foreign countries," a senior Delhi Police official told IANS.

The foreign countries and cities include western Australia, North Holland, Singapore, central, western and eastern provinces of UAE, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Baladyat ad Dawah, Riyadh Region, Washington, New York, Kansas, New Jersey, Ontario, California, Texas, Lower Saxony, England, Bern, Uusimaa, Scotland, Bangkok among others." A total of about Rs 2,31,933 have been received by the Pravda Media," the official said.

The analysis of the Pravda Media's donations was done as there were allegations of FCRA violations by the fact-checking portal Alt News.

Pertinently, its co-founder Mohammed Zubair has been in police custody since June 27, Monday.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police has also invoked additional charges against Zubair, who is facing a trial in the Patiala House Court. The new charges are under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 201 (Causing disappearance of evidence) of Indian Penal Code(IPC) and sec. 35 of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act.

The police have sought 14 days more custody of Zubair.

During the course of the hearing, Atul Shrivastava, newly appointed as the Special Public Prosecutor for Delhi Police, argued that as per CDR analysis, Zubair has accepted funds through Razor gateway, from Pakistan, Syria which needs further investigation.
Srinagar, July 2 : The Jammu and Kashmir government on Saturday terminated the services of an engineer of the Jal Shakti Department for unauthorised absence from duty.

Officials said that Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE), Nuzhat Shanoo has been terminated from service for unauthorised absence from duty since 2016.

The union territory government has been acting tough on doctors and engineers who have been serving outside the country while retaining their lien on the government jobs.

In the past, such professionals would serve outside the country for decades and then return to join government jobs in Jammu and Kashmir.
New Delhi July 2 : High joaillerie brand Faberge has created a fresh iteration of The Compliquee Peacock Watch this summer. Made in collaboration with Master Craftsman Andre Martinez, an expert in miniaturist artistic painting on watch dials, and Workmaster Jean-Marc Wiederrecht of Agenhor, this piece builds on the Compliquee Peacock's High Mechanical award-winning performance at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Geneve in 2015.

Each watch dial is absolutely unique and has an abstract Andre Martinez design that was inspired by lovely peacock feathers. Each design is limited to ten numbered pieces. These works of art are wristbands that can be worn as art.

The House of Faberge founded in 1842 in Saint Petersburg, Russia, by Gustav Faberge, is a high jewellery brand world renown for its elaborate jewel-encrusted Faberge eggs for the Russian Tsars, and for a range of other work of high quality and intricate detail.

Faberge has always collaborated with the best artisans in all fields of specialisation to produce works that encapsulate the essence of the brand's past, present, and future. For the Faberge x Craft Irish Whiskey Co. Altruist Limited Edition and the Faberge Altruist Wilderness watches, Martinez previously designed distinctive hand-painted dials. Additionally, he painted each feather by hand on each version of the acclaimed Compliquee Peacock Watch line.

Martinez says of this series: "I choose to express myself and my creative universe on the dials of these very high-end watches. It requires one to be confident and determined, to master your drawing skills and to understand the world of Faberge. I am therefore able to offer to the person who acquires one of these watches the awareness of giving them the best of myself." The new Compliquee Peacock Arte Hand-Etched White Gold Watches, which come in two different colourways and are only produced in ten numbered pieces per style, are genuine collector's items.

The dials are engraved using a 'intaglio' printmaking method from the 16th century called 'eau forte,' or 'etching,' in which an image or design is carved onto a plate using acid. Normally, this would be a metal plate, but Martinez skillfully used mother-of-pearl to create a distinctive appearance.

Martinez's lacquers are used to create gradations of colour on the bottom of the etched part of the colourful dial before being covered in a transparent lacquer to create a flat and tight depiction. Each piece is utterly unique due to the prominent feather motif being entirely hand-painted.

On the bottom of the etched portion of the colourful dial, Martinez's lacquers are employed to generate colour gradations, which are then covered in a clear lacquer to create a flat and tight depiction. Because the conspicuous feather motif is entirely hand-painted, each piece is totally unique.

The watch's prestigious mechanism was created in collaboration with Jean-Marc Wiederrecht and the Agenhor team. Agenhor is a Geneva-based company that specialises in building intricate watch mechanisms.

The family-owned business has grown internationally over the years while still upholding the traditional values of fine watchmaking. The workshop combines modern technologies with an old-fashioned view of watchmaking.

(IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in)
New Delhi, July 2 : The Maldives is one of the most desired vacation destinations for travellers around the world - seeing a continued pace of bookings even throughout the last two years when it was the first country to open its borders to international travellers during the pandemic.

"The expansion of our flagship brand here underscores our commitment to bringing our world-class brands to key locations, and we are confident Hilton Maldives Amingiri Resort & Spa will build on our legacy of delivering an exceptional stay to delight and inspire our guests," said Alan Watts, president, Asia Pacific, Hilton about the launch of Hilton Maldives Amingiri Resort & Spa in the holiday island of Maldives.

The Hilton Maldives Amingiri, located on Amingiri Island in the North Male Atoll, is just a breathtaking 20-minute premium speedboat ride away from Velana International Airport. The hotel offers 109 roomy beach and overwater villas, each with a private pool and alluring views of the blue lagoon nearby.

The villas, which embody a harmony of modern and traditional Maldivian elements, invite an abundance of natural light via their floor-to-ceiling windows, emphasising a bright colour scheme that reflects the warm tones of the sea and sky.

The all-villa resort introduces a number of smart amenities to the archipelago and sets a new standard for hospitality that will enthral future tourists. In addition to Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi, Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, and Saii Lagoon Maldives, Curio Collection by Hilton, Hilton Maldives Amingiri is the fourth resort in the nation under the company's portfolio of brands. This strengthens Hilton's ability to cater to various travellers and their specific needs in one of the most popular travel destinations in the world. Hilton is in charge of managing the hotel, which is owned by Amingiri Holdings Pvt Ltd.

"Today's milestone launch is a celebration of our shared vision with Hilton to deliver the most exceptional levels of service and hospitality in the Maldives. At Amingiri Holdings, we are committed to continuously contribute to the Maldivian economy and further strengthen its tourism industry, and Hilton Maldives Amingiri Resort & Spa will enable us to continue with this mission," said Daniel Welk, Amingiri Holdings Pvt Ltd.

The overwater pool villas are equipped with stairs that lead directly to the island's lagoon and a hammock by the pool to enjoy the sound of waves; whereas beach villas have direct access to sparkling white sand, a deck swing, and a gazebo on the shore. All of these amenities are designed to fully immerse guests in the wonders of nature. All villas feature spacious bathrooms with bathtubs facing the ocean and both indoor and outdoor rain showers that promote relaxation.

The six-bedroom Amingiri Residence, the ideal retreat for bigger groups of tourists seeking absolute privacy, is a standout feature of Hilton Maldives Amingiri. When it opens in November 2022, the residence, which is set away on a manicured cove, will welcome visitors with its own arrival pier and a dedicated sundeck with unbroken 360-degree views of the Maldivian horizon.

"Hilton Maldives Amingiri represents what we continually strive for in our brand portfolio - innovative offerings and exceptional stays complemented by our signature hospitality. Introducing several new concepts to the Maldives, such as a rooftop lounge exclusive to teenage guests, a cocktail lab and the six-bedroom residence, Hilton Maldives Amingiri is set to capture guests of all ages looking to reconnect during their stay with their selves, nature or close ones," said Alexandra Jaritz, senior vice president, Brand Management, Asia Pacific, Hilton.

(IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in)
Seoul, July 2 : South Korea on Saturday issued the third-highest alert against a scorching heatwave on Saturday, 18 days earlier compared to last year.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety issues the alert when the daily temperature ceiling in over 40 per cent of the country reaches 33 degrees Celsius or higher for at least three straight days, reports Yonhap News Agency.

Under the heat alert, the Ministry is looking at measures to support workers who are vulnerable to inclement weather, including construction workers, elderly farmers and senior single-person households.
Hyderabad, July 2 : Opposition's presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha on Saturday landed in Hyderabad to a warm welcome by Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and leaders of ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS).

CM KCR, his cabinet colleagues, TRS working president K. T. Rama Rao, party MPs, state legislators and other leaders received Sinha at Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad.

Later, the convoys of KCR, Sinha and others left for Jalvihar in a huge rally with hundreds of TRS workers on motor bikes participating in it. The rally will pass through Begumpet, Raj Bhavan and Kharitabad to reach Jalvihar on the banks of Hussain Sagar lake.

The opposition presidential candidate and CM KCR will address a meeting at Jalvihar.

TRS, which has declared support to Sinha, decked up all the roads leading to the airport and along the rally route with party flags, posters, banners and cutouts of Yashwant Singa and KCR.

Leaders of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) are also likely to call on Sinha at a hotel later. AIMIM has also declared its support to the opposition candidate.

Police imposed traffic restrictions in view of the TRS rally. Elaborate security arrangements have been made as Yashwant Sinha has arrived in the city on the day when BJP's national executive committee meeting is beginning here.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be arriving in the city late in the day. He will be landing at Begumpet Airport at 2.55 p.m. and from there will fly in a helicopter to Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC), the venue of the national executive.
Kolkata, July 2 : Trinamool Congress legislator Nirmal Maji, who is already in the centre of a controversy after he described Mamata Banerjee as an incarnation of Maa Sarada, is now accused of comparing the chief minister with Allah.

The lone All India Secular Front (AISF) legislator in West Bengal Assembly, Nawshad Siddiqui made this allegation by releasing a video message which he shared with a section of the media.

To recall, AISF contested the 2021 West Bengal Assembly polls in alliance with Left Front and Congress.

Siddique has started his video message with the reference Maji describing the chief minister as the incarnation of Maa Sarada, the wife and spiritual consort of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.

"Trinamool Congress Nirmal Maji recently drew a comparison between Maa Sarada and the chief minister, Mamata Banerjee. Quite naturally such a comparison has created grievances in the minds of the Hindus. Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission have also objected to such comments by issuing a statement. Now it is learnt that the same legislator at a different place has drawn comparison between Allah and the chief minister. This is against the faith of the people following Islam religion. Such comparison has created grievances in the minds of Muslims," Siddique said in his video statement, which is available with IANS.

However, he did not specify where exactly Maji was heard or seen drawing the said comparison.

In his statement, Siddique has termed both the instances as the worst examples of flattery and had sought an official statement from the chief minister, Mamata Banerjee on this count. He had also sought action against Maji for such statements.

"Such comments can create tension in the society and hamper the spirit of communal harmony," he concluded.

Maji kept himself incommunicado since the video message was released. There was no official statement from any Trinamool Congress leader also till this report was filed.

Earlier, on his comments connecting Maa Sarada and the chief minister, Maji was censured by a section of the party leadership, although the chief minister herself had remained silent till date. However, even after censure, Maji stuck to his stand. The opposition leaders have questioned the chief minister's silence on this matter and said that her silence was a clandestine endorsement of the comments by Maji.
San Francisco, July 2 : Top crypto hedge fund Three Arrows Capital (3AC) has filed for bankruptcy in the US, days after its liquidation began in the British Virgin Islands, the media reported on Saturday.

The liquidation, and now Chapter 15 bankruptcy in New York, comes as popular crypto tokens such as Bitcoin and Ethereum nosedived by nearly 70 per cent from their record highs amid the economic meltdown.

According to court documents seen by the Financial Times, crypto options and futures exchange "Deribit claimed Three Arrows failed to repay $80 million, as financial woes have plagued the hedge fund".

"The company is or is likely to become unable to pay its debts as they fall due, and is therefore insolvent," claimed Deribit.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore this week slammed Three Arrows for providing false information and breaching an asset under management threshold, the report noted.

The mega fund, founded by Credit Suisse traders Zhu Su and Kyle Davies, once managed an estimated $10 billion in assets.

Its insolvency has forced major industry players to reshuffle operations and limit customer withdrawals amid a crypto selloff that seemed to catch plenty of mega firms off guard, according to The Verge.

On Friday, beleaguered crypto lending firm BlockFi announced a deal with leading crypto exchange FTX US, saying it had lost around $80 million from its dealings with Singapore-based 3AC.

The Chapter 15 bankruptcy will allow the foreign firm to protect its stateside assets while the liquidation is carried out in the British Virgin Islands.
Mumbai, July 2 : Marathi filmmaker Abhijit Panse, whose recent directorial 'Raanbaazaar' has been receiving a lot of positive response, is set to roll out his next webseries titled 'Raaji-Naama', the poster of which was released on Saturday.

Abhijit has collaborated with entrepreneur-producer Akshay Bardapurkar of Planet Marathi for the OTT series which will naturally premiere on Planet Marathi.

Announcing it on social media, Abhijit Panse wrote in Marathi, "There's a 'Raanbaazaar' happening in Maharashtra, now it's time for me to give 'Raaji-Naama'). Based on the book 'Trading Power' by Priyam Gandhi-Mody. (Soon, dropping on Planet Marathi OTT)." Abhijit and Akshay's recent collaboration, the hard-hitting political crime thriller 'Raanbaazaar' emerged as one of the 'Most Watched Marathi Web-Series' across the globe clocking more than a million viewers worldwide across 7 countries as per the data shared by the OTT platform.

Presented by Planet Marathi, A Vistas Media Capital Company, the concept of 'Raaji-Naama' is based on Priyam Gandhi-Mody's sensational book 'Trading Power'.
Islamabad, July 2 : Pakistan has lodged a strong protest against Indias recent blocking of many of its official Twitter accounts, including handles of Pakistani diplomatic missions in various countries.

The Foreign Office on Saturday summoned Indian Charge d'Affairs in Islamabad to hand over a strong demarche, terming the Indian action being against international obligations and norms.

"The Indian Charge d'Affaires in Islamabad was called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today and a strong demarche was made on the Indian government's blocking of access to content of 80 accounts on Twitter including accounts of Pakistan's diplomatic Missions in Iran, Turkey, Egypt, UN-New York and the national broadcaster Radio Pakistan, by activating geo-blocking and censorship laws," said a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"The Charge d'Affaires was conveyed that these Indian actions were against the international standards, obligations, norms, and framework of flow of information and reflected the alarming pace of shrinking space for pluralistic voices and curbing of fundamental freedoms in India." Pakistan maintained that blocking of its twitter accounts of its diplomatic missions abroad was a clear and deliberate attempt to block Pakistan's right to access to information and "fundamental freedom of opinion of expression".

"It was noted that the new illegal practice employed by the Indian government of regulating the internet sphere with regard to diplomatic accounts, with a clear intent to stifle dissent stood completely against the rights to access to information and fundamental freedom of opinion or expression," the statement said.

Pakistan was faced with this issue when at least 80 of its official twitter accounts of diplomatic missions in important countries were blocked by Twitter.

Pakistan raised the matter with the micro-blogging site, and called for an immediate restoration of the handles which were banned by India.

"Diminishing the space for plurality of voices and access to info in India is extremely alarming. Social media platforms must abide by applicable international norms; we are urging twitter to restore immediate access to our accounts and ensure adherence to democratic freedom of speech and expression," the Foreign Office had said after it raised the matter with Twitter.

Pakistan also accused India for blocking accounts of senior journalists and experts in India, who have been critical of the Central government and have questioned its policies.

"Government of India has been urged to immediately reverse its actions relating to the blocking of Pakistan's diplomatic Missions' Twitter accounts in India. India must also abide by the established international norms and standards as espoused by the UN and also ensure protection of fundamental freedoms and respect for dissent," the Office maintained.
New Delhi, July 2 : The southwest monsoon covered the entire country on Saturday, six days ahead of its scheduled date, as per the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

"The southwest monsoon has further advanced into the remaining parts of north Arabian Sea, Gujarat and Rajasthan. Thus, it has covered the entire country on Saturday, against the normal date of July 8," IMD senior scientist R.K. Jenamani said.

The IMD data shows that in the last 20 years, the SW monsoon had covered the whole country exactly on July 8 only once, in 2011. The earliest it had covered the whole country was in 2013 on June 16 while the most delayed was in 2006 when it covered the whole country on July 24.

After hitting the Kerala coast on May 27, three days ahead of its scheduled arrival, the monsoon has had slow progress over the south peninsular areas and central India. Then, in absence of favourable systems, rather because of a weak system, there was no advancement of monsoon for four to five days in between before finally it touched Delhi NCR and large parts of NW Indian plains on June 30, three days behind schedule.

On July 1, the IMD had said the conditions are favourable for further advancement of monsoon into remaining parts of Rajasthan and Gujarat during next two days. "When we say during the next two days, it can mean any time during those 48 hours. That way, our prediction is correct, said a meteorologist.

Meanwhile, for July, the IMD has predicted "normal to above normal" rainfall probability likely over some parts of north India, central India and most parts of south peninsula while it forecast "normal to below normal" rainfall over most parts of east and northeast India and areas adjacent to the east central India and some parts of west south Peninsular India.
Bengaluru, July 2 : Karnataka police have lodged a case against father and son for blackmailing a married woman with her private video in Mysuru, police said on Saturday.

The police have launched a hunt for the accused father and son after the woman approached Hebbal police in Mysuru city.

Hebbal Layout residents Govindaraju and his son Pramod have been made accused in this case. The police said that the victim stayed very close to the house of the accused persons.

They made a video in their mobile of her taking a bath when the victim's husband had gone to work. The accused had been blackmailing the victim for two years for money. They also harassed her sexually, police said.

They threatened the victim that they would make the video viral on social media and also would send it to her husband.

The victim, fed up with the threat and blackmailing by father and son, decided to lodge a complaint against them. The police have taken up further investigation in the case.
New Delhi, July 2 : The Isabel Goldsmith Collection: Selected Pre-Raphaelite and Symbolist Art, which spans more than 40 years of collecting, will be accessible online from June 30 through July 14 as a part of London's Classic Week Summer edition.

The collection, which consists of 87 pieces, addresses topics such as sleep, dreams, the afterlife, spirituality, beauty, literature, and classical subjects. The star lot of the auction, The return of Orpheus by Sidney Harold Meteyard (estimate: 200,000-300,000 pounds), as well as pieces by Edward Burne-Jones, John Roddam Spencer-Stanhope, Simeon Solomon, Evelyn De Morgan, and Henry Ryland are included in the collection of Pre-Raphaelites and their adherents' works.

Levy-Dhurmer, Fernand Khnopf, and George Frederic Watts are among the symbolist artists whose works are on display, and there are also several Scandinavian landscapes in the sale. With estimates ranging from A600 to A300,000, the collection is expected to realise in excess of 1 million pounds. The pre-sale view will be open to the public from July 9 to 14.

Peter Brown, Senior Director, International Specialist, Victorian, Pre-Raphaelite and British Impressionist Art, 19th-Century European Art, Christie's commented: "Isabel Goldsmith has long impressed me with the curiosity and delight with which she encounters works of art. Hers is a singular vision: many of these Pre-Raphaelite and Symbolist pictures carry a mystical or spiritual dimension. This is an intriguing sale, full of the unexpected, which delights the eye and presents the market with rare opportunities to acquire notable works by Burne-Jones, De Morgan and Watts, and Khnopff, Stevens, and Levy-Dhurmer. Watts' 'The Open Door' (estimate: 10,000-15,000 pounds) is sold to benefit Watts Gallery - Artists' Village." The Return of Orpheus by Sidney Harold Meteyard, which is estimated to sell for between 200,000 pounds and 300,000 dollars and is illustrated on page one with an in-person archive shot from 1992, commands the highest price. From left to right, additional highlights include Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones' Luna (estimate: 70,000-100,000 pounds), Simeon Solomon's Death Awakening Sleep (estimate: 10,000-15,000), Evelyn De Morgan's The Field of the Slain (estimate: 30,000-50,000 pounds), and Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones' Study for the Head of Medusa for "The Finding of Medusa" (1876) (estimate: 15,000-25,000 pounds).

Highlights include Fernand Khnopff's La Medusa endormie, ca. 1896 (estimate: 80,000-120,000 pounds, illustrated on page 1), Ophelie (Ophelia), 1887 by Alfred Stevens (estimate: 60,000-100,000 pounds), La bourrasque, 1897 by Lucien Levy-Dhurmer (estimate: 100,000-150,000 pounds), and The Search-Light by Evelyn De Morgan (estimate: 70,000-100,000 pounds).

(IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in)
Chennai, July 2 : Ever heard of a sectoral regulator giving targets for the industry as a whole and also for the individual players? Well, it happened in the insurance sector with the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India's (IRDAI) Chairman Debasish Panda, at his meeting with the heads of non-life and reinsurance companies at Hyderabad on Friday.

"The IRDAI is now looking at the market developmental role. All these years, the Authority was carrying out the regulatory role," a senior industry official told IANS preferring anonymity.

Pointing out the low penetration of the non-life sector in the country - about 1 per cent- two decades after opening up the sector, Panda said the global average of insurance penetration is 4.16 per cent.

He said the target penetration rate is 2.52 per cent by FY27 and it means the Indian non-life sector would grow from Rs 2.20 lakh crore premium from FY22 to a whopping Rs 11.73 lakh crore by FY27.

Panda also listed out the target for all the non-life insurance companies.

At the meeting Panda sounded like a consultant or a CEO of an insurance company but certainly not like a sectoral regulator.

Target the low hanging fruits, he told the insurers and also cited a couple of low hanging ones.

For instance, he said the balance in the 45 crore Jan Dhan accounts - that started with zero balance some years back- is now about Rs 1.5 lakh crore.

Similarly, the central government gives Rs 6,000 per annum to small and marginal farmers.

Asking the industry to chalk out strategies to tap these segments which in turn would increase insurance penetration amongst the rural segments, Panda said there should be an information technology interface between the insurers and the bankers.

The regulator also said, once the software interface between the two organisations is there, then the certificate of insurance could be sent to the policyholders.

He said nominees of many policyholders who had died of Covid were not aware of the insurance policy taken by the deceased from the banks.

Panda said the IRDAI will involve itself in sorting out the regulatory issues by taking up the matter with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) if need be.

The IRDAI Chairman also told the industry captains that the Authority is on mission mode on the following: -developing and implementing risk based supervisory with a knowledge partner;

-establish framework for risk based capital in two to two-and-half years time;

-strategies for implementing applicable IFRS/Ind AS accounting standards;

-developing an ecosystem for InsureTech and

-strengthening the policyholder grievance redressal mechanism and naming it as Bima Bharosa.

Panda also said onboarding of new players will be made easy with a 'no objection certificate' from IRDAI to go to the Registrar of Companies to incorporate the company will be automatic.

He said a two member facilitation cell at IRDAI will be formed. The cell will handhold the investors.

The IRDAI Chairman also said a new intermediary channel 'Bima Vahak', a community centric one will be formed. The channel will be women centric and technology enabled.
New Delhi, July 2 : The University Of Pennsylvania mRNA NFT: Vaccines For A New Era is a stunning 3D digital piece which transports viewers to the molecular level and displays a state-of-the-art mRNA vaccination combating COVID-19.

On July 15-25, 2022, Christie's New York will make this NFT available online (estimate on request). The University of Pennsylvania and Dr. Drew Weissman, whose ground-breaking work assisted in the development of mRNA vaccines, created this unique digital sculpture.

The mRNA patent documents that belong to the University of Pennsylvania are included with the NFT, along with an original letter from Dr. Weissman whose work led to important advancements that made mRNA vaccines safer and more effective. The NFT also includes a storyboard that explains what it depicts. The auction's proceeds will help fund ongoing research projects at Penn Medicine and the University of Pennsylvania.

Peter Klarnet, Vice President, Senior Specialist in the Books and Manuscripts Department said, "We've all heard about mRNA vaccines on the news, now this amazing NFT gives us an unprecedented view of this technology in action. It's been a privilege to work with the scientists at the University of Pennsylvania, who are doing the work that is saving millions of lives worldwide, and gratifying to know the proceeds from this sale will help Dr. Drew Weissman and his team harness this new kind of vaccine to fight a greater range of illnesses and alleviate even more suffering." Science's primary weapon in the fight against the COVID virus has been the development of MRNA vaccines, a novel technique. mRNA vaccines are intended to instruct the body to produce a protein that activates the immunological response, in contrast to conventional immunisations that use a weakened or inactive germ to elicit an immune response. This one-of-a-kind NFT includes a remarkable one-minute 3D sequence that demonstrates mRNA encapsulated inside of lipid nanoparticles, given via a vaccination, and acting in the body to instruct cells to manufacture a protein to aid the immune system in combating COVID.

Drew Weissman, M.D., Ph.D. Director of Vaccine Research at The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, said, "More than 15 years ago at Penn Medicine, my colleague Dr. Katalin KarikA and I found a way to modify mRNA to make it safe, effective, and practical for use as a vaccine against COVID-19. Now, we are working on using mRNA to treat or prevent flu, herpes, malaria, certain forms of cancer, and genetic disorders, including sickle cell anemia. I want to thank all who bid in this auction. Your support is essential to help us bring mRNA vaccines and therapeutics to the world." (IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in)
Mumbai, July 2 : While the delirious Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) erupted in celebrations on Friday, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was closeted in a series of meetings including with top police officials, party sources said here on Saturday.

Fadnavis' absence along with some other leaders, at the revelry became a point of discussion amid speculation that he was still in a dark mood after the post of DyCM was abruptly thrust on him by the party top leadership on Thursday (June 30).

An aide close to him claimed that on the contrary, Fadnavis had a series of meetings tied up with several top police brass, party leaders and officials as he could be handling several sensitive portfolios, including probably the home department.

The meetings were to chalk out strategies ahead of the Special Assembly Session of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on July 3-4 to elect the new Speaker and to seek the 'vote of confidence' for the new government headed by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Late in the night, Shinde-Fadnavis also held a separate meeting to ensure the legislature session goes off smoothly and to strategise the crucial cabinet formation process, likely to be set in motion after the confidence vote.

On Friday, hundreds of BJP leaders and workers toasted the new regime of Shinde-Fadnavis taking oath on June 30 after the fall of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government headed by ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray - ending a 10-day long political crisis created by a rebellion in the Shiv Sena.
New Delhi, July 2 : A Delhi Court on Saturday rejected the bail application of Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair in connection with the 2018 contentious tweet case and allowed the Delhi Police for further 14-day judicial custody of the fact-checker.

Zubair was produced before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Snigdha Sarvaria at Patiala House Court as his four-day judicial custody in the case, in which he had allegedly hurt the sentiments of a community through a tweet, ended on Saturday.

After hearing the detailed arguments of the parties, the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate refused to grant relief to him.

During the course of the hearing, Advocate Vrinda Grover appearing for Zubair, placed on record an application to record that the electronic device and hard disc were seized, arguing that till date no hash value or clone is generated by cybercrime.

Atul Shrivastava, the newly-appointed Special Public Prosecutor for Delhi Police, argued that as per the CDR analysis, Zubair has accepted funds through Razor gateway, from Pakistan, Syria which needs further investigation.

The new charges invoked against Zubair are under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 201 (Causing disappearance of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code(IPC) and sec. 35 of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act.

Earlier, he was charged under the Indian Penal Code's Sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence) and 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) for one of his objectionable tweets.

As per the FIR, accused Zubair had used a screengrab of an old Hindi movie which showed an image of a hotel, with its board reading 'Hanuman hotel' instead of 'Honeymoon hotel'. In his tweet, Zubair had written, "BEFORE 2014: Honeymoon Hotel. After 2014: Hanuman Hotel".

The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notice to the Delhi Police on a plea moved by Zubair challenging the Patiala House court order allowing his police custody and seizure of his laptop in connection with the alleged objectionable tweet.
Jaipur, July 2 : A major controversy has erupted after a picture of Udaipur murder accused Riyaz Attari with leader of the opposition Gulabchand Kataria went viral on social media.

The picture is reportedly from a 2018 event.

Also, an old post of a worker associated with BJP Minority Morcha surfaced in which he has described Riyaz as a BJP worker.

However, BJP in Rajasthan on Saturday denied the allegation and said that the Udaipur accused has never been a member of the party.

M. Sadiq Khan, Rajasthan BJP Minority Morcha state president said, "BJP is world's largest party and hence anybody can come and click pictures with our leaders. But this doesn't mean that he has been our party member. The accused has never been a member of our party. The state government due to its failure, wants to hold someone responsible. I request the Chief Minister to leave his post," he said.
Bengaluru, July 2 : Kannada actress Ragini Dwivedi's latest photos in swimsuit have set social media on fire and her fans are appreciating her bold looks.

Ragini, known as 'Tuppada hudugi' (ghee waali) among Kannada cinegoers, has acted in more than 25 films.

The actress made her debut with 'Veera Madakari' against Kannada superstar Kichcha Sudeep in 2009.

She has also performed opposite Kannada superstars Upendra and Shivarajkumar.

She was introduced to the modelling industry by fashion guru Prasad Bidapa.

She has worked in Tamil movies and Malayalam movie 'Kandhahar' and 'Face2Face' with superstar Mammootty as her co-star.

After Tamil veteran actress-turned-politician Khushbu, Ragini is the first Kannada actress to have a registered fan club in her name.

She was arrested in connection with Sandalwood drug racket case on September 4, 2020.

on January 26, 2021, the Supreme Court granted her bail after she spent 140 days in Parappana Agrahara central prison in Bengaluru.

She had declared that she will come out clean in the investigation in the coming days and will focus on her career.
Hyderabad : Prime Minister Narendra Modi being welcomed by Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan in Hyderabad on Saturday, July 02, 2022.(IANS/Narendra Modi twitter) Image Source: IANS News

Hyderabad : Prime Minister Narendra Modi being welcomed by party leaders in Hyderabad on Saturday, July 02, 2022.(IANS/Narendra Modi twitter) Image Source: IANS News

Hyderabad, July 2 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Hyderabad on Saturday to attend two-day national executive of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

After landing at Begumpet Airport in the city, he left for Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC), the venue of the meeting, by helicopter.

After reaching Hyderabad, Modi tweeted that he landed in the dynamic city of Hyderabad to take part in the national executive meeting of the BJP. "During this meeting we will discuss a wide range of issues aimed at further strengthening the Party," he wrote.

Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan received the Prime Minister. On behalf of Telangana government, Animal Husbandry Minister T. Srinivas Yadav accorded him a warm welcome.

Senior leaders of BJP received Modi, then left for the venue in a helicopter. After landing at the helipad near HITEX, he reached HICC by road.

A thick security blanket has been thrown around HICC for the meeting, which began at 4 p.m.

About 350 delegates, including BJP national president J. P. Nadda, several central ministers, chief ministers of 18 states, presidents of BJP's state units and other leaders are attending the meeting.

On the first day the meeting is likely to continue till 9 p.m. The Prime Minister will stay at Novotel hotel abutting HICC. Some other key leaders will also stay at the venue.

Modi is likely to address the national executive on the second day. After the conclusion of the national executive, he along with other top leaders will address a public meeting being organised by the party at Parade Grounds in Secunderabad on Sunday evening.

After the public meeting, Modi will stay at Raj Bhavan and will leave for Bhimavaram in Andhra Pradesh on Monday morning.
Lucknow, July 2 : If indecision is the hallmark of any political party in the present times, it is the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

The party which has been on a downslide since the past one decade -- losing seats and votes with an alarming frequency -- remains completely undecided about its political posturing.

BSP supremo Mayawati has been juggling with her vote banks with statements that contradict her own words, and this has led to utter confusion in the ranks.

She issues statements in favour of minorities and then goes on to field a candidate that will ease the victory of BJP in Azamgarh.

She strides on to the stage at a party meeting, holding a trident in hand, and then tweets about secularism in politics.

The BSP President shooed away all major Dalit leaders from her party and believed that Brahmins would help her regain the glory of 2007.

When that did not happen, Satish Chandra Mishra -- the No. 2 in the party -- has been gradually pushed into oblivion.

Mayawati is now left without any 'friends' in UP.

She has ridiculed the Congress and attacked the SP -- both her one-time allies.

Her own vote bank has shifted substantially to the BJP, but the fear of known and unknown keeps her away from making an aggressive bid to reclaim her base.

Mayawati is ploughing a lonely furrow and this is entirely her choice.

Her strong sense of insecurity makes her remain within the confines of her ivory tower.

She does not meet party leaders, party workers and other political leaders. Her interaction with the outside world is restricted to a tweet a day and her press conferences are a one-to-one affair with a single news agency.

"Today, when politics has become a 24x7 affair, Mayawati refuses to meet anyone -- not even her own leaders. She has become completely disconnected with ground realities and this is responsible for the party slipping into a non-entity," said a former BSP MLA.

A one-time associate of late Kanshi Ram said that Mayawati has frittered away the ideology of her own mentor and has experimented with the upper caste, which demolished all that the BSP stood for.

"What makes her think that Dalits will accept a Brahmin as their leader? She has insulted all Dalit leaders, and she now wants the voters to accept her nephew and brother. Mayawati has single-handedly destroyed the legacy of Kanshi Ram, and those who believe in him will never forgive her," he said.

A Congress leader, who was earlier in the BSP, said, "Every political leader in the country knows that Mayawati is an unreliable ally and no one wants to strike a friendship with her. Besides, now that half her vote-bank has drifted away, she no longer holds the key to power."
New Delhi, July 2 : CPI General Secretary D. Raja said that there is no dearth of leadership in opposition parties and every party has many capable leaders.

Talking to IANS, Raja said that he wants to continue the opposition unity even after the Presidential polls.

"We want it to continue. Now, we are together on the Presidential election and after the election every party will decide what should be the future course of action on the continuation of unity in the Opposition," he said.

On the BJP's 'Mission South', he said that the party has tried many times but has always failed in southern states.

Excerpt: Q: Will the opposition unity, which is being exhibited in the Presidential election, now continue further in future?

Raja: We want it to continue. Now, we are together for the Presidential election and after the election every party will decide what should be the future course of action on the continuation of unity in the Opposition.

We have fielded Yashwant Sinha as the combined opposition candidate for the Presidential elections, which are being fought between two ideologies -- one driven by the BJP-RSS combined communal forces and other by democratic and secular forces like us to safeguard the democracy and the Constitution.

Q: The BJP says Opposition lacks face to lead in the national politics. How do you take this? Raja: What is the meaning of leadership for the BJP? If they don't recognise our leadership, it's their fault. It is for our party to recognise ours leadership. We don't want a certificate from Mr (Narendra) Modi and Amit Shah about my leadership or leadership in Congress and other parties. We are with our own ideologies and we are far better than those in terms of having good leadership.

There is no dearth of leadership in opposition parties, every party has many capable leaders and they are leading their parties.

Q: You said that this year's Presidential election is a fight between two ideologies, not of two identities and numbers. And the Electoral College are against the Opposition, in such a situation, how your ideology win will? Raja: It is not a fight between two identities. It is a fight between two ideologies -one is of the BJP-RSS's fascist, sectarian and divisive ideologies and other is the Opposition parties as secular and democratic parties, who want together to safeguard the Constitution and the democracy.

No doubt, the numbers matter in elections but we are in a fight of ideologies not in a fight of identities and ideology will win all the way. Here, numbers are not the problem, ideologies are the problem.

We will go to the people and explain to them why we are fighting the Presidential election. The Left party, like the CPI, has also decided to be the part of broader opposition unity and support Sinha in order to save the nation, safeguard the Constitution and the democracy.

We have made an appeal to all political parties to come together and hope that more parties will support us to save the Constitution and democracy.

Q: Do you think that a change will take place in the next Parliament elections in 2024? Raja: Changes have started taking place and making its way in the country against the fascist party, which has put democracy and the Constitution now in peril. The political situation in the country is fully exploited and vitiated by the BJP. The country is in the grip of a 'kakistocracy' (a government run by the least capable).

We are trying to put all secular and democratic parties together and partially we have succeeded in bringing all the major parties together in this Presidential election. Let's see what happens in the future.

Q: To expand its footprint the BJP is now focusing on the Southern state under its well-thought-out 'Mission South'. What you have to say? Raja: The BJP has been trying to expand its footholds in South India since long times but it always proved thespeian efforts in Southern states. What is Mission South? What are their (BJP) ideologies? This will make no impact in the politics of South India for this fascist party. The communal authoritarian ideology of the BJP-RSS is threatening the secular democratic foundation and the people are getting ready to give befitting reply to such fascist political parties.

In democracy, parties can go anywhere and explain their ideologies to the people. Even the people in Northern states have started realising that the BJP is a party which believes illiberal and monolithic ideologies and how misled them through false political rhetoric and narratives.

So, wait and see that the fascist party like the BJP will not succeed further in Southern India also.
Kolkata, July 2 : Kolkata Police, on Saturday, issued lockout notice against suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma, whose controversial comments about Prophet Muhammad had created nationwide stir and tension last month.

A senior official of the city police informed that they were forced to issue the lookout notice as Sharma did not turn up after she was sent two notices for appearance for interrogation. Kolkata Police is the first to issue a lookout notice against Sharma on this issue.

First, Narkeldanga Police Station, under the eastern suburban division of Kolkata Police, had issued a similar summon to Sharma, asking her to be present for questioning at the said police station on June 20. Then a fresh notice was issued by Amherst Street police station, under Kolkata Police's north and north suburban division, asking Sharma to be present at the police station on June 25.

However, in both the cases, she had sent a last moment email communique to the city police expressing her inability to appear seeking more time for the same. She also expressed apprehension about security threats if she comes to Kolkata.

The city police official informed that different individuals have filed 10 FIRs in different police stations against Sharma holding her controversial comments about Prophet Muhammad responsible for fuelling communal tension in different pockets in the state.

Already, a motion condemning Nupur Sharma's controversial comments has been passed in the West Bengal assembly.

Soon after Sharma's controversial comments went viral, there was severe tension in several minority-dominated pockets in West Bengal in districts like Kolkata and adjacent Howrah, Murshidabad, and Nadia.

Clashes erupted between the agitators and police in which Domjur police station in Howrah district was attacked, police vehicles were torched and several police personnel were injured. Internet services were suspended in several areas.

Following countrywide tension over the controversial comments, the BJP suspended Nupur Sharma from the party. The BJP also took action against its Delhi leader Naveen Kumar Jindal who shared her comments on Twitter.
New Delhi, July 2 : A 9-year-old boy was killed after the front lanter of a house fell on him, an official said here on Saturday.

The deceased has been identified as Kunal, a resident of AD Block in Rohini's Begum Vihar area.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rohini) Pranav Tayal said that the incident took place on Friday when the boy was playing in front of an old house in Begum Vihar.

"A PCR call was received at the Begumpur police station stating that a boy got injured after the front lanter ('chhajja') of a house fell on him in Begum Vihar," the DCP said.

The injured boy was rushed to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his injuries during treatment.

The police have registered a case in the matter and further probe is on.
New Delhi, July 2 : Former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh is in the race to become the next Vice President of India.

Sources said that the NDA is likely to name the fromer Punjab Chief Minister as its candidate for the Vice President's post.

"Several names are doing the rounds of which the prominent ones are Amarinder Singh, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi. The vice presidential candidate will be finalised by the top BJP leadership and the Parliamentary Board," said a BJP insider.

Singh is currently in London for a back surgery. However, a close aide of the former Punjab Chief Minister said that no confirmation has been received yet proposing Singh's name as NDA's nominee for the Vice President's post.

There is also a buzz in BJP circles that incumbent Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu could be given a second term, but as of now there have been no official deliberations on this.

Singh left the Congress and formed the Punjab Lok Congress after he was removed from the post of Punjab Chief Minister last year. He contested the recent Punjab Assembly polls in alliance with the BJP.

The BJP-led NDA candidate is all set to become the next Vice President as the voters are the Members of Parliament and the BJP has a huge mandate in the Lok Sabha while in the Rajya Sabha, it is the single-largest party having more than 90 seats.

In the last election in 2017, the Opposition had fielded Gopalkrishna Gandhi but he lost to Naidu. Naidu polled 516 votes while Gandhi could manage only 244 votes.

The Vice Presidential election is scheduled to be held on August 6.
Jaipur :Police took away an accused of Kanhaiya Lal killing case after he was produced at an NIA court in Jaipur on Saturday July 02,2022, Kanhaiya Lal was killed by two men at his shop in Udaipur.(Photo:Ravi shankar vyas/IANS) Image Source: IANS News

Jaipur :Police took away an accused of Kanhaiya Lal killing case after he was produced at an NIA court in Jaipur on Saturday July 02,2022, Kanhaiya Lal was killed by two men at his shop in Udaipur.(Photo:Ravi shankar vyas/IANS) Image Source: IANS News

Jaipur :Police took away an accused of Kanhaiya Lal killing case after he was produced at an NIA court in Jaipur on Saturday July 02,2022, Kanhaiya Lal was killed by two men at his shop in Udaipur.(Photo:Ravi shankar vyas/IANS) Image Source: IANS News

Jaipur, July 2 : An angry mob attacked the two main accused in the Udaipur tailor murder case outside the premises of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) court here on Saturday.

The accused were thrashed by the mob as well as lawyears who were waiting outside the court premises when the accused were being escorted by the police.

A heavy police force was deployed outside the NIA court where a large group of people gathered and raised slogans when the accused were being brought out of the court.

Earlier, the NIA court sent all the four accused, including prime accused Mohammad Riyaz and Ghouse Mohammad, to 10-day NIA remand till July 12.

A few lawyers inside the courtroom premises also demanded death punishment for the accused. When the two prime accused were escorted outside the court by the police, an infuriated crowd attacked them with bottles and slippers.

On June 28, a tailor named Kanhaiya Lal was beheaded in broad daylight inside his tailoring shop on a crowded lane in Udaipur for allegedly supporting suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma over her controversial remarks on Prophet Muhammed.

The prime accused -- Mohammad Riyaz and Ghouse Mohammad -- even filmed act and uploaded it on social media.

While Riyaz and Ghouse Mohammad were arrested that day itself, two more persons, identified as Mohsin and Asif, were arrested on Thursday in connection with Kanhaiya Lal's murder.

The NIA is probing the matter with support from the Anti-Terrorist Squad and Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Rajasthan Police.
Kolkata, July 2 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has started its probe into the huge cache of explosives like ammonium nitrate and detonators seized from Nalhati in West Bengal's Birbhum district late on Friday night.

The recovery of the explosives was done by the state police's Special Task Force (STF). However, considering the quantum of the cache and seriousness of the matter, the NIA too has started conducting a parallel probe in the matter, especially to find out the reason amassing such a quantity of explosives.

Sources from the STF said that there are two possibilities for such a huge amount of explosives being stockpiled.

There is a possibility that it was meant for the left- wing extremist cadres who have again started reorganising in different pockets of the state, while STF sleuths also do not rule out the involvement of sleeper cells of the banned Bangladesh-based terror outfit, Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), who are quite active in pockets of Birbhum and its adjacent Burdwan district.

STF sources said that the quantum of explosives recovered are enough to blow up an entire town. The quantity of ammonium nitrate recovered is 28,000 kgs and the number of detonators recovered is 81,000 pieces.

Truck-driver Asish Keora has already been arrested in this connection for allegedly transporting these huge quantities of explosives and detonators in phases.

Now, questions have also started being raised about the intelligence failure on part of the police. Such huge quantities cannot be transported and stored in a single phase or even a single day and surely it was done over a period of time.

State police sources, however, said that a number of illegal stone quarries are scattered across different pockets of Birbhum, where there are requirements of explosives and raids are conducted at these in search of explosives. Although explosives had been recovered from Birbhum, the quantity recovered was nowhere near that recovered on Friday.
Chennai, July 2 : Malayalam movie director Anil is making his Kollywood debut with 'Saayavanam' starring Soundararaja and Devananda in the lead roles and produced by Santhosh Damodharan under the Damor Cinema banner.

Anil has directed more than 40 Malayalam movies and has worked with top Malayalam heroes. His latest film 'Maiya' is made in Hindi and is all set for release.

Damor Cinema commenced their production journey with the movie 'Pakalpooram' which was also directed by Anil. The production company has so far made several hit movies including 'Vaalkannadi', 'Ivar', 'Chandrolsavam' and 'Kurushetra'.

Soundararaja of 'Kadaikutty Singam', 'Dharmadhurai' and 'Sundarapandian' fame plays the lead role in 'Saayavanam'. This is the third movie for Soundararaja to play the lead role. Earlier, he had played the lead in 'Oru Kanavu Pola' and 'Enakku Veru Engum Kilaigal Kidayathu' with 'Comedy King' Gowndamani.

Speaking about 'Saayavanam', Anil said that he wanted a different script to make his Kollywood entry.

"The title of the movie means 'wild forest' which is also the representation of the characters in the movie. The story revolves around the character Seetha played by Devanada. Soundararaja has got in to the skin of the character and has delivered an excellent performance," Anil said.

He further said that major portion of the movie was shot in Cherrapunji.

"I believe that this is the first Tamil film which is entirely shot with mist, rain and forest. The elements are used to represent the mindset of the characters in the movie. The characters are wild like the forest, they have their own secrets like the mist and rain," he added.

National Award winner Appukutty and Janaki of Karnan fame play supporting roles in the movie.

L. Ramachandran is the cameraman for the flick. Music is by Poly Varghees who is a Mohana Veena player. Editing for the film will be done by Arul Siddharth.
Hyderabad, July 2 : Hitting out at the opposition parties, BJP chief J.P. Nadda on Saturday said that while opposing the Prime Minister they have started opposing the country.

Nadda was speaking at two days BJP's National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting which started here on Saturday.

Speaking about Nadda's inaugural address, Union Minister Smriti Irani said, "While our president spoke about constructive politics of BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister he reflected on the destruction opposition parties are thrusting upon the people of the country. That the opposition is mostly family oriented. Opposition parties have time and again tried to ensure that the policies and programmes of the government which are dedicated to building a resurgent India, are met with destruction and disruption." "Nadda ji said that while opposing Prime Minister Modi, they (opposition parties) have started opposing the country. It is unfortunate that opposition parties are unaware about the responsibility." Irani also said that Nadda in his address paid homage to BJP workers of West Bengal and Kerala who met with many challenges and were slaughtered and assaulted, while party workers in Jammu and Kashmir confronted those who wanted to break India.

She further said that during his address, the BJP chief mentioned the pro-poor welfare policies of the Modi government.

"BJP chief spoke elaborately on government schemes on Jan Dhan Yojana which has provided economic support to close to 45 crore people, PM Awas Yojana which provided more than three crore houses, Ayushman Bharat and others," Irani said.

She said that Nadda also congratulated the BJP workers in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa for their majestic win in recent state assembly polls.
Mumbai, July 2 : American actor Aramis Knight, who essays the role of Kareem, a member of the Red Daggers, in the superhero series 'Ms. Marvel', spoke about the similarities he shares with his character.

Aramis, who is of Pakistani descent, has stepped into the shoes of Kareem, who too hails from Pakistan. The actor said: "I think the producers made a very smart choice while casting us because everyone who has been casted for characters have been the characters which are very similar to the individual that they are portrayed by." "Moreover, my character of Kareem is someone who is compassionate and someone who has passion to work for the cause. Also I think I connect with him over the cause of loyalty because he is very loyal to the Red Daggers and I am a very loyal person as well. So I definitely saw a lot of myself in Kareem and then comes the martial arts aspect as I am a martial artiste as well." However, not everything is identical and overlapping between Knight and Kareem, as he mentioned: "One thing I would say is different about me and Kareem is that I am from California and my grandmother was from Karachi originally.So, I had to learn a new dialect.

"I can picture my grandmother's voice in my head. It helped a lot with the general rules of having a Karachi accent. This part was a bit difficult, hours of dialogue training helped me master it over a period of time," he concluded.

'Ms. Marvel' is currently streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.
Hyderabad, July 2 : Union Minister Smriti Irani on Saturday said that Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has not just insulted the Prime Minister but the institution also.

Doing away from protocol Telangana Chief Minister Rao did not receive Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the airport but went to receive joint opposition presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha.

A minister from the Telangana government received Prime Minister Modi at Hyderabad airport.

Prime Minister Modi is in the city to attend a two-day BJP National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting. "He (chief minister KCR) has not just insulted the Prime Minister but the institution. The Prime Minister has accepted everyone with open arms," Irani said.

She also hit out at TRS working president and minister in Telangana government K.T. Rama Rao for calling the BJP's NEC meet a 'circus'. "For KTR, a National Executive is a clownish procedure, but for the BJP, it is an opportunity to honour state workers. They may not take their national executive seriously. For us, it is a matter of great pride. For it is in such a meeting that we pay homage to workers and we also take the pledge of working for the nation," Irani added.
Guwahati, 2 July : A man was arrested in Assam's Hailakandi district for allegedly supporting the gruesome murder of tailor Kanaihya Lal in Rajasthan's Udaipur, police said on Saturday.

Samsul Laskar was taken into custody for a comment on Facebook where he allegedly supported the killing, a senior police officer said.

A case was registered against Laskar under various sections of the IPC and the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act after a local BJP leader lodged a police complaint.

An FIR was lodged on the complaint and Laskar was arrested on Thursday night.

Superintendent of Police, Hailkanadi, Gaurav Upadhyay told IANS that the man was produced before the court on Friday and he was sent to two days police custody.

"We are looking into all angles of this matter," he added.
Chandigarh, July 2 : Taking notice of the manual scavenging, which has been done on the directions of Delhi MLA Naresh Balyan, National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) Chairman Vijay Sampla has asked Delhi police to register an FIR and submit the action taken report.

On his Twitter account, Aam Aadmi Party leader Balyan shared four pictures related to drain and sewage cleaning as a part of monsoon preparedness.

With this, the AAP leader said, "Even though the Delhi Municipal Corporation is not performing the required public works, the Delhi government is dedicated to helping the people." "Before monsoon starts, the PWD is cleaning all the big drains (nallah) in the Uttam Nagar constituency of New Delhi, so that people do not face inconvenience due to water logging." However, in the attached pictures, it is clearly visible that the cleaning of drains was done through manual scavenging, the practice that is completely banned.

As per government rules, the sewers or drains should be cleaned with electro-hydraulically machines.

NCSC Chairman Sampla took prompt action and replied to Balyan's tweet.

"The politicians must not misuse the Scheduled Caste community. They should remember that manual scavenging and cleaning of sewage or drains, manually, is banned practice and is a crime. MLA Naresh Balyan is involved in this crime. Delhi police, led by Commissioner of Police (CP), must register an FIR against him, investigate the matter and submit the immediate action taken report to NCSC", Sampla said in a tweet.
Los Angeles, July 2 : Marta Kauffman, the co-creator of the iconic American sitcom 'Friends' expressed her regret over the lack of diversity in her show as she felt that the show brought in systematic racism, reports 'Deadline'.

Earlier, Kauffman made a generous donation to Brandeis University, her alma mater. She pledged $4 million to establish an endowed professorship in the African and African American Studies Department there.

'Deadline' noted that after making the pledge, Kauffman said: "It took me a long time to begin to understand how I internalised systemic racism. I've been working really hard to become an ally, an anti-racist. And this seemed to me to be a way that I could participate in the conversation from a white woman's perspective." 'Friends', which Kauffman co-created with David Crane, has been criticised through the years for its lack of diversity. Kauffman at the time saw the show as being unfairly targeted. Since then, she has been outspoken with her regrets about its shortcomings -- both in front of and behind the camera.

But she told the 'Los Angeles Times' this week that she has now connected the show's shortcomings in this area to her own failings.

"It was after what happened to George Floyd that I began to wrestle with my having bought into systemic racism in ways I was never aware of," said Kauffman. "That was really the moment that I began to examine the ways I had participated. I knew then I needed to course-correct.

"I've learned a lot in the last 20 years," Kauffman continued. "Admitting and accepting guilt is not easy. It's painful looking at yourself in the mirror. I'm embarrassed that I didn't know better 25 years ago." "I feel I was finally able to make some difference in the conversation," she said. "I have to say, after agreeing to this and when I stopped sweating, it didn't unburden me, but it lifted me up." She concluded by saying: "But until in my next production I can do it right, it isn't over. I want to make sure from now on in every production I do that I am conscious in hiring people of color and actively pursue young writers of color. I want to know I will act differently from now on. And then, I will feel unburdened."
Kabul, July 2 : The US has confirmed holding talks on unfreezing Afghanistans foreign reserves with a high-level Taliban delegation in Doha, media reports said.

As the Taliban government seeks to get the Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB) assets, the Joe Biden administration wants assurances that the money would be spent on helping the Afghan people, Pajhwok News reported.

The State Department said the United States renewed its pledge of $55 million in fresh aid for the earthquake survivors in Afghanistan.

A statement from the State Department said: "The two sides discussed in detail US actions to preserve $3.5 billion in Afghan central bank reserves for the benefit of the Afghan people." It added: "The United States expressed condolences for the loss of life and suffering in Afghanistan caused by recent earthquakes." At the two-day meeting, the US delegation was headed by Special Representative for Afghanistan, Thomas West, Pajhwok News reported.

The Afghan delegation, led by Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, included senior officials from DAB and the Ministry of Finance.

"Muttaqi highlighted the positive changes with the coming to power of the new government, calling the security situation in Afghanistan exemplary," the Foreign Ministry spokesman tweeted.

West also commended the transparent distribution of humanitarian aid in Afghanistan.

"The United States supports the Afghan people's demands that girls be allowed to return to school and that women be allowed to work, contribute to the country's economic growth and express themselves freely," the statement concluded.
Los Angeles, July 2 : Taron Egerton is in talks with Kevin Feige and other Marvel Studio executives about taking on the role of Wolverine, previously brought to screen by Hugh Jackman, reports 'Deadline'.

Egerton, has previously co-starred with Jackman in 2016's 'Eddie the Eagle' and as a member of the X-Men in 2017's 'Logan'.

The 'Rocketman' star told 'The New York Times' about his desire to pick up the baton from Jackman and play the character central to both the X-Men and Avengers franchises.

He said, "I don't think it would be wrong to say that. I'd be excited but I'd be apprehensive as well, because Hugh is so associated with the role that I'd wonder if it'd be very difficult for someone else to do it. But hopefully if it does come around, they'll give me a shot." 'Deadline' noted that the British actor will appear next in Apple TV+ drama 'Black Bird', to debut on July 8. He plays an imprisoned drug dealer in the six-episode series adapted by Dennis Lehane from the prison memoir of James Keene.

Egerton's character faces the offer of a commuted sentence if he is able to convince his fellow inmate to admit to serious crimes.
Mumbai, July 2 : Actor Manish Chaudhari, who is gearing up for the release of his upcoming combat OTT series 'Shoorveer', sheds light on how he prepped for his role of Ranjan Malik, a Special Forces Operative.

Talking about his role, Manish said: "I made an effort to understand the mindset of a Special Forces Operative. They represent the top 1 per cent of their respective armed forces. I looked closely at their training regimes and their 'normal' 24 hour day.

"Special Forces Operatives around the world wake up at 4 a.m, every day. In fact, once when a Special Forces Commander was asked what time he and the boys in his unit woke up, he replied, 'before the enemy'." "This was the first breakthrough with regards to the character," Chaudhari said.

"The challenge was to get up at 4 a.m. every day! It was an extremely difficult thing to do in the beginning but I managed to get into the rhythm of it by the time we started filming.

"I realised that while there will be a million reasons to not get up at 4 a.m., there will be just one reason to actually be up at 4! It's about your will, your intent, and your motivation. That is what separates the best from the rest. It has been an exceptionally enriching experience for me," Manish said.

He followed the advice of an American Admiral, which he saw in a video. The American officer told the importance of making their bed in the morning in his speech to the cadets.

Manish said, "No matter how badly your day might go, if your bed is made well, you can be certain that you will get a comfortable night's rest. That is what I did, I made my bed in the morning, as well as I could! It all became clear to me while portraying the character of Ranjan Malik.

"Then came the physical training. I did a lot of calisthenics training, pull ups, pushups, squats and running. By the time I had reached the sets to start filming at 9 a.m., I had already been up for five solid hours and ready for anything the day might fling at me." 'Shoorveer' will be available for streaming on Disney+ Hotstar from July 15.
New Delhi, July 2 : Proving yet again India's growing stature in the world, S8UL became the first Indian esports group to be nominated for the prestigious global "Esports Awards" in the 'Content Group of the Year' category. S8UL co-founder Naman Mathur aka Mortal has been nominated for 'Esports Personality of the Year'.

The esports awards are regarded as the most popular and significant annual awards in the industry globally. It is the world's top honour for the excellence and accomplishments of athletes and teams in the Esports industry worldwide.

S8UL is the brainchild of the country's three veteran esports players, Naman Mathur aka Mortal, Animesh Agarwal aka 8Bit Thug and Lokesh Jain aka Goldy, who created this organisation to shape the Indian gaming industry into a mix of professional gameplay and engaging content for the audiences.

"A nomination in the Esports Awards shows the strong position that S8UL has created in the global esports circuit. It's the result of the hard work that team S8UL has put in in the last two years. I am very confident that this nomination will be a motivation not just for us but for everyone in India who wants to contribute to the growth of Esports in the country. Mortal, as we call him the face of the Indian gaming and esports community, never misses any chance to make our country proud. I am very confident that both S8UL and Mortal are going to take a giant leap this year with these nominations and we are super excited to add more trophies at our S8UL Gaming House." said Lokesh Jain aka Goldy.

In two years since its inception, S8UL has not only won major tournaments but has also emerged as a national sensation. With top creators and gamers on their roster, S8UL has been actively promoting the acceptance and appeal of gaming content in India through their online platforms like YouTube, Instagram, discord, etc. S8UL is in contention for the award along with nine other top international organisations, such as 100 Thieves, FaZe Clan, One True King and Full Squad Gaming.

Mortal has been nominated alongside other top athletes like Faker and Goldenboy. He is also the only Indian esports athlete to be nominated in the history of the global "Esports Awards". Earlier, he was nominated for the Streamer of the Year in 2020 and 2021 and claimed second place on both occasions.

Mortal has represented Soul in numerous PUBG/BGMI tournaments and has also won titles in events like PMIS and PMCO Spring Split: India.
Ahmedabad, July 2 : The Gujarat Congress at an event here on Saturday appointed Narendra Solanki as the President of the state unit of National Students Union of India NSUI, the party's student wing.

Members of NSUI from all across Gujarat were present at the event which was also attended by state Congress President Jagdish Thakor.

Speaking at the event, Thakor slammed the BJP government in Gujarat, stating that it doesn't want the poor students to get educated or secure government jobs.

"The government is leaking question papers for competitive exams so that the poor students don't get jobs. One lakh youth from the NSUI and Youth Congress would soon gather and launch a students' movement. We are even ready to go to the jail," he said.

Solanki, who replaced Mahipal Gadhvi as the state NSUI chief, said, "The BJP government has commercialised the education system in the state. The youth are turning into drug addicts today for which I hold the government responsible. We are going to soon initiate a movement against the corrupt education system and the drugs menace in the state."
Mumbai, July 2 : After remaining 12 days on the move, jet-setting to 3 states and successfully toppling Maharashtra's Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) from long distance, the rebel group of Shiv Sena and independent/smaller parties' MLAs finally returned to their home state late on Saturday.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who had gone to Goa to fetch them, travelled with them in a special flight, a convoy of deluxe buses, flanked by security vehicles, zooming through a 'green corridor' to the Hotel Taj President in Cuffe Parade.

The MLAs will put up at the hotel before travelling 3-kms to Vidhan Bhavan in Nariman Point to attend the 2-day special session of Maharashtra Assembly on Sunday-Monday to elect a new Speaker and a "vote of confidence".

Traffic was halted on almost the entire 27-km route from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport to Cuffe Parade, with tight security on both sides as a precaution.

A battery of top Bharatiya Janata Party functionaries led by its state President Chandrakant Patil accorded them a conquerors' welcome at the hotel late this evening.

On the night of June 20, the rebels had quietly gone incommunicado and by June 21 morning, all political hell broke loose as the 'rebellion" came to the fore, shaking the 30-month-old MVA regime headed by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

Initially, the rebels spent a night in Gujarat's Surat, then flew down to Guwahati for around a week, and then to Goa for the past 3 days, always remaining out of "reach" of the desperate Shiv Sena leaders in Mumbai hoping to win - and wean - them back.

Probably sensing the writing on the wall, after a fervent appeal to the deserters, Thackeray vacated his official residence 'Varsha' on June 22, and shifted to his private home 'Matoshri'.

As the political crisis became deeper, Thackeray resigned as the CM and also quit his MLC seat on the night of June 29 - after an emotional social media address to the state.

The next day, June 30, the BJP sprang a massive surprise by supporting the rebel group leader Eknath Shinde for the top post, and hours later the BJP central leadership dropped a bolt by insisting former CM Devendra Fadnavis join the new government as Deputy Chief Minister.

The same evening, Shinde and Fadnavis took oath as Chief Minister and Deputy CM, finally drawing the curtain on the unprecedented political upheaval that rocked the state for 10 days.

Shortly after their arrival at the hotel, the BJP and Shinde group MLAs', besides independents and smaller parties, numbering around 170, got into their first face-to-face joint meeting to finalise their political strategies for the next couple of days.

Following the Speaker's election on Sunday - with a contest between BJP's Rahul Narwekar and MVA's Sena MLA Rajan Salvi - and the confidence vote scheduled on Monday, the two-man Shinde-Fadnavis cabinet expansion process is likely to be set rolling.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at q.najmi@ians.in)
New Delhi, July 2 : The Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) on Saturday demanded immediate arrest of suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma over her alleged controversial remarks on Prophet Muhammad.

JIH president Syed Sadatullah Husaini said if apology can replace the punishment, then there is no need of courts and prisons in the country.

The JIH also demanded action against "the politicians, TV channels and media houses that are fanning hatred in the country".

The remarks came at a media briefing held jointly by Husaini and JIH vice-president Mohammad Salim Engineer on Saturday here.

However, the apex court in an oral observation on Friday suggested that suspended BJP spokesperson Sharma should apologise to the nation.

The JIH leaders said that the Udaipur murder and a series of mob lynching incidents in different parts of the country -- including beating to death of an elderly Hindu on the basis of a mistaken identity in Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh recently -- were interlinked and politicians and media involved in spreading hate were responsible for it.

"There should be no double standard in taking action against those involved in promoting hate," Husaini said on the arrest of Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair and allowing former BJP leader Nupur Sharma move freely. He said that there should be no two sets of laws in dealing with accused based on their religious identity.

Salim said that it was highly disappointing that Nupur had not been arrested even after a month of her remarks on a TV channel. This, he said, has spoiled the image of India abroad.
New Delhi, July 2 : A representative of Hurriyat Conference living in Pakistan since 30 years but claiming to be a Kashmiri and a supporter of Kashmirs independence from India, Hamid Lone, is receiving a public backlash for being involved in shady activities, media reports said.

Ranging from womanising to corruption, his record of illegal activities hit a new low when he was caught blackmailing a woman to satisfy his lust, Real Kashmir reported.

Social activist Maria Iqbal Tarana revealed publicly how Lone calls and stalks young girls. She called him a 'dirty vulture' and said she won't succumb to his blackmails, the report said.

Maria has worked extensively for education of rural women in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK).

Meanwhile, a premier investigation agency in Pakistan has booked Kashmiri separatist leaders for embezzling funds of nearly Rs 100 crore in a corruption case involving a housing society in Islamabad.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has booked Kashmiri separatist leader Altaf Ahmad Bhat and 15 associates for "fraud, cheating and criminal breach of trust". Bhat is the president of the Central Board of Revenue Employees Cooperative Housing Society (CBRECHS), Real Kashmir reported.

Altaf lives on the outskirts of Srinagar in the Bagh-e-Mehtab locality. He is a prominent leader of Hurriyat Conference in Pakistan.

The agency has said the accused executed agreements on "exorbitant rates without considering the actual rate of the land", changed the agreement of land use by turning residential plots into commercial plots without paying conversion fee and released payment to actual landowners without physically taking over the land.

The FIA has arrested two persons - Choudhary Nazir Ahmed, CBRECHS executive member, and Rana Liaqat Ali (landowner). The case was filed on the directions of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Altaf, who is the brother of Kashmiri separatist leader Zaffar Akbar Bhat, is absconding.

Zaffar, a former militant commander and founder of the Salvation Movement, a separatist outfit, has been arrested by the J&K Police for allegedly selling MBBS seats in Pakistan's professional colleges, which are reserved for Kashmiri students, and used the money to allegedly fund violent activities in Kashmir.

Zaffar was also questioned by the National Investigation Agency in a terror funding case, Real Kashmir reported.
New Delhi, July 2 : India has handed over a 50-bed India-Tajikistan Friendship Hospital (ITFH) to Tajikistan along with the entire complement of medical equipment, medicines, stores and support equipment, including an operation theatre, X-Ray machines, laboratories, critical care ambulances and administrative vehicles, an official said on Saturday.

It may be recalled that the ITFH was renovated by the Indian government and inaugurated in October 2014 based on an MoU signed between both sides in January 2013.

"The hospital has rendered free-of-cost valuable medical services for the last eight years to the armed forces and civilian populace of Tajikistan based on technical support and financial assistance from the government of India," the official said.

Presently, the ITFH has an array of medical specialties including ENT, surgery, gynecology, medicine, pediatrics and dental departments. It has provided medical support to more than 1,00,000 patients over these years, including performing more than 2,000 surgeries in the last two years.

A team of Indian Army doctors and medical staff have provided various medical services to Tajik nationals and simultaneously trained numerous Tajik doctors and medical staff. Over 42 tonnes of medicines have been sent to ITFH in the last eight years, said the official.

Apart from the ITFH, the Indian government has also provided medical support in other forms to Tajikistan.

"India provided two million doses of oral polio vaccine through UNICEF in 2010 after the outbreak of polio in south-west Tajikistan. In March 2018, India gifted 10 ambulances to various regions of Tajikistan," the official said.

In May 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, India provided 50,000 HCQ tablets and 100,000 paracetamol tablets to Tajikistan. In 2021, approximately 700,000 Covishield vaccines were supplied to Tajikistan, the official added.
New York, July 2 : The US Supreme Court has agreed to hear the redistricting case that could majorly impact the upcoming November 8 elections to the 435-member house of representatives following the 2020 census of reapportionment of constituencies for the mid-terms.

On Thursday, the apex court agreed to hear a dispute over redistricting in North Carolina, a case that could have major implications for voting rights across the country and fundamentally change the landscape of election law, feel election analysts.

At the centre of the wide-ranging case is the fate of a legal doctrine that allows state courts to check the behaviour of state legislatures.

A decision to undermine the courts could empower state lawmakers in disputes over redistricting maps and potentially offer them more freedom to intervene in federal elections, CNN TV network reports.

The decision to hear the case is a boon to Republicans, who control the majority of state legislatures, and have seen congressional and state legislative maps struck down by state courts.

The so-called "Independent State Legislature" theory, which lies at the centre of the legal nuts and bolts, was also pushed by allies of former President Donald Trump after the 2020 election as part of their bid to effectively overrule the will of voters and potentially replace electors for President Joe Biden with slates selected by Trump allies in state government, says CNN.

According to Rick Hasen, an election law expert at the University of California, Irvine School of Law, legislatures have set ground rules for conducting an election, but not acted alone or with the final word.

The processes they set in place, as it currently stands, are also subject to intervention and interpretation by election administrators and state courts. "If the Supreme Court adopts this theory, voters would have their rights further eroded by a neutering of state courts' ability to be more protective of voters than federal courts," Hasen said.

The appeal was brought by Republicans in North Carolina who challenge congressional maps drawn by state judges that reportedly favour Democrats.

The dispute arose after North Carolina gained a seat in the House of Representatives, and the North Carolina General Assembly twice adopted new congressional districting maps. On both occasions, however, the state Supreme Court rejected the maps and finally ordered that the 2022 election go forward with maps drawn by judges. The court held that the General Assembly's maps amounted to partisan gerrymanders and violated provisions of the state constitution, says CNN.

"Achieving partisan advantage not commensurate with a political party's level of statewide voter support is neither a compelling nor a legitimate governmental interest," the majority wrote in its opinion. Lawyers for Republican state House Speaker Timothy Moore and state Senate President Pro Tempore Philip Berger asked the Supreme Court to step in to block the lower court ruling on an emergency basis back in March.

The court had then declined to step in over the dissent of Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch. Alito, writing for his colleagues, said that the case presented an "exceptionally important and recurring question of constitutional law." "If the language of the Electors Clause is taken seriously, there must be some limit on the authority of state courts to countermand actions taken by state legislatures when they are prescribing rules for the conduct of federal elections," Alito wrote.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh concurred with his conservative colleagues that the court should eventually take up the issue of the role of state courts. But he joined the majority in the case at hand, allowing the maps to be used for upcoming election procedures.

"This Court has repeatedly ruled that federal courts ordinarily should not alter state election laws in the period close to an election," Kavanaugh wrote.
New Delhi, July 2 : A 40-year-old builder was shot dead by unknown assailants here on Saturday, the police said.

The incident took place at around 2.30 p.m. when Amit Goyal was going from his office to the parking space where his car was parked.

Goyal, a resident of Meera Bagh, had his office in Vikas Tower at Jwala Heri Market.

DCP Sameer Sharma said the assailants came on a car and fired multiple shots at the builder.

"He was rushed to the Balaji Action Hospital in Paschim Vihar where he was declared 'brought dead' by the doctors," the police officer said.

The police have recovered empty bullet cartridges from the spot.

"Nine teams including special staff are currently working to trace and arrest the accused persons," the DCP added.
Silchar : , July 2 (IANS) Two persons have been arrested in Assam's Cachar district in connection with the breach of an embankment of Barak river which eventually led to a massive flood in Silchar city, an official said on Saturday.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Mithu Hussain Laskar and Kabul Khan.

Cachar Superintendent of Police, Ramandeep Kaur has confirmed the arrest.

She, however, refused to divulge the details on the role of the two in the incident.

Kaur told IANS that the police were investigating the matter.

Laskar was nabbed by the police on Saturday, while Khan was arrested on Friday night.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma earlier said that the flood was a 'man-made' disaster and the miscreants would face stringent action.

Khan had allegedly filmed a video of the breach which the Chief Minister had shown to the local residents when he had visited the embankment site in Cachar district.

He was seen asking the people to identify the voices in the video. Subsequently, Khan was identified.

It has been learnt that six persons were mainly responsible for the breaching of the embankment.

Sarma said: "A case has now been registered by the CID in Guwahati. The Additional Director-General of Police of CID will head the investigation into the case and a special task force will monitor the probe." According to reports, on May 24, a police complaint was lodged against unknown miscreants for cutting through the embankment at Bethukandi, situated about 3 km from Silchar to let the rain-accumulated water of a wetland drain into the Barak river.

Later, in June, the river water entered following heavy torrential rain and engulfed Silchar, affecting more than 1 lakh people.
New Delhi, July 2 : Due to a likely formation of a low pressure area over north Odisha and adjoining areas during next 48 hours, the IMD has warned of heavy rainfall activity over Odisha with an orange alert on Sunday.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday said: "A cyclonic circulation lies over Bangladesh & neighbourhood and extends up to 7.6 km above mean sea level tilting south westwards with height. Under its influence, a Low Pressure Area is likely to form over north Odisha & neighbourhood during next 48 hours." Under its influence, widespread light to moderate rainfall activity with isolated heavy rainfall (7 to 11 cm) to very heavy (11 to 20 cm) rainfall at one or two places is likely during next 4 to 5 days over some districts of Odisha.

The IMD has also warned of enhanced rainfall activity likely over Gujarat, Konkan, and Goa during next five days, over Central India on July 4 and 5, and over northwest India on July 5 and 6.

"A cyclonic circulation lies over central parts of Rajasthan in lower and middle tropospheric levels and a trough runs from this circulation to west-central Arabian Sea in middle tropospheric levels. There are strong westerly winds along the west peninsular coast in the lower levels," the IMD said.

Isolated heavy rainfall very likely over Gujarat, Konkan, Goa, coastal Karnataka, Kerala, and Mahe during next 5 days, and over central Maharashtra and south interior Karnataka from July 4 to 6.

Isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall is also very likely over Konkan and Goa on July 4 and coastal Karnataka on July 6.

Isolated extremely heavy rainfall is also likely over Konkan & Goa on July 5 and 6, the IMD warned.
Thiruvananthapuram, July 3 : The drama that began on Sunday morning when seven-time Kerala lawmaker P.C. George, called as a witness in a conspiracy case, was arrested in a case filed by the solar scam accused for outraging her modesty, ended in the night when a court here granted him bail.

Addressing the media, George's counsel, Ajithkumar said that the victim said the incident took place on February 10 but the complaint was only registered by her on July 2 and the arrest was effected soon.

"How do you explain the delay," he asked.

After George was arrested by the Museum police soon after emerging from giving his statement to the Crime Branch around noon, he was then taken to the Armed Reserve Police camp for questioning and then for a medical check-up.

He was then brought before the court and after a nearly a three-hour argument, secured bail after 9 p.m.

Coming out of the court, George told the media that the message in his bail is that faith in the judiciary will increase as this was a conspiracy to trap him.

He said that he has been speaking about a businessman called Farris Abubacker, whom he alleged was the person behind all the present events in the state.

"Farris Abubacker is a real estate don and an agent of (Chief Minister Pinarayi) Vijayan. Till 2016 Chennai was his location and Vijayan used to meet him. After 2016, he moved to US and Vijayan is also going there...," he said.

"I will soon approach all the investigating agencies with evidence and also approach the legal system against Vijayan, his daughter and his wife and their dealings," George added.

Earlier in the day, as he was taken away after being was arrested in the case filed by the solar scam accused, George said that "this is nothing but a high-level conspiracy to trap me" by Vijayan.

"You will all know what she said about me in the past. She told me that barring me, all other political leaders have exploited her. This case was registered based on her complaint and was taken by the police on Saturday around 11 a.m. This is nothing but a conspiracy because this lady several times wanted me to testify before the CBI that former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had misbehaved with her. I refused to do so and hence this has been a conspiracy," he alleged.

"I have done no wrong and hence I have nothing to fear. Now I have been arrested and later they will produce me before a court and maybe I will be sent to jail. No issues at all, as I will fight this baseless allegation and prove I have done no wrong, as by her own admission, I was the only political leader who did not misbehave with her. Now she has joined hands with Vijayan," said George.

George also added that in the morning, he had appeared before the police officials after a complaint was registered by Left legislator K.T. Jaleel that he, along with gold smuggling case prime accused Swapna Suresh had conspired against the Vijayan government.

George represented the Poonjar Assembly constituency in Kottayam district for seven terms, but lost the April 2021 assembly polls.

Presently, he heads the Kerala Janapaksham-Secular party after quitting the Kerala Congress-M a few years ago.

In May this year, George was in the news for a hate speech and is presently out on bail after being in jail for a few days.

George's wife said she knows her husband very well and he has done no wrong.

"This is the revenge of Pinarayi Vijayan and he is out to finish George. He is a very sincere person and this lady who has given the complaint has come to our house many times. This was a trap by the police as it was told that he will only be made a witness in the conspiracy case," she said.

His daughter-in-law, the daughter of legendary Malayalam actor Jagathy Sreekumar, also said this is nothing but an act of vengeance by Vijayan.

"We have faith in the legal system and we know he will come out unscathed as he has done no wrong," she said.
The Last 10 Years:

Maine native Kyle Treadwell has a tale for the ages. At a young age, his mother introduced him to the healing properties of R&B and Soul, with legends such as Michael Jackson, and Prince always coming through the speaker as he grew up. He learned at a young age he wanted to be involved with music.

In the early 2000s, Kyle found his love for hip-hop with rising southern hip-hop artists at the time such as T.I., Lil Wayne, and Nelly. This is when Kyle knew this was where he wanted to be in the music world. Which was unheard of from a kid from Hermon, Maine where there was hardly a music scene let alone a hip-hop music scene.

He would go on to attend the New England School of Communication (now Husson University) in the field of Marketing. In his introduction interview with the president of NESCom he told the staff that He would own a record label where they scoffed in his face as that was something unheard of out of the state. He would soon prove them wrong.

After a short venture working with the Kahbang Music Film and Arts Festival, he set out on his own to form NovaWave Records in 2014 with his lead artist Corey Ellis. After quick success with Corey Ellis that same year he quickly learned that Maine just didnt have the resources for NovaWave to succeed on the level they were looking to achieve.

The Next 10 years:

Since stepping back from the Music Industry Kyle has started his own personal branding and business. Which includes a YouTube channel entitled React Nation with rising stars, Leonard Firestone and Ozzy Baldwin. As well has found a voice in content creation with Facebook and TikTok being his main platform to post on.

With over 100 million video views in the last 60 days alone. We believe it's safe to say that Kyle will be one of the staples of Facebook and TikTok moving forward. His reaction content brings smiles to his fans on a daily basis.

Kyle mentioned a few other projects on the way as well when we spoke to him with one of the biggest ones being the PixelWave brand. "This world and characters that I am creating are truly something special and I look forward to bringing you guys media, comic books, and video games with this all-star cast of Characters" he stated when asked about the project.

If you'd like to follow Kyle on his adventure over the next 10 years you can here:

https://facebook.com/novawavekyle

https://instagram.com/novawavekyle

https://tiktok.com/@novawavekyle

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCVkNOitHIKbzwW21SqCdyA
GREEN LINE AUTOMOTIVE JOINS KARAM AT ROAD AMERICA Green Line Automotive, an automotive focused marketing agency, has announced their sponsorship and support of Sage Karam and the No.45 Chevy Camaro for the July 2nd NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Road America.

Green Line Automotive has announced their sponsorship and support of Sage Karam and the No.45 Chevy Camaro for the July 2nd NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Road America. This will be Karams first race back since competing in the 2022 Indianapolis 500 and his 3rd NASCAR Xfinity start this season.

Green Line Automotive made their first appearance as a sponsor of Sage Karam at the NASCAR Xfinity race at Phoenix in 2021. Im excited to once again have Green Line Automotive onboard, but this time as our Co-Primary Sponsor. Brent and his team have been instrumental to our program since day one and its great to see our partnership and relationship grow to this point. We have some great things planned for the near future and cant wait to see them continue to grow with us and NASCAR said Karam, driver of the No.45 Green Line Automotive Chevy.

Green Line Automotive is excited to continue our partnership with Sage Karam, and the Alpha Prime Racing team. As an automotive enthusiast, I have great respect for how Sage is able to handle the nuances of each vehicle he races. As a business owner, I stand behind growing and working each day to become better at your craft and the dedication it takes. Myself and the team at Green Line Automotive are excited to have him represent our work ethic and dedication to the automotive industry," said Brent Rogers, Vice President and Managing Partner of Green Line Automotive.

Race coverage of the Henry 180 will begin at 5:00pm ET Saturday July 9th, on USA.

About Green Line Automotive:

Green Line Automotive is a digital advertising agency created for automotive dealerships. Our mission is to deliver tier one automotive advertising expertise, technology, and service to the tier three dealers. We give you an advantage over your competition by giving every dealership the best in technology coupled with a fully customizable approach.

See our premier services at gldauto.com such as Automotive Search Engine Optimization or contact us at info@greenline.nyc or 833-GLD-CARS.

For more information on Sage Karam, please contact Shelby Park Marketing at:

http://www.shelby-park.com

Manager - Rolando Arroyo

rolando@shelby-park.com

317-220-9349
DEAL OF THE WEEK

RH Picks Up Rushdies Magic Return Random House publisher Andy Ward took U.S. rights to Salman Rushdies latest novel, Victory City, which will be published in February 2023. The story, the publisher said, follows a magically empowered nine-year-old girl in 14th-century southern India who, in the wake of an unimportant battle between two long-forgotten kingdoms, is tasked with creating a new empire in which women are given as much power as men. Andrew Wylie at the Wylie Agency represented Rushdie in the deal.

RH Acquires Igers Leadership Book

Random Houses Andy Ward also bought an as-yet-untitled book from Bob Iger, former CEO of the Walt Disney Co. The publisher said that in the book, Iger will discuss how to be an effective leader in times of crisis and disruption, and offer a behind-the-scenes look at how leaders at Disney and other organizations rose to meetor failed to meetunprecedented challenges. Esther Newberg at ICM Partners represented Iger. Publication is tentatively scheduled for 2024.

Europa Snags U.K. Debut

Michael Reynolds, editor-in-chief of Europa Editions, has acquired U.S. rights to Mrs. S, by White Review Fiction Prize finalist K Patrick. The debut novel revolves around an elite English girls boarding school and the forbidden love between a butch housemother and the headmaster's wife. The deal was brokered by Alison Lewis at Frances Goldin Literary Agency. Reynolds compared Mrs. S to the work of Garth Greenwell and Patricia Highsmith. The book is set for June 2023.

Nelson Buys QVC Stars Memoir

World rights to Kim Gravels Collecting Confidence: Start Where You Are to Become the Person You Were Meant to Be were bought, at auction, by Janet Talbert at Thomas Nelson. Gravel is a former Miss Georgia who starred in the Lifetime series Kim of Queens, has hosted a bevy of shows on QVC, and is the founder of two successful beauty brands. In the book, she promises to draw on the ups and downs of her life and her Southern roots to help readers collect their confidence and remember who they really are when faced with trials and challenges. The deal was brokered by Claudia Riemer Boutote of Red Raven Studio. Publication is set for April 2023

Pakistani Gangland Novel Goes to Polis

Chantelle Aimee Osman of Polis Books acquired U.S. rights to U.K. journalist Saima Mirs debut novel, The Khan, in a deal brokered by Abi Fellows at the Good Literary Agency. The novel depicts systemic racism and Pakistani gangland violence in the north of England, and was a Sunday Times bestseller and Best Book of the Year, a Waterstones Best Crime & Thriller of the year, and won the inaugural Crimefest Specsavers Debut Crime Novel Award. Polis plans to publish The Khan under its Agora imprint in summer 2023.

Norton Nabs Safinas Bird Book

In a two-book, world rights deal, Alfie and Me by Carl Safina went to W.W. Norton, with v-p and editor-in-chief John Glusman acquiring the adult trade edition and Simon Boughton acquiring an illustrated childrens book adaptation. According to Norton, Safina, an ecologist and the bestselling author of Beyond Words and Becoming Wild, will recount the relationship he developed during the pandemic with a screech owl that he and his wife nursed back to health after finding it nearly dead. Jennifer Weltz at the Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency brokered the deal. Publication is set for fall 2023.
By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 07/01/2022



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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

The Bachelor alum Caila Quinn has publicly apologized to Jared Haibon and Ashley Iaconetti when recalling their "tense" love triangle."I'm so happy for them. They have a baby... Everything worked out the way it's meant to be, and I'm so happy for them ," Caila said of the married couple on a recent episode of the "Talking It Out with Bachelor Nation" podcast hosted by Mike Johnson and Bryan Abasolo "I think what I take away from the situation, it was so long ago, but it wasn't the best for me... I was in a love triangle that I didn't anticipate when they asked me to do it. I was told I'd be meeting other people as well, but when I arrived on the beach, there was only one single person for me to go on a date with."Caila recalled, "I have this pit in my stomach still, and I still feel really sick about it because I don't feel like everything was fully resolved. And it doesn't feel good to think there is someone out there that hates you."Ashley and Jared met on 's second season and had a brief fling before Jared decided he just wanted to be friends and then both individuals appeared on 's third season in 2016.Jared fell hard and fast for Caila on 3 and ignored Ashley's competing advances. Jared didn't seem interested in Ashley at all but still wanted to maintain a complicated friendship with her, knowing Ashley really liked him.Jared and Caila continued dating once they returned home from Paradise, and Caila -- a bachelorette from Ben Higgins ' The Bachelor season who was living in New York City at the time -- even met Jared's family in Rhode Island.But things fell apart for Caila and Jared within six weeks, and Caila revealed in August 2016 "mystical forces" caused their split.It was pretty obvious at the time Caila was referring to Ashley when she explained, "Friends call him often and he answers. And things were brought up that we couldn't really let go of, and it made it really hard to go forward."When asked whether Jared needed to cut ties with Ashley in order to find love, Caila replied, "I hope not."But she went on to say people only have so much room in their hearts, suggesting Jared gave too much space in his heart to Ashley and so he didn't have much room left in his heart for anyone else.Caila said on "Talking It Out" that she's not sure if Ashley hates her now and if they've moved on from things. Caila said she never got "closure" from that situation and just remembers feeling like Ashley "really hated" her.On what wasn't resolved, Caila continued, "I feel I owe both of them an apology, because when I was going [to Paradise], I had just three weeks to a couple months prior been off The Bachelor. I was just seeing somebody else and I think I was still processing that experience, which was very real to me."Caila remembered being "very guarded" during her first date with Jared and quickly realizing that he was "more invested" in their relationship than she was."I was looking for fun times in my twenties, and when you have a third party who is interested in Jared, I think it was just a tense situation, obviously," Caila said."I feel like I owe them both an apology because I should've let them see each other. I should've just let that happen and I shouldn't have stayed with him for as long as we did. I don't think what happened was very smooth or graceful, and I don't think I handled it very well."Caila said at the end of the day, she felt "really afraid" and "very alone" on Paradise and so she tried to connect with Jared "and maybe stay in a relationship that wasn't meant to be."Caila reiterated how she "should've broken up with Jared" right after the show and not dragged their romance out much to Ashley's dismay."I should not have left with him," Caila said of her Paradise choices. "I think my character was questioned, and understandably. I think she really loved him and they were meant to be!... I felt like I was in the middle, blocking them... and in the way."Caila concluded, "To Ashley and Jared, I am so sorry for how things happened. I genuinely had a friendship with Ashley before that... I think she's a really good person... and I'm sad for how things ended up."After Ashley engaged in a brief romance on The Bachelor Winter Games with Kevin Wendt , she and Jared announced in May 2018 via a lengthy "The Story Of Us" video they had officially begun dating in March of that year.Ashley and Jared went on to get married in August 2019, and they welcomed their first child together, a son Dawson, in January 2022.For Caila's part, she married husband Nick Burrello in June 2021 in Sarasota, FL, after canceling an overseas wedding in Lake Como, Italy due to the coronavirus pandemic.is returning with its eighth season on Tuesday, September 27 at 8PM ET/PT on ABC.Interested in more The Bachelor news? Join our The Bachelor Facebook Group
By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 07/01/2022



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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

pro Peta Murgatroyd and her husband Maksim Chmerkovskiy have revealed they may be open to trying for twins as Peta is currently undergoing in vitro fertilization.After suffering through three miscarriages in two years, Peta, who has served as a professional partner on on and off since 2011, is giving IVF a shot to hopefully give her five-year-old son Shai, who was born in January 2017, a sibling.But Shai may apparently end up with more than one new sister or brother!Peta, 35, said she is "maybe" considering twins, according to Us Weekly."I'm still discussing that with Maks. That's a huge difference. Huge!" she noted.Peta, whom doctors believe has Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, admitted she would really love to welcome a daughter with Maksim, 42."I really want a girl... and he's very much just wanting that bond with one baby," the dancer and choreographer said of her husband. "I think we're both nervous about trying to balance two, with how to kind of share the love and be there for each baby."Peta's first miscarriage happened in late 2020, and her most recent miscarriage occurred in October 2021, when Maksim was out of the country filming in Ukraine."I never wanted to tell anyone," Peta wrote on Instagram earlier this month. "A total of 6 people knew. Our families. But beyond that I was willing to take this secret to the grave."Peta hoped that by sharing her pregnancy journey, she'd be able to help at least one person going through a similar situation.And also on the bright said, Peta said she and Maksim are "closer" than ever before."[Losing a child] is traumatizing, and he's the one that's closest to me. So, he goes through it as much as I go through it, so to speak," Peta told Us."It did bring us closer together. When you go through something like that, it's just an ultimate bonding session... When you come to those crossroads and those big decisions, making them together and moving forward together as a family unit is so important, and I feel like we did that."Peta and Maksim welcomed Shai in January 2017 and then got married in July of that year.Maksim and Peta also went through another challenging time earlier this year when Maksim had to flee Ukraine in late February after Russia's "terrifying" invasion. It took over a week for Maksim to return home to the United States and reunite with his worried wife will stream its upcoming 31st season this Fall on its new home, Disney+.
HBO has canceled its romantic dramedy, The Time Traveler's Wife, after one season.

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Starring Rose Leslie and Theo James , the six-episode adaptation of Audrey Niffenegger's novel about a man who has no control over his power to travel through town ran May 15 through June 19.

"Though HBO will not be moving forward with a second season of The Time Traveler's Wife, it was our privilege to partner with master storytellers Steven Moffat and David Nutter," an HBO representative told Deadline Friday.

"We are so grateful for their passion, hard work and care for adapting this beloved book. We also thank Theo and Rose, and the rest of our brilliant cast for their heartfelt performances, which completely captivated audiences."

The Hollywood Reporter said mixed reviews and low ratings were to blame for the cancellation.
Disney has announced that its Splash Mountain log flume ride will reopen as Tiana's Bayou Adventure at Florida's Magic Kingdom and California's Disneyland in late 2024.

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Tiana is the heroine from the 2009 animated movie The Princess and the Frog.

The decision to rebrand Splash Mountain follows an online petition highlighting the ride's connection to the 1946 film Song of the South, which critics say features offensive portrayals of African Americans.

The movie has never been released in its entirety on home video in the United States.

The petition demanding the ride be changed was signed by about 21,000 people.

"Walt Disney Imagineers have been frequent travelers to Louisiana while conducting extensive research to ensure Tiana's Bayou Adventure preserves the heart and soul of the city that inspired Princess Tiana's story," a statement on the Disney Parks website said Friday.

"From exploring the French Market and the bayou, to consulting with academics, chefs, musicians and cultural institutions, Imagineers have received inspiration from all over the region and learned from local experts along the way."
Investigators from the New Hampshire State Police Major Crime Unit collect evidence at 484 Scofield Mountain Road, in Winchester, on Thursday, July 14, 2022, after the shooting death of Timothy Hill. Winchester police were called to the residence on Wednesday for a welfare check and found th
Food cooked by some of the winners of Foxs MasterChef" is going to be available to order via GrubHub, but only in 20 markets nationwide. Bridgeport is one of them.

Called "MasterfChef Table," the new promotion lets diners in certain cities across the country order dishes from menus created by past MasterChef winners and contestants. In Connecticut, food will be delivered around the Bridgeport area. Nationwide, it will be available in large metro areas like Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City and Washington, D.C.

Chef Dorian Hunter  the first African American female winner and the oldest contestant to win the show in season 10  said shes excited for the Bridgeport to try her dishes: Down South Quesadilla, Bangin Buffalo Chicken Fries and Italian Hoagie Burger (The Dorian Burger). The menu items for her MasterChef Table offerings in Bridgeport came from the inspiration of fans and family.

With the power of social media, fans were able to tell me what they wanted me to put in the quesadilla and it worked, she said. My favorite are the Bangin Buffalo Chicken Fries.

The experience creating the foods for GrubHub was not like on the show because the chefs had full control over hand-creating what they wanted to offer customers.

This is amazing. A lot of the time, I get Chef Dorian, I wish I could try your food, and now they can have it, said Hunter. I might not be cooking it, but you can have something that is tangible. You cant get to me or hire me? Now you can experience some of me.

Marnie Boyer, vice president of restaurant acquisition at Grubhub, said in a press release that offering MasterChef table helps expands their delivery services.

Were always looking for ways to deliver new experiences to diners," Boyer said. "Our partnership with MasterChef gives them exactly that, a seat at the table in the comfort of their home."
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LITCHFIELD  On a small table in Msgr. Robert Tuckers Litchfield rectory is a book about Pope John Paul II and a book of Celtic prayers. On top of the heap is a book of Irish humor and a wooden block that reads, Act old later.

Tucker, 79, was ordained a Catholic priest 52 years ago. He will step down Sept. 1.

After leaving his nearly 28-year pastorate at what is now called the St. Louis de Montfort Parish Corporation, he will continue his ministry by serving as chaplain for a cloistered order of nuns in Bethlehem, the Abbey of Regina Laudis.

Ive been the confessor over at (Abbey of) Regina Laudis for 40 years, and they had not had a priest chaplain there for a number of years, Tucker said. I can offer Mass for them, and they wont have to keep calling looking for a priest every day.

Tucker says his overriding theme during his ministry has been, Give me souls, take away the rest. He says it was the motto of Saint John Bosco (1815-88) and means that helping with peoples salvation is more important than anything else.

Saving souls may be serious business, but Tucker takes a lighthearted approach, often peppering his homilies with jokes from that Irish humor book and other sources. Joy, pass it along, is another of his mottoes.

Tucker was born in Torrington and attended St. Francis School, now St. John Paul the Great Academy, and Torrington High School. He studied for the priesthood at St. Thomas Seminary in Bloomfield and St. Bonaventure University in Allegany, N.Y. He was ordained May 23, 1970, in Hartford by Archbishop John F. Whelan.

Before coming to Litchfield in 1994, Tucker served parishes in Meriden, Simsbury and New Britain. During those years, he served in various youth ministries and was archdiocesan vocation director, helping more than 80 men discern vocations to the priesthood, he said.

Then I came here, he said, sitting in a study in his Litchfield rectory.

I think Ive been allowed to stay here so long because every time it was my time to go, Id either have a new hip done or a new knee done, he said with a chuckle.

He also accumulated new duties. In 2013 he became pastor of St. Thomas of Villanova Church in Goshen, and in 2017 became pastor of Our Lady of Grace Church in Bantam - in addition to his pastoral duties at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Litchfield. Under a 2017 restructuring of parishes, all three churches are now under the umbrella of St. Louis de Montfort Parish Corp.

Along with the concern for youth has always been family ministry, he said.

He advises parents, Keep working on what it means to be a family, even though its very difficult sometimes when both parents have to work.

Asked why he chose the priesthood, Tucker quipped, Im always telling people that Im still testing it. He said he had an active social life as a teenager, but never lost sight of pursuing a life serving others.

Id worked for many summers at Camp Workcoeman and loved it, and I thought maybe Id be a Boy Scout executive or teacher, he said. I loved history and loved kids.

My father was the one who said to me, Well, you did think about being a priest. Why dont you try it? And so I tried it and I never flunked out, he said.

Tucker was disappointed when COVID-19 hit, because he was unable to visit the sick in nursing homes or Charlotte Hungerford Hospital, where he was chaplain, he said.

Ive always loved working with the sick and visiting the sick and going to nursing homes, and so I do miss that, he said.

The pandemic also broke many churchgoers habits of attending Mass, he said. Were off by about 50 families at Mass still, he said.

He urges people to return, reminding them, We never lock the doors.

Tuckers weekly column, published on Saturdays in the Register Citizen, keeps him connected to his parishioners and friends.

In 2020, Archbishop Leonard Blair informed Tucker that Pope Francis had approved Blairs nomination of Tucker for the honorary title of monsignor.

I think it was in recognition of my work both as vocation director and being on various diocesan committees and being a member of the Presbyteral Council, a bishops advisory group, Tucker said.

Tucker has yet another motto: Success is in the effort, not in the outcome.

You dont have to evaluate that, he said. Just know that you put something into it. Then you can put your head on the pillow at night and know that, you know, it may not have been a smashing successful day, but youve done the best you could.

Will there be a farewell party when he retires? He hopes not. Im just asking people to come back to Mass and party with the Lord, he said.
NORWALK  The Common Council has taken the final step in banning pesticides on nearly all city-owned properties.

The council this week approved a new ordinance banning the use of non-organic pesticides on all city-owned properties, except for certain extreme cases, such as persistent poison ivy on school properties.

Use of restricted pesticides will be monitored and approved by the interdepartmental pest management team, established to evaluate applications and make determinations under the new ordinance, according to city documents.

Under the ordinance, pest control substances are separated into three categories: organic product, which is the preferred type should pest control be needed; restricted product, which is only to be used under certain instances; and prohibited products, which should be avoided if possible, according to the documents.

Prohibited products are only permitted for use on poison ivy on city property, provided the area is not within 200 feet of water, according to the documents.

Its in the best interest of the city and its residents to protect the ecological integrity of the Long Island Sound, Norwalks River and streams, and improve and protect water quality throughout our region, Ordinance Committee Chair Lisa Shanahan said. These lethal chemicals blindly kill and make no distinction between pests and beneficial insects and healthy organisms.

The ordinance, dubbed healthy outdoor public spaces, bans pesticides on city property unless the use meets these qualifications: A situation that poses an imminent threat to human health, environment or to the public; reasonable attempts were made with organic products but failed to remediate the condition; the pesticide will minimize the impact of the adjacent properties that may include a watercourse or wetland; and the product has proven to be effective against the condition.

Norwalks departments of Public Works and Recreation and Parks havent used in about three years.

Three years now we stopped using Roundup on our property, Rec and Parks Superintendent Ken Hughes previously said. We never mass treated for weeds or insects.

Around 2019, the Parks and DPW teams shifted to BurnOut, a natural weed and grass killer, Hughes said.

I picked up the product BurnOut, which is citric acid and clove oil, Hughes said. We have used that on clay ball fields.

The ordinance was first proposed by the Councils Ordinance Committee in March, when representatives from a nonprofit that works to end pesticide use presented data on pesticides harms. Pesticide researchers presented data on the impact pesticides have on children and illnesses related to high pesticide ingestion.

Drew Toher, community resource and policy director for Beyond Pesticides, said at the March meeting while each town in Connecticut can restrict the communitys use of pesticides, they cannot be banned on private property.

Pesticide restriction cannot apply to private properties in Connecticut, Toher said. Preemption should not be a reason to forgo the consideration of a pesticide policy in your community.

abigail.brone@hearstmediact.com
Prak Sokhonn again asks the junta to meet with the NLD chief despite an earlier rejection.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Special Envoy to Myanmar has again requested that the junta let him speak with detained opposition chief Aung San Suu Kyi, amid criticism that his mission to resolve the countrys political crisis will be fruitless without meeting all stakeholders.

ASEAN Special Envoy Prak Sokhonn held talks on Friday with representatives of seven ethnic armed groups in the capital Naypyidaw on the third day of his second visit to Myanmar since assuming his role with the bloc.

Leaders of the armed groups told RFA Burmese that during the two-hour meeting Prak Sokhonn explained that he is working to achieve three goals: a dialogue on conflict resolution with all stakeholders, a nationwide ceasefire, and providing humanitarian assistance to those in need.

He also told the groups that he wants to meet with the head of the deposed National League for Democracy (NLD) Aung San Suu Kyi, but that doing so is very difficult, they said.

Nai Aung Ma-ngay, a spokesman for the New Mon State Party (NMSP), an opposition party that signed the Myanmar governments nationwide ceasefire agreement in 2018, told RFA that the ASEAN envoy claimed to have asked for a meeting with those whom he deserved to meet during talks with junta leader Snr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing on Thursday.

He said he is trying his best on the prison issue. He said he met with the [junta] chairman yesterday and talked about these issues. He said they also talked about a dialogue, the NMSP spokesman said.

Regarding the matter of Aung San Suu Kyi behind prison walls, he told us today it is very difficult and will take a lot of time.

Nai Aung Ma-ngay noted that during Prak Sokhonn was also denied access to Suu Kyi by the junta during first visit to Myanmar as special envoy in March.

He said he is still trying and that he has about six months left in his current role [before the ASEAN chair rotates at the end of the year], the NMSP spokesman said. He told us that he would try to find a way to do it before his tenure ends.

During an emergency meeting on the situation in Myanmar in April 2021, Min Aung Hlaing had agreed to a so-called Five-Point Consensus to end violence in the country, which included meeting with all stakeholders to resolve the political crisis, but has failed to keep that promise. Observers say that peace cannot be achieved without including the NLD leadership and other powerbrokers in the process.

In addition to the NMSP, the ethnic armed groups that met with Prak Sokhonn on Friday included the Shan State Reconstruction Council (RCSS), Democratic Karen Army (DKBA), Arakan State Liberation Party (ALP), Karen National Peace Council (KNLA/PC), Lahu Democratic Union (LDU) and Pa-O National Liberation Organization (PNLO). All seven are among groups that have signed a Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) with the government since 2015.

Saw Mra Yazarlin, vice-chairwoman of the ALP, told RFA that Prak Sokhonn also asked the groups for their thoughts on who else should be included in talks aimed at resolving the countrys political stalemate.

Some answered him, saying representatives of the government, parliament, and [military], she said.

[But there also] must be all political parties, and all ethnic armed groups, and civil society organizations, and other stakeholders included. Our side told him such a situation is necessary.

National League for Democracy party leader Aung San Suu Kyi, in a file photo. Credit: AFP No one is above the law

Prior to Prak Sokhonns ongoing five-day trip, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen  whose nation holds the chair of ASEAN  and the special envoy had requested that he meet with Suu Kyi and NLD president Win Myint but were refused by the junta. The pair are among several NLD officials who were arrested in the immediate aftermath of the militarys Feb. 1, 2021, coup and face multiple charges widely viewed as politically motivated.

Prak Sokhonn has also requested that Suu Kyi be returned to her original place of detention after she was transferred last week to a Naypyidaw prison, prompting concern for the 77-year-olds well-being due to poor conditions and lack of access to health care at the facility. That request was denied Friday by junta Deputy Minister of Information Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, who told a press conference that no one is above the law, and said special arrangements had been made to provide Suu Kyi with proper food and healthcare needs.

Multiple attempts by RFA to contact Zaw Min Tun for comment on Prak Sokhonns visit went unanswered Friday.

Earlier this week, the junta spokesman said that those facing trials will not be allowed to meet with the ASEAN envoy, adding that the military regime is working with certain groups to end the conflict in Myanmar, which has claimed the lives of 2,053 civilians since the coup, according to Bangkok-based NGO Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.

The military has said it plans to allow the envoy meet with some NLD members during his visit but has not specified who they are.

When asked on Wednesday who will hold talks with Prak Sokhonn, NLD central working committee member Kyaw Htwe said he could not comment on the matter.

No solution likely

Speaking to RFA, Naing Htoo Aung, permanent secretary of the shadow National Unity Governments (NUG) Ministry of Defense, described Fridays talks as a sham, and said they wont produce a practical solution to the political crisis in Myanmar.

It is very important that all those who deserve to be involved in the talks are involved, he said.

A sham political dialogue is not a solution to the countrys political and armed conflict, and such talks could have more negative consequences.

Ye Tun, a Myanmar-based political analyst, said that Fridays meeting failed to include armed groups fighting junta forces in Kayin, Kachin, Chin, and Kayah states, and Sagaing and Magway regions, and that therefore it would do little to reduce ongoing military tensions in the country.

The armed conflicts we are seeing now took place after the 2021 coup and thus, discussions with the ethnic armed groups are not the solution, he said.

Ye Tun noted that several armed ethnic groups who are supporting the anti-junta Peoples Defense Force (PDF) paramilitary group have also refused to hold talks with the military.

This situation will remain the same and the conflicts will continue  they might even become more intense, he said.

ASEAN has yet to release details of Prak Sokhonns meetings with the ethnic armed groups, Min Aung Hlaing, or with Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin and International Cooperation Minister Ko Ko Hlaing, who he spoke with later on Thursday.

Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
SKOPJE -- Lawmakers in North Macedonia on July 16 backed a French proposal after three days of debate to remove a Bulgarian veto on EU membership talks for the Balkan nation.

The compromise envisages an effort to amend the Macedonian Constitution to recognize a Bulgarian minority but leaves other previous sticking points to be worked out between Skopje and Sofia. It reportedly leaves open Bulgarian recognition of the Macedonian language.

It passed with 68 votes in the 120-seat National Assembly after opposition lawmakers walked out following weeks of accusations by some that the deal amounts to a national cultural betrayal.

Hours later, Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski said the country will begin EU accession talks on July 19.

Finally, after 17 years, we begin the accession negotiation process, he said on Twitter. From today onwards, we are moving forward with an accelerated step to join the European family in which our Macedonian language will be heard very soon and officially."

Just four years after Macedonians agreed to a name change to mollify neighbor Greece and two years after Bulgaria invoked its veto on EU talks, the compromise could usher in rapid progress to launch negotiations within a formal framework for Macedonian membership to the bloc.

The European Union's French Presidency last month laid out mutual concessions to resolve differences over shared national language and culture between Macedonians and Bulgarians.

Sofia has been vetoing a framework for North Macedonia's accession for the past two years but has endorsed the French deal.

Thousands of Macedonians protested in Skopje this week, and police were deployed to seal off the parliament from protesters during the first two days of debate.

Opposition deputies inside the parliament chamber on July 14 blew horns as Kovachevski urged them to accept an imperfect deal that would lead to "ultimately a better future."

During the final day of debate and passage, about 100 protesters were outside the parliament clamoring for rejection of the French proposal.

On Twitter, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated North Macedonia on the vote and said it "now paves the way for opening the accession negotiations rapidly."

"It was a historic opportunity. And you seized it. A big step on your path towards a European future. Your future," she wrote.

The United States said it welcomed the decision by North Macedonias parliament.

We recognize the difficult tradeoffs considered in this compromise, which acknowledges and respects North Macedonias cultural identity and the Macedonian language, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

This decision comes at a critical moment for North Macedonia, the Western Balkans, and Europe. A European Union that includes all of the Western Balkans, including Albania and North Macedonia, will be stronger and more prosperous. Now is the time to build momentum and work on next steps.

North Macedonia has been a candidate for EU membership for 17 years, but its approval was first blocked by Greece over a name dispute resolved in 2018 and now by Bulgaria, both members of the bloc.

Opponents of the compromise fear it will inflict far-reaching damage on national identity and culture and fails to guard against future Bulgarian objections on the path to EU membership anyway.

"With this agreement, Macedonia will be a hostage to Bulgaria as it would exercise a veto based on whatever condition we fail to fulfill [in EU accession process]," Petar Risteski, an opposition VMRO-DPMNE lawmaker warned, according to Reuters. "Therefore have courage and take the side of the truth, justice, and the Macedonian people."

Rock-throwing and other unrest erupted after reports that Paris floated the compromise late last month.

The Bulgarian-Macedonian dispute has underscored regional resentments and risks a further erosion of Balkan faith in the European Union.

Von der Leyen had traveled to Skopje to urge Macedonia's parliament to green light the deal before debate began on July 14, saying, We want you in the EU."

The Bulgarian parliament lifted its veto last month in anticipation of approval in Skopje, also causing unrest in that country and contributing to a no-confidence vote that toppled Kiril Petkov's government.

Blinken and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said recently that furthering North Macedonia's and Albania's progress toward EU membership are especially important to the continent in the context of Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has traveled to Damascus in a bid to "prevent a new crisis" amid tensions between Syria and Turkey over Ankaras threats to launch a new offensive against Kurdish militias in northern Syria.

Amir-Abdollahian said on July 2 that his trip "was aimed at establishing peace and security in the region between Syria and Turkey."

"Developments are happening in the region [and Iran should] try to prevent a new crisis in the region," he said.

The Syrian civil war killed thousands of people and drove millions from their homes and the country.

Iran and Russia backed the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while Turkey and the United States supported differing rebel groups.

Ankara has also conducted military operations against Kurdish groups in northern Syria, accusing them of having links to Kurdish separatist groups inside Turkey.

Meanwhile, Iran is also plagued by Kurdish separatist elements in its own country.

The Iranian foreign ministers trip to Damascus comes days after he visited Turkey to meet with leaders there.

"We understand Turkey's security concerns very well," he told a news conference in Ankara with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

In Syria, Amir-Abdollahian was quoted by Iranian state news agency IRNA as saying, "After my visit to Turkey...it is necessary to have consultations with the Syrian authorities."

He was also quoted as saying he opposed any new military incursion into Syria by Turkish forces.

With reporting by AFP and AP
Greece said on July 2 that an Iranian-flagged tanker seized by Athens in April was being towed to the port of Piraeus following a decision by a Greek judicial panel to release the vessel.

The Lana has been anchored off the Greek island of Evia for the past two months in a diplomatic standoff that has strained relations between Athens and Tehran.

The vessel was seized by Greek authorities on April 15 when it anchored off the port of Karystos on Evia. At the time, it was flying a Russian flag and was carrying a crew of 19 Russians.

The Greek Coast Guard said it was seized over suspicions it had breached EU sanctions imposed against Russia due to the war in Ukraine.

The oil on the ship was confiscated by the United States and transferred to another vessel.

It was unclear whether the oil was seized because it was Iranian oil subject to U.S. sanctions or whether it was due to sanctions on the tanker, which recently changed its name from Pegas to Lana and which has been flying the Iranian flag since May 1.

A source at Greece's Shipping Ministry quoted by Reuters said the U.S. Department of Justice had "informed Greece that the cargo on the vessel is Iranian oil."

The decision to seize the ship was overturned on June 10, but it remained anchored over claims by another company over debts owed for towing services.

The ship was eventually released after the debt was paid off, Reuters quoted legal sources as saying.

The Greek judicial panel overturned the ruling that had allowed the United States to seize the cargo, but it was not immediately clear if the Lana would attempt to retrieve the oil.

The incident prompted Iranian forces in May to seize two Greek tankers in the Persian Gulf and sail them back to Iran, with Tehran warning of "punitive action" against Athens. They are still being held.

Greece's Foreign Ministry protested to the Iranian ambassador in Athens over the violent taking over of two Greek-flagged ships in the Persian Gulf. These acts effectively amount to acts of piracy," it said.

With reporting by Reuters and AP
Five months into Russia's war on Ukraine, the Kremlin still hasnt decreed a general mobilization to draft troops for its invasion, but there are growing reports that it is enticing and pressuring men of fighting age to join, as well as leaning on younger conscripts to sign contracts so they can deploy to the front.

In Bashkortostan -- a Russian republic located some 1,300 kilometers east of Moscow -- many parents of conscripts have launched appeals to the local military prosecutor's office over complaints that their sons were illegally detained at the conscription office and were told that they would be sent to Rostov, a Russian region that borders eastern Ukraine.

According to four different families who spoke to RFE/RLs Tatar-Bashkir Service, conscription offices in the region have proceeded quickly and cut corners in the recruitment process and also taken the unexpected steps of sending the Bashkortostan conscripts to units in Rostov, instead of to areas nearer to home and away from the front lines, as had been previously stated.

The swift actions and break in protocol have left many parents fearing that their sons may be persuaded into signing on as contract soldiers and joining the Russian war in neighboring Ukraine.

My son was taken into the army all of the sudden, not even allowing him to finish his law diploma, Alla Papusova, the mother of Dmitry Malyshev, who was drafted in Russias current conscription cycle, told RFE/RL. They said that on the morning of July 3 that he would be sent to the Rostov region, although initially they said that [the conscripts] would be sent to serve in the Chelyabinsk region, in south-central Russia near the border with Kazakhstan.

Russia is in the process of conducting its spring draft, which seeks to conscript approximately 130,000 men between the ages of 18-27 by the middle of July.

Moscow has not introduced mass mobilization of fighting age men since invading Ukraine on February 24, because it has not officially declared itself at war. Under Russian law, conscripts cant be sent to Ukraine unless they have at least four months of training. The Kremlin has said repeatedly it wont deploy conscripts to Ukraine, but there have been several confirmed cases of them being sent into combat during the campaign.

As Russian casualties have risen, Moscow has turned increasingly to professional and contract soldiers, as well as those from private security and military companies, to replenish its ranks. Russian recruiting offices have been intensifying their efforts of late to reactivate reservists and attract new soldiers, as well as reportedly leaning on conscripts to sign contracts to deploy to Ukraine as professional soldiers, despite receiving minimal training.

Were afraid that he will be forced to sign a contract while hes [in Rostov] and then end up in Ukraine, Papusova said.

Growing Conscription Pressure

Along with Dmitry Malyshevs parents, other families from across Bashkortostan have appealed to the military prosecutors office in Ufa, the provincial capital, to request an intervention about the situation of their sons. Many of the conscripts are also university students and should be allowed to defer military service until their studies are completed.

In several statements made to the office, which were seen by RFE/RL, the parents indicated that they did not agree with the decision by the draft commission, since their sons had deferments from being drafted into the army due to their studies. Families of the recruits also demanded that their sons be allowed to leave the enlistment office once they'd answered their summons and not immediately be sent off for their service, and also to grant them the opportunity to challenge where they would be sent.

We demand that our sons and grandchildren be given the opportunity to serve on the territory of Bashkortostan, Ilshat Rafikov, who submitted a statement to the prosecutors office after his grandson Timur was drafted and informed he would be sent to Rostov, told RFE/RL. The military prosecutor told us that they would raise this issue and bring our opinion to the attention of the military registration and enlistment offices.

Vera Popova, who is a distant relative of a conscript, joined the families at the prosecutors office and was part of a small picket over the alleged mistreatment of draftees.

Everyone knows that there have already been cases of sending conscripts to participate in fighting [in Ukraine] before.

During the picket, the families in attendance demanded that the military registration and enlistment office provide the conscripts with the opportunity to sign powers of attorney so that their relatives can represent their interests in court.

The families also tried to hand over statements addressed to the military commissar of Bashkortostan to the officers on duty, but they initially refused to accept them.

Until we put our hands on the window and said that we would not remove them, the duty officers refused to even call the authorities, Popova told RFE/RL.

The relatives in attendance were eventually given a meeting with the commissar, where Aleksandr Fedorov, whose son Nikita was drafted, was told that his son would now be sent to Vladikavkaz, a city in southeastern Russia and the regional capital of North Ossetia. Fedorov told RFE/RL that he was satisfied with the outcome.

Papusova also said that she was promised a change from Rostov to another place of service for her son but was not given time to launch an appeal to delay his service due to his studies.

The military commissar of Bashkortostans office did not respond to RFE/RLs questions regarding conscription practices and asked that media enquiries be sent by fax or mail.

Vil Tukhvatullin, the director of the watchdog organization For Alternative Civil Service, said that they have seen evidence of multiple violations of the law by enlistment offices in Bashkortostan, including multiple instances of attempting to dispatch conscripts directly from the office to their unit.

He added that he believes the rushed actions are the result of growing political pressure for Russian regions to meet aggressive conscription quotas, despite a growing number of draftees not returning to enlistment offices or responding to their summons in the first place.

How the situation will actually develop on the spot, no one can say, Tukhvatullin told RFE/RL. Everyone knows that there have already been cases of sending conscripts to participate in fighting [in Ukraine] before.

The Western Front

The exact death toll for Russian forces in Ukraine is unknown. Moscow gave a total of 1,351 troops killed on March 25, but has not updated the figure since.

Ukrainian and Western military experts say Russia has suffered heavy losses in the war, but their estimates vary. Kyiv claims to have killed more than 35,000 Russian soldiers, while figures given by NATO and the United Kingdom put the Russian death toll at around 15,000-20,000 troops.

Whatever the exact number, the casualties have had a drastic effect on the state of Russias military, says Dara Massicot, a senior researcher at the U.S.-based RAND think tank and a former senior analyst at the Pentagon.

In the short term, they're clearly scraping from wherever they can to avoid [full-scale] mobilization, she told RFE/RL. I think it's a pretty bad sign for the health of Russia's professional enlisted fighting force that we're five months into this conflict and they're already going to these particular lengths to recruit troops.

In comments made by Russian President Vladimir Putin during a regional summit in Turkmenistan on June 29, he defended his so-called special military operation in Ukraine and insisted that Russian forces were in no hurry to end the war.

The work is going smoothly, rhythmically, Putin said. There is no need to talk about the timing.

Massicot says that despite the looming manpower issues facing Russias military and the damage inflicted by Ukrainian troops, the Kremlin still appears to be moving forward with its current political and military objectives for Ukraine.

When I look at the different policy decisions that they're making inside Russia, I think that they believe they can still achieve their aims, she said.

Written by Reid Standish in Prague based on reporting by RFE/RLs Tatar-Bashkir Service.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his military to continue its offensive in eastern Ukraine after the Kremlins forces captured control of nearly all of the Luhansk region as they steamrolled through the Ukraines Donbas territory.

Putin on July 4 declared that Russian forces "must carry out their tasks according to previously approved plans" and said they should continue to advance throughout the region "as has happened in Luhansk."

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's ongoing invasion, how Kyiv is fighting back, Western military aid, worldwide reaction, and the plight of civilians and refugees. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.

Ukraine's forces withdrew from the bombed-out city of Lysychansk late on July 3, prompting Russia to claim full control of the eastern Luhansk region, although Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy vowed to regain the lost ground.

"If the commanders of our army withdraw people from certain points at the front, where the enemy has the greatest advantage in fire power, and this also applies to Lysychansk, it means only one thing -- that we will return thanks to our tactics, thanks to the increase in the supply of modern weapons, he said in his nightly video on July 3.

After failing to take the capital, Kyiv, Russia revised its military focus on Ukraine's east with the goal of capturing the Donbas, which is composed of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian military said on July 4 that the Russian forces were currently focusing their efforts on pushing toward the line of Siversk, Fedorivka, and Bakhmut in the Donetsk region.

The Russian Army has also intensified its shelling of the key Ukrainian strongholds of Slovyansk and Kramatorsk deeper in Donetsk.

On July 3, six people, including a 9-year-old girl, were killed in the Russian shelling of Slovyansk and another 19 people were wounded, local authorities said. Kramatorsk also came under fire on July 3.

Earlier, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported to Putin that the Russian military had taken the entire territory of Ukraines eastern Luhansk region, the Russian Defense Ministry said, according to TASS.

In acknowledging the withdrawal from Lysychansk, Ukraines military command said it had decided to pull back to save the lives of its soldiers.

Luhansk regional governor Serhiy Hayday told Reuters on July 4 the withdrawal from Lysychansk had been "centralized" and orderly, and was necessary to save the lives of Ukrainian soldiers who were in danger of being surrounded.

"In terms of the military, it is bad to leave positions, but there is nothing critical [in the loss of Lysychansk]. We need to win the war, not the battle for Lysychansk," Hayday said.

"It hurts a lot, but it's not losing the war, he said, adding that he expected Slovyansk and the town of Bakhmut in particular to come under attack.

"Still, for them goal No. 1 is the Donetsk region. Slovyansk and Bakhmut will come under attack; Bakhmut has already started being shelled very hard, he said.

Meanwhile, on the diplomatic front, Zelenskiy and Prime Minister Denys Shmygal spoke to a conference in the Swiss city of Lugano about the need for the international community to support Ukraine as it attempts to rebuild from the destruction caused by the war.

Shmygal, in a rare trip outside of Ukraine since the start of the conflict, told the summit that "we believe that the key source of recovery should be the confiscated assets of Russia and Russian oligarchs," which he estimated at $300 billion to $500 billion.

"The Russian authorities unleashed this bloody war. They caused this massive destruction and they should be held accountable for it."

Zelenskiy, speaking via video link from Kyiv, said the reconstruction efforts in his country were a service to the entire globe.

"To rebuild Ukraine is to restore the principles of life, to restore the spaces of life, to restore what makes people human," he said.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, TASS, and dpa
Ever since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February, the war has been an uneven fight of sweeping breakthroughs, tactical withdrawals, and grinding attrition that has made progress in the conflict difficult to gauge.

In a recent sign of this, Kyiv won a symbolic and strategic victory on June 30 when Russian forces withdrew from Snake Island in the Black Sea less than a week after its own forces pulled back from heavy shelling and a Russian advance on the city of Syevyerodonetsk in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region.

Russian forces are continuing to press forward with their aims of capturing more of the Luhansk and Donetsk provinces and now have their sights on Lysychansk, the sister city of Syevyerodonetsk, where Ukrainian troops once again find themselves under fire from a devastating Russian artillery barrage.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces have made several counterattacks in the country's south and made new territorial gains.

To find out more about how to measure the pace of the war and how Russian and Ukrainian forces compare, RFE/RL spoke with Dara Massicot, a senior researcher at the U.S.-based RAND think tank and a former senior analyst at the Pentagon, where she focused on the Russian military's capabilities.

RFE/RL: In recent weeks, we've seen a far slower moving and grinding war in Ukraine, especially in the Donbas. In your view, is it possible to tell who is winning a war like this and, if yes, what are some of the key indicators to watch?

Dara Massicot: You're correct. We are seeing a slower, more deliberate Russian approach featuring a lot of artillery strikes, followed by incremental movements behind them.

In the weeks ahead, I would be watching out for controlled departures, [such as] from the Ukrainian side, like we've seen in Syevyerodonetsk and will likely see in other areas [nearby]. Sometimes things stall in particular areas for a few weeks or a few months and then progress can be quite rapid. So it's not necessarily a linear fight happening.

RFE/RL: Obviously, it's difficult to say who's winning the war, but is there anything else to keep an eye on?

Massicot: I listen to the words of the Ukrainian military themselves, and they're saying that they are outgunned by a significant margin, particularly in terms of artillery strikes. Russian [forces] have numbers, both in terms of quantity and the range that they can apply against them, and those kinds of things are unlikely to change, even with the deliveries of some of the more advanced equipment in the weeks and months ahead.

This isn't only a numbers game, though. The Ukrainians have been fighting very smartly and very wisely, but I think the Russians do have a bit of an upper hand on the ground. They also have collapsed their objectives, [and] they're now focusing on two particular areas right now. In Syevyerodonetsk, they applied airpower and they're learning how to apply closer air support more effectively.

I was surprised this week to see more robust strikes from Russia into other areas of Ukraine. We haven't really seen dozens of missiles being launched at the same time in quite some time. So I'm looking at that closely right now, but again, I think the area to watch is in [the] eastern Luhansk [Province] right now.

RFE/RL: What sort of things can Kyiv do to build an advantage on the ground, especially when they're outgunned and outnumbered?

Massicot: They were really effective in the early days about attacking logistics lines and going after resupply lines and disrupting routes. Those types of things would continue to have an impact on Russian forces, but again, it's difficult for them to get to do that in Luhansk and Donetsk because the lines have been set [since 2014].

RFE/RL: There are growing reports that Russia is increasingly relying on reserve forces, including so-called "volunteers." Is this enough to allow Russia to sustain itself on the ground at its current rate without calling for a full-scale mobilization?

Massicot: I think it's a pretty bad sign for the health of Russia's professional enlisted fighting force that we're five months into this conflict and they're already going to these particular lengths to recruit troops. We have to consider that Russia's mobilization base and Russia's professional reserve program have been relatively dormant for the last 10 years, apart from maybe seeing a little bit of activity in the last 12 months. So these are not particularly well-trained individuals. They're not receiving adequate training -- maybe two to three weeks at most -- and then they're being put into a combat situation. Some of them are also older -- we're seeing around 40- to 50-year-old volunteers fighting in the Donbas.

But when I look at the different policy decisions that they're making inside Russia, I think that they believe they can still achieve their aims. They're already looking to the future in a world where they are attempting to annex parts of Luhansk, Donetsk, and parts of Zaporizhzhya and Kherson. [They're] also trying to put policy options in place right now as if they're going to have this as their territory. So, clearly, they think that they have enough.

RFE/RL: But is that belief credible in your mind?

Massicot: I think we have to talk about short term and long term. In the short term, they're clearly scraping from wherever they can to avoid [full-scale] mobilization. I don't know that they have enough for a major offensive again [and] I don't think that's possible. They have a very limited set of things that they can do, [and] I don't think they can recover from the losses that they've taken in personnel and equipment. So we might see [something] like a frozen conflict again, but you're not going to see another push to Kyiv or something like that.

[Looking further ahead], what they've done to their professional enlisted force is that they've basically committed all of it from the army and the air force to this war. They've taken significant casualties and people do not wish to participate anymore. Many are not going to reenlist after they serve out their contract. So I think we need to pay attention to signs about recruitment and retention.

RFE/RL: Ukrainian forces have pulled back from Syevyerodonetsk and appear to be entrenched at higher ground across the river at its sister city in Lysychansk, where they are also facing heavy fire. What can we expect for this coming fight?

Massicot: I'm not overly familiar with the terrain of that particular area, but Lysychansk will continue to be a focal point. You're going to see air strikes [and] we're going to see more artillery barrages. These types of things are very difficult, even if you're in dug-in positions, to withstand the destructiveness of the fire. I think it's important for Ukraine to focus on preserving their forces and not just let their units get shredded in order to hold on to a position. They seem to be mindful of this and know that it's more important for them to have their fighters survive, and when it's possible, they may try to move to more advantageous ground.

What they don't want to do is get surrounded or get their troops caught and be taken into Russian custody. There's so many warning signs at this point that the Geneva Convention is not really being followed on the Russian side -- and in a few cases on the Ukrainian side, too. So I would assume that they would not want to put units in that position.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
However, ever since the PPP Law took effect, this model has not attracted enough investors, although there is a lot of room for mobilizing social resources to invest in public projects.

Rights not defined

Under the PPP model the State and private investors jointly sign a contract to share benefits, risks, and responsibilities of construction of works or provision of public services. Both these entities are equal partners under the civil law in the project contract. However, the PPP Law does not clearly define the rights and obligations of each of these two entities.

According to the PPP Law, the competent agencies specified in Clause 1 in Article 5 are the Ministry, the provincial People's Committee, and the agency established by the Government or the Prime Minister. These are state management agencies, but when they appear as partners, the mode of operation bears the imprint of public authority, leading to inequality between competent authorities and investors. Competent agencies always think of themselves as state agencies with management rights, and investors are subject to their management rules.

Many investors complain that they are too discouraged when state agencies manage these projects. Although private investment accounts for 80% of a project, the state agencies are answerable to partners in all kinds of things, including public investment management mechanisms.

Regulations in PPP investment puts the relationship between the State and investors with equal interests of the parties. However, while state agencies require investors to fulfill many commitments, if they fail to do so, they are harassed. On the other hand, state agencies do not comply with commitments such as slow funding, self-cutting at toll stations according to the financial plan, not increasing tolls as committed, opening parallel roads to reduce traffic, or ordering to close the station or imposing non-stop toll collection conditions. All these actions affect the project's financial plan and cause damage to investors, but there is still no punishment or accountability from their side. This has led to investors being discouraged and not excited about participating in BOT projects.

Inadequacies in projects

If the capital from the state budget is not sufficient for investment in infrastructure development, especially investment in highway construction, the Government offers several policies and a favorable environment to encourage the private sector to participate in transport infrastructure investment projects under the PPP model. According to the provisions of Article 69 of the Law on PPP, the proportion of capital from the state budget participating in a PPP project must not exceed 50% of the total investment of the project. This part of capital includes most of the cost of site clearance. Investors take on the remaining 50%, but from this capital contribution a number of inadequacies arise in some projects.

Firstly, the State capital contribution rate is limited to no more than 50%, mainly for compensation for site clearance for project implementation, including land for road construction, rest station, and a gas station, and a part of investment costs for road construction. Such a strict regulation for state capital has made it impossible to carry out many expressway projects passing through remote areas with difficult geological and bad traffic conditions. For projects that are important for national security, or cover borders, seas, islands, and ethnic minority areas, the State should provide certain incentives. The capital from the state budget then can attract more capital. This prime capital can be through public investment to increase support for projects in remote and low-traffic areas. Therefore, the expansion of the state budget to maybe more than 50%, depending on the nature and characteristics of each project, is a solution that needs to be done immediately to attract investors.

Secondly, there is the problem of capital mobilization of investors. For a long time, the source of capital that investors have to mobilize for BOT projects depends on the credit channel in banks, but banks are not interested in lending. In developed countries, investment capital for infrastructure projects comes from many sources, including capital from the state budget, capital from issuing project bonds, equity of enterprises and loans from finance institutions or investment fund for highway development. In this, the highway development investment fund plays a very important role. This fund has not yet been established in Vietnam, and the project bond issuance plan is regulated in the PPP Law but there is no implementation guidance. Therefore, when the bank does not commit to credit, investors will automatically run out of opportunities.

Thirdly, there is need to solve the problem between loan interest payment and revenue of traffic BOT projects. Traffic PPP projects usually have large investment capital and long payback period. The capital recovered under the financial plan is mainly based on revenue from traffic fees. In the first years, the revenue was very low and unstable. After a while, sales gradually increased due to increase in vehicular traffic and increase in ticket prices according to the route. Simultaneously, interest expense on bank loans, which account for nearly 30% of total investment, were high in the first years and then gradually decreased over the years. The implementation of the above interest expense in accordance with the regulations of the Ministry of Finance under Decision 165/2022/QD-BTC, caused huge loss in business results in the first years of an investor's business, but a profit later on.

Fourthly, the authority of investors for ancillary work items along the route as prescribed in Article 48 of the Road Traffic Law belongs to the investor in the construction of the expressway. But in actuality, in most of the highway projects these items are assigned to the locality. Therefore, it is necessary to have a full plan of the network of these auxiliary works in parallel with the plan of the expressway network.

Asso. Prof. Dr. Tran Chung, Chairman of Vietnam Association of Road Traffic Construction Investors
Nov. 6 was the last time Imperial Beach City Council elections will be city-wide affairs.

The city will adopt a district election system for 2020 and beyond.

That means City Council candidates will have to live in the districts they seek to represent and voters tasked with electing them will only be able to cast ballots for candidates in their own districts.

District elections will have a significant impact on future elections because multiple sitting council members live in the same district. So in the 2020 election, if two members decide to run for re-election in the same district, only one will win.

Imperial Beach made the decision to switch in September when they received a letter from Kevin Shenkman, a Malibu-based lawyer. They will formally finish the process at the Dec. 5 council meeting.

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Shenkman has threatened to sue dozens of cities throughout the state for possible violations of the California Voting Rights Act. That law prohibits at-large elections if they reduce the ability of a protected class to elect candidates of their choice or if they limit their ability to influence an elections outcome.

Shenkman argued that Imperial Beach violated the law by pointing out that even though 48 percent of the citys population is Latino, there has never been a Latino council member.

The letter was written months before Paloma Aguirre made history by becoming the citys first elected Latina council member. But even with her victory, the council is still not entirely representative of the community it serves, said Councilmember Mark West.

Imperial Beach hosted three community meetings where members of the public could present their own district maps.

The council considered maps made by the professional consultants as well as residents. During the Oct. 17 meeting, the council narrowed it down to two maps and, on Nov. 7, it made a final decision.

Ultimately, they decided to go with the Rose B map, named after its creator, former Imperial Beach Mayor Denise Rose.

Roses district map features two coastal and two inland districts.

Most of the citys Latino population live in the north and east neighborhoods. But council members historically come from the west part of Imperial Beach. The maps sought to correct this imbalance, dividing the city into four districts.

District One includes the northeast portion of the city; everything north of Highway 75 and east of 12th Street until Imperial Beach Boulevard.

District Two contains a small coastal area north of Palm Avenue and most of the central part of the city, including everything between Third and 12th streets and north of Imperial Beach Boulevard.

District Three is made up of the entire coastal region south of Palm Avenue and west of Third Street. The district also contains the central part of the city south of Imperial Beach Boulevard.

District Four includes the southeastern part of Imperial Beach; neighborhoods south of Imperial Beach Boulevard and east of Essex Street.

Once Aguirre begins her term, every council member in Imperial Beach will live in district two or three. That dynamic could set up interesting elections that pit incumbents against each other in 2020 and 2022.

Districts two and four will be up in 2020. Council members West and Robert Patton both live in District Two. If they both run for re-election, voters in their district will have to choose one over the other.

The same situation could play out in 2022, when districts one and three are up for grabs. Council members Ed Spriggs and Aguirre live in District Three.

Contact Gustavo Solis via Email or Twitter
El Peru saluda al pueblo y gobierno canadiense con ocasion del 155 aniversario del Dia de Canada, y resalta el solido vinculo de amistad sobre la base de valores compartidos. @CanadaFP pic.twitter.com/VWom67IuvD
There are currently two different lineages of monkeypox. One is located in the area of the clade (phylogenetic group) of Central Africa and the other one in the clade of West Africa the latter being the one with the least virulence and circulating in Peru.

The specialist said that despite the fact that a less virulent and deadly variant circulates in our territory, it is necessary to continue with genomic surveillance so as to later determine whether there is variability in this virus or whether it remains the same.

Scientific evidence

"The sequencing of the first monkey virus genome in our country enables us to be aware of what we are facing, as well as to take adequate prevention and control measures. The health system bases its actions on scientific evidence; that is why the work of the INS team is important," he indicated.

Likewise, the specialist called on the population not to be alarmed by the recent monkeypox cases detected in the South American country because the transmission of this disease is not comparable to that of COVID-19, which is still affecting the entire world.

How is monkeypox spread?

Dr. Escalante stated that this disease is transmitted by close contact with an infected person or through the droplets that one expels while speaking.

Thus, it is important to continue wearing facemasks which not only protect against COVID-19 but also monkeypox.

Logro peruano! Los investigadores ?????????????? del @INS_Peru del #Minsa secuenciaron el genoma completo del virus que causa la viruela del mono a partir de una muestra del primer paciente en el pais con esta enfermedad. pic.twitter.com/wVj6DUMpEN
(Photo : Arkan Perdana) Google Will Auto-Delete Users Sensitive Location History Like Abortion Clinic Logs in Upcoming Update Rollup

Google announced in its blog post that it would start deleting logs to sensitive locations automatically after a user visited the area. The company published the blog following the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

In the blog's introduction, Jen Fitzpatrick, Senior Vice President- Core Systems at Google, she emphasized how Google values the protection of the user's privacy on their data security. To meet the company's mission on data privacy, it offers easy-to-use privacy tools and settings that users can access. She said that privacy matters to people.

Google Lists Down Sensitive Location History for Auto-Delete

Fitzpatrick said the company values the privacy of its users, especially around health topics. To keep the company's promise to its users, Google announced that its systems would automatically delete sensitive places and their location history soon after they visit. These include abortion clinics, addiction treatment facilities, fertility centers, cosmetic surgery clinics, weight loss clinics, domestic violence shelters, and counseling centers.

The company has not yet released the exact date of the changes. But it emphasizes that it will take effect in the coming weeks.

ALSO READ: Fetal Heartbeat: When Abortion Becomes Unlawful; Medical Expert Tells More About Foetation, 6-Week Gestation

Google User Data Policy

Google also implements its effort on user privacy in Google Play. Based on its strict protocol, it does not allow developers selling personal and sensitive user data. The company also introduced a new data safety section informing users on how developers collect, share and secure their data. It is one of the company's efforts to promote user control and transparency.

Google implemented the user privacy policies on third-party apps, and on Google Fit and Fitbit. The mentioned apps now allow users to control their data. It also provided tools, so users could easily access their data. The new settings include the option to delete and change personal information at any time.

As of this report, Fitbit users can delete their menstruation logs one at a time. Yet the company currently works on the app's update, so users can delete multiple logs at once soon.

Google also stated in its blog that it continues to protect its users' data against improper government demands on acquiring its users' personal information. It reiterated that the company would continue to oppose the overly broad or otherwise legally objectionable government's demands.

Google said on its transparency report page, that the company carefully reviews the government's request to ensure that it satisfies applicable laws. The company said that if they find out that their requests ask for too much information they narrow it. It also cited, there were some cases where it objects to producing the information requested.

The company regularly shares the number and types of government demands through its transparency report. This report is available online.

Although the company was robust in delivering privacy protections for its users, it also said that it supported Congressional efforts in reaching bipartisan agreement on nationwide privacy protections. The agreement focused on establishing good data practices and moving the burden of privacy of individuals across the board.

RELATED ARTICLE: Data Breach Aftermath and What You Should Give It Attention

Check out more news and information on Technology in Science Times.
(Photo : CDC/Getty Images) In this 1971 Center For Disease Control handout photo, monkeypox-like lesions are shown on the arm and leg of a female child in Bondua, Liberia.

Professor Kevin Fenton, London's top public health doctor, urged people with monkeypox symptoms to avoid attending London Pride events this weekend and report blisters, fever, and swollen glands to their doctors.

Monkeypox cases across the United Kingdom and other European countries have drastically increased in the past few months. WHO Europe head Henri Kluge called on governments to ramp up efforts in preventing monkeypox from establishing itself in the continent. He called the spread of the monkeypox virus an "emergency event."

Monkeypox Cases in the UK

The recent data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows a total of 1,235 confirmed monkeypox cases across the country. That is a significant increase from the last data on June 26, with 1,076 confirmed cases.

Yahoo! News reported that nearly 700 cases are confirmed in London, wherein 33 new cases were detected since Tuesday. The capital city holds 76% of cases in England, with 693 out of 898 cases.

England has recorded 150 new cases in less than a week and now has a total of 1,185 monkeypox cases. Meanwhile, Scotland has recorded 34 monkeypox cases, Wales has 10, and Northern Ireland has six.

People who have symptoms or tested positive were advised to self-isolate and not to attend the London Pride event this weekend. There are overwhelming cases of the virus infecting homosexual, bisexual, and other men who have sexual relations with other men, which is why UKHSA warns people to enjoy the weekend event safely.

Monkeypox incident director Wendi Shepherd said that attendees should check themselves for blisters and rashes before attending the London Pride event. If they have symptoms or feel unwell, it is best to avoid going and immediately contact health facilities to get tested. It is also advisable to exchange contact details with sexual partners to limit transmission.

Authorities estimated around 1.5 million attendees to Saturday this year's Pride event. It is also the 50th year of Britain's first Pride march since 1972.

ALSO READ: Monkeypox DNA Found in Semen of Some Patients Strongly Favors Sexual Transmission Hypothesis, Study Says

UK Offers Smallpox Vaccine for Monkeypox

According to UKHSA's press release, they are now offering vaccines to people at high risk of exposure to monkeypox to help control the recent virus outbreak. Although the virus is not considered a sexually transmitted infection, the latest outbreak data shows high transmission rates within sexual networks of gay, bisexual, and other men who have sexual relations with other men.

As a response, UKHSA published its vaccination strategy that offers the smallpox vaccine Imvanex which has been proven effective against monkeypox. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI) endorsed this strategy and was consulted on the eligibility criteria for the vaccine.

UKHSA said that the eligibility of a person depends on many factors that are similar to the criteria for assessing eligibility for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). The strategy also requires clinicians to advise vaccination for those with multiple partners.



RELATED ARTICLE: Singapore Confirms First Imported Monkeypox Case Since 2019; 13 Close Contacts Placed in Quarantine



Check out more news and information on Monkeypox in Science Times.
??? Presidente del Consejo de Ministros recibio la visita del embajador concurrente de Singapur, Thambynathan Jasudasen

https://t.co/ZvzBfHyaxR
The outlook for Californias drought is grim.

The first five months of the year have been the driest on record. Snowpack in the mountains, at its usual April 1 peak, was the smallest its been in seven years. Reservoirs are hovering near historic lows for the season, including Lake Shasta, the states largest.

But theres one, albeit small, bright spot: spring runoff. The water that pours from the mountains to rivers and streams, one of the most important barometers of state water supplies, is up substantially from over a year ago  though still far below normal.

As water managers painfully remember, a low point of the three-year drought was last spring when statewide runoff fell far short of expectations. Much of the melting snow and late-season rain, instead of flowing downhill to cities and farms, was sucked up by extraordinarily dry soils, thirsty plants and warm air. Consequently, reservoirs in Northern California captured 685,000 acre-feet less water than what state planners had forecast, a difference that could supply more than 1 million households for a year.

Last years unexpected deficit led to a panicky ramp-up of water restrictions and questions about adequacy of the states supply forecasting, and no one wants to see the situation repeated.

Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle

We feel better about the amount of runoff this year, said David Rizzardo, a supervising engineer at the California Department of Water Resources. Its not going to end the drought, its nothing to write home about, but its a better picture than a year ago.

The water captured from the Sierra and southern Cascades provides nearly two-thirds of Californias water. Because of this, runoff forecasts, particularly in dry years, are closely watched.

Over the past decade, in keeping with severe bouts of drought, runoff levels have trended lower than they have in more than a century of record-keeping, according to data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Last year was the second-lowest amount of runoff, following only 1977, when California was gripped by another extremely parched period that saw drastic water restrictions. Climate scientists say the trend is the clear impact of rising temperatures and more frequent dry spells.

This year, water experts say less water is being lost to soil infiltration, plant transpiration and evaporation, largely because of the timing of storms over the wet season  this despite there being fewer storms than average during the water year of Oct. 1 to Sept. 31. October brought a period of heavy rain, lots of snow fell in December, and some cool, damp weather arrived in April, all of which helped keep the moisture deficit in the environment from escalating like it did last year.

The soils stayed wet throughout the winter so the melt that did happen later on was more efficient, said Brett Whitin, service coordination hydrologist at the federal governments California Nevada River Forecast Center in Sacramento.

Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle

Soil plots in the Sierra Nevada monitored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and tracked by the forecast center in Sacramento show saturation levels at the start of summer were generally much higher than they were a year ago. This also bodes well for fire season, lowering the danger, at least initially.

In addition to the runoff being more efficient  a greater percentage of it is making it down the mountains  many watersheds also had a bit more rain and snow this water year, with the help of a wet April, contributing to the overall boost in runoff that water managers are now observing.

In the sprawling Feather River basin, which feeds Californias second-largest reservoir, Lake Oroville, state water officials recorded just 29% of the average runoff in April through July of 2021. This year, with most of those months data already in, the state is projecting 54% of average runoff for that period. While still low, water levels in Lake Oroville are higher than last year as a result.

In the American River watershed, which supplies Folsom Lake, state officials recorded 30% of average runoff last year and are projecting 58% this year.

The forecast for Lake Shasta is also up, though not as much, as are the outlooks for most basins across the state. Water levels in Lake Shasta are about the same as they were a year ago.

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.

Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle

Last year, the Department of Water Resources acknowledges that its runoff projections for most basins in April were off the mark by as much as 68%, with officials consistently overestimating the total, spurring state officials to rethink how they make the calculation.

Californias climate is transitioning to a warmer setting in which historical relationships among temperature, precipitation and runoff are changing, said a follow-up report by the agency. It becomes increasingly difficult to rely on historical observations to predict water supply conditions.

This week, Californias Joint Legislative Audit Committee voted to conduct an audit of the Department of Water Resources water management practices, including its supply forecasting. The decision came at the request of Assembly Member Adam Gray, D-Merced, who has been critical of the agency since its modeling failed to anticipate last years shortfall.

Errors on this scale have real and measurable consequences, Gray said in a statement. Growers use the information to predict how much water they can expect for their farms and how many acres they can afford to plant. The estimates are used to inform everything from flood control to power generation and water quality standards.

The Department of Water Resources has recently incorporated new tools into its forecasting in hope of improving. One of the most significant is flying planes over key watersheds equipped with specialized lasers, or Lidar, to measure snowpack. The result is more granular info on the distribution of snow than whats obtained at individual survey sites.

The more data we have the more we can keep the forecast in tune, said Rizzardo, with the Department of Water Resources.

Even the best data, however, wont bring more water.

Runoff still remains less than average this year, Rizzardo said. If its better than the previous year, but not average, youre going to keep digging that hole.

Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexander
Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed BARTs first inspector general in 2019 to act as an independent watchdog over the regional rail agencys $2.5 billion budget and operations.

But an Alameda County civil grand jury found that, from the beginning, BARTs management, Board of Directors and labor unions sought to undermine Inspector General Harriet Richardsons role by limiting access to information and employees, according to a copy of the grand jurys report.

The grand jury report, published this week, described an Office of the Inspector General (OIG) at BART whose independent oversight of the agency has been hampered by a barebones budget and interference by BART leadership.

The grand jury found that agency management supported unreasonable conditions insisted by unions that would have required Richardson to provide two days advance notice to interview any employee no matter what the subject, and that employees feared retaliation for speaking with Richardson, according to the report.

The report stated that BART staff and management withheld information Richardson had a right to access, and that General Manager Bob Powers insisted that all communication between the inspector gnerals office and BART staff be filtered through him.

From the beginning, the Grand Jury learned that BARTs board, management and unions demonstrated an unwillingness to support an independent OIG and erected roadblocks to its function, the report said.

The agency said in a statement that BART and its Board take the findings very seriously and will respond to the grand jurys findings and recommendations within 90 days, as is required.

Independent oversight provides an additional layer of accountability and helps to ensure BART is following industry best practices, BARTs statement reads. BART strongly believes in the mission of the Office of the Inspector General to provide the objective oversight wanted by the public.

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.

BARTs inspector general office was created as part of a 2018 ballot measure that earmarked $1 billion in Bay Area bridge toll revenue for BART capital projects. But with a $1 million budget, the office remains underfunded and below that of other large U.S. transit agencies and the Board of Directors have not prioritized funding for it, according to the report.

The report emphasized the growing importance of the inspector generals role as a fiscal watchdog as public funding makes up a larger share of BARTs budget following the pandemic, which significantly reduced ridership and fare revenues.

The grand jurys report comes as the state Legislature appears poised to pass legislation that would strengthen the inspector generals office.

Senate Bill 1488 by Democratic Sen. Steve Glazer of Orinda would give BARTs inspector general subpoena power and the authority to confidentially interview employees and access all agency records for any audit or investigation. The bill, which the BART board voted, 6-3, to oppose unless amended, is one Assembly floor vote from reaching Newsoms desk.

Ricardo Cano is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ricardo.cano@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ByRicardoCano
Sara Kruzan was 16 when she shot and killed the man who had been sexually trafficking her since she was 11. Sentenced to life without parole in Riverside County, she was granted a commutation by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on his last day in office, leading to her release after more than 19 years in prison.

On Friday, nine years later, Gov. Gavin Newsom erased Kruzans criminal record by granting her a pardon, one of 33 grants of clemency he announced. They included others who had worked to rehabilitate themselves during decades in prison, some who faced potential deportation for relatively minor criminal conduct, and an 82-year-old man who was born in a Nazi prison camp, brought to the United States at age 11, and convicted 16 years later of soliciting sex from another man.

Kruzan has become an activist since her release from prison, and recently published a memoir, I Cried to Dream Again. She has also inspired proposed federal legislation, titled Saras Law, that would allow federal judges to reduce prison sentences for youthful victims of sex crimes who retaliate against their abusers.

Her imprisonment at the Central California Womens Facility in Chowchilla was one of the most humiliating quality-of-life experiences you can go through, but it turned into an amazing opportunity, Kruzan said in a recent interview with Vogue magazine. I found that I was able to share a tremendous warmth and tenderness with the other women there, and I made lasting, lifelong friendships.

It was a community. ...There was so much liveliness, hope, inspiration, smiles, camaraderie, sharing, she said in another interview with the International Association of Street Papers. I was freed on the inside.

She said she hopes her life story will inspire empathy for victims of trafficking. ...I am hoping to make a contribution to conversations that will help propel legal reform and encourage us to better serve and protect children in danger.

Kruzan, the child of a single mother, had her life taken over at age 11 by a man named George Howard, who put her through years of abuse and forced prostitution. After she fatally shot him in 1994, she was tried as an adult, and, according to an account in the StreetRoots weekly newspaper in Portland, Ore., the jury was told nothing about his abuse of her, and instead heard Howard described as a reputable businessman.

Ms. Kruzan has transformed her life and dedicated herself to community service, Newsom said in his grant of a pardon. This act of clemency for Ms. Kruzan does not minimize or forgive her conduct or the harm it caused. It does recognize the work she has done since to transform herself.

The 82-year-old pardon recipient is Henry Pachnowski, who was born to Polish parents who had been imprisoned by Nazis in their work camps. After World War II, he remained in a displaced persons camp for about six years, then entered the United States with his mother under the Displaced Persons Act, said his lawyer, Jaresh Rathod of the Immigrant Justice Clinic at American University.

In 1967, while living in Orange County, he was charged with soliciting a lewd act, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and was sentenced to 10 days in jail and three years of probation. According to Pachnowskis statement in his pardon application, he had engaged in consensual sex with a male partner in the mans car, in a deserted industrial area, and was caught by a security guard who said we had gone against God and nature. He said he pleaded guilty to avoid prosecution on a more serious charge of sex perversion.

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.

Pachnowski, who now lives in Maryland, said he has turned his life around since the 1960s, holding jobs that have ranged from selling antiques to repairing plumbing, and used his income to support his family.

A pardon would not only recognize and remedy the injustice that I suffered from being targeted and convicted because of my sexuality; it would also ensure that I do not face any future obstacles, such as employment and housing-related ones, stemming from this conviction, he said in his application.

Newsom said in his clemency order that such charges were common at the time, and were used to punish men for consensual adult sexual conduct with other men, criminalizing them based on stigma, bias and ignorance. The pardon, he said, acknowledges the inherent injustice of the conviction.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
California has repealed an anti-loitering law designed to combat prostitution but that LGBTQ advocates say resulted in law enforcement targeting transgender women and women of color.

On Friday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed SB357 by state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, which repeals a 1995 law that prohibits loitering in public places with the intent to commit prostitution. Wiener said the current loitering law is written so vaguely that it has led to police officers and prosecutors profiling trans, Black and Latino women.

Opponents have dubbed such laws walking while trans bans because of complaints of discrimination. They said Californias law allows police to cite people simply because of innocuous factors like how they dress or where they stand on the street.

Everyone - no matter their race, gender or how they make a living - deserves to feel safe on our streets, Wiener said in a statement.

Legislators approved the bill last year, but Wiener held it from going to Newsoms desk so he could have more time to make the case to the governor. Wiener sent the bill to Newsom a few weeks ago, to coincide with LGBTQ Pride month.

Newsom faced heavy pressure to veto the bill from some anti-trafficking advocates and law-enforcement groups, who said it would make it harder for police to identify victims of sex trafficking.

The same people that this bill is supposed to protect will be hurt by taking away the very mechanisms to protect them, Stephany Powell, director of law enforcement training and survivor services for the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, said in a statement.

The governor nodded to those concerns on Friday.

While I agree with the author's intent and I am signing this legislation, we must be cautious about its implementation, Newsom wrote in his bill-signing message. My administration will monitor crime and prosecution trends for any possible unintended consequences and will act to mitigate any such impacts.

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.

Wieners bill would not decriminalize sex work or repeal other laws that prohibit soliciting prostitution. He said the bill will also ensure sex workers are treated with dignity because arresting them doesnt make them safer, doesnt make our communities safer and doesnt prevent sex work.

For far too long, California law has been used to profile, harass and arrest transgender and gender-nonconforming people simply for existing in public spaces, said Tony Hoang, executive director of Equality California, an LGBTQ advocacy group that sponsored the bill.

Dustin Gardiner (he/him) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dustin.gardiner@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dustingardiner
A lawsuit accusing Vacaville of endangering its residents with tap water polluted with hexavalent chromium  the cancer-causing chemical made infamous in the film "Erin Brockovich"  was dismissed Friday by a federal appeals court, which said the city merely carried the water in its pipes and isn't responsible for contamination caused by others.

The city was sued in 2017 by the environmental group California River Watch, which said Vacaville had failed to inspect or clean up the water it had piped in from wells near a former wood-processing plant whose owners had dumped the chemical into the ground for many years.

The plant, operated by Wickes Forest Industries, was classified as a federal hazardous waste site in 1980. Groundwater samples several years later showed unsafe levels of hexavalent chromium, also known as chromium-6, the chemical that sickened hundreds of residents of a Mojave Desert town depicted in the Academy Award-winning 2000 docudrama. When the suit was filed, tests of Vacaville groundwater had shown 24 parts per billion of hexavalent chromium, while state law set a maximum level of 10 parts per billion.

The suit was initially dismissed by a federal judge in Sacramento but was revived last September by a panel of the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which said in a 2-1 ruling that River Watch could try to prove that Vacaville had violated a federal hazardous waste law by transporting a known carcinogen through its water pipes. But in an unusual action, the panel then agreed to reconsider its decision, after receiving additional written arguments, and ordered dismissal of the suit in a 3-0 ruling Friday.

The federal law against transporting dangerous substances applies only to the active movement of waste as part of the waste disposal process, such as shipments to waste treatment and disposal sites, Judge Patrick Bumatay wrote. He said Vacaville was not responsible for creating the contamination or cleaning it up and cannot be held liable under the law merely because it incidentally carries the waste through its pipes when it pumps the water to its residents.

Bumatay, who had written the decision in September to reinstate the suit, was joined Friday was joined by Douglas Rayes, a federal judge from Arizona temporarily assigned to the Ninth Circuit who had also endorsed the previous decision.

Judge A. Wallace Tashima, who had voted to dismiss the case in September, disagreed with the majoritys reasoning Friday but endorsed the result, saying that if Vacaville could be held responsible for spreading the contamination, so could any homeowner, farmer, rancher or government agency that took water from a polluted source and provided it to others.

Jack Silver, a lawyer for River Watch, said the court created an unprecedented, narrow definition of transportation of hazardous substances to dismiss the suit. He said the organization has not decided whether to appeal.

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.

While Vacaville officials have said they worked diligently to clean up water supplies to the city of 100,000, Silver said the water still has unsafe levels of hexavalent chromium, and experts retained by River Watch believe residents face above-normal risks of cancer and miscarriages. He also said Wickes Forest Industries and another company that operated a nearby wood-processing plant are no longer in business and cannot be sued.

Vacaville responded with a statement from its director of utilities, Curtis Paxton, saying the city was complying with all state and federal water quality requirements.

The state is in the process of revisiting a potential drinking water regulation for Chromium 6, Paxton said, and if addition treatment of water is required, Vacaville will provide that treatment.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
Firefighters increased containment on the Rices Fire in Nevada County throughout Saturday, despite fears that windy weather could spread the fire across county lines and threaten yet another small community.

Containment grew from 26% Saturday morning to 35% by the evening, Cal Fire officials reported. The Rices Fire, fueled by drought-parched fuel, remained at 904 acres. Firefighters had feared wind gusts up to 22 miles per hour could push the flames into Yuba County or north into the tiny town of North San Juan, but lower temperatures and higher humidity aided their progress.
On the morning of Feb. 22, 2018, I woke up to the noise of helicopters circling over my Haight apartment. Several hours earlier, three young men had gathered under the arched entrance to the Urban School on Page Street and shared a baggie of white powder theyd found on the sidewalk. Not regular opioid users, they thought it might be ketamine. It wasnt. Instead, they consumed a combination of speed and fentanyl.

All three overdosed and died.

It shook me. That day, unable to shake a sense of helplessness, I walked over to a syringe exchange program on my lunch break and got trained in how to administer naloxone, the overdose reversal drug.

I left with two doses. I didnt need an appointment. It took 10 minutes. I didnt have to give my name. And it was free. Thats because, in San Francisco, naloxone is largely distributed through a standing prescription program, where a single doctor can write a prescription for a large group of people. Trained staff or volunteers at syringe exchanges can then dispense that prescription without a doctor present  much like how pharmacists can administer the flu vaccine.

The idea was first launched in Massachusetts in the early 2000s and made its way to San Francisco a decade later. Its picked up speed, and the California Department of Public Health issued a standing order for naloxone in 2018. As doctors are expensive and work limited hours, this arrangement saves money and time, and gets the lifesaving drug into peoples hands more efficiently  especially those who cant or wont access traditional medical care, such as the unhoused. In 2021, tens of thousands of naloxone doses were distributed in San Francisco through standing orders. In all, more than 13,000 people in the city have been trained to administer it. Because of the way the standing order is written, none of them were required to provide their name.

Its a hugely successful model, and one we can learn from in the wake of the Supreme Courts ruling that overturned the right to an abortion in America. A desperate conversation is now underway over how to ensure pregnant people access to the procedure in states where it will be banned. Concerns are especially heightened for those who travel across state lines for abortions, who may accrue a pharmaceutical paper trail that could be used against them by aggressive prosecutors.

California is now searching for ways to make the state a safe haven for those who come here seeking care. This raises the question: Could we create a paper trail-free standing order for abortion drugs like mifepristone and misoprostol?

Yes, in theory. But the Food and Drug Administration is stopping it.

A standing prescription would be the ultimate way to reduce harm, said Dr. Tania Basu Serna, an associate clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at UCSF. But I think its a long, long way away at this point.

Thats because tight barriers currently exist around abortion drugs  mifepristone in particular. Until late last year, the FDA required that the drug be dispensed in person by a medical professional  a task that became more difficult during COVID-19 restrictions and staffing shortages. After the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists lobbied for change, that requirement was dropped, making it possible for the drug to be mailed to people.

But were still miles away from a standing prescription. Unlike naloxone, mifepristone is still controlled by the FDAs Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy, which means that only certified pharmacies can distribute it. Its not currently legal for volunteers at a pop-up health tent, for example, to hand it out.

Its true that abortion drugs have a larger impact on the body, while naloxone has virtually no side effects. But many doctors argue its still too controlled. Mifepristone is a safe medication, Dr. Serna told me. We know these types of FDA requirements disproportionately burden communities already facing structural barriers to care, including people of color.

There are countless examples of creative ways people skirt FDA requirements. Communities have cared for their own long before recent abortion restrictions came into being. One Bay Area midwife told me about underground care networks, where those who are distrustful of traditional medical centers or dont have insurance can call on a friend or family member who will mail them abortion medication without going through a pharmacy. Skilled support is then provided through Signal, the encrypted messaging app, on how to take the drugs and track symptoms safely.

Back in the day, similar efforts were employed with naloxone. Harm reduction advocate Dan Bigg would fly into San Francisco with duffle bags full of the drug, teaching anyone who worked with opiate users how to deploy it. Over the past three decades, community leaders have worked hard to improve access to naloxone, creating standing orders that protect privacy. It took decades to get to this point  where anyone can walk up to a syringe exchange program and get a prescription for naloxone, no questions asked.

We can get there with abortion drugs, too.

The battle to loosen FDA restrictions on abortion drugs has been going on for years. But after the ruling on Roe, theres a renewed urgency in not just preserving the status quo, but in making these drugs more accessible. As the whole country looks toward the future of abortion rights, reducing FDA regulations must be part of the fight.

Nuala Bishari is a San Francisco Chronicle opinion columnist and editorial writer. Email: nuala.bishari@sfchronicle.com
The concept of single-family zoning was born from lies. Specifically, Bay Area lies.

For decades starting in the late 19th century, white residents of San Francisco tried, unsuccessfully, to impose state-sanctioned segregation on their Chinese neighbors. The 1890 Bingham Ordinance, which explicitly banned Chinese residents from certain areas of the city under penalty of jail, was thrown out by the courts on equal protection grounds  as were subsequent efforts at openly racialized zoning.

Undeterred, white property owners searched for legal end-arounds. And they found one in single-family zoning. White elites had almost exclusive access to the kind of capital needed to purchase a freestanding home. And so single-family zoning became a tool for de facto apartheid, under the guise of separation of use. The idea was first implemented in Berkeley in 1916 as a tool to eject Asian-owned laundries and a negro dance hall from the proximity of white homeowners. San Francisco soon followed suit.

Like the Bingham Ordinance before it, single-family zoning was initially shot down by courts  for its only slightly more subtle racialized designs. It ultimately survived constitutional scrutiny, however, with the aid of a Supreme Court reversal  by the same justices who upheld separate but equal.

And so the practice spread throughout the country  the Bay Areas gift to American racism.

On Tuesday, San Franciscos Board of Supervisors voted to finally end single-family zoning in the city that helped birth it. But, with the weight of history on their shoulders, did supervisors rise to the challenge of crafting a bill that earnestly addresses a century of historical wrong?

They did not.

Instead, their effort, like single-family zoning itself, was a cheap ploy  a not-so-subtle end-around to subvert a new California law mandating streamlined development in exclusionary neighborhoods. Despite made-for-headlines boasts about allowing fourplexes and six-unit homes on formerly single-family plots, the supervisors housing bill will do nothing to spur denser development in exclusionary neighborhoods.

And they know it.

A planning department feasibility study shows that developers trying to navigate the bills restrictions will lose money by the handfuls should they try to build denser housing on a formerly single-family plot.

Cue the chorus of boo-hoos. But guess what happens when developers are guaranteed to lose money? They dont build anything.

As if to stamp home the fact their bill has no intention of breaking up a century of single-family dominance, supervisors inserted a rule that says only those living in their homes for more than five years, or those who inherited the real estate, can take advantage of new streamlined zoning rules.

What is the point of ending single-family zoning if developers arent actually allowed to easily build denser new housing in formerly restricted areas?

Luxury condos are notorious boogeymen in San Francisco. But single-family homes are the citys most luxurious form of housing. Their median sales price is $1.95 million in 2022; thats $700,000 more than a condo. Single-family homes, with rare concessions, are exempted from rent control  making them largely unaffordable to working families. Homeowners, meanwhile, are granted generous state and federal tax breaks. They also enjoy protections from police search and seizure that many renters do not. Home ownership in America affords a higher status of citizenship. And single-family ownership is at the top of that status rung.

This is not the final statement on density in low-density neighborhoods, Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, the housing bills author, said on Tuesday.

Perhaps so. And the board deserves praise for apparently coming to terms with Mayor London Breed on new social housing spending that could allow government to directly build more affordable units.

But that effort will provide just a fraction of the more than 80,000 new homes San Francisco needs.

As if putting a stamp on the limited scale of their vision, supervisors this week moved forward with another dubious housing measure. This one, draped in sanctimonious language of affordability, would appear on the November ballot  despite feasibility studies that, once again, show nothing will get built under the tight-fisted rules of the plan. With a wink and a nod, the measures goal appears to be sabotaging a competing initiative by Breed that would streamline the construction of much-needed dense, mixed-income developments.

These cheap theatrics are ideological parlor tricks in service of a status quo that is failing San Francisco.

Single-family zoning was born of racial malice and a desire to find a legally permissible end-around to integration. That malice is built into the physical structure of our communities.

Lies put us here. They wont get us out.

This commentary is from The Chronicles editorial board. We invite you to express your views in a letter to the editor. Please submit your letter via our online form: SFChronicle.com/letters.
The contract for a nonprofit that San Francisco Public Works hired to clean up the Tenderloin and manage public restrooms was terminated and another not renewed after a series of allegations that some of its workers sold drugs, slept on the job, harassed residents and generally failed to carry out their duties.

The organization, the Mission Neighborhood Centers, has filed a lawsuit alleging that the decision was baseless and that the cancellation of the contract will have catastrophic consequences for nearly 100 workers, many of whom are trying to get their lives back on track after being in jail or homeless.

The lawsuit focuses on a nearly $1.9 million contract Mission Neighborhood Centers was awarded in November. The yearlong contract, part of a larger project to clean up the Tenderloin, provided job training, employment, and workforce development opportunities to formerly incarcerated parolees and at-risk local residents who are eligible to work, but face employment barriers, according to the contract. That program employed 57 workers.

We believe we are within our legal right to sever this contract, said Rachel Gordon, director of policy and communications for Public Works. We want to make sure that every cent we spend to make the Tenderloin clean is having a positive impact.

A second contract, also totaling $1.9 million and which funded 38 attendants for the Tenderloins Pit Stop bathrooms, expired June 30 and will not be renewed for the same reasons, according to Gordon. The grant for was for one year.

The lawsuit by the Mission-based nonprofit seeks to have the termination of the contract rescinded and to force the city to turn over any documents related to the matter. Mission Neighborhood Centers Executive Director Richard Ybarra called the complaints false allegations.

There is a lot of hearsay but no evidence of any wrongdoing, he said. All we want is a fair shake. Youre looking at 95 workers who are on the margins  we dont want to break their spirits.

Documents obtained by The Chronicle through a Freedom of Information Act request show the Tenderloin cleanup program has been the target of increasing criticism in recent months.

In early June, a project manager for the Mayors Office of Economic and Workforce Development wrote an email to interim Public Works Director Carla Short to complain about the behavior of a Pit Stop attendant the manager witnessed on two occasions sleeping in his car next to the restroom at Sgt. John Macaulay Park at OFarrell and Larkin streets. The second time the worker was roused when an elderly and disabled man walked into the restroom to use it. The Chronicle is not naming the project manager because of concerns for the persons safety.

The attendant raced over to repeatedly and aggressively slam on the door shouting, Get the f out. You saw it was closed. Im going to beat your fing ass, the project manager wrote. The senior citizen shuffled away, looking traumatized by the scenario.

The email said there were reports of a worker selling drugs while on the clock and catcalling women. He said that he had rarely seen (workers) cleaning while they are present but instead loitering in groups while smoking and taking up sidewalk space.

In another email to Short, Pratibha Tekkey, a community organizer for the Tenderloin Housing Clinic, said she had seen clean team members hanging off of fire escapes, sitting for hours on washing machines at the laundry at Turk and Eddy, and walking over mounds of rubbish without picking it up.

A third report from Tenderloin Community Benefits District Executive Director Simon Bertrang said one of his staffers had watched a uniformed Mission Neighborhood Centers worker both selling marijuana out of a large paper bag and smoking it with another person.

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.

Over the past few months multiple staff members have witnessed extremely inappropriate behavior that contributes to the chaos on the street rather than support cleanliness and safety, Bertrang said.

The loss of the contracts could have severe implications for many of the workers, some of whom must remain employed as a condition of their probation, according to the lawsuit filed by the Mission nonprofit, which has been around since 1897 and serves more than 45,000 low-income seniors, youths and families at 13 sites throughout San Francisco.

Because of the termination of the contract, the lawsuit states that Mission Neighborhood Centers will be forced to discharge these persons from the workforce development program, so persons currently on probation will be incarcerated, persons who are homeless will lose income for basic necessities; persons who are about to find homes will lose that opportunity; persons who are fortunate to have housing will lose that housing; and persons will lose or fail to regain custody of their children.

Gordon said a corridor work program would take over the work previously done by the nonprofit. Sustaining and increasing the increased cleaning we have seen over the last eight months in the Tenderloin is a top priority for us, she said. We dont want to lose the momentum.

The cleanup program is part of a wider $8.8 million initiative that Mayor London Breed announced a year ago to make the Tenderloin cleaner and safer.

J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfjkdineen
California Highway Patrol

Travelers driving toward South Lake Tahoe for the Fourth of July weekend encountered significant delays on Highway 50 for about seven hours Friday resulting from a big rig that caught fire in the morning, according to local authorities.

The fire initially shut down traffic in both directions on Highway 50 just east of Kyburz in El Dorado County about 45 minutes from Lake Tahoe, California Highway Patrol said in a tweet.
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I am an American citizen. Thank you.

Consider the power of those seven words. They hint at a much deeper narrative.

Trim off the final phrase of gratitude and its merely a statement. The thank you informs us the writer was not born in the United States, and expresses appreciation not just for becoming an American citizen, but to those who helped make that happen.

Its a real note, typical of the ones Barbara Kestenbaum and James Knight receive after their students at the Building One Community (B1C) citizenship class pass the test to become Americans.

Barbara and James are volunteers, paid only in a bounty of calls, texts and WhatsApp messages revealing the outcome of citizenship tests.

Some notes are even briefer.

Teaching future Americans For more information on volunteering at Building One Community, see building1community.org. See More Collapse

Passed delivers the news Barbara and James wait anxiously to hear. Then the sender adds a second line:

Thanks to you.

Some need no words at all. Five U.S. flags, a thumbs up and three sets of hands in prayer make the point efficiently. But there is a poignancy to every one of them.

James ... youre talking to a new American citizen. It went really well.

Thanks Miss Barbara one hundred times.

Sin su ayuda no hubiera logrado.

Dear teacher ... thank you so much.

Good teachers deflect attention from themselves. James and Barbara are good teachers. On this Fourth of July, I wanted to learn more about the people who help immigrants pass the citizenship test. They consistently steered the conversation back to their students.

I want to give credit to the students themselves, James says as we wrap up our conversation. The work they put into it and the studying they do, and showing up even if they were working late in the day. I want to give them credit.

I interview them separately, yet Barbara hits similar notes without a prompt: The exciting part is (the students) enthusiasm and how hard they work and how committed they are.

James and Barbara, both Stamford residents, took different paths to B1C, which is based in the city. Barbara was on the lookout for volunteer opportunities when Sarita Hanley took her by the hand after an exercise class about eight years ago and brought her to meet Catalina Horak, then the executive director of Neighbors Link Stamford, which was later rebranded as Building One Community. James knows himself well enough to recognize a need to keep busy after his day job as a paralegal. In addition to the citizenship class, he also teaches English at B1C, where he has volunteered for about eight years.

They compliment one another for the way they complement one another as a teaching team. Barbara is retired, but launched her diverse resume as a teacher before pivoting to yoga instructor and office manager for a literary agency.

James speaks Spanish, which comes in handy but is not necessary to volunteer. The students can come from anywhere. They mention students who hail from Turkey, Russia and India, though the majority are from Spanish-speaking countries.

The classes are typically two hours long and last 12 weeks, though it is essentially a carousel students can jump on at any time. Some need to complete the circle more than once. The important thing is that they feel confident when taking the test.

The test is divided into two parts. The first is a civics quiz which requires them to correctly answer six of 10 questions from a pool of 100. Sure, some are easy, but I lack confidence that Americans who dont have to take a test would pass it. Clearly, only a handful of people know that Americans can participate in a democracy by writing to a newspaper. Im not even sure more than half the people in Connecticut could identify an American Indian Tribe despite the state hosting a glitzy casino named for one.

The second part of the test, though, is deceptively challenging. The questions are personal, so the students should know the answers better than anyone (and the test administrators already have them). But its the rare exam that doesnt care about the answers. Its really testing English skills. So unfamiliar synonyms and idioms can make the difference. A reference to bear arms meant only the arms of a bear to one applicant.

James and Barbara cant sit in on the interviews, but debrief their students afterward to educate themselves. One student, for example, could not provide her maiden name. In her native culture, that phrase doesnt mean anything.

Barbara learned early on about something else that doesnt always translate: her native New York sense of humor. When we meet via Zoom, I chuckle that shes wearing a name tag. I want to be sure you spell my name right, she says wryly.

The ultimate tribute to them, of course, is that B1C students rarely fail the test. After two or three have become citizens, B1C hosts a celebration where the interview is discussed and the new citizens stand in front of the U.S. flag and recite the Pledge of Allegiance (Barbara has occasionally played Kate Smiths rendition of God Bless America on her cellphone, she reveals sheepishly).

The classes moved last weekend to Building Ones new flagship location at 417 Shippan Ave. in Stamford (the 75 Selleck St. site will continue to be used on a smaller scale). Amid this significant change, one constant remains likely. Students never leave without saying thank you.

Barbara replies in kind: Thank you. You make my life better. You add importance to my life.

Its a pretty good incentive to volunteer. In just a few words (or emojis), students can not only make you feel better about yourself, but better about America.

John Breunig is editorial page editor of the Stamford Advocate and Greenwich Time. jbreunig@scni.com; twitter.com/johnbreunig.
Much has been written about cowboy hat shop Paris Hatters, which has been family-run in downtown San Antonio since 1917. The customizable Stetson shop has long been a landing place for the stars, from country crooner Dwight Yoakam to ZZ Top.

On one occasion, Tony Parker's mom casually brought in her friend from France, designer Christian Louboutin, for a fitting. The local Archbishops once pooled their money to gift one to Pope John Paul II (I can't help but wonder if they blessed it first), and Tori Amos dropped by just the other week.

I'll tell you what else I think is interesting about Paris Hatters. It's what I'll call the Yellowstone effect, and it's directly impacting one of San Antonio's longest running businesses. Essentially, it's the rise in cowboy hat popularity whenever there are "hot" cowboys in movies or on TV.

Have you seen Yellowstone? You know, the Paramount neo-western family drama starring Kevin Costner and a herd of other multi-generational, categorically hunky dudes wearing cowboy hats?

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 John Davenport/San Antonio Express-News Show More Show Less 2 of 3 John Davenport/San Antonio Express-News Show More Show Less 3 of 3





Truthfully I've only ever seen one episode. But ever since it first aired in 2018, the Cortez family running San Antonio's iconic custom Stetson destination has seen an up-tick in young men moseying into their downtown store with some very specific requests.

"I finally watched it like a few months ago, just so I can understand, because I was getting people every day that were like ' I want to look like Rip' or 'I want a hat like Walker,'" says Alex Sledge, manager and daughter of owners Abe and Myrna Cortez. "I'm like, who are these people?'"

It's not the first time a show or film has drawn a flock of hunky hopefuls into the shop, Myrna says. It happened with Mad Men  everyone wanted to rock a 60's Fedora  and it really happened with John Travolta's Urban Cowboy.

She remembers that craze well. It was 1979, Myrna and Abe were in the middle of wedding planning, and Abe was just starting to take over the store from his father, who was already the second Cortez behind the counter. The timing was perfect really.

"Travolta had just done this movie and it was really a boon to the hat industry. People went crazy because they looked so good in their hats," she says of her and Abe's early days at the helm.

Paramount Pictures/Getty Images

Over the years, musicians and Hollywood have established something that feels evergreen: cowboy hats are cool. This maybe explains why Paris Hatters has maintained popularity for over 100 years, even through multiple recessions, different fashion eras, and a pandemic.

What exactly is happening when people watch Yellowstone or Urban Cowboy and decide they need a cowboy hat, and what are people seeking? Maybe it's just an upgraded wardrobe or new sexual charisma  perhaps a certain ruggedness. It could also be a symbolic rejection of modern cosmopolitan life, in favor of plain and simple hard and honest work.

Just as the mythic cowboy rides off into the unknown, wearing one of their hats could also symbolize moving toward uncharted futuristic pathways. It's interesting that bald billionaire Jeff Bezos decided to wear one when he blasted off into the frontier of outer space and that Elon Musk wore one during his cyber rodeo. There's also something to be said about cowboys and queerness, a theme prevalent in the film Brokeback Mountain, and more recently in The Power of the Dog.

What makes Cowboy hats endlessly interesting items of clothing is that they seem to symbolize different ideals to different people.

John Davenport /Staff photographer

Not all cowboys wear rhinestones

We'd be remiss to forget that not all cowboys wear rhinestones. Paris Hatters' offerings, not all of which are Stetsons, range in price from $60 to around $7,000, so naturally, they service a variety of clientele.

Along with the tourists and celebrities, the historic shop draws lot of real-deal cowboys and people who buy their hats for practical usage, Cortez shares. One of their employees even breaks cattle on the side.

Although the western hat as we know it was officially coined by Stetson in 1865, some believe the design was influenced in style and functionally by the sombreros of Mexican Vaqueros.

In a place with so much land and livestock, it's easy to see how they became such a cultural thing. A lot of people will even get hats fitted for their weddings  I've definitely seen this in my Instagram feed. While pervasive throughout the west, they do feel quintessentially Texan.

From her observations, most of the people they service are people who subscribe to a certain set of values, Cortez says. There's a Stetson model that encapsulates this idea, she says, called the "codido"  a reference to "the cowboy code."

"It basically says a real cowboy has integrity and love of family and love of God, and they do the right thing. That's kind of the cowboy code. And that's kind of like the way that I think the wearers of cowboy hats feel," she says.

San Antonio Staff Photo/San Antonio Light

Tipping your hat ahead

Cortez and Sledge explain that the Stestson factory in Garland, Texas, where the majority of their inventory is produced, is currently overwhelmed with orders.

"It's never been like that," says Cortez. This is partially due to supply chain issues with sourcing smaller hat materials, but it's also the demand.

In the last 15 years or so, the mother and daughter have seen an increase in younger people, and especially women, coming into the shop looking to find a unique cowboy hat of their own.

"The last couple of generations are much more bold than they used to be, they want to wear something that stands out," mom declares.

With Sledge's help, the shop has also adapted to offer even more customizations, including hand embroidery. When asked about the future of the iconic hat store, where it will be in 20 or 30 years, Cortez casts her bets on her daughter and her husband running the show.

The family owns the building, she says. There's really no one to tell them to ride off into the sun.

"I don't think that the Western hat will ever go out of business. In fact, it's just picking up more steam," Cortez says.

Paris Hatters is the longest continuously running business in downtown San Antonio. You can mosey on in yourself for a custom fitting Monday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and Sunday from 12:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
" " Welcome to the Mosquito Factory HowStuffWorks

What if I told you the best weapon in our war on mosquito-borne illness is a factory that breeds millions of mosquitoes and releases them into your neck of the woods?

It sounds crazy, but that's exactly the approach taken around the world by scientists intent on curbing illnesses such as Zika, dengue, malaria, West Nile and more.

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Mosquitoes are highly successful organisms, and they're also highly effective at spreading a host of potentially devastating illnesses as they jet about from one human host to another. Science writer David Quammen even proposed that the ravages of mosquito-borne illnesses in many equatorial rainforests actually staved off the advance of human exploitation till the 21st century.

Yes, mosquitoes have been holding their own in our little human/insect war just fine  even bouncing back from catastrophic losses. According to Technology Review, Brazilian officials declared invasive yellow fever-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquitoes eradicated in 1958, only to experience reinvasion in the decades to follow.

Now Brazil, like many other countries that share their lands with the mosquito nation, is looking to alternate means of defeating this blood-sucking adversary. That's where mosquito factories enter the picture: pumping out bacteria-compromised or genetically modified mosquitoes to defeat the enemy from the inside.

One of those factories, in Guangzhou, China, has reported promising results. According to the Atlantic, they're rearing and releasing mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia bacteria for two very good reasons. First, it renders the mosquitoes incapable of carrying a wide range of dangerous pathogens, a trait the mosquitoes pass on to their offspring. Second, Wolbachia helps to curb overall population as well. When a male Wolbachia-infected mosquito mates with an uninfected female, the resulting eggs don't hatch. Only when both mates carry Wolbachia does the union result in viable eggs, which pass on the infection. And that infection, by the way, does not transfer to people.

While the Chinese factory has weaponized a naturally occurring bacteria, British biotechnology company Oxitec has stepped into the realm of genetic modification. They're experimenting with the release of genetically modified mosquitoes that die four days later and produce offspring that die as larvae. They've been pumping these doomed GMOsquitoes out in Brazil to the tune of 2 million bugs a week, and they have seen impressive drops in dengue fever cases as a result, according to an article in MIT Technology Review.

Some scientists hold out hope that such gene editing eventually could wipe out mosquitoes entirely  or at least the couple of hundred species that actually bother humans.

But let's not be too quick to wipe them out. They serve as food for insectivore predators and (arguably) have protected rainforests. They've even been known to pull double duty as pollinators for orchids. The environment is a careful balance of elements, and it's hard to predict what will happen when you pull a single species out of life's Jenga tower.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP)  A judge has issued a restraining order against Puerto Rican superstar Ricky Martin, police said Saturday.

The order was signed Friday, and authorities visited an upscale neighborhood in the north coastal town of Dorado where the singer lives to try to serve the order, police spokesman Axel Valencia told The Associated Press.

Up until now, police havent been able to find him, Valencia said.

Martins publicist did not immediately return a message asking for comment.

It was not immediately known who requested the restraining order. Valencia said he could not provide further details because the order was filed under Puerto Ricos domestic violence law.

El Vocero, a Puerto Rico newspaper, said the order states that Martin and the other party dated for seven months. The report quotes the order as sying they broke up two months ago, but the petitioner says Martin did not accept the separation and has been seen loitering near the petitioner's house at least three times.

The petitioner fears for his safety, El Vocero quoted the order as saying.

AP has not obtained a copy of the order.

Valencia said that the order prohibits Martin from contacting or calling the person who filed it and that a judge will later determine at a hearing whether the order should remain in place or be lifted. He added that usually orders are implemented for at least a month.

Valencia noted that the person who filed for the restraining order did not contact police, which would have involved prosecutors determining if there was enough evidence to file charges. Rather the request went straight to the court.
Passengers aboard a recent Delta Air Lines flight departing Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, Michigan were treated to a tempting offer: $10,000 for getting off the plane.

Inc. magazine's Jason Aten wrote a personal account of the event, which he claims took place aboard a connecting flight he and his family had boarded for Minneapolis. According to Aten, the carrier announced the flight had been oversold and that eight volunteers stood to receive $10,000 each in cash or electronic payment should they be willing to give up their seats on the plane.

"If you have Apple Pay, you'll even have the money right now," a flight attendant said, according to Aten.

"We did not take it for reasons I'm not going to get into because my wife is still not pleased about it," he wrote.

Todd McCrumb, another passenger aboard the plane, has since corroborated Aten's story regarding the outsized offer. McCrumb told Fortune's Christine Mui that the carrier had initially offered $5,000 to passengers before bumping the figure to $7,500 and eventually $10,000 when volunteers failed to materialize.

"Unfortunately, my wife has some health issues and cannot travel alone," McCrumb told Mui. "She would not bump [because] she was anxious to be home, for health issues and some other concerns. I couldnt abandon her for any amount of [money]."

A Delta spokesperson refused to confirm or deny the $10,000 cash offer, according to Mui.

"The ability to provide compensation empowers our employees to take care of our customers and get our aircraft out on time," the representative stated.

While remarkable, the high figure offered to Aten and others falls within the parameters of possible compensation the airline has approved for passengers giving up their seats. In 2017, CNBC's Everett Rosenfeld published a leaked internal Delta bulletin in which the carrier announced it would increase its payment cap for voluntary denied boardings from $1,350 to $9,950. The document stated that higher-figure offers would come with certain rules and requirements, including an authorization from flight staff superiors.

The leaked memo encouraged attendants to "start at a lower compensation and increase, if necessary."

After canceling hundreds of flights over the previous week, Delta Air Lines on Sunday announced a temporary fare change waiver ahead of Fourth of July weekend. The carrier is allowing passengers with airfare booked during the busy travel window to change their reservations for free in anticipation of "potentially challenging" operational obstacles over the holiday weekend.

"Delta people are working around the clock to rebuild Delta's operation while making it as resilient as possible to minimize the effects of disruptions," the carrier wrote in a statement. "Even so, some operational challenges are expected this holiday weekend."
VICKSBURG, Miss. (AP)  It was just a green bottle floating above a barge.

Over the past 33 years, currents had taken it 295 river miles through the Mississippi Delta.

However, Billy Mitchell didnt know that when he walked by it at first, before it caught his eye.

For 30 minutes he worked to gently remove the paper inside. Time and moisture had taken their toll, but some of the words were still legible.

The handwriting was that of a child.

This message in a bottle  found in the Yazoo River Diversion Canal in Vicksburg on April 5  would change the lives of the Big River Shipbuilders' employee and his coworkers.

It would shock a retired schoolteacher.

It would bring tears of gratitude and comfort to the parents of the boy, who died unexpectedly in 2007 at age 29.

It was like a voice from Heaven, said Mitchell. Hes watching over his parents. I think that was a sign hes watching over them.

Finding a bottle with a message inside  its a thing books and movies are made of. This Mississippi version would eventually unite strangers, but first it would take some detective work.

Mitchell said he and coworkers were salvaging sunken floats, which are smaller versions of a barge, the day the bottle was found. It was apparently floating in the canal above one of the barges and came to rest on the deck as the barge was raised.

Mitchell found the bottle while inspecting the barge.

I was shocked and excited, Mitchell said. You hear about messages in a bottle, but I never thought Id find one in the canal over here.

Later that day, Mitchell took the bottle and note back to the shipyard.

When they walked in with it, they were so excited that I got excited, too, said Brad Babb, safety and compliance officer with the company. My first instinct was lets play detective. Lets do this and find this kid.

Babb and others attempted to piece together the tattered message, but couldnt quite make out the name. However, they could tell the child was from Oxford, and it appeared the message could have been part of a class project in 1989. Babb called schools in the Oxford area, but made no progress. So, he decided to post a photo of the message on social media.

It wasnt long before the identity of the boy would come to light.

Dr. Eric Dahl of Oxford was at church a few days after Babb had turned to social media. He received a phone call, something he normally wouldnt answer while at church, but he was on call that evening and thought it might be someone at a hospital trying to contact him.

It wasnt. It was someone alerting him of the post on social media.

Dahl called the entire situation divine intervention.

His son, Brian, had written the message in the bottle in 1989 when he was 11 years old.

Brian, who was born in 1977, was the first son of Eric and Melanie Dahl.

Its astounding it happened, Eric Dahl said. We get a message 33 years after Brian put it in the river.

While the elements made some of the message he wrote illegible over time, his name and handwriting are enough.

Its like something in a fictitious novel or something youd see on TV, Eric Dahl said. To see Brians handwriting from when he was 11 or 12 years old  it was miraculous.

It was a gift from on high. Were a praying family and this is a part of Gods providence.

Eric Dahl said it was part of a class project when Brian was in sixth grade at Oxford University School.

It was just kind of incredible to me that could happen, Melanie Dahl said. I didnt remember the whole project, so it was a surprise. The fact it was my son who wrote that 33 years ago  what are the odds of that bottle being found?

Melanie Dahl said her son was highly intelligent and enjoyed reading and chess. She also said he had a sense of humor.

He was really funny, she said. He had a very quick wit.

That sense of humor could be coming into play over the discovery of the bottle. Melanie Dahl believes Brian is in Heaven and looks down at those he loves from time to time.

If thats true, hes getting a really big kick out of this, she said.

Brians sixth-grade teacher, Martha Burnett, still recalls the project.

It was actually the beginning of the year, Burnett said. It was one of the early stories in our reading book. The story had to do with the fact that over time people had put messages in bottles. We decided to do that. We decided it was a class project.

Each of the dozen or so students in the class brought bottles to school. They wrote their names, addresses and telephone numbers on pieces of paper along with a personal message.

The messages were placed in bottles that were capped and sealed with wax. The class then took a field trip to Sardis Lake and tossed the bottles in the Little Tallahatchie River below the lakes dam.

On top of being a fun outing, the project also served as a geography lesson. Burnett said she took the opportunity to teach students about where the bottles could float through the Delta river system and into the Mississippi River.

In the late 1990s, one of the bottles was found and the student was contacted. To have a second bottle recovered, Burnett said, was surprising in more ways. First, that folks made the effort to find the family, and secondly, that it was Brians.

Brian was a very promising young man, Burnett said. Even in the sixth grade it was obvious. It is an amazing story of an outstanding young man.

Babb, who posted the social media message, talked about the call he received from Eric Dahl.

I spent 30 to 45 minutes talking to the dad and I probably cried three times, Babb said. He said over and over his son was his best friend. For a dad whos lost a child and being able to give that back to him, that means so much more than words can describe. Were a small family business and we all have kids. We can all sympathize.

The news of Brian, a person Mitchell had so wanted to meet, struck him emotionally, too.

Once he found the parents, Brad called me in tears and I was in tears, Mitchell said. When Brad told me hed passed away, it sent chill bumps down my spine. It really did.

In Brians death, the Dahls lost one of the most precious parts of their lives, but the long-forgotten message he left behind has connected strangers in a way few will ever know.

The Dahls plan to meet the employees at the shipyard and take the message in a bottle home.

Were trying to plan a trip down to the shipbuilders and buy them a meal and hug their necks, Eric Dahl said. Something profound has happened that brought us together, so we wanted to do it in person. They were like instant family. To see something connect people instantly is a beautiful thing, it was typical of Brian to bring people together. Its a testament to who he is and was.
HOUSTON (AP)  Two teenagers were killed and one man was injured in a shooting at Houston-area apartment complex, authorities said Saturday.

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said on Twitter that deputies responded to reports of a shooting in the parking lot of the complex in north Harris County, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) north of downtown Houston, at 10:40 p.m. Friday. They discovered three males had been shot.
EVERETT, Wash. (AP)  Staff at the Whidbey Camano Land Trust in Washington state knew they had to act quickly when a 226-acre (91-hectare) beachfront property south of Coupeville came on the market last December.

From the water, boaters may have seen the red house, old windmill, and cattle grazing atop the bluffs. The property near Keystone is home to one of the oldest farms on Whidbey Island. It also features a large forest and long stretch of beach.

The site was at risk of being sold and developed into 22 high-end homes, according to the land trust.

In late April, the land trust bought the property for $9.1 million, the most expensive purchase in the nonprofits nearly four-decade history. Conservation director Ryan Elting said an emergency acquisition was needed to protect the sites 175 acres (71 hectares) of forest and 3,500 feet (1,067 meters) of nearly pristine shoreline.

We dont get many opportunities to protect a chunk of habitat that size, Elting told The Herald.

Purchase of the property was accomplished with two bridge loans, one from a private donor and the other from regional lender Craft3. The land trust plans to repay the loans with state and federal grants and private fundraising, Elting said.

The nonprofit protects and manages about 10,000 acres (4,047 hectares) of parks and natural areas in Island County. With its newest property, called the Keystone Preserve, it will focus on habitat improvement and marine restoration. There are also plans to open public beach access as soon as 2024, as well as a trail network.

The land trust has partnered with the Organic Farm School to manage the site. The nonprofit school on Whidbey Island will oversee the 50 acres (20 hectares) of prairie and farm.

Elting said the vision is for Keystone Preserve to become a demonstration site for ecological restoration, habitat enhancement and regenerative farming, and how all of those can work together.

In a recent stroll down the beach at Keystone Preserve, Elting picked up a handful of sand and gravel and looked for tiny forage fish eggs. The small fish, which lay their eggs on beaches like this one, are an important food source for salmon and other predators.

The land trust will work with the Sound Water Stewards of Island County to monitor the beach. The group of trained volunteers works on projects such as forage fish surveys.

Further down the beach, Elting stopped at the feeder bluffs, special bluffs in Puget Sound that constantly erode. He said the bluffs provide a slow and steady supply of nutrients for plants and animals. When people build structures like bulkhead walls to stop erosion, they block the flow of sediments.

Elting noted the beach at Keystone Preserve is mostly free of these barriers.

(The land trust) looks for natural stretches of shorelines so they dont get developed and we dont have to restore them, he said.

Up in the bluffs, birds such as eagles and pigeon guillemots make their homes.

Closer to the house, there is a short section of bulkhead and a riprap rock wall. Elting said the land trust plans to remove the 300-foot-long barriers along with the creosote-treated wood. The house will be removed and the building materials recycled.

Other restoration plans include adding native plant buffers, replanting trees and re-establishing a creek.

The property was settled by Captain William Robertson and his family in 1854, according to a biography from a local historian. They named it Lea Bluff. Before white settlers arrived, the Lower Skagit people grew camas in the prairie and relied on the plant for food, the historian wrote.

The farm changed hands several times. The most recent owners raised hay and black Angus cattle.

The Organic Farm School plans to manage the farm with regenerative practices to build soil health. The long-term goal is to grow food for the community.

Judy Feldman, the farm schools executive director, said the school hopes to give new farmers access to land at Keystone Preserve. The school currently offers a seven-month intensive training program for beginning farmers on South Whidbey Island.

Feldman said the school plans to diversify the crops in the hay fields and use part of the site for cover crop seed production. Another idea is to grow storage vegetables, like carrots and beets, that keep through the winter.

The land trust will keep the old barn on the property and lease it to the farm school.

For now, the school is focused on getting to know the land, she said. Students have taken soil tests and will focus on improving the soil.
PHOENIX (AP)  Arizona officials have halted all fish stockings from the largest state-run hatchery because of a bacterial outbreak among its trout.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department announced Friday a temporary ceasing of stockings from Page Springs Hatchery, which is north of Phoenix in Cornville.
LOS ANGELES (AP)  A Southern California man who once competed on the Philippines national decathlon team has agreed to plead guilty to bilking investors out of more than $28 million with a phony scheme to market cannabis vape pens, federal prosecutors announced Friday.

David Joseph Bunevacz, 53, of Calabasas, agreed on Wednesday to plead guilty at a later date to securities and wire fraud. He could face up to 20 years in federal prison when he is sentenced in Los Angeles, the U.S. attorney's office said.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday signed a new state law that will stop police from arresting people for loitering for prostitution, an issue that divided sex workers and advocates during a rare nine-month delay since state lawmakers passed the bill last year.

To be clear, this bill does not legalize prostitution," Newsom said in a signing message. It simply revokes provisions of the law that have led to disproportionate harassment of women" and transgender adults, he said, nothing that Black and Latino women are particularly affected.

The bill will bar police in California from arresting anyone for loitering with the intent to engage in prostitution. Sen. Scott Wiener and other supporters said such arrest decisions often rely on an officers perception.

While Newsom said he agreed with the intent of the repeal, we must be cautious about its implementation. He said his administration will track crime and prosecution trends for any possible unintended consequences and, if so, work to correct them.

For far too long, California law has been used to profile, harass and arrest transgender and gender-nonconforming people simply for existing in public spaces, Tony Hoang, executive director of the LGTBQ rights group Equality California, said in praising the repeal.

The measure also will allow those who were previously convicted or are serving sentences to ask a court to dismiss and seal the record of the conviction.

Similar legislation became law in New York last year in what Wiener said is part of a broader effort to end violence toward and discrimination against sex workers.

Everyone  no matter their race, gender or how they make a living  deserves to feel safe on our streets, Wiener said in a statement thanking Newsom.

Wiener, Newsoms fellow Democrat, used a parliamentary maneuver to delay Newsoms consideration for months after the bill passed the Legislature in September. He hoped the pause would give proponents time to build more support, including by signing an online petition.

Opponents like the California Family Council countered with their own online petition as part of a monthslong tug-of-war.

The American Civil Liberties Union of California sought the legislation along with several groups backing transgender sex workers and others in the sex industry. It has support from public defenders, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon, San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin and numerous criminal justice reform groups. Voters recently recalled Boudin amid a campaign labeling him as soft on criminals.

The loitering law allows police to criminalize otherwise legal activities like walking, dressing or standing in public, the ACLU said.

Moreover, workers who fear arrest for loitering are more vulnerable to exploitation and violence, and face greater barriers to accessing safe housing and legal employment, the group argued.

The nonpartisan National Center on Sexual Exploitation took the opposite view, saying that ending the law would make it easier for traffickers and sex buyers to exploit vulnerable people.

Many officers rely on the loitering laws to initiate trafficking investigations that have led to serious convictions for traffickers and pimps," said Stephany Powell, a former LAPD vice sergeant and now the center's director of law enforcement training and survivor services.

The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department and the 75,000-member Peace Officers Research Association of California objected that the law would make it harder both to confront those who commit crimes related to prostitution and human trafficking and to help those who are being victimized.

Republicans in the Senate and Assembly asked Newsom to veto the measure.

Several victims and advocates also opposed the bill.

Instead of providing help to survivors, this bill is hurting them. It's increasing demand, said Vanessa Russell, founder of the anti-sex-trafficking organization Love Never Fails in the San Francisco Bay Area.

If there is no intervention allowed by law enforcement, fatalities will increase," added Hannah Diaz, who was among survivors who joined Russell at an event last year opposing the bill.

The loitering bill is the latest of several related measures that became law in recent years.

A bill passed in 2016 bars arresting minors for prostitution, with the intent that they instead be treated as victims.

A 2019 bill bars arresting sex workers if they are reporting various crimes as a victim or witness. The same law bans using possession of condoms as reason for an arrest.
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BANGKOK (AP)  Chinas top diplomat on Saturday arrived on his first visit to Myanmar since the military seized power last year to attend a regional meeting that the government said was a recognition of its legitimacy and opponents protested as a violation of peace efforts.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will join counterparts from Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam in a meeting of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation group in the central city of Bagan, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The grouping is a Chinese-led initiative that includes the countries of the Mekong Delta, a potential source of regional tensions due to an increasing number of hydroelectric projects that are altering the flow and raising concerns of ecological damage. China has built 10 dams along the upper stretch of the Mekong, the part it calls the Langcang.

Military government spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun told a news conference in the capital Naypyitaw on Friday that the attendance of the foreign ministers at the meeting was a recognition of Myanmar's sovereignty and its government.

He said the ministers will sign memorandums of understanding and contracts. He did not elaborate.

It's unclear whether Wang would meet Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the head of the military government.

Myanmars military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi on Feb. 1, 2021. It was quickly met by nonviolent nationwide demonstrations and triggered armed resistance that some U.N. experts now characterize as civil war.

According to a detailed list compiled by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, 2,053 civilians have died in the crackdown on the resistance movement.

Wang last visited Myanmar to meet with Suu Kyi just three weeks before the military ousted her.

China is Myanmars biggest trading partner and an old ally. Beijing has invested billions of dollars in Myanmar's mines, oil and gas pipelines and other infrastructure and is its major arms supplier, together like Russia.

Many in Myanmar suspect China of supporting the military takeover, and Beijing has refused to condemn the army's power grab. China says it follows a policy of non-interference in other countries' affairs.

The foreign minister of Myanmars shadow government, which opposes the ruling military council, protested the Bagan meeting, saying any such efforts in partnership with Myanmars military violate the will of the people and undermine community building.

The statement said that holding the foreign ministers' meeting in Myanmar is in direct opposition to a peace plan by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Myanmar, although a member of ASEAN, has done little to implement the plan and its stonewalling led fellow ASEAN members to block government leaders from attending major ASEAN meetings.

Since the military seized power, Chinese special envoy Sun Guoxiang has visited Myanmar twice, and Wang has met his Myanmar counterpart, Wunna Maung Lwin, twice in China.
Albania is in talks with NATO to build a naval base at Porto Romano, a port under construction on its Adriatic coast, Prime Minister Edi Rama said on Friday, Reuters reported.

July 2, 2022, 09:13 Albania in talks with NATO to build naval base

STEPANAKERT, JULY 2, ARTSAKHPRESS: Rama told a news conference that Porto Romano, situated close to the coastal town of Durres and intended as the country's biggest port, would have a commercial section as well as a military naval base.

The military base would be built and co-financed by NATO and Albania, he said.

Back in May, Rama said his government was also offering NATO its Pashaliman naval base some 200 km south of the Albanian capital Tirana.

NATO is already reconstructing Kucova Air Base, some 80 km south of Tirana, that will be used by the alliance.
DENVER (AP)  Life expectancy dropped in Colorado for the second straight year in 2021. Its the kind of decline, driven by the pandemic, not seen in decades, data from the state health department show.

The average life expectancy for Colorado residents fell to 78 years in 2021. Thats slightly lower than 2020, the first year of the pandemic when it was 78.4 years, but the slide represents a persistent and significant drop of nearly three years compared to 2019.

The last time life expectancy dropped like this was in 1943, which was the most fatal year of World War II, for the nation, said Dr. Eric France, the states chief medical officer. It is tragic that we see life expectancy drop. Death rates increased by 20 percent.

Key drivers for the decline were COVID-19 and overdose deaths.

The data vary by demographic group. COVID-19 was the leading cause of death among Hispanics, as well as non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islanders and American Indian/Native Alaskans, the data show.

Dr. Lilia Cervantes, an associate professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, said she wasnt surprised by the new numbers.

The Latino community makes up the majority of the essential workforce, said Cervantes, who is a member of the Colorado Vaccine Equity Taskforce. During COVID, theyve been the least protected. Theyve not been able to avoid public transportation. Theyve had to continue working sometimes even while ill and are the least likely to have healthcare coverage.

Vaccination rates for Hispanics, the term used in state and federal health studies, lag other groups, both in Colorado and nationally.

The data mirror national trends.

American Indians and Alaska Natives faced similar population-level health challenges. Both communities entered the pandemic with longstanding pre-existing health disparities that made them especially vulnerable to more severe COVID illness and death, said Michelle Sarche, a licensed clinical psychologist and associate professor in the Centers for American Indian & Alaska Native Health and Department of Community & Behavioral Health at the Colorado School of Public Health.

She noted many tribal communities face underlying health challenges, including inadequate access to healthcare, education, affordable and sufficient housing, and economic opportunity, all of which are treaty rights and trust obligations that the United States, in its own analysis, has failed to uphold.

As troubling as these data are, though, its important to tell the whole story, one of resilience, resistance and survival, said Sarche, a member of the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of the Ojibwe tribe.

American Indian and Alaska Native communities instituted some of the most successful vaccine campaigns, she said. They marshaled enormous resources to protect their communities, and the most vulnerable among them  including elders, bearers of native language and culture for younger generations.

Cervantes also stressed the resilience of Hispanic communities during the pandemic and spotlighted changes that could help down the road.

She said countries with similar wealth as the U.S. provide more comprehensive social services and guarantee health care. She thinks a recent push to cover all Coloradans and make healthcare more affordable could help.

Colorado, I feel like, is creating change to make it so that access to healthcare coverage depends less on immigration status and socioeconomic status, she said.

The overall life expectancy among Colorado residents was 78.4 years in 2020 (81.0 years for females, 76.0 years for males) and 78.0 years in 2021 (80.9 years for females and 75.2 years for males), according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Thats based on final death certificate data for 2020 and 2021, and improved population estimates for both years.

COVID-19 remained the third leading cause of death among Colorado residents in 2021, as it was in 2020, the health department found. Among non-Hispanic Black/African Americans, Asians, and whites, COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death.

Unintentional injuries, which include all accidental drug overdoses, motor vehicle accidents, and falls, remained the fourth leading cause of death among Colorado residents in 2021, while suicide remained the eighth leading cause, and homicide moved from 17th to 16th leading cause. Chronic diseases continue to make up the remainder of the leading causes of death.

The biggest driver of the increases in drug overdose deaths in the past few years has indeed been fentanyl, said Kirk Bol, the states Vital Statistics Program manager. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid similar to morphine but 50 to 100 times more potent. Its increasingly being found in other drugs laced with fentanyl, causing users to overdose accidentally.

In 2017, the state recorded 81 fentanyl deaths. In 2021, the number rose to 912, half of all overdose deaths. Bol called it a shocking increase.

In 2021, there were 1,881 total drug overdose deaths among Colorado residents  an increase compared to the 1,477 deaths recorded in 2020. The highest increase involved fentanyl, which soared from 540 in 2020 to 912. Increases were also observed in overdose deaths involving methamphetamine and cocaine, while small declines were seen in overdose deaths involving heroin.
LAS VEGAS (AP)  Call it a form of long COVID, but more than two years after the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, student enrollment at the College of Southern Nevada is down some 25% from the fall of 2019.

Not only that, but the falloff seemingly has not bottomed out, with enrollment today down 5.5% compared with last fall, CSN officials said.

Weve realized that the largest population of students that have made up this decline are underserved, under-resourced students, James McCoy, the schools vice president of academic affairs, told the Las Vegas Sun.

Higher education may not  as a result of the pandemic, as a result of the economy  become a priority for some students, McCoy said.

The College of Southern Nevada has the largest enrollment among Nevada universities, with almost 34,000 students in 2022.

But it is seeing fewer students enrolling straight out of high school, which is why it is ramping up efforts to reach those students, according to officials.

What is happening at CSN is emblematic of whats been going on at colleges and universities across the country.

In U.S. undergraduate programs, enrollment has declined by 1.4 million throughout the pandemic, according to a report released by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

Spring 2022 saw a drop of nearly 662,000 students, a 4.7% decrease from the same period the previous year. Public institutions accounted for the majority of the decline, losing 604,000 students including 351,000 from community colleges, according to the report.

In total, community colleges have lost over 827,000 students from the start of the pandemic.

I thought we would start to see some of the declines begin to shrink a bit this term, said Doug Shapiro, the centers executive director. I am surprised that it seems to be getting worse.

For the spring 2021 semester, enrollment at Nevada colleges and universities dropped by 4.7%, then another 2% a year later.

At Nevada State College, enrollment had been on the rise until spring 2022. The school had 7,287 students enrolled as of fall 2021, but going into fall 2022, it is looking at 7,215. Only about 34% of that group returned from last year, a retention rate that dropped from the previous years 54%.

Our students are facing a variety of challenges, and some of those students are more impacted than others in terms of what those challenges mean, said Tony Scinta, executive vice provost at Nevada State College.

Financial pressures are among the top reasons for the decrease in enrollment, as some students are holding off on their education to pursue work, Scinta said.

Each semester, students pay almost $200 per credit in mandatory fees, which can add up to roughly $600 for a three-credit class. That doesnt include the $150 Special Building fee for students taking more than three credits, a $25 per-credit fee for distance learning, and any fee for special courses  which can vary depending on the class.

A 12-unit semester for students can cost more than $2,000.

The school has taken a number of steps to boost enrollment, including offering more scholarships and grants, as well as other financial aid, he said.

At the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, enrollment had been steadily rising since 2017 but dipped by about 400 undergraduate students in 2021, officials said. The campus reported nearly 26,000 students in fall 2020.

Anytime we see declines in our student admissions or enrollment, its cause for concern, said Kate Korgan, senior vice provost of academic affairs.

First-generation students and those facing financial struggles may be the least likely to return, especially considering the financial stress the COVID-19 pandemic caused.

We have been quite intentional about making sure that students who have the fewest financial resources and are at the greatest financial risk of not being able to stay in school have received pretty tremendous support, Korgan said.

UNLV has also stepped up its recruitment efforts, including conducting more virtual admissions sessions, officials said.

We feel really good overall about where weve landed.  It feels like were moving into something that looks like a new normal, Korgan said.
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HONOLULU (AP)  Lauren Wright continues to be leery of the water coming out of the taps in her family's U.S. Navy home in Hawaii, saying she doesn't trust that it's safe.

Wright, her sailor husband and their three children ages 8 to 17 were among the thousands of people who were sickened late last year after fuel from military storage tanks leaked into Pearl Harbors tap water.

The family has returned to their military housing after spending months in Honolulu hotels, but they continue taking safety measures including taking short, five-minute showers. They dont drink their tap water or cook with it.

A Navy investigation released Thursday blamed the fuel leak and the water crisis that followed on shoddy management and human error. Some Hawaii residents, including Native Hawaiians, officials and military families said the report doesn't help restore trust in the Navy.

I was at least hoping for some sort of remorse for the families and everybody involved in this," Wright said.

She said the ordeal has changed her view on the military from a decade ago when her husband first joined.

I was the proud Navy spouse, you know, stickers and T-shirts, she said. I feel like the Navy has failed at what they promised every service member. They failed at a lot of things. And Im not so proud.

It's difficult to trust the Navy partly because Hawaii residents and officials for years have questioned the safety of the giant fuel storage tanks that have sat above an important aquifer since World War II, said Kamanamaikalani Beamer, a former trustee of the Commission on Water Resource Management.

Releasing a report saying that they were lying to us is not a step towards building trust, he said. De-fueling and getting the tanks out permanently, setting aside funds to remediate the water systems all across Oahu and replant our forests  when I see steps like that happening  that's a tangible step toward rebuilding trust.

Some Native Hawaiians said the report only deepened a distrust in the military that dates to at least 1893, when a group of American businessmen, with support from U.S. Marines, overthrew the Hawaiian kingdom. More recently, Native Hawaiians fought to stop target practice bombing on the island of Kahoolawe and at Makua Valley in west Oahu.

There's no proof I should have faith in them, said Kalehua Krug, with Kaohewai, a cultural organization advocating for a clean aquifer for Oahu. Theyve done nothing but lie for generations.

The Department of Defense recognizes the water problems have damaged trust between the Department and the people of Hawaii, including Native Hawaiians  and it is committed to rebuilding that trust, Gordon Trowbridge, acting assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, said in a statement.

The investigation report released Thursday listed a cascading series of mistakes from May 6, 2021, when operator error caused a pipe to rupture and 21,000 gallons (80,000 liters) of fuel to spill when it was being transferred between tanks. Most of the fuel spilled into a fire suppression line and sat there for six months, causing the line to sag. A cart rammed into this sagging line on Nov. 20, releasing 20,000 gallons (75,700 liters) of fuel.

The report said officials defaulted to assuming the best about what was happening when the spills occurred, instead of assuming the worst, and this contributed to their overlooking the severity of situation.

The spill contaminated the Navys water system. Fuel didnt get into the Honolulu municipal water supply. But concerns the oil might migrate through the aquifer and get into the citys wells prompted the Honolulu Board of Water Supply in December to shut down a key well serving some 400,000 people. The agency has been asking residents to conserve water because of this and unusually dry weather.

The tanks continue to pose a threat to Oahu's drinking water while they hold fuel, said Ernest Lau, manager and chief engineer of the water utility.

The report saying it will take more than two years to drain the facility is concerning, Lau said Friday.

The fact that they built this massive facility in three years, so cant they find a way to do all the necessary work in less than two and a half years ... I think it can be done," he said, urging the Navy to look at shortening the timeline.

This week, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin directed the establishment of a Joint Task Force led by a senior Navy admiral solely dedicated to a swift defueling effort, who will report to him through the commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, to oversee defueling of Red Hill as rapidly as safety allows," Trowbridge said. "The Department recognizes that what we say is far less important than what we do, which is why its most senior leaders are focused on this effort.

Kristina Baehr, an attorney who represents more than 100 military and civilian families who lodged claims against the Navy, said it was especially troubling to read in the report how pervasive the errors were.

This is a national security issue, she said, noting many of her clients were still experiencing the effects of the tainted water. And our families and military communities cannot be mission-ready if the government has made them sick.
MENDON, Mass. (AP)  Dozens of people were safely rescued from a amusement ride at a Massachusetts zoo after an oil leak left them stranded high in the air.

Similar to a ski lift, the Skyfari Ride at Southwicks Zoo in Mendon allows guests to see the zoo from as high as 30 feet in the air. About 40 people were aloft just after 2:30 p.m. on Friday when workers discovered a small oil leak and shut the ride down as a precaution.
BENZIE COUNTY  The Benzie Area Symphony Orchestra will be opening its 2022 season with a musical expression of the beauty found in northern Michigan.

The orchestra will be joining quintet Manitou Winds for two performances on July 9 at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, located at 819 Lincoln Road in Beulah.

Performances will be at 4 and 7 p.m.

There is a suggested donation of $15 for adults and $10 for seniors to attend the concert. Admission for children under 18 is free.

The pieces Ransom Lake and Platte Plains, composed by Manitou Winds member Jason McKinney, are inspired by his exploration of northern Michigans outdoor beauty, according to a press release from the Benzie Area Symphony Orchestra.

Performing with the BASO is an honor and a pleasure, McKinney said in the release. Many of the musicians are local residents who bring a wealth of personal experience and talent to the orchestra. It is especially meaningful to have this music honoring the beauty of our northern Michigan landscapes performed by musicians who live and work here.

For BASO conductor Tom Riccobono, the performance is also a celebration of local talent, according to the release.

We are so grateful to live in a community with so much musical talent, he said. Jason (McKinney) has managed to capture the sights, sounds and abundant nature available to us here in northern Michigan and Benzie County.

Riccobono also stated the pieces composed by McKinney were like music from a movie soundtrack, but instead of accompanying a movie, they accompanied a special place in northern Michigan, some in Benzie County.

They accompany our lakes, rivers and forests, he said.

The concerts finale will feature Tim Quist on organ and Doug Scott on the piano in a performance of Symphony No. 3, The Organ Symphony, by Camille Saint-Saens, according to the release.

We couldnt have a performance in St. Andrews Presbyterian Church without taking advantage of their beautiful pipe organ, and Tim (Quist) is masterful, Riccobono said. Combined with the spectacular view of Benzie County through the windows of St. Andrews, it will be a fitting conclusion to a great concert.

The orchestra will be hosting several other performances over the summer with other guest musicians.

One of the exciting things about this season is were traveling to different venues, Riccobono said. Were playing new venues and well be reaching new audiences. We hope to make friends and that they continue to attend concerts and support us in the future.

Riccobono said he also was excited to work with the regions talent.

Were showcasing the local talent and just how blessed we are to have such incredible talent in northern Michigan, he said. Not only do we have five premier wind players in the Manitou Winds, but we have a talented composer in Jason (McKinney).

The orchestras' other concerts will feature guest artists, as well.

Orchestra schedule Benzie Area Symphony Orchestra has several performances slated for this season.  4 and 7 p.m. July 9 with Manitou Winds at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church located at 819 Lincoln Road in Beulah.  4 p.m., Aug. 28 at the Congregational Summer Assembly at 2121 Pilgrim Highway, Frankfort. Special guest is Angela Lickiss Aleo on oboe.  4 p.m., Oct. 9 at the Northport Performing Arts Center at 104 S. Wing St., Northport. Special guest is Nancy Stagnitta on flute. See More Collapse

The Benzie Area Symphony Orchestra is a nonprofit, volunteer orchestra that serves Benzie County and northwest Michigan, and promotes a lifelong love of music-making and musical performance. For more information on performances or about joining the Benzie Area Symphony Orchestra, visit benziesymphony.com, facebook.com/benzieareasymphonyorchestra or call 231-889-7182.
During the summer months ticks numbers rise and the risk of contracting diseases from them can do the same.

Each year, about 30,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported to CDC by state health departments and the District of Columbia. Recent estimates using other methods suggest that about 476,000 people may get Lyme disease each year in the United States.

Dan Wolff is the founder of TickEase, a company producing the only patented CDC-compliant two-sided tweezer created expressly for the removal of embedded ticks from people and pets. Wolff has extensive experience with ticks and earned the nickname Tick Man Dan because he brings them everywhere he goes. To raise awareness, he wears shoes, shirts, and a watch emblazoned with tick pictures.

I was trying to figure out what I could do for myself to help prevent exposure and what could lead to illness, Wolff said. I just really didn't find much on the topic of tick removal. I saw a lot of old outdated information and a lot of contradictory information. I wanted to get to the bottom of it.

According to Michigan.gov, the most common type of tick in Michigan is the American dog tick, which is active from May-November and can carry Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia. The second most common is the black-legged tick, which can commonly carry Lyme disease and rare diseases like anaplasmosis, babesiosis, deer-tick virus and ehrlichiosis.

How to protest yourself

Wolffs research revolves largely around deer ticks and the dangers they pose to humans and increasing the number of ticks tested and education being put out. Wolff said there are simple steps that can be taken for personal protection.

Wear light-colored clothing because you can detect the tick while it's on you and before it starts biting you, Wolff said. If you were to stay in the middle of a trail, if you tuck your pants in your socks, that just makes it a little bit harder for them to get into the skin area.

When it comes to ticks, timely removal of these embedded pests is key as this reduces the transmission of saliva that could carry harmful diseases. Wolffs advice is to avoid twisting the tick off or jerking the tick as this may cause the ticks mouthparts to remain embedded in the skin.

Ticks can get into the tiniest sort of creases and crevices that you can imagine, Wolff said. I would also recommend treating clothing with permethrin, which has been proven to be really effective against ticks. The trick is permethrin is to be used on apparel, and they come in mist bottles or spray bottles. You would apply that to the outside and the inside and you let it dry completely, then you're going to be protected for in the case of self-applying product, usually around six washes before you'll have to reapply it.

While some studies suggest Lyme transmission can take 24 to 72 hours after attachment, there are many other infections that you can get with varying transfer times. Powassan, a rare severe disease, causes headaches, vomiting, and fever, and may take as little as 15 minutes to contract.

If bitten by a tick, you should use fine-tipped tweezers as recommended by the CDC, steadily grasp the tick, and using the tweezers take hold of the tick as close as possible to the skins surface and pull upward in a steady motion.

Use rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide to clean the bite area and tweezers when done. Attached ticks should never be disposed of or destroyed. Keep them in a zip-loc bag for identification and testing. A diseased tick does not necessarily transmit illness.

If you are bitten by a tick in an area where Lyme is prevalent, a physician may suggest and prescribe a precautionary dose of antibiotics to reduce the risk of getting infected.

Wolff said doing a full tick check after being in the woods or on trails is key.

What I do is a full check with no clothes on, Wolff said. They can get anywhere, and looking everywhere is one way you can make sure you havent been bitten. Daily checks are also good if you live near the woods. I've actually had nymphs feed in my belly button.

If bitten by a tick, Wolff suggests submitting it to a lab for analysis to see what you might potentially have been exposed to.

If the tick tests positive, does not mean that you've been exposed and that you're going to get sick," he added. "Being vigilant about taking precautions and doing checks will help you stay safer, especially during the height of tick season.

For more information on ticks in Michigan, see the state website at michigan.gov/emergingdiseases/ticks.

For information on TickEase and its product line, visit www.tickease.com.
CONCORD, N.H. (AP)  Health officials in New Hampshire say they have identified the states first probable case of monkeypox.

The state Department of Health announced Wednesday that the patient is a resident of Rockingham County. Further information was withheld to protect their privacy.
Illinois has launched a new program to help investigate gun crimes.

Crime Gun Connect will digitize gun records, making it easier for law enforcement agencies to trace crime-gun records.

To solve crimes committed using firearms, we are turning more and more towards technology and increasing information sharing opportunities to help expand the reach and coordination of law enforcement agencies and the justice system, said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly.

ISP created a portal that has grown over the years into a one-stop-shop where law enforcement can get intelligence for crime-gun related enforcement, and now includes the Crime Gun Connect tool, he said.

Attorney General Kwame Raoul said the existing process requires requests on paper, slowing investigations. Crime Gun Connect was developed in collaboration with the state police and Everytown for Gun Safety.

The searchable digital database contains more than 100,000 crime gun trace records dating back to 2009, using data from about 200 Illinois law enforcement agencies. More than 60% of firearms recovered from Illinois crime scenes originate out of state, Raoul said, making the new platform essential in monitoring gun trafficking.



The platform is available to Illinois law enforcement agencies enrolled in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) eTrace system that have opted in to collective data sharing through eTrace. Collective data sharing allows agencies to share crime-gun trace records with other participating agencies.

Kathleen Sances, President and CEO of the Gun Violence Prevention PAC said tracking the flow of illegal guns, and going after straw purchasers, were proven strategies to reduce gun violence.

"This portal will enhance the ability of all law enforcement agencies to identify and prosecute illegal gun trafficking and gun crimes in Illinois," she said. "Under the new bipartisan federal gun law signed by President Biden, straw purchasers are now subject to 15-year federal prison terms. Illinois new gun data portal can help turn these stricter statutory sentences into reality  helping stop the flow of illegal guns to gangs and others engaged in criminal violence." This joint development by the Attorney General and the State Police is the exact kind of cooperative law enforcement effort that Illinois needs.

Illinois also has launched a free online resource that lets the public access crime-gun data online. Available on the Attorney General's website, it also provides aggregate totals of crime-gun recoveries by region and illustrates how many of the firearms were first sold by out-of-state retailers.
NEW DELHI (AP)  A Pulitzer Prize-winning Kashmiri photojournalist said on Saturday that she was stopped by Indian immigration authorities from flying to Paris without giving any reason.

In a tweet, Sanna Irshad Mattoo said she was scheduled to travel from New Delhi to Paris for a book launch and photography exhibition as one of 10 winners of the Serendipity Arles Grant 2020.
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JERUSALEM (AP)  The Israeli military on Saturday said it shot down three unmanned aircraft launched by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah heading toward an area where an Israeli gas platform was recently installed in the Mediterranean Sea.

The launch of the aircraft appeared to be an attempt by Hezbollah to influence U.S.-brokered negotiations between Israel and Lebanon over their maritime border, an area that is rich in natural gas.

In a statement, the Israeli said the aircraft were spotted early on and did not pose an imminent threat. Nonetheless, the incident drew a stern warning from Israels caretaker prime minister, Yair Lapid.

I stand before you at this moment and say to everyone seeking our demise, from Gaza to Tehran, from the shores of Lebanon to Syria: Dont test us, Lapid said in his first address to the nation since taking office on Friday. Israel knows how to use its strength against every threat, against every enemy.

Israel earlier this month set up a gas rig in the Karish field, which Israel says lies within part of its internationally recognized economic waters. Lebanon has claimed it is in disputed waters.

Hezbollah issued a short statement, confirming it had launched three unarmed drones toward the disputed maritime issue over the Karish field on a reconnaissance mission. The mission was accomplished and the message was received, it said.

Israel and Hezbollah are bitter enemies that fought a monthlong war in the summer of 2006. Israel considers the Iranian-backed Lebanese group its most serious immediate threat, estimating it has some 150,000 rockets and missiles aimed at Israel.

The U.S. last week said that mediator Amos Hochstein had held conversations with the Lebanese and Israeli sides. The exchanges were productive and advanced the objective of narrowing differences between the two sides. The United States will remain engaged with parties in the days and weeks ahead, his office said in a statement last week.

The two countries, which have been officially at war since Israels creation in 1948, both claim some 860 square kilometers (330 square miles) of the Mediterranean Sea. Lebanon hopes to exploit offshore gas reserves as it grapples with the worst economic crisis in its modern history.

On Saturday, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati told reporters that Lebanon received encouraging information regarding the border dispute but refused to comment further saying Beirut is waiting for the written official response to the suggestions by the Lebanese side.

___

Associated Press writers Fares Akram in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, and Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed to this report.
That Russia was consistently 'provoked' has been clear as daylight since 1998 when the US Senate voted in favour of Nato expansion

Moscows agreement with Nicaragua to deploy Russian soldiers there must disturb Washington. What happened to the Monroe Doctrine, which one of Donald Trumps secretaries of state, Rex Tillerson, said was alive and kicking today. Will Joe Bidens man repudiate this?

Cardinal Ovando Bravo, if hes still around, must be in feverish anxiety. When I visited Managua in the 1990s, with Daniel Ortega just about to be crowned President, the cardinal virtually led me by the hand to Mother Marys statue in Managua so I could see the miracle with my own eyes: Mary weeping copious tears as Communist rule was imminent. It reminds me of another miracle that gripped India in 1995: Ganesh statues slurping vast quantities of milk.

The Nicaragua agreement has been given vast amplitude: seven Latin American countries to enter the country and participate, says Fox News. There was more for Washington to worry. This time the salvo came from Cardinal Bravos supreme boss. Pope Francis rubbished the diligently orchestrated Western propaganda that Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine was unprovoked?

In an interview to a Jesuit magazine, the Pope quotes a wise head of state who predicted much before the invasion that they are barking at the gates of Russia; the situation could lead to war.

Theres no great difference between what the statesman said and what the Pope said some weeks ago: that Nato may have facilitated the Kremlins invasion by barking at the Russian door.

That Russia was consistently provoked has been clear as daylight since 1998 when the US Senate voted in favour of Nato expansion. The wisest historian on Russia, who invented the policy of containing the Soviet Union, George Kennan, said loud and clear: There will be repercussions.

At Natos 2008 Bucharest summit, where ironically Mr Putin was also invited, Georgia and Ukraines possible entry into Nato was announced. It turned out to be a dramatic summit as President George W. Bush was also present, lobbying hard for Georgia and Ukraine to be ushered into Nato. This will be like a knife on my throat, said Mr Putin. What was being suggested, Mr Putin said, was an existential threat to Russia. A deep, dark red line was drawn.

Year 2008 was memorable for two events: the Russia-Georgia war, which Russia won, and the collapse of Lehman Brothers, with a $619 billion record debt which hit the US where it hurts most. The expression US decline gained currency from then. It was a dramatic turn of fortune: the 1990-91 Soviet collapse produced the sole superpower moment. Whoever imagined that the contradictions of capitalism would catch up with the worlds most powerful economy?

In the Wests build-up to the Ukraine expedition, I pointed out flaws in the strategy as three of the USs earlier expeditions, which I had watched from close, failed. After 20 years of occupation, the US left Afghanistan in disorder and unspeakable hunger. On April 3, 2002, it occupied Iraq for a decade, with gains hard to see unless you see things from the Israeli perspective.

Then the US brought Syria into its focus with an altered strategy. It would not occupy this time but allow Gulf countries scared of Iran to break the Shia axis and place the knife on Irans throat.

When US secretary of state Hillary Clinton, with an imperious wave of the hand, demanded that Assad, get out of the way, I was moved to question her cocksure demeanour indicating regime change. Within days, Assad would fall. The gist of my logic was this: when you failed in Afghanistan and Iraq with extended spells of occupation, where do you derive your certitude from that Assad would fall by what looked to me like cross-border terrorism. I can never forget the image of Gen. Lloyd Austin, much before he became defence secretary, among whose various tasks was to train good militants to plague Assad. A budget of $500 million was set aside. The good militants learnt all the drills and, one morning, collected all the weapons they had been trained to handle and walked away, presumably to join the bad terrorists. The general had to face the Senate Armed Services Committee. How many of the soldiers you trained are still in battle? they asked, to which the general replied sadly: Four or five.

If Assad could not fall with an external push, how did the US dream up a proxy war on Ukraines turf that would defeat Vladimir Putin with his arsenal of thousands of nuclear weapons. The US caused the destruction of Ukraine with its weapons as it wished to get at Mr Putins jugular. But why the wish to weaken Russia, as Gen. Lloyd Austin put it, or debase Putin? In an earlier instance too, it had played this kind of billiards: the target was Iran but Syria, leading the subsidiary Shia arc, stood in the way.

In Ukraines case, the US is having kittens as China, the eventual target, has held Russias hand and announced a friendship with no limits. The US hope is that a debased Russia will be much less attractive to China. Its like throwing acid at a womans face so that the groom rejects her. The world is watching the outcome with interest as the total devastation of Ukraine is not in anyones interest. But Americas own allies are now undermining its war effort. The unofficial line for all European officials is to accelerate trade with Russia in foodgrain, fertilisers, oil and gas. The US media too has fallen silent. Has it seen the writing on the wall?
DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP)  Local officials said residents in and around Dubuque should not be surprised if they see more signs of coyotes and other fur-bearing mammals.

In recent weeks, some area residents have taken to social media to report seeing or hearing coyotes in Dubuque and the surrounding area.

City of Dubuque Public Health Specialist Mary Rose Corrigan said the only report of a coyote the city has received recently is of a dead one on U.S. 20. But Dubuque County Conservation Executive Director Brian Preston said his staff has received numerous calls reporting signs of coyotes in the area.

I have had some calls from people seeing coyotes or other animals people are worried about being in town, he told the Dubuque Telegraph Herald.

Conservation officials offered two main reasons for the recent spate of sightings, both tied to increasing coyote populations.

Both Preston and Iowa Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer Andrew Keil said a leading reason for the increased populations is a reduction in hunting and trapping of coyotes and other fur-bearing animals in Iowa.

Without that hunting and trapping pressure, those populations are expanding into places we havent seen them before, Preston said. The only way we have to manage those populations is hunting or trapping. All of their predators are gone, the ones that would have managed those naturally  wolves and mountain lions.

Keil said the decrease in hunting and trapping is largely due to rock-bottom fur prices.

The fur market is essentially nonexistent right now, he said. We see that impact more with raccoons and muskrats, but that goes hand in hand with coyotes.

Preston said skunks, possums, foxes and bobcats also are increasing in number due to decreasing fur demand.

Were just seeing explosions in all of these populations, he said.

Preston said he suspects the decrease in trapping is due to a public perception of cruelty in the practice, which he said is a misconception.

Things have progressed a lot in the technology to make it much more humane and quick, he said. And with these populations increasing, were going to see outbreaks in disease  distemper and mange. That is a much rougher way to die than hunting or trapping would be.

Increasing populations means increased competition for food, which could attract predators such as coyotes to towns, according to Iowa DNR Wildlife Depredation Specialist Ross Ellingson.

There may be additional food sources available, be those rodents or young rabbits, he said.

Rabbit populations are also up, which Preston said he also credits as a reason for increased coyote activity.

In town, its a factor that rabbit populations are really high, he said. You even see bobcats in town frequently now.

If predators and opportunistic eaters such as coyotes are entering towns, it is increasingly important for people not to provide them food, Ellingson said.

Some people leave scraps out or let garbage pile up, which just needs to be avoided, he said. Clean up barbecues and garbage. Its similar to what weve been telling people because of the bear that has been seen in Dubuque.

Ellingson said an increase in predator activity in towns also makes it more important for people to closely watch pets.

Coyotes will prey on cats, certainly, he said. So make sure small pets are kept indoors unless theyre immediately being watched by the owner.

Should someone encounter a coyote, Ellingson said to do something to instill fear in the animal.

Make noise. Throw something at them. Try to remind them that people are something to be afraid of, he said.

Keil said coyotes do not like sharing space with people or being in cities generally.

Ellingson also said it is important to report any problem caused by a wild animal.

We want to be aware of those things too, he said. Some of these coyotes will exhibit more bad behavior than others and give them all a bad name. There may be things that can be done if there is a bad nuisance.

Keil said he had not heard from residents who said they had physically encountered coyotes.

Preston said increasing populations in these wild animals also negatively impacts other wildlife.

Were seeing decreases in ground-nesting species like wild turkeys, pheasants, killdeer and turtles, he said. A lot of that might be these populations going up in animals that steal eggs.
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SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP)  Tens of thousands massed outside government offices late Saturday to protest a French proposal for solving North Macedonia's dispute with Bulgaria that is blocking the country's membership talks with the European Union.

North Macedonias government has said the proposal is a solid base. But the main opposition center-right VMRO-DPMNE party rejects the proposition, arguing it favors Bulgarian demands that dispute Macedonian history, language, identity, culture and inheritance.

We do not need Europe if we have to be assimilated," opposition leader Hristijan Mickoski told reporters before the start of the protest. The answer is no for the latest French proposal.

"If Europe is not ready to accept us civilized Macedonians where we belong, then we will wait until there are people who will understand that Macedonia and Macedonian identity is above and before all, he added.

Bulgaria, a member of the EU, has insisted that North Macedonia formally recognize that its language has Bulgarian roots, acknowledge in its constitution a Bulgarian minority and quash hate speech against Bulgaria.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced earlier this week at the NATO summit in Madrid that he believed a compromise solution had been achieved, without giving details. Im convinced we have found a compromise solution, he said.

North Macedonias foreign minister, Bujar Osmani, said that Macedonian language and identity are protected by the French proposal and it should be accepted as soon as possible for the country to start the accession talks with the EU.

North Macedonia has been a candidate for EU membership for 17 years. The country received a green light in 2020 to begin accession talks, but no date for the start of the negotiations has been set.

Bulgaria has used its power as an EU member to block North Macedonias membership, since all enlargement decisions require unanimous approval from the 27-nation bloc.

The dispuate has also stalled Albanias progress toward EU membership because the bloc is treating the pair as a political package. All three countries are NATO members.

The protest ended peacefully. Another one was planned for Sunday.
MIAMI (AP)  A woman whose arm and leg were shattered from mine-like projectiles shot into her apartment. A young man whose face was nearly blown away by a rocket-propelled grenade. A man whose chest and liver were obliterated from a missile strike.

These were among the cases that Dr. Enrique Ginzburg, trauma medical director at Jackson South Ryder Trauma Center, encountered on his recent trip to Ukraine, where he worked side by side with local physicians performing complex surgeries on victims of Russias invasion of the Eastern European country.

Its a very rewarding experience at this point in my life (...) to be able to contribute to such a humanitarian mission, says Ginzburg, also a professor of surgery at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

In early April, Ginzburg traveled with a small team of trauma surgeons to the Lviv Clinical Emergency Hospital in western Ukraine to provide medical support and training for Ukrainian physicians.

Global Surgical and Medical Support Group (GSMSG) organized the mission; its purpose is to provide humanitarian services to conflict zones and austere settings, says Dr. Aaron Epstein, president and founder of GSMSG, a Washington-based nonprofit.

Epstein, who had a background in defense, national security and intelligence before becoming a physician, says he was inspired to start GSMSG when he was working in the Middle East and saw groups simply come in and do their piece for a CNN photo shoot and leave or come in and provide really subpar medicine.

But the GSMSG team wanted to do more: I heard a lot of people talking (about Ukraine). And I wanted to do more, said Ginzburg, 65, who met Epstein in 2016 when he was doing a rotation at Ryder Trauma during medical school at Georgetown University. Before working with Epstein and the GSMSG group in the Ukraine, Ginzburg worked with them in Iraq.

For Ginzburg, the connection to Ukraine is personal: His grandfather is from Kyiv and his grandmother is from eastern Poland.

Although Ginzburg has parachuted into difficult places such as Haiti and Iraq, he had never before operated in a war zone. The situation in Ukraine was particularly precarious since they were operating in the context of theoretically a first-world military that could be trying to destroy them, rather than isolated attacks such as car bombs, suicide bombers or random attacks.

THREE TOUGH CASES

After arriving in Ukraine, Ginzburg spent the next two days working alongside Ukrainian doctors, consulting with the physicians on the most complex patients.

One was the young woman whose arm and leg were shattered. The doctors considered covering the wound with a skin graft or flap, or even possible amputation. Ginzburg doesnt know the outcome.

Another involved the young man whose face was destroyed by a rocket-propelled grenade, a case for which surgeons decided to follow a staged approach, entailing up to 20 operations to reconstruct the jaw and cover the face with muscle and skin.

Perhaps the most complex case was that of a patient whose chest and abdomen were ripped open from shrapnel from a missile strike. Physicians debated between operating immediately, or draining fluid buildup with a catheter. The team decided to operate but were too late. The patient died just before they took him to the operating room.

Most of the patients were shipped in from hundreds of miles away, from eastern Ukraine, where the fighting has been the heaviest and where medical care is scarce as Russian forces have bombed hospitals and clinics.

However, as Epstein notes, simply donating supplies or performing a few medical procedures doesnt affect the community in a lasting way. Instead, GSMSG focuses on training host partners and communities so they can gain the expertise and skills to use in their communities going forward.

RYDER TRAUMA EXPERIENCE PLAYED BIG PART

Due to Ginzburgs three decades of treating trauma patients at Ryder, he was well-suited to work with the Ukrainian physicians, training them on treating patients with penetrative and blunt trauma wounds.

At Ryder, Ginzburg has seen a lot, from patients with multiple gunshot wounds to devastating injuries caused by car accidents.

Hes one of the most senior surgeons, says Dr. Antonio Marttos Jr., a trauma surgeon at Ryder, who has known Ginzburg since he came to the Center in 2004 for a trauma and critical care fellowship. Hes a world leader, always making himself available for education and support and even putting his life on the line, as he did in Ukraine, Marttos added.

Ginzburg notes that although the extent of the injuries in Ukraine were greater and had some peculiarities  he had never dealt with injuries caused by radioactive projectiles  cases at Ryder were similar to those on the Ukrainian battlefield.

With all the AR-15s that are being used in this country, theyre creating those type of wounds. Ginzburg said.

PLANS TO RETURN TO UKRAINE

Ginzburgs work prompted members of the Ukrainian government, from the mayor of Lviv to the World Health Organizations regional director for Europe and Ukraines minister of health, to request additional surgeons and telemedicine initiatives.

Since then, GSMSG has set up surgical teams, with groups of four surgeons visiting Ukraine every two weeks; the first of the teams is about to return home. GSMSG is also obtaining certifications to establish multi-institutional telemedicine efforts.

In the meantime, with the help of the Panamerican Trauma Society, a Virginia-based nonprofit, and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine telemedicine efforts, Ginzburg and a team of surgeons have already completed two formal consultation calls and are available for them (Ukrainian physicians) to present to us at anytime.

Marttos, president of the Panamerican Trauma Society, says the mission of the organization was initially to improve trauma and critical care throughout the Americas.

But since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020, the group has expanded its reach globally, including to the recent Ukraine mission.

You have a problem in Ukraine, somebody requests (help) and right away, within a matter of hours, you can connect everybody (...) and be able to discuss a case, he said.

Ginzburg plans to return to Ukraine within the next several months.

Ginzburg was relatively unfazed while working in Ukraine, despite seeking refuge in safe houses when intelligence reports warned them of several impending missile attacks. However, he recognizes the precariousness of the situation.

Today, I was calling my life insurance because I have young sons and my wife, so Im trying to make sure I have good coverage.

His family is supportive of his missions but his wife, an occupational therapist who accompanied Ginzburg on his trips to Haiti, Iraq and Ukraine, insists he call her every day.

Yet while his family may worry, they know that his work is important.

Ginzburg is one of the most intelligent and talented trauma surgeons that Ive had the pleasure to work with, Epstein said.

Added Marttos: Hes someone that does not just stay on the ocean and follow the currents, going where the wind takes him. Hes a sailor. He knows where to go. Hes a leader.

Ginzburg credits his love of adventure and helping others as the reason why he became a trauma surgeon.

Theres nothing like getting someone whos about to die and (...) being able to pull them from the jaws of death. Theres nothing more rewarding.
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP)  Michigan State University is set to place a steel safety barrier along a half-mile stretch of the Red Cedar River after the drowning death of visiting 18-year-old student last fall.

The university installed temporary fencing along a portion of the river where it runs through the East Lansing campus after the body of Grand Valley State University student Brendan Santo was found in the river in January, nearly three months after he was last seen while visiting campus, the Lansing State Journal reported.
CLAYTON, Mo. (AP)  Nearly two decades after a disabled 9-year-old Missouri boy went missing, his father has been convicted of killing him.

St. Louis County jurors on Friday found 49-year-old Dawan Ferguson guilty of first-degree murder. Jurors deliberated less than three hours. Ferguson will be sentenced to life in prison without parole, which is mandatory in non-death penalty first-degree murder cases in Missouri.
Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media

NEW HAVEN  If someone calls claiming to be a New Haven police officer and asks you to pay a fine, its a scam, authorities warned residents on Friday.

The caller tells the residents they missed a court date or jury duty and instruct them to pay a fine.
JERUSALEM (AP)  The Palestinian Authority on Saturday said it has given the bullet that killed Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh to American forensic experts, taking a step toward resolving a standoff with Israel over the investigation into her death.

The announcement came just over a week before President Joe Biden is to visit Israel and the occupied West Bank for meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. It signaled that both sides may be working to find a solution to the deadlock.

Abu Akleh, a veteran correspondent who was well known throughout the Arab world, was fatally shot while covering an Israeli military raid on May 11 in the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.

The Palestinians, along with Abu Akleh's colleagues who were with her at the time, say she was killed by Israeli fire. The Israeli army says that she was caught in the crossfire of a battle with Palestinian gunmen, and that it is impossible to determine which side killed her without analyzing the bullet.

Israel says it has identified the rifle that may have shot her, but that it cannot draw any conclusions unless it is compared to the bullet. The Palestinians have refused to turn over the bullet, saying they don't trust Israel. Rights groups say Israel has a poor record investigating shootings of Palestinians by its troops, with probes languishing for months or years before they are quietly closed.

The Palestinian attorney general, Akram al-Khateeb, said the bullet was given to U.S. experts for technical work.

He reiterated the Palestinian refusal to share the bullet with the Israelis but said the Palestinians welcome the participation of any international bodies to help us confirm the truth."

We are confident and certain of our investigations and the results we have reached, he said.

It was not immediately clear what the American experts could discover without also studying the Israeli weapon. It also was not clear whether Israel would turn over the rifle to the Americans. The Israeli military declined comment, and U.S. Embassy's Office of Palestinian Affairs said it had no new information to offer.

A Palestinian official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was discussing a diplomatic matter, said the issue was raised in a phone call between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Secretary of State Antony Blinken and that both sides hope to resolve the issue before Biden's arrival on July 13.

An AP reconstruction of events has lent support to eyewitnesses who say she was shot by Israeli troops. But a weapons expert interviewed by the AP as part of the reconstruction said that it was impossible to reach a conclusive finding without further forensic analysis. Israeli leaders have repeatedly said that soldiers did not intentionally target her.

Abu Akleh, who was 51, was a widely known and respected on-air correspondent who rose to fame two decades ago during the second Palestinian intifada, or uprising, against Israeli rule. She documented the harsh realities of life under Israeli military rule  now well into its sixth decade with no end in sight  for viewers across the Arab world.

Israeli police drew widespread criticism from around the world when they beat mourners and pallbearers at her funeral in Jerusalem on May 14. An Israeli newspaper last month reported that a police investigation found wrongdoing by some of its officers, but said those who supervised the event will not be seriously punished.

Jenin has long been a bastion of Palestinian militants, and several recent attacks inside Israel have been carried out by young men from in and around the town. Israel frequently carries out military raids in Jenin, which it says are aimed at arresting militants and preventing more attacks.

Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war and has built settlements where nearly 500,000 Israelis live alongside nearly 3 million Palestinians. The Palestinians want the territory to form the main part of a future state. Peace talks broke down more than a decade ago, and with Israel now in a new election campaign, they are unlikely to resume anytime soon. The caretaker prime minister, Yair Lapid, supports a two-state solution with the Palestinians, but right-wing parties that oppose Palestinian statehood appear positioned to dominate the election.

___

Associated Press writer Fares Akram in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, contributed to this report.
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP)  Police in North Carolina fatally shot a woman after an unsuccessful de-escalation attempt and struggle over a weapon, authorities said Saturday.

The incident began when Fayetteville police officers were called Friday night to a home for a reported attempted break-in, the Fayetteville Observer reported.

Assistant Fayetteville Police Chief James Nolette said a female caller had reported four armed men were trying to break into the home but after a 30-minute discussion, officers found no such evidence. The woman then pulled out a weapon and threatened to harm herself, Nolette said.

Nolette said officers spent nearly an hour within feet of the woman trying to de-escalate the situation and get her to relinquish the handgun. The woman's young child and another relative were nearby as well, he said.

Theyre in harms way, the officers are in harms way, Nolette said.

When one or both officers attempted to disarm the woman, the struggle went to the ground and at least one officer fired a gun. The woman, who was not immediately identified, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Nolette said the officers are on administrative leave and the State Bureau of Investigation will conduct a probe into the shooting.

A preliminary review of body camera footage has already occurred, he said.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  A 75-year-old man who officials said was armed with a knife and was threatening to kill his wife was fatally shot by police Saturday inside the couple's Sacramento home, authorities said.

Officers responded to the couple's home just after midnight Saturday after receiving a call about a man threatening to kill his wife, who had locked herself in the bathroom, the Sacramento Police Department said in a news release.
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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  In a city boasting champagne brunches with views of the sea, Michelin star restaurants, and endless high-end Asian food options, a small hole-in-the-wall restaurant with plastic chairs and metal tables is one of Dubais go-to spots.

Ravi restaurant, a small, family-owned Pakistani place, is rooted in the community of South Asian workers who helped build Dubai. Yet over the decades, it has become a staple of the food culture in a city that usually gravitates to everything glitzy and over-the-top.

The restaurant opened its doors in the United Arab Emirates in 1978 in the Dubai neighborhood of Satwa, at a time when it was a sandy area full of big lorries and small construction shops. The emirate was mostly a desert land in the 1970s with a meager, low-built skyline overlooking the Gulf.

Ravi served home-style dishes, mainly to South Asian construction workers.

Its founder, Chaudary Abdul Hameed, wanted to find a way to serve better food to the working class, said his son Waseem Abdul Hameed, who is also the restaurants operations manager. That meant keeping prices affordable, with meals costing an average of $7.

Over the years as Dubai boomed, it became a hit among Emiratis and the Western and Asian expats who flooded the emirate.

Famed food critic Anthony Bourdain helped put Ravi on the map when he visited it for one of his TV series in 2010. A few years later, rapper Snoop Dogg dropped in as well, and Ravi was elevated to a must-see attraction.

Besides its portions, prices and flavors, its ironically Ravis lack of pretentiousness that gives it cache.

Customers wearing everything from business suits to traditional saris or sneakers crowd the restaurant for big meals or late-night snacks. Its common to see lines of people at the door, or people taking their food and eating it at the curb.

Inside, customers sit at tables with plastic covers underneath flickering neon lights. Chatter downs out the sound of ceiling fans. Chicken biryani, chicken tikka, daal and naan are slung out of the kitchen over the service counter, and as waiters rush the plates to the table, the smell of curry and grilled meat wafts through the air.

Last week, the low-key eatery was scene to a very Dubai-style splash: A gathering of social media influencers to promote the launch of shoemaker Adidas brand collaboration with Ravi.

Adidas produced a specially designed limited-edition Superstar Ravi sneaker  green and white, emblazoned with the restaurants name and the year it opened, and a list of the six most famous dishes from its menu on the inside of the shoes tongue.

Both Ravi and Adidas declined to disclose the terms of the deal to The Associated Press, or to answer questions about whether the restaurant will be making any money from the sale of the shoes.

Waseem Abdul Hameed said it reflects how the restaurant is part of Dubais cultural fabric. You have to go to Ravi restaurant for a meal, so thats why they chose us.

Its a stark contrast with other recent lines released by Adidas, like one with Gucci that includes sneakers selling for $899 in Dubai and other cities. But the collaboration speaks to how brands like Adidas are looking for new ways to connect to consumers searching for uniqueness.

On a recent hot summer day after the shoe launch, customers lined up outside Ravi.

Its authentic, thats what it is, thats why I like it, said 32-year-old Dubai resident Dana, whos been coming to Ravi for years with her friends.
According to the Victorian government, running your home on electricity will save you money and reduce your carbon emissions. (Source: Getty)

Victorian households may soon be able to access a $2,600 rebate to swap gas heating for electric alternatives as part of the state governments new plan to phase-out gas.

Households would be able to access the discount if they replaced ducted gas heating systems and evaporative cooling systems with efficient, electric reverse cycle heating and cooling systems.

The government also flagged $300 rebates to replace gas hot water systems for heat pump hot water systems as part of the Gas Substitution Roadmap released on Saturday.

As part of the shift away from gas, the government also intends to phase-out incentives for residential gas products by 2023.

The government would provide the new incentives through the Victorian Energy Upgrades program, which already offers discounted energy-efficient products and services to households and businesses.

Victorians are Australia's biggest gas users, with 2 million homes and businesses reliant on the fossil fuel.

Gas is responsible for around 17 per cent of the states greenhouse gas emissions.

The roadmap outlined a plan to transition the state away from gas via electrification, improved energy efficiency and the using hydrogen and biomethane to help reduce bills and cut carbon emissions.

Energy Minister Lily D'Ambrosio said gas was historically the cheapest source of fuel for Victorian homes but that was no longer the case.

While our state currently processes more than enough gas for its own needs, its getting too expensive, because Victorians are at the mercy of private companies exporting gas overseas, which has a real impact on the cost to Victorians at home, DAmbrosio said.

Moving away from gas would save people money, according to the roadmap.

An all-electric new home with solar panels, for example, could save Victorians thousands of dollars each year on their bills, according to the governments modelling.

Story continues

Freja Leonard from Friends of the Earth Melbourne said the roadmap was a step in the right direction but more needed to be done.

"At a time when Victorians are paying twice as much for gas as we did last year and the world is feeling the impacts of climate change, we need to stop a single new gas connection being made and support Victorian homes and businesses to rapidly move to an all-electric, post-gas energy system," she said.

Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association acting chief executive Damian Dwyer warned the plan would push consumers onto coal.

"In Victoria, more than 60 per cent of electricity is still generated using higher emissions brown coal, and as has been made abundantly clear in the last month, renewables are simply not yet at high enough penetration to shoulder the load," he said.

-With AAP

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DETROIT (AP)  Prosecutors signaled Friday that they would pursue the same charges against former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and eight others in the Flint water crisis, just a few days after the state Supreme Court said indictments must be dismissed.

The attorney general's office responded by asking two Flint-area judges to simply turn the indictments into common criminal complaints and let the charges proceed.

That step, outlined in court filings in Genesee County, likely will face vigorous opposition by defense lawyers.

The motion filed by the solicitor general is nothing short of ridiculous, said Chip Chamberlain, attorney for former state health director Nick Lyon.

The Michigan Supreme Court made itself clear: Mr. Lyon's case is to be dismissed  period," Chamberlain said.

Nine people were indicted in 2021, including Snyder, who faced two misdemeanor counts of willful neglect of duty.

In 2014, Flint managers appointed by Snyder took the city out of a regional water system and began using the Flint River to save money while a new pipeline to Lake Huron was being built. But the river water wasn't treated to reduce its corrosive qualities. Lead broke off from old pipes and contaminated the city's system for more than a year.

Lyons lawyers led the challenge that resulted in a unanimous Supreme Court ruling Tuesday that a judge sitting as a one-person grand jury had no power under Michigan law to return indictments.

The attorney general's office hasn't explained why it chose that extremely unusual route rather than a criminal complaint.

Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud insists the Supreme Court's opinion was only about procedure. She said anyone facing felonies would now be entitled to hearings to challenge evidence.

The Supreme Court did not question the merit of our cases, nor evaluate the evidence in these proceedings. ... These motions confirm our commitment to keep fighting for the people of Flint," Hammoud said in a written statement.

Snyder attorney Brian Lennon said the interpretation was flawed.

How can the Genesee County courts simply convert invalid and illegally obtained indictments into valid complaints? Lennon said. What part of the word dismissed does she and prosecutor (Kym) Worthy refuse to understand?

Lyon and former state medical executive Eden Wells were charged with involuntary manslaughter under a theory that they failed to timely notify the public about a Legionnaires' disease outbreak tied to the Flint River.

Prosecutors still face other hurdles, including the statute of limitations on some charges and the seizure of millions of pages of Snyder administration documents that were confidential.

Snyder, a Republican, left office in 2019.

___

Follow Ed White at http://twitter.com/edwritez

.
After Robin Williams died by suicide in August 2014, his widow, Susan Schneider Williams, would soon learn about a disease she had never heard of, but one that had haunted both of their lives.

That disease is Lewy body dementia, with which the actor was diagnosed in October 2014 following an autopsy on his brain.

"A few months before he passed, he was given a Parkinson's (disease) diagnosis," said Schneider Williams, an artist and advocate for LBD awareness and research, at the Life Itself conference, a health and wellness event presented in partnership with CNN. "But that was just the tip of the iceberg."

The misdiagnosis occurred in May 2014 after Robin had been experiencing severe memory, movement, personality, reasoning, sleep and mood changes.

The comedian had undergone multiple tests to identify his problem, most of which were negative. "None of the doctors knew that there was this ghost disease underlying all of this," Schneider Williams told CNN in an interview. "When that was revealed, that was like essentially finding out the name of my husband's killer."

Dementia is a disorder of mental processes marked by memory dysfunction, personality changes and impaired reasoning due to brain disease or injury. The exact cause of LBD, which affects about 1.4 million Americans, is unknown. But the disease is associated with the accumulation of the protein alpha-synuclein, which is typically present in the brain and in small amounts in the heart, muscle and other tissues. Alpha-synuclein might help regulate neurotransmitters. But when this protein accumulates and forms masses (called Lewy bodies) within the brain, the effects are devastating.

Lewy body dementia and Parkinson's disease dementia are the two types of Lewy body dementias, which are the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer's disease, according to the Lewy Body Dementia Association.

Because LBD initially presents similarly to Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease, it's often misdiagnosed. And since Lewy body proteins can't be tested like Alzheimer's proteins, LBD cases are often diagnosed after death when families request autopsies for closure or more details, or to donate a loved one's brain for research.

Typically for undiagnosed LBD patients who initially exhibit movement issues, doctors first diagnose them with Parkinson's disease since it is a movement disease. If those patients later develop dementia as well, they are often diagnosed with Parkinson's disease dementia. More specific changes in cognitive function, too, over time can lead to the diagnosis of "dementia with Lewy bodies." Although Lewy bodies are common with Parkinson's disease, not all Parkinson's patients will develop LBD.

Misdiagnosis and overlapping symptoms can lead to a world of confusion for patients and their families, so for Schneider Williams, finally learning the truth behind her husband's "pain and suffering" was a "pinprick of light," she said.

"That's when my own healing started to begin," she said. "We had this experience with something that was invisible and terrifying, truly. And then on the other side of it, I'm left to find out the science underneath it that helped explain this experience. Robin wasn't crazy. That was one of his biggest fears."

So that other patients and caregivers can experience the same truth, understanding and healing, Schneider Williams has been in a "rabbit hole of discovery" and advocacy for eight years now. She has served on the board of the American Brain Foundation for six years, helped establish the Lewy Body Dementia Fund and its $3 million research grant award aimed at finding an accurate biomarker, and contributed to the documentaries "Robin's Wish" and "Spark: Robin Williams and His Battle with Lewy Body Dementia."

"I couldn't live with myself if I didn't tell this story," Schneider Williams said. "I had no idea the journey I was about to begin on. But I had to go there."

Doctors and researchers wanting to mitigate the kinds of experiences her husband endured "have a tall order," she said, "but progress is being made."

'Chemical warfare in his brain'

Lewy body dementia has more than 40 symptoms that can randomly appear and disappear, Schneider Williams said. Categorically, the signs include impaired thinking, fluctuations in attention, problems with movement, visual hallucinations, sleep disorders, behavioral and mood issues, and changes in bodily functions such as the ability to control urinating.

What "marked the beginning of a cascade of symptoms" was when her husband started experiencing never-ending fear and anxiety, Schneider Williams said. It began to happen in 2012 when Williams started to pull back from engaging with people at the Throckmorton Theatre in California, where he would try new material out and riff with other comedians just for fun, she added.

The anxieties persisted beyond what Williams had experienced in the past and what is normal for a beloved actor living with the pressures of being on a world stage.

Eventually, paranoia was another significant symptom, Schneider Williams said. "It was the amygdala region of his brain that had a ginormous amount of the Lewy bodies. So that area of the brain is really our ability to regulate our emotions, particularly fear and anxiety. And Robin's was basically broken."

Toward the end, Williams also experienced delusional looping. "Your brain is concocting a story of what you think reality is," Schneider Williams said. "And the people around you are unable to rationalize with you and bring you back into what is actually real. So it's incredibly scary for everyone around someone who's deluded as well as the deluded person.

"As a caregiver, you feel incredibly powerless when you realize, 'Oh my gosh, nothing I say or do anymore can bring him back to what's real.' And that's a very scary place," she said. "Lewy body  it really takes over."

Williams was stressed by work, his sudden forgetfulness and changing personality, and insufficient sleep  which progressed to severe insomnia that removed the separation between day and night in the couple's home. "Our house was like 'Night at the Museum' at night," Schneider Williams said. Pulling him back from nighttime delusions would take hours, sometimes days, she added. "Imagined fear on fire  that is what it is."

Hallucinations are "a key hallmark of LBD that can really help in identifying the disease," Schneider Williams said, but also a tough symptom many LBD patients don't want to discuss. She didn't know about her husband's hallucinations until her conversation with a medical professional who had reviewed his medical records. A delusion involves a storyline with people who can deconstruct it for you  but a hallucination is something only you see and therefore is easier to hide.

"Lewy body is neurological; it's a circuitry problem. So the chemical and structural changes happening in Robin's brain were responsible for the psychiatric symptoms that he was experiencing," Schneider Williams said at Life Itself. Those included depression.

The doctors Schneider Williams met with after learning of his diagnosis "indicated his was one of the worst pathologies they had seen. He had about 40% loss of dopamine neurons," she wrote in her 2016 article "The terrorist inside my husband's brain" for the journal Neurology. "The massive proliferation of Lewy bodies throughout his brain had done so much damage to neurons and neurotransmitters that in effect, you could say he had chemical warfare in his brain."

Antipsychotic medications were dangerous for him and made some symptoms worse, as they do for some LBD patients, Schneider Williams said.

If people experiencing neurodegeneration can still do some routines such as work or walk their dog, those "usual, well-worn pathways can provide comfort," Schneider Williams said. When people can no longer do those things, symptoms can worsen and lead to devastating feelings of isolation.

'Every yard gained matters'

Nearly eight years after the diagnosis that catalyzed Schneider Williams' research journey, she is "just now starting to really pick up the pieces of my own life," she said.

"I kind of need to go underground for a while and relocate my inspiration and my true passion, which is art and painting," Schneider Williams said. She plans for a portion of all her future print sales to go to LBD research, and she will stay in touch with efforts related to the documentaries and the Lewy Body Dementia Fund, where she remains lead chair.

As Schneider Williams widens her focus while leaving her door open for LBD advocacy, experts continue their research efforts.

"We're always learning more and more about the disease, from the basic science studies looking at cells and test tubes, to animal models, to human observational studies," said Dr. James Galvin, a professor of neurology and director of the Comprehensive Center for Brain Health at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

Recent highlights include the introduction of at least two new diagnostics, Galvin said: a spinal fluid test from the company Amprion and a skin biopsy test from CND Life Sciences. The spinal fluid test tracks misfolded synuclein and helps doctors diagnose brain diseases, including LBD. The skin biopsy test aims to help doctors distinguish between serious neurologic disorders.

"To have diagnostics  that can confirm in life that someone has Lewy body disease  goes a long way both toward confirming the diagnosis and advancing research," Galvin said. "The earlier you can start people on treatments, the easier to enroll people in clinical trials to test new medications."

The National Institutes of Health has awarded Galvin and the company Cognition Therapeutics a $29 million grant for studying whether a new drug, CT1812, is safe and effective for patients with LBD.

To treat LBD, doctors "borrow medicines from Alzheimer's to treat cognitive symptoms, from Parkinson's to treat motor symptoms, from narcolepsy to treat attention deficits and from psychiatry to treat behavioral symptoms," Galvin said in a news release. CT1812 could help the brains of LBD patients clear toxic proteins and protect against functional loss.

"When I wrote that editorial 'The terrorist inside my husband's brain,' I was convinced that a diagnosis wouldn't matter anyway, because there is no cure," Schneider Williams said at Life Itself. "But my thinking since then has completely changed. Diagnosis is everything -- not just for the patients and caregivers, but for the doctors, clinicians and researchers. If we had an accurate diagnosis, we could have sought specialized care."

The Lewy Body Dementia Association has formed a Research Centers of Excellence Program, with 22 sites across the United States, to collaborate on clinical trials, assess needs for resources and infrastructure, and develop better measures of clinical symptoms, said Angela Taylor, the association's interim executive director.

"We can't undo changes that have already occurred," said Samantha Holden, an associate professor of neurology at the University of Colorado and director of the Memory Disorders Clinic at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital. "But if we catch people early enough, can we prevent it from progressing?"

Research progress is being made in baby steps. When asked whether there has ever been a point when she felt like giving up, Schneider Williams said, "Oh, my God. Pick a day."

"It's very overwhelming when you look at all the millions and bazillions of dollars that are spent on research and you think, 'Oh my God, have we really progressed at all?' " she added. But with how complex LBD is, "every yard gained matters."

"Whoever has hope has many days of feeling the darkness," Schneider Williams said. "But the thing about hope is that no matter what, you dust yourself off, you pick yourself up and you go forward. And you don't do that alone."
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KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  The latest in a litany of horrors in Ukraine came this week as Russian firepower rained down on civilians in a busy shopping mall far from the front lines of a war in its fifth month.

The timing was not likely a coincidence.

While much of the attritional war in Ukraines east is hidden from sight, the brutality of Russian missile strikes on a mall in the central city of Kremenchuk and on residential buildings in the capital, Kyiv, unfolded in full view of the world and especially of Western leaders gathered for a trio of summits in Europe.

Were the attacks a message from Russian President Vladimir Putin as the West sought to arm Ukraine with more effective weapons to bolster its resistance, and to set Ukraine on the path to joining the European Union?

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko suggested as much when missiles struck the capital on June 26, three days after EU leaders unanimously agreed to make Ukraine a candidate for membership.

It was maybe a symbolic attack as the Group of Seven leading economic powers and then NATO leaders prepared to meet and apply further pressure on Moscow, he said. At least six people were killed in the Kyiv strike, which pummeled an apartment building.

The former commanding general of U.S. Army forces in Europe, retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, went further in connecting the attack and the meetings. The Russians are humiliating the leaders of the West, he said.

A day after the Kyiv attack, as G-7 leaders met in Germany to discuss further support for Ukraine during their annual summit, Russia fired missiles at a crowded shopping mall in the central Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk, killing at least 19 people.

The timing of both attacks appeared to be juxtaposed with the European meetings of U.S. President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron, all supporters of Ukraine.

Defying the evidence, Putin and his officials deny that Russia hit residential areas. Putin has denied that Russian forces targeted the Kremenchuk mall, saying it was directed at a nearby weapons depot. But Ukrainian officials and witnesses said a missile directly hit the mall.

It was hardly the first time that bursts of violence were widely seen as signals of Moscows displeasure. In late April, Russian missiles struck Kyiv barely an hour after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a news conference with visiting U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

This says a lot about Russias true attitude toward global institutions, Zelenskyy said at the time. Kyiv's mayor called the attack Putins way of giving the middle finger.

The Russian president recently warned that Moscow would strike targets it had so far spared if the West supplied Ukraine with weapons that could reach Russia. If Kyiv gets long-range rockets, Russia will draw appropriate conclusions and use our means of destruction, which we have plenty of, Putin said.

On Friday, a day after Russian forces made a high-profile retreat from Snake Island near the Black Sea port city of Odesa following what Ukraine called a barrage of artillery and missile strikes, Russia bombarded residential areas in a coastal town near Odesa and killed at least 21 people, including two children.

While Russias messaging can be blunt and devastating, Ukraines signals under Zelenskyy have focused daily on seeking to amplify Moscows cruelty to a world that day by day risks becoming weary of the war.

If interest fades, the concerted support seen at global summits could fade, too. and with it the urgency to deliver the heavier weapons that Ukraine craves.

Zelenskyy tends to pair pleas for more help with reminders that all of Europe ultimately is at stake.

He described the mall attack as one of the most daring terrorist attacks in European history.

For all of Ukraines indisputable suffering, it was a bold statement of some hyperbole in the context of extremist attacks with mass deaths in Paris, Nice, Brussels, Madrid and London in this century alone.

For Zelenskyy and Ukraine, the underlying demand cannot be reiterated enough: provide more heavy weapons, and faster, before Russia perhaps makes irreversible gains in the eastern industrial region of the Donbas, where street-by-street fighting grinds on.

In his nightly public addresses, Zelenskyy also makes sure to capture the traumatic toll on everyday life in Ukraine, appealing well beyond global leaders to the wider world.

This week, he accused Russia of sabotaging peoples attempts to live a normal life.

Images of the shopping malls smoking debris said the rest.

___

Fakahany reported from London.

___

Follow APs coverage of the Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
SAN ANTONIO (AP)  A group of people who were spotted getting in and out of a parked semitrailer in San Antonio were part of a work crew, not a human-smuggling operation, authorities said Friday.

Authorities checked the vehicle after someone alerted a deputy constable to it, just days after 53 migrants died when they were abandoned in a stifling semitrailer in San Antonio.
JACKSON, Miss. (AP)  A look at how African Americans traveled during the Jim Crow era in the U.S. is on display at the Two Mississippi Museums in downtown Jackson.

The Negro Motorist Green Book, a Smithsonian traveling exhibition, opened Saturday at the venue, which is part of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, a Smithsonian affiliate.

It includes artifacts from business signs and postcards to historic footage, images and firsthand accounts to convey not only the apprehension felt by Black travelers but also the resilience, innovation and elegance of people choosing to live a full American existence, officials said. Mississippi artifacts include items from the historic Riverside Hotel in Clarksdale and Hotel E.F. Young Jr. in Meridian.

Two Mississippi Museums director Pamela D.C. Junior said she was ecstatic to have the exhibit housed at the venue.

During the Great Migration families moved across the U.S., thus the necessity to travel and visit relatives was born," Junior said. "Postal worker Victor Green, innovatively responded to this need with a roadmap of havens to eat, rest, and visit. This safety net was a key guide for people of color throughout the Jim Crow south and other parts of America.

Green's guidebook was published from 1936 to 1966 and was an indispensable resource for the nation's rising African American middle class, the Mississippi Department of Archives and History said in a news release.

The exhibition will run through Sunday, Sept. 25, in the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Exhibition Hall at the Two Mississippi Museums.

Ticket prices are $15 for adults and $8 for youth ages 422. Discounts are available for students, seniors, active duty military, veterans, and groups of ten or more. Admission for children under the age of three is free. Admission on Sunday is also free.
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP)  A Vermont corporation that operates as a McDonald's restaurant franchisee has been ordered to pay $1.6 million in damages and penalties after authorities said it failed to protect young workers from harm and sexual harassment, the state attorney generals office announced Friday.

The agreement reached by the state and the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission with Coughlin Inc. is the largest public sexual harassment settlement in the history of the Attorney Generals Office and one of the largest reported employment discrimination settlements in Vermont, the state says.

Among the terms in the five-year consent decree, Coughlin will establish a settlement fund of $1.2 million to provide compensation to victims of the harassment at its Randolph restaurant and revise its policies and procedures around sexual harassment.

It will also pay $125,000 in civil penalties and other damages to the State of Vermont, and $275,000 in damages to the estate of one of the complainants who died during the course of the litigation.

The state says the litigation began when the EEOC sued Coughlin in March 2021 for failing to protect young workers at its Randolph restaurant from a manager whose conduct over a period of years included hitting employees, as well as making offensive and degrading sexual comments.

The state says it intervened in the case based on its history with Coughlin. In 2007, the state Office Civil Rights Unit determined that Coughlin violated Vermonts Fair Employment Practices Act when it failed to address the sexual harassment of employees at a different McDonalds restaurant.

This settlement sets the tone for employers to recognize their duty to keep workers safe, respect their dignity, and provide a workplace free of discrimination, Vermont's Acting Attorney General Joshua Diamond said in a statement.

Owner Charles Coughlin said that his company is committed to worker safety and wellbeing.

We have established strict policies and mandatory sexual harassment training for all employees upon their hiring, Coughlin said in a statement emailed to The Associated Press. I am pleased that we have reached an agreement and can move forward.
Bail has been set at $3.5 million for Kaitlin Armstrong, the Texas yoga teacher accused of killing professional cyclist Anna Moriah Wilson in a fit of jealousy.

Wilson, who also went by Mo, was found suffering from several gunshot wounds inside an Austin, Texas, apartment on May 11, days before she was set to compete in Gravel Locos, a 150-mile gravel bike race she was favored to win. She was pronounced dead on the scene.

Just less than a week later authorities issued an arrest warrant for Armstrong, who managed to avoid capture until earlier this week. On Wednesday, she was arrested in a hostel on Santa Teresa Beach in Provincia de Puntarenas, Costa Rica.

Armstrong remained in Costa Rica on Saturday but is expected to return to the United States, where she will face a murder charge in connection with Wilsons slaying. Authorities believe she became jealous over Wilsons connection with her boyfriend, cyclist Colin Strickland, who has cooperated with investigators.

According to an arrest affidavit in the case, Wilson mentioned going for a swim with Strickland just prior to her death. Armstrong had been in a relationship with Strickland for roughly three years, but he admitted to sparking a romance with Wilson while they were on a recent break.

A search of Wilsons phone following her death turned up evidence suggesting that she believed she was still involved with Strickland  despite his reunion with Armstrong.

Police said Strickland dropped off the cyclist at her friends house, where she was later found dead. Armstrongs SUV was also captured on surveillance footage at the residence. She later sold the vehicle for $12,200 and then used that money to fund her escape attempt.

According to authorities, she flew from Texas to LaGuardia Airport, and then using a fake passport, made her way to Newark and fled the country.


GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (AP)  Three grateful Greene County Recovery Court graduates stepped into the sunlight Thursday at Hardin Park.

More than 70 fellow Recovery Court participants, friends, family and Recovery Court team members joined them to mark the occasion.

You have so many in the community who are supporting you, said Cindy Wilhoit, Recovery Court case manager.

Graduates Matt Cutshaw, Whitney Legg and Jerika Shelton stood and gave thanks to those who assisted them on what Wilhoit termed their ongoing journey of recovery.

Shelton said she wanted to get off drugs, but the revolving door incarceration process familiar to many struggling with addiction stood in her way until she made a commitment to change her life.

Shelton offered encouragement to fellow Recovery Court members.

If I can do this, any of you all can. You can do it, she said.

Legg brushed away tears as she accepted a completion certificate from Tyler Kelley, director of Recovery Court.

Legg said that 18 months ago, she was facing legal charges and had lost hope, but with the help of God and my Recovery Court family, she had a far different outlook Thursday.

You guys are awesome. Im so grateful, Legg said.

Cutshaw thanked God and Recovery Court members after he was presented his graduation certificate from Kelley.

Cutshaw said he had long wanted to get off drugs. One night he said a prayer asking God for whatever it takes to get help. He was arrested the next day and began the transformation that led to Thursdays graduation ceremony.

He had a message to all those in Recovery Court.

God set you up to change your life, Cutshaw said.

Recovery Court isnt easy, but successfully completing the program has many rewards, he said.

Cutshaw offered this advice: Find God, seek Him and show up, and I believe in my heart God will make things happen. Im so grateful.

Recovery Court currently has 34 members.

Kelley said a grant enabling the hiring of Wilhoit last November provided the staffing to expand the programs scope.

Weve doubled the (enrollment) in the past year, Kelley said. We got some more funds for a case manager.

Wilhoit said several new referrals a month are made to Recovery Court.

For some applicants with pending charges, Recovery Court provides an alternative to a jail sentence and offers an opportunity for participants to move their lives in a positive direction.

Each Greene County Recovery Court participant must complete a 28-day inpatient treatment stay before they begin the rigorous 60-week program.

Its a lot of hard work. Its a lot of dedication. Its a lot of time spent in Recovery Court, Kelley said. Its no short feat. Its very intensive.

Wilhoit, a registered nurse and instructor who is retired from employment with the state, works with each Recovery Court member.

Its not an easy program. They have to devote 24 hours a day, seven days a week to getting sober and wanting to be a part of their childrens and their familys lives to graduate from the program, Collins said. Its an accomplishment and they should be proud of it.

Jennifer Harris-Dugger, a Ballad Health certified peer recovery specialist who works in Tennessee and Virginia, was the guest speaker.

Harris-Dugger described the harrowing life of addiction she led before successfully completing the Recovery Court program in Bristol, Virginia.

Addiction brought me to my knees, said Harris-Dugger, a Johnson City native who works with inmates and others in Ballad Healths Peer Recovery program.

Harris-Dugger told the graduates she understands the challenges and rewards of recovery.

Criminal charges, thefts to support her habit, divorce, having a child taken from her custody and moving to other states did not change Harris-Duggers lifestyle until she make a personal commitment.

I could no longer function. I was a junkie, she said. I was completely out of control. I was going to do whatever it took to make it happen.

Harris-Dugger now has her dream job helping other addicts.

I got my son back and restored relationships with my family, she said. My work with the Peer Recovery program has taken my recovery to the next level.

Watching that light come back into someones eyes is for me far more rewarding than the mighty dollar, Harris-Dugger said.

Im here to congratulate the Recovery Court graduates, she said. This is not the end. Its the beginning to the end.

Wilhoit thanked all Recovery Court team members, including Katina Taylor, supervisor of the Correctional Counseling Institute probation team that supervises Recovery Court participants.

We definitely appreciate all of the team members, she said.

Wilhoit told Recovery Court participants she is proud of their efforts.

I appreciate that you step out your comfort zone. This program is tough (and) I appreciate your inner strength. You could have taken the easy way out and flattened out your (jail) time, but you chose to make a commitment, she said.

Wilhoit said the Recovery Court team will continue to help graduates be successful. She repeated a word of advice voiced by several other Recovery Court team members.

Stay connected, she said.

The Greene County Recovery Court program was founded in 2004 by then-General Sessions and Juvenile courts Judge Thomas Wright, who retired last year as a 3rd Judicial District Circuit Court judge.

At the time, the program was known as DUI Court. Its primary focus was alcohol addiction and the rehabilitation of repeat driving under the influence offenders.

Recovery Court his since evolved into a multidisciplinary team. Members address the needs of nonviolent offenders who have substance abuse or co-occurring mental health issues, or who are veterans.

General Sessions and Juvenile courts Judge Kenneth Bailey Jr. has presided over Recovery Court since 2006, the year the program expanded to encompass its current structure.

Those with drug addictions now make up the vast majority of Recovery Court participants.

Recovery Court team members are all volunteers.

Several Recovery Court team members spoke briefly at the ceremony, including John Toney, a Comprehensive Community Services alcohol/drug treatment counselor.

He urged the graduates to stay in touch.

Theres something about supportive groups that create a sense of belonging. Theres something about the recovery community that helps, Toney said. Unfortunately, recovery is not a straight line, (so) stay connected.

Cindy Tvardy, clinical site director of Frontier Healths Nolichuckey Mental Health Center, noted Recovery Court has helped many people turn their lives around.

I just want to say what a privilege it has been to watch the growth, the physical, mental and emotional growth, in all three of you, Tvardy said. Be well.

Several Greene County businesses helped make the event a success.

Booronies Bar & Grill provided hamburgers and other food. Angeez Catering contributed a cake for the occasion, and the Creamy Cup provided ice cream for the guests.

Kelley and Wilhoit shared some recollections about each graduate. Laughs mingled with tears during the graduation ceremony.

Im super proud of you all. Recovery Court is really hard, and people dont understand how hard it is. It should not be taken lightly, Kelley said. Were always here for you.
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AUSTIN, Texas (AP)  Clinics were shutting down abortion services in the nation's second-largest state Saturday after the Texas Supreme Court blocked an order briefly allowing the procedure to resume in some cases, the latest in legal scrambles taking place across the U.S. following the reversal of Roe v. Wade.

The Friday night ruling stopped a three-day-old order by a Houston judge who said clinics could resume abortions up to six weeks into pregnancy. The following day, the American Civil Liberties Union said it doubted that any abortions were now being provided in a state of nearly 30 million people.

Amy Hagstrom Miller, president of Whole Womans Health, said the ruling forced an end to abortions in its four Texas clinics, and workers there were winding down abortion operations and having heartbreaking conversations with women whose appointments were canceled.

I ache for us and for the people we have dedicated our lives to serve with the fabulous abortion care we provide, many who will be denied that right in the months and possibly years to come, Hagstrom Miller said in a statement.

Planned Parenthood's multiple affiliates in Texas had not resumed abortion services even after the restraining order was put in place Tuesday.

At issue was a long-dormant 1925 criminal law that targets individuals who perform abortions. Clinics had argued that it was invalid after abortion became a constitutional right across the U.S. in 1973. The U.S. Supreme Court, however, struck down the landmark Roe decision June 24, leaving abortion policy to states.

Pro-life victory! ... Litigation continues, but Ill keep winning for Texass unborn babies, said Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, who had asked the state Supreme Court to intervene.

Separately, Texas has a 2021 law that was designed to ban abortion in the event that Roe were overturned. It takes effect in the weeks ahead.

Extremist politicians are on a crusade to force Texans into pregnancy and childbirth against their will, no matter how devastating the consequences, said Julia Kaye of the ACLU.

Providers and patients across the country have been struggling to navigate the evolving legal landscape around abortion laws and access.

In Florida, a law banning abortions after 15 weeks went into effect Friday, the day after a judge called it a violation of the state constitution and said he would sign an order temporarily blocking it next week. The ban could have broader implications in the South, as Florida currently allows greater access to the procedure than neighboring states.

Even when women travel outside states with abortion bans, they may have fewer options to end their pregnancies as the prospect of prosecution follows them.

Planned Parenthood of Montana this week stopped providing medication abortions to patients who live in states with bans.

Planned Parenthood North Central States, which offers the procedure in Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska, is telling patients they must take both pills in the regimen while in a state that allows abortion.

The use of pills has been the most common method to end a pregnancy since 2000, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved mifepristone, the main drug used in medication abortions. Taken with misoprostol, a drug that causes cramping that empties the womb, it constitutes the abortion pill.

Also Friday, Google, the company behind the internets dominant search engine and the Android software that powers most smartphones, said it would automatically purge information about users who visit abortion clinics or other places that could trigger potential legal problems.

In addition to abortion clinics, Google cited counseling centers, fertility centers, addiction treatment facilities, weight loss clinics and cosmetic surgery clinics as destinations that will be erased from location histories. Users have always had the option to edit their location histories on their own, but now Google will do it for them as an added level of protection.

Were committed to delivering robust privacy protections for people who use our products, and we will continue to look for new ways to strengthen and improve these protections, Jen Fitzpatrick, a Google senior vice president, wrote in a blog post.

___

White reported from Detroit.
ALBANY  New York lawmakers took the first step Friday toward amending the state constitution to enshrine abortion rights following the U.S. Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Both houses of the Democrat-controlled Legislature approved a resolution to begin the process of passing the amendment, which would expand the state constitution's Equal Protection Amendment by banning discrimination based on "pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes and reproductive healthcare and autonomy."

"This is a massive step forward for our state while others move backwards, and an important stance against the Supreme Court's attacks on our rights," Senate Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, a Democrat, said in a statement.

The proposed amendment, which would also preserve gender expression rights, passed in the Senate on Friday by a 49-14 vote. The Assembly approved it 98-43. Under the state's amendment process, lawmakers would have to pass it again during next year's session to send it to voters in a statewide referendum.

Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, said the measure would "protect reproductive health in New York for generations to come" and assuage the fears of residents concerned about what might happen next on abortion at the federal level.

"They're scared, and they're looking to us for leadership," the Democratic governor said at a press conference.

State law currently allows abortions up to the 24th week of pregnancy, but abortion rights supporters say they want a guarantee that a future legislature won't be able to pass more abortion restrictions.

New York is taking a different approach from California, where voters will decide whether to amend their constitution to add the "fundamental right to choose to bear a child or to choose and to obtain an abortion."

But Katharine Bodde, New York Civil Liberties Union assistant policy director, has said New York's approach will hold up better in court and prohibit more kinds of discrimination against pregnant people.

And New York will also add ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression to the state's Equal Protection Amendment. Right now, the state constitution currently prohibits discrimination based on "race, color, creed or religion."

Backers say the intent would also be to create legal grounds for barring the government from trampling on transgender rights, among other things.

Efforts to add constitutional protections against sex discrimination have failed for years in New York and elsewhere amid opposition from conservatives.

Hochul, a Democrat running for her first full term as governor in November, has vowed in campaign ads to protect the right to abortion in the state constitution.

New York's amendment would protect affirmative action programs, and also make clear that its protections do not interfere with, limit or deny other people's civil rights.

The leaders of an anti-abortion Catholic group have been urging lawmakers to oppose the amendment, partly over concerns that health care workers who, for religions reasons, don't want to provide abortions or gender transition care.

Health care workers with religious concerns are already somewhat protected under federal and state law, but Catholic Conference Executive Director Dennis Poust said those protections aren't enough.

Kristen Curran, director of government relations for the New York State Catholic Conference, said the state should focus on helping women and families rather than promoting abortion.

"Unfortunately, this bill solidifies the message that New York has been sending women for some time now: Abortion is positive, empowering, and the key to success," Curran said in a statement. "This couldn't be further from the truth."
In 1985, a hunter near Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown, New Hampshire, unearthed the first clue in a deadly mystery that eventually identified a serial killer with victims across the country.

That hunter found the bodies of a woman and a girl buried inside this barrel. Fifteen years later, a detective found a second barrel with the bodies of two more girls who were likely killed at the same time.

>> View a case timeline

In 2017, DNA analysis revealed that a convicted killer in California was the father of the middle child, finally giving investigators a suspect. He was Terry Rasmussen, a man who changed identities over the years as he moved from place to place. In New Hampshire, he went by Bob Evans.

The woman and two of the girls have been identified: Marlyse Elizabeth Honeychurch, her oldest daughter, Marie Elizabeth Vaughn; and a younger daughter, Sarah Lynn McWaters.

The identity of the middle child remains unknown. Investigators have spent decades searching for her identity, saying they won't rest until she can be properly laid to rest.

See the full documentary in the video player above or in broken-out segments displayed below.

'I saw the bones': State trooper recalls discovering barrel in Allenstown containing remains of 2 children

The Terry Rasmussen mystery has captured headlines worldwide, but he likely would never have been tied to most of his crimes without a New Hampshire troopers significant discovery 22 years ago.

In 2000, New Hampshire State Trooper John Cody came upon a barrel in Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown.

"I peel back the plastic and I saw the white, you know, I think, I still was second-guessing myself. I had to go back out to my car, get my flashlight, come back in and shine it, and that's when I saw the bones," Cody said.

It was clear the bones belonged to children.

"I think the thing that was really resonating with us that day is the size of the bones," Cody said.

Testing later confirmed the remains belonged to two female children between 1 and 4 years old.

The discovery came 15 years after another barrel containing the remains of a woman and an older child was found.

"All options were open. You know, was the barrel there since the beginning? Was this another, you know, two other victims? Are they any way related?" Cody said. "Because there's so much of a distance between the two, the chances of this barrel even being found at that first investigation were probably slim to none.

See the full story here.

Over years, forensic artist has refined the image of unidentified remains in Bear Brook case

The names of three of the four bodies found in barrels in Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown in 1985 and 2000 are known; they are a mother and her two young children.



The third child, the middle child, remains unidentified. Investigators have her remains, her DNA and a sketch of what she might have looked like created by Joe Mullins, of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

"I couldn't believe as I was unpacking the skulls, that these are  how could these people just disappear?" Mullins said. "These are a mother and two of her children, another unidentified little girl. I just was blown away by this case."

Mullins is a senior forensic imaging specialist in the forensic services unit at the NCMEC. He said the main task for him and his colleagues is age-progressing images of children who have been missing for a long time.

"Since that time, we've just become the hub for any images dealing with a missing child," he said.

To make an image of what a person might have looked like, experts start with what they have  that person's remains.

See the full story here.

New England siblings investigating Bear Brook murders learned of 'Bob Evans' name before police

Since the first Bear Brook victims were discovered in a barrel in 1985, law enforcement agencies across the country have collaborated on this case, but amateur investigators  ordinary citizens  also felt compelled to look for answers, and that work led to critical breakthroughs.

"A very important part of this is the interest of the community," senior assistant attorney general Susan Morrell said during a past news conference about updates in the case. "The tips that this interest brings in are invaluable. And the efforts between the press and the public, our volunteer genealogists and individuals who are simply just interested in cold case investigations, their efforts are to be applauded."

Today, it's known that Terry Rasmussen killed the victims, including three identified as his former girlfriend Marlyse Honeychurch and her daughters, Sarah McWaters and Marie Vaughn. The fourth victim, his biological daughter, has not been identified. But before recent years, details in the case were scarce.

Scott Maxwell estimates that he and his sister, Ronda Randall, of Oak Hill Research, have spent 10,000 hours investigating the case.

"It became every evening we'd work on it, every weekend. We were talking on the phone constantly about it," Maxwell said.

See the full story.

Abandoned girl's search for parents triggered breakthrough in Allenstown murder case



Terry Rasmussen's crimes in New Hampshire began years before the bodies of a woman and three children were discovered stashed in barrels in Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown. But those earlier crimes wouldn't be discovered until a woman in California, abandoned as a child, tried to learn who her parents were.

As New Hampshire investigators tried to track down Rasmussen's movements in the 1980s, they focused on Denise Beaudin and her 6-month-old daughter.

Beaudin went missing from Manchester, New Hampshire, in the fall of 1981 when she left her apartment with her boyfriend, Bob Evans, who was later identified as Rasmussen.

Investigators discovered that Rasmussen kept the girl with him for several years, and around the time she was 5 or 6, he gave her away to people in California.

Police sought him for abandoning the girl, and he served time in prison on those charges. He was eventually convicted of murdering a California woman and died in prison.

But Rasmussen wasn't connected to the bodies found in Bear Brook State Park until the girl he abandoned, known as Lisa, learned that the man who left her behind was not her father.

See the full story.

Unidentified Bear Brook victim likely was born in mid-to-late 1970s, has relatives from Mississippi

Investigators have made significant strides in the Allenstown murders case, which baffled law enforcement officers for decades, but there are still some major unanswered questions.

In 2019, officials finally identified three of the victims found in barrels in the woods of Bear Brook State Park as Marlyse Honeychurch and her children Sarah McWaters and Marie Vaughn. But the identity of the fourth child, the daughter of her killer, remains a mystery.

The girl, known to investigators as "the middle child," is the biological daughter of Terry Rasmussen, the man officials say is responsible for the Allenstown killings and at least one other killing decades later in California. Rasmussen is also suspected in the disappearance of Denise Beaudin and possibly could have killed the girl's biological mother, whose identity is also not known.

Learn more about the girl's description and her ancestral ties.

Terry Rasmussen case timeline

The following is an approximate timeline for the case involving Terry Peder Rasmussen, who police say killed at least six people and perhaps more before dying of natural causes in prison in 2010.

Read the full timeline.
MIAMI (AP)  A jury in Miami on Friday found a former Argentine naval officer responsible for a 1972 massacre of political prisoners in his homeland and ordered him to pay more than $20 million in damages to relatives of four of the victims.

The unanimous verdict of the seven jurors was delivered against Roberto Guillermo Bravo, 79, who has lived in the United States since 1973.

The families filed the civil case against Bravo under a U.S. law that allows judicial action against residents of the United States for acts allegedly committed elsewhere.

Bravo remained calm as he heard the verdict in the courtroom, while two of the relatives listened in tears.

Im happy for them, Bravo told The Associated Press as he left the courtroom.

He had been the only former Argentine military officer accused of taking part in what is known as the Trelew Massacre who had not faced justice. Three other officers were convicted in Argentina and given life sentences.

Bravo and other military officers allegedly shot to death 16 unarmed political prisoners and seriously wounded three others at the Trelew military base in Patagonia in the early hours of Aug. 22, 1972, according to the complaint filed in the U.S. case.

The official version of events claimed the political prisoners were killed during a shootout while trying to escape, but after Argenina's return to democracy in 1973, the three survivors recovered their freedom and told a different story. Those three were later kidnapped and murdered by the military after a 1976 coup that ushered in Argentinas last military dictatorship.

The four plaintiffs were relatives of Raquel Camps, Eduardo Cappello, Alicia Krueguer and Marcela Santucho. Krueguer, Cappello and Santucho were among those killed, while Camps was one of the three initial survivors.
SAC CITY, Iowa (AP)  An Iowa woman is facing criminal charges after more than 1,000 pigs were found dead on a property.

KCCI-TV reports that the Sac County Sheriff's Office responded to a call Thursday and found the animals dead at two confinement sites. Authorities say 33-year-old Elana Laber was responsible for maintaining the sites.
OAKLAND (BCN)

A federal jury on Wednesday convicted a father and son in a food stamp fraud case, United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds announced Thursday.

Ali Mugalli Hassan, 32, and Mugalli Ahmed Hassan, 50, both of Alameda, were convicted of conspiracy to defraud the United States, government benefits fraud greater than $5,000, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud, prosecutors said.

Ali Mugalli Hassan owned and operated a convenience store on International Boulevard in Oakland, and members of his family served as cashiers at the store.

The convenience store was an authorized vendor for the USDA's Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program.

The store conducted a high volume of SNAP transactions, including redeeming more than $2.3 million in benefits between August of 2014 and November of 2017, prosecutors said.

Evidence presented at the trial showed the defendants conducted fraudulent SNAP transactions through the convenience store by charging purchases to customers' electric benefits transaction cards when the customers received few or no eligible products.

Prosecutors said the defendants kept half the value of the fraudulent transactions and returned the remainder in cash to the customers.

As part the of the scheme, the defendants kept the cards and used the federal benefits assigned to those cards at other stores to purchase items to sell at their convenience store.

Prior to the trial, Mugalli Ahmed Hassan pleaded guilty to nine counts of wire fraud.

Both men are scheduled for sentencing on December 8.

Another family member, identified as Ahmed Ahmed Hasan Dharahan, 41, of Oakland, is a co-defendant in the case, and his case is still pending.

Copyright  2022 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area.

Copyright  2022 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.
SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)

An Oakland man has been charged with distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood, United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds announced Thursday.

Alex Murillo, 26, of Oakland, was arrested June 21 and is facing charges of distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine.

On April 7, Murillo met up with two undercover police officers in the area of 8th and Market streets and sold the officers five grams of a substance containing fentanyl for $100, prosecutors said.

On June 8, Murillo again met with an undercover officer in the area of the San Francisco Civic Center BART platform and sold the officer approximately two ounces of suspected fentanyl and three ounces of methamphetamine for $1,400.

Murillo was arrested on June 21 as he was leaving his residence in Oakland, and police found him in possession of a digital scale, more than three ounces of a substance containing methamphetamine and more than an ounce of a substance containing a cocaine base, prosecutors said.

Murillo made his initial court appearance on June 22 in San Francisco, and he was ordered to remain detained in custody.

His next court appearance is scheduled for July 13.

Copyright  2022 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area.

Copyright  2022 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.
East Texas representative Louie Gohmert allegedly requested a pardon from then-President Donald Trump following the attempted insurrection on January 6, 2021, according to the taped deposition of an aide to former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, played Thursday during a congressional hearing.

Gohmert is among a group of at least six U.S. congress members who requested pardons for themselves from Trump around the time of the insurrection, according to documents and testimony presented during the House select committees fifth hearing on the January 6 attacks.

Mr. Gohmert asked for [a pardon] as well, said Cassidy Hutchinson, who worked as an executive assistant for Meadows and had previously interned for Texas Senator Ted Cruz. Reps Matt Gaetz of Florida, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Mo Brooks of Alabama, and Andy Biggs of Arizona all asked for personal pardons from Trump, according to Hutchinsons sworn testimony.

Gohmert quickly denied he ever requested the pardon in a fiery statement issued after the conclusion of Thursday's hearing.

I had and have nothing for which to seek a pardon and my requests were for others unassociated with government in Washington, D.C., Gohmert said. He went on to call the allegation "unequivocally and maliciously false," denigrating the committee's proceedings as "a blatant and disgusting attempt to mislead the public," and calling the assertions that he asked for his own pardon "malicious, despicable, and unfit for a U.S. congressional hearing."

According to a Rolling Stone report released in October, Gohmert allegedly joined at least six other elected representatives to help orchestrate Trumps efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss and plan Jan. 6 rallies that devolved into attacks on the Capitol. These sessions allegedly occurred during a series of meetings between members of congress and orchestrators of the Jan. 6 pro-Trump rallies. Brooks, Biggs and Greene were also among the seven congressional collaborators said to have participated in the meetings.

Brooks also requested a blanket pardon for "every Congressman and Senator who voted to reject the electoral college vote submissions of Arizona and Pennsylvania," according to an email sent to the White House five days after the attack. These pardons would have included 147 members of congress, including at least a dozen Texas representatives.
Pete Arredondo, the embattled Uvalde CISD police chief and recently elected councilman, told the city's local newspaper that he is resigning from the City Council after repeated calls for him to quit.

Arredondo told the Uvalde Leader News on Saturday that he is stepping down from the District 3 seat so that the city council could move on without distractions. He was one meeting away from abdicating his seat due to lack of attendance.

As I think about my life, from growing up as a child and to adulthood, Uvalde has held an attraction that is very unique, he said in a statement to the Uvalde Leader News. At the center of that attraction, is our community members. Together, we will keep Uvalde strong.

The city initially said its officials were aware of Arredondos intentions but had not received a call or letter confirming his resignation, according to a statement issued at 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 2. A second news release sent an hour later confirmed the resignation.

City policy says that City Council vacancies are filled through special elections.

His resignation comes after repeated calls from Uvalde residents for him to step down from both his City Council post and as police chief for UCISD. Arredondo has received mounting criticism for the way he handled the May 24 massacre at Robb Elementary where 19 students and two teachers were killed.

Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw told a Texas Senate committee weeks ago that law enforcement response under Arredondo's direction as incident commander that day was an abject failure. Uvalde Leader News reports that Arredondo continues to deny that he was incident commander.

The family of the victims showed up to a special City Council meeting on June 30 to call on Arredondo to resign and for the city to release records and body cam footage from the shooting. Multiple officers waited outside of the classroom they knew the gunman was in for more than an hour before confronting and killing him.

Mayor Don McLaughlin has refused to release public records to journalists and families, shifting the blame to District Attorney Christina Busbee and DPS.

UCISD placed Arredondo on administrative leave on June 22.
On July 2, 1862, in the midst of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln signed into law the Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act. It would be difficult to overstate the benefits of this law to our nation, yet few readers may be aware that the law was conceived in Jacksonville.

With the transition from an agrarian, handcraft economy to an industrial, mechanized economy beginning in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, it became evident that technological innovation would be the primary source of future advances in quality of life and economic prosperity.

We know how that played out. Transportation evolved from animal-powered vehicles, to railroads, to cars and trucks, and eventually aircraft. Electricity brought dramatic changes to our homes and workplaces. Communications evolved from letters, to telegraphs, to telephones, mobile phones, and the internet. Computers revolutionized the processing and distribution of information. Modern health care emerged, with diagnostics and therapies that are highly dependent on technology. The list goes on.

These and future advances in technology depend on the work of scientists and engineers. Scientists work to understand the world around us. Engineers are the inventors, the innovators, who use the knowledge developed by scientists to create new technologies that enhance our lives.

And here is where the importance of the Morrill Act emerges.

Any nation that aspires to advance quality of life and build prosperity for its citizens must develop a strong science and engineering workforce. Scientists and engineers require substantial education and, for todays technologies, a sophisticated and often expensive education. The Morrill Act granted each state 30,000 acres of public lands for each of its U.S. senators and representatives in return for, within five years, establishing at least one college providing agricultural and industrial training.

Over time, every state has established a land-grant university, as they have come to be called. A history of these schools is well beyond the scope of this essay, but many of them evolved into some of the strongest and largest agriculture and engineering schools in the world; the University of Illinois is prominent among them.

Land-grant universities have been one of the major contributors to the pre-eminence of American innovation and the Morrill Act has been called the most important piece of educational legislation ever passed in the United States.

Justin Smith Morrill, a member of Congress from Vermont has been given credit for the vision of the law that bears his name; doubtless he deserves much credit for shepherding the law through Congress.

But 20th century historians Edmund J. James, Donald R. Brown, Craig L. Lamay, and Daniel E. Williams all credit Jonathan Baldwin Turner with prior proposals and advocacy for using land-grants to foster the establishment of institutions of higher education, nationally, particularly colleges focused on practical subjects.

Of course, Turners name is familiar to many readers of this newspaper. Educated at Yale to be a Congregational minister, Turner moved to Jacksonville in 1833 to join the faculty at Illinois College. He was also a prominent and innovative local farmer, a committed abolitionist, an active participant in Illinois politics, and a vigorous and effective advocate for higher education.

James, writing in 1910 when he was president of the University of Illinois, states that he has no desire to detract one iota from the credit due Mr. Morrill for his earnest, wise and persistent advocacy of the policy of federal aid to education. But he calls Turner the author and real father of the Land-Grant Act. And he describes in some detail Turners advocacy for using land-grants to fund higher education, beginning in 1851, and the dissemination of those ideas nationally.

Brown, in an article written for the 100th anniversary of the Land-Grant Act, draws on manuscripts in the Turner collection at the University of Illinois (now online), and quotes from an 1852 letter Turner wrote to the Prairie Farmer making it clear that he was proposing a method for establishing universities for each State in the Union. Brown believes that the first formal expression of the land-grant concept occurred at a convention on industrial education in Springfield, in June 1852.

LeMay has written that there were precedents for the land-grant concept in Europe. But, he says, it was Turner who proposed the public lands appropriation as the basis of an endowment to support the creation of new colleges.

The Illinois legislature formally proposed the idea to Congress in 1853 or 1854, asking that each state receive $500,000 worth of public land to endow a system of industrial universities. Unfortunately, at that time, the Illinois delegation did not have enough clout get the bill passed.

Williams provides some quotes that illuminate Turners emphasis on what he called practical studies and their relationship to pure science or mathematics. New universities should be required to apply existing knowledge directly and efficiently to all practical pursuits and professions in life, and to extend the boundaries of our present knowledge in all possible practical directions. Turner wanted to professionalize agriculture and the mechanic arts. There are, he said, more recondite and profound principles of pure mathematics immediately connected with the sailing of a ship, or the moulding and driving of a plow, or an axe, or a jack-plane, than with all three of the so-called learned professions together.

Williams also tells us that Morrill, who arrived in Congress about the time that the Illinois delegation put forward Turners ideas, had a longstanding interest in agricultural education. After failing to succeed with his own bill in his first term, in his second term Morrill introduced a bill similar to the Illinois proposal. That, too, failed. His third try, in 1859, passed both houses, but was vetoed by President Buchanan.

Finally, with continuing support in Congress and a more sympathetic President, the Morrill Land-Grant Act became law.

In 1911, Turners daughter, Mary Turner Carriel wrote a biography of her father. Among many interesting stories, she tells us that Lincoln and Turner met in Decatur during the 1860 presidential campaign and Lincoln told Turner that, if elected, I will sign your bill for State universities.

Evidently, Lincoln knew the origins of the bill he signed.
For fans of Harrison Ford, the ultimate piece of memorabilia is within reach: The actors childhood home in Park Ridge, IL, is available for $749,000.

As we previously reported, the Ford family lived in the 1922-era Tudor during the 1950s. Since 1970, the home hadn't been available for sale until 2018.

Four years ago, it still had its original windows, plumbing, and electrical, and the interior spaces needed a serious refresh. It was listed for $399,900 and eventually sold for $350,000 in February 2019.

The new owner rehabbed the home and sold it for $600,000 in July 2020. Now, the sellers are upsizing, so this home is back on the market with a 25% price bump, according to listing agent Peter Bellert, with @properties Park Ridge.

The next owner might want to tear down the original garage and build a larger, three-car space, says Bellert. The driveway also needs to be repaved. Other than these issues, the home is move-in ready.

The style is unusual for the area, he notes. "English Tudors are not common. There are not too many in Park Ridge."

And an English Tudor with a movie star connection in Park Ridge is rarer still!

Blockbuster home

The rehabbed, 2,132-square-foot home has been stripped of dated wallpaper, and now glows with a neutral gray and white palette.

A formal dining area with pendant lighting adjoins the large family room overlooking the backyard. The main level also features a powder room.

Living room Realtor.com

Dining room Realtor.com

Family room Realtor.com

In addition, the former avocado-green kitchen has been totally redone with stainless-steel appliances, a butcher block island, a black-and-white tile backsplash, and a breakfast nook.

Kitchen with breakfast nook Realtor.com

The living room retained its built-ins and fireplace. But the wall-to-wall carpet was removed and the original hardwood flooring was refinished.

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Watch: Inside Hugh Jackman's Longtimeand LuxuriousNYC Condo for Sale

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Upstairs, there are four bedrooms and one full bathroom. An original balcony still stands, off of what is reported to be the actors childhood bedroom.

Bedroom Realtor.com

Basement bar Realtor.com

The basement, now finished, features a bar and rec area, as well as an office and laundry.

Other updates include new windows, recessed lighting, and baseboard radiators that fully bring the space into the 21st century.

Our one quibble: The renovation didnt include the addition of another bathroom or two.

Back of the house Realtor.com

The property, now landscaped, has plenty of curb appeal. It's in a prime location that is near downtown and is a half-block from Whole Foods and five minutes from the Metra station. Chicago is just 17 miles away.

Ford, 79, has starred in blockbusters since the 1970s. He played Han Solo in the Star Wars franchise, had the starring role in the Indiana Jones movies, and appeared in hits such as Air Force One, "Blade Runner," and The Fugitive.

After graduating from Maine East High School in Park Ridge in 1960, the actor left for college in Wisconsin, and then headed to L.A. to get into the movie business. He reportedly lives on an 800-acre ranch in Jackson Hole, WY, with his wife, Ally McBeal star Calista Flockhart.

His former L.A. mansion, located in the tony Brentwood neighborhood, was purchased by Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel in 2016.

The post Harrison Ford's Newly Remodeled Childhood Home On the Market for $749K appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com.
WFO BOSTON Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, July 2, 2022

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Boston/Norton has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Southwestern Hartford County in northern Connecticut...

* Until 615 PM EDT.

* At 536 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Thomaston, or

9 miles northwest of Wolcott, moving southeast at 40 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and nickel size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Expect damage to trees and power lines.

* Locations impacted include...

New Britain, Bristol, Southington, Berlin and Plainville.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

Large hail and damaging winds and continuous cloud to ground

lightning is occurring with this storm. Move indoors immediately.

Lightning is one of nature's leading killers. Remember, if you can

hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WASHINGTON  The four men imprisoned in the "Buffalo Billion" case, which included two central New Yorkers, could be released from custody soon if the judge who presided over their trial agrees that should happen in light of the Supreme Court's decision to hear their appeals.

A lawyer for one of those convicted, Louis P. Ciminelli, Michael C. Miller, sent a letter to U.S. District Court Judge Valerie Caproni on Friday asking that Ciminelli and the others imprisoned in the case be released. The others convicted in the case are former SUNY Polytechnic Institute head Alain Kaloyeros and Syracuse businessmen Steven Aiello and Joseph Gerardi.

Most notably, "after consultation, counsel for the government has given the governments consent to release on bail defendants Kaloyeros, Aiello, Gerardi and Ciminelli," Miller said in his letter to the judge. "In addition, the government has stated it does not object to the defendants not being required to post any cash as a condition of release."

According to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons website, Ciminelli remained incarcerated as of Friday evening at the United States Prison in Tucson, Ariz. He was imprisoned there in February and is scheduled to be released on Jan. 5, 2024.

In the letter, Miller argued that Ciminelli and the other defendants should be released in light of the Supreme Court's announcement Tuesday that it would hear their appeal during the court's next term, which starts in October.

The Supreme Court will review the validity of the legal theory under which Ciminelli and the other defendants were convicted. That "right to control" theory says that suspects are guilty of fraud if they deliberately withhold important financial information from their business partners, even if there is no clear evidence that they benefited from that action.

"The Supreme Courts grants of certiorari to review these questions necessarily establishes that they are substantial questions, which if resolved favorably to the defendants will result in reversal of their convictions," Miller said.

If the judge were to agree to release Ciminelli and the other defendants in the case pending their appeal, she also could release the defendant in another related case: Joseph Percoco, a former aide to then-Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo.

Percoco was sentenced to six years in prison after being convicted of three felonies in connection with $35,000 he took from a Syracuse-area developer. He is currently in a halfway house.

The Supreme Court also agreed to hear Percoco's appeal, which argues that his conviction was based on a separate faulty legal theory.

Percoco was convicted under the theory of "honest services" fraud, which says people are guilty of fraud when they take bribes, thereby violating their fiduciary duty even if they are not government employees at the time. Percoco's lawyers argue that theory of fraud applies only to public officials, not someone like Percoco, who was Cuomo's campaign manager at the time but did not work for the state government.
WFO ALBANY Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, July 1, 2022

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SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT

Special Weather Statement

National Weather Service Albany NY

913 PM EDT Fri Jul 1 2022

...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northeastern

Schenectady, southeastern Fulton, central Saratoga and southeastern

Montgomery Counties through 945 PM EDT...

At 913 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near

Hagaman, or near Amsterdam, moving east at 45 mph.

HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and pea size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around

unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is

possible.

Locations impacted include...

Saratoga Springs, Amsterdam, Glenville, Ballston Spa, Broadalbin,

Hagaman, Round Lake, Fort Johnson, Galway, Rotterdam Junction, Burnt

Hills, Rock City Falls, Country Knolls, North Ballston Spa,

Pattersonville-Rotterdam Junction, Kings, Mount Pleasant, Malta,

Greenfield and Charlton.

People attending Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) should seek

safe shelter immediately!

This includes the following highways...

Interstate 90 near exit 27.

Interstate 87 between exits 11 and 13N.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

LAT...LON 4295 7424 4309 7426 4322 7383 4291 7376

4283 7432

TIME...MOT...LOC 0113Z 259DEG 41KT 4302 7414

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN

MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 930 PM EDT

FOR SOUTHERN OTSEGO...SOUTHEASTERN BROOME...DELAWARE AND SOUTHEASTERN

CHENANGO COUNTIES...

At 913 PM EDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line

extending from near Davenport to near Sidney Center, moving southeast

at 25 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Dispatch centers and public have reported many trees down

across Chenango County.

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to

roofs, siding, and trees.

Oneonta, Sidney, Walton, Delhi, Davenport, Sanford, Colchester,

Maryland, Kortright and Deposit.

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

The National Weather Service in Albany has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

North central Schenectady County in east central New York...

Southeastern Fulton County in eastern New York...

Southwestern Saratoga County in east central New York...

East central Montgomery County in eastern New York...

* Until 1015 PM EDT.

* At 916 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Hagaman, or

near Amsterdam, moving east at 40 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage

to roofs, siding, and trees.

* Locations impacted include...

Amsterdam, Glenville, Ballston Spa, Broadalbin, Hagaman, Mayfield,

Fort Johnson, Galway, North Ballston Spa, Rock City Falls, Mount

Pleasant, Charlton, Perth, Parkis Mills, West Perth, Munsonville,

Shaw Corners, Barkersville, West Milton and Glenwild.

Please report hail size...damaging winds and reports of trees down to

the National Weather Service by email at Alb.Stormreport@noaa.gov...

On Facebook at www.facebook.com/nwsalbany or twitter @nwsalbany

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Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO ALBANY Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, July 2, 2022

_____

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT

Special Weather Statement

National Weather Service Albany NY

221 AM EDT Sat Jul 2 2022

...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southeastern Ulster

County through 245 AM EDT...

At 220 AM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near

Wurtsboro, or 8 miles east of Monticello, moving east at 40 mph.

HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around

unsecured objects.

Locations impacted include...

New Paltz, Ellenville, Wallkill, Plattekill, Modena, Marlboro, High

Falls, Kerhonkson, Tillson, Napanoch, Wawarsing, Lloyd, Crawford,

Rosendale, Gardiner, Tuckers Corner, Forest Glen, Dwaarkill, Awosting

and Elting Corners.

This includes Interstate 87 near exit 18.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to

localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded

roadways.

This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio

stations and available television stations for additional information

and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.

LAT...LON 4160 7425 4163 7425 4163 7427 4160 7433

4159 7436 4162 7439 4164 7439 4172 7453

4186 7405 4160 7395 4158 7405 4160 7407

4160 7409 4162 7413 4158 7413 4158 7414

TIME...MOT...LOC 0620Z 252DEG 37KT 4161 7452

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN

MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH

...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of Orange County

through 300 AM EDT...

At 221 AM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over

Howells, or near Middletown, moving east at 55 mph.

HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and pea size hail.

unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is

possible.

Newburgh, Middletown, Port Jervis, Walden, West Point, Goshen,

Howells, New Windsor, Gardnertown, Chester, Montgomery, Florida,

Cuddebackville, Otisville and Huguenot.

LAT...LON 4150 7466 4150 7448 4157 7442 4163 7426

4160 7425 4158 7413 4161 7413 4160 7409

4161 7407 4158 7405 4159 7397 4156 7397

4153 7400 4146 7400 4140 7396 4133 7398

4131 7460 4136 7469 4139 7472

TIME...MOT...LOC 0621Z 268DEG 48KT 4151 7447

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN

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Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO BINGHAMTON Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, July 1, 2022

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Binghamton has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Southern Otsego County in central New York...

Central Broome County in central New York...

Delaware County in central New York...

Southern Chenango County in central New York...

* Until 930 PM EDT.

* At 849 PM EDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line

extending from Colliersville to near Bainbridge, moving southeast

at 25 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage

to roofs, siding, and trees.

* Locations impacted include...

Oneonta, Sidney, Walton, Delhi, Davenport, Guilford, Sanford,

Colchester, Maryland and Kortright.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTHWESTERN CHENANGO COUNTY

WILL EXPIRE AT 900 PM EDT...

The storm which prompted the warning has moved out of the area.

Therefore, the warning will be allowed to expire. However small hail

and gusty winds are still possible with this thunderstorm.

Remember, a Severe Thunderstorm Warning still remains in effect for

southeastern Chenango County.

...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southwestern

Schenectady, northern Schoharie and southern Montgomery Counties

through 915 PM EDT...

At 851 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over

Sharon Springs, or 7 miles northwest of Cobleskill, moving east at 35

mph.

HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and pea size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around

unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is

possible.

Locations impacted include...

Cobleskill, Canajoharie, Fonda, Schoharie, Sharon Springs, Fort

Johnson, Delanson, Ames, Tribes Hill, Central Bridge, Glen, Carlisle,

Sharon, Seward, Charleston, Fultonville, Esperance, Zeh Corners,

Beekman Corners and Church Corners.

This includes the following highways...

Interstate 88 between exits 22 and 23.

Interstate 90 near exit 28.

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

LAT...LON 4299 7438 4298 7425 4273 7417 4273 7418

4271 7416 4267 7417 4266 7417 4266 7464

4274 7467 4279 7467 4283 7465 4284 7469

TIME...MOT...LOC 0051Z 255DEG 29KT 4278 7456

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN

MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO BINGHAMTON Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, July 2, 2022

_____

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT

Special Weather Statement

National Weather Service Binghamton NY

1150 AM EDT Sat Jul 2 2022

...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of west central Broome

and central Tioga Counties through 1230 PM EDT...

At 1149 AM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over

Candor, or 10 miles northwest of Owego, moving east at 20 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph and half inch hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around

unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is

possible.

Locations impacted include...

Maine, Owego, Nanticoke, Newark Valley, Candor, Spencer, Apalachin,

Willseyville, Catatonk and Speedville.

This includes the following highway exits...

Interstate 86/Route 17 between 64 and 65.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio

stations and available television stations for additional information

and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.

LAT...LON 4227 7644 4226 7642 4228 7642 4231 7637

4231 7633 4230 7629 4230 7625 4228 7601

4200 7621 4221 7652

TIME...MOT...LOC 1549Z 288DEG 19KT 4223 7639

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN

MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO BINGHAMTON Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, July 2, 2022

_____

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT

Special Weather Statement

National Weather Service Binghamton NY

1258 PM EDT Sat Jul 2 2022

...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southeastern Broome

and northeastern Susquehanna Counties through 145 PM EDT...

At 1258 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over

Conklin, or near Binghamton, moving southeast at 25 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph and half inch hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around

unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is

possible.

Locations impacted include...

Binghamton, Kirkwood, Conklin, Susquehanna, Deposit, Susquehanna

Depot, Hallstead, Windsor, New Milford and Great Bend.

This includes the following highway exits...

New York Interstate 81 between 1 and 3.

Interstate 86/Route 17 between 75 and 83.

Pennsylvania Interstate 81 near 230.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio

stations and available television stations for additional information

and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.

LAT...LON 4182 7563 4205 7598 4213 7587 4207 7542

4205 7543

TIME...MOT...LOC 1658Z 293DEG 23KT 4206 7584

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN

MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO AMARILLO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, July 2, 2022

_____

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT

Special Weather Statement

National Weather Service Amarillo TX

253 PM CDT Sat Jul 2 2022

...Strong thunderstorms will impact portions of northwestern Randall,

southeastern Oldham, northeastern Deaf Smith and southwestern Potter

Counties through 330 PM CDT...

At 252 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking two strong thunderstorms,

the first 6 miles south of Vega and the second 8 miles south of

Wildorado. Both were moving northeast at 10 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts of up to to 55 mph and up to nickel size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around

unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is

possible.

Locations impacted include...

Vega, Wildorado and Bushland.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with these storms.

Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe

shelter inside a building or vehicle.

LAT...LON 3535 10242 3521 10198 3498 10207 3514 10253

TIME...MOT...LOC 1952Z 215DEG 10KT 3515 10240 3510 10222

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN

MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH

The National Weather Service in Midland/Odessa has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...

Southeastern Jeff Davis County in southwestern Texas...

* Until 600 PM CDT.

* At 256 PM CDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing

heavy rain across the warned area. Between 1.5 and 2 inches of

rain have fallen. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin

shortly.

HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

SOURCE...Radar.

IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban

areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as

other poor drainage and low-lying areas.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...

Fort Davis and Star Mountain.

This includes the following streams and drainages...

Black Creek, Cienega Creek, Horse Thief Creek, Big Aguja Canyon,

Limpia Creek, Horse Thief Canyon, Barrilla Draw and Musquiz Creek.

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood

deaths occur in vehicles.

Please report observed flooding to local emergency services or law

enforcement and request they pass this information to the National

Weather Service when you can do so safely.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO CORPUS CHRISTI Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, July 1, 2022

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Corpus Christi has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Southwestern Nueces County in south central Texas...

Central Jim Wells County in south central Texas...

Northwestern Kleberg County in south central Texas...

* Until 700 PM CDT.

* At 632 PM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line

extending from near Banquete to near Bishop to Ricardo, moving east

at 20 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees.

* Locations impacted include...

Kingsville, Alice, Robstown, Driscoll, Bishop, Ricardo, Banquete,

Ben Bolt, Alice Acres, Kingsville Naval Air Station, Agua Dulce,

Petronila and North San Pedro.

This includes the following highways...

US Highway 281 between mile markers 676 and 684.

US Highway 77 between mile markers 672 and 698.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

Large hail and damaging winds and continuous cloud to ground

lightning is occurring with these storms. Move indoors immediately.

Lightning is one of nature's leading killers. Remember, if you can

hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO MIDLAND/ODESSA Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, July 2, 2022

_____

FLASH FLOOD WARNING

The National Weather Service in Midland/Odessa has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...

Central Pecos County in southwestern Texas...

* Until 400 PM CDT.

* At 101 PM CDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing

heavy rain across the warned area. Between 1.5 and 2 inches of

rain have fallen. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin

shortly.

HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

SOURCE...Radar.

IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban

areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as

other poor drainage and low-lying areas.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...

Sierra Madera.

This includes the following streams and drainages...

Leon Creek, Sixshooter Draw, Comanche Creek and Nineteen Draw.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood

deaths occur in vehicles.

Please report observed flooding to local emergency services or law

enforcement and request they pass this information to the National

Weather Service when you can do so safely.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO SHREVEPORT Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, July 2, 2022

_____

FLASH FLOOD WARNING

The National Weather Service in Shreveport has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...

Panola County in northeastern Texas...

* Until 900 AM CDT.

* At 657 AM CDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing

heavy rain across the warned area. Between 2 and 4 inches of rain

have fallen. Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches are

possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected

to begin shortly.

HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

SOURCE...Radar.

IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban

areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as

other poor drainage and low-lying areas.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...

Carthage, Deberry, Gary City, Woods, Deadwood, Front, Midyett,

Fairplay and Dotson.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood

deaths occur in vehicles.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO SHREVEPORT Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, July 2, 2022

_____

FLASH FLOOD WARNING

The National Weather Service in Shreveport has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...

Northwestern Nacogdoches County in eastern Texas...

Northwestern Shelby County in eastern Texas...

Northeastern Cherokee County in northeastern Texas...

Panola County in northeastern Texas...

Southern Rusk County in northeastern Texas...

* Until 1245 PM CDT.

* At 850 AM CDT, Doppler radar and automated rain gauges indicated

thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. Between

2 and 5 inches of rain have fallen this morning across Southern

Rusk, Northwest Nacogdoches, and Central Panola Counties.

Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches with isolated higher

amounts are possible in the warned area through 1245 PM. Flash

flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.

HAZARD...Life threatening flash flooding. Thunderstorms

producing flash flooding.

SOURCE...Radar and automated gauges.

IMPACT...Life threatening flash flooding of creeks and streams,

urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...

Carthage, Tenaha, Timpson, Garrison, Pinehill, Minden, Trawick,

Sacul, New Salem, Douglass, Ponta, Deberry, New Summerfield,

Cushing, Mount Enterprise, Reklaw, Gary City, Dotson, Lawsonville

and Fairplay.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood

deaths occur in vehicles.

Be aware of your surroundings and do not drive on flooded roads.

Please report observed flooding to local emergency services or law

enforcement and request they pass this information to the National

Weather Service when you can do so safely.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
Editorial: Ms. Rosa, get tough

Dont just hope school districts will stop using Native American mascots. Mandate it.

Cambridge Central School District has lost its court appeal to keep its Indian mascot and team names, and state Education Commissioner Betty Rosa says she hopes the ruling will prompt other school districts with Indigenous team names and logos to do the right thing and voluntarily change their mascots.

That would be great. But its not going to happen.

Ms. Rosa argues that there is a climate right now, a momentum and an opportunity to look at these issues of social justice. We dont disagree that for many Americans, the past few years have brought a reckoning with issues of equity and identity. But for others, that reckoning has fueled anger, entrenchment, hyperpoliticization, and deep community division. If the state is committed to the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion, then hoping school districts follow those values isnt enough.

As she did with Cambridge, Ms. Rosa needs to put other districts on notice that if they dont meet a deadline to choose a new mascot, their state aid will be in jeopardy.

That means no more Averill Park Warriors and no Mechanicville Red Raiders. No Oriskany Redskins or Canandaigua Braves. No Fonda-Fultonville Braves, or Saranac Chiefs, or Schoharie Indians. Or Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk Indians or Mahopac Indians. In Old Forges Webb Union Free School District, no more Eskimos. In all, about 60 New York school districts have Indigenous mascots or team names. Every one of them needs to change, and its the job of the state Education Department to make them do it.

In fact, in many communities, a state order likely would make the change go more smoothly. It could take some pressure off of local school officials and sidestep the vitriol and bitterness that pitted neighbor against neighbor in Cambridge.

The state has been asking districts to stop using Indigenous mascots for 20 years. Stop asking. Start telling.

 Albany Times Union

Legislation to lessen the mandatory overtime worked by area nursing home nurses  and possibly lead to penalties paid by nursing home owners  is awaiting Gov. Kathy Hochuls signature.

The bill hasnt yet been presented to the governor, but A.8874/S.8063 passed both houses of the state Legislature as the legislative session came to a close. In our opinion, Hochul should veto the bill.

That doesnt mean its OK for nurses to work an endless series of double shifts each week. Nursing is a valuable profession in our society, but nurses should be able to have a life outside of work. Lessening nurses overtime is a worthy goal.

Medicaid reimbursements havent paid for minimum levels of care for quite some time. Then, in April, state regulations passed by the legislature in 2021 requiring at least 3.5 hours of care per resident per day took effect. That bill  which is the subject of a lawsuit  forces nursing homes to either hire additional workers or decrease their number of residents. The states decision to limit overtime by nurses places many nursing homes between a rock and a hard place while balancing over the Grand Canyon on a piece of flimsy string.

The triple-whammy with which the state is hitting health care providers will end up hurting patients and the elderly. Some providers are using overtime to avoid hiring additional employees, but others legitimately cant find workers and cant provide basic care without nurses working overtime.

If New York was serious about protecting workers and residents, the state would have increased the Medicaid reimbursement for nursing home residents so that nursing homes could afford to hire more employees and offer a higher starting wage to attract more workers. Legislators did not choose that option. Instead, they made a bad situation worse with yet another regulation that makes life harder on nursing homes and which could make life worse for the senior citizens living in our nursing homes.

 Dunkirk Evening Observer

The goals enshrined in the newly signed John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York are goals we should all share.

Polling places should be located in such a way that everyone has an equal opportunity to vote. There should be equal numbers of voting machines at each polling site. Those who are eligible to vote and need translation help should have that help. No one should intimidate or obstruct someone of any color who is trying to exercise their right to vote.

On these things we should all be able to agree.

But there is disagreement between Democrats and Republicans in the state Capitol over the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York  and its easy to understand why. The biggest issue with is a familiar one in New York right now  removing power from local governments and consolidating it either in the hands of the state or courts. The so-called Independent Redistricting Commission ended up blatantly throwing the drawing of district lines into the hands of legislative leadership and then the courts because a deadlock was always bound to happen. Local concerns over green energy projects  which likely would happen regardless of local opposition  are muffled by state laws to speed up the approval of wind and solar projects at the expense of local public comment and debate. Isolation and quarantine rules currently the subject of a legal challenge similarly place more power over who is isolated during a disease outbreak into the hands of the state at the expense of local health officials. Now, a voting rights act has been passed that places great power over the way local representation is designed in the hands of courts even in areas where there is no history of discrimination.

This bill says we dont care what your intent is. Im not just making that up or summarizing  it says evidence concerning the intent of the parties or of the intent of the voters or the elected officials cannot be considered, Assemblyman Andrew Goodell, R-Jamestown, said on the Assembly floor.

Making sure minority communities have equal access to voting is an important goal. But much of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York is yet another Albany power grab at a time when trust in Albany is pretty low.

 Jamestown Post-Journal
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On Sunday, June 19 police raided a property at Colo on Sydneys outskirts where members of Blockade had been gathered in preparation for the protests that hit Sydney this week. According to the protestors accounts members of the group had stumbled across two police officers who were undertaking surveillance. As the undercover officers fled on foot, and then in a car, some of those on the property gathered around them. The officers called for backup which arrived in force. Seven were arrested on the spot and three more later. Acting assistant commissioner, Paul Dunstan, later said the officers, feared for their lives. Blockade Australias first protest action targeted the Port of Newcastle in November last year, when activists climbed machinery, suspending for a brief period exports from one of the worlds largest coal ports. Then in March members targeted rail and road lines into Port Botany. At around the same time another small group of activists, Fireproof Australia, began blocking major roads in Sydney. The following month, Extinction Rebellion activists took to the streets around the world.

Blockades Port Botany protest not only infuriated authorities, but confused some otherwise sympathetic observers. Why target a port that did not export fossil fuels? The group was identifying targets critical to the economy and blockading them, a spokesperson told the Herald and The Age at the time. Authorities threw the book at the group. The then immigration minister Alex Hawke used his powers to cancel the visas of two German nationals involved while NSW police hit those they arrested not only with the types of minor offences normally associated with protest action, but with crimes of incitement. Three activists were jailed for four months, six months and 12 months respectively. The shift in tactics from targeting a coal port to a container port was significant, but this week the group expanded their efforts even further, targeting commuters and workers trying to get to work during a week already rendered chaotic by strikes in a city frayed by its recovery from COVID. The frustration caused by the protestors was evident in their own livestreams. At the mouth of the Harbour Tunnel, Cooper sighs and gulps as a stranded commuter rages and swears at her through the car window.

To this man I would say I stand with you. It is for you, it is for your family that we do this, she says into her phone camera. Footage from concurrent protest actions in the city shows activists weaving through pedestrians as they try to block streets with whatever material they find at hand. At one point a car forces its way through a clogged road. Potential for harm: A car drove through a protest in Sydneys CBD this week. Credit:Nine News The violent potential of the events is evident in the footage. Concern about the tactics is not reserved for frustrated bystanders. Leaders of several organisations of the mainstream climate movement say they are worried the strategy is counterproductive, though those that spoke with the Herald and The Age were not willing to be quoted on the record about it.

Another of Blockades members, Jonah Shabtay, 26, dismisses the criticism that antagonising commuters might lose the climate movement potential support. If someone abandons concern for climate because they have been inconvenienced on the way to work, he reasons, they were not that concerned in the first place. You know, theres plenty of awareness and plenty of sympathy for the climate movement, but we cant wait for that sympathy to turn into action before heading off the cliff edge, and we are heading off the cliff edge until unless we act right now, he says. It would be great to change the hearts and minds of everyone on this continent, but we dont have the time to wait for them to activate them to and turn that sympathy into action. Many of Blockades members are veterans of defensive protest campaigns designed to protect, for example, sections of forest from destruction.

Shabtay, a softly spoken graduate of the University of NSW, who works in the NGO sector, says Blockade and its tactics grew out of a frustration at the failure of other protest methods to bring about change. People involved in Blockade Australia have become quite tired of this spot-fire kind of reactionary activism. Were seeing so much destruction thats happening in an organised systemic way. To fight it wed all have to set up camp across the whole continent waiting for a corporation to come and destroy it. Theres just not enough of us to do that, so thats why were going for the heart, he says of this weeks Sydney actions. Blockade Australia climate change protestors in Hyde Park this week. Credit:SMH The end goal is unclear, though Shabtay hopes that it will spur other activists to mount similar campaigns, and to join future Blockade protests. Were just trying to poke the beast, and you dont know how it is going to react.

He says Labors election will not blunt Blockades actions because the new government continues to back new fossil fuel projects, particularly in the gas sector. Later on Wednesday, Shabtay was among a group of Blockade members who gathered to talk in a park in Turrella. They were met by ranks of police on the ground as a police helicopter clattered above. By Thursday, Shabtay concedes that the overwhelming police reaction has disrupted the groups plans for further protests, but he says the threat of prison will not deter the group from continuing the campaign in the long run. Blockades members, he says, are more scared of climate change than they are of the law. Social scientist and author Clive Hamilton, who has written broadly on protest and who was researching for book on the global climate activism movement as COVID hit, says he too wonders if targeting commuters is either reasonable or useful.

Author Clive Hamilton says that as climate change accelerates so will civil disobediance. Credit:Rohan Thomson But he notes that the tactic is not new. Streets were blocked by suffragettes, civil rights protestors and the youth-driven movement against the Vietnam War. Hamilton believes climate protests will be similarly vindicated by history. Earlier this month Hamilton was invited to host a workshop on direct action in Denmark at the University of Copenhagen. Hed been asked to facilitate a discussion on the ethics and strategic utility of direct action. The 30-odd activists in attendance from Denmark, Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands, were nearly unanimous in the view that the time for peaceful protest had passed, he says. Hamilton believes the global activist movement, which he notes is closely integrated, has been turbocharged, influenced not only by the advocacy of writers like Malme, but by the intensifying impacts of climate change.

Loading They see themselves as rational actors, responding to scientific reports the only way they can, he says. A similar point was made in April by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who said in a video statement upon the publication that the world was on track to miss the 1.5 degree warming target: Climate activists are sometimes depicted as dangerous radicals. But, the truly dangerous radicals are the countries that are increasing the production of fossil fuels. Kalmus was kept on by NASA and is yet to face court over trespass charges. He too believes that more disruptive protest is inevitable. I dont see how that could not happen, he says. I mean, this is the first protest movement which is driven by fundamental physics ... it gets a tenth of a degree hotter every five years.
Former Queensland premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen. Credit: Fitz: So in 1994 you take over as director of public prosecutions. NC: Yes, and that was the most stimulating and rewarding time of my professional life. Fitz: Looking back upon those years, what are the standout cases? What are the ones you want me to chisel on your tombstone in 30 years time? NC: All I want on my tombstone is something like He did his job and left things a bit better than they were when he started. Youve got to remember that for 16-and-a-half years, most of my days were taken up sitting at my desk and making decisions about cases; whether to prosecute; what charges to lay; how to resolve witness issues; victim issues, all that kind of thing. And so, you might do 30 or 40 cases in a day. They were very busy times and every case was important, so nothing really stands out. Some that attracted great public attention are described in my second book Frank & Fearless.

Fitz: Alright, let me throw some cases at you. How do you remember the Ivan Milat case? NC: He was one of the most evil people we had to deal with. The police did a very good job with a small investigation team and Im pleased that hes no longer with us. Fitz: Keli Lane? NC: A very difficult case, but even though there was only circumstantial evidence, it was very strong. I thought there was sufficient evidence to justify prosecuting and was proven right. Fitz: And yet, sometimes late at night, as the moon rises and the owl hoots in the distance, there must be times when you think, Theres a bad bastard out there walking around who should be in prison right now if only I had done something differently?

NC: No. No, I dont. There are, admittedly, a few who slipped through the net. But I think by and large, we got the right decisions, in the right cases. Loading Fitz: Youve always been a strong voice on the importance of probity in public institutions. What do you think of the culture of politics in recent times? NC: The pork-barrelling seems to be absolutely naked and politicians generally  with some outstanding exceptions  seem to be more interested in themselves than in us. Fitz: A case in point being how, in the twilight of her premiership, Gladys Berejiklian more or less said, Theres nothing illegal about pork barrelling so get over it you ninnies!

NC: Well, thats no justification at all. I think pork-barrelling in the sense that we understand that is a form of public corruption, a misuse of public funds for political advantage, and it should be stopped. Back in 1988, I appeared in the Court of Disputed Returns for an unsuccessful candidate in a state election seeking to have the result overturned because the successful party, the Labor Party, promised all sorts of funding for local community groups, sporting groups and the like to the point that Justice Needham of the Supreme Court found, in fact, that this was corrupt conduct on the part of the successful candidate and overturned the election result. The case is in the NSW Law Reports  Scott v Martin. Fitz: Wow! NC: So theres legal precedent for pork-barrelling to count as corruption, and Im surprised that it has not come up elsewhere. Its all there and anyone can read it. And Im strongly of the view that this misuse of public funds should be stamped out. Fitz: Just quietly, youd be a pretty good first federal ICAC commissioner? Youre born for the gig! If Joe Biden can become US president at 78, why couldnt you do that at 76? NC: (Laughs.) I think youd have to live in Canberra and I have no desire to do that.

Loading Fitz: What do you make of the recent public appointment of John Barilaro for a position that he created, the NSW trade commissioner in New York  even though he has since withdrawn? NC: We will see what evidence comes out of the two inquiries, but on what we know so far it seems to me that the selection process has been corrupted. And when you have a decision emerging from a corrupted process, there is always at least the risk that the decision is going to be corrupt as well. Fitz: OK. I was shocked and thrilled in equal measure a couple of decades ago to see you write publicly, even though director of public prosecutions at the time, that the drug laws you were administering were insane. It defies understanding, you wrote, that the self-administration of drugs should be a criminal offence. Isnt the user doing enough self-harm without having a criminal penalty loaded on top?

You said the truth: were never going to win this war on drugs and weve got to normalise drug laws. NC: If anything, my views have hardened since then. I wrote that in 2001, in my first book Getting Justice Wrong. By then I had decades of being involved in drug cases from the minor use and possession level in the Local Court, up to major drug importation cases that I had been prosecuting for the Commonwealth. And I had a pretty good overview of the nature of the drug trade and the complete futility of trying to stop it by criminal laws, when by criminalising you were guaranteeing that the criminals would make extraordinary profits and corrupt everything around them. Fitz: And yet nothing has changed. Loading NC: Things are worse. In the last 18 months in Sydney, at least a dozen men who have been involved in disputes about drug trafficking and turf wars have been shot dead  and its all because of the huge profits that are available from drug trafficking. And the only way to stop it  and were seeing enlightened jurisdictions around the world coming to this view now and implementing it  is to legalise, regulate, control and tax all drugs. And I mean, all drugs, with a different regime for different drugs of course, but we have to take the criminal profits out of the trade. And the only way to do that is to put all drugs on the same sort of footing as we do with drugs like nicotine and alcohol.

Fitz: So if you had your way, and I was a heroin addict, what youre saying is there will be a door I can knock on, where Ill say, Here is my script and credit card, so can you give me one vial of heroin, please? And I can even claim it back on Medicare? NC: Yes. Different regimes for different drugs, and with heroin I suggest you would need the prescription, with a medical professional intervening in the process, and the whole intent being to regulate it and take the criminal profit out of it  and to provide proper care to the user. Loading Fitz: Ok, the insanity of the laws has long been obvious to medical professionals like Alex Wodak, heavyweight legal-beagles like you and many commentators in the media like me, as well as a huge proportion of the population. Mick Palmer, former commissioner of the AFP, says that we cant arrest our way out of drugs. It has to be obvious to some leading politicians over the years, and yet none speak up! Certainly, no premier comes to mind with the courage to say this out loud. NC: Quite. Politicians wont speak out about it, because they think they will lose electoral support. Theyre afraid people will think that theyre soft on crime which is utter nonsense. I think they would gain support. Its about being smart on crime, not necessarily just tough on crime. It has to be legalised, regulated, controlled and taxed and the criminal law would still apply to anyone who tried to avoid the system. I once had a radio interview with your great friend Mr Jones, where I made the case and even he said, Well, maybe theres something in that  I nearly fell off my chair  but he never came back to it.

Fitz: Over your 16 years as director of public prosecutions, you had four attorneys-general. Who was the best? Loading NC: Bob Debus was the best. He hadnt always been a politician, and he had a huge amount of common sense and a desire to get things done in a practical way. He was always very personable, thoughtful and polite and not given to excesses. Fitz: Moving on. The topic of the week is Roe v Wade being overturned by the US Supreme Court after 49 years. What do you make of that? NC: I think the Supreme Court of the United States is now a totally discredited institution. And thats a pity because over the decades and centuries, its had some absolutely outstanding lawyers presiding, but now it has been turned into a political instrument, which I think is a terrible shame. The decision overturning Roe v Wade totally ignores the principle of stare decisis  the reliance on precedent.

Fitz: Do you fear for the United States? NC: I do. Part of the problem, I think, is the conservative side in the United States doesnt accept that the country is changing. The population is changing, its becoming more black and more Latin, more progressive, and the way things were done before the Civil War just doesnt apply anymore, although there are some who would like to take the country back to that. And there is a growing failure by the conservative side to put into practice the democratic principles that they go on about all the time. They talk democracy a hell of a lot, but they dont practise it. Fitz: What are you doing with your energies these days? NC: I teach a postgraduate course at Sydney University called Discretion in Criminal Justice. And Ive just published my third book which is, in effect, a textbook for that course with the same title, but I think general readers might also get something from it. I also lecture from time to time at the University of NSW and less frequently at the University of Wollongong. I speak to many Probus clubs and U3A meetings. I am still involved with the International Association of Prosecutors (of which I was president) and the Justice Reform Initiative, which is working to get away from our reliance nationwide on imprisonment as the answer to everything. Nicholas Cowdery, the former NSW director of public prosecutions, pictured in 2013 with his wife Joy at Pittwater. Credit:Fiona Morria

Fitz: NSW owes your careers master back at Sydney Grammar a round of presumably posthumous applause. Youre a credit to your calling, and I thank you for your time. Tweet of the Week Welcome to the United States. Where guns have more rights than women. @grey_son7 What they said Similar to the 90s saying, What would Jesus do? Im a bit more nuanced than that. What would Jesus do if he were me in these life circumstances, in this job, with this issue before me and serving the people that I lead? Amy Brown, CEO of Investment NSW and secretary of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, who appointed John Barilaro to the position of NSW Trade Commissioner in New York. She was speaking to Eternity News in February.

I find my workplace very tied with my personal purpose and my personal purpose comes through my faith in the God who made us and loved us and saved us for a relationship with himself. From that comes for me the principle of the intrinsic worth and equal value of all people, regardless of their kind of background or circumstances or mistakes or anything. And so, working for government, that really rings true in terms of our job is to equalise opportunities for all of our citizens. Amy Brown. Its an anathema to the fundamentals of Christian faith. Peta Credlin in The Oz, on why she is disappointed to see Christian leaders in Australia supporting the Indigenous Voice to Parliament. She equally noted the near 20 per cent decrease in Christian belief in Australia since the last census. We will make sure that when a kid is in the womb, theyre as safe as they are in a classroom. Donald Trumps former spokeswoman, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, after her gubernatorial primary win in Arkansas, to stand as governor in November. Loading Ive watched much devastation with two one-in-100-year floods. This is climate change. I cannot stay silent anymore. I cannot be complacent anymore. The colony of Australia, this destructive colony system landed here, hellbent on spreading exploitative practices all over the earth. To those people who are really angry right now, I understand, and its not a good thing to be experiencing. You know what? Climate change isnt a good thing to be experiencing. Mali, the climate change activist from Lismore who blocked two lanes on the approaches to the Harbour Bridge on Wednesday morning.

Will this institution survive the stench that this creates in the public perception that the Constitution and its reading are just political acts? I dont see how it is possible. US Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor in oral arguments in December, on the possibility of Roe v Wade being overturned. Now that it has been overturned, many good judges agree. Lets be real: theres a whole lot of men whose lives, careers and families have benefited from an abortion (including several pro-life GOP congressmen). Men, we need you right now. You can get through in rooms others cant. Your power matters. Speak up. This is about us all. The Democrat New York congresswoman, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, tweets in the wake of the Roe v Wade decision. New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has shot to fame since her election in the 2018 midterms. Credit:Bloomberg When Mr. Trump descended into rage, his staff resorted to summoning an aide, nicknamed the Music Man, to play favourite show tunes they knew would soothe him, including Memory from the Broadway musical Cats. The New York Times, on Tuesday, in the wake of the January 6 hearings, detailing the former presidents outbursts of rage. One of the issues [is] weve got an education system thats basically run by Marxists. Liberal senator Hollie Hughes on how the Libs can recover the youth vote. I respectfully submit that senator Hughes is emerging as the Bronwyn Bishop of her time, complete with big statements and a deep following in a narrow band.

Teacher here ... finished all my Marxing ... oops MarKing! Oops random (Das) Kapital in there. Everyone knows were all anti-Capitalism as teachers. As its school holidays in Qld, Ill head off now to get hammered and sickled! A teacher, Princess of Woke @sanomum, replies to Senator Hughes. Conservatives used to say that the reds are under the bed. Now, apparently the commies are in the classroom. This is just crazy, isnt it? [Its] more denial from the Liberal party. If they think that they lost the election because all teachers are Marxists, then I dont think theyre looking in the right direction. Federal Education Minister Jason Clare in reply. Liberal smokeswoman Holliday Blues is going to need some evidence tobaccup these BIG claims. Grace Tame after Senator Hughes also denied the existence of any such things as Big Tobacco. Theres still a lot of uncertainty about the question of criminal intent when it comes to a president, but what just happened changed my bottom line. I have gone from Trump is less than likely to be charged to he is more than likely to be charged. Alan Rozenshtein, a former justice department official who teaches at the University of Minnesota law school, after the latest January 6 hearings.

Joke of the week The year is 2024 and the United States has just elected the first woman president. A few days after the election the president-elect, calls her father and says, So, Dad, I assume you will be coming to my inauguration? I dont think so. Its a 10 hour drive. Don t worry about it Dad, Ill send Air Force One. And a limousine will pick you up at your door. I dont know. Everybody will be so fancy. What would your mother wear?

Oh Dad, she replies, Ill make sure she has a wonderful gown custom-made by the best designer in Washington. Honey, Dad complains, you know I cant eat those rich foods you eat. The president-to-be responds, Dont worry Dad. The entire affair will be handled by the best caterer in Washington; Ill ensure your meals are salt free. You and Mum just have to be there. So Dad reluctantly agrees, and on January 20, 2025 when his daughter is being sworn in as president of the United States, he sits in the front-row seats, beside his wife. Dad, noticing the senator sitting next to him, leans over and whispers, You see that woman over there with her hand on the Bible, becoming president of the United States.
Women of Australia. I am generally in awe of how you run your lives, run your work, run your families and basically run the country. Just a teensy tiny request. Could you cool it on the mumsplaining?

We are all familiar with the term mansplaining, when a bloke seeks to school a woman about something they are already knowledgeable about, a rude gesture that thus betrays his own greater ignorance.

Most women have experienced some form of mansplaining. Credit:Alamy

Maybe it is just me, but I have been observing the altogether different phenomenon of mumsplaining for a while now and my own family history is guilty in this regard.

Back when he was growing up, my brother was late to start talking, and mum was so concerned she took him to the local GP. He doesnt need to talk, the GP bluntly informed her. You do everything for him.
Almost 30 high school students spent last week living in Northern Arizona Universitys (NAU) dorms and learning video journalism techniques as part of the Andy Harvey Indigenous Youth Media Workshop.

Throughout the week, the students worked in groups to develop broadcast news stories focused on themes of health and Native American culture. In addition to a series of lessons, they came up with story ideas, contacted sources and worked through the process of writing, filming and editing a final broadcast.

We teach them how to use cameras, we teach them how to do filmmaking and we teach them the formatting of TV news journalism, said lead instructor Aaron Benally.

The program has taken place annually (with a pandemic gap) since 2012. It is named for Andy Harvey, a Native American journalist who was a graduate of NAU and worked for KPNX 12 News in Phoenix.

Harvey had a vision of encouraging a younger generation of Native American students to be the next storytellers of their communities, according to an NAU announcement of the program. This workshop honors his vision.

The workshop culminated in a news broadcast held in the Native American Cultural Center for the students' families. They also received certificates and media equipment at the end of the workshop: this year, a mini drone and handheld tripod.

On Tuesday, the students heard a lecture on story structure, then joined with their groups to rotate through tasks like brainstorming story angles, calling sources and audio training before heading outside to practice camerawork.

One student, Carnell Manson, said he hadnt done much in media before attending the workshop and wasnt sure whether he would try to do more work in the field.

Overall, however, he said the program was going pretty good. Among the things hed learned was a new photography technique.

Student Kionna Marks was researching a STAR school project refurbishing a bus to be able to filter water. She said she chose the project because some of her family members were involved in water use projects.

She also hadnt spent much time in media, though said she had family who worked in news -- which added some interest. What most excited her about the camp, though, was the chance to spend time at NAU.

It piqued my interest when they said we were going to be able to walk around campus [and] learn about college, she said.

Benally said he enjoyed the Native American focus of the workshop and the chance to help the students gain experience.

On the reservation, they dont have the equipment to service 30 kids, so if they come here, we can service them, he said. Then I can give my experience and my knowledge to them, and they can go out and they can make their own stuff.

He also said he liked getting to know the students. The instructors played games with them at the end of the days, similar to other overnight camp experiences.

After attending the program twice in high school, Shawn Hongeva has been involved as a mentor for the past four years.

News was an interest, but it wasnt something Id considered doing before the program, he said. So [the workshop] was a nice door of opportunity that opened up.

He said he had really loved the workshop as a student and when one of the programs leaders, Paul Helford, reached out to see if hed be interested in mentoring, said yes.

Its definitely an interesting position, Hongeva said of being a teacher in a program he'd attended. When youre a camper, youre absorbing all this information. Coming back and actually teaching, its like, I can see myself in their shoes.  It almost feels like youre teaching a younger sibling.

More about the workshop can be found at nau.edu/communication/native-american-broadcast-workshop.
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away ... child soldiers, super weapons, blockades preventing humanitarian relief and the targeting of civilians depicted the brutality of life in outer space.

Meanwhile, here on Earth, international researchers are using the Star Wars film franchise to make a serious point about the laws that govern both conflict in space and war on Earth.

I mean, its a great movie  but boy, there are a lot of war crimes going on, says law professor Dale Stephens.

Thats no moon: Obi Wan Kenobi, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker and Wookie approach the Death Star. Credit:Lucasfilm/20th Century Fox

Volunteers and lawyers with the Australian Red Cross  which Adelaide-based Stephens advises  have probed George Lucas epic adventure to illustrate how these laws work.
Forget blame and vilification. When considering current crises, particularly climate, we should focus on responsibility and legacy (Sally McManus tells Phil Lowe OK Boomer but is it fair?, June 26). In developed nations, as a group, those over 60 now have the highest carbon footprint of any age group. Boomers own over half of Australias wealth, which is, often unknowingly, supporting fossil fuels. Thus, older Australians collective potential to contribute to climate solutions is considerable. We who are alive right now will determine our earths climate trajectory. Each of us has an opportunity and responsibility to support our anxious and motivated young people by creating the safest possible future. Now, thats a legacy worth striving for. Amy Hiller, Kew (Vic)

It was bound to happen. Generation X members are getting closer to retirement and starting to realise wealth accumulation is essential if they want to lead a financially comfortable life after work. This cohort of voters who Jacqueline Maley says generally have no wish to draw attention to themselves will become more vocal in supporting generous superannuation tax perks and property investment tax incentives. It is just a natural progression. As Boomers move on, Gen X will be next to feel the wrath of Millennials. Riley Brown, Bondi Beach

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One crucial point about the Boomers and free education has been omitted from your article: most Boomers didnt finish high school. Most left at the end of Year 10 and many before then. If Boomers were born between 1946 and 1964, they would have been sitting for their Leaving Certificate or HSC between 1963 and 1982. During these years candidate numbers for the LC/HSC were less than half of those sitting for the HSC now. As far as I know, Im the only one of my first-year high school class to get to university and graduate. University tuition fees were abolished by the Whitlam government on January 1, 1974, long after most Boomers had finished their education, so very few of them benefitted from free tertiary education.

It was the Boomers who bore the brunt of the economic changes wrought by the Hawke-Keating governments: their careers were turned upside-down or, for too many, prematurely terminated as it was their manufacturing and clerical jobs that were exported to cheaper locations overseas. Most Boomers do not have investment properties as they were too busy trying to hold on to what they had. Ryszard Linkiewicz, Caringbah South
Anna Scobie peers out through the rain-splashed window of her Newcastle home and sees a thriving colony of bees quietly buzzing around her yard, foraging and producing enough honey to feed themselves and supply her beekeeping business.

But Scobie cant harvest this honey. She cant so much as touch the hive. In a few weeks, a team from NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) will come and bait the box with poison to kill off the hive, and then another team will collect and burn what remains.

Newcastle beekeeper Anna Scobies 90 hives will need to be destroyed as she falls within the 10km eradication zone. Credit:Edwina Pickles

These drastic measures are part of the desperate attempt to contain the spread of theVarroa destructor, commonly called the varroa mite, since it was detected at the Port of Newcastle more than a week ago.

Australias strict biosecurity measures and its relative isolation have played a key part in ensuring the country has remained mite-free. While authorities have detected the mite at other ports across Australia previously, it has never broken out into the bee population.
With limited flights and ongoing border restrictions in China, about 50 per cent of Australias Chinese international students are still studying offshore. UNSW Chinese international student Yuxin Zhang is among the few who have arrived in Australia since the borders opened late last year. The increase in Chinese international students in NSW defied national trends, with a 24 per cent drop in Chinese students this year. She spent two years studying her media arts degree online in China before arriving in Australia earlier this year to complete her final year of studies on campus. While she was concerned about the safety risks due to widespread COVID-19 transmission, she thought it was worth travelling to Australia for the cultural and educational benefits.

It was a hard decision but my friends and I decided to come because its all about the experience, Zhang said. Since Im studying media arts and its more creative than other courses, I thought it would be much better if its done interacting with other people and getting feedback face-to-face. Fellow UNSW media student Danica Chen returned to China in May 2020 but came back to Australia this year so she could complete production courses that could only be done face-to-face. She said some Chinese students and their families were hesitant to return to Australia due to the spread of COVID-19. Ive found it much more fun to work with my fellow students and I feel more embraced and I feel more confident to speak up in classes here and am less afraid of making mistakes, Chen said.

A NSW auditor general report said the Chinese market bucked the trend of an overall decline in international students last year, with those students now accounting for more than half of the states overseas enrolments at public universities. The report warned the increased reliance on China posed a significant concentration risk for the sector as a whole. It showed that the University of Sydneys revenue from Chinese international students in 2021 was worth 87 per cent of its total overseas enrolment revenue at $1.18 billion. At UNSW, the only other NSW university to increase its international revenue last year, Chinese student revenue was worth about 78 per cent of overseas revenue at $548 million. The University of Sydney said about 75 per cent of its Chinese international students were studying offshore, compared to 65 per cent of the general overseas cohort. A spokeswoman said its increased recruitment of Chinese students in 2020 and 2021 was done by staff based in Sydney through webinars, peer-to-peer activities and large-scale phone campaigns.

We havent reduced fees or entry requirements, but did offer a rebate for international students who were unable to travel to Australia for Semester 1 2020 due to the Australian governments travel restrictions, she said. The university also has a centre in China where students can meet others in their units of study and participate in extracurricular programs. The increase in Chinese international students in NSW defied national trends, with a 24 per cent drop in Chinese students recorded this year. Ongoing political tensions with China, as well as reports of interference in Australian universities, fuelled fears that students and parents would be reluctant to send their children to the country. But Chu said their analysis of Chinese social media showed that border closures and COVID-19 management was of bigger concern to Chinese students than political tensions.
It feels like hes the king and I have to obey, she said. Its only about what he wants and the only way I can be safe at home is to listen and I cant have my own opinion.

But Su-Lin, who is using a pseudonym for safety reasons, found her new partner soon became controlling and violent.

Su-Lin faces a choice between staying with her violent partner or homelessness. She is using a pseudonym and the images have been taken to disguise her identity to protect her safety. Credit:Jessica Hromas

The Sydney woman in her early 60s emigrated from China to Australia several years ago, full of hope for a new life and new relationship.

Su-Lin, like many migrant women, faces a stark choice of whether to stay in a violent relationship or leave and risk homelessness.

Su-Lin said she was treated as a maid and had to do all the cooking and cleaning and her partner would yell and beat her if she did something a different way, such as drying the dishes with a tea towel rather than leaving them to drain.

At first this was a burden she had to bear alone but last year an acquaintance called the police, and she was referred to the services of BaptistCare HopeStreet. Now she has an apprehended violence order against her partner even though they remain under the same roof.

Su-Lin spoke to The Sun-Herald, with her case worker Yuyan Cai acting as an interpreter, to raise awareness of the plight of migrant women suffering domestic violence.

Su-Lin had a happy relationship with her first husband in China and was depressed after he died. She met her new partner, who is also from China originally, on the internet and came to Australia as a sponsored spouse.

Su-Lin, a permanent resident, said she wants to stay in Australia because she likes it here and would not go back to China because it would mean being honest with her family about the violence. She did not want to worry them, especially her elderly mother, and it would be a big loss of face.
Thanks for reading our live coverage of flooding across Sydney and NSW. Heavy rainfall is expected again throughout Monday and will resume our live updates in the morning.

Heres the main things you need to know tonight:

The Bureau of Meteorology have issued major flood warnings for the Hawkesbury and Nepean rivers. Moderate flood warnings are in place for the Georges and Colo rivers, and a severe weather warning have been issued for metropolitan, the Illawarra , Hunter , southern parts of the Mid-North Coast , and parts of the Central Tablelands .

, , southern parts of the , and parts of the . The NSW SES have issued more than 40 evacuation orders in Sydneys south, west and north, leaving around 32,000 people facing evacuation. Residents are being urged to monitor for updates throughout Sunday night and Monday. If you are in an area with an evacuation order or warning in place, you can seek shelter at one of the following six evacuation centres: Cabra-Vale Diggers Club - 1 Bartley Street, Canley Vale NSW. Narellan Child Family and Community Centre - Queen Street, Narellan NSW. Gymea Tradies - 57 Manchester Road Gymea NSW. Richmond Club - 6 East Market Street Richmond NSW. North Richmond Community Centre - 33 William Street North Richmond NSW. Castle Hill RSL Club - 77 Castle Street, Castle Hill 2154

in Sydneys south, west and north, leaving around 32,000 people facing evacuation. Residents are being urged to monitor for updates throughout Sunday night and Monday. If you are in an area with an evacuation order or warning in place, you can seek shelter at one of the following six evacuation centres: Transport for NSW is urging commuters to avoid non-essential travel on Monday as wild weather impacts the states public transport system. Many buses and trains have already been heavily affected, and buses replaced ferries to and from Manly due to extreme weather. If you do need to use public transport, plan ahead to avoid disruptions.

on Monday as wild weather impacts the states public transport system. Many buses and trains have already been heavily affected, and buses replaced ferries to and from Manly due to extreme weather. If you do need to use public transport, plan ahead to avoid disruptions. More rain and wild weather is forecast for Monday. Damaging winds and rainfall up to 100 mm are forecast for Sydney, while Penrith could receive between 100 and 150 mm on Monday alone. Wild surf conditions are expected to continue, making coastal activities such as rock fishing, swimming and surfing particularly hazardous.

Remember to visit the NSW SES website for information about what to do if you are in an area threatened by flooding. For emergency help in floods and storms, call the NSW SES on 132 500. In life-threatening situations call triple zero (000) immediately.

We will continue our live coverage in the morning. Until then, stay safe and stay across any emergency updates for your area.

Good night.
Protesters are calling for free, safe, legal and on-demand abortions in a rally to defend Australian abortion rights on Saturday at Town Hall.

Social justice activist Hersha Kadkol said the rally was in response to the US Supreme Court ruling in June that reversed the constitutional right to abortion established in the landmark Roe v Wade case nearly 50 years ago.

Abortion rights proponents gather at Town Hall on Saturday afternoon. Credit:Flavio Brancelone

[The Supreme Court ruling] was a terrifying attack on the rights of women and others to have control over our bodies, Kadkol said.

While the protest is a show of solidarity with abortion rights advocates in America rather than any particular incident in Australia, Kadkol said the US ruling demonstrated that relying on laws is not enough to protect our rights.
The unique aspect of Albanese and Haydons relationship is its newness, at less than three years. Albanese has said that his wife of 19 years, Carmel Tebbutt, told him on New Years Day 2019 that their marriage was over. At the end of that year he met Haydon and the pair soon began dating. Their relationship became public in June 2020 when a photographer captured them kissing at a restaurant. Loading While Albanese was opposition leader, Haydon lived in her own home in Stanmore, not far from Albaneses place in Marrickville. They have not announced whether she will live with him full-time at the Lodge, though that seems unlikely for now, given she recently took up a job as a womens officer at the NSW Public Service Association. Blair Williams, a lecturer in Australian politics at Monash University, says Albanese and Haydons relationship is a refreshing reflection of 21st-century Australia. It shows what modern relationships look like, she says. People are divorced, people start new relationships and its great to see that showcased.

Williams contrasts the unofficial role of prime ministerial partner with the position of First Lady in the United States. The US presidents wife is assisted by official staff, known as the Office of the First Lady, headquartered in the East Wing of the White House. Here they are just the prime ministers partner, Williams says. Theres no formal expectations put on them. Lucy Turnbull, whose husband Malcolm served as prime minister from 2015 to 2018, testifies to the unstructured nature of the position. While praising the public servants at the Department of Prime and Cabinet, she says more formal advice on the duties expected of a prime ministerial partner would be useful. You dont have a chief of staff, theres no guidebook, theres no set of instructions, Turnbull says. I could have easily done with an instruction manual, something saying what you can do, what you cant do. Theres an expectation the leaders partner will do some kind of charitable work and travel on overseas trips, but how they spend their time is up to them.

In her 1992 book Prime ministers Wives: The public and private lives of ten Australian women, historian Diane Langmore notes that even the most thorough prime ministerial biographies tend to pay little attention to their subjects marriages. Until the mid-1960s, prime ministerial wives stayed mainly behind the scenes, supporting their husbands and raising children. A notable change came with Zara Holt, a fashionista who owned several boutiques selling upmarket evening dresses. Holt introduced an element of celebrity to the role, overseeing dramatic refurbishments of the Lodge and embracing her role as hostess to international guests. Outgoing: Zara Holt (left) in November 1967. Credit:Archive As well as Zara Holts outgoing personality, Langmore argues that, in the aftermath of John F. Kennedys assassination, Australians may also have imported some of the glamour and mystique of the American First Lady and endowed it upon the Australian prime ministers wife, even though the two positions are so different. The central dilemma facing prime ministerial spouses, Langmore writes, is how to be active and useful while not being overly political. Margaret Whitlam attracted some criticism for her outspokenness as regular commentator on radio and television, as well as a columnist for Womans Day. I dont want to be used as somebodys handbag, she famously said.

Sometimes the toughest criticism these spouses face comes from their predecessors. In a 2006 book Margaret Whitlam lambasted Janette Howard, describing her contribution to the community as useless and even criticising her for holding her husbands hand in public. In 2014 Mathieson accused his successor, Margie Abbott, of not doing enough charitable work. Hazel Hawke stands out for attracting almost universal praise during her tenure, serving as patron or board member for over 40 organisations and raising awareness of child abuse, domestic violence and AIDS. Reflecting broader trends in society, prime ministerial partners have increasingly had their own independent careers. While Kevin Rudd was opposition leader, Therese Reins successful employment and health company Ingeus sold its Australian operations to avoid any perception of a conflict of interest but expanded its operations in the United Kingdom. Lucy and Malcolm Turnbull. Credit:Joe Armao Turnbull, a former Sydney lord mayor, took on a new job as head of the Greater Sydney Commission while her husband was prime minister.

She says she sometimes offered her husband advice on political matters. Sometimes my advice was listened to, sometimes it was 100 per cent ignored. Its just a normal part of being in a partnership. While politicians often call for the privacy of their partners and children to be respected, they also deploy them strategically to soften their image, especially when an election campaign is looming. Albanese and Haydon did their first joint interview together in February with The Australian Womens Weekly. Loading Blair Williams says: Scott Morrison constantly used Jenny to humanise himself, to make him seem affable and relatable. Its a very easy tool, but mostly for male political leaders. She says her research has found that female political leaders tend to distance themselves from their partners and families to avoid prompting questions about whether they are spending enough time with their children or the sacrifices their partner has had to make.
Thousands of pro-choice protesters took to Melbournes streets in response to the US Supreme Court overturning that countrys abortion rights.

One feature of the wave of rallies in the US and across the world following the Supreme Court ruling has been the creative and evocative signs held by protesters.

It was no different in Melbourne on Saturday, when protesters waved signs reading: Life starts at ejaculation, mandate vasectomies; not a public cervix; and you cant ban abortion, you can only ban safe abortion.

Alex Gordan was among the crowd and said without a safe abortion she would have been forced to have a child with an abusive partner.
By the second half, Id peeled off my KN95 and was singing along to Cant Stop the Feeling! before joining the rest of the remarkably exuberant audience for the final number, Katy Perrys Roar, or as I thought of it in my head, To Hell With Droplets. It was the kind of moment Id spent dark days dreaming about  an act of collective joy that had, at certain points in the past two years, felt all but impossible.

Now the only people wearing masks on the Tube are American tourists. As one of them, sort of, it was with trepidation that I went to the theatre, to see & Juliet, a riotous reimagining of some of the biggest pop songs of recent decades.

In her new book The Palace Papers, Tina Brown writes that the Queen refuses to discuss three topics: cold, temperature, or fatigue. After my trip to London last week, observing the behaviour of its residents closely, I would suggest adding a fourth item which shall not be broached in polite conversation: COVID. Obviously, the virus is still circulating in the UK and the political ramifications of its mismanagement continue  Partygate is surely among Boris Johnsons longest hangovers  but Londoners, at least, have decided theyre done with the pandemic.

Not especially worried about committing a faux pas, I took to asking Londoners how they had arrived at this simultaneous and unanimous post-COVID state. A barrister I met at a dinner party spelt it out for me: The government enforced very strict lockdowns, which we all followed, and then when they were done, we went out and lived our lives.

She was vaccinated, of course, but didnt seem to care much about boosters; she wasnt eligible, anyway. And unlike every parent of small children I know in the States, she didnt know much about the approval process for the under-fives vaccine; she didnt see how it would change much about her kids day-to-day existence anyhow.

I see a few reasons why the US and UK  which Shakespeare might have deemed both alike in dignity  have gone in such different directions at this stage of the pandemic. For a start, the UK has the benefit of an adult population that is 75 per cent fully vaccinated, which is almost 10 percentage points higher than the US. Then theres the fact that the US is so much bigger and much more decentralised, with attitudes varying widely from region to region.

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What struck me most, though, was that this was a society which, for all its faults, is more cohesive than the States, where a series of malevolent actors in government, Big Tech and elsewhere have found a path to power and profitability by seeking to tear it apart at the seams. An American living in London we met while out to dinner  only Americans would dare chat with strangers, of course  described the sentiment in the UK as whether we get COVID or dont, were all in it together.
As Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and French President Emmanuel Macron exchanged smiles and back slaps this week, Foreign Minister Penny Wong capped off a charm offensive through the Asia-Pacific with selfies in the Malaysian city of her birth.

Between them, the pair have blitzed through a dozen or so countries in their first 40 days in office, with their reception by world leaders at times marking a notable contrast with the previous government.

In Singapore, Defence Minister Richard Marles attendance at a dinner alongside his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe led to a one-on-one meeting  the first ministerial contact between the two countries in almost three years.

The new governments ascension to office has coincided with a busy diplomatic calendar, as well as heightened geopolitical tensions in Europe stemming from Russias invasion of Ukraine, and Chinas increasing assertiveness, especially in the Asia-Pacific.
What a rebirth the NATO meeting in Madrid has been. Just a handful of years ago, there was global hand-wringing over the death of social democracy, and yet here it was in all its righteous glory, getting behind a glittering version of liberalism not imagined possible since the end of the End of History.

Newly-elected Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joined on the world stage United States Democrat President Joe Biden, German Social Democratic Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Canadian (left) Liberal Party Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, New Zealand Labour Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, French liberal centrist Emmanuel Macron and green-washed British Conservative Party Prime Minister Boris Johnson. And they were welcomed to the meeting by Spains Socialist Workers Party Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

Boris Johnson meets Anthony Albanese at the NATO leaders summit in Madrid on Wednesday. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

How glorious to see such statespersonship, including from our very own prime minister. How wonderful, as Twitter said and the rhapsodasicalreportage implied, not to have to be embarrassed by our leader as he mingled with the leaders of the free world. Banded together against the Russian aggressor, celebrating the power of free trade, the gathering was enough to provoke a nostalgic tear, even from conservatives, for the golden years of the millennium.

But at what price was this moment of purity and goodness obtained? And will there be a price to pay for it in the future?
The naming rights to a range of products including feta and grappa could complicate negotiations between Australia and the European Union for a free-trade agreement potentially worth $94 billion, which both sides are hoping to finalise in the coming months.

While some more generic product terms including camembert and brie are OK, according to the EU, the bloc wants names that are more specific to particular European regions  so-called geographic indicators  protected.

Emerald Hill Deli owner Maria Totos questions whether governments are becoming too hung up on product names. Credit:Chris Hopkins

Along with climate targets, these geographic indicators are a key component of trade talks with the EU, which have resumed after stalling last year when Australia axed a deal to buy French submarines.

Negotiations over the name protections, which include feta, grappa, du Puy green lentils and Irish whiskey, have been in the works for years.
Redland City Mayor Karen Williams will take unpaid leave from Monday until her drink-driving charge is dealt with in court on August 1.

Police on Saturday morning formally charged Williams after she recorded a blood-alcohol reading of 0.177 per cent, more than three times the legal 0.05 per cent open licence level in Queensland.

Redland City mayor Karen Williams. Credit:Tony Moore

The charge follows an incident where police investigated a crashed Lexus station wagon at the intersection of Queen and Wellington streets in Cleveland on June 23.

The Lexus left the road, travelled through a fence and struck a tree.
London: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is appealing against the British governments decision to order his extradition to the US.

The appeal was filed on Friday (London time) at the High Court, the latest twist in a decade-long legal saga sparked by his websites publication of classified US documents. No further details about the appeal were immediately available.

A supporter of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange protest outside the Home Office in London, on Friday. Credit:AP

Assanges supporters staged protests before his 51st birthday this weekend, with his wife Stella Assange among people who gathered outside the British Home Office to call for his release from prison.

The Australian has battled in British courts for years to avoid being sent to the US, where he faces 17 charges of espionage and one charge of computer misuse.
London: New Zealands Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has declined to reveal what her country would do if diplomacy failed to prevent a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.

After Australia and the UK warned that Russias invasion of Ukraine had a direct parallel with Chinas intentions for Taiwan. Ardern, outlining her foreign policy approach to the prestigious foreign policy think tank Chatham House in London, said diplomacy and dialogue were the key to preventing conflict.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaking at Chatham House on Friday. Credit:YouTube

Ardern, like Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, was invited to attend this weeks NATO summit in Madrid after which leaders declared China a threat to peace for the first time.

China bristled at the label and also at Albanese for his comments, made to The Australian Financial Review en route to the summit, in which he drew a direct parallel between Russias invasion and Chinas intentions for Taiwan, which it regards as its territory.
THE HAGUE/SABA:--- A delegation of the Saba Island Council and Commissioner of Public Health Rolando Wilson met with Dutch State Secretary of Public Health, Wellbeing, and Sport Maarten van Ooijen in The Hague on Thursday, June 30.

The meeting focused on the challenges that Saba as a small island faces in providing its residents the healthcare that is needed. Aside from the State Secretary and an advisor, officials of the Care and Youth Caribbean Netherlands (ZJCN) Department in Bonaire attended the meeting with the Saba delegation in a virtual manner.

Island Council Member Vito Charles said it was an informative meeting where the Island Council and Commissioner Wilson were able to bring forward a number of healthcare issues and talk about the importance of the wellbeing of the Saba people.

Island Council Member Carl Buncamper said it was good to hear from the State Secretary that there are ambitions to solve Sabas issues in healthcare. The ambition is to do better by the people on the Caribbean Netherlands islands. Buncamper said it was important to address this, also considering the erosion of trust with the healthcare provider and insurer.

Pilot

The Island Council Members have noted with content that a pilot will soon start whereby the medical referral process of Saba patients to St. Maarten should become less cumbersome and bureaucratic. The Island Council conveyed to the State Secretary that it wants to see this pilot implemented as soon as possible.

I am looking forward to the pilot with referrals and also to solutions for the small plane that is now used to transport our patients, said Councilman Heyliger. He pointed out that the small plane was not comfortable for especially senior patients and patients with physical impairments.

The mode of transport was brought up in the meeting with State Secretary Van Ooijen. In Heyligers opinion, Winair should be used to transport the Saba patients, because the aircrafts are more suitable. Besides, it made more sense because the Dutch government owned shares in the airline.

Dignified way

Councilman Charles said a key matter for the Island Council was that the medical care in St. Maarten catered to the needs of the Saba people. Care should be provided close to home in a respectful and dignified way. We emphasized that in the meeting, as we have done many times before, said Charles.

Councilwoman Johnson said that aside from the curative care, the Island Council also pointed out that it was important to invest in preventive care. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we realized that we have many restrictions in healthcare on Saba, and that peoples health and the prevention of sickness is key, she said. During Thursdays meeting she and Charles mentioned the need for recreational facilities on Saba, while Buncamper said Saba was lacking a public swimming pool.

Councilman Hemmie van Xanten said he was not entirely satisfied with the meeting with Van Ooijen. Though we were able to express our concerns about healthcare, I have a feeling that there is insufficient understanding for the things that are not going as they should and the role of the ZVK office plays in that.

Van Xanten said he told the State Secretary that because of various incidents, the Saba people had little confidence in the service delivered by the ZVK office in Bonaire. He said the State Secretary and the ZJCN officials took note of this complaints and promised to work on restoring that trust through, among other things, an independent complaints bureau and better communication.

Proper care

Van Xanten said that at these types of meetings, which in his opinion were of a more general nature, there was not enough opportunity to go into details. He said that he would like to have one-on-one meetings with for example a ZVK office in Bonaire to tell them in details what the problems with providing proper care for Saba patients.

According to Commissioner Wilson, quality, procedures, communication and logistics in medical referrals were all re-emphasized. The discussion and the points that we had previously were once again made very clear. We want the best healthcare system for our people, and nothing less, he stated. He said that the points brought forward during Thursdays meeting will be looked into. Every two months ZVK and ZJCN will meet with the Executive Council. New policies and procedures will have to be discussed first with all stakeholders before they are implemented.
EDITORS NOTE: Acclaimed author, and political thinker George Lamming, OCC, CHB, was born on June 8, 1927 and died on June 4, 2022, in his native Barbados. He was 94. Dr. Lamming was accorded a state funeral. On July 1, a solemn Memorial Service held for him at the Frank Collymore Hall, was attended by his family, President Dame Sandra Mason and Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, along with other dignitaries, colleagues, and friends from the country and abroad. The following tribute was written by Lasana M. Sekou, founder of House of Nehesi Publishers, George Lammings first Caribbean publisher.

When we lose one of our greatest writers, we are thrown into mourning but when a publisher loses an author of the renown and caliber of George Lamming, the mourning becomes much more than an expression of collective loss and turns into a very personal and disruptive bereavement. That was the special relationship House of Nehesi Publishers (HNP) had with George Lamming because though it was a dream come true for us to have published him, he chose us. It was in 1993, at the Caribbean Writers Summer Institute, hosted by the University of Miami where he taught the fiction workshop in which I was a James Mitchener Fellow. At the first office meeting, thinking I was called to discuss my writing, Dr. Lamming handed me his manuscript for HNP to consider publishing. We remain ever thankful and became in a very vital sense part of his coming home.

The manuscript became Dr. Lammings first HNP title, Coming, Coming Home: Conversations II  Western Education and the Caribbean Intellectual, and his first book published in the Caribbean. The seminal collection of essays, which includes a French translation of the original English text, was launched at CARIFESTA VI in Port of Spain in 1995. Coming, Coming Home received a rush of reviews in Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, St. Martin, and throughout the region. Dr. Lamming told us a few weeks later that Coming, Coming Home was his first book to be so widely reported on by especially newspapers in the Caribbean. The book has since been reprinted and includes a Spanish translation, and was at one time a CXC social studies text for teachers.

Sovereignty of the Imagination: Conversations III  Language and the Politics of Ethnicity by George Lamming was published in St. Martin in 2009, again by the indie press HNP. The reviews, by noted journalist Rickey Singh and others, spread throughout the region in major newspapers. The last time I visited Dr. Lamming in Barbados was in 2019. He wanted to know about our progress on the new edition of his first Conversations volume, which was published in London in 1992. Dr. Lamming had approached us some years earlier about republishing the first Conversations. He wanted the three volumes published in the Caribbean. We also spoke about publishing one of his novels. He appeared somewhat surprised that HNP was serious about the matter when pressed about which one of his novels might sell better for the investment that a small press would have to put in the project: Oh, Sekou, I dont know which one, said Dr. Lamming in that gravel-rich voice. Mr. Singh visited him about an hour after I had arrived and with his somewhat shy smile, he and his daughter got caught up in the light banter about which one. I would like to think that HNP is to date the Caribbean publisher of George Lamming, an aspect of his legacy that belongs to all of us. We would wish to continue this relationship with his estate.

George Lamming loved his Bajan people dearly. His love for Haiti and Cuba and his solidarity with the peoples of both historically revolutionary nations, their ongoing battles against the collective enterprise of empire, were clear, constructively critical, and unwavering. He was fascinated by St. Martins plurilingual reality, the way how its people traveled widely; and was utterly charmed by the young people of the organizing committee of the St. Martin Book Fair on the three occasions that he was a guest author of the literary festival. Dr. Lamming dearly loved his Caribbean people, across race and language zones, and embraced fully the peoples of the Caribbean diasporas that tenant what I call George Lamming external frontiers. He once told me that being a Caribbean man made him more of a Barbadian than being a Barbadian made him more of a Caribbean man. George Lamming, internationally acclaimed novelist, essayist, political thinker, poet, chose to be a Caribbean man, an outstanding Bajan man. His was a spirit of generosity, according to historian Richard Drayton, and he had long cast his lot with the masses of the people. In each country and in the yet non-independent territories of this archipelago and its region, it could be said, resolutely, that the George Lamming of nuestro caribe, him belong to we, to I and I, as we would say in St. Martin, hez wez own.

Farewell, Master Teacher.
PHILIPSBURG:--- The police dispatch was notified about an armed robbery that took place in a supermarket located on Arch road.

The supermarket was robbed of cash from the cash register with the use of a firearm. After the robbery, both suspects made their escape in an awaiting vehicle.

The police tried the intercept the getaway vehicle which lead to a short pursuit that ended in the Belvedere area. During this pursuit, a male suspect was apprehended.

The other two suspects avoided being captured by fleeing through the bushes toward the French border.

A search for the fleeing suspects in the immediate area was conducted, and a weapon was discovered and confiscated. No additional arrest was made.

The French authorities were also notified.

This investigation will be conducted by the special robbery unit.

KPSM Press Release.
~ 4 MPS off-island signed prior to leaving. ~

PHILIPSBURG:--- Some members of parliament namely those from the current National Alliance and United Peoples Party (NA/UP) coalition continue to meet in order to strengthen their coalition after MP Solange Ludmilla Duncan resigned from the National Alliance.

The formation meetings began after an urgent meeting of parliament was called on Wednesday, June 29th, 2022, where the Minister of VROMI Egbert Jurendy Doran was invited to discuss the most recent report from the Ombudsman.

As the meeting began MP Duncan read a prepared statement where she said she resigned from the National Alliance but at no point did MP Duncan indicate in her statement that she was no longer supporting the present NA/UP coalition government. Several members of parliament have said on social media posts that the current coalition only has 8 supporting members of parliament however, no letter has been sent to the governor by MP Duncan informing him that she no longer supports the current NA/ UPP coalition.

During that meeting, it was clear that the chairlady of parliament Grisha Heyliger Marten who is at odds with her party leader MP Rolando Brison was hell-bent on getting the motion of no confidence against Minister Doran on the floor of parliament before the recess begins.

On Wednesday evening some members of parliament met, and those members Rolando Brison, Akeem Arrindell, and Chanel Brownbill, the two former USP Party members who are close friends with the UPP leader and began their negotiations after the meeting of parliament held on June 29th.

On Thursday, June 30th, 2022, a political accord was drafted by faction leader of the National Alliance MP William Marlin who is currently off-island on medical. The new political accord was sent in time for the coalition meeting that was held on Friday in order for those in agreement to sign on to the new coalition agreement.

It should be noted that at least four members who want to form a new coalition are off-island and as such, they signed on to the agreement that has since been leaked since they were not going to be on the island. Those that are off-island are MP Angelique Roumou, MP Chanel Brownbill, MP George Pantophlet, and MP William Marlin.

The leaked document consists of eight signatures: -

1. William Marlin NA

2. George Pantophlet NA

3. Hyacinth Richardson NA

4. Angelique Roumou NA

5. Chanel Brownbill Independent

6. Akeem Arrindell Independent

7. Rolando Brison UPP

8. Sidhardt Bijlani UPP

Noteworthy is that MP Ludmilla de Weever and Grisha Heyliger Marten did not sign the new accord. Sources say that efforts are still being made to get both UPP members on board.

In a joint statement, the UP and NA leaders said that they met on Friday to explore the options of broadening the coalition and that discussions are not finalized.

On Saturday when the leaked addendum surfaced on social media it has been confirmed to SMN News by several of the key Members of Parliament that the negotiations have not been finalized and that it is a work in progress.

The Members of Parliament made clear that the discussions are still ongoing and all other MPs are given the opportunity to join including MP Ludmilla Duncan. They said that it is not unusual for a member of parliament to go independent but still support a government their former party is part of. Reference was made to former Member of Parliament Frans Richardson when he resigned from the National Alliance and later formed a government with them.

The leaked addendum that has 8 signatures do not bear the signature of the Prime Minister and leader of the National Alliance Silveria Jacobs who would have been the formateur of the new coalition government.

If the Prime Minister does not agree and does not sign the new accord, she can well dissolve the parliament of St. Maarten and call for new elections. Something Members of Parliament are trying to avoid at all costs.
Another interesting short story that brought up mixed feelings in me. How do you like it? What do you think the problems were? Happy 4th of July!

https://www.englishclub.com/reading/story-winepress.htm

The Winepress

A short story by Josef Essberger

"You don't have to be French to enjoy a decent red wine," Charles Jousselin de Gruse used to tell his foreign guests whenever he entertained them in Paris. "But you do have to be French to recognize one," he would add with a laugh.

After a lifetime in the French diplomatic corps, the Count de Gruse lived with his wife in an elegant townhouse on Quai Voltaire. He was a likeable man, cultivated of course, with a well-deserved reputation as a generous host and an amusing raconteur.

This evening's guests were all European and all equally convinced that immigrants was at the root of Europe's problems. Charles de Gruse said nothing. He had always concealed his contempt for such ideas. And, in any case, he had never much cared for these particular guests.

The first of the red Bordeaux was being served with the veal, and one of the guests turned to de Gruse.

"Come on, Charles, it's simple arithmetic. Nothing to do with race or colour. You must've had bags of experience of this sort of thing. What d'you say?"

"Yes, General. Bags!"

Without another word, de Gruse picked up his glass and introduced his bulbous, winey nose. After a moment he looked up with watery eyes.

"A truly full-bodied Bordeaux," he said warmly, "a wine among wines."

The four guests held their glasses to the light and studied their blood-red contents. They all agreed that it was the best wine they had ever tasted.

One by one the little white lights along the Seine were coming on, and from the first-floor windows you could see the brightly lit bateaux-mouches passing through the arches of the Pont du Carrousel. The party moved on to a dish of game served with a more vigorous claret.

"Can you imagine," asked de Gruse, as the claret was poured, "that there are people who actually serve wines they know nothing about?"

"Personally, before I uncork a bottle I like to know what's in it."

"Really?" said one of the guests, a German politician.

"But how? How can anyone be sure?"

"I like to hunt around the vineyards. Take this place I used to visit in Bordeaux. I got to know the

wine---grower there personally.

"A matter of pedigree, Charles," said the other politician.

"This fellow," continued de Gruse as though the Dutchman had not spoken, "always gave you the story behind his wines. One of them was the most extraordinary story I ever heard. We were tasting, in his winery, and we came to a cask that made him frown. He asked if I agreed with him that red Bordeaux was the best wine in the world. Of course, I agreed. Then he made the strangest statement.

"'The wine in this cask,' he said, and there were tears in his eyes, 'is the best vintage in the world. But it started its life far from the country where it was grown.'"

De Gruse paused to check that his guests were being served.

"Well?" said the Dutchman.

De Gruse and his wife exchanged glances.

"Do tell them, mon cheri," she said.

De Gruse leaned forwards, took another sip of wine, and dabbed his lips with the corner of his napkin. This is the story he told them.

At the age of twenty-one, Pierre - that was the name he gave the wine----grower - had been sent by his father to spend some time with his uncle in Madagascar. Within two weeks he had fallen for a local girl called Faniry, or "Desire" in Malagasy. You could not blame him. At seventeen she was ravishing. In the Malagasy sunlight her skin was golden. Her black, waist-length hair, which hung straight beside her cheeks, framed large, fathomless eyes. It was a genuine coup de foudre, for both of them. Within five months they were married. Faniry had no family, but Pierre's parents came out from France for the wedding, even though they did not strictly approve of it, and for three years the young couple lived very happily on the island of Madagascar. Then, one day, a telegram came from France. Pierre's parents and his only brother had been killed in a car crash. Pierre took the next flight home to attend the funeral and manage the vineyard left by his father.

Faniry followed two weeks later. Pierre was grief-stricken, but with Faniry he settled down to running the vineyard. His family, and the lazy, idyllic days under a tropical sun, were gone forever. But he was very happily married, and he was very well-off. Perhaps, he reasoned, life in Bordeaux would not be so bad.

But he was wrong. It soon became obvious that Faniry was jealous. In Madagascar she had no match. In France she was jealous of everyone. Of the maids. Of the secretary. Even of the peasant girls who picked the grapes and giggled at her funny accent. She convinced herself that Pierre made love to each of them in turn.

She started with insinuations, simple, artless ones that Pierre hardly even recognized. Then she tried blunt accusation in the privacy of their bedroom. When he denied that, she resorted to violent, humiliating denouncements in the kitchens, the winery, the plantations. The angel that Pierre had married in Madagascar had become a termagant, blinded by jealousy. Nothing he did or said could help. Often, she would refuse to speak for a week or more, and when at last she spoke it would only be to scream yet more abuse or swear again her intention to leave him. By the third vine-harvest it was obvious to everyone that they loathed each other.

One Friday evening, Pierre was down in the winery, working on a new electric winepress. He was alone. The grape-pickers had left. Suddenly the door opened and Faniry entered, excessively made up. She walked straight up to Pierre, flung her arms around his neck, and pressed herself against him. Even above the fumes from the pressed grapes he could smell that she had been drinking.

"Darling," she sighed, "what shall we do?"

He badly wanted her, but all the past insults and humiliating scenes welled up inside him. He pushed her away.

"But, darling, I'm going to have a baby."

"Don't be absurd. Go to bed! You're drunk. And take that paint off. It makes you look like a tart."

Faniry's face blackened, and she threw herself at him with new accusations. He had never cared for her. He cared only about sex. He was obsessed with it. And with white women. But the women in France, the white women, they were the tarts, and he was welcome to them. She snatched a knife from the wall and lunged at him with it. She was in tears, but it took all his strength to keep the knife from his throat. Eventually he pushed her off, and she stumbled towards the winepress. Pierre stood, breathing heavily, as the screw of the press caught at her hair and dragged her in. She screamed, struggling to free herself. The screw bit slowly into her shoulder and she screamed again. Then she fainted, though whether from the pain or the fumes he was not sure. He looked away until a sickening sound told him it was over. Then he raised his arm and switched the current off.

The guests shuddered visibly and de Gruse paused in his story.

"Well, I won't go into the details at table," he said. "Pierre fed the rest of the body into the press and tidied up. Then he went up to the house, had a bath, ate a meal, and went to bed. The next day, he told everyone Faniry had finally left him and gone back to Madagascar. No-one was surprised."

He paused again. His guests sat motionless, their eyes turned towards him.

"Of course," he continued, "Sixty-five was a bad year for red Bordeaux. Except for Pierre's. That was the extraordinary thing. It won award after award, and nobody could understand why."

The general's wife cleared her throat.

"But, surely," she said, "you didn't taste it?"

"No, I didn't taste it, though Pierre did assure me his wife had lent the wine an incomparable aroma."

"And you didn't, er, buy any?" asked the general.

"How could I refuse? It isn't every day that one finds such a pedigree."

There was a long silence. The Dutchman shifted awkwardly in his seat, his glass poised midway between the table and his open lips. The other guests looked around uneasily at each other. They did not understand.

"But look here, Gruse," said the general at last, "you don't mean to tell me we're drinking this damned woman now, d'you?"

De Gruse gazed impassively at the Englishman.

"Heaven forbid, General," he said slowly. "Everyone knows that the best vintage should always come first
congatec extends its 12th Gen Intel Core processor based COM-HPC and COM Express Computer-on-Module portfolio with seven more power-efficient new processor variants

Posted by Publisher Hardware

congatec a a leading vendor of embedded and edge computing technology a introduces seven less power-hungry variants of the 12th Generation Intel Core IOTG mobile processors (formerly codenamed Alder Lake) on 7 new COM-HPC and COM Express Computer-on-Modules each. Featuring the new Intel hybrid architecture with its mix of performance cores (P-cores) and efficient cores (E cores), the BGA-solderable processor variants consume just 15 to 28 W base power, which enables engineers to utilize them in fully passively cooled embedded and edge computing platforms. This eliminates the need for costly cooling options and improves the ruggedness and MTBF of system designs.

The lower energy consumption is mainly achieved by reducing the number of P-cores while maintaining the E-core count. For example, in the Intel Core i7 processor performance range heterogenous workloads benefit from 8 efficient cores in all available variants and can scale down from 6 P-cores (12800HE/45 W base power) to either 4 (1270PE/28 W base power) or 2 P-cores (1265UE/ 15 W base power). Another power saving factor is less PCIe lanes (20 instead of 28). As selected processors are also suitable for hard real-time applications, support virtual machines and include Intel TCC and TSN support, these new congatec Computer-on-Modules are perfect candidates to consolidate a multitude of different heterogenous workloads including AI and/or immersive GUIs on one single passively cooled edge computing platform.

Target industrial markets for the new high-performance Computer-on-Modules with Intel Core i7/5/3 and Celeron processors can be found wherever passively cooled computing systems need more performance. This includes, for example, edge computers and IoT gateways incorporating multiple virtual machines for smart factories and process automation, AI based quality inspection and industrial vision, real-time collaborative robotics, and autonomous logistics vehicles for warehousing and shipping. Typical outdoor applications include autonomous vehicles and mobile machines, video security and gateway applications in transportation and smart cities, as well as 5G cloudlets and edge devices requiring AI supported packet inspection.

Offering DDR5 memory support in all different core combination variants, the new congatec Computer-on-Modules with PCIe Gen 4 supporting Intel hybrid architecture accelerate multithreaded applications and make background task execution more efficient. Also impressive is the graphics performance of the integrated Intel Iris Xe GPU with up to 96 execution units.

Besides highest bandwidth and overall improved performance, the new flagship COM HPC Client and COM Express Type 6 modules impress with dedicated AI engines supporting Windows ML, Intel OpenVINO toolkit and Chrome Cross ML. The different AI workloads can be seamlessly delegated to the P-cores, E-cores and the GPU execution units to process even the most compute-intensive edge AI tasks. The built-in Intel Deep Learning boost technology leverages different cores via Vector Neural Network Instructions (VNNI), and the integrated graphics supports AI accelerated DP4a GPU instructions that can even be scaled to dedicated GPUs. Furthermore, Intela?s lowest power built-in AI accelerator, the Intel Gaussian & Neural Accelerator 3.0 (Intel GNA 3.0), enables dynamic noise suppression and speech recognition and can even run while the processor is in low power states for wake-up voice commands.

Combining these features with support for Real-Time Systemsa? hypervisor technology as well as OS support for Real-Time Linux and Wind River VxWorks, makes these modules a truly rounded ecosystem package to facilitate and accelerate the development of edge computing applications.

The feature set in detail

The new conga-HPC/cALP COM-HPC Client Size A modules (95x120mm), as well as the conga-TC670 COM Express Compact Type 6 modules (95x95mm) are available with 6 energy efficient 12th Gen Intel Core processors as well as a cost optimized Celeron processor. Both module families support up to 64 GB ultra-fast DDR5 SO-DIMM memory with 4,800 MT/s. Extraordinary graphics support for up to 4 independent displays and up to 8k resolution is provided by the integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics with the Intel Core i7 and i5 processors, and by the Intel UHD graphics with Intel Core i3 and Intel Celeron. To connect peripherals with massive bandwidth, the COM-HPC modules support up to 16 PCIe Gen 4 and 8 PCIe Gen 3 lanes, and additionally boast up to 2x Thunderbolt. The COM Express variants feature up to 8 PCIe Gen 4 and 8 PCIe Gen 3 lanes. Both support an optional and ultra-fast NVMe SSD. Further storage media can be connected via 2x SATA Gen 3. For networking, the COM-HPC module offers 2x 2.5 GbE, whereas the COM Express module executes 1x 2.5 GbE, with both supporting TSN. Sound is provided via SoundWire, HDO or I2S in the COM-HPC version, and HDA on the COM Express modules. Comprehensive board support packages are provided for all leading Real-Time Operating Systems, including hypervisor support from Real-Time Systems as well as Linux, Windows and Android.

The entire range of 12th Gen Intel Core processor based conga-TC670 COM Express Type 6 Compact modules (95x95mm) and the conga-HPC/cALP COM-HPC Client Size A modules (95x120mm) comprises the following 10 different configurations:

Processor Cores/

(P + E) P-cores

Freq. [GHz] E-cores

Freq. [GHz] Threads GPU Compute Units CPU Base Power [W]

Intel Core i7 12800HE 14 (6+8) 2.4 / 4.6 1.8 / 3.5 20 96 45

Intel Core i7 1270PE (new) 12 (4+8) 1.8 / 4.5 1.2 / 3.3 16 96 28

Intel Core i7 1265UE (new) 10 (2+8) 1.7 / 4.7 1.2 / 3.5 12 96 15

Intel Core i5 12600HE 12 (4+8) 2.5 / 4.5 1.8 / 3.3 16 80 45

Intel Core i5 1250PE (new) 12 (4+8) 1.7 / 4.4 1.2 / 3.2 16 80 28

Intel Core i5 1245UE (new) 10 (2+8) 1.5 / 4.4 1.1 / 3.3 12 80 15

Intel Core i3 12300HE 8 (4+4) 1.9 / 4.3 1.5 / 3.3 12 48 45

Intel Core i3 1220PE (new) 8 (4+4) 1.5 / 4.2 1.1 / 3.1 12 48 28

Intel Core i3 1215UE (new) 6 (2+4) 1.2 / 4.4 0.9 / 3.3 8 64 15

Intel Celeron 7305E (new) 5 (1+4) 1.0 / N/A 0.9 / 0.9 5 48 15

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Result of Annual General Meeting

First Tin, a tin development company with advanced, low capex projects in Germany and Australia,is pleased to announce that all of the resolutions proposed at the Companya?s Annual General Meeting held yesterday afternoon were dully passed.

The details of results of the voting received in relation to resolutions at the AGM will be available shortly on the Company\-s website:A https://firsttin.com/ .

First Tin is an ethical, reliable, and sustainable tin production company led by a team of renowned tin specialists. The Company is focused on becoming a tin supplier in conflict-free, low political risk jurisdictions through the rapid development of high value, low capex tin assets in Germany and Australia.

Tin is a critical metal, vital in any plan to decarbonise and electrify the world, yet Europe has very little supply. Rising demand, together with shortages, is expected to lead tin to experience sustained deficit markets for the foreseeable future. Its assets have been de-risked significantly, with extensive work undertaken to date.

First Tin\-s goal is to use best-in-class environmental standards to bring two tin mines into production in three years, providing provenance of supply to support the current global clean energy and technological revolutions.
We lived our little drama

We kissed in a field of white

Stars fell on Alabama last night

I can't forget the glamor

Your eyes held a tender light

And stars fell on Alabama last night

I never planned in my imagination

A situation so heavenly

A fairy land where no one else could enter

And in the center just you and me, dear

My heartbeat like a hammer

My arm wound around you tight

And stars fell on Alabama last night
CARENCRO, La. (AP)  The Thibodeaux family ventured from Breaux Bridge to Carencro to spend part of their Saturday in a small concrete block room reading together and being crawled on by fuzzy kittens.

Brylee Thibodeaux, 9, usually sticks to Babysitters Club books and big sister Bailee, 12, prefers mysteries like Sherlock Holmes. But this Saturday they started with Cookies Week, which follows a black-and-white kitten through the days of the week.

It was one of the books in a pile on the floor, along with others featuring Pete the Cat, the Aristocats and more literary felines. Theyre options provided every other month during Kitty Litter-ature, when children and adults can volunteer to read to cats at Acadiana Animal Aid, the no-kill shelter in north Lafayette Parish.

The program began in 2015 as a way to socialize kittens and ready them for adoption, while also providing kids a safe space to practice their reading skills outside the classroom.

I really want the kids to build confidence in reading and families to see the value of cats and that Acadiana Animal Aid exists to create a safe place for animals to wait until they find their homes, Acadiana Animal Aid Executive Director Jeanine Foucher said. I want to bring the community closer to us and elevate companion animals.

Most of participants in the volunteer-facilitated reading experience usually range in age from 5 to 10, but some older and younger ones come as well, Foucher said.

Bailee and Brylees mom, Jacqueline Thibodeaux, discovered the event through Facebook and was up for it because we love cats. They are maxed out with three of their own at home.

We would take all of them if we could, she said, so we came to get our kitty snuggles.

Becky Griffin brought her 7-year-old daughter, Parker, to read and play with the cats Saturday. They dont have pets at home, so this was a chance to do something fun together and grow more comfortable around animals.

I always wanted to come to the shelter, the mom from Lafayette said. This was the push I needed to get out here.

But its not just about the kitty snuggles. The program gives kids a different kind of audience for their reading, one that doesnt give a grade or notice if they stumble.

The kitties dont judge, said Beth Wilson, who has volunteered with Acadiana Animal Aid for years.

Wilson and other volunteers can help with the cats as well as reading, if the children want.

Retired third-grade teacher Linda Cushmeyer began volunteering with the shelter program a few months ago, on hand to help kids sound out a tricky word or just share the book load. One week she took turns with a little girl, each reading one page before handing the book to the other.

The kids enjoy showing off how well they can read, and the ones who are not strong readers have been receptive to some help, Cushmeyer said.

Parker described herself as not a very strong reader, but she was able to quickly make out the title of The Family Book. Maybe her reading skills were stronger than she thought.

This is something Tori Flint, assistant professor of literacy at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, is following in her research on play-literacies and reading motivation.

My research looks at literacy outside the classroom, which people often dont recognize as impactful, and at connecting play-literacy potential, Flint said.

Shes been to several sessions of Kitty Litter-ature this year, sitting back and observing as kids and parents turn pages and pet cats. Shes studying the program as a literacy researcher, having received institutional approval from the university and permission from the shelter and participants.

I ask kids about reading in school and they say they actually dont like reading there but they do like reading with cats, Flint said.

As a teacher of teachers in Louisiana-Lafayette's College of Education, Flint sees potential for incorporating this idea, or at least the lessons learned from the program, in future classrooms. The cats provide motivation and a playful environment in which kids can experience the world around them.

They see themselves as the expert reader rather than the struggling reader they might be at school, Flint said. Those connections are really important. It makes it fun, but also lets them practice their reading and makes them want to practice.

Meghan Alleman, from Breaux Bridge, brought her 8- and 6-year-old children to get more exposure to cats and more reading experience.

I wanted to get them some experience reading with an audience and help them be more confident reading in a different environment, Alleman said.

Together they read the Shy Little Kitten, which was appropriate as two of the three in their room stuck mostly to one corner. The third, though, wasnt shy at all, tumbling over the pile of books on his way to their laps.

Alleman said theyll be back for another round of Kitty Litter-ature, which takes place every other month.

To find out more or to volunteer, contact Foucher at volunteer@acadianaanimalaid.org or visit Acadiana Animal Aid on Facebook.
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP)  It was unclear nearly three years ago what would happen to a cache of civil rights-era items with a Charleston provenance.

The collection included the original tape of a Martin Luther King Jr. speech delivered July 30, 1967, at Charleston County Hall, as well as a recording surreptitiously made of a Ku Klux Klan rally the night before Kings appearance.

It also contained audio of Ralph Abernathys lengthy speech of April 1, 1969, delivered during the Charleston Hospital Workers Strike.

Abernathy had become president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference after Kings assassination in April 1968, and he was in town along with other civil rights leaders to support nurses and other workers protesting unequal pay and mistreatment.

The audio recordings have not been heard except by a few and are sure to attract the attention of civil rights scholars, students and others. The year 1967 was pivotal in the life of King, who was shifting his attention from integration and enfranchisement to systemic problems of mass poverty, American imperialism and Black self-determination.

The collection went to auction in 2019 and sold in New York City for $55,000 plus a 25-percent buyers premium.

Now its back in Charleston, part of the holdings of the College of Charlestons Avery Research Center thanks to a donation from the Merrill C. Berman Collection. Avery staff plan to mount an exhibition in 2023 contextualizing and interpreting the materials for public consumption.

The items had belonged to Columbia-based journalist Eugene Sloan who covered the events and made the recordings when he worked for The State newspaper. His daughters, Laura and Mary, tried to sell the collection intact a few years ago. The International African American Museum declined the offer since at the time it wasnt a collecting institution and did not have the means to store and preserve the materials, a curator had said.

Bureaucracy got in the way when the Avery and the Center for Civil Rights History and Research at the University of South Carolina expressed interest in procuring the collection.

At the time, Laura Crosby, a Summerville resident, and her sister Mary Roby were disappointed that the boxful of civil rights history wasnt purchased by someone in Charleston, Crosby told The Post and Courier.

Their father thought highly of King and appreciated the efforts of civil rights activists, she said. Sloan died of a heart attack in 1969. The items remained in storage for decades.

Avery Director Tamara Butler said the collection will help her team update a narrative that has long portrayed Charleston as a relatively mild-mannered place that saw far less confrontation and violence than cities such as Birmingham or Montgomery in Alabama.

Theres a reason King came to Charleston in 1967, she said. The groundwork had been laid by local activists over many years since the city was not an afterthought of the freedom movement but one of its essential hubs.

Thats why Butler wants to use the new gift and the history it represents as a tool to find related testimonies of racial resistance and rebellion.

The larger hope for us is that it will actually open up a gateway for us to collect stories, she said.

Perhaps some in Charleston can share their memories of that period  where they were and what they were doing on the night of Kings speech, or when Abernathy was in town, Butler said.

The bigger goal is to get more voices in conversation with these (of King and Abernathy), she said.

Besides the tapes, which include remarks from Johns Island activist Esau Jenkins and his granddaughter Jackie Gimball, the collection contains photographs of King and his entourage, the equipment Sloan used to make the audio recordings, photographs of the Klan rally and Sloans Hasselblad medium-format camera.

On one of the tapes, listeners can hear KKK Grand Dragon Robert Scoggin at a meeting in Ravenel calling for Kings assassination, followed by sounds of approval from those gathered that night.

King, instead, condemned violence in his half-hour speech. Responding to urban riots, he told his audience that setting fire to property within their communities was counterproductive. Better, he said, to build, baby build.

Aaisha Haykal, Averys manager of archival services, said the audio eventually will be made available online, perhaps along with digital images of some of the other items.

A grant received a few years ago from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission is helping to fund digitization efforts. Another grant received this year from the Donnelley Foundation will help pay for an oral history project thats likely to overlap with the effort to create an exhibit that places Kings address at its center.

Daron Calhoun, Averys outreach and public programming coordinator, and coordinator of the race and social justice initiative, said securing the collection took some convincing. The staff insisted the materials needed to be housed in Charleston, and that Avery could contextualize them in ways that engaged the larger community.

Calhoun formed a curatorial committee of nine to help identify, prioritize and organize exhibition projects, he said. The group includes museum and nonprofit professionals, city officials, community members and student and faculty representatives.

The King project has shot to the top of the project list, though it could take a year or more to put it together, Calhoun said.

Its going to take up the entire building, he said.
On the Monday afternoon Carbon County flooded, Rich Holstein was laid up in a hospital bed. Hed had a toe amputated a few weeks prior and an infection landed him back for treatment with intravenous antibiotics.

I was getting phone calls, and I live damn near a half-mile from the river. There should not be water here, Holstein said of friends buzzing his phone as he was tethered by IV tubing, miles from home and unable to monitor the situation first-hand.

Then he saw his boat on the 5:30 p.m. newscast, floating on its trailer in front of his home.

By the time I got out there, all I could do was cry looking around at everything. It was just devastation, Holstein said. You wouldnt think ... Im 3/8th of a mile from the river. Im in the middle of town, in a mobile home, and I'm still flooded.

Had he been home in Fromberg, Holstein still couldnt have saved from the rapidly rising water all the wood he salvaged years ago from the Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone. It was the material he used to build photo frames and a successful business in selling them. The river came for his livelihood too fast and in the middle of the night.

Holstein does figure he could have collected some clothing and at a minimum his vehicle. But when he finally got out of the hospital around 11 a.m. Tuesday, the scene that met him as home was something he described as all hell broken loose.

Id seen pictures of my Navigator (vehicle). It had floated about 10 feet away. And my campers flooded, Holstein said.

Because of his health issues  22 surgeries in the last four years  Holstein tried to "save every penny I could" for paying down medical debt. That included dropping comprehensive coverage on his vehicle, meaning the flood left it a total loss.

And as far too many people in Montana have learned over the last few weeks, homeowners insurance doesnt do a thing in the case of a flood.

My cars gone. My backup plan is my camper, but the camper had 2  feet of water in it, Holstein said.

Lack of coverage

Early estimates pegged the loss across Carbon, Park and Stillwater counties at about 115 residences fully or mostly destroyed. The state Commissioner of Securities and Insurance said the number of flood insurance policies in place throughout those communities was dismal.

There were just 18 policies in Red Lodge and 58 in unincorporated Carbon County. Livingston had only nine policies and there were 77 across the rest of Park County. There were 69 policies in Stillwater County, and just two in Columbus.

Theyre just horrible numbers, Troy Downing said.

Flood insurance is expensive, Downing said, and something few people get unless their lender requires it. And even in those cases, the insurance can sometimes cover only what the lender worries about  the home they put up the money for  and not its contents or what happens to the people who lived there.

If its lender-placed, the lender cares about protecting their interest in the mortgage, Downing said. They dont care about protecting your content or anything else. A lot of that is inadequate.

Most people in Montana who have flood insurance have coverage through the National Flood Insurance Program, which offers coverage in 23,000 communities around the nation in the floodplain that participate. There are also sometimes private insurance options.

As he traveled around the region meeting with people who lost homes and belongings, Downing said the most common reason he heard for people not purchasing insurance is that its too expensive.

In some rare cases, a flood policy can double the cost of regular home insurance, but Downing said more commonly getting coverage for a flood means a 50% to 90% increase in home insurance costs.

Renters are also in a similar position to homeowners  unless they have a specifically purchased policy, they are likely without any coverage.

Downing said it was heartbreaking to meet so many people who were painfully uninsured.

There's not a whole lot we can do other than listen and try to direct people to resources that are out there, Downing said.

As cleanup efforts started, Downing encouraged those with damage to document everything, even those without insurance. That was because of the hope that the Federal Emergency Management Agency would get involved.

FEMA aid

On June 23, Gov. Greg Gianforte requested FEMA activate the Individual Assistance program under the presidential major disaster declaration, citing in part a lack of flood insurance for many who lost homes and belongings.

"While some survivors have insurance policies, many are at risk for being underinsured and/or not having the correct peril for coverage," the request read. "The sudden impact of the severe flooding resulted in significant loss of many homes and personal property contained therein."

On Thursday, FEMA said it approved Montanas request.

I appreciate Administrator Deanne Criswell and her team at FEMA for working with us to fast track Individual Assistance for Montanans impacted by the flooding disaster, Gianforte said in a press release. These funds will help Montanans get back on their feet as they rebuild and recover in the weeks and months ahead.

People in Park, Stillwater and Carbon counties who have losses from flooding can now file a claim with their insurance company and apply for FEMA assistance at floodrecovery.mt.gov.

FEMAs program for individuals and households includes financial and direct services intended to meet basic needs and supplement disaster recovery efforts. The FEMA website warns assistance is not a substitute for insurance and cannot compensate for all losses caused by a disaster.

The assistance can help cover things like temporary housing through rental aid or paying for hotel costs, temporary housing units, money to repair or replace primary residence and access like driveways or roads, cash to help replace uninsured or under-insured losses such as personal property and vehicles, and more.

Downing said as he sees the images of destruction come from the Yellowstone region, he is thinking ahead of how to encourage people to buy flood insurance for the future. He pointed to Miles City, which was partly submerged with massive floods in 2018. Now there are 718 residences with flood insurance policies in town.

A lot of it is just memory, Downing said. If people bite the bullet and purchase those policies, its because theyve seen what can happen.

Lots of loss

Holstein, who has worked as an artist in the Yellowstone region for more than 20 years, was planning a career change because of his health. The flood unexpectedly forced him to accelerate that timeline.

Plug Holstein's former address where he lived and worked into the FEMA floodplain map and it shows he's on the far edge of an area that has a 0.2% annual chance of a flood hazard. Just a few structures away he'd be out of any sort of flood zone entirely.

Water submerging part of his home was the last thing he thought possible.

Emotionally, I will tell you, I sat on a park bench I built 25 years ago that survived the flood. I pulled it out of the mud, Holstein said in an interview last week. After Katrina, you see people sitting on the bench, on their stoop or something, and they just look blank. I never understood that. And that was just me now. You dont know where to start.

Getting into his house after the waters receded was death-defying, Holstein said. I didn't lose as hard inside the house as some did. I didnt lose everything, but I lost enough.

The saddest part, Holstein said, was when flood waters carried away the original wood flooring he reclaimed from the Old Faithful Inn. During the 100-year restoration of the hotel in Yellowstone, he spent four winters working for free to save the material from the landfill. Now it's all gone.

I cant sell Old Faithful Inn picture frames anymore, Holstein said. I lost my business.

Holstein estimates the wood that was left would have lasted another two to five years. He was also saving some for family and friends. Hes made nearly 30,000 frames from the Old Faithful flooring, he said.

Its all gone. It ended just like that, Holstein said. It was going to end anyway, because of me physically, but its not on my own terms. Its on Mother Natures terms.

An area that can't take hard hits

Montana's application to FEMA for individual assistance was peppered with statistics noting the financial challenges facing those who live in Park, Stillwater and Carbon counties.

The population is on the whole older than the rest of the state, meaning incomes are likely fixed. The number of those age 65 and up is 22.5% in Park County, 25.6% in Carbon and nearly 23% in Stillwater, compared to the statewide average of 18.7%

The price tag for a monthly mortgage is nearly 38% of the average household's income in Park County and rent is about a third of income across the affected area. Home prices have soared in the region and housing is hard to find. There is also a higher percentage of people living in mobile homes in the three counties than the rest of the state and country.

"Mobile home residents have been shown to be disproportionately impacted by disasters  due to physical characteristics of the home, location, social vulnerabilities of residences and complicated ownership agreements," Montana's request for federal aid said.

Two years ago, Holstein lost his house because of medical bills and moved into a mobile home to downsize and reduce expenses. He fixed it up with a new gas mainline.

When Holstein got out of the hospital and came back to a flooded residence, he saw what kept the back half of the home from falling fully into the water was that gas line  acting like an anchor.

With his home uninhabitable, Holstein is staying with his girlfriend, though space is tight.

On a trip to the hospital after seeing the flood damage at his home, a case manager offered Holstein a popup trailer. It was an incredible gesture, but still doesn't fix his housing problem.

Youre left speechless, Holstein said. Thats not coming from the hospital. Its coming from a person who just happened to come in and be working with me. A popup trailer gives me a place to go for a night, but I got nothing to tow it with, I gotta find a place to put it. That hasnt been solved yet."

With a lot of his town in a similar position, Holstein is worried people might just leave.

Theres already no housing in this area, Holstein said.   Theres maybe four to five rentals coming open in the last year. There's nowhere for anybody to go. You cant find a house. ... All of us that live out in the country love our little community. I leave my keys in the car and house unlocked. Its not the same.

Aside from trying to find a place to live, theres the cost of going back and forth between Fromberg and Billings to where Holstein found storage units for the few belongings he salvaged. Hes getting rides, but wants to pay for the gas. A local group is offering $25 and $50 gift cards, but that barely covers the gas for a trip and a half.

His side of town, Holstein said, was a low-income area.

Youre talking about people in Section 8, fixed incomes, single moms. Its not just me. Itll get through it. I'll survive. Mentally Im starting to get a little more past the initial shock, but hell, its taken over a week just to get past the initial shock, Holstein said. Its not a place that can take this kind of hit. Everybody has a story, everybody is going through their own situation."

What's next

In the days immediately after the flood, FEMA was largely absent, Holstein said.

Im on a wing and a prayer. They said save all your receipts, Holstein said. He's started a Go Fund Me to help offset his costs.

Still, Holstein's optimism kept showing up in an interview, even as he spoke with friends about where he needed help with a Bobcat someone had brought in to clear debris. Through his career, Holstein said he's donated about $414,000 to charities, and now the thing he's best able to give is sharing the mantra he's lived by for the last 25 years  "learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow."

He's reaching out to neighbors he sees walking around, showing the outward signs of defeat in slumped shoulders and hanging heads.

If you tell yourself you don't know how youre going to get through it or you dont know how its going to happen or youre talking negative to yourself, its going to knock you down, Holstein said. Im still keeping a good attitude and always smiling. What the hell else am I going to do? If I dont laugh at it, Im going to break down and cry.
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Being erected at the beginning of the 19th century, around 1808, in the middle of the old city, the long of the time the house of the governor of the Ruler's Council, in charge of supervising the Court, conducting the internal affairs of the country, also having judicial duties (vornic) Ilie Burchi, nicknamed Zmau, located on Zmeu Street no. 3 in the Fair of Iasi (Targul Iesilor), it had a significant importance in the local and national history.

"It was a boyar's house of the boyar Burchi Zmeu. The property also included the Zlataust church. There is buried Burchi Zmeu's family, but few people know that there is also the tomb of Barbu Lautaru. The building is located in the most important area of Iasi, which I call zero area against territorial annexation. Why? In the Beilic Square were the houses where the Ottoman Porte envoys came. Also here they lured the ruler Dimitrie III Ghica to decapitate him, because he was the first to oppose the annexation of the territories in northern Bukovina. What we are doing now is trying to bring the public to this area through the Regina Maria Municipal Museum, which was founded in this building, but also through the actions and activities we organize," declared, for AGERPRES, Dr. Aurica Ichim, the manager of the Regina Maria Municipal Museum.

Naturally, like any boyar house from those times Burchi Zmeu's house had its guests.

"He had a daughter that he wanted to see married and here they were organising balls, meetings. This was the atmosphere of the boyar houses in Iasi, an atmosphere that kind of disappeared. Many houses from the nineteenth century, which had a salon, received over time another appearance, another destination, and that scent of epoch disappeared. We want to bring it back through this museum. Iasi has its linden scent during this period. We, as a museum, have a duty to maintain this perfume, a fragrance of history, of beautiful encounters - whether they were meetings, whether they were balls, whether they were name days, whether they were receptions of certain personalities. In the salon, apart from what the music meant, the poetry, it was also discussed politics, it was also discussed what was happening in the city. People were careful to share certain information as well. There were also a lot of political things that were discussed in the salons," explained historian Aurica Ichim.

The manager of the Municipal Museum also says that this atmosphere of the salons showed what was the rank of each of the boyars of Iasi, Agerpres.ro informs.

"If there were yellow candles or the cutlery that didn't have a monogram were put on that meant it wasn't such a special event, it was a simpler event. But by the time the boyar gave a party with impressive names, everyone was getting ready. The hosts took out the cutlery with monogram, put white candles everywhere, silver candlesticks or gilded candlesticks. Not to mention the women that made new costumes especially for this meeting. So did the gentlemen. That was the atmosphere of those times. For some it seems like a fairy tale atmosphere, but before it was a fairy tale it was also a reality. Burchi Zmeu House still has today this beautiful salon that we tried to introduce into the atmosphere of the 19th century with furniture and pieces that suggest musical auditions, with flowers, paintings that take us into that atmosphere at the end of the 19th century, of the old Iasi," revealed Aurica Ichim.

After Burchi Zmeu's house passed into the property of the descendants between 1911 and 1918, it was converted into a sanatorium. A special moment, says the historian Aurica Ichim, was when in 1919 the house was bought by Olga Sturdza, confidant of Queen Maria, great philanthropist and protector of the fate afflicted. Olga Sturdza bought the building in 1919 for the War Orphans Society.

Throughout its existence, the building has been of significant importance to local history. For a period, between 1880 and 1893, the house of the boyar Burchi Zmeu becomes the headquarters of the State Archives, and in 1920, in an area of the house, it is established the headquarters of the Second Brigade of Gendarmes Iasi. Then, it was the period when a new building body was added. Here has been a home for the deaf and dumb since 1934. On the ground floor there were the boys, upstairs the girls.

"Also here during the communist period, many families stayed. Keep in mind that today someone comes and remembers how they lived in certain rooms in the house. They come and they say, 'Look, that's where we stayed. That's where I was keeping the wood.' Then here was Miorita, there was also the Builder Cooperative. These are the destinies that the house had before," the historian said.

Once with December 1989 and the fall of the communist bloc, Burchi Zmeu's house passes into a kind of oblivion and even enters into a collapse. In the period 2012-2015, the City Hall of Iasi municipality decides to reconsolidate and restore the house of Burchi Zmeu in order to turn it into a symbolic building for the culture and history of the city. Since 2018 Burchi Zmeu house is classified historical monument and becomes the headquarters of the Regina Maria Municipal Museum. Thus, the tradition of a museum of the city was resumed, which was abandoned in the inter-war period.

''The first municipal museum was established in 1920 by Gheorghe Ghibanescu in the courtyard of the Golia monastery. It functioned for 10 years. So, the current Regina Maria Municipal Museum is the continuation of the first museum. We started from scratch with the heritage, that is, from scratch pieces, and now, three years after opening, we have managed to reach over 3,000 items. We tried with the support of Mrs. Ivona Arama and other researchers certified by the Ministry of Culture to record only what is valuable, including a few pieces of treasure. We found understanding in people who came and made donations, but it is very important for a museum to be supported by the authorizing officer, namely the City Hall of Iasi Municipality, who helped us with funds to purchase pieces that would integrate into the theme of the museum," said Aurica Ichim.

The historian draws attention to the fact that Iasi has not reached economic development and is not a cosmopolitan center only through its citizens, but also with the help of its ethnic communities.

"We present here the Jews, the Greeks, the Lipovan Russians, the Roma, the Armenians. But every ethnic community presented comes with its history. And then we present the Greeks with their civilization, with a beautiful ship, an amphora, the Armenians with the Armenian Church, all in nineteenth century costumes, the Lipovan Russians with their church on the bank of Bahlui, and the Jews. They had a special role in the economic and cultural development of Iasi," explained Aurica Ichim.

The most appreciated place in the entire museum is the salon, the place where young people could show off their good education, idylls blossomed, marriages were inked, balls were organised and concerts were held. Other times the salon was the place of political debate. With the help of stamps, furniture and decorative art objects, the atmosphere of the nineteenth century salon is suggested.

Also at the Municipal Museum is presented another ward, this time a hospital ward from 1917.

"It is a room dedicated to present the activity of the Red Cross, a room in which Olga Sturdza, Maria Moruzzi - the one who founded the Red Cross in Romania, are presented alongside Queen Maria as sisters of charity and deal with the fate of the wounded. The Queen walked the streets of Iasi, caressed the children, stopped and talked to the poor. These were hard times, harsh times. It was famine, it was cold, it was typhus. At one point she was asked why when she walked into a salon she didn't put her glove on her hand. And she very nicely replied: 'How could I encourage a soldier to go further, to go to the front, to relieve the pain he has if I stretch out a hand in a glove.' We also have an image in which (writer Mihail) Sadoveanu is in the middle of the wounded soldiers. We also have a photo with (George) Enescu, who with his violin, as we know very well, was going and holding concerts through hospitals. All this to relieve pain and to increase this feeling of love for this land of ours and for the country," Aurica Ichim said.

At the Municipal Museum is presented very well and a different history of Iasi, which means Iasi and its taverns.

"The taverns of Iasi were the places where all social categories met. Those who did politics, politicians, journalists, and students too. But especially we try to capture those places where the great writers and poets of the time met. We try to introduce these inns, restaurants and cafes. There are a few pieces that you realize what they used to be right after you get in. We are cautious, but it's so nice to talk about the inns of Iasi. There are so many beautiful places that Iasi has had. Some of them we do not have anymore, some have been demolished," recalled Aurica Ichim.

Those who want to know the old history of Iasi are attracted by a layout of the city from 1859, with its narrow streets from back then.

"There are many who are impressed by this old layout of the city. They look and try to identify buildings, streets, places. We also included in this layout houses and churches from those times. The current street map is also presented. Iasi had to develop its streets, to widen them. Many of the European capitals solved this problem in 1800. They knew how to cut their big boulevards. Well, that didn't happen to us. That is why even today we are like the victims of that moment in which we did not know how to cut great boulevards and to keep our streets full of perfume and history, with the boyar houses," Aurica Ichim concludes.
The Olympic junior team of Romania obtained four gold medals and two silver medals at the 26th edition of the Balkan Mathematics Olympiad for Juniors, thus occupying the first place in the nations' ranking, with a record score.

"The Olympic junior team of Romania obtained an absolutely impressive record at the 26th edition of the Balkan Mathematics Olympiad for Juniors / JBMO (Sarajevo, June 26 - July 3): four gold medals (of which two with maximum score), two silver medals and first place in the national standings with 224 points (out of 240 possible). This score sets a record in the history of the competition in terms of the overall score on teams, the Romanian team being the first to manage to reach it," informs the Ministry of Education.

The gold medal students are: Aida Mitroi (Take Ionescu Secondary School No.16 of Timisoara), Victor-Vasile Dragos (Vasile Lucaciu National College of Baia Mare), Radu-Ionut Stoleriu (Emil Racovita National College of Iasi) and Andrei Vila (International High School of Informatics of Bucharest).

Aida Mitroi and Victor-Vasile Dragos finished the competition trials with maximum score (40 points).

The silver medals were grabbed by David Ghibu (International High School of Informatics of Bucharest) and Emanuel Mazare (Mihai Eminescu Secondary School of Pitesti), Agerpres.ro informs.

All the 6 components of the group are students in the eighth grade.

The team was coordinated by Prof. Marius Perianu (Ion Minulescu National College of Slatina) - leader, Prof. Cristian-Teodor Mangra (Tudor Vianu National College of Bucharest) - deputy leader and Cristian Lazar (National College of Iasi) - observer.

The Education minister, Sorin Cimpeanu, sent congratulations to the Junior Olympic team for the remarkable results obtained.

"Congratulations are also due to the teachers who trained and guided them, both in the lot and in the school, to the families who support them and the Romanian school of mathematics, whose value is reconfirmed by this result as well! I'm proud of you! Congratulations to everyone," the minister wrote on Facebook.

This edition of the Junior Balkan Mathematics Olympiad (competition reserved for students under the age of 15 and a half) was attended by competitors from 18 countries (11 countries with membership status: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Turkey, respectively 7 with guest status: Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Croatia, France, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan). The teams are usually made up of 6 students, and the host country can register two teams in the competition, the ministry informed.
Linda Castillo returns to Amish country for the 14th in her solid series of mysteries featuring Kate Burkholder, chief of police in picturesque Painters Mill, Ohio.

But this outing, The Hidden One, finds Kate on foreign soil as she travels to Pennsylvania to help an old friend accused of a long-ago murder.

Actually, Jonas Bowman is more than an old friend. He was Kates first love, back when she was just 15 and an Amish girl already chafing at the communitys rules. Their behavior got his family run out of town, and Kate, still carrying old guilt, is sure the Jonas she knew couldnt have committed the cruel crime of which hes accused.

As usual, Castillo  who is not Amish but has done wagon-loads of homework  paints such a vivid picture of Amish farm country that we can almost smell the fresh-cut hay and hear the clopping of horses hooves. Always, she goes beyond beards-and-bonnets stereotypes to present Amish characters as individuals.

Kates road trip allows Castillo to explore different Amish subgroups from those around Painters Mill, with diverse rules and customs that sometimes clash. Buggies with yellow tops? Considered too flashy by some. Tractors or even trucks, if they run on diesel and not gasoline? Enough to get a farmer warned or even banned by a strict bishop.

Kate, who left her parents church after a near-death experience as a teen, is readers entry point into Amish customs that seem archaic to outsiders. One thing the sometimes clashing groups have in common, she knows, is pacifism. The Amish walk away from fights. In war, they are conscientious objectors.

So how could an Amish person, Jonas or someone else, have murdered an elderly bishop and left his body hidden two decades earlier?

Keep in mind that this is a homicide investigation, Kates fiance, John Tomasetti, himself a crime investigator, tells her when she calls home. The case may be cold and the players Amish, but its still murder.

Soon, Kate learns the hard way  several times, in fact  how far someone will go to keep this case cold.

Castillo once wrote romance novels, and although there is nothing frothy about this series, there is a sweet and solid love story. Kate and Tomasetti both overcame tragic pasts to build a life together, so its a little disappointing that they have so little time together in The Hidden One. Well be counting on that for the next book.

Gail Pennington is a former longtime television critic for the Post-Dispatch.
Concerns over possible legal exposure has pushed the Yellowstone County Board of Commissioners to move the debate over MetraPark management privatization to the next phase.

On Tuesday, commissioners will vote on whether to dissolve the request for qualifications and information that they had sought from potential management companies and instead request that the companies bid on the actual job.

The move formalizes a process that had gotten unwieldy over the last few months and had the potential to expose the county to possible legal action from the companies involved.

Proposals for managing MetraPark were returned to the county earlier this spring by two L.A.-based event management companies, OVG and ASM Global. The committee charged with evaluating the proposals found ASM's to be the better fit for the county.

OVG had reached a booking agreement with the county last year, which complicated the finances of the two proposals, according to the committee.

Following the committee's report, the county's finance director recommended that commissioners put the process on hold for three years, which would allow OVG's booking agreement with MetraPark to expire and the county could then start the process with all interested parties with a clean slate.

Commissioners Don Jones and Denis Pitman weren't sold on the committee's pick or Bryan's recommendation and after a tense, combative meeting in May, the three commissioners could find no way forward.

By the end of June, no progress had been made with either of the proposals. Jeana Lervick, chief in-house deputy county attorney, confirmed last week that one of the companies had expressed frustration with the drawn-out process and had hinted at exploring legal remedies.

At that point, Jones, who's chairman of the board of commissioners, decided to place on Tuesday's agenda a vote to move on from the request for information to a more formal request for bids.

"This is our attorney's advice," Jones said.

The request for bids is a formalized process that requires commissioners either to select one of the bids or reject them all outright.

Should commissioners choose Tuesday morning to put out a request for bids the move would create a cleaner, smoother process for moving forward but it will likely intensify the debate.

The Billings Chamber of Commerce released a statement this week supporting a move to privatize management at MetraPark and encouraged others to attend Tuesday's meeting to voice similar support.

"We believe MetraPark will be managed most effectively by a professional venue management company, with arms-length oversight by the county commissioners, and ownership remaining with the public," the statement said. "This is a proven national model for success that will ensure the facility provides an exceptional quality of place, increases non-resident spending and uses taxpayer dollars wisely. "

Last week, the Metra advisory board voted to support Bryan's recommendation to wait three years before moving forward with bids to privatize management.

All through the process, rumors have dogged Jones that he's favored OVG and has been in contact with its representatives. Jones has flatly denied the accusations as has Matt Lashoff, OVG's representative working on the MetraPark proposal.

"We haven't had any conversations with any commissioners," Lashoff said.

Commissioner John Ostlund isn't convinced.

"Don's goal all along was to give this thing to OVG," he said.

Jones said he's only interested in getting the best deal that relieves the burden on taxpayers. He added that both the proposals returned by OVG and ASM through the request for information process were both exciting to him.

"I'm not going to sign a deal just to sign a deal," he said. "At the end of the day it's still going to come down to the negotiations."

Ostlund called it a "counterfeit process" designed to bring about the result that Jones prefers.

Complicating the matter was last month's Republican primaries. Pitman lost to challenger Mark Morse who will take Pitman's place on the commission in January, depending on the results of the general election in November.

Both Pitman and Morse have acknowledged that the Metra privatization debate likely played a large roll in the vote. Morse campaigned on slowing down the privatization process. However, it will be Pitman at the meeting on Tuesday voting on whether to move forward with request for bids on privatizing management at MetraPark.

Pitman did not return a message seeking comment.

Underscoring the MetraPark management debate is the county's efforts to move MetraPark into the future.

Less than a year ago, the county unveiled its publicity campaign to get the public involved with envisioning the next iteration of MetraPark. It was an ambitious plan to redesign, overhaul and build new amenities that would secure the event space for the next half century. It would likely carry a hefty price tag that would have required the county to seek millions of dollars in bonds through a vote with county residents.

The plan appears to be dead now.

There's been little talk over the last few months of the master plan, and the acrimony that's colored the discussions of exploring management privatization at MetraPark this year seems to have overshadowed the optimism county officials felt last summer.
Missouri political figure Jason Kander spent a brief (and calm) stint as an Army intelligence officer in Afghanistan in 2006. But when he came home, he came down with a case of PTSD.

He describes the condition and his path to recovery in Invisible Storm: A Soldiers Memoir of Politics and PTSD. The book, on sale July 5, reveals dark experiences by a man who portrayed a sunny image on the political stump.

After all, Kander (a Democrat from Kansas City) served in the Missouri House of Representatives from 2009 to 2013, then moved up to become Missouri secretary of state until 2017.

He lost a senatorial race to Republican Roy Blunt in 2016. Two years later, he announced plans to run for mayor of Kansas City but then backed out, citing post-traumatic stress disorder.

Kander concedes that his bout with the disorder had an odd character. After reading deeply about PTSD, he says, I didnt fit the profile. A four-month tour wasnt enough to mess with a persons brain, I believed.

He adds: To me, nothing I experienced counted as trauma. For one thing, I had never been in a firefight. All Id really done was go to meetings with mid-level Afghans of suspicious backgrounds.

In August 2018, Kander had released his first memoir, Outside the Wire. In it, Post-Dispatch columnist Chuck Raasch reported at the time, Kander says he didnt suffer from PTSD or other conditions that many troops coming home from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have, but he did develop a condition he called battlemind that engendered sleep paralysis and nightmares when he returned.

Kander wrote, Given the nature of my job over there, I had been worried less about being shot or blown up and more about being kidnapped, and now that I was back in my own bed, it seemed that the Taliban captured me every night.

In his new memoir, Kander says that in 2018, at the urging of his wife, Diana, he began sitting down with a therapist named Nick Heinecke. In therapy I could make changes only if I understood how things had gotten so bad, and with Nicks help, I began to see where my emotional numbness originated.

A long and fascinating chapter of Kanders relationship with his therapist ends with these lines:

Then one day I was folding laundry with Diana and I said casually, I really didnt have a great day today. But its okay. I think Ill do better tomorrow. She stopped what she was doing and looked at me, teary-eyed, then walked over, hugged me, and buried her head in my chest.

Quietly, she said, I havent heard you say anything like that in so long.

But were likely to hear a lot more from Kander, who mentions here and there that hed like to be president someday.

Harry Levins of Manchester retired in 2007 as senior writer of the Post-Dispatch.
FRIDAY, July 1, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Fallout is mounting for the food delivery service Daily Harvest, which has voluntarily recalled a frozen food product suspected of sickening hundreds of customers in at least 26 states.

The company said it had received nearly 500 reports of people getting sick after eating Daily Harvest French Lentil + Leek Crumbles. Symptoms included gastrointestinal illness and liver and gallbladder dysfunction. Daily Harvest initiated a voluntary recall of the product on June 23. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said consumers, retailers and others should not eat, sell, or serve the product.

So far 133 adverse illness events can possibly be attributed to the crumbles, including 42 hospitalizations, according to the FDA. The product, touted on social media by high-profile influencers, was shipped nationwide. Illnesses have been reported in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington state, and Wisconsin. The most recent reported illness was June 21.

The FDA is investigating in conjunction with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It said the company sent about 28,000 units of the product to U.S. consumers between April 28 and June 17. A small number of consumers received samples.

The company contacted consumers for whom it had contact information and issued a credit, according to the FDA. Those who may still have the product in their freezers should throw it out. All lot codes of the French Lentil + Leek Crumbles are affected. The product is packaged in a 12-ounce white pouch with the words "Daily Harvest" at the top, a large "CRUMBLES" immediately below the top and the words "French Lentil + Leek" in bold.

The FDA said anyone who experiences jaundice, dark urine, itching with no rash, gastrointestinal illness, nausea, fatigue, body aches, severe abdominal pain and/or fever after consuming this product should contact their health care provider. Providers should report these illnesses to their local health department, the FDA said.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP)  The Texas Supreme Court blocked a lower court order late Friday night that said clinics could continue performing abortions, just days after some doctors had resumed seeing patients after the fall of Roe v. Wade.

It was not immediately clear whether Texas clinics that had resumed seeing patients this week would halt services again. A hearing is scheduled for later this month.

The whiplash of Texas clinics turning away patients, rescheduling them, and now potentially canceling appointments again  all in the span of a week  illustrated the confusion and scrambling taking place across the country since Roe was overturned.

An order by a Houston judge earlier this week had reassured some clinics they could temporarily resume abortions up to six weeks into pregnancy. That was quickly followed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton asking the states highest court, which is stocked with nine Republican justices, to temporarily put the order on hold.

These laws are confusing, unnecessary, and cruel, said Marc Hearron, attorney for the Center for Reproductive Rights, after the order was issued Friday night.

Clinics in Texas had stopped performing abortions in the state of nearly 30 million people after the U.S. Supreme Court last week overturned Roe v. Wade and ended the constitutional right to abortion. Texas had technically left an abortion ban on the books for the past 50 years while Roe was in place.

A copy of Friday's order was provided by attorneys for Texas clinics. It could not immediately be found on the courts website.

Abortion providers and patients across the country have been struggling to navigate the evolving legal landscape around abortion laws and access.

In Florida, a law banning abortions after 15 weeks went into effect Friday, the day after a judge called it a violation of the state constitution and said he would sign an order temporarily blocking the law next week. The ban could have broader implications in the South, where Florida has wider access to the procedure than its neighbors.

Abortion rights have been lost and regained in the span of a few days in Kentucky. A so-called trigger law imposing a near-total ban on the procedure took effect last Friday, but a judge blocked the law Thursday, meaning the states only two abortion providers can resume seeing patients  for now.

The legal wrangling is almost certain to continue to cause chaos for Americans seeking abortions in the near future, with court rulings able to upend access at a moment's notice and an influx of new patients from out of state overwhelming providers.

Even when women travel outside states with abortion bans in place, they may have fewer options to end their pregnancies as the prospect of prosecution follows them.

Planned Parenthood of Montana this week stopped providing medication abortions to patients who live in states with bans to minimize potential risk for providers, health center staff, and patients in the face of a rapidly changing landscape.

Planned Parenthood North Central States, which offers the procedure in Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska, is telling its patients that they must take both pills in the regimen in a state that allows abortions.

The use of abortion pills has been the most common method to end a pregnancy since 2000, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved mifepristone  the main drug used in medication abortions. Taken with misoprostol, a drug that causes cramping that empties the womb, it constitutes the abortion pill.

Theres a lot of confusion and concern that the providers may be at risk, and they are trying to limit their liability so they can provide care to people who need it," said Dr. Daniel Grossman, who directs the research group Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health at the University of California San Francisco.

Emily Bisek, a spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood North Central States, said that in an unknown and murky legal environment, they decided to tell patients they must be in a state where it is legal to complete the medication abortion -- which requires taking two drugs 24 to 48 hours apart. She said most patients from states with bans are expected to opt for surgical abortions.

Access to the pills has become a key battle in abortion rights, with the Biden administration preparing to argue states cant ban a medication that has received FDA approval.

Kim Floren, who operates an abortion fund in South Dakota called Justice Empowerment Network, said the development would further limit women's choices.

The purpose of these laws anyways is to scare people, Floren said of states bans on abortions and telemedicine consultations for medication abortions. The logistics to actually enforcing these is a nightmare, but they rely on the fact that people are going to be scared.

A South Dakota law took effect Friday that threatens a felony punishment for anyone who prescribes medication for an abortion without a license from the South Dakota Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners.

In Alabama, Attorney General Steve Marshalls office said it is reviewing whether people or groups could face prosecution for helping women fund and travel to out-of-state abortion appointments.

Yellowhammer Fund, an Alabama-based group that helps low-income women cover abortion and travel costs, said it is pausing operation for two weeks because of the lack of clarity under state law.

This is a temporary pause, and were going to figure out how we can legally get you money and resources and what that looks like, said Kelsea McLain, Yellowhammers health care access director.

Laura Goodhue, executive director of the Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates, said staff members at its clinics have seen women driving from as far as Texas without stopping or making an appointment. Women who are past 15 weeks are being asked to leave their information and promised a call back when a judge signs the order temporarily blocking the restriction, she said.

Still, there is concern that the order may be only temporary and the law may again go into effect later, creating additional confusion.

Its terrible for patients, she said. We are really nervous about what is going to happen.

Groves reported from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. AP writers Paul Weber contributed from Austin, Texas; Dylan Lovan from Louisville, Kentucky; Adriana Gomez Licon from Miami; and Kim Chandler from Montgomery, Alabama.
EAST ST. LOUIS  Land was flat and plentiful. Cheap coal was just up the hill. Low-wage workers were easy to find.

Once a quiet ferry landing on the east bank of the Mississippi River, this town burst with growth in the late 19th Century. Industrialists built sprawling factories across the formerly swampy expanse of the American Bottom. Workers lived in drab houses nearby. It was a gritty town, but there was plenty of work.

East St. Louis, briefly called Illinoistown after its incorporation in 1859, was home to only 5,600 people in 1870. Then came the National Stockyard in 1873 and the Eads Bridge one year later. The city became a tangle of 22 railroads connecting St. Louis to the north, east and south.

By 1910, with 58,000 residents, the city and environs were home to many industries that burned mountains of sooty coal from nearby Illinois mines. The big payrolls included Aluminum Ore Co., American Steel Foundry, Republic Iron & Steel, Obear Nester Glass and Elliot Frog & Switch (a frog was part of a railroad switch).

Many of the factories were built just beyond the city limit to avoid municipal taxes, which helped keep city services shoddy and corrupt.

The adjoining town of National City was home to the stockyards and packing houses, including Armour and Swift. It handled nearly 5 million pigs annually and was the nations biggest market for horses and mules.

Read the Post-Dispatch coverage of the East St. Louis riot The accounts hold back nothing in terms of graphic detail and gore. Even today, this reporting must run with a disclaimer cautioning readers t

World War I created a bonanza for the draft-animal trade. It made American industry hum. And it aggravated social conflict that exploded in shocking violence in summer 1917.

Thousands of black people from the South moved north to work in war factories. East St. Louis black population, 6,000 strong in 1910, nearly doubled by 1917.

That spring, the largely white workforce at Aluminum Ore, 32nd and Missouri avenues, went on strike. Management hired strikebreakers, both black and white. Embittered union leaders remembered black faces, and they demanded that City Hall get rid of the newcomers.

Tension already was raw when white men in a Ford shot into black homes on the night of July 1. Armed black men gathered at Bond Avenue and 10th Street and fired onto an oncoming Ford, killing two people who turned out to be police officers arriving to investigate.

The next morning, whites poured from a tense meeting in the Labor Temple downtown and began beating and killing blacks.

Rampaging white men used guns, rocks, pipes and nooses. White women egged them on, sometimes taking part. Rioters set fires in black neighborhoods and torched the Broadway Opera House on the false tale that blacks were hiding there.

Many fled to St. Louis across the Eads and Municipal (MacArthur) bridges. East St. Louis police stood by or joined the carnage. Illinois National Guard soldiers who were hustled to town did little to protect people until late in the day.

On July 3, the Post-Dispatch ran a harrowing account by Carlos F. Hurd, the reporter who scooped the world with interviews of Titanic survivors five years before. Hurd wrote that he witnessed the massacre of helpless negroes on streets where a black skin was a death warrant.

More than 300 homes and businesses were burned. The local investigation was inept, so its hard to know the full scope of the carnage. The official death count was 39 blacks and nine whites, but the toll probably was closer to 100.

Factories begged black workers to return, but many didnt. When schools reopened, black enrollment was down by more than half. A lengthy congressional investigation, reporting one year later, described the riot as savagery.

Lena Cook sees her family murdered, testifies against killers

Lena Cook and her family were taking a streetcar home to St. Louis from a fishing outing in Illinois. The car reached downtown East St. Louis as angry whites were on the rampage.

Her husband, Edward, and her son, Lurizza Beard, 14, were pulled from the streetcar and shot to death. A white bystander, hardware merchant William Keyser, also was killed, probably by the same shot that passed through Lurizza.

St. Clair County authorities eventually charged more than 140 people, most of them white and including police officers and East St. Louis Mayor Fred Mollman. Indictments against the officers were "lost," and the charge against the mayor was dropped.

But 21 people were convicted of serious crimes, including two white men in the murder of Keyser. Those verdicts came after the brave testimony of Lena Cook, who never wavered against racist cross-examination.

Newspaper files have no mention of verdicts in the murders of Cook's husband and son.

St. Louis official opens city shelter to fleeing families

There were few heroes in the East St. Louis riot. One man who tried to help was Louis Aloe, president of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen.

East St. Louis Mayor Fred Mollman cowered in his office during the carnage. Illinois National Guard Col. Stephen Tripp found time to step out for lunch.

Thousands of blacks fled to St. Louis, where Aloe was filling in for Mayor Henry Kiel. Aloe opened the city's Municipal Lodging House, a homeless shelter across 12th Street (Tucker Boulevard) from City Hall, and approved emergency spending for food.

For the next week, the Lodging House provided overnight shelter to about 700 men, women and children, and fed more than 7,500. The local Red Cross assisted. Refugees, including at least one man with a gunshot wound in his back, were treated at City Hospital.

In 1923, Aloe was a driving force in an $87 million city bond issue that included money for clearing land along Market Street. He is namesake of Aloe Plaza, across from Union Station. His widow, Edith, donated money for the "Meeting of the Waters" fountain.

Louis Aloe died in 1929 and is buried in Mount Sinai Cemetery.
Last week, this newspaper published its annual Top Workplaces.

For this feature, employees rate their employers. Where are the best places to work? The answers speak to the heart of a community.

Shortly after I arrived here in 1980, I went to Jefferson County to interview a young man who was down on his luck. I asked about his background. He told me he grew up in the city. He said both his parents were bottlers at the brewery. He quickly added, But I was not raised to think I was better than anybody else.

I was taken aback. Why would he say that? I didnt understand because I didnt understand St. Louis.

The Anheuser-Busch brewery was once a Magical Kingdom. People who worked there loved it. Oh, there will always be somebody who is dissatisfied, but for the most part, people were proud to work at the brewery. They were well-compensated. They made the best beer in the world. Gussie Busch was beloved not just by employees, but by the populace.

Every Christmas season, beer trucks would drive through the city and county, dropping off cases of beer for the brewerys friends. And they were numerous. Judges got beer. High-ranking cops got beer. Aldermen got beer. Even a few reporters got beer.

By the way, the brewery also owned the Cardinals.

The brewery was not the only Magical Kingdom. Ralston Purina was another. Checkerboard Square was the name of its headquarters. Think of Emerald City in red and white checks. The last day of the fiscal year was celebrated as Checker Day. There were skits and songs. Managers ate dog food on stage while employees, many wearing checkered clothing, cheered.

A reporter from this newspaper covered a Checker Day in the late 1970s. The highlight was when an actor impersonating George Patton flew in on a helicopter and presented the Croix de Checkers to R. Hal Dean, the CEO of Ralston-Purina.

By the way, when the Blues were in financial trouble in 1977, Ralston Purina bought the team. The old stadium on Oakland Avenue became the Checkerdome.

One trait that defined Magical Kingdoms was longevity of employees. People stayed. That used to be very common. Corporate bosses came from the ranks. Hal Dean, for instance, started at Ralston Purina as a clerk in the grain department in 1938. Thirty years later, he became CEO.

This newspaper was a Magical Kingdom when I arrived. We had hundreds of employees. We enjoyed a friendly competition with a rival kingdom down the street, the St. Louis Globe-Democrat.

Friendly among the workers, that is. I cant speak for the corporate bosses.

Famous-Barr was a Magical Kingdom. So was Ozark Airlines. There were lots of them.

In addition to employee longevity, there was another commonality among these Magical Kingdoms, and it is only obvious in retrospect. Fragility. They all seemed strong and secure, and there was a sense that they would go on forever, but they werent and they didnt. Gussies oldest son sold the company to InBev, a Brazilian-Belgian company. William Stiritz, Deans successor, sold the Blues, canceled Checker Day and squeezed the frivolity  some might say the magic  out of the company before splitting it into more digestible pieces.

What was left of Ralston Purina was gobbled up by a Swiss company.

This was not just a St. Louis story. Consolidations and mergers and acquisitions occurred all over the country. No longer did every major city have its own corporate titans.

Some people would argue that this process was good for stockholders. Maybe it was.

At any rate, things have evolved.

Now on to the current list. The top four companies in the Large Company category are Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Properties, Daugherty Business Solutions, CarShield and Charles Schwab.

The top four in the Midsize Company category are Brown & Crouppen Law Firm, Wood Brothers Realty, Benjamin F. Edwards & Co. and Hoffman Brothers Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing, Electrical & Appliance Repair.

In the Small Company category, the top four are Top Flite Financial, Twain Financial Partners, KellyMitchell Group and Krilogy.

None of the remnants of the old Magical Kingdoms made the list.

Its as if the time of the dinosaurs has passed, and smaller, more agile mammals have taken over. The mammals are better suited to todays economic conditions.

Congrats to the winners. And to their employees, a word of warning  things are more fragile than they appear.

Editors note: An earlier version of this column incorrectly said Ralston Purina kept the Blues from moving to Saskatoon. LA businessman Harry Ornest actually deserved the credit, in 1983.
ST. CHARLES COUNTY  A St. Charles County sheriffs deputy accused in May of fatally shooting a neighbors dog resigned last month and now has been charged with a misdemeanor in the case.

The St. Charles County family whose dog was killed said they were horrified when they learned this week that the man is only facing a misdemeanor animal abuse charge. A video of the dogs owner confronting the neighbor to ask him if he was responsible for the May 22 death of their dog, Apollo, drew national attention.

Ryan Kuehner, who was a St. Charles County sheriffs deputy at the time of the shooting, was issued a criminal summons for misdemeanor animal abuse on Thursday by the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorneys Office. He has a court appearance scheduled for July 22.

Im not disappointed in the prosecutor, the detectives, anybody who worked on it because I understand what their limitations are, but Im really disappointed in Missouri law, that this is the outcome of such a terrible crime, said Erica Hansen, who owned the dog with her boyfriend, Eric Bacon, and two sons.

St. Charles County Sheriff Scott Lewis said Monday that his office investigated after the owners reported the incident involving the deputy. Kuehner resigned after Lewis initiated disciplinary proceedings against him on June 17. The sheriff added that he apologized to Bacon last week for the familys loss.

The criminal investigation of the shooting was handled by the St. Charles County Police Department. The countys prosecuting attorney then asked a judge to appoint a special prosecutor due to a familial relationship between the suspect and an employee of this office. It was turned over to Jefferson County prosecutors.

Kuehner was off duty at the time of the shooting. He hasnt responded to requests for comment.

Hansen said she and her family are considering their legal options. She said she has talked with others whose pets have died under similar circumstances and wants to push for harsher consequences for animal abuse.

Moving forward, thats where Im putting my energy, she said.

On the day of the shooting, Hansen said, she and her family were at her mothers home in unincorporated St. Charles County when she noticed that Apollo appeared to be choking. The dog died as they were trying to get it to a veterinarian. Hansen said X-rays showed that a pellet had penetrated the dogs chest cavity and collapsed both lungs.

Bacon later recorded a confrontation with Kuehner on the deputys property; in the video, Kuehner questioned why the dog had wandered into his yard, but did not admit shooting the 3-year-old mastiff mix.

Apollo would play with other dogs with permission from neighbors, Hansen said. However she said the dog never wandered over to the deputys yard.

The death left a hole in the familys heart, Hansen said, and the family has since adopted two dogs from animal rescue facilities.

Interest in the case came from as far away as Michigan, some in the wee morning hours and with the callers levels of intoxication debatable, the St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorneys Office said on its Facebook page after the shooting. The post was later removed.

Editors note: This story has been updated to correct the name of the St. Charles County sheriff.
ST. LOUIS  Ebony Moore, a hair stylist and a political newcomer, on Friday became the fourth candidate to qualify for the Aug. 2 special election scheduled to replace former Alderman John Collins-Muhammad.

The city Election Board verified that Moore turned in signatures of 179 registered voters, more than the 172 required to be listed on the 21st Ward ballot as an independent.

Collins-Muhammad pleaded not guilty last month to corruption charges; he had resigned in May.

Also on the ballot will be Democratic nominee Laura Keys, the wards Democratic committeewoman; and two other independents, former Alderman Melinda Long and Joann Williams, a retired carpenters union official.

Moore said she thinks voters will respond to someone having a different mindset than the other candidates, each of whom have been involved with city government.

The special election will be held the same day as Missouris statewide primary. The winner will serve the final eight months in Collins-Muhammads former term.

The board allowed political party committees to pick nominees for ward aldermanic vacancies this year according to a provision in the city charter.

The charter takes precedence over the nonpartisan approval voting ordinance approved by city voters in 2020.
The U.S. Army ERCA (Extended Range Cannon Artillery) is stalled because of reliability problems with the new cannon itself. Eighteen months ago, the ERCA prototype achieved a decade old goal of using a longer barrel cannon firing an extended range Excalibur GPS guided shell to accurately hit a target 70 kilometers distant. Over a decade ago it was realized that this required three new technologies. The primary need was a version of a reliable GPS guided artillery shell, like Excalibur, that could handle the more difficult task of keeping the shell on course over such a long range. The first version of Excalibur only worked at ranges between 20 and 25 kilometers. Second, there had to be a longer barrel 155mm artillery system that could fire the longer-range Excalibur shell. Finally, there had to be a new propellant that could provide the power to push the ERCA Excalibur out to 70 kilometers.

A longer-range Excalibur shell began development in 2010 and by 2011 Version 1A-2 of Excalibur was approved for combat use. During tests Excalibur 1A-2 accurately hit targets 40 kilometers distant. During its first combat use in 2012, a U.S. Marine Corps M777 155mm lightweight towed gun hit a target 36 kilometers away using Excalibur 1A-2. During development of Excalibur 1A-2 it was noted that, with a longer barrel gun and more powerful propellant, Excalibur could hit targets at least 60 kilometers and theoretically 70 kilometers away. Even with the short range of the original Excalibur, the GPS guided shell was quickly accepted as an essential weapon.

A more difficult problem was obtaining a new 155mm gun with a longer barrel. The relatively new and popular 4.2-ton M777 lightweight howitzer had a 155mm/32 barrel. That means the barrel length is 32 times 155mm or 5.1 meters (16.7 feet) long. The first long barrel experiments resulted in the longer XM907 barrel for the M777. This was a 155mm/52 barrel which was 8.1 meters (26.4 feet) long. XM907 worked, but was not practical for the towed M777 howitzer.

Another long barrel, the M1299 was built. This was a 155mm/58 barrel which was 9 meters (29.3 feet) long, and designed to be used in the latest version of the Paladin 155mm self-propelled howitzer. Normally the Paladin carries a 155mm/39 barrel that is 6.05 meters (19.3 feet) long, but similar vehicles have had longer barrels and been successful. An M1299 barrel on a M109A7 Paladin was used for the initial 2020 tests and it worked well in late 2020 tests that sent a GPS shell 70 kilometers.

A new XM1113 propellant system was first used with the long-barrel Paladin in early 2020 and was able to send a shell 65 kilometers. The XM1113 uses the decades old RAP (Rocket Assisted Projectile) technology that has been updated to provide unprecedented ranges of up to 70 kilometers. Such extreme ranges were not practical before GPS guided shells became available as the longer range, the unguided shell accuracy gets worse. The late 2020 test showed that Excalibur could put shells on targets 70 kilometers away. Only one of the three XM1113/Excalibur shells fired hit the target. The other two missed because the Excalibur guidance system was not able to handle some weather conditions, like exceptionally heavy winds. Excalibur can be tweaked to deal with that and more tests were conducted in 2021 to verify that the 70 kilometers Excalibur is reliable and ready for production. The longer barrel M109A7 was to enter service with the new Excalibur shell by 2023. Then it was discovered that the longer barrel (including the shell loading mechanism) had reliability problems. This has delayed final testing and approval indefinitely until the reliability problem can be fixed.

There are already vehicles similar to the M109 with longer barrels, although not quite that long. From past experience the longer barrel on a self-propelled howitzer chassis is no big thing. Making all the modifications to the recoil system, breech, and interior of the M109 did not require any new technology. Now it turns out that some new tech is required and if that cannot be obtained soon and at an affordable cost the 70 kilometers ERCM is dead. A shorter barrel, providing less range, might be acceptable if it can be developed in time and without costing so much that the ERCM Paladin becomes another new weapon that was canceled because it was too expensive to procure in useful numbers.

The longer barrel and 70-kilometer range of the Excalibur shell was a big deal for the Paladin, which was seen as a system eventually being replaced by cheaper, more effective artillery. During the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, the M109 was not used much. The lighter, towed, M777 has proved more useful, especially when using GPS guided shells. The army plans to keep updated Paladin versions of the M-109 around until 2050. The army planned to acquire as many as 500 M109A7 Paladins by 2027, reflecting the impact of the GPS guided shells, and the number of older M109s that are still fit for service.

The primary competition for ERCA equipped Paladin is the HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) vehicles that carry six GMLRS (GPS/INS guided MLRS). Ukraine knew of the success of the HIMARS vehicle and the capabilities of the GMLRS rockets. The latest version of the rocket can hit targets up to 85 kilometers away using INS/GPS (Inertial Navigation System/Global Positioning System) guidance. The INS component is important because it takes over if the GPS signal is lost due to jamming or when mountainous terrain blocks GPS as the rocket approaches the target. Over the last two decades INS has become more accurate. Russia has been a major source of GPS jammers since the 1990s. Two East Europe NATO members (Romania and Poland) use HIMARS. Several other NATO countries use HIMARS or the larger tracked MLRS vehicle (M270) that carries two pods. HIMARS is gradually replacing these. The HIMARS truck-mounted GMLRS system is ideal for Ukrainian artillery tactics, which currently use individual self-propelled artillery to fire unguided shells at targets up to 40 kilometers away. This avoids return fire from the Russians, who are more vulnerable to Ukrainian tactics because Russia still employs mass artillery fire from batteries (six guns) or battalions (three batteries).

Each HIMARS system is carried in a 12 to 16-ton 6x6 truck with the heavier version having armored (against small arms fire and shell fragments) crew cab. The vehicle carries one MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System) six rocket pod instead of two in the original larger, tracked, MLRS vehicle. Initially, a major attraction was that a HIMARS truck could fit into a C-130 transport (unlike the 22-ton tracked MLRS) and was much cheaper to operate. The HIMARS vehicle can move at up to 85 kilometers an hour on paved roads and travel 480 kilometers on internal fuel. In 2016 it was revealed that HIMARS vehicles in American service had reached a million operational hours with a 99 percent readiness rate. The tech HIMARS used enables HIMARS to operate (move, receive a target order and launch the GMLRS) using as few as one of the normal three-man crew.

The first HIMARS entered service in 2005, about a year after GMLRS did. The two new innovations worked well together and were a major reason for the success of the GMLRS and the HIMARS rocket launcher. The U.S. no longer buys the tracked MLRS or unguided MLRS rockets. An MLRS pod with six GMLRS weighs 2.8 tons and has attracted a lot of export orders.

The 309 kg (680 pound) GMLRS missile is a GPS guided 227mm rocket. It was designed to have a range of 70 kilometers and the ability to land within meters of its intended target, at any range. This is possible because it uses GPS (plus a backup INS/inertial guidance system) to find the target location it was programmed with. With GPS the GMLRS will land within a few meters of the GPS coordinates. If the INS has to be used, that triples to about ten meters. In 2008 the army tested GMLRS at max range (about 85 kilometers) and found that it worked fine. This enables one HIMARS vehicle to provide support over a frontage of 170 kilometers. One HIMARS vehicle can provide precision fire support over an area of about 20,000 square kilometers. This is a huge footprint for a single weapon (an individual HIMARS vehicle), and fundamentally changes the way you deploy artillery in combat. By way of comparison, Excalibur (GPS guided 155mm shell) now has a max range of 55 kilometers, or 70 kilometers with the ERCA cannon.

GMLRS meant the MLRS fire control system was upgraded to handle precision targeting rather than just hitting a general area. Since 2004 over 3,000 GMLRS rockets have been fired in combat with 98 percent accuracy (hitting the target) and over 50,000 have been produced. GMLRS rockets cost about $100,000 each initially and the current cost (a 2021 order) is $110,000 even after several upgrades. This is cheaper than GPS equipped 155mm artillery shells because these shells generate a lot more stress as they leave the gun barrel. A more affordable ($12,000 each) GPS guided shell is available using the ATK fuze, which is screwed into the front of an unguided 155mm shell. The ATK approach is somewhat less accurate than Excalibur shells but that has been found acceptable in combat situations. Despite that HIMARS and GMLRS rockets are preferred and the popularity of HIMARS meant even less work for tube artillery, which was considered king of the battlefield since the 17th century. Export demand for HIMARS has meant the U.S. manufacturer has had to resume production for the growing number of foreign customers. This was again affirmed in Ukraine, which is waiting for the new version of GMLRS, which can be used in HIMARS and has a range of 150 kilometers. In combat, tube artillery can no longer compete when range and accuracy are the key factors.
All amounts expressed in US Dollars

LOULO GOLD MINE, Mali, July 02, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Barrick Gold Corporation (NYSE: GOLD) (TSX: ABX) continues to invest in creating value for all stakeholders and in supporting the communities that host its mines, president and chief executive Mark Bristow said here today.

Speaking to media at the companys Loulo-Gounkoto complex, Bristow noted the commissioning of the Gounkoto underground mine and the Gara West open pit, the continuing replacement of reserves, the extension of the solar power plant and the further strengthening of local partnerships as instances of the companys long-term commitment to the country.

In the first half of the year weve contributed $337 million to the Malian economy in the form of taxes, royalties, dividends, salaries and payments to local suppliers, taking the lifetime contribution of Barrick, previously Randgold, to $8.5 billion. Were particularly proud of the fact the Gara West pit is being mined for us by two Malian contractors we have mentored, he said.

At the halfway mark of the year, the complex is on track to meet its production guidance for 2022, replace annual reserve depletion to further extend its mine life, and maintain its exemplary safety record, with no lost time injuries or major environmental events during the past quarter.

It continues to invest in sustainable economic community projects, establishing a motel, a farm for Kenieba women and three water supply systems during the quarter. The Loulo agricultural college, designed as the foundation of a sustainable regional agribusiness, has already trained 21 women and 143 men and created 30 farms.

Since the opening of the mine, Loulo-Gounkoto has built 20 schools in its neighbouring villages, taking student enrolment from 500 to more than 5,000. Seventy-eight of them are currently benefitting from the complexs bursary program and Loulo-Gounkoto is also supporting teachers salaries.

First as Randgold and now as Barrick, weve been operating in Mali for 25 years and we plan to be here for at least as long again. The strong and mutually rewarding partnerships we have forged with the government, local business partners and our host communities are the key to our success and an example to Africas other mining countries, Bristow said.

Enquiries

President and CEOMark Bristow+1 647 205 7694+44 788 071 1386

Group Regional Manager, West Africa Mahamadou Samake +223 66 75 61 36

Investor and Media RelationsKathy du Plessis+44 20 7557 7738Email: [email protected]

Website: www.barrick.com

Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information

Certain information contained or incorporated by reference in this press release, including any information as to our strategy, projects, plans, or future financial or operating performance, constitutes forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. The words continue, on track, maintain, commitment, value, guidance, and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. In particular, this press release contains forward-looking statements including, without limitation, with respect to: Loulo-Gounkotos production guidance and performance; Loulo-Gounkotos ability to continue to replace mineral reserves net of depletion and extend the mine life; Loulo-Gounkotos safety performance; Barricks commitment to Mali and investment in the development of local communities, including to support local employment, education and development programs.

Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions including material estimates and assumptions related to the factors set forth below that, while considered reasonable by the Company as at the date of this press release in light of managements experience and perception of current conditions and expected developments, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Known and unknown factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements and information. Such factors include, but are not limited to: fluctuations in the spot and forward price of gold, copper, or certain other commodities (such as silver, diesel fuel, natural gas, and electricity); the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development; changes in mineral production performance, exploitation, and exploration successes; the possibility that future exploration results will not be consistent with the Companys expectations; risks that exploration data may be incomplete and considerable additional work may be required to complete further evaluation, including but not limited to drilling, engineering and socioeconomic studies and investment; risk of loss due to acts of war, terrorism, sabotage and civil disturbances; risks associated with projects in the early stages of evaluation, and for which additional engineering and other analysis is required; failure to comply with environmental and health and safety laws and regulations; timing of receipt of, or failure to comply with, necessary permits and approvals; changes in national and local government legislation, taxation, controls or regulations and/ or changes in the administration of laws, policies and practices, expropriation or nationalization of property and political or economic developments in the Mali and other jurisdictions in which the Company or its affiliates do or may carry on business in the future; damage to the Companys reputation due to the actual or perceived occurrence of any number of events, including negative publicity with respect to the Companys handling of environmental matters or dealings with community groups, whether true or not; risks associated with new diseases, epidemics and pandemics, including the effects and potential effects of the global Covid-19 pandemic; litigation and legal and administrative proceedings; employee relations including loss of key employees; increased costs and physical risks, including extreme weather events and resource shortages, related to climate change; and availability and increased costs associated with mining inputs and labor. Barrick also cautions that its guidance may be impacted by the unprecedented business and social disruption caused by the spread of Covid-19. In addition, there are risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining, including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations, pressures, cave-ins, flooding and gold bullion, copper cathode or gold or copper concentrate losses (and the risk of inadequate insurance, or inability to obtain insurance, to cover these risks).

Many of these uncertainties and contingencies can affect our actual results and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements made by, or on behalf of, us. Readers are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements. Specific reference is made to the most recent Form 40-F/Annual Information Form on file with the SEC and Canadian provincial securities regulatory authorities for a more detailed discussion of some of the factors underlying forward-looking statements and the risks that may affect Barricks ability to achieve the expectations set forth in the forward-looking statements contained in this press release.

Barrick disclaims any intention or 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: Barrick Gold Corporation
Jamie Bilstad lost his job at a nursery last winter. Unable to make rent, he lost his apartment.

Bilstad is now a member of Bismarck's homeless community, which numbers in the dozens.

With nowhere to go, he walked from place to place for weeks buying a cup of coffee here, a breakfast sandwich there and spending much of his time at the public library to stay warm. Free meals at Heaven's Helpers Soup Cafe and The Banquet have helped stave off the pangs of hunger while he searches for another job so he can save money and move to Texas to be near his brother.

On this early March night, with the temperature outside sinking to 4 degrees, he's resting on the floor in a corner of the entrance to Ministry on the Margins, a nonprofit volunteer-based ecumenical ministry.

In late January the organization started an Overnight Coffee House pilot project from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. seven days a week. People can come off the street and get a cup of coffee and a snack, blankets and a pillow.

I honestly dont know where (else) I would go, Bilstad said.

Getting a count

Homelessness is a year-round problem in North Dakota, with the harsh winters and the sometimes sizzling summers, and it's a complex issue to solve. It's hard to even get a handle on how many people need help.

To the casual eye in the early morning hours of Jan. 27, the streets of Bismarck looked void of foot traffic. It was a blustery 10 degrees outside, with snow flurries visible in the glow of the street lights.

It was another cold, unforgiving winter night in North Dakota, but Ministry on the Margins Behavioral Health Specialist Kacey Peterson and Case Manager Ashley Jahner were roaming the downtown streets and south Bismarck neighborhoods in a minivan. Both can distinguish between a person walking across a parking lot to a destination, and a person walking on a sidewalk with seemingly no purpose -- and no home.

Peterson and Jahner were part of the "Point in Time" count of the homeless in Bismarck-Mandan. Eighteen volunteers drove and walked the streets, alleys, tree lines, parks and areas behind buildings from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. looking for people sleeping outside in the frigid weather.

As Peterson and Jahner crossed the railroad tracks on Third Street, a silhouetted figure in the distance caught their eye. They drove around the block and pulled up beside a Native American woman in her early 30s.

Peterson asked if she had a warm, safe place to spend the night. The woman -- who had previously been staying with a man who physically abused her -- said she was now staying with a guy who was treating her OK, and that Its better than sleeping outside.

This year's count estimated 610 people statewide as being homeless, an increase of 62 from 2021. Eighty-three are considered unsheltered.

In the 10 counties of Region 7, which includes Burleigh and Morton counties, there were 120 people living in a sheltered environment and 38 without any form of shelter.

'Trying not to die'

Frank Walker is one of them.

For the past two years, he's been walking the streets. He acknowledges he's an alcoholic. He's waiting for his wife, who was recently released from prison but is still living at a halfway house.

Tonights actually nice compared to other nights with the wind, Walker said during an early March night. I wear two pairs of pants, two jackets and two socks.

He owns one pair of well-worn black leather shoes. His only form of identification is a red plastic wristband with his name, picture and date of birth. It came from his last stint at the local jail.

He had an uncle and a friend who both died from exposure during past winters.

You cant just lay down in the wintertime, because you freeze, Walker said. I walk around and not freeze to death. Im just trying to stay alive. Im trying not to die.

On this night, he knocks on the Ministry on the Margins door. Through the glass, Sister Kathleen Atkinson, founder and executive director, recognizes him.

Hes one of the good ones, she says with affection.

Maturing ministry

Ministry on the Margins staff and volunteers have earned a reputation for being nonjudgmental, compassionate, determined and willing to listen. That helps break down barriers and build a trusting relationship.

The ministry is in a renovated car dealership. Atkinson sees the space inside as a warm place for the homeless to get off the streets, if only for a few hours.

Our homeless people are so tired ... so tired," she said. "Imagine the sleep deprivation of walking day and night to survive. In a way we are a Band-Aid. But on the other hand, we need Band-Aids. If I cut myself, the Band-Aid stops the bleeding, and then I can do the healing.

In nine years the organization has grown from a small basement office in downtown Bismarck with Atkinson and a handful of volunteers to its current location with paid full-time staff and countless volunteer help. With an expanded food pantry, donated clothing and a point of entry site to line people up with needed services, the organization has made a name for itself.

We have office cred and we have street cred, Atkinson said.

Shelter goal

Several blocks away is the Missouri Slope Areawide United Way emergency shelter. It's a clean and sober facility, with residents taking breathalyzer tests each night. New clients must take a urine test.

On an early March night, the bunk beds are full.

Angela Buckley, 39, and her fiance, Aaron Stanley, have filled two beds since moving to Bismarck in November because they couldn't find housing on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation. She sleeps in the womens dorm while he stays in the more crowded mens dorm across the hall.

I feel comfortable here for the most part, Buckley said. Its a good shelter. I like the fact that you have to be clean (sober). (The staff) is so welcoming.

The shelter came to be after the Ruth Meiers Hospitality House mens shelter closed in October 2017. With a winter storm hitting the area, the Missouri Valley Homeless Coalition and other agencies asked United Way to open a temporary shelter.

Five years later in partnership with Community Works North Dakota, the shelter is operating in a permanent building housing 52 men and women with another 28 in other locations. That's despite the loss of ongoing city backing. The United Way received $250,000 from the city last year, but the money runs out this fall, and city commissioners have decided not to continue annual funding due to budget constraints.

United Way still plans to renovate the 3,200-square-foot shelter and build an addition more than doubling the space. The organization plans to fund the $3.25 million project with donations and hopes to complete it this year.

But the bigger space wont translate to more beds.

The goal is to get people into permanent housing and have higher-quality services to be able to expedite people out of the shelter and link them up to services to stay out of the shelter, Executive Director Jena Gullo said.

Finding housing

Boosting affordable housing is one potential way to address homelessness.

A 2020 North Dakota Housing Finance Agency study indicated more than 39% of the states renters were spending more than the recommended one-third of their income on housing.

An efficiency apartment in the Bismarck metro area rents for about $700 a month, with a two-bedroom apartment going for nearly $900, according to a HUD analysis.

Rental assistance is one remedy, but only one in four families in the state needing assistance actually receive vouchers, according to the state study.

The North Dakota Rent Help program established by state agencies with $352 million in federal funding during the coronavirus pandemic is helping bridge that gap. The program has doled out about $200 million of the aid but might have to return nearly $150 million if the money can't be spent by September 2024. The agency has been working to improve the application and payment processing times.

The Housing Finance Agency study also found that there is a shortage of 13,000 affordable rental units statewide for those with extremely low incomes.

In Burleigh County, the shortage is estimated at 150 single units and 50 family size rental units. The Burleigh County Housing Authority oversees 289 low-income housing units, and helps with rental assistance in 840 single and family units, including the 40 one-bedroom apartments in the recently constructed Edwinton Place for those facing chronic homelessness due to mental illness or addiction.

The Housing Finance Agency is providing financial incentives to organizations such as Fargo-based Beyond Shelter Inc. and Mandan-based Lewis and Clark Group to build or rehabilitate low-income housing units.

The Lewis and Clark group is taking over the affordable living unit properties in western North Dakota once owned by Lutheran Social Services, which filed for bankruptcy last year following financial problems associated with its affordable housing program. In Bismarck, Lewis and Clark is renovating 120 units in the former Ruth Meiers Hospitality House.

Stopping the cycle

Building more affordable housing won't solve all of the root causes of homelessness. Poverty, lack of transportation, discrimination, poor credit, criminal records, and alcohol and drug addiction all are factors.

Were really trying to look from that 30,000-foot view so that we can more accurately address the challenges that legitimately exist that create an environment where someone isnt able to pull themselves out, said Mark Heinert, president of the Missouri Valley Coalition for Homeless People, a group of providers, agencies, churches, public entities and community members dedicated to the motto Everyone deserves the right to have a place to call home."

One effective remedy is to have agencies and organizations coordinate on such things as addiction treatment, housing applications and mental health care.

The real key is that were all speaking the same language and we are assessing people and then were providing services for people based on their vulnerability, Heinert said.

The implementation of a "housing first" approach to end homelessness is an important step, according to Heinert.

Housing First

The philosophy is that housing is a basic necessity for those coping with alcohol or substance abuse. Its in contrast to the "treatment first" model in which people have to become clean and sober before gaining access to emergency shelters or housing.

Its easy to be judgmental and say they 'need to get their stuff together' versus its really complicated, and these individuals are going to struggle and perhaps we need to be more compassionate in figuring out how this can be done," Heinert said. "Its much more affordable and its much more effective to keep people housed.

Shawnell Willer, continuum of care grant coordinator at the Housing Finance Agency, cited three permanent multi-unit housing projects as examples of success: Edwinton Place in Bismarck, LaGrave on First in Grand Forks and Cooper House in Fargo.

"They continuously successfully house individuals, and it becomes more apparent this is the best practice, Willer said.

Atikinson, at Ministry on the Margins, considers the "housing first" model a moral thing to do.

Do people deserve to be inside and sheltered or is it something we earn?" Atkinson said. Just because you cant afford livable housing does not mean that you should have a dirty, scratchy blanket."

Street outreach

Before officials can get the homeless into affordable housing, they need to reach out to them where they are -- on the streets.

As part of Ministry on the Margins' outreach program, Peterson and Jahner drive a minivan two days a week around the streets and parks of Bismarck with backpacks containing waters, snacks and gift cards, and a sack full of breakfast sandwiches and coffee from a local restaurant.

Street outreach says you dont need to always get here during our office hours and come to us, Atkinson said. Were going to go where you are at with a cup of hot coffee with kindness."

She wants people in Bismarck-Mandan to think of the homeless population on a personal level.

"What do I want for my family? Do I want that for another family? I think thats a hard thing for people to get around until youve been there, Atkinson said.

Frank Walker, the man waiting for his wife in a halfway house, has been there, and still is. On that early March night, he couldn't wait for warmer weather.

Ill sleep in the park all summer, he said.
Jakarta, Indonesia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 2, 2022) - Edtech Cakap together with Indonesian Migrant Worker Protection Board (BP2MI), grants a scholarship for thousands of prospective migrant workers. This aims to elevate their competency especially in mastering foreign languages, so that Indonesia Migrant Workers will have a better career. Up until now, there are around 4.4 million Indonesian migrant workers spread across various countries, with the largest concentration in Malaysia, East Asia (Hong Kong and Taiwan) and a number of Middle Eastern countries. In the last decade, Indonesian Migrant Workers (formerly abbreviated TKI, now PMI) have been associated with negative stories, domestic work, and less skill. In the future, the Indonesian government targets that the migrant workers will be placed in sectors that prioritize skillful jobs.

MoU Cakap X BP2MI: The MoU between BP2MI represented by Acting Secretary, Achmad Kartiko and PT Cerdas Digital Nusantara (Cakap) represented by VP of Business, Felix Irawan.



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According to data from the Indonesian Central Statistics Bureau (BPS), until February 2022 the number of Indonesian workforce is around 144 million, and about 69% are from productive age (15 years old and over) which reaches 208.54 million people. The statistics show that Indonesia has a huge potential to develop human resources, to support other countries especially in the migrant workers sector. Benny Ramdhani, Head of the Indonesian Migrant Worker Protection Board (BP2MI) said that every year on average, Indonesian Migrant Workers contribute to state revenue of up to IDR 159.6 trillion. This figure is the second largest after the state revenue from the oil and gas sector and is above tourism. Benny added that the state obligates PMI the best protection and provision before sending them to the country of placement.

Screenshot of the english online course for prospective Indonesian migrant workers as seen on laptop



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Therefore, BP2MI cooperates with a number of regional governments in eradicating the illegal agency for PMIs. The regions who joined in the cooperation scheme are mostly the large number of PMI contributors such as Pekalongan in Central Java, Timor Tengah Utara and West Manggarai Regency in East Nusa Tenggara. In addition to the local government, BP2MI also cooperates with five educational institutions to provide skill training, especially in the scope of foreign languages. Edtech Cakap, is an upskilling platform that BP2MI is partnering with in providing Mandarin and English courses.

According to data from the International Labor Organization (ILO) in 2019, it was estimated that there were 169 million global migrant workers spread across the globe. Data from the same year also shows that 66.2% of these migrant workers work in the service sector. This sector certainly has a need for highly skilled mastery of foreign languages according to the location arrangement.

Jonathan Dharmasoeka, Cakap's Chief of Business welcomed this collaboration considering Cakap's position as one of the leading upskilling and career enhancement platforms in Indonesia that could support BP2MI's to produce trained skilled workers. He said that Cakap recognizing the provision of language for prospective Indonesian Migrant Workers is very important, especially regarding the vocabulary of the sector or field of work. Foreign language training aims to make Indonesian Migrant Workers highly proficient in skill and communication. With this language training, it is Cakap's expectation that it will open up access to better jobs, and higher earnings.

Edtech Cakap targets that more than a thousand prospective migrant workers will receive foreign language courses before being placed in their designated countries. Currently, there are PMI candidates who have received Mandarin classes before being sent to their destination countries, especially Singapore. The online training scholarship started on March 27, 2022 for 48 sessions for three to five students (semi-private).

Cakap App on mobile phone



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Tomy Yunus, CEO and Co-founder of Cakap hopes that this training can elevate the skills of Indonesian human resources, so that they can compete with the global workforce. Tomy concluded that Cakap has developed more than 8,949 modules from various industries and purposes, such as hospitality, engineering, sales, and marketing. Cakap believes that collaboration between parties is inline with its mission in improving the quality of the nation's human resources.

***

Contact Person:

Ferry Prihardiputra

Public Relations Manager

Ph: (+62) 8175268638

Email: [email protected]

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/129725
Calgary, Alberta and Denver, Colorado--(Newsfile Corp. - July 1, 2022) - INDVR Brands, Inc. (CSE: IDVR) (the "Company" or "INDVR Brands" or "INDVR"), a premier cannabis brand house and edibles producer, provides an update regarding the previously announced management cease trade order (the "MCTO") voluntarily requested by the Company and issued by the British Columbia Securities Commission on June 2, 2022, in connection with the Company's annual financial filings (the "Annual Financial Filings").

The Company's staff and internal audit team continue to make progress and are proceeding without any known material issue. The Company continues to make efforts to file the Annual Financial Filings by no later than July 30, 2022.

The Company is providing this status update in accordance with National Policy 12-203 - Management Cease Trade Orders ("NP 12-203"). The Company reports that: (i) there are no changes to the information contained in its default announcement on June 2, 2022 that would reasonably be expected to be material to an investor; (ii) the Company is satisfying and confirms that it intends to continue to satisfy the provisions of the alternative information guidelines set out under NP 12-203 and issue bi-weekly default status reports for so long as the delay in filing the Annual Financial Filings is continuing, which will be issued in the form of a news release; (iii) there has not been any other specified default by the Company under NP 12-203 and no such other default is anticipated; and (iv) there is no material information concerning the affairs of the Company that has not been generally disclosed.

The Company wishes to report that it has completed a search of Cannabis Corp's Colorado storage unit locations and has recovered inventory owned by The Company that has been previously unrecoverable. The Company expects to receive the monthly sublease rent payments from Cannabis Corp as per usual in the first week of July.

About INDVR Brands Inc.

INDVR is focused on growing its popular hemp and cannabis brands throughout North America. We are committed to the pursuit of becoming a premier, globally recognized "House of Brands," holding a portfolio of award-winning products with an extensive market footprint. For consumers, INDVR seeks to be the recognized source of a broad portfolio of the highest quality hemp and cannabis products suited to meet both health and lifestyle needs. INDVR's management team brings expertise in manufacturing and retail operations, hemp and cannabis R&D, and cannabis cultivation, all working together to support a U.S. expansion plan through organic growth and accretive acquisitions.

Additional information regarding INDVR is available under INDVR's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities.

Investor Information

Hugh Hempel

[email protected]

Disclaimer and Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "anticipate", "could", "intend", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "potential", "endeavor", "estimated" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the parties' current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. In particular, but without limiting the foregoing, this news release contains forward-looking statements pertaining to the following the closing of the Transaction, any stated or perceived benefits or results attributed to the Company in regards to the Transaction, the closing of the debt settlement agreements and the benefit of the Offering to the Company. These statements are only predictions. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof and the parties are not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein.

To the extent any forward-looking information in this press release constitutes "future-oriented financial information" or "financial outlooks" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, such information is being provided to demonstrate the anticipated product sales of the Company and the reader is cautioned that this information may not be appropriate for any other purpose and the reader should not place undue reliance on such future-oriented financial information and financial outlooks. Future-oriented financial information and financial outlooks, as with forward-looking information generally, are, without limitation, based on the assumptions and subject to the risks set out above under the heading "Disclaimer and Forward-Looking Information".

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/129808
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 2, 2022) - VIVO Cannabis Inc. (TSX: VIVO) (OTCQB: VVCIF) ("VIVO" or the "Company"), a leading provider of premium cannabis products and services, is pleased to announce the results of its annual general and special meeting of shareholders held today (the "Meeting").

As announced this morning, at the Meeting, shareholders approved fixing the number of directors at five, and the election of Ray Laflamme, Glen Huber, Shai Altman, Eric Shipman and Holly Workman as directors of the Company.

Mr. Laflamme is a founder and the current President of Canna Farms Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, and all of the directors are previous directors of VIVO.

"I am pleased with the outcome of today's AGM," said Ray Laflamme, VIVO's CEO and Chair of the Board. "VIVO's domestic and international businesses continue to perform well despite significant industry headwinds, and it is reassuring to have the support of a strong board and dedicated hard-working teams as we work towards leveraging VIVO's solid position in the Canadian and in the global medical cannabis markets. We will continue to build on our core assets: a dedicated medical focus, excellent customer service, fair pricing, and top quality products and services."

The Company also announces that the board has appointed the following officers of the Company:

Name

Office Held Ray Laflamme

Chief Executive Officer Michael Bumby

Chief Financial Officer Carole Chan

Chief Commercial and People Officer, and President, Harvest Medicine Mariana Fonar

General Counsel and Corporate Secretary Andreas Sander

President, European Operations

All of the officers are previous officers of VIVO.

A total of 88,982,498 common shares were voted at the Meeting, representing 23.991% of the votes attached to all outstanding common shares of the Company. The election of directors was voted upon by ballot and the detailed voting results on that matter are set out below:

Director Number of Votes

FOR Number of Votes

Withheld Percentage of Votes Cast FOR Matter Ray Laflamme 64,815,915 4,528,551 93.47% Glen Huber 64,992,148 4,352,318 93.72% Shai Altman 64,828,183 4,516,283 93.49% Eric Shipman 63,980,174 5,364,292 92.26% Holly Workman 63,881,003 5,463,463 92.12%

In addition, the Company's shareholders approved the appointment of MNP LLP as auditor of the Company for the 2022 fiscal year. Detailed voting results for the Meeting will be included in the Report on Voting Results to be filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

About VIVO Cannabis

VIVO Cannabis is recognized for trusted, premium cannabis products and services. Through its Canna Farms and ABcann business units, VIVO holds production and sales licences from Health Canada and operates world-class indoor cultivation facilities. VIVO has a collection of premium brands, each targeting different customer segments, including Canna Farms, Beacon Medical, Fireside, and Lumina. Harvest Medicine, VIVO's patient-centric, scalable network of medical cannabis clinics, has serviced over 200,000 patient visits. VIVO is always pursuing partnership and product development opportunities and is focusing its international efforts on Germany and Australia. For more information visit: www.vivocannabis.com

For further information:

VIVO Investor Relations

Michael Bumby, Chief Financial Officer

[email protected]

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vivo_cannabis/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vivocanna/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/vivo_cannabis

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vivo-cannabis-inc/

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information



Certain statements in this news release are forward-looking statements, which are statements that are not purely historical, including statements regarding the beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions of VIVO and its management regarding the future. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding the Company's intent to identify an additional independent director, and plans to work towards lower costs, increased revenue and profitability. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the forwardlooking statements, including: that the Company may not be able to achieve competitive margins; that new products, if launched, may not be accepted by the market or may become subject to product liability claims; that the Company may not be able to obtain necessary licences; that demand for the Company's products may not meet management's expectations; that the COVID19 pandemic may last longer and have a more significant impact on the Company's operations, the Canadian cannabis industry, or the global economy generally, than currently expected; that the Company faces competition from existing and new market entrants and participants; that the Company may be unable to retain its key talent or attract new talent and/or potential independent directors; that the Company may not be able to execute on its strategic partnerships; that the Company may not obtain any other necessary regulatory approvals as required from time to time; that the Company may be unable to protect its intellectual property; and other factors beyond the Company's control. No assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forwardlooking statements will occur or, if they do occur, what benefits the Company will obtain from them. Readers are urged to consider these factors carefully, and the more extensive risk factors included in the Company's management's discussion and analysis for the three months ended March 31, 2022, which is available on SEDAR, in evaluating the forwardlooking statements contained in this news release and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forwardlooking statements, which are qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. The forwardlooking statements in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any such forwardlooking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/129837


In just over two weeks,ViMedios from ViGroup Co Ltd raised over US$300 million funds towards UNHCR's Ukraine emergency response. All the funds will be handed to the government of United States and UNHCR officially on July 31st and press conference will be held somewhere in Kyiv, the venue is yet to be announced.

Actually,More than one million Ukrainian refugees are now estimated to have crossed the embattled nations borders, according to UNHCR data, with nearby neighbours Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Germany all accepting refugees.

Philanthropy within Ukraine.

The foundation programme of ViGroup Ltd called ViMedios was established in April 2022 to help Ukrainians in needs and advance the cause of philanthropy in Ukraine. However, the company has pivoted to crisis response  focusing on transporting goods, particularly humanitarian aid, medicine, and supplies for civilians; coordinating logistics of help from abroad to Ukraine; and providing financial support to humanitarian headquarters and hospitals.

A recent message from Andrew Scott, CEO of the ViGroup Ltd, shared that because of the invasion, the company has already allocated its budget for the entire year. Ukrainian people, agencies, and NGOs are crying for help, Andrew Scott wrote. They desperately need funds to stay alive, find safe shelter, feed their families, move to safe places, and provide medicines for the sick and wounded.

Regarding to the current project operated by ViGroup Ltd, the company had spent large sums of funds to fix and develop several projects on the current project ViMedios to establish a staking function ViWallet that provides fix interest to the members. Due to members having a bad experience in the previous week and 30% of the users having some lost, ViGroup Ltd will be giving out US $3 million as a bonus to users. Besides, ViGroup Ltd is also developing its own superapp and soon to be released on AppStore and Google Playstore. Andrew Scott also mentioned, The development and marketing team will soon introduce several new membership packages to all the platform users on 9th July 2022, in order to let all the users to afford and have the opportunity to earn a good income through the platform. However, recently the team founded that there were several fake platforms that pretended to be the organization and spreading rumours that the programme will soon be shut down. ViGroup Ltd would kindly encourage everyone not to believe such rumours because ViGroup Ltd only have one ViMedios platform and the team will strictly comply to the first objectives  to stand and grow with all Ukrainians.



Due to the mass increasing of users, the payment companies that currently work with ViGroup Ltd is not able to complete millions of transactions in one day which lead to delay to payment. ViGroup Ltd will definitely increase the withdrawal limit of the platform again to 1500 UAH on 12th July 2022. However, with the upcoming partnership with PayOp and Stripe on 20th July, there will be no need for users to make a withdrawal manually, the funds the users will be sent to the respective bank card instantly every day 21:00. Once the total users of the platform reach 1.8 million, ViGroup Ltd will issue an additional US $200 million to all the users as a reward. said Andrew Scott, CEO of ViGroup. Soon enough, ViGroup Ltd will expand to Sweden, France, and Poland.

Since January 2021, the United States has invested more than $6.8 billion in security assistance to demonstrate our enduring and steadfast commitment to Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity. This includes more than $6.1 billion since Russias launched its premeditated, unprovoked, and brutal war against Ukraine on February 24. Since 2014, the United States has provided more than $8.7 billion in security assistance for training and equipment to help Ukraine preserve its territorial integrity, secure its borders, and improve interoperability with NATO.

Previously, the United States had been spending about $52 million a day supporting Ukraine. At that rate, a follow-on package would be expected at the end of the month. The rapidity of this package implies a doubling of that support rate to over US $100 million a day.

Contact Info:

Name: Anna Zenlenchuk

Email: Send Email

Organization: ViGroup Co Ltd

Website: https://www.vimedios.net/



Release ID: 89077654

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Students are now welcome to apply for the Vincent Camarda Scholarship for Finance Students. This type of scholarship is specifically designed for those kinds of students who would like to become finance professionals in the future. The scholarship is available for high school students who are currently enrolled in university undertaking a business course or those high school students who wish to obtain a business degree in the future. The most deserving student will be rewarded a scholarship as a way to ease their financial burden. The most deserving student with the most powerful essay from the results of our essay contest will earn the scholarship. Students are advised to follow all the instructions to stand a chance. If you feel like you are the right candidate to apply for the scholarship, you can head to Carmardas official scholarship website and complete an application.

Working in finance can be a very rewarding career, but also a very difficult road to success. College and university education is essential as it prepares us for what is to come and for our success. Having an education in business can also be the best chance for you to get hired by competitive farms or run your business successfully. Unfortunately, not all students who dare to dream to become successful businesspeople are privileged enough to receive an education. Some are forced to drop out of school completely or leave school with massive student debt. It is for that reason that Vincent Camarda AG Morgan CEO is offering his business scholarship. With the help of the scholarship, they can have enough time to learn and prepare to become successful business owners.

All A.G. Morgan financial advisors are more than dedicated to helping people become successful in the future. They first learn your personality and then identify your dreams and goals. The best will then determine your level of risk tolerance and help you accordingly. Because Vincent Camarda of AG Morgan wants to give back to the community, they are now offering a scholarship to the most deserving student. If you are eligible for the scholarship, you can take this golden opportunity to apply for the scholarship award. Visit the Vincent Camarda Scholarship website for more information and also to apply for the scholarship for finance students.

Contact Info:

Name: Vincent Camarda

Email: Send Email

Organization: Vincent Camarda Scholarship

Website: https://vincentcamardascholarship.com



Release ID: 89077765

If you detect any issues, problems, or errors in this press release content, kindly contact [email protected] to notify us. We will respond and rectify the situation in the next 8 hours.
Milloret LTD, A European SEO Agency Is Set To Offer International SEO Services To Accelerate Growth In Clients' Businesses And Generate Organic Traffic

LONDON, July 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Milloret LTD, a prestigious UK-registered European SEO Agency operating from the UK, and Spain announced today its mission to offer international SEO services to help grow clients' businesses. Milloret LTD specializes in helping websites perform better on Google, increasing sales and visibility, and generating more organic traffic.

Milloret LTD has completed over 1000 projects associated with search engine promotion, web design, and web optimization. The family-owned companyMilloret LTD offers SEO services in over six different languages and is one of the leading agencies to effectively handle and oversee the growth of clients' sales and business by increasing their visibility in search engines.

Milloret analyzes websites to identify and fix any underlying issues and then reinforces the website externally using backlinks to help it perform better on google and generate more traffic. The agency also writes and publishes relevant articles on high-domain authority websites to help boost the visibility of its client's website.

With over a decade worth of experience under its belt, Milloret LTD has the experience and expertise to handle any task ranging from website creation and design of any level and managing all social media Ad campaigns. The company also offers one of the lowest prices in the market to host websites and handles domain registration services. It is pertinent to add that the prices charged by the company do not detriment the quality of the work done.

"Our agency Milloret offers exceptional up-to-date SEO services which include a professional audit of websites, structure, content, user experience, and backlinks profile optimization. We use an individual approach for each client, identifying what each project needs to succeed. We invite you to use our big experience and European approach to grow your business, traffic, and success," Dimitri, CEO of Milloret asserts.

Big on providing impeccable services and customer satisfaction, Milloret has earned over 1200 positive reviews on eBay, Fiverr, Freelancer, and Google combined. The company has been represented on Freelancer.com and Fiverr.com since 2012 and 2013 respectively and has left positive imprints on both platforms due to its professional and value-centric services.

Anyone interested in upscaling their business can simply contact Milloret LTD to get the best services.

For more information please visit  https://milloret.com/

Contact:Milloret LTD, Dimitri Ledok***@milloret.com+34 653 408 480

Photo(s):https://www.prlog.org/12923592

Press release distributed by PRLog

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/milloret-ltd-to-offer-premium-international-seo-services-301579986.html

SOURCE Milloret LTD
BOISE, Idaho (Tribune News Service)  The man who shot and killed a Boise Marine in December 2020 will spend up to 40 years in prison, an Ada County district judge decided Friday morning, but he could earn parole by the end of 2035.

Fourth District Judge Patrick Miller sentenced 22-year-old Devon Arnold to 15 years fixed and 25 indeterminate, meaning the possibility of parole for Arnold after he serves 15 years. Miller credited Arnold roughly 18 months for time served since the murder.

Arnold pleaded guilty in April to second-degree murder in the death of Lance Cpl. Davis Mosqueda. Stars and Stripes reported that the 20-year-old Marine was home on leave and visiting friends at a Boise apartment on Dec. 30, 2020, when he left to check on a friend in the parking lot. Arnold shot Mosqueda multiple times, and Mosqueda died after being transported to a local hospital.

Mosqueda was quickly climbing the Marine Corps ranks before his death, his father, John Mosqueda, told the Idaho Statesman. Mosqueda enlisted at 17 years old and was stationed at Marine Barracks Washington, D.C., as part of the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon, which performs military drills in complete silence.

In victim impact statements in court Friday, Mosquedas parents told Miller that their sons murder was senseless and ridiculous.

(Arnold) stole his life, he stole his career and he stole from this family, said Mosquedas mother, Monica. The fact that (Arnold) doesnt feel his future should be forever marked by this is unfortunate, because our lives are forever marked. Davis is gone.

In his own statement in court, Arnold expressed his remorse to the Mosqueda family.

Theres not a day that goes by that I dont regret my actions, Arnold said. I couldve done something different. I wish I had.

Addressing Mosquedas parents directly, Arnold again apologized: Im sorry for taking your baby boy from you.

Millers sentence fell between the defenses request for 30 years, with 15 fixed, and the prosecutions request for a fixed life sentence in what the prosecutor called cold-blooded murder of an unarmed stranger.

John Mosqueda told the Statesman that his family felt the sentence was far too lenient.

My son didnt do anything wrong, he said.

2022 The Idaho Statesman.

Visit idahostatesman.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The Navy says it is examining who will be held accountable for a catastrophic jet fuel spill last year that poisoned the drinking water at a Hawaii military base, acknowledging this week that the public health disaster resulted from widespread failures and ultimately was preventable.

The incident sickened thousands of military family members and forced many more from their homes at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. Officials said problems first emerged in May 2021 after workers at the Red Hill fuel storage facility spilled about 20,000 gallons of petroleum product, which then was pumped into a fire suppression line and became suspended in a pipe. In late November a small train car struck the pipe, sending the contaminant into a nearby well that supplies water to 40,000 service members and their families, the Navy said in a report detailing its investigation.

Navy officials suspended work at the facility a week later - as families reported illnesses from water that they said tasted and smelled like fuel - but did not disclose the decision to pause operations for several more days. At that time, senior military leaders, including the base commander then, Capt. Erik Spitzer, sought to assure the community their water was safe to drink.

The lack of critical thinking, intellectual rigor, and self-assessment by key leaders at decisive moments exemplified a culture of complacency and demonstrated a lack of professionalism that is demanded by the high consequence nature of fuel operations, the Navys 234-page report concluded.

The Navy is scrutinizing the actions of multiple senior leaders as it assesses potential disciplinary action.

Spitzer was responsible for the safety, security, environmental stewardship, and protection of personnel and property on the installation, the investigation said. He eventually issued an apology for saying the water posed no danger.

Spitzer was recognized in June with the prestigious Legion of Merit award after his departure from the post. Attempts to contact him were unsuccessful.

For those who consumed or bathed with contaminated water, the fallout was dire. Military families reported a range of maladies with known links to toxic exposure, including severe nausea and gastrointestinal complications, skin rashes and memory loss.

The response fell unacceptably short of the Navy standards for leadership, ownership, and the safeguarding of our communities, the vice chief of naval operations, Adm. William Lescher, wrote in his endorsement of the investigation, which was released publicly by the Hawaii Department of Health with extensive redactions late Thursday. The Navy later published the same documents.

Adm. Samuel Paparo, Pacific Fleet commander, told reporters a number of people are no longer in their jobs as a result of the incident, but he did not disclose how many people have been disciplined or fired.

The Pentagon said in March that it would permanently shut down the long-troubled facility, surrendering a months-long battle to defy the state health departments order to do just that. More than 100 million gallons of fuel must be removed, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2024.

Built in the 1940s, Red Hill has been under scrutiny for years by environmental groups and declared a ticking time bomb by state officials. The massive tanks, located above an aquifer that feeds the base and civilian communities, are used to fuel military vehicles, ships and aircraft operating throughout the Pacific. Closing the complex poses a strategic quandary for the Pentagon, which has indicated it is exploring scenarios to ensure that the militarys capacity to project forces wont be disrupted.

The Navys investigation faulted a decision in February 2021 to remove military personnel from oversight of day-to-day fueling operations at Red Hill. It said that responders were neither trained nor equipped to stop the leak had no sense of the systems intricate pathways that allowed fuel to flow into the water shaft. About 5,000 gallons were never recovered, officials determined.

No single person took charge at the scene, the report concluded.

The Navy has insisted that the water at Pearl Harbor is free of fuel and safe to drink and that there is no evidence of chronic exposure in any residents health records.

Nearly a dozen military families told The Washington Post in December that they experienced symptoms of fuel exposure beginning in the summer of 2021, months before the Navy acknowledged contamination had occurred. Some families said they reported their illnesses. Others believed their symptoms were stress-related and didnt seek care.

The Navys claims have been contested by the affected families. One military spouse told lawmakers last month that her esophagus is permanently damaged and that her home still has tainted water.

Jamie Williams, a Coast Guard spouse who lives near the site of the contamination, said in an interview that in May she sent a sample of her water to an independent lab, which returned a positive result for JP-5, the type of fuel that leaked into the well.

Williams said she toured Red Hill this week with other military families and Navy officials. The walk-through took them over a catwalk that allowed the group to see into the cavernous 20-story tanks, where workers had left chalk marks to highlight points of concern such as rust and dents. There appeared to be a mark every few inches, Williams said. A third-party assessment of the facility found dozens of problems.

The officials who guided the visit, she said, relied on talking points about the importance of the facility as the threat from China grows and seemed to dismiss the larger concerns of military families. Its like the gravity hasnt sunk in, Williams said. Theyre treating it like its a nonissue.
Somewhere near Dien Ban, South Vietnam, November 25, 1968: Pfc. Richard Villareal, left, and Lance Cpl. K.D. Johnson Jr. of E Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, relieved of their wet and muddy boots, enjoy a post-lunch cigarette while on blocking position near Dien Ban. The Marines were part of Operation Meade River, a cordon and search operation conducted by several regiments of the 1st Marine Div. and the South Vietnamese army.
There is no evidence that Scott Merryman, a 37-year-old war veteran, was motivated by political hatred when he trekked a thousand miles to the Washington, D.C., area, vowing to slay the Anti-Christ, as he called President Joe Biden on social media.

The former paratrooper, emotionally troubled for more than a decade, had suddenly become delusional, obsessed with the Bibles Book of Revelation. Believing he was a God-anointed prophet of the worlds final days, he set out, in his words, to lop the head off the serpent in the heart of the nation. When Secret Service agents intercepted him in January, he was carrying three bullets, though no gun.

Weeks later, at a pretrial hearing, the burly, bearded former soldier from rural Kansas, charged in an indictment with threatening to kill the president, walked to the witness stand in a federal courtroom in Baltimore. Diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder since 2009, and reportedly recovered from the temporary psychosis that led to his arrest, he moved with a weary gait, clad in a jail-issue orange jumpsuit, white socks and floppy shower sandals.

Are you feeling depressed? a defense attorney asked.

Very much so, Merryman replied, adding, I tried to hang myself Thursday.

To those who know him best, especially his loved ones, Merryman is far less a culprit than a casualty of war  a living reminder of the price of Americas long conflict in Afghanistan. Over the years, in therapy with mental health clinicians in the Department of Veterans Affairs, he has said he is haunted by a firefight in an Afghan village in which he mistakenly machine-gunned a small girl. His doctors call this fatal tragedy his target trauma, or the main traumatic event at the root of his disturbance, a horrifying experience that he must somehow come to grips with if he hopes to ever get well.

Testifying calmly, he said he twisted a bedsheet around his neck and suspended himself from the bunk in his cell  but he couldnt keep his feet off the floor.

If there was a way to hang from the ceiling, I would be dead.

The suicide attempt  a cry for help, as he puts it now  was just the latest episode in a history of self-destructive behavior by a veteran afflicted with numerous PTSD-related maladies, including major depression, alcoholism and chronic nightmares, resulting from what the Army says were his multiple exposures to combat.

Since returning from deployment in 2008, Merryman, like a lot of people with PTSD, has often been in denial about his illness, refusing to go to hospitals in the throes of mental crises, some of them mortally dangerous. Many times, he ignored VAs outreach, while his familys desperate efforts at interventions came to naught. Other times, when he was willing to undergo treatment, he encountered bed shortages in VA medical centers or labyrinthine hospital-admissions procedures that left him and his relatives angry and exasperated.

Im just  Im losing hope, he said.

Facing two federal charges for allegedly threatening Bidens life, each punishable by up to five years in prison, Merryman has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, asserting that because of his transitory psychotic break, he was unable to appreciate the wrongfulness of his conduct at the time it occurred.

As he sat in the witness box in U.S. District Court in Maryland, he was stuck in a kind of limbo.

The criminal case could drag on for months. In the meantime, Merrymans lawyers argue, their client urgently needs in-depth care for his PTSD. They say he should be housed in a psychiatric hospital while he awaits a trial. Chief Judge James K. Bredar agrees, but insists that the treatment take place in a locked ward, with Merryman under guard. The problem is, defense attorneys and prosecutors have yet to find a mental health facility that meets the courts security requirements and also would accept Merryman as a patient. Even VA has declined to help, citing its rules against treating prisoners.

So Merryman, despite his fragile equilibrium and suicidal tendencies, remains behind bars without access to comprehensive therapy.

On the bench that morning, Bredar sounded incredulous. Im very frustrated by the fact that this is a mental illness and ... theres just this black hole, he told the lawyers, none of whom could offer a viable solution.

Prosecutor Michael C. Hanlon said: I imagined that there were hospitals where you could hold a person pending trial if they had a mental health issue, and it was like detention. ... You see this on television. However, in the federal justice system, Hanlon said he was surprised to learn, we simply do not have hospitals that hold people on a pretrial basis who require intensive psychiatric care in a secure setting.

It just blows my mind, said Elizabeth Liz Oyer, then an attorney for Merryman.

Before moving him to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility in Chicago for a 45-day mental evaluation this spring, the U.S. Marshals Service held Merryman in the Prince Georges County, Md., jail. A psychiatrist who examined him for the defense said that late last year, Merryman had abruptly cut back on one of the many prescription drugs he used for his PTSD, a change that might have caused his short-lived psychosis. After his arrest, when he began taking the proper dosage again, his delusions went away, the psychiatrist reported.

But his debilitating stress disorder persists, as ever.

In a video interview from the jail, talking with a reporter about his service in Afghanistan and his years of emotional turmoil, Merryman is lucid, soft-spoken and at times ruefully self-deprecating.

I started having thoughts of worthlessness, he says, recalling the night in his cell when he coiled the bedsheet. Like, now the VA wont help me. Im a burden on Liz. Im a burden on my family. Im a burden on everyone.

He says with an empty shrug, I just started thinking it would be better if I wasnt around.

Born in 1984 in the croplands burg of Neodesha, Kan., about 130 miles south of Topeka, Merryman grew up shuttling between there and Nevada after his parents divorced, when he was a toddler. His mother, a medical billing manager, moved to Las Vegas, Nev., while his father stayed in Neodesha, working as a rural-route mail carrier on the tall-grass prairie.

After earning a GED, Merryman went into the Army in 2005. His mother, Terry Bryant, remembers how excited he was, talking about the military as a career, as the kind of structure he needed. Because Merryman had passed two bad checks at a gas station the year before, when he was 19, he had to compose a statement for the Army requesting a misdemeanor waiver to enlist.

I want to join the Army so I can have a good life and serve my country, he wrote. Please allow me to be a soldier.

As a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Divisions 4th Brigade Combat Team, Spc. Merryman was in Afghanistan for 15 months, starting in January 2007. At a sprawling forward operating base called FOB Salerno, in the Afghan province of Khost, near Pakistan, his platoon was assigned to a detention facility, keeping watch on captured Taliban and al-Qaida fighters, some of whom were brought in by Green Berets from the Armys 7th Special Forces Group.

The Special Forces soldiers often carried out snatch-and-grab missions, ranging deep into the countryside and returning to Salerno with high-value prisoners. Like other paratroopers at the detention site, Merryman says, he occasionally accompanied the Green Berets.

They would need extra bodies sometimes, he says. Theyd be in some village, and wed stay with the vehicles and just be dismounted and give rear-guard for them. According to his service record, he also volunteered for numerous missions in support of a tactical intelligence-gathering team, prowling the Afghan hills and valleys while knowing full well the hazards.

In recent interviews, retired Lt. Col. Kenneth Ratashak, who was second-in-command of Merrymans battalion, was initially skeptical that soldiers posted to the detention facility would be outside the wire running combat patrols, given the time demands involved in overseeing detainees. But after he checked with one of Merrymans former platoon leaders, Ratashak confirmed that they did do this type of activity, unbeknown to the battalion staff.

Merryman says one firefight, indelible in his mind since 2007, occurred in Khosts Nadir Shah Kot district during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which fell mostly in September that year. By then, he and his first wife, whom he had married after basic training, were parents of a baby girl. Merryman had been granted leave from Afghanistan the previous March to witness the induced birth and had returned to Khost buoyed by thoughts of his infant daughter.

The skirmish in Nadir Shah Kot, the shouts and adrenaline and staccato din of automatic weapons, erupted at dusk, he says.

We were taking casualties. ... I had a machine gun, and instead of just doing controlled bursts, I was  I had to cover my area, my sector of fire  and instead of sticking to my training and doing PID, they call it  positive identification  I was just dumping rounds at that point.

He says he was outside a Humvee with an M-249 light machine gun.

Through the chaos of just spraying rounds, a family was trying to get out of the area where more and more fighters were coming in - where we were taking casualties from my sector of fire. And I started going cyclic, they call it. Thats holding the trigger down to where the machine gun would fire all the rounds that you have. And I ended up hitting a little girl who was trying to cross the street. ... I mean, she just panicked with all the gunfire going on and just ran out.

He says she was maybe 4 years old.

I knew the little girl was dead. After the smoke and everything from the gun had cleared up, I knew. And it had to be me.

Of the 46,000-plus Afghan civilians who lost their lives in two decades of war, about 12,000 were killed by U.S. and coalition forces, according to political scientist Neta C. Crawford, co-founder of the Costs of War Project, based at Brown University.

In the years after his deployment, Merryman would rarely talk about Afghanistan outside therapy - and even in counseling, he would usually keep the worst bottled up. His mental health records, compiled by his lawyers, date to 2008 and fill the better part of a file drawer. With Merrymans permission, they gave copies to The Washington Post. Theres the voice of a father in those 2,000 pages, a father who cant find absolution.

I took someones daughter away from them, he would say in tears. I took away someones joy.

In Neodesha (population 2,100), Jeanne Irvine, 84, a self-described Christian prayer warrior, remembers the only phone call she got from her grandson Scott while he was in Afghanistan.

It seemed normal at first, checking on the family and so on, but she soon realized he was upset. All of a sudden he said, Grandma, I dont understand - will God ever forgive me for the things Ive done over here? 

She said of course God would, and she left it at that, sensing he wouldnt tell her more.

Plagued by nightmares and suicidal urges, Merryman was hospitalized for acute psychiatric care in 2008 while he was home on leave after deployment, the records show. In 2009, he spent two weeks in an Army mental health ward and was found to be suffering from PTSD, a diagnosis reaffirmed by VA specialists numerous times since. Next came three surgeries for knee and back injuries from his years in the airborne. By the time he was honorably discharged in 2010 and returned to southeast Kansas as a disabled veteran, he and his first wife had two small daughters, but their marriage was ending.

He was just withdrawn into himself, Terry Bryant says of her son, who moved in with her. Bryant had left Las Vegas and settled on a small ranch near Independence, Kansas, 15 miles from Neodesha. And so hypervigilant! She says he went around with his head on a swivel; he had a panic attack in a Walmart.

If you would walk up behind Scott and he didnt know you were there, hed jump out of his skin, Bryant, 61, says. Hed stay in his room and not come out. Hed sleep during the day and be up all night.

Experts in PTSD say people are affected differently by traumatic stress based on myriad personal factors, such as temperament, childhood experiences and genetics. While many soldiers endure appalling violence without losing their mental health, others arent so fortunate. For Merryman, the records show, post-deployment life has been marred by depression, guilt, outbursts of rage, intrusive memories, alcoholism, opioid abuse, failed relationships and gruesome attempts to escape his suffering. A VA psychologist once described him as sobbing in therapy, slumped in a chair, wondering aloud, Am I weak?

From Neodesha and Independence, where he lived alternately with family members, girlfriends and by himself, the nearest VA medical centers are two to three hours away by car, in Wichita and Topeka. Getting him to make the trips was never easy for his loved ones.

In June 2010, a month out of the Army, Merryman was arrested in Independence for tampering with an oxycodone prescription, upping it from 60 pills to 80. He would later say that he had been doctor-shopping at random ERs, feeding an addiction to painkillers stemming from his three surgeries. With the criminal case pending, he began meeting with a mental health practitioner at a rural VA clinic, while his mother begged him to get more-intensive treatment. When she tried driving her son to the VA hospital in Topeka, she says, he jumped out of her pickup truck at 40 mph, tucking and rolling like a paratrooper on the highway shoulder. Not until May 2011, after he was put on probation for the script forgery, did he finally go through opioid detox.

Which didnt stop his whiskey drinking.

Bobby Dierks, the Montgomery County, Kan., sheriff at the time, remembers June 16, 2011, when Merryman, heavily intoxicated, was holed up alone in his mothers ranch house, threatening to shoot himself. Dealing with a mentally unstable combat veteran who might have a gun, deputies cautiously surrounded the place. But the sheriff, an old friend of Merrymans family, decided not to wait.

I knew Scott wouldnt hurt me, Dierks says. He says he strode into the house through an unlocked doorway and found Merryman semiconscious in his bedroom, bleeding out from a slashed wrist.

The scene was painfully familiar in America: From 2001 to 2014, an average of 19 to 21 veterans per day died by suicide, according to a VA study. Among younger veterans  those of Merrymans generation, in the post-9/11 era  the per capita suicide rate was nearly two times the rate for nonveterans.

After Merryman spent the night in a local hospital, Dierks quietly put him in jail for a week without charges to keep him safe, on suicide watch, until a bed became available in a VA psychiatric ward. If I would have got caught doing that, Id have been in big trouble, the former sheriff recalls. But Merrymans mother was all for it, and Merryman says now he was grateful.

We all love Scott, Dierks says. Hes a good kid.

From the county lockup, Merryman went to Topeka for six days of acute care, and a couple of months later, in September 2011, he entered the VA medical center in Leavenworth, Kansas, for long-term treatment.

Weeks into his stay there, he was stalled in therapy.

We are approaching his PTSD trauma without being able to talk about it for more than 5 minutes, psychologist Brandy Ellis noted in a progress report. When she suggested that his anguish seemed associated with a childs death, Merryman put his head in his hands and cried, then got up and paced outside her office. I didnt mean to do it, he kept pleading. I swear it was an accident. He said that he felt like a pressure cooker, that his nightmares were getting more vivid. Eventually, Ellis recommended that he undergo an emotionally taxing form of PTSD treatment called prolonged exposure.

Starting in mid-autumn 2011, in nine weekly meetings with psychiatrist Paul Neal, Merryman closed his eyes and visualized the firefight in Nadir Shah Kot, narrating it aloud, over and over, in the present tense. Some days he curled on the floor in the fetal position during the hour-long sessions. And between meetings, lying in his Leavenworth dorm room at night, he listened to recordings of himself recounting the clamor, the gun smoke and the child falling in the dust. This little girl was the same age as one of his girls now, Neal wrote. It is clear he feels a great deal of shame and remorse.

When he was discharged from Leavenworth in early 2012, having confronted his target trauma and begun the long work of trying to put it behind him, I had some kind of peace, Merryman says.  Salvation is a good word.

Back home, he did great for a while, his mother says. To her knowledge, Merryman hadnt shared his worst Afghanistan memories with anyone in the family except his ex-wife. After Leavenworth, Bryant says, Scott and I were upstairs sitting on his bed, and he just said, I know youve been wanting to talk about this, and I want you to know what happened. He said: I killed a little girl. ... It was an accident during combat.  When he finished his story, Bryant recalls, they embraced, and she thanked him, assuring in a low voice: Remember, Scott, no one thinks badly of you. You were in a war.

After that, she says, he never talked to me about it again.

On June 12 last year, Merryman tried to kill himself with an electric table saw. Alone and drunk on Irish whiskey (I was a fifth of Jameson in, he says), he set up the saw in his fathers living room and held his right forearm lengthwise against the whirring blade - until spurts of arterial bleeding shocked him halfway to his senses. Then he whipped off his belt and used it as a tourniquet.

I was a fumbling mess, he says. I thought to call 911 with one hand as Im holding the belt on my arm with my feet.

Nearly a decade had passed since his Leavenworth treatment, and the optimism spawned by his hospitalization there was long gone. The care he got in Leavenworth in 2011 and 2012 was the most comprehensive he has ever received, but he failed to consistently take part in follow-up therapy. I thought I was cured, he laments. Losing touch with VA for weeks and months at a stretch, he relapsed into despair, self-isolation and binge drinking, which tended to spiral into calamitous meltdowns. Although he had kicked opioids, he twice pleaded guilty to drunken driving after leaving Leavenworth. He also enrolled in online college courses and supplemented his disability income with home-remodeling jobs, yet these were only lulls in the storm.

As he lay covered in blood on his fathers floor a year ago, he thought about his children, he says. In the past, his two girls, plus two boys born more recently, had been the reason he didnt end his life. The boys mothers are ex-girlfriends of Merrymans; they grew tired of his volatile mood swings and split with him. While acquaintances say he and the women had epic arguments, he was never charged with domestic violence, according to a statewide criminal database. The only assaultive behavior on his rap sheet occurred in 2018, when he got in a drunken tussle with police officers outside Stoneys Grub and Pub and later made physical contact with a judge on duty, which cost him an $824 fine.

That night last June, after doctors in Neodesha stanched his bleeding, he was airlifted 115 miles to Wichita for emergency surgery, and in July, he checked into the VA hospital in Kansas City, Mo., for substance-abuse treatment. When he came home, he looked better, his mother says. In August, he married a woman hed met in Independence that summer, a Christian pastor and mother of four. The outdoor ceremony, in the shade of oaks and evergreens, was beautiful, Bryant recalls. It was the happiest Id seen Scott in a long, long time.

Merrymans wife, 44, speaking on the condition of anonymity to protect her privacy, says she knew early in their relationship that he had extreme PTSD. For most of last fall, he seemed to be holding up pretty well  he helped organize two big cookouts for veterans and their families in Independence and rode in Neodeshas Veterans Day parade, smiling and waving from a float. But on Dec. 2, with Merryman intoxicated and threatening to kill himself, his wife put him in her Jeep and set out for the Wichita VA medical center.

I was going 45, 50 miles an hour, she says, when Merryman, not for the first time in his life, opened a door of a moving vehicle. He just jumped out, she recalls, still astonished.

She got help that evening from two of her husbands buddies. Merryman says the friends, both veterans, locked him in a livestock trailer for six hours until he woke up, hung over, and banged on the walls to be let out. The friends arranged for him to travel to a private addiction-rehab center in western Pennsylvania  and it was there, a week into his stay, that he began having hyper-religious thoughts, the records show.

Scary, scary, scary

The road trip that landed Merryman in a Baltimore courtroom began Tuesday, Jan. 25, at the Little Bear gas station in Neodesha. Jay McGeary, a freight hauler who lives in town, was leaving for Washington, D.C., that morning in his Dodge pickup, pulling a trailer load of steel to a construction site near the White House. His pal Merryman asked if he could ride along. McGeary, glad to have company, said sure, and they agreed to meet at the Little Bear.

I wished I hadnt, McGeary, 47, says now.

On Facebook, Merryman announced, Im going on a God led journey to our nations capital, and urged, Watch my strategic moves for the coming days, which worried his family. When Bryant called her son on Tuesday, he and McGeary had been traveling for hours.

He was rambling about his mission, she says. He told me, Im going to visit Joe Biden, and hung up.

After Merrymans wife texted him, urging him to come home, he phoned the Independence police and reported that she was stalking him. This led to a flurry of calls among his wife, his mother and a police sergeant, in which the sergeant learned that a mentally ill veteran, a self-proclaimed prophet of the apocalypse, was headed to Washington to see the president. The sergeant alerted the Secret Service.

In the drivers seat, listening to Merryman, McGeary says, I let it go in one ear and out the other. That first day, he kept teasing his friend: Hey, Scott, you just going to knock on the White House door and ask if Joes here? But the next day, as they were approaching Maryland, the joking abruptly ceased. A Secret Service agent had been trying to contact Merryman, who wasnt answering his phone. So the agent called McGeary, which scared the s--- out of me, he says. Soon, Merryman was on the phone with the agent, ranting about a serpent, while McGeary thought, Theyre going to throw me in prison.

The Secret Service said in a court affidavit: Merryman stated that he had been told by God to travel to Washington, DC, to lop the head off the serpent in the heart of the nation. Merryman denied that the serpent was the President. By this point, McGeary had had enough. Look, I love Scott to death, he says - but when they reached Hagerstown, Md., 80 miles northwest of Washington, he pulled into an Exxon station and left Merryman there, then notified the Secret Service.

On Wednesday night, when two agents located Merryman in the parking lot of a Cracker Barrel in Hagerstown, he reiterated that he was on his way to decapitate a serpent but denied the comment was a threat towards the President, the affidavit says. Apparently none of his ramblings thus far had amounted to a federal offense. After the agents searched his backpack - finding three .45-caliber bullets in a pistol magazine, but no weapon - they let him go. It wasnt long, however, before Merryman allegedly crossed the line into making illegal threats.

He got a room at the Sleep Inn & Suites near the Cracker Barrel and allegedly posted lurid screeds on Facebook, warning: I believe Joe Biden is the AntiChrist now and he will suffer a fatal head wound. Ill deal that blow in Christs name. ... And Im going to do it with bullets and no gun.

The next morning, Jan. 27, he made similar threats on Facebook and by phone with a White House call-taker and a Secret Service agent, the affidavit says. Then he began loudly bothering other guests in the motel lobby, according to a police report. State troopers arrived, a struggle ensued and Merryman ended up in the local jail, charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. The Secret Service took custody of him the following Monday.

Scary, scary, scary is how Bryant recalls those days and nights when she feared her son would commit suicide-by-cop.

I wasnt thinking right

I wasnt thinking right, Merryman told defense psychiatrist Ronald J. Koshes in March, after he had been in jail for weeks. Referring to the delusions, he said, I didnt come out of it until I restarted my meds.

Late last year, Merryman had sharply reduced his dosage of Cymbalta, an antidepressant, which could have caused his psychotic break, Koshes reported. Medications aside, experts also have noted a heightened risk for temporary psychosis, including delusions, in people with severe PTSD symptoms.

Koshes, a former chief of inpatient psychiatry at the old Walter Reed Army Medical Center, said that Merryman is no longer psychotic or a danger to the public - that he shows significant insight with regard to his actions in January and a desire to move past this terrible episode. But his crippling PTSD remains, Koshes wrote, and given his history of very significant suicidal ideation and attempts, he needs a high level of treatment. It is my opinion that this cannot be done on a mental health unit in a jail, where resources are typically scarce, Koshes said. Echoing defense lawyers, he said Merryman should be getting comprehensive care in a psychiatric ward while he awaits his trial.

On the witness stand in Baltimore, four days after he tried to hang himself, Merryman described the care he had been receiving in the Prince Georges County jail. Mental health staffers delivered his meds to his cell, where he was on lockdown, he testified. They said: How are you feeling today? Are you homicidal? Suicidal? Check, check - and bye.

Even though Merryman isnt delusional anymore, Judge Bredar has insisted on tight pretrial security for a man accused of threatening to kill Biden. At the same time, the judge acknowledged Merrymans urgent need for PTSD treatment and implored VA officials to take the defendant into their care under strict detention rules set by the court.

But VA said no.

To protect itself from the untenable situations of veterans being transported to VA ... from jails and prisons, the agency said, it long ago enacted regulations barring VA hospitals from treating veterans who are in the custody of the justice system. In the past, the referral of prisoners to VA ... presented potential danger to other patients and VA staff or disrupted operations because of the presence of armed law enforcement personnel, the agencys general counsel, Richard Sauber, told Bredar in a letter.

The VA very much wants to do whatever it can to help Mr. Merryman, Sauber wrote. We do, however, have certain legal and practical limitations.

In searching for other options, the lawyers have come up empty.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons, with limited space in its medical centers, said its primary mission is to treat inmates who have been convicted and sentenced. The bureau said it has no room for pretrial prisoners who require long-term therapy - except for defendants deemed mentally incompetent to participate in legal proceedings, and Merryman isnt one of those. As for state-run forensic psychiatric hospitals, and the Washington, D.C., governments St. Elizabeths Hospital, they have no contractual agreements with federal authorities to assist detainees in Merrymans predicament, defense attorneys say.

And private hospitals arent secure enough to satisfy the Marshals Service.

Im really almost without words, Bredar declared from the bench, wondering in an irked tone, How is it that we have somebody whos so clearly ill and were just not in the position to house him in an appropriate treatment center?

Your honor, I share your frustration, said Hanlon, an assistant U.S. attorney in Maryland, whose office declined to comment on the case.

That night when he fashioned a noose from his bedsheet, Merryman recalls, he saw no meaningful future for himself. I was alone, lying on the bunk, and I guess I was just thinking about things too much.

In a cinder-block room at the jail, staring into his lap, he says quietly, You know, my brain, the way it works, sometimes Im my own worst enemy.

The Washington Posts Fredrick Kunkle and Razzan Nakhlawi contributed to this report.

If you or someone you know needs help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org. You can also text a crisis counselor by messaging Crisis Text Line at 741741.
Even though he doesnt stuff the envelopes, North Dakota Tax Commissioner Brian Kroshus deserves credit for the efficient manner in which his department is serving the public. His turnaround time is just a matter of days, while the IRS takes months.

(If Commissioner Kroshus ever uses this compliment in a political campaign, I will deny that I ever said it -- plead temporary insanity or something else believable.)

For an agency that touches thousands of people, the Tax Department has been a well-managed unit of government for over 50 years. Among its commissioners were former U.S. Sens. Heidi Heitkamp, Kent Conrad and Byron Dorgan.

As for the IRS, I overpaid for 2021 and filed my return on April 15. For the past 60 days, I have been going to the mailbox with the hope that my refund will appear and I can party.

I should have asked them to transfer it electronically but I thought it would be more fun holding the paper, so I asked for it in the mail. Think of it as a fund earmarked for fun purposes.

Now I could believe that the fault is not with the IRS but with the mail service. That would be believable since mail costs and delivery time have both gone up. There are things that go up and never come down.

Now the IRS has a legitimate excuse. It has been choked in Congress by the anti-tax crowd that would abolish all taxes if they could. But if they cant abolish the income tax, they want to make it difficult for the IRS to collect.

It is beneficial for those who are avoiding paying their share of the wealth. They sift through every loophole, and when they find that they still owe taxes they try to limit the number of IRS auditors who might discover more loopholes than the law allows. It is a ploy of the wealthy.

Congress has been appropriating less and less money for the IRS until all the agency has is a skeleton force and makes me wait at least two months for my refund. In reality, it is cheating the system because billions of tax dollars escape every year, leaving those of us in the middle class paying more than our share.

Except for the loopholes, federal tax laws apply equally to everyone. On second thought, that may be a contradictory statement because the loopholes make it a rigged system that does not apply equally. Admittedly, every taxpayer does not get a loophole.

When we go down one tier to the state level, every state has its own peculiar loopholes that benefit the strongest economic, political and social forces in the state. That means 50 different tax systems in an obsolete federal system. It makes life complicated for people who work for interstate corporations and businesses, the number of which is increasing daily.

Because states lack the courage to impose higher taxes, they depend on the federal government for extra money, hat in hand. And when they spend it, they do not give the federal government the credit for its share.

This dependence on the federal government has been draining federalism of its vigor for the last 100 years. Today, we no longer have two clear levels of government because the finances have become so intergovernmental that the levels have become indistinguishable.

Maybe I will get my refund in time for Black Friday so I can catch up on all of the good deals I missed while waiting for Congress to give the IRS enough money to collect from the cheaters.

Anyway, thank you Commissioner Kroshus for doing your part.
The fate of two Americans detained in Russia could depend on what the U.S. government decides to do with an imprisoned Russian arms dealer nicknamed the Merchant of Death, whose wild exploits once inspired a Hollywood film starring Nicolas Cage.

Viktor Bout, 55, is a former Soviet military translator who became an international air transport figure after the fall of communism. Bout is currently serving a 25-year sentence at a medium-security prison in Illinois for conspiring to kill U.S. nationals and selling weapons to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

The Kremlin has long pushed for Bouts release, calling his conviction unlawful. And in recent weeks, media reports in Russia have hinted that he could be swapped for WBNA star Brittney Griner and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan.

On Friday, Griner appeared in a Russian court to face drug charges stemming from her arrest at Moscows Sheremetyevo International Airport in February. Whelan was arrested and charged with spying in 2018  and has called the trial politically motivated.

U.S. officials have declined to say whether the Biden administration is seeking a prisoner swap involving Griner and Whelan. In April, another U.S. prisoner held in Moscow  former Marine Trevor Reed  was released in exchange for a Russian convicted in the United States.

Many, including Bouts own lawyer in the United States, say he would have to be released for Griner and Whelan to be allowed back to the United States.

Bouts lawyer in the United States, Steve Zissou, says what Moscow wants is obvious.

All that remains is for the U.S. government to have the courage to admit the obvious -- get what we can for Viktor Bout, Zissou said. The alternative should be obvious -- no Americans will be exchanged unless Viktor Bout is sent home along with them.

- - -

What led to Bouts arrest?

Bout was arrested in Thailand in 2008 in a sting operation after spending years dodging international arrest warrants and asset freezes.

Today, one of the worlds most prolific arms dealers is being held accountable for his sordid past, Attorney General Eric Holder said when he was convicted in New York in 2011.

The focus of the trial in Manhattan was Bouts role in supplying weapons to FARC, a Marxist-Leninist guerrilla group that staged a long-running insurgency in Colombia. The United States, which worked with Thai authorities to apprehend Bout, said these weapons were intended to kill Americans.

But Bout had an even longer history of weapons dealing in some of the most dangerous and impoverished places in the world. His relationship in the 1990s with the Taliban led the Los Angeles Times to profile him in 2002, quoting a former U.S. government official who described him as the Donald Trump or Bill Gates of arms trafficking. He was also known to have links to Liberias Charles Taylor and Libyas Moammar Gaddafi.

- - -

Why would Moscow care so much about him?

Bout himself has denied the charges against him, telling The Washington Post in 2002 that he was simply a man in the air transportation business and, presciently, that the accusations against him sounded like something out of a Hollywood action film.

And publicly at least, Russian officials have maintained that Bout was an entrepreneur who was unfairly targeted for political reasons. He has become something of a cause celebre in Russia, with government buildings in Moscow exhibiting his prison-made artworks last year.

Zissou said that much of the deterioration in U.S.-Russia relations could be tied to Bouts case.

The United States government set out to make a case against him for crimes that could be charged and prosecuted in an American court, and so they lured him into a sting operation, Zissou said. This targeting of one of its citizens is seen in Russia as a direct attack on its sovereignty.

But outsiders have long suggested that Bout had ties to the Russian government that enabled him to gain a foothold in the international arms smuggling world.

David Whelan, the brother of Paul Whelan, said it was understandable, if disappointing that the focus was on Bout.

There are hundreds of Russian prisoners held by the Bureau of Prisons and, if the U.S. decided to engage in a prisoner swap, many more names that might be palatable, David Whelan said, pointing to one  Roman Seleznev, who has been imprisoned in the United States since 2011 on charges related to hacking and fraud  as another prisoner the Russian government has asked for.

But Russian journalist Andrei Soldatov said that even after all these years, Russia still seemed to care strongly about Bouts case. He wasnt just a hacker that was used occasionally by Russian intelligence services like the FSB or the GRU, he was really important for military intelligence, Soldatov wrote in an email.

Plus, he kept his cool in prison [and] never exposed anything to the Americans, as far as I can tell, Soldatov said.

- - -

What is his link to Americans arrested in Russia?

On paper, there is no link.

Indeed, there is little comparison between the enormous accusations against Bout and the minor charges that Griner faces.

Two-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist Griner, whose trial began on trial Friday, was arrested over 4 months ago on charges of possessing cannabis oil while returning to play for a Russian team.

While Whelan was arrested three years prior on espionage charges, his family and friends have said it was inconceivable that the charges are true. In 2020, U.S. officials said that his conviction was a mockery of justice.

But family and supporters of both Griner and Whelan have said that they hope a deal can be struck with Moscow that would see the two U.S. citizens released in exchange for Bout. And they have good reason to believe a deal is possible.

In April, the U.S. government agreed to a prisoner swap that saw former Marine Trevor Reed returned from Russia in exchange for Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian pilot serving a 20-year prison sentence in Connecticut for drug trafficking.

Though such prisoner swaps between Washington and Moscow are unusual, they are not unprecedented. In 1986, detained American journalist Nicholas Daniloff was swapped for Soviet physicist Gennadi Zakharov. In more recent years, the United States has exchanged prisoners with Iran.

David Whelan said his family was not aware of any discussions about a swap but that they did not expect to be provided information like that anyway.

Its also our understanding that there are obstacles within the U.S. government for any prisoner exchanges to happen, obstacles that only President Biden could surmount, he said.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday that he had no higher priority than making sure that Americans who are being illegally detained in one way or another around the world come home.

Bouts lawyer, Zissou, said that he had not had any contact from the State Department about the case and that the families of Griner and Whelan had been advised not to talk to him.

He said that if a swap does not happen, he plans to file a motion for a reduction of his sentence to time served  as is commonly known as compassionate release. Even if that is denied, Bout could probably be released to an immigration facility 12 months before the end of his term.

That means he could be home in as little as five years, Zissou said.

David Whelan said the focus on Bout underscores how Russia controls the context of wrongful detention of Americans.

It is time for the U.S. government to have a solution to deter them and to take control of the problem. Otherwise, it will always be responding -- in public, if not in reality -- to Russias most outrageous demands, David Whelan added.
(Tribune News Service)  The owner of an ice cream shop in Michigan is defending a controversial social media post saying it will not serve police officers who come to the business wearing body armor.

Cold Truth Soft Serve tagged the Detroit Police Department in a post shared on its Instagram Story, which are automatically deleted after 24 hours.

The post, shown in a screengrab from WJBK, features a police vehicle parked outside the ice cream shop.

We can tolerate the parking, however ... we will not serve anyone wearing body armor, the caption read.

The post has led to a flurry of negative reviews on the ice cream shops Google and Yelp pages.

But Tim Mahoney, owner of the vegan ice cream shop, doubled down in a Facebook post on Thursday, June 30.

Cold Truth is a family/community ice cream spot. There are times when various units come through and are outfitted in heavy duty tactical gear, it is disturbing and unsettling for some of the families in our space, the post read. In the last 24 hours it has come to my attention that the City of Detroit outfits EMS and Fire with armor and this is not my concern. Its the heavy duty military dress that Im hoping the city can find a way to minimize in our public spaces.

He went on to tell WXYZ they are not anti-police but called the militarization dressing intimidating.

Detroit Police Chief James White said in a statement to multiple local outlets, including WDIV, that the body armor is an essential part of the police uniform.

Members of DPD wear body armor to protect themselves so they can return home safely, the chief said in the statement. Its a shameful post and apparently, unprovoked. We are extremely thankful for the overwhelming response and support we receive from the community. Weve attempted to reach out to the shops owner in hopes of having a thoughtful conversation.

Mahoney said he wants to be a part of the conversation that can help minimize the wearing of heavy tactical gear by police officers, he told WXYZ.

2022 The Charlotte Observer.

Visit charlotteobserver.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
(Tribune News Service)  For Independence Day, probably nothing symbolizes the struggle for freedom more than the contribution and sacrifice of veterans.

Northeast-based trucking company A. Duie Pyle recognizes that contribution, is inspired by U.S. veterans and makes sure they have jobs when returning from military service. The company employs more than 200 veterans across all levels of the organization.

One of those veterans is Marques Harris, a dock trainer who has worked at the company for 19 years and served as a U.S. Army E-4 Specialist.

The vet talked about the holiday.

The 4th of July is a special holiday, and it reminds me of those who came before me, who served in a war, defended our country and freedoms so that we get to enjoy today and every day, he said. It reminds me that when I took the oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic  that I did this for life.

If I had a call tomorrow that I was needed to serve, I would be there. Harris appreciates the flexibility at Pyle.

When I started on the dock 19 years ago, we used pen and paper and now we are using a state-of-the-art dock management system, Harris said. Loyalty, honor and respect  treating not just the people but the equipment and the freight with respect.

Pyles core values line up with a lot of the things we were taught in the military.

Tom Smith is a U.S. Marine veteran E4 Corporal and is a safety instructor specialist at Pyle.

While growing up, he enjoyed celebrating the 4th of July in Parkesburg.

As a kid, the 4th meant the town I grew up in would have a carnival and fireworks the evening of the 4th where friends and family would gather to watch, which always created a little excitement, he said. I just turned 40 this past September, and I do have to say looking back they are fond memories, and not only was there a carnival, but there was also a parade the local VFW sponsored.

All veterans would walk holding a small American flag and large American flags hung from almost every porch on the street. I knew several of those older gentlemen, some relatives, some family friends, all veterans of various wars and times of service.

So if I can pick one thing to say what the 4th of July means to me is a very strong sense of pride in celebrating our nations independence with fond memories of my childhood. That I can honestly say had the biggest impact on my decision to enlist in the Marine Corps. Maybe one day I could be one of those older gentlemen walking down the street in a parade.

His military experience set up Smith for success at Pyle.

The military gives you a lot of self-discipline and strong internal pride of belonging in which you hold yourself accountable, he said.

Ivy Platt is a U.S. Navy veteran, served as an MM3 Petty Officer 3rd Class and Machinist Mate and is a staff accountant at Pyle. She learned much in the military, which translated to the job at Pyle.

Being in the military has given me the outlook as you can never expect the unexpected, Platt said. Things are always changing and you have to learn how to adapt to the changes.

I have taken on new things with my role at Pyle that I havent done before. The military also taught me not to give up and always be open to learning. Learning opens new opportunities for you and makes you a more valuable person to the company.

Matt Greenfield, Pyles account supervisor, said that the trucking company examines every individuals military background and technical and leadership skills.

We look to see where they best align with one of our positions and if that is even something they would be interested in, he said. If they lack one skill but show the ability to be adaptable and trained, our leadership takes a look and decides if they can develop them for specific open roles.

We also offer our leadership development program, which is geared for individuals with a lower ranking. It serves as a solid foundation for the civilian side of the transportation industry and logistics.

If drivers want to attend our truck driving academy, we also push to get them to work for us until the next academy is offered, typically every 12 weeks.

What are the benefits of working with such programs for Pyle?

The talent market is tight. Every stone needs to be unturned in this current market, Greenfield said. The military provides a great source of talent that transition easily into our industry and also provides a great source of diversity that we seek here at A. Duie Pyle.

We are not a 9 to 5 operation, its hard work that pays well but takes grit to get the job done. Veterans are built with the mindset we need to be successful in that type of environment.

Jim Latta, a Vietnam Marine veteran, is retired and on the board of directors at Pyle. He said that veterans bring something special.

He noted their maturity, and ability to take on more responsibilities, that they expect to be held accountable in an age he said when nobody is accountable and for their stability.

We aggressively recruit and are more pre-disposed to hiring veterans and understand that their service and sacrifices are appreciated, Latta said.

Jims brother, Peter Latta, is CEO and chairman and said that vets make for a good fit.

Vets like the culture rewards of time in the military  teamwork, comradery, esprit de corps, he said.

Through the two programs, new workers attend paid internships. Five to six percent of the total workforce at the company that will celebrate its 100th birthday in 2024 are vets.

Our company needs a lot of drivers, fleet techs and leaders, Peter Latta said about what he described as a service and people business.

The most important ingredient is the people and their desire to be better than the competition, he said. Its not about trucks, they are simply tools of the trade.

Dave Hargrave is a retired Army colonel who now works with P3 ( Public Private Partnership), a USAR-funded program to help soldiers in the reserves and National Guard find meaningful work outside of their military obligations.

The partnership also works in helping transitioning service members to decide if the reserves or guard might be a good option in order to maintain their military benefits after they leave their full-time military service. Including helping those soldiers gain access to employers, resume writing, training, internships and a slew of other resources geared towards helping vets advance their careers outside of the military.

Hargrave has played an integral role in helping the corporation develop the Pyle Network, with groups like Hiring our Heroes, the Skillbridge Program and transition assistance programs.

He said that vets are responsible, resilient, show up on time, are disciplined and work as a team.

(c)2022 Daily Local News, West Chester, Pa.

Visit https://www.dailylocal.com/
1... Contemplating the future of a country as vast and diverse as China has never been an easy task. As former Chinese premier Wen Jiabao famously put it, any small problem multiplied by a population of 1.3 billion can be perceived as a potential threat, while any considerable amount of financial and material resources divided by that population size may ultimately seem quite negligible. Thus it comes as no surprise that there is such a huge divide in opinions on China in general and the Chinese economy in particular among the expert community. The book Cracking the China Conundrum by Yukon Huang provides a critical assessment of popular perceptions of China, and by doing so presents the authors views on the recent history of Chinas reforms and their implications for economic, social, and political development. As a senior fellow with the Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment and the World Banks former country director for China, the author is well placed to undertake this type of analysis. The result is a thought-provoking, timely, and insightful report on the Chinese economy.

2... The book starts with the authors observation that extreme variations persist among expert views on Chinas futurefrom those advocating the age of Chinas dominance to critics anticipating complete failure. No other country generates such contrasting views on its economic performance. The author attributes this phenomenon to the lack of an agreed-upon analytical framework. Principles used to analyse company behaviour and the macroeconomic situation in a typical developing country are simply not applicable to China due to the state-driven character of its economy, as well as its huge territory and regional diversity. Thus, China watchers tend to over-simplify their analysis and consequently their conclusions. Ideology and cultural differences also contribute to misunderstandings of Chinas economic and political development.

3... Chapter 2 analyses factors behind the differences in global perceptions of China in different parts of the world. The author provides examples of how Chinas rapid economic growth and increased intra-Asian trade in the 2000s contributed to more favourable views of the country within Asia, while at the same time China was seen as the culprit behind increased trade deficits in Western countries. This critique led to the popular notion that Chinas economic growth was unbalanced and full of distortions such as a repressed financial system, undervalued exchange rate, and unfair trade practices. Opinion surveys show that since the mid-2000s, the American public has become increasingly negative toward China. The situation in other countries varies according to their economic linkages with China, historical relationships, and ethnic and cultural ties.

4... Chapter 3 traces the origins of Chinas growth model established by Deng Xiaoping. According to Yukon Huang, the gradual approach to implementing reform became successful because it allowed the central authorities to find ways to overcome vested interests in bureaucracy that otherwise might have blocked the initial changes. As a result, a convenient partnership formed between local authorities and private entrepreneurs. The inefficiencies of central planning were mitigated by introducing the so-called regionally decentralised competitive system. Under this system, the central authorities motivated local authorities to compete for promotion by reaching growth targets while acting under the competitive pressures of market forces. According to Huang, many problems such as income disparities, debt problems, and property bubbles that are currently discussed in policy debates on the Chinese economy should be seen as the natural by-product of this highly successful growth model rather than as vulnerabilities per se.

5... Chapters 4 and 5 examine in greater detail concerns over Chinas unbalanced growth and debt problems. The author dismisses the notion that Chinas growth path is unbalanced because of the extremely low ratio of consumption to GDP. According to Yukon Huang, the decline in the share of consumption is mainly attributed to the urbanisation process and the transfer of workers from labour-intensive, rural activities to more capital-intensive, urban activities. In this regard Chinas growth path follows quite closely patterns seen previously in the initial phases of other successful East Asian economies. Consequently, economic rebalancing (increasing income and consumption shares) can also be expected when Chinas economy becomes fully urbanised and workers increasingly move into more skilled jobs in the service industries. According to Yukon Huang, consumption should not be artificially stimulated, but it can be somewhat increased by eliminating important distortions such as the restrictive hukou residency policy and the prioritisation of investment over social and environmental expenditures. As far as the debt problem is concerned, financial risks in the Chinese economy are manageable and unlikely to lead to a serious financial crisis.

6... Chapter 6 explores the prospects for political liberalisation in China. Starting from Deng Xiaopings Reform Era, the Chinese leadership has given high priority to economic growth, which is considered as a safeguard for political stability. The prolonged period of rapid economic growth was unexpected by many external observers, because it went against the popular belief that economic growth is incompatible with authoritarian regimes. Yukon Huang argues that Chinese state-led capitalism is different because its decentralised character has created incentives for growth and shared benefit among various interest groups. This system has worked quite well until recently. But massive wealth creation has given rise to vested interests that may now be impeding economic development and causing public dissatisfaction and social unrest. Breaking up these vested interests would require some form of political liberalisation to introduce more accountability and transparency into the system. However, the author points out that conditions are not in place for significant political change in the near future. Comparisons with South Korea and Taiwan, which underwent political liberalisation in the past, show that China is still far behind in terms of urbanisation level, the share of the services sector in the economy, and the activism of the middle class. The author also argues that liberalisation will not follow the norms of Western democratic movements, given the lack of Western-based democratic traditions in China and an increasingly adversarial relationship with the United States.

7... The next chapters discuss impacts and consequences of Chinas recent rise for the world. Chapter 7 stresses the rising role of China as the regional hub of the East Asian production network. According to Yukon Huang, it was the emergence of this network (and not a fixed exchange rate or other factors) that led to the rapid expansion of Chinas trade surplus in the mid-2000s. Chapter 8 summarises the investment relations between China and the United States and European Union. Foreign investment conditions have recently become the major area of concern for Chinese companies and their foreign competitors as well. Both the United States and the European Union have increasingly criticised China for its restrictive investment practices, pressure for technology transfers, and inadequate intellectual property protection. The Chinese side complains of discrimination for being classified as a nonmarket economy and of its investment deals being blocked by the US government on the ground of national security concerns. Chapter 9 deals with the geopolitical implications of Chinas expanding economic might and increasingly assertive foreign policy. The previously prevailing strategy of keeping a low profile in foreign affairs is a thing of the past. China wants to be recognised on par with the United States and advocates a new kind of great power relations. Consequently, diplomatic tensions are rising, as two great powers need time to adjust to the changing reality and to work out new mechanisms for restoring trust and maintaining a mutually beneficial relationship.

8...Chapter 10 summarises the main conclusions. According to Yukon Huang, China should be considered an abnormal great power. It is the first great power to be a developing country facing numerous internal challenges (aging population, middle income trap, environmental issues, etc.). While trying to find its own place in the globalised world, China will continue to develop its own set of economic, political, cultural, and social agendas, defying typical classifications and conventional wisdom.

9... Huang's book is a remarkable contribution to the debate on the Chinese economy. As a sceptic and contrarian, the author scrutinises popular beliefs about the Chinese economy and then deconstructs them one by onethus providing his own interpretation of recent developments. In doing so the author highlights the need to think differently and question principles accepted as dogma or conventional wisdom. Although this kind of approach is not free from criticism, and the author can sometimes seem too optimistic about China, the book is still an indispensable resource for those interested in the phenomenon of the Chinese economic miracle.

References

Bibliographical reference

Dmitriy Plekhanov,  Yukon Huang, Cracking the China Conundrum: Why Conventional Economic Wisdom Is Wrong, , China Perspectives, 2018/1-2 | 2018, 116-118.

Electronic reference

Dmitriy Plekhanov,  Yukon Huang, Cracking the China Conundrum: Why Conventional Economic Wisdom Is Wrong, , China Perspectives [Online], 2018/1-2 | 2018, Online since 01 June 2018, connection on 02 July 2022. URL : http://journals.openedition.org/chinaperspectives/7910 ; DOI : https://doi.org/10.4000/chinaperspectives.7910

About the author

Dmitriy Plekhanov, is senior researcher at the Institute for Complex Strategic Studies (ICSS), Moscow, Russia (plehanov@icss.ac.ru).
David Harvey was told that he could face "possible further charges

A 43-year-old man charged with attacking a woman in south Dublin and violent behaviour in a Garda station following arrest has been granted bail pending possible further charges.

David Harvey of Millfield, Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow, appeared before Judge John Hughes at Dublin District Court on Saturday.

Gardai charged him with assault causing harm to a woman at a house at Kilcross Lawn, Sandyford, Dublin 18 and violent behaviour at Blackrock Garda station.

Garda Ian Cahill told the court the incident happened shortly before 3 am on Saturday.

He alleged that a male and a female were in an "extremely agitated state" and that the accused grabbed the injured party by the neck. It was alleged that when they fell, "the accused punched her in the eye".

He made no reply when charged.

Defence counsel Kevin McCrave said his client had recently received hospital care and was not working in the past week.

Judge Hughes set bail in his bond of 200 and ordered the labourer to lodge 50.

The judge told him to sign on daily at his local Garda station, stay away from the scene of the alleged assault, carry a mobile phone and be contactable at all times.

Judge Hughes warned Mr Harvey he must remain sober and have no contact with the injured party.

He remanded him in custody with consent to bail pending directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions "and possible further charges". The accused, who has not yet indicated a plea, will appear again next week.
The officer was rushed to Cork University Hospital for treatment of what were described as non-life threatening facial and head injuries

Gardai said the male officer was on-duty at a static checkpoint that was set up as part of the policing response to a major public event at Victoria Road/Monahan Road Junction at the time of the incident.

After colliding with the officer at approximately 7pm, the motorcyclist fled the scene.

The officer was rushed to Cork University Hospital for treatment of what were described as non-life threatening facial and head injuries.

No arrests have been made at this stage of this ongoing investigation, gardai said. We are appealing for any witnesses to this incident to come forward.

Any road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) and were travelling in the area of the Victoria Road/Monahan Road Junction between 6.50pm and 7.05pm are asked to make this footage available to Gardai.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Anglesea Street Garda Station on 021 452 2000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.
Archbishop Martin said the US Supreme courts overturning of Roe v Wade, which recognised a woman's constitutional right to an abortion and legalised it nationwide, was a hopeful and encouraging sign

Archbishop Eamon Martin has said anti-abortion campaigners will continue to advocate that both lives matter ahead of the Rally for Life march in Dublin today.

Speaking at Saint Saviour's Church and Dominican Priory, Dorset Street in Dublin earlier today, Archbishop Martin said sadly and shockingly the number of abortions in Ireland have increased significantly.

He said those who support the pro-life movement are constantly reminding society that every human life is sacred.

Archbishop Martin said the right to personal choice has been elevated above the fundamental right to life itself in todays society.

Thousands of people are expected to take to the streets of Dublin today in what will be the first in-person national pro-life march since 2019.

In Ireland, since 2019 and following the repeal of the Eighth Amendment, abortion has been legal and unrestricted up to 12 weeks gestation.

Beyond 12 weeks, women can also access an abortion if continuing the pregnancy would pose a risk to their life or their health.

In 2021, 206 pregnant women accessed abortion in England and Wales, according to the UKs health and social care department.

The Irish Family Planning (IFA) said this paints a stark picture of Irelands abortion laws.

Fifty percent of these abortions were foetal anomaly cases.

The other 50pc were pregnancies that had not exceeded 24 weeks and the continuation would involve risk, greater than if the pregnancy were terminated, to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman.

Just 3.4pc of Irish women travelling to England or Wales for an abortion were less than 10 weeks pregnant.

Archbishop Martin said the pro-life message is often falsely portrayed as negative or anti-women.

He said the US Supreme courts overturning of Roe v Wade, which recognised a woman's constitutional right to an abortion and legalised it nationwide, was a hopeful and encouraging sign.

You proclaim prophetically to the world the Gospel of Life - that every human life is a precious gift from God - including the lives of all mothers and their unborn children, he said.

In season, and out of season, you keep reminding society that every human life is beautiful; every human life is sacred; every human life is precious.

Often you face setbacks, because the pro-life message is counter-cultural, and is falsely portrayed as negative, anti-women, anti-choice, or lacking in compassion.

Sometimes, as in the recent decision of the United States Supreme Court on Roe v Wade, there are hopeful and encouraging signs that the context is shifting and that the rebuilding of a culture of life is possible.

We know, of course, that the right to life is not given to us by any Constitution or by any law. All human beings have it as of right, whether we are wealthy or poor, healthy or sick, young or old, born or unborn.

As people who cherish life, we cannot fail to be moved by the personal stories of so many women in Ireland who feel isolated in pregnancy, and who feel neglected and alone in their distress. 

Surrounding the Repeal campaign in 2018, Archbishop Martin said there are many questions surrounding the legislation.

He posed a number of questions to the congregation including, why do increasing numbers of women feel they have no other option than abortion? and what options, other than abortion, are offered to women during the important three-day reflection period?

Sadly, and shockingly, the number of abortions in Ireland - which had been falling prior to the referendum - has increased significantly since the repeal of the 8th amendment and subsequent legislation, he said.

During the referendum campaign there were many calls and promises of help for women in crisis, but it seems that a mother in distress is often left feeling that her only option is to choose to end the life of her unborn baby girl or boy.

Every woman deserves all the love, support and resources she needs to bring her child into the world, but where is the compassion and accompaniment for a woman in crisis that was promised?

He added: We will continue to advocate that both lives matter, and that mother and child in a crisis pregnancy have a right to a humane and life-affirming outcome, for both.
Kevin was just 20 when the five-times Irish champion was repeatedly struck by a vehicle driven by Jackson Logan outside a house party at Hyde Road Limerick on July 1, 2019

Tracey Tully, mother of murdered champion Irish boxer Kevin Sheehy, holding a chocolate bar with a printed cover image of her late son

The daughter of Limerick champion boxer Kevin Sheehy paid a touching tribute to the murdered dad she never met on the third anniversary of his death on Friday.

Kevaeh Sheehy was born just one month after her father, the talented Irish boxer Kevin Sheehy, was brutally mown down by Englishman Jackson Logan on July 1, 2019.

As her family prepares for a High Court battle to keep her fathers killer imprisoned in this country, Kevaeh and her extended family gathered to remember Kevin as the champ, the family man and the hero that he was.

Its like the day had been planned from heaven above, Kevins mum Tracey Tully told Sunday World. Its a very hard day for us all, the anniversary of Kevins death.

But Im so proud of each and every one of my family for marking yesterday as Kevins Day.

Yesterday was almost overwhelming for me, because Ive spent so much time in bed. But Im proud of myself for getting out of that bed and Im so blessed with the family who organised this, leading up to the anniversary.

We are a very big, close family, Tracey added.We are like the Waltons, thats what Kevin used to call us.

Kevin was just 20 when the five-times Irish champion suffered catastrophic and fatal head injuries after being repeatedly struck by a vehicle driven by Jackson, of Longford Road, Coventry, England outside a house party at Hyde Road Limerick on July 1, 2019.

Following a trial before the Central Criminal Court last December Jackson was convicted of Kevins murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.

However, 31-year-old Jackson then applied to Minister for Justice Helen McEntee for a transfer from Ireland to a prison in the UK where he can serve out his sentence.

In judicial review proceedings against the Minister for Justice, Tracey has challenged that decision and is seeking an order from the Court quashing the transfer.

A stay was put on the transfer of Jackson to a prison near his family in England pending the outcome of High Court proceedings.

Lawyers representing Minister McEntee are fully contesting the application, which will be heard on July 15.

Ill do whatever it takes to keep fighting for Kevin, Tracey said. I didnt know very much about the justice system going into it but I knew straight away that this was wrong (to send Jackson back to England).

Tracey fears that if the transfer goes ahead, she will not have any say, nor be able to make any submissions to the UK authorities when Jackson applies for parole.

She has stated that if the transfer goes ahead any decision on a parole application by her son's killer would be in the hands of the authorities in another jurisdiction.

She claims that the Minister's decision to allow the transfer to go ahead is unconstitutional and an "abdication of the Irish state's responsibility to determine when a person serving a life sentence may be paroled."

I still feel confident (that Jacksons transfer) will be halted, Tracey said. But as it gets closer to the date of the hearing, I am starting to get anxious because I feel like Im running out of time.

I have so many people backing me but I had to go to my doctor to get some sleeping tablets because Im awake every night.

It never leaves my mind. I just feel like theres been an awful injustice been done here.

Tracey explained that she was never informed when the Justice Minister granted Jackson a transfer from Limerick Prison to a UK jail last March.

Weve never been considered at all, she added. It was never taken into consideration just how hard this was going to be on all of us. The decision was made and that was itDone and dusted.

I dont know how anyone could make a decision like that, after all we had been through. But Ill keep fighting.

Speaking about Fridays event, Tracey added: It was so special. We all wore blue, as that was the colour Kevin wore when he was fighting away from home.
Im so sorry that you have to deal with this. There are so many people who support you and are so grateful for you

The tweet of the threat

Gardai have said they had not received any formal complaint after JK Rowling revealed how she was the subject of a death threat on Twitter.

The controversial author posted a picture of the threat that featured her familys address - that she blacked out, an image of a pipe bomb and a bomb-making handbook.

The threat was posted by an alleged Irish account using the name: Shane@fuckfinegael

The Harry Potter writer said the account remains active, naturally and added the hashtag #BeKind.

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However, the account has since been shut down.

There were numerous responses supporting the author with one writing: It's gone, but we all know who he is, so a little visit from the local gardai would be appropriate.

One person added: Another example of why women need online female-only spaces.

Another added: Im so sorry that you have to deal with this. There are so many people who support you and are so grateful for you.

One fan said: Standing with JK Rowling from Australiayouve brought much happiness to my nephews and nieces.

Im so sorry this is happening, Jo, another added.

Thank you for continuing to speak out for womens rights and for publicly supporting vulnerable groups. It means the world to so many. I live not far from you and will keep my eyes peeled for any suspicious activity. Much love.

One person added that this is: So desperately sad that this is happening to you and your family. I hope you can hang onto the knowledge that millions around the world thank you from the bottom of our hearts, not only for your wonderful writing but for standing up for the rights of women and girls.

One said: I dont agree with anything you say or stand for. However, this is not ok.

Another said: Cant imagine how it feels to face this bombardment of vile threats all the damn time. Thank God that there are millions and millions who think the world of you and believe you to be an absolute inspiration. Hope that in some way compensates.

Actor James Dreyfus branded it "more frightening, repellent, dangerous behaviour aimed at Ms Rowling, while Scottish broadcaster Muriel Gray said in support of the author: "You, and your family, remain amongst the kindest humans I know.

Barrister Allison Bailey blasted the tweet as a threat to kill  it is one of the many that JKR & other women face for the crime of supporting womens rights.

Additionally, an account called JKRs Barmy Book Army called it an absolute disgrace, while another said about the writer of the offending tweet: "Hope they are charged and have the book thrown at them.

It is the latest example of doxxing  revealing personal information about someone online  that JK Rowling has suffered after after a trio of trans activists in November posted an image outside her home where her address could clearly be seen.

They were holding signs reading Dont be a cissy, Trans liberation now, and Trans rights are human rights.

Rowling revealed at the time how she and other women who had spoken out on gender issues had received "so many death threats I could paper the house with them".

She vowed that would not be silenced despite "campaigns of intimidation", stalking and harassment, adding that "families have been put into a state of fear and distress" by transgender activists.

"Perhaps... the best way to prove your movement isn't a threat to women, is to stop stalking, harassing and threatening us, she said at the time.

Rowling has been involved in a simmering row with the transgender community over her belief that women's sex-based rights should be protected.

The dispute began around two years ago when the author tweeted against use of the phrase "people who menstruate", rather than only women.

The message caused a rift with some of the stars of the Harry Potter movies, including lead actor Daniel Radcliffe, who tweeted an apology on her behalf.

"Transgender women are women," Radcliffe wrote in a post.

Rowling said she had been "appalled" to hear from various women who had spoken out on transgender issues, including those with no public profile, and suffered abuse including threats of rape.

"None of these women are protected in the way I am," she said, attacking the "socio-political concept of gender identity" as opposed to biological sex.
It comes as Aer Lingus has cancelled more than 60 flights over the past week.

Yesterday 25 flights which were due to depart and arrive at Dublin Airport across Friday and Saturday were grounded, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded.

Among them, industrial action at Lyon airport has led to the cancellation of two return flights to its airport today.

Flights to and from Gatwick and Amsterdam have also already been cancelled.

It comes as figures show those worst hit by the summer wave are people of working age from 25 to 54 although the true level of infection is unknown.

Read more More Aer Lingus flights cancelled to and from Dublin Airport today as a result of Covid cases

The positivity rate for people having HSE PCR tests rose to over 40pc yesterday, the highest in months and the number of patients in hospital with Covid-19 rose to 812, with 32 in intensive care.

UCD virologist Professor Gerald Barry said Covid-19 vaccines should not be allowed go out of date. Open them up, he urged, to allow people who would like a second booster shot but are currently excluded from getting the top-up jab.

It comes amid growing concern that a spike in Covid cases will affect transport services across the country as the peak summer holiday period gets in full swing.

Although key transport operators, including Bus Eireann, Dublin Bus and Irish Rail, say disruption has been kept to a minimum so far, all are acutely aware of rising Covid levels among workers.

The National Transport Authority of Ireland (NTA) said all public transport operators are currently facing a growing challenge in the recruitment and retention of staff, and that some services are having to be cancelled at short notice due to Covid and other illnesses.

Bus Eireann said in the past three weeks it is seeing an increase in Covid-19 cases among its staff, and several services have had to be cancelled.

A spokesperson for the bus network said that currently, nationwide more than 98pc of services are operating in line with the scheduled timetable.

Irish Rail currently has 38 employees off due to Covid-19, which it says is less than 1pc of its staff overall, and this currently isnt having an impact on services.

Dublin Bus is seeing around a 2pc staff absence with around 50 drivers currently off due to Covid-19, a transport union representative has said.

Earlier this week, the NTA said it could not put on more services for concerts in Marlay Park, Dublin, due to a lack of staff.

In general services are quieter over the summer months as schools and third-level colleges are closed, a spokesperson for the NTA said.

The authority welcomes the additional passengers from the different events happening over the summer but in many cases does not have the capacity to put on additional services for those events, particularly if they impact on the operation of regularly scheduled services.

General secretary for the National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) Dermot OLeary said that although transport operators are only experiencing a 1pc to 2pc shortage of staff, this would have an impact. I do understand that there are several operations with staff out on Covid-related illness, whether with Covid itself or theyre isolating, and when I say operations I mean the main drivers, in Dublin Bus and Bus Eireann.

What I am hearing anecdotally is up to 50 drivers at Dublin Bus are out and up to 30 or 40 in Bus Eireann, which will have an impact, of course, in its own right.

Chief executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland Adrian Cummins said the hospitality industry is very worried about Covid-19 again, as restaurateurs have seen an increase in staff shortages in the past three weeks.

We are seeing an increase amongst staff being out with Covid at the moment. I presume that as we are seeing airline cancellations, especially with Aer Lingus, so if that company is seeing Covid we are going to see it across the country in every sector, he said. In hospitality, we can see it at the moment, our difficulty is if a chef is out with Covid then the whole business is under pressure.
The Knight Foundation was founded in 1950 with a goal to "support a more effective democracy by funding free expression and journalism, arts and culture in community, research in areas of media and democracy, and in the success of American cities and towns where the Knight brothers once published newspapers."

It sounds like a worthy goal, which makes you wonder why it has invited white nationalist Tucker Carlson to speak at an event is it sponsoring called The Future of News: Trust and Polarization. It really goes against the Knight Foundation's belief in "engaged, equitable and inclusive communities," unless its definition of inclusivity is lending legitimacy to powerful anti-democratic fascists.

From the Check My Ads Institute:

Tucker Carlson contributed to election disinformation, using his platform to promote stories of "meaningful election fraud" without evidence.

Tucker Carlson aired multiple interviews with Thomas Caldwell, the leader of the Oath Keepers, after he had been charged with seditious conspiracy. As of today, the segment is live on FoxNews.com and still frames Caldwell as a "person worthy of trust."

Tucker Carlson is now promoting his new film Patriot Purge, a 3-part series that claims the J6 insurrection was planned by the FBI and other national security groups. This film Is based on unsupported conspiracy theories.

The Knight Foundation's mission states that "we believe an informed citizenry is essential for representative democracy to function effectively." Carlson runs counter to these values, intentionally leading his audience towards a white nationalist worldview. It's clear that Tucker Carlson does not contribute to the Knight Foundation's mission of supporting an informed citizenry. However it will continue to empower Carlson's mission to disguise his lies, conspiracy theories, and white nationalist talking points as news and journalism. The legitimacy you provide will help him continue to misinform his audience and undermine our democratic process.

If Adolf Hitler flew in today

They'd send a limousine anyway

("White Man In Hammersmith Palais" by The Clash, 1977)
The unions and crew of Ryanair ... demand a change of attitude from the airline

Ryanair staff are due to strike in Spain

Spain-based cabin crew at Ryanair RYA.I plan to strike for 12 days this month to demand better working conditions, the USO and SICTPLA unions said on Saturday, raising the prospect of travel chaos as the summer tourist season gets under way.

The announcement came on the final day of the crews' current strike, which began on Thursday and forced Ryanair to cancel 10 flights in Spain on Saturday.

Cabin crew will strike on July 12-15, July 18-21 and July 25-28 across the 10 Spanish airports where Ryanair operates, the unions said in a statement.

"The unions and crew of Ryanair ... demand a change of attitude from the airline," they said in a statement, calling for Ryanair to resume negotiations on working conditions.

The unions also urged the government "not to allow Ryanair to violate labour legislation and constitutional rights such as the right to strike".

Airline workers across Europe have been staging walkouts as the sector adapts to a resumption of travel after pandemic lockdowns.

Spain-based cabin crew at easyJet EZJ.L are striking for nine days this month for higher pay. Read full story The airline cancelled five flights from Spain on Saturday.

Workers at Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport went on strike on Friday and into Saturday, forcing the cancellation of about 10% of flights.
It is alleged Downing Street tried to close down the situation when it was reported earlier this month

The mystery MP who walked in on Boris Johnson and then-girlfriend Carrie Symonds in an allegedly compromising situation when he was foreign secretary is Northern Ireland minister Conor Burns, The Independent can reveal.

Downing Street said that Burns flagged up the couples relationship to Foreign Office officials after finding them having a glass of wine together alone in Mr Johnsons Commons office as foreign secretary in 2018.

Mr Burns, one of Mr Johnsons most loyal supporters, had a sixth sense that their relationship was one to watch, said a senior No 10 source.

Mr Burns raised the matter with Mr Johnsons close aide Ben Gascoigne, who worked for him at the Foreign Office and is now No 10 deputy chief of staff.

It has previously been reported that in turn, Mr Gascoigne alerted Mr Johnsons Foreign Office private office.

On discovering Mr Johnsons relationship with Carrie (then Carrie Symonds) as a result of Mr Burns walking in on them, Mr Gascoigne and other members of Mr Johnsons Foreign Office team threatened to resign if Mr Johnson went ahead with a plan to appoint her as his 100,000-a-year Foreign Office chief of staff.

Northern Ireland Minister Conor Burns arrives in Downing Street, London. Picture date: Wednesday March 9, 2022.   PA

The Independent has also been told by other sources that Mr Johnsons team discussed the possible risk to him of blackmail  or kompromat  as foreign secretary if any of Britains enemies learned he was having an affair.

In the event, they decided not to confront him over his relationship with Ms Symonds but successfully blocked his attempt to make her his chief of staff without informing him that it was linked to their belief, based on what Mr Burns had seen, that they were in a relationship.

The claim that Mr Johnson and Ms Symonds were found in a compromising situation was first made in a little-noticed section of a biography of Carrie Johnson by Tory Lord Ashcroft earlier this year.

When the story resurfaced in The Times earlier this month it led to a political row when the paper dropped the story from later editions after No 10 intervened.

Amid wild speculation in the last few days over the nature of the alleged compromising situation and the identity of those said to have known about it, Downing Street has given its own version of events for the first time in a bid to close down the controversy.

The senior No 10 source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Independent that Mr Burns, at the time Mr Johnsons parliamentary private secretary  a ministers metaphorical eyes and ears  stumbled across him and Ms Symonds alone in the Commons:

Conor did walk in on them. He saw two people sitting having a glass of wine whereby (one) may have concluded where the relationship was heading. He did not interrupt anything. It was a case of why are they having a drink? and lets have a word with Ben (Gascoigne).

That is why he (Conor) thought it was something he needed to flag up. It was about a sixth sense that this was one to watch. The door was not locked. He didnt barge in. He walked into where they had had a meeting earlier and they were still chatting.

The source added: He (Conor) could see how this might be evolving.

Mr Johnson and Ms Symonds relationship became public later in 2018 after his separation from second wife Marina was announced.

At the height of the partygate scandal, Mr Burns led the defence of Mr Johnson for attending a No 10 birthday party in his honour, which led to him being fined for breaking Covid lockdown laws. The MP played down the matter saying the prime minister had been ambushed with cake.

Mr Burns, 49, was appointed a trade minister when Mr Johnson succeeded Theresa May in July 2019. He had to resign from the post in 2020 and was suspended as an MP for a week after a parliamentary inquiry found he had made veiled threats to use privilege to further his familys interests in a financial dispute involving his father.

He was given a second chance in September last year when Mr Johnson appointed him Northern Ireland minister.

Mr Burns declined to comment.
tat-too is she?

tat-too is she? |

The MMA star wants a word with the fan about her new ink

Conor wants to get in touch with the woman who got the tattoo

Conor McGregor has launched a search for a woman who has a tattoo on her arm in tribute to him.

Taking to Instagram, the 33-year-old shared a snap of the woman who got his infamous quote Id like to apologise to absolutely nobody along with his name inked on her inner arm.

To this lady, reach out to me, I love you. he said in the caption.

It is not the first time McGregor has searched for a fan online, earlier this month he sought out an Irish woman who defended him in a comedy sketch featuring Mike Tyson.

The woman was asked who she thought would win in a fight, McGregor or Tyson, to which she said Thats a difficult question

I don't know, they both have the aggression I'm going to have to go with Conor because he's Irish, she decides.

The cameraman then says to the woman alright, tell him, before she is startled by Mike Tyson appearing by her side.

Sharing a video of the skit, filmed for The Jimmy Kimmel show, McGregor said: Who is this proper Irish lady, loyal to the backbone in the US can anyone tell me?

READ MORE:

Conor McGregor launches hunt for Irishwoman who defended him in Mike Tyson sketch

Conor McGregor applauds Sunday World story about how he has become a 'booze baron

Conor McGregor buys a THIRD pub in Dublin as Notorious property empire booms

I wish to reach out and give a gift. That is how you do it! If you ever found yourself publicly going against your own, he continued.

The MMA star has since deleted the Instagram post leaving us to assume he has already found the mystery woman.

Thats how you back your own, he added, sharing the video to his Instagram stories.
Tauranga City Council is preparing a submission to go to government on the first water reform bill and is looking for feedback from the community.

The Government-led water reform is currently going through parliament and public submissions are now open for the Water Services Entities Bill.

This is the first of a series of legislation that will begin to confirm the law behind the reform.

The Bill focuses on the establishment of water service entities; how they will be owned, and who will have influence and oversight.

The submission speaks to five key issues which have been identified as a result of community feedback received in September 2021.

Tauranga City Council commission chair Anne Tolley says it's important to share the draft submission with the community, to check that it addresses any key concerns.

We are asking for feedback on our submission so that we can confirm we are covering the right issues when we speak to government about reform.

We acknowledge that there is a lot of community feeling around water reform. Our position is that we continue to work with government so that we can influence decision-making around this mandated reform.

Anne Tolley. Photo: Giles Dexter/RNZ.

The short survey asks participants if they agree or disagree with the following key points of the Tauranga City Council submission:

The governance structure does not adequately provide for a local voice in decision-making We support the changes that add protection from privatisation Concerns about how growth and development needs will be met Concerns regarding the impact on our valued workforce More community understanding needed.

The Tauranga City Council submission also supports the government initiative to improve the Maori voice, and further feedback will be included from Te Rangapu Mana Whenua o Tauranga Moana (the representative group for our iwi and hapu in the Tauranga City Council area).

In order to meet the government timeframe for submissions, which close on Friday, July 22, the survey will close on Wednesday, July 13.

To read the bill, Tauranga City Council's submission and complete the survey, click here.

Individuals and organisations can also make a submission direct to parliament on the Water Services Entity Bill by visiting www.parliament.nz.

The closing date for all submissions is Friday, July 22.


An innovative new way to get food where its needed most is coming to Tokoroa, with Buttabean Motivation and Foodstuffs North Island partnering to open a social supermarket this August.

The social supermarket will be focused on providing food support with dignity, by allowing people who are experiencing food insecurity to choose what they need for themselves in a supermarket-style environment  rather than providing people with a pre-filled food parcel that might not meet their specific needs.

Its about giving people what they need to provide for themselves and their families through tough times, without taking away any of their dignity, says David Letele of Buttabean Motivation.

No one should feel ashamed to be getting food support.

The idea is that this will be a place that provides more than just emergency food access  its a place where people can connect with a wide range of support services to help make sure that one day, they dont need the social supermarket anymore.

We decided to bring this initiative to Tokoroa because we have an existing BBM group down here, and through that have learned a lot about what the community needs, says Letele.

We have a member in Tokoroa who weighs well over 300kg. Every time I visit him, I think if we had a service down here, and if he had the support like we do in South Auckland, he would have more of a chance of living. Thats the kind of difference we believe this initiative can make.

This will be Foodstuffs third social supermarket partnership, following the success of the year-old Wellington City Mission Social Supermarket and the recently opened Te Hiku Pataka in Kaitaia  which is a partnership with Te Kahu Oranga Whanau.

The partnership is part of Foodstuffs pledge to be Here for NZ, helping to ensure all New Zealanders have access to healthy affordable food and supporting local communities to thrive.

For BBM, providing food support became a key focus throughout New Zealands Covid-19 lockdowns.

BBM Foodshare started the day before the first ever level four lockdown, when we helped a mum of four who had no food and no money, says Letele.

The first person I called for support was Chris Quin at Foodstuffs North Island, and since then weve gotten hundreds of thousands of healthy food parcels to people.

Foodstuffs North Island Head of Membership Experience Willa Hand says that partnering with BBM on this initiative was a no brainer.

Weve had a close relationship with BBM for some time now, and have supported their Foodshare operations in South Auckland since the beginning of the pandemic. When they told us about their plans to open another Foodshare in Tokoroa, it made total sense that we would throw our support behind it and help them set it up as a social supermarket.

Since the opening of the Wellington City Mission Social Supermarket in March 2021, Hand says the Foodstuffs team have learned a lot about what makes these initiatives work.

What really makes a difference is having strong local leadership who connect deeply with people in their community. Thats why each of our social supermarket initiatives so far has taken a slightly different approach  rather than setting up a cookie-cutter offering in every town, we work closely with the community partners to set up something that is uniquely suited to their needs.

The backing from Foodstuffs has helped take their plans for the Tokoroa community to the next level, says Letele.

Having Foodstuffs on board means we get their retail expertise and support on all the logistics of setting up a supermarket, training a team to run it, and getting processes sorted to make sure theres always stock on shelf when people need it. And we get to pair that with our passion for the community to create something that will meaningfully impact the lives of people doing it tough in Tokoroa.

Foodstuffs North Island, the 100 per cent New Zealand owned and operated co-operative with members running PAKnSAVE, New World and Four Square stores, plans to roll out its social supermarket initiatives to more communities in the year ahead. Discussions are already underway with community partners in a number of other regions to find solutions that are right for them and their local communities.
The Ministry of Health is reporting 6460 new community cases of Covid-19 and 423 current hospitalisations.

There are 14 people in Bay of Plenty hospitals and 25 in Lakes hospitals. There are seven people in ICUs around New Zealand.

The seven-day rolling average of community case numbers today is 6,825.

We are sadly reporting the deaths of 20 people with Covid-19, says a Ministry of Health spokesperson.

Nineteen of these deaths occurred in the past three days and one occurred on June 22.

Covid-19 Hospitalisations

Covid-19 Cases in hospital: total number 423: Northland: 4; Waitemata: 92; Counties Manukau: 29; Auckland: 47; Waikato: 41; Bay of Plenty: 14; Lakes: 25; Hawkes Bay: 11; MidCentral: 11; Whanganui: 3; Taranaki: 8; Tairawhiti: 0; Wairarapa: 9; Capital and Coast: 35; Hutt Valley: 8; Nelson Marlborough: 10; Canterbury: 50; South Canterbury: 3; West Coast: 2; Southern: 21.

Weekly Covid-19 Hospitalisations - 7 day rolling average: 392 (This time last week 340)

Average age of current COVID-19 hospitalisations: 63

Cases in ICU or HDU: 7

Vaccination status of new admissions to hospital*: Unvaccinated or not eligible (49 cases); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (4 cases); double vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (55 cases); received booster at least 7 days before being reported as a case (224 cases).

*These are new hospital admissions in the past 7 days prior to yesterday who had COVID at the time of admission or while in hospital, excluding hospitalisations that were admitted and discharged within 24hrs. This data is from DHBs with tertiary hospitals: Auckland, Canterbury, Southern, Counties Manukau, Waikato, Capital & Coast, Waitemata and Northland.

Covid-19 Vaccinations administered

Vaccines administered to date: 4,028,556 first doses; 3,980,956 second doses; 33,140 third primary doses; 2,709,358 booster doses: 264,269 paediatric first doses and 134,147 paediatric second doses

Vaccines administered yesterday: 32 first doses; 47 second doses; 37 third primary doses; 7,757 booster doses; 54 paediatric first doses and 354 paediatric second doses

More detailed information, including vaccine uptake by DHB area, is available on the Ministry website

Tests

Number of PCR tests total (last 24 hours): 3,296

Number of Rapid Antigen Tests reported total (last 24 hours): 11,622

PCR tests rolling average (last 7 days): 3,147

Number of Rapid Antigen Tests dispatched (last seven days as of 29 June 2022): 100,000. Todays number is not available due to end of financial year stocktakes.

Covid-19 Cases

Total number of new community cases: 6,460

Number of new cases that have recently travelled overseas: 166

Seven day rolling average of community cases: 6,825

Seven day rolling average of community cases (as at same day last week): 4,737

Number of active cases (total): 47,755 (cases identified in the past seven days and not yet classified as recovered)

Confirmed cases (total): 1,345,175

New cases by DHB are available here, and other more detailed case information, is available here

Please note, the Ministry of Healths daily reported cases may differ slightly from those reported at a DHB or local public health unit level. This is because of different reporting cut off times and the assignment of cases between regions, for example when a case is tested outside their usual region of residence. Total numbers will always be the formal daily case tally as reported to the WHO.

Covid-19 Deaths

Todays reported deaths take the total number of publicly reported deaths with Covid-19 to 1,549 and the seven-day rolling average of reported deaths is 14.

Of the people whose deaths we are reporting today: five were from Auckland region, one was from Waikato, two were from Bay of Plenty, one was from Lakes, one was from Hawkes Bay, one was from Taranaki, one was from MidCentral, one was from Nelson Marlborough, two were from South Canterbury, five were from Southern.

Five were in their 70s, six were in their 80s and nine were aged over 90. Of these people, nine were women and 11 were men.

This is a very sad time for whanau and friends and our thoughts and condolences are with them. Out of respect, we will be making no further comment on these.
Rocket Lab director of communications Morgan Bailey. says there was an overwhelming feeling of joy, excitement and relief amongst Rocket Lab staff on Tuesday following the launch of CAPSTONE as it was by far the most complex mission they had undertaken.

"Huge team effort, so much work, so much new technology, so everyone quite literally is over the Moon," says Morgan.

On Monday July 4, as early as 3am EDT or 7pm NZ time, Rocket Labs Lunar Photon spacecraft will perform a final engine burn to set the CAPSTONE satellite on course to the Moon for NASA.

The company launched Nasa's Capstone micro-satellite spacecraft from the Mahia Peninsula in Hawke's Bay at 9.55pm on June 28 in what is the first step in Nasa's mission to send humans back to the moon.

This is a globally significant moment for space exploration, says Morgan.

CAPSTONE is the first mission launched in support NASAs Artemis program  the agencys program to return humans to the surface of the Moon.

The Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment  CAPSTONE - will be the very first spacecraft to test the Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit  NRHO - around the Moon.

This is the same orbit intended for NASAs Gateway, a Moon-orbiting outpost that will provide essential support for long-term astronaut lunar missions as part of Artemis.

CAPSTONE was initially launched to low Earth orbit by Rocket Labs Electron launch vehicle on June 28. A webcast of this is here.

Morgan says the launch went flawlessly.

The mission had been two years in the making and was the most complex they had carried out to date, she says.

The track it will take for orbiting the moon has never been flown before.

Rocket Lab says there is still much to learn from the Moon 50 years after humans last stepped foot on it.

Morgan says the Moon had its heyday in the 1960s and 1970s and we have not been back there in 53 years.

"A lot of people ask well why go back to the Moon, haven't we been there already? But we have so much more still to learn about the Moon."

Morgan says they are hoping to use the Moon as a base to explore further into the solar system and beyond.

"But in order to do that we're going to have to relearn about how to go back to the Moon, and so Capstone, the spacecraft that we launched last night, is going to test a ... very unique kind of orbit around the Moon, one that's never been flown before, says Morgan.

"It's the same orbit that Nasa hopes to use with Gateway which is a Moon orbiting outpost that astronauts will travel to and then descend down to the lunar surface to do science."

Capstone cost less than US$10 million which was a very inexpensive mission as far as interplanetary launches go, Morgan says.

"When you put that into perspective against lunar missions in days gone by that took decades and were billions of dollars, you can see how it starts to be possible to do much more science with much smaller rockets."

Rocket Lab Lunar Photon Spacecraft with CAPSTONE Satellite integrated. Photo: Rocket Lab.

Systems had been developed to get the spacecraft from Earth to the Moon using less fuel which involved doing it more slowly, Morgan says.

"Photon attached to the Capstone spacecraft does lots and lots of orbits of Earth and every time it does an orbit of Earth it gets a little bit faster to try and push it further and further away from Earth."

It has a small engine which gets it further away from Earth every time it fires, she says.

About six days after the launch something called a trans-lunar injection takes place, she says.

"So a final burn of that engine which will then set Capstone off on a very far distant course."

At that point Capstone will be travelling about 40,000 km per hour and the spacecraft overshoots the Moon, but the Sun's and the Moon's gravity are used to bring it back within lunar orbit, Morgan says.

Since the launch, Rocket Labs Lunar Photon spacecraft has provided in-space transportation, power, and communications to CAPSTONE.

On July 4, after several days of orbit-raising burns, Rocket Labs Lunar Photon will carry out one final burn and release CAPSTONE on its ballistic lunar transfer trajectory for a solo journey the Moon.

Rocket Lab will be live streaming this burn and moment of separation from Mission Control via www.rocketlabusa.com/live-stream.

This has been, by a long way, Rocket Labs most complex mission yet and demonstrates our capabilities beyond launch and into spacecraft design, build, and operation, says Morgan.

The CAPSTONE mission was Rocket Labs 27th Electron launch, but it also featured several significant technological firsts for the companys space systems capabilities, including:
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Time wasting, and making sure everyone knows who they do not like, seems to be the point of this new legislation brought by some of Michigan's GOP legislators.

TPM:

When Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (D) accused Republicans of manufacturing "fake issues," several Republicans apparently took that as serious advice.

During a press conference on Thursday, Michigan state House Reps. Beau LaFave (R), Andrew Fink (R), Greg Markkanen (R), Steve Carra (R), Ryan Berman (R) and Luke Meerman (R) unveiled a bill that would ban K-12 public schools from doing anything that would "expose" students to "a drag show or drag presentation."

Under the legislation, parents would be allowed to sue school districts for up to $10,000 in damages.

GOP Michigan gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon, a supporter of the legislation, claimed during the press conference that the bill was an earnest solution to a joke Nessel made several weeks ago proposing "a drag queen for every school" as she slammed Republicans for coming up with "fake issues."



But the stunt did little to refute Nessel's point about Republicans contriving outrage over nothing; the bill's sponsors admitted they couldn't actually think of a time when schools put on drag shows.
skanchan95 Senior - BHPian



Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Mangalore KA-19 Posts: 1,121 Thanked: 3,650 Times

View My Garage





2 years/20,000 kms service 2 years/20,000 kms service

December 31, 2021 : 4th Service (24 months/ 20,000 kms)

Kilometer wise, the car had almost covered 10,000 kms since the last service(31/01/2021) and it was time for its service



Odometer reading was 19257 kms. Service booking was done through the Toyota Connect mobile app on 30/11/2021. The same evening there was a service booking confirmation call from United Toyota, Padil Mangalore for 10 AM.



Reached the United Toyota the next day at 9:55 AM. The SA assigned to my car was Mr Nithin Bhandary and he was prompt in attending the car. Apart from the usual things that were to be changed during service, he said A/C Duct Cleaning & Disinfecting & Wheel Alignment/Balancing/Tyre Rotation and if I wanted to get them done, to which I said ok but asked him to ensure that they don't up scratching the alloy rims like they did during the last service. He assured me he will personally look after it.



Other than slight drop in the FE & pickup over the last 2-3 months (same driving style, same roads, same fuel station, similar traffic etc), I had no other complaints with the car (rattles/squeaks/malfunctions etc). The SA said the FE & pickup will go up again to usual levels after the service. If not then to inform him. The car was taken in at 10:10 AM and I was promised delivery by 1:15-1:30 PM and I waited in the lounge.



The FE stats over the last one year - highest of 18 kmpl & lowest of 15 kmpl:







By 1 PM, I received an alert on the Toyota Connect app that the bill was Rs 7225.00 and the car ready for delivery. Engine Oil, Brake Oil, Engine Coolant & Oil Filter were changed. Wheel Alignment/Balancing, TR were done.





Quick glance on the alloy rims - No Scratches or Damage and I left the workshop happy with the experience this time!!! One the back home, I noticed that the pickup had improved. Will keep an eye on the FE figures over the next 2-3 months.



The service expenses so far:





Two years on, I am extremely happy with the car. No niggles or issues, No Maruti-like rattles from door panels/dashboard etc. Ignoring the FE drop in the last 2-3 months, the FE continues to delight me, which has has stayed above 16kmpl (with A/C on all the time in a mix of city & highway driving). The car is such a pleasure to drive and feels as good as new after service.











December 31, 2021 : 4th Service (24 months/ 20,000 kms)Kilometer wise, the car had almost covered 10,000 kms since the last service(31/01/2021) and it was time for its serviceOdometer reading was 19257 kms. Service booking was done through the Toyota Connect mobile app on 30/11/2021. The same evening there was a service booking confirmation call from United Toyota, Padil Mangalore for 10 AM.Reached the United Toyota the next day at 9:55 AM. The SA assigned to my car was Mr Nithin Bhandary and he was prompt in attending the car. Apart from the usual things that were to be changed during service, he said A/C Duct Cleaning & Disinfecting & Wheel Alignment/Balancing/Tyre Rotation and if I wanted to get them done, to which I said ok but asked him to ensure that they don't up scratching the alloy rims like they did during the last service. He assured me he will personally look after it.Other than slight drop in the FE & pickup over the last 2-3 months (same driving style, same roads, same fuel station, similar traffic etc), I had no other complaints with the car (rattles/squeaks/malfunctions etc). The SA said the FE & pickup will go up again to usual levels after the service. If not then to inform him. The car was taken in at 10:10 AM and I was promised delivery by 1:15-1:30 PM and I waited in the lounge.The FE stats over the last one year - highest of 18 kmpl & lowest of 15 kmpl:By 1 PM, I received an alert on the Toyota Connect app that the bill was Rs 7225.00 and the car ready for delivery. Engine Oil, Brake Oil, Engine Coolant & Oil Filter were changed. Wheel Alignment/Balancing, TR were done.Quick glance on the alloy rims - No Scratches or Damage and I left the workshop happy with the experience this time!!! One the back home, I noticed that the pickup had improved. Will keep an eye on the FE figures over the next 2-3 months.The service expenses so far:Two years on, I am extremely happy with the car. No niggles or issues, No Maruti-like rattles from door panels/dashboard etc. Ignoring the FE drop in the last 2-3 months, the FE continues to delight me, which has has stayed above 16kmpl (with A/C on all the time in a mix of city & highway driving). The car is such a pleasure to drive and feels as good as new after service. Last edited by skanchan95 : 1st January 2022 at 12:04 .
Pancham Senior - BHPian



Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Kolkata/NCR Posts: 1,641 Thanked: 2,135 Times

Re: Lahaul in a Compass - My first solo trip to Himachal



Glimpse of how my car looked on Wednesday.







So on Thursday (May 12), I decided to call Zomsa and check if they have any rooms available. What is Zomsa?



So Zomsa Culture Hub is this 80 year mud house in Keylong where you can stay. That's it. Zomsa means a 'gathering'. I have been wanting to go there ever since they opened last year and was featured in Ronnie and Barty's youtube channel. The facilities are basic and it is not for everyone. But it is as authentic as you can get. More on this later.



Luckily, Zomsa confirmed that they have a single room available for the weekend. A single room that is apt for solo travellers. Perfect. I immediately booked and made the transfer. Texted my girlfriend that I am going - along; got her blessings immediately.



I quickly started asking people about the route. Many suggested driving to Manali directly might not be a good idea. I realised many people stop over at Chandigarh or somewhere on the way. But I did not want to because (i) lack of time - I wanted to explore over the weekend, (ii) I genuinely thought it was doable.



So the route was:



Gurgaon - Cantonment - Sonipat - Panipat - Karnal - Ambala - Mohali - Kiratpur Sahib - Swarghat - Bilaspur - Mandi - Manali.



I decided to leave as early as possible on Saturday. So on Friday, I got all the basic essentials - biscuits, dry/wet napkins, water, etc. I went off to sleep at 8pm on Friday. My girlfriend returned late from work but made one large basket of sandwiches. I woke up at 3:30am, made a flask full of coffee and I was off.



Day 1 - May 14: Gurgaon to Manali: 560kms. Left at 4:25am from Gurgaon



The idea was to leave as early as possible. I was flying solo so I was not sure if I will be able to make it till Manali so I had mentally prepared myself to stop anywhere on the way. Luckily bhpian Altocumulus connected me with a fellow traveller who was also going to Manali but he left at 12:30am. So he was 4 hours ahead of me but he was super helpful. He kept sending me updates about the road conditions ahead.



Driving alone has its advantages. You have all to flexibility to stop, keep going and pace your journey accordingly. I made good progress early on. It did not take much time to reach Murthal. There were diversions near Sonipat and was stuck there for a while. Being a weekend traffic was a bit on the higher side. But soon I was on my way to Karnal and then Ambala. I reached Ambala cantonment at 8am dot.



The highway till Ambala is pretty good. You can maintain the speed limit of 90 kmph comfortably. As you reach Ambala, they make you take a right and then there is 2 lane divider-less highway of around 40km. I stopped somewhere in between to hog into my sandwiches and coffee. I had paper cups from my earlier Kolkata - Delhi trip which I used for coffee. With the short break done and recharged - I was off again towards Chandigarh/Mohali. One issue was that the outside temperatures were terribly high. So stepping out was not a good option. Also, it was very dusty outside. I stopped for a few bio breaks in between and reached Kiratpur Sahib by 10am. I was pretty relaxed overall. Listening to your favourite music and since it was a Saturday work was not on my mind.



I think I crossed Bilaspur at around 12pm.



Tanked up at a Reliance pump in Bilaspur. Fuel prices in Himachal is substantially cheap btw.











The roads were overall not so okay. My excitement to hit the mountains was high so I did not pay much heed to the road conditions. Reached Mandi at 1:50pm. That is when the 'road to hell' started.



Conditions after Mandi is so bad that I almost started regretting the trip. Due to construction of the tunnels there was a traffic jam every 100 meters and everything was super dusty. My good friend who was already 4 hours ahead of me had given me a heads up about the road blockages post Mandi. Although I faced a lot less jam that he did, traffic was still painfully slow. This went on for about 20-30km after Mandi.



















Then you hit the nicer highways near Kullu and about 35kms before Manali, the roads are really nice.



One thing to note is that as you approach Manali (say about 100kms from Manali) please do not follow Google maps blindly. G Maps will get you in trouble in no time. Try and follow the road signages pointing towards Manali or ask locals. Also, try and stick to the main highway as much as possible that runs by the Beas river. I made the mistake of taking the Nagger route to Manali. Although it was scenic, it took a long time for me to reach Manali.



Parked somewhere on the Nagger route towards Manali.















This route has lesser cars but it takes a bit more time to reach Manali. After driving for 14 hours, you start feeling every additional minute. Nevertheless, I reached Manali at around 7:30pm.



Not expecting this, but the road to the hotel I booked was surprisingly steep. The hotel was right on top of a by-lane that went up from the Manali highway. It was narrow and mostly unpaved but you could find everything from a tempo travellers to convertible Mercedes' there. And yes it was a both way traffic. The fun part was the 700m climb on unpaved roads. The Compass, as expected, gobbled it up without much effort. Just one caveat to this - the transmission temperature reached 89 degrees Celsius by the time I reached the hotel. It usually hovers around 70.



Some pictures of the view from the hotel and my parked car.











So finally, I did manage to reach Manali in one go. It took me around 14 -15 hours but the car performed really well. I was tired because of the Mandi leg. Otherwise, the car was rock solid and went over bad roads like nobody's business. The Compass is made for these roads it seemed. I was finally happy that I was using the car how it is supposed to be. Tip of the iceberg (in terms of usage), but still.



The day ended with me ordering some naan and butter chicken and watching IPL. Slept off at around 10 with the excitement to see what lies beyond Atal Tunnel the next day. I was so desperate to go on a driving trip that I had initially planned to drive to Kolkata - my home town. Honestly, with the fuel prices going north, driving to Kolkata does not make sense any more. So I made a few plans to carry some stuff back from Kolkata - (e.g., some gym equipment) just to add logic to this endeavour. I was supposed to leave on Saturday (May 14). But then on Thursday, I had his epiphany about how I can do a quick trip before and then fly to Kolkata instead of driving 3100 Kms to and fro. The other funny thing is that I had just got done a full polish and coating done on my car on Wednesday. It was not cheap but this trip will also be a quick litmus test for all the tall claims my detailer made.Glimpse of how my car looked on Wednesday.So on Thursday (May 12), I decided to call Zomsa and check if they have any rooms available. What is Zomsa?So Zomsa Culture Hub is this 80 year mud house in Keylong where you can stay. That's it. Zomsa means a 'gathering'. I have been wanting to go there ever since they opened last year and was featured in Ronnie and Barty's youtube channel. The facilities are basic and it is not for everyone. But it is as authentic as you can get. More on this later.Luckily, Zomsa confirmed that they have a single room available for the weekend. A single room that is apt for solo travellers. Perfect. I immediately booked and made the transfer. Texted my girlfriend that I am going - along; got her blessings immediately.I quickly started asking people about the route. Many suggested driving to Manali directly might not be a good idea. I realised many people stop over at Chandigarh or somewhere on the way. But I did not want to because (i) lack of time - I wanted to explore over the weekend, (ii) I genuinely thought it was doable.Gurgaon - Cantonment - Sonipat - Panipat - Karnal - Ambala - Mohali - Kiratpur Sahib - Swarghat - Bilaspur - Mandi - Manali.I decided to leave as early as possible on Saturday. So on Friday, I got all the basic essentials - biscuits, dry/wet napkins, water, etc. I went off to sleep at 8pm on Friday. My girlfriend returned late from work but made one large basket of sandwiches. I woke up at 3:30am, made a flask full of coffee and I was off.The idea was to leave as early as possible. I was flying solo so I was not sure if I will be able to make it till Manali so I had mentally prepared myself to stop anywhere on the way. Luckily bhpian Altocumulus connected me with a fellow traveller who was also going to Manali but he left at 12:30am. So he was 4 hours ahead of me but he was super helpful. He kept sending me updates about the road conditions ahead.Driving alone has its advantages. You have all to flexibility to stop, keep going and pace your journey accordingly. I made good progress early on. It did not take much time to reach Murthal. There were diversions near Sonipat and was stuck there for a while. Being a weekend traffic was a bit on the higher side. But soon I was on my way to Karnal and then Ambala. I reached Ambala cantonment at 8am dot.The highway till Ambala is pretty good. You can maintain the speed limit of 90 kmph comfortably. As you reach Ambala, they make you take a right and then there is 2 lane divider-less highway of around 40km. I stopped somewhere in between to hog into my sandwiches and coffee. I had paper cups from my earlier Kolkata - Delhi trip which I used for coffee. With the short break done and recharged - I was off again towards Chandigarh/Mohali. One issue was that the outside temperatures were terribly high. So stepping out was not a good option. Also, it was very dusty outside. I stopped for a few bio breaks in between and reached Kiratpur Sahib by 10am. I was pretty relaxed overall. Listening to your favourite music and since it was a Saturday work was not on my mind.I think I crossed Bilaspur at around 12pm.Tanked up at a Reliance pump in Bilaspur. Fuel prices in Himachal is substantially cheap btw.The roads were overall not so okay. My excitement to hit the mountains was high so I did not pay much heed to the road conditions. Reached Mandi at 1:50pm. That is when the 'road to hell' started.Conditions after Mandi is so bad that I almost started regretting the trip. Due to construction of the tunnels there was a traffic jam every 100 meters and everything was super dusty. My good friend who was already 4 hours ahead of me had given me a heads up about the road blockages post Mandi. Although I faced a lot less jam that he did, traffic was still painfully slow. This went on for about 20-30km after Mandi.Then you hit the nicer highways near Kullu and about 35kms before Manali, the roads are really nice.One thing to note is that as you approach Manali (say about 100kms from Manali) please do not follow Google maps blindly. G Maps will get you in trouble in no time. Try and follow the road signages pointing towards Manali or ask locals. Also, try and stick to the main highway as much as possible that runs by the Beas river. I made the mistake of taking the Nagger route to Manali. Although it was scenic, it took a long time for me to reach Manali.Parked somewhere on the Nagger route towards Manali.This route has lesser cars but it takes a bit more time to reach Manali. After driving for 14 hours, you start feeling every additional minute. Nevertheless, I reached Manali at around 7:30pm.Not expecting this, but the road to the hotel I booked was surprisingly steep. The hotel was right on top of a by-lane that went up from the Manali highway. It was narrow and mostly unpaved but you could find everything from a tempo travellers to convertible Mercedes' there. And yes it was a both way traffic. The fun part was the 700m climb on unpaved roads. The Compass, as expected, gobbled it up without much effort. Just one caveat to this - the transmission temperature reached 89 degrees Celsius by the time I reached the hotel. It usually hovers around 70.Some pictures of the view from the hotel and my parked car.So finally, I did manage to reach Manali in one go. It took me around 14 -15 hours but the car performed really well. I was tired because of the Mandi leg. Otherwise, the car was rock solid and went over bad roads like nobody's business. The Compass is made for these roads it seemed. I was finally happy that I was using the car how it is supposed to be. Tip of the iceberg (in terms of usage), but still.The day ended with me ordering some naan and butter chicken and watching IPL. Slept off at around 10 with the excitement to see what lies beyond Atal Tunnel the next day. Last edited by Pancham : 1st July 2022 at 17:40 .
The new Oppo Reno8 Pro Product Ambassador Program is now live! This means that you can be one of the brand/product ambassadors of the Chinese smartphone manufacturer, helping it promote its new device.

(Photo : Photo credit should read NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP via Getty Images)

In this picture taken on May 9, 2017, men holding smartphones stand in front of an Oppo shop in Shenzhen. Chinese smartphone maker Oppo began life selling DVD players in the in the southern manufacturing hub of Dongguan a little more than a decade ago and only broke into the handset market in 2011.

This latest handset model is already available in some countries, such as China and the United States. Unfortunately, Oppo hasn't released the new Oppo Reno8 Pro in other markets.

If your country doesn't have it yet, you can apply as one of the new Oppo product ambassadors by signing up for the latest Product Ambassador project.

Here's a tip on to apply and the benefits you can receive.

New Oppo Reno8 Pro Product Ambassador Program Launches!

According to XDA Developers' latest report, the Chinese smartphone maker is already encouraging people to sign up for its latest Reno8 Pro Product Ambassador Program.

(Photo : Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

A logo sits illuminated outside the Oppo booth at the SK telecom booth on day 1 of the GSMA Mobile World Congress on February 28, 2022 in Barcelona, Spain. The annual Mobile World Congress hosts some of the world's largest communications companies, with many unveiling their latest phones and wearables gadgets like foldable screens.

Also Read: Oppo Reno7 Lite 5G Specs Leaked Ahead of its Launch | More About F21 Pro

If you are among the interested individuals, you can visit Oppo's official website or click this link. Once you are there, tap on the "Apply Now" option.

Then, you must provide the following details:

Full name

Email address

Country

Age

Phone number

Brand of your active smartphone

Aside from this, you also need to describe yourself (the more creative, the better). After that, just follow the next instructions.

Roles of Oppo Product Ambassadors

Being an Oppo product ambassador is similar to being a brand ambassador for other smartphone manufacturers.

Your main goal is to know how you can help the Chinese tech firm attract more buyers for its new Reno8 Pro. You will be sharing your ideas and experience with Oppo's creative team.

Aside from this, sharing all kinds of feedback is also a must. But, remember, the final output should focus on how great the product is and why consumers need to have it.

Meanwhile, Oppo Find N's tech was rumored to solve the annoying crease issue.

On the other hand, the official launch date of the new Oppo Find X5 was previously confirmed.

For more news updates about Oppo and other giant smartphone makers, keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: OPPO is Looking for 20 'Product Ambassadors' for the OPPO Find X5 and X5 Pro

This article is owned by TechTimes

Written by: Griffin Davis

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A sea of cars sat at a standstill on the Kensington Expressway last Saturday night.

People stood outside and on top of their cars. Music blared as some drivers honked.

It wasn't an accident or a freak snow storm that turned the 33 into a parking lot.

It was a party.

"They call these 'street takeovers,' " Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said.

Multiple videos from at least two "takeovers" of Route 33 have been posted to TikTok, showing what appeared to be dozens of cars stopped or barely moving on one side of the expressway. Some drivers spun their wheels until they smoked. People could be seen sitting on their cars and dancing in the street. A marked police car with flashing lights could be seen driving the other direction past the street party. In one video, fireworks are set off.

The takeover and the popup parties were discussed at last week's Buffalo Place Board of Directors meeting.

Buffalo Place Executive Director Mike Schmand said downtown was safe, but the trend is raising concerns.

Deputy Mayor Crystal Rodriguez-Dabney called them "a problem."

"Its like whack-a-mole," she said. "Now theyre shutting down the 33 and having a party. Its happening everywhere."

Versions of these street takeovers have been taking place in other cities across the country. They are especially popular in southern California. Videos from those gatherings showed huge crowds of people and cars blocking intersections as drivers do donuts and other stunts in the middle, with spectators standing dangerously close to the action.

For the last couple of years, Buffalo has seen "popup parties" in parks, parking lots and empty lots. They draw hundreds of people as word quickly spreads about the parties through social media. When police arrive to break up the parties, they often move to another location and start up again.

They have at times turned violent. In September 2020, a roving party ended in gunfire that killed a 23-year-old woman and injured four men at Glenwood and Jefferson avenues.

About 3:15 a.m. Monday, two people were shot at a large outdoor gathering on Franklin Street, between West Tupper and West Chippewa streets.

Gramaglia said these gatherings, especially those that shut down traffic, are dangerous and police are intent on stopping them. In the past week, the department started a new "popup party prevention detail."

"We are devoting a significant amount of manpower to this," Gramaglia said. They will be working throughout the Fourth of July holiday weekend with a goal of shutting down the takeovers until they stop happening.

Patrol officers will work with detectives in seeking out the locations of parties and then also following them after they break up. They'll also be working with the Erie County Sheriff's Office, which is providing its helicopter for air support.

People participating in street takeovers may be ticketed or arrested and their vehicles may be impounded, Gramaglia warned. Also, anyone who is found to be organizing such events may face more serious charges.

"We're going to come at this from all angles," Gramaglia warned.

Drivers who find themselves inadvertently caught in a street takeover should immediately report it to police, Gramaglia said.

"But don't engage," he said. "Call 911. Report it. But don't get out and don't get into a road rage situation. Sit in your car and call 911. If you can safely get through it or around, absolutely."

News business reporter Jonathan Epstein contributed to this report.
NASA's Perseverance Rover is among the most advanced space tech the international space agency has ever developed.

(Photo : Photo credit should read HO/AFP via Getty Images)

This approximate true-color image obtained from NASA 19 August, 2004, taken by the Mars Exploration Rover 'Spirit' shows a rock outcrop dubbed "Longhorn," and behind it, the sweeping plains of Gusev Crater. On the horizon, the rim of Gusev Crater is clearly visible. AFP PHOTO/NASA

Ever since it was launched back in 2020, this space vehicle has been helping the National Aeronautics and Space Administration study Mars.

It sends essential images and needed rock samples for NASA to study. However, this space rover is still far from perfect.

Its flaws are seen in the latest statement by NASA Perseverance operators, saying that they are still troubled by the tricky Mars rocks. Here's what they shared.

NASA Perseverance Rover Troubled by Mars Rocks

According to Space.Com's latest report, the NASA Perseverance Rover is still busy examining some Mars rocks. The international space agency observes these samples to find essential key biomarkers.

(Photo : Photo by NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory/ Cornell University via Getty Images)

In this handout released by NASA, angular and smooth surface of rocks are seen in an image taken by the panoramic camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit January 6, 2003. The rover landed on Mars January 3 and sent it's first high resolution color image January 6.

Related Article: NASA: Swimming Robots to Detect Life on Different Planets, SWIM Project for Europa

It is equipped with advanced instruments, allowing NASA to understand mineralogy and elemental distributions. On the other hand, Perseverance's tools can also detect if the observed Mars rocks have organic molecules.

However, collecting the right Mars rock samples can be really tricky, as stated by the space rover's operators in its latest blog post.

"The rocks here at the ancient river delta are amazing, but so far none has been perfect for #SamplingMars. Some too fragile, some too jagged, but I'm sure I'll find the right one soon - I'm not called Perseverance for nothing," said NASA's Perseverance team via their official Twitter post.

Issues Faced by Perseverance Rover

NASA Perseverance Rover's operators said that the unpredictable characteristics of Mars rocks really affect their work.

They either get too fragile samples or rocks that have very irregular shapes. This was seen when the space vehicle tried to drill a hole into the so-called "Betty's Rock."

Because of the layered rock's characteristics, the Perseverance Rover's drilling attempt failed. You can click this link to see more details.

Meanwhile, experts claimed that NASA's DART Mission might actually deform a mini-moon.

On the other hand, NASA's Europa Clipper might crash into the biggest moon in the solar system.

For more news updates about NASA's Perseverance Rover and other space vehicles of the space agency, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: NASA's Curiosity Rover Acquired New Evidence of Habitable Environment for Life on Mars

This article is owned by TechTimes

Written by: Griffin Davis

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Elon Musk's suddenly disappeared from Twitter. His sudden inactivity on the social media platform is an unusual one, given that the billionaire is known for his never-ending tweets.

(Photo : ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

Elon Musk arrives for the 2022 Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2022, in New York. - The Gala raises money for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute.

If you are a fan of his, you will know he is very vocal on Twitter. Unlike on Facebook, the Tesla CEO usually shares his rants and opinions on Twitter.

Now, he hasn't posted a single tweet regarding his activities. Despite this, his official Twitter account was still able to reach more than 100 million followers, which is quite rare.

As of writing, he is among the individuals with the most Twitter followers. If you are also worried about his inactivity, here's a major update.

Elon Musk's Twitter Disappearance Update

According to Fox Business' latest news report, Elon Musk's inactivity reaches more than nine days. His latest tweet was posted on June 21.

(Photo : Scott Olson/Getty Images)

In this photo illustration, news about Elon Musk's bid to takeover Twitter is tweeted on April 25, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. It was announced today that Twitter has accepted a $44 billion bid from Musk to acquire the company.

Also Read: Elon Musk Addresses Three Key 'Unresolved Matters' as Complications Amid Finalized Twitter Purchase

In this recent Twitter post, he is replying to a thread about SpaceX's FCC battle against Dish Network because of the television network's plan to use the 12Ghz band.

"If they are successful, it would hurt the least served and completely unserved of the world. Very messed up," said the billionaire.

Their attempt to bait and switch satellite spectrum for cellular spectrum is super shady and unethical.



If they are successful, it would hurt the least served and completely unserved of the world. Very messed up.  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 21, 2022

After that, he suddenly avoided posting on social media platform. Now, various critics shared their beliefs on why the billionaire became silent on Twitter.

Possible Reasons Behind Elon Musk's Twitter Inactivity

Futurism reported that there are several reasons why the billionaire is inactive on Twitter. Don't worry, getting kidnapped is not one of them.

Instead, most of the rumored reasons behind his sudden silence on the social media site involve being busy with Tesla and his other businesses:

Musk is busy with Tesla

Experts claimed that the previous drop in Tesla stocks could be one of the reasons why Musk is still inactive on Twitter. They added that the billionaire may be taking a break since the sudden decline in Tesla shares is the biggest one yet.

SpaceX employees' criticizing him

Previously, the tech CEO was criticized by his own SpaceX employees. They even published an open letter to show their disappointment, saying that the billionaire's behavior is unacceptable.

Mars missions

As of writing, Musk's Mars colonization plan hasn't officially started yet. But, his space agency is making progress, especially after the Federal Aviation Administration provided them with the go signal.

Meanwhile, the recent Twitter townhall meeting of Musk successfully took place.

On the other hand, Elon Musk's Twitter takeover is expected to be followed up by his crypto payment integration plan.

For more news updates about Elon Musk and his sudden inactivity on Twitter, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Elon Musk Gets Twitter Board's Approval Over Takeover | What Does This Mean

This article is owned by TechTimes

Written by: Griffin Davis

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Xbox Series X "Thor: Love and Thunder" is being offered by Microsoft for free. The software giant announced this effort to prepare for the launch of the popular Marvel movie in the United States.

(Photo : Twitter @Xbox )

The new film "Thor: Love and Thunder" is set to premiere in the U.S. this coming July 8. Now, to give Xbox fans a sweet treat, Microsoft announced that they can have the new customized Xbox Series X console for free if they win the competition.

"The Xbox Series X is looking a little different after a bit of love and thunder," said Microsoft via its official Twitter announcement post.

How To Win Xbox Series X 'Thor: Love and Thunder'?

According to Toms Hardware's latest report, you can win the new Xbox Series X "Thor: Love and Thunder" without spending a dime.

All you need to do is to follow Microsoft's official Xbox Twitter account and retweet its latest post with the hashtag "ThorLoveandThunderXboxSweepstakes."

MADRE MIA!



Microsoft sacara una Xbox series X edicion especial de Thor: Love and Thunder. Una completa joya. pic.twitter.com/47UcceC3QH  FAN10 (@SoyFan10) July 1, 2022

Also Read: Xbox Cloud Gaming Keyboard, Mouse Support To Enhance Streaming Experience! Limitation, Launch Date, and More

The lucky winners will receive a confirmation from Microsoft 14 days after the competition ends, which is on July 21.

When it comes to appearance, the new version of the in-demand Xbox Series X takes the actual look of Thor's popular hammer, Mjolnir.

The entire body is designed to be the hammer's head. On the other hand, Mjolnir's handle is located at the back of the console. You can check the official image provided by Microsoft below.

The Xbox Series X is looking a little different after a bit of love and thunder.



Follow @Xbox and RT with #ThorLoveandThunderXboxSweepstakes for a chance to win this epic Mjolnir-themed Series X. Best of luck!



Ages 18+. Ends 7/21/22. Full rules here: https://t.co/1KilI1KnGy pic.twitter.com/P2pOltFEQG  Xbox (@Xbox) July 1, 2022

Microsoft Xbox 'Thor: Love and Thunder' Competition Requirements

The latest Microsoft Xbox "Thor: Love and Thunder" competition still has some requirements. Via its official website, the tech giant manufacturer explained that participants need to be over the age of 18.

Aside from this, they should also have no business link to Microsoft and not reside in excluded countries, such as Russia, Syria, and North Korea.

If ever Microsoft chose you as their official lucky winner, you will get the customized Xbox Series X "Thor: Love and Thunder," which costs $499.

As of writing, the software provided hasn't confirmed if it will sell the new version once the competition is over.

On the other hand, to know the list of winners, all you have to do is send an email message to "Info@xboxpromotions.com," with the subject line "Thor: Love and Thunder Xbox Series X Custom Console and Controller Sweepstakes" 30 days after July 21.

Previously, the Xbox Game Pass for mobile and PC received some games from Riot Games.

Meanwhile, Microsoft recently offered its Xbox Game Pass for $1 within three months!

For more news updates about Xbox Series X and other products of Microsoft, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Xbox Party Chat Noise Suppression Update To Arrive! Here's How It Can Make Multiplayer Games More Enjoyable

TechTimes own this article

Written by: Griffin Davis

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Award-winning astronomers are willing to dig deeper into the Milky Way through Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*) is a supermassive black hole that is at the center of the Milky Way. Its stars, S2 S29, S38, and S55, are moving in aways that show the mass in the center of the Milky Way is due to the black hole. Therefore, this leaves little room for anything else, according to SciTechDaily.

(Photo : MARIANA SUAREZ/AFP via Getty Images)

TOPSHOT - A tent is seen between trees as the Milky Way appears in the sky in the Uruguayan countryside some 185 km north of Montevideo near Capilla del Sauce,

With the use of advanced astronomical facilities, such as the Gemini Near Infrared Spectrograph (GNIRS), NSF's NOIRLab, SINFONI instrument, and the GRAVITY instrument, these will help astronomers dive deeper.

Following the 2020 Nobel prize in physics awarded due to the Sgr A* confirmation is a black hole, astronomers are now eager to dig deeper to understand if there's anything else hidden at the center of the galaxy. They will also apply Albert Einstein's general relativity theory in a laboratory.

The astronomers will closely follow the orbits of the stars that are passing close to Sgr A*.

Also Read: Largest Object in Milky Way Galaxy Now Detected! Astronomers Explain What Maggie Really Is

General Theory of Relativity

This is a theory of physics that explains the effects of gravity on massive objects. It was developed in the early twentieth century by Albert Einstein.

Researchers will observe the stars and will monitor the stars' orbits over a long period, suggesting that other objects are influencing their orbits. The stars could indicate a kind of 'behemoth', which is located close to the center of the galaxy.

They will patiently observe the orbits of the stars around Sgr A* and will wait for some of them to pass the black hole, at which point it will examine the motion of the stars to see if the stars are influenced by the black hole or perhaps another massive object.

The team of researchers will also apply Einstein's general relativity theory in a laboratory. This theory will help them to predict the future of stars passing through the black hole using a theory of gravity that indicates that space and time are interwoven.

The observations will also help scientists to understand whether the Milky Way is moving more slowly than expected due to the enormous gravity of its central black hole or if there are other hidden objects that are affecting the galaxy's outer stars.

Sagittarius A*

Sagittarius A* is at the very center of the Milky Way and is approximately 26,000 light-years away from the Earth. This region is marked by intense radio emissions and a bright source of infrared emission that are probably radiating from one or more massive stars and the bursting of a star into a supernova.

Stefan Gillensen, one of the astronomers involved in this work, said, "We hope to detect more than we see now, giving us a unique and unambiguous way to measure the rotation of the black hole."

Related Article: New Data Map Shows Milky Way's Violent Activity Towards Other Galaxies!

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Written by April Fowell

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The fourth of July is not only a holiday to remember, it is also one of the largest sales around the year where buyers can get some of the best discounts on certain tech products. The sale includes some of the big brands like HP and others.

(Photo : Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash)

July 4 Sale to Stretch Across Different Tech Products from Laptops to TVs and More

According to the story by USA Today, July 4 is considered one of the best times for buyers to shop mid-summer markdowns on some of the most important tech products on the market. As per the article, buyers will be able to save large amounts on laptops, smartphones, TV, and more.

The good thing about the July 4 sale is that buyers will be able to purchase discounted tech products from almost all of the major tech retailers online. Each of them could be offering different discounts so it could pay to price compared before purchasing them.

Here are the Top Retailers to Buy Tech Products This July 4:

Amazon usually ends up on the top of the list when it comes to sales and with the 4th of July deals, buyers will be able to experience discounts not just on tech products but also on home goods, fashion, kitchen essentials, and more.

Although most of the top-end branded electronics and appliances can be pricy, buyers still have options for hundreds of different top-performing models for a discount on July 4 at Best Buy. As per the article, buyers can browse through different clearance items, appliance sales, and even the brand's selection of different daily deals in order to get the best discounts possible.

Buyers will be able to save up to 70% when it comes to different electronics like laptops, monitors, printers, and more. The website is already selling certain products at a discount which buyers can already check out online.

Buyers will reportedly be able to save hundreds when they decide to buy certain electronics during the 4th of July sale. The sale ranges for products from smartphones, TVs, wearables, appliances, and more.

For those looking for affordable tech deals, the 4th of July discounts on Walmart will be able to scoop stellar rollbacks on certain hot gadgets like laptops, TVs, and even smart appliances. Meanwhile, buyers will also be able to take advantage of significant discounts for patio furniture, fashion essentials, pool toys, home goods, kitchen tools, and more.

Read Also: Black Friday Amazon 2022: Here Are the Best Amazon Echo Deals for Smart Speakers!

Other Things to Watch Out for When Buying Anything from the July 4 Sale

Before purchasing a product online during the 4th of July sale, it is important to try and price compares with other retailers to see where buyers might be able to get the best deals online. Aside from the price, also make sure to take into account how much is to be spent on shipping since some online retailers offer cheaper shipping than others.

Related Article: Best Buy Independence Day Deals: Apple iPad Air 4, HomePod Mini Are Up For Grabs at a Cheap Price

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Written by Urian B.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Elon Musk has finally broken his more than a week's worth of Twitter silence!

On Friday evening, July 1, the Tesla billionaire made his first appearance on the social media platform he has been attempting to acquire for $44 billion since June 21.

He tweeted a photo featuring his four sons meeting Pope Francis, a tribute to the passing of a popular Minecraft YouTuber called "Technoblade", and a look back at his 40th birthday weekend.

Tribute to Technoblade

Minecraft YouTuber Technoblade passed away at the age of 23 from cancer, according to a heartfelt farewell video shared on his YouTube channel by his family.

His father referred to him in the "so long nerds" video as "the most amazing kid anyone could possibly ask for." The video was shared with his 12 million followers.

Musk joined Technoblade's fans and other public figures in paying tribute to the deceased YouTuber. His post reads,

"Popular Minecraft YouTuber Technoblade with 12 Billion subscribers recently passed away at the age of 23 due to cancer, and this made me realize that cancer is an absurd piece of literal garbage and death, but also try to live your best life with people who know. They could die the following day, and you would regret not doing things with them."

His tribute was posted with Sonic the Hedgehog's photo and a quote from the animated videogame movie Wreck It Ralph, with a caption that says, "Wise words from SJM."

Wise words from SJM pic.twitter.com/snVNttsvn1  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 2, 2022

Picture With Pope Francis

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO, together with his kids - Griffin, Damian, Kai, and Saxon, had the photo opportunity with none other than the Bishop of Rome and the Head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis.

He also also posted a rather cryptic tweet that says, "Feeling ... perhaps ... a little bored?Feeling ... perhaps ... a little bored?"

Was Musk alluding to his nine-day Twitter inactivity?

Feeling  perhaps  a little bored?  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 2, 2022

Read also: Elon Musk's Twitter Disappearance Update: Billionaire's Inactivity Reaches 9 Days! Here are Several Reasons Why

Blast From the Past Wife

The billionaire also posted a casual throwback photo of when he and his ex-wife Talulah Riley were still together. The tweet's caption reads, "Venice, a site of Great Remembrance."

Venice, a site of Great Remembrance pic.twitter.com/GWR3xqsoQW  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 2, 2022

Why Was Musk Inactive for 9 Days?

Musk's last tweet was posted on June 21, which was a reply to a dispute between SpaceX and FCC on the space internet project Starlink.

On June 22, the following day, Mr. Musk liked a lot of posts. Some of them were regarding his move to acquire ownership of Twitter.

Their attempt to bait and switch satellite spectrum for cellular spectrum is super shady and unethical.



If they are successful, it would hurt the least served and completely unserved of the world. Very messed up.  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 21, 2022

Musk, however, has not published anything on the platform since that day, which was exactly one week ago, and until now, he has not explained his inactivity.

Related Article: Elon Musk Addresses Three Key 'Unresolved Matters' as Complications Amid Finalized Twitter Purchase

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Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Tesla allegedly broke Elon Musk's order to halt hiring operations. As of writing, the giant EV maker is still criticized because of its ongoing massive layoff.

(Photo : Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Elon Musk, founder and chief engineer of SpaceX speaks at the 2020 Satellite Conference and Exhibition March 9, 2020 in Washington, DC. Musk answered a range of questions relating to SpaceX projects during his appearance at the conference.

Before the billionaire made this decision, his auto company accepted around 100,000 applications nationwide back in 2021. This is the reason why experts think that Tesla will also lay off thousands of workers before 2022 ends.

Musk ordered his Tesla executives to stop hiring new workers since the economy of the United States looks "super bad."

He announced that they plan to remove more than 10% of Tesla's employees to maintain revenues. But, it seems like the latest scenario of Tesla is quite different from what Elon says.

Is Tesla Hiring New Employees?

Business Insider claimed that they found some users on LinkedIn posting that they just started working at Tesla this 2022.

(Photo : Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

A Tesla showroom stands in the Meatpacking district in Manhattan on June 6, 2018 in New York City. Tesla stock had its best day since November 2015 on Wednesday rising more than 9.5 percent after the company revealed it is nearing its Model 3 weekly production rate. Also, in a vote shareholders backed Elon Musk as chairman and CEO.

Also Read: Tesla Employee Attendance Now Being Observed! Workers Now Complain-Saying It's "Controlling"

These alleged new Tesla workers include fire alarm technicians, materials handlers, and product specialists.

While others are disappointed with Telsa's ongoing layoffs, these newly hired individuals seem to be rejoicing.

"I'm happy to share that I'm starting a new position as Quality Engineer," said LinkedIn user S. Dogukan UZ via his official post.

He said that he is now working at Tesla Gigafactory Berlin.

Previously, Tesla removed around 200 employees from its Autopilot division. Aside from this, the EV maker also closed an entire office in San Mateo, California.

Because of this, many staff working for Tesla are really disappointed with the massive layoffs, especially since it is not based on their performances.

This means that even if they are performing efficiently in their jobs, they can still be removed by Tesla.

Tesla Cancels Hiring Events in China

According to CNBC's latest report, Tesla canceled its hiring events in China.

These online recruitment events were supposed to happen last June 16, June 23, and June 30. However, since Musk said that Tesla is already overstaffed, they need to halt its hiring operations.

Regarding the alleged hiring activities of Tesla, the giant automaker hasn't released any statement to confirm that the posts appeared on LinkedIn.

If this is true, then it would be quite unfair for those long-time employees facing uncertainty in their positions.

Meanwhile, Tesla Gigafactory Shanghai was expected to be halted to make way for a major facility upgrade.

Recently, Elon Musk claimed that he is losing billions of dollars on Tesla Gigafactory Berlin and Texas.

For more news updates about Tesla and its ongoing employee layoffs, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Tesla Allegedly Abuses Employees Following Recent Racial Lawsuit

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Written by: Griffin Davis

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Tifft Nature Preserve's sweeping woodland paths are already considered one of the best of Western New York's many places to commune with nature.

Soon, they will be even more accessible to more people.

A $1.1 million grant from Erie County will assist in creating a half-mile long, Americans With Disabilities Act-compliant walkway that will open new vistas for those park patrons.

"More people are going to be able to experience all of the benefits of time and nature, and all that Tifft Nature Preserve has to offer," Marisa Wigglesworth, president and CEO of the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences, announced Friday from the deck of the Herb and Jane Darling Environmental Education Center off Lake Kirsty.

"This trail  about a half-mile long  will run from the Darling Education Center out to one of the jewels of the preserve: the Heritage Boardwalk," Wigglesworth added.

The trail will be designed to accommodate anyone of any ability, whether they are using a wheelchair or pushing a stroller.

The preserve's 264 acres of restored habitat already includes five miles of trails, and the planned addition will represent 10% of that, said Wigglesworth, who was joined on the rear deck of the Darling Center by Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz for the announcement of the funding.

Poloncarz said plans for the project were first developed following repeated requests from visitors.

In addition to funding from Erie County, the upgraded trail will receive financial support from the Buffalo & Erie County Greenway Fund, the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Legacy Funds at the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, as well as the New York Power Authority and the Montgomery Family Foundation. The county's portion of the funding will pay for expenses associated with the ADA-compliant ramps and other upgrades aimed at improving accessibility.

"One of the keys that we've been working on in our parks system lately is ensuring that our parks are accessible to all. We know that's not always easy when we're talking about natural areas, because natural areas are not necessarily made for those who have ambulatory issues," Poloncarz said.

He added that the funding of the county's share of the project was made possible by a $174.5 million surplus in the county's 2021 budget.

"This is all part of our effort to create the best Erie County possible using funds from county government, as well as from our partners, to ensure that they go back into the community," Poloncarz said.

Also present for the announcement was Erie County Commissioner of Environment and Planning Daniel Castle, who also is chairman of the Buffalo & Erie County Greenway Fund Standing Committee which, Castle said, will provide another $400,000 toward the cost of the overall project.

The trail will include concrete walkways leading to the entrance and emergency exits of the Education Center, along with a welcome kiosk at the trail head, according to Zach Goodrich, preserve steward at the nature park. He said a majority of the trail will be made of a crushed stone dust trail, compacted and with adequate drainage to provide a solid surface for wheelchairs, while the Heritage Boardwalk portion of the trail will be all wood. The trail will eventually lead visitors to the scenic cattail marsh area.

Poloncarz said construction is set to begin in 2023, with much of the work to be completed by the end of next year. The grand opening is set for 2024.
WASHINGTON  Louis P. Ciminelli and others imprisoned in the "Buffalo Billion" case could be released from custody soon if the judge who presided over their trial agrees that should happen in light of the Supreme Court's decision to hear their appeals.

Supreme Court to hear appeal of Louis Ciminelli's 'Buffalo Billion' case Ciminelli and other defendants convicted in the fraud case argue that their convictions should be overturned because they're based on an incorrect reading of the law governing such cases.

A lawyer for Ciminelli, Michael C. Miller, sent a letter to U.S. District Court Judge Valerie Caproni on Friday asking that Ciminelli and the others imprisoned in the case be released. The others convicted in the case are former SUNY Polytechnic Institute head Alain Kaloyeros and Syracuse businessmen Steven Aiello and Joseph Gerardi.

Most notably, "after consultation, counsel for the government has given the governments consent to release on bail defendants Kaloyeros, Aiello, Gerardi and Ciminelli," Miller said in his letter to the judge. "In addition, the government has stated it does not object to the defendants not being required to post any cash as a condition of release."

According to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons website, Ciminelli remained incarcerated as of Friday evening at the United States Prison in Tucson, Ariz. He was imprisoned there in February and is scheduled to be released on Jan. 5, 2024.

In the letter, Miller argued that Ciminelli and the other defendants should be released in light of the Supreme Court's announcement Tuesday that it would hear their appeal during the court's next term, which starts in October.

The Supreme Court will review the validity of the legal theory under which Ciminelli and the other defendants were convicted. That "right to control" theory says that suspects are guilty of fraud if they deliberately withhold important financial information from their business partners, even if there is no clear evidence that they benefited from that action.

"The Supreme Courts grants of certiorari to review these questions necessarily establishes that they are substantial questions, which if resolved favorably to the defendants will result in reversal of their convictions," Miller said.

If the judge were to agree to release Ciminelli and the other defendants in the case pending their appeal, she also could release the defendant in another related case: Joseph Percoco, a former aide to then-Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo.

Percoco was sentenced to six years in prison after being convicted of three felonies in connection with $35,000 he took from a Syracuse-area developer. He is currently in a halfway house.

The Supreme Court also agreed to hear Percoco's appeal, which argues that his conviction was based on a separate faulty legal theory.

Percoco was convicted under the theory of "honest services" fraud, which says people are guilty of fraud when they take bribes, thereby violating their fiduciary duty even if they are not government employees at the time. Percoco's lawyers argue that theory of fraud applies only to public officials, not someone like Percoco, who was Cuomo's campaign manager at the time but did not work for the state government.
Urgent | Kamal Kharazi to Al-Jazeera: It is no secret that we have the technical capabilities to manufacture a nuclear bomb, but we have no decision to do so
Move over "No-Shave November"  now there's "No Mow May."

Instead of letting beards and body hair grow to raise money for men's health charities, people let their lawns grow, to the benefit of pollinators.

More homeowners informally participated this spring in this international campaign. And, at the urging of environmental advocates and conservationists, more local governments are officially backing or considering adopting the No Mow May movement.

Advocates say putting off the first mowing of the year into June preserves habitat and food sources for bees, butterflies, birds and other creatures that carry pollen among plants.

"Every little bit helps. So the idea is just to propagate life. And, you know, all our pollinators are really in pretty serious decline. So it's giving them a boost. It's giving them a helping hand. And shifting our own way of thinking," said Karima Bondi, president of the Willowlawn Block Club in Parkside and a proponent of No Mow May.

Un-mowed lawns, however, spur a lot of complaints from persnickety neighbors.

That's why some officials are weighing only allowing grass to grow for the month in backyards, not front yards.

Or they may require the posting of No Mow May signs, so that others on the street  and code enforcement officers  can distinguish between official participants and inattentive property owners.

Either way, expect to see the voluntary campaign take root in more communities, including Buffalo, Williamsville and East Aurora.

"I love the idea because it saves on fuel for running your gas mower. It cuts down on noises. It helps wildlife and pollinators. And I think it's OK to go the month of May without mowing," Williamsville Trustee Eileen Torre said at a recent Village Board work session.

The notion of the well-manicured, lushly green lawn is deeply planted in the American consciousness. Americans water, mow and chemically treat tens of millions of acres of grass  about 2% of the country's land area, by one estimate.

Most communities, in fact, have codes that require cutting of grass and weeds once it reaches a certain height.

Conservationists promote letting lawns stay in a natural state. Dandelions, clover and other weeds and wildflowers, they argue, aren't such a bad thing.

"A lot of this is about changing perspectives on what your lawn should be. So whether it's saying it should be native plants, instead. Or, it should be vegetables, instead. Or, it's OK to take a little vacation and not mow it in the early spring," said Nancy Smith, executive director of the Western New York Land Conservancy, who has put native plants in the right of way along her East Aurora home.

The people pushing this reconsideration of the lawn often are viewed as quirky outliers, such as Steve Kenney, the former Kenmore homeowner whose refusal to cut his grass drew national notoriety, or Walter and Nan Simpson, who battled town officials over the Queen Anne's lace on their Amherst lawn.

But a related movement that started in England and recently moved to the United States is gaining mainstream acceptance: If you must mow your lawn, don't do it until June.

Studies of communities that have embraced No Mow May show the grassy areas in question had more bees overall as well as a greater variety of bees, which are important to the ecosystem and the food supply.

Smaller cities, in particular, have embraced No Mow May, including Ann Arbor, Mich., and Appleton, Wis.

Locally, the East Aurora Village Board in April adopted a resolution encouraging residents to take part in No Mow May, "allowing pollinator species to emerge and early flowering grasses to establish."

In Williamsville, Code Enforcement Officer Tim Masters asked the Village Board to come up with a plan.

"I don't see how we can be asked to send grass violations to property owners because it is a nuisance, and another resident right down the street simply puts a sign in their yard and claims they are participating in No Mow May," Masters wrote.

The village has issued 22 citations in May and June for grass exceeding 8 inches in height, in response to complaints from neighbors or based on employee observations, records show.

Officials on Monday held a public hearing and debated whether to suspend the village code on lawn maintenance for two weeks, or for the full month, and whether to target backyards only or both lawns. They concluded, for the sake of parkgoers, that village crews would mow the grass in Williamsville's parks.

The Village Board said it wanted more feedback at its July 25 meeting before making a final decision but it will have a plan by next May.

"Even though we're not going to please everybody in the village, because some people mow their lawn every third day, we are doing it because it's the right thing to do," Mayor Deb Rogers said.

In Buffalo, Delaware District Councilman Joel Feroleto is working to see whether officials would adopt No Mow May for the city as a whole or as a pilot project.

He learned about it from Bondi, the block club president, and warmed to the idea, though he said communication, such as through lawn signs, is key.

"I could see the potential for conflict. And that's why it's important to look at different options, if it should just be backyards at this point, if it should be backyards and front yards," Feroleto said.

Bondi said about half of the 18 or so homes on her street took part in No Mow May this year.

"Some people, it really only got to be maybe 6 or 8 inches," she said. "And other people really looked like they had a meadow."

She said she understands this won't appeal to everyone.

"I didn't get any complaints. I don't know that all my neighbors were thrilled," Bondi said. "I know there was one resident whose house just went up on the market, probably in mid-May. And when the Realtor turned down to our street to look at the house, he said, 'What is going on on your street?' "
This masthead can also confirm layoffs at police software maker Mark43, after former staff posted online saying it had made an entire team redundant, payments company Zepto and medical management company Perx Health. (Mark43 did not answer repeated requests for comment and NSW Police, which it supplies, declined to comment. Chris Jewell, Zeptos chief executive, said the downturn had forced Zepto to make the heartbreaking decision to lay off about 10 per cent of its staff, whose contribution to the company he praised. Hugo Rourke, Perxs chief executive, said the company had made the tough decision to do a few layoffs in late May but had achieved some customer wins since then.) The list does not stop there. Solar power company Brighte also recently cut jobs, while neobank Volt this week announced its closure. The cuts that have been publicised are widely seen as the tip of the iceberg, with many companies quietly trimming headcount. For founders, it is a delicate balancing act. The dance is people need to grow to raise but they need to be financially disciplined to get there, says one Sydney start-up staffer, who was not authorised to speak on the record. In other words, venture capital investors tend to only back companies that are building revenue rapidly. But unlike a few months ago, Australias venture capitalists are now leery of firms that are spending at all costs to get there.

The customer research startup Dovetail is one of many firms still eagerly hiring during the downturn. Credit: The outspoken American venture capitalist David Sacks, who was an early executive at PayPal alongside tech titans such as Elon Musk and Peter Thiel, said on the influential All-In Podcast last week that start-ups were getting the dance wrong. He recalled a recent industry conference where founders were told they needed enough money to cover their companys losses for the next three or four years because if they needed to raise more cash in one year, the amount of available money would have plunged by 75 per cent. When polled about how they would approach the situation, Sacks said, the results showed a contradiction. There is a common set of values that go beyond company to company and in challenging times thats very useful. Jono Herman, Earlywork co-founder "On the one hand the founders understood intellectually that we're headed into a downturn, we're headed into a recession, and so the polling reflected that," Sacks said. "On the other hand if you asked the founders how they're going to react to it... are you going to cut headcount or are you going to accelerate your business to beat competitors, everybody said 'Oh we're going to out-accelerate our competitors.' So everybody thought they were the exception."

Some Australian founders who have spoken with overseas venture funds in recent months confirm American firms are being told to make hard choices, fast. Others who are seeking funding report a more positive picture. Dany Milham, the founder of rapid grocery delivery firm Milkrun, told this masthead that hed had significant interest from overseas firms in a fresh capital raise despite the business losing $13 per order just months ago at one of its best stores. Another has found the overseas market more receptive than local venture capitalists, who the founder described as being wary of investing while they wait to see how severe the downturn is. Local venture capital firms, such as Blackbird, Square Peg and AirTree, either declined to make any of their partners available or did not respond to calls seeking interviews. But the funds have previously said they are advising their companies to be more cautious but still have substantial amounts of money to invest in good companies. Marina Wu, Jono Herman and Dan Brockwell (l-r) from Earlywork partnered with a venture firm called AfterWork to launch a free service connecting people laid off to new jobs. Credit:Rhett Wyman It points to a multi-speed sector. Companies that held out from raising, raised and spent lavishly, or simply require a lot of cash to grow, are in a tough position. But many start-ups that were lucky or strategic enough to raise while the market was still roaring along and have spent judiciously since then are sitting on tens of millions of dollars in dry powder, allowing them to hire aggressively.

Customer research startup Dovetail, which raised money at a near $1 billion valuation late last year, has put up posters and a light rail ad in Sydney advertising its $5000 bonus policy for any member of the public who refers it a successful candidate. Loading Investors at AfterWork Ventures, which puts money into early-stage companies, and Earlywork, a platform that shepherds people into tech careers, this week rapidly spun up a free tool to match laid off staff with companies still hiring. More than 100 firms signed up to the service  dubbed Between Work  in less than 24 hours. Jessy Wu, an investment principal at AfterWork, says growing companies jumped at the opportunity to access talented staff with experience that are usually hard to find. The silver lining here is the opportunity for earlier stage companies to capture some of the talent thats been shed by later stage companies, and harness the workers skills and experience as they scale, Wu says.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size The work of acclaimed Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota has always been deeply personal, often drawn from memories, her childhood, and her dreams. But even her most personal pieces, from her early works on canvas to the large-scale fibre-based installations for which she is perhaps best known, have a universality as well, her finest trick being somehow transforming the intangible into something visible. Memory, loss, uncertainty and absence touch us all, perhaps more acutely than ever, post-pandemic. The Berlin-based artist is currently the subject of two Australian exhibitions - a survey show in Brisbane and a smaller show at Melbournes Anna Schwartz Gallery. The Soul Trembles, the largest exhibition of her work to date showing at Brisbanes Gallery of Modern Art, feels especially poignant right now  for Shiota herself and for viewers. Shiota was preparing for the show in 2017  conceived by Mami Kataoka, director of Tokyos Mori Art Museum, where the exhibition was first staged  when she received news that her ovarian cancer, which had been in remission, had returned. She was so happy, she says, to finally have a big show at Mori, but the day after plans had begun, the doctor told her the news. It came back after 12 years, and I was thinking about how can I survive, how can I make this show happen, she says. During the preparation for the show, I was thinking a lot about death and the soul. I was thinking about when I die, where will my feelings and thoughts go, and I was always thinking about the soul. Shiotas A Question of Perspective, commissioned by GOMA for The Soul Trembles. Shiota, sometimes referred to as a human spider, originally trained as a painter, and The Soul Trembles features some of her early paintings (even a flower portrait she painted at six years old), before she moved into performance work (which she began when she was studying at ANUs School of Art in Canberra in the early 1990s), video performance, sculptures, drawings, new works created in the wake of her diagnosis and the intricately woven thread installations that have become her signature. When she became disillusioned with painting, Shiota was inspired by the textile works of Polish sculptor Magdalena Abakanowicz after seeing an exhibition of her work in Japan, and felt constrained by painting, instead wanting to make lines in the air. When in Canberra, she met an Australian student who was moving to Germany to work with Abakanowicz. I thought, I want to study with her too, she says.

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So Shiota moved to Germany  only to discover it wasnt Magdalene Abakanowicz, but rather the Serbian conceptual and performance artist Marina Abramovic. It was a huge change. She was  not like a normal professor, Shiota says, with polite understatement, recalling the boot camps that Abramovic led students on, which included stints of fasting and not speaking for days on end. New work Rebirth and Passing is the first time Shiota has worked with glass. As Mami Kataoka, in Australia with Shiota, says, its a funny story, but her encounters with Abramovic changed Shiotas life. The extreme experiences under Marinas leadership  changed and extracted an essential part of her being as an artist. Loading It was after Shiota moved to Berlin that she began working with different mediums and scales, and her first work with thread. In a video in the Brisbane exhibition, theres a scene in her former studio that shows her bed connected with thread. She says she moved so many times in Berlin  nine times in three years because I had no money and was looking for cheap apartments  that she wanted to fix herself to her own place, so started connecting her bed to her apartment. The GOMA show features several of Shiotas room-sized thread installations, each meticulously re-created for every exhibition by Shiota a team of volunteers. Each piece is different every time. The first work visitors to the show see is the mammoth, room-sized Uncertain Journey, a series of boat forms connected by a vast web of red thread, symbolising blood, or veins, the boats carrying us on our life journeys. Backlit by the gallerys huge windows, the work seems to change colour as the sun moves.

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Light makes a different atmosphere, says Shiota. My studios are really in the museums, and I bring the materials and them here, so I never know how they will look. They are never the same twice. Shiota describes her work as a dialogue with my unveiled, naked soul. Credit:Simon Schluter In Silence, another large work in which a mass of black thread entangles a burnt piano and continues over a stand of empty chairs is drawn from a childhood memory. When her neighbours house burnt down, they moved their destroyed furniture onto the street, and Shiota was mesmerised by the still smoking, charred piano. It had no sound any more, but it was very beautiful, she says. Even more than before, and I made a concert with the string. The show includes a new commission, which will be permanently housed at GOMA, and which is inspired by her time in Australia. In A Question of Perspective, a writers desk is encircled by a rain-like shower of black thread. Above the desk are hundreds of suspended blank papers, which appear to be circling upwards, as if caught in a small tornado. As a student, Shiota travelled across the country  by bus, no less: I know how big this country is now!  and was inspired to make the work from her time seeing Uluru and the Central Desert, and contemplating the vastness of the universe. Other new works include Out of My Body, in which red net-like pieces of suspended leather hover above bronze body parts and Rebirth and Passing, sculptures of what appear to be organs encased in glass and featuring delicately blown glass threads echoing her fibre work, both made after her illness. At the end of the exhibition, which also features some of her set designs for theatre and opera not seen in Australia before, there is a series of video interviews she conducted with children, asking them questions about our souls, which offers, she says, a note of hope. When I was unwell, I started thinking about my daughter who was nine years old at the time. I was thinking, if I die, how will my daughter survive? Where is my soul, and what colour is my soul? So I wanted to ask children questions about the soul.

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Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size This story is part of the July 3 edition of Sunday Life. See all 14 stories. Australian actor Jessica De Gouw has long been a shape-shifting chameleon, adopting the accents of her characters as shes flitted back and forth between her London base and the United States, Melbourne, Adelaide, the South Australian outback and the Snowy Mountains. Jessica, 34, has spent most of the past 12 months in Sydney, the longest shes been in Australia since she was a teenager, to resume the role of video blogger and journalist Meghan Shaughnessy in season two of the Network 10/Paramount+ thriller The Secrets She Keeps. The new series extends Meghans story and that of Agatha Fyfle (Laura Carmichael), the woman who kidnapped Meghans baby, beyond crime writer Michael Robothams novel of the same name. Heather Mitchell , Jessica de Gouw, Todd Lasance and Lewis Fitz-Gerald in the new season of The Secrets She Keeps. Credit:Paramount Filmed around Parramatta and on Sydneys lower north shore, the new season is much darker than season one, Jessica declares following a Sunday Life photo shoot, releasing her tied-back hair and slipping into a comfy grey T-shirt for our interview. Picking the story up two years on, both Meghan and Agatha  the former from a world of affluence, the latter subjected to abuse in childhood  are sifting through their respective traumas. For her part, Meghan must deal with victim-blaming media narratives often placed on mothers whose children go missing. Even Meghans husband Jack (played in season one by Michael Dorman but replaced in the role for this season by Todd Lasance) blamed his wife for making the family a target by serving up their lives for public consumption on the internet. Meghans focus has moved away from that public world because the cost was so massive, says Jessica. And theyre still processing what happened in a very private way. It felt incredibly unfair to me that she was on the receiving end of that conversation because I have a public life too, sort of. Indeed, social media is a useful tool for actors building careers, but it comes at a cost. Oh, Twitter is the worst! says Jessica. I havent been on it for about a year because I find it so derailing, so exhausting. It can be such an incredibly powerful connecting tool but its also divisive, cruel and faceless.

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Camilla and Marc Aston jacket, $800, and trousers, $450. Sener Bessim earrings, $550. Credit:Manolo Campion Jessica maintains a lively Instagram account, but constantly battles with herself over how much to give away about her private life. Im hired to play characters, to be believable as those characters, but if Im so visible online as myself it takes away some of the mystery of that. Recent photos Jessica has posted to Instagram tell the stories of navigating an international screen career while thriving despite COVID lockdowns and border closures. In one image, taken in London while season two of Pennyworth was being filmed, Jessica faces co-star Jack Bannon. Both are wearing blue disposable face masks. Every time we had intimacy in the show wed have to be locked up in a hotel for a couple of days beforehand. Pennyworth tells the backstory of Batmans butler, Alfred Pennyworth (Bannon), and Jessica plays Melanie Troy, who has an affair with Pennyworth before she escapes the dystopia of a London racked by civil war for the United States. Loading We were shooting Pennyworth in March 2020 and we got stood down, Jessica recalls. When we went back in August, no one was vaccinated and COVID was everywhere in London. Because we were in the studio, you could create a safe environment. But it was really intense.

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For Jack and I, every time we had intimacy in the show wed have to be locked up in a hotel for a couple of days beforehand. Even just a kiss on the cheek, or a hug, was like, Well, thats 72 hours in isolation. Fortunately, hes a very good friend. (The Secrets She Keeps was shot at the same time as season three of Pennyworth, ruling out Jessicas return to the London-based series.) In her private life, Jess was in a relationship, as older Instagram posts make clear, with British actor Oliver Jackson-Cohen, who played William Thornhill in the 2015 television adaptation of Kate Grenvilles novel The Secret River. But while Oliver is one of my best mates in the world, theyre no longer a couple. Michael Lo Sordo Oversized Boyfriend blazer, $690, and Double Pleat Lounge pants, $590. Roger Vivier Viv Rangers Strass Buckle sandals, $2730. Credit:Manolo Campion I mention the picture Jess posted last year from the wedding of her older sister Chelsea, a teacher turned policewoman, to her female partner, and the caption about their father, Eugene: Dad was so proud to walk them down the aisle, he might as well have been skipping. Was Chelsea an influence in Jesss support of LGBTQI rights and her decision to play real-life lesbian feminist Robyn Plaister in the ABCs Riot, a 2018 telemovie about the origins of Sydneys Gay Mardi Gras? Yeah! says Jess, enthusiastically. I mean, Im queer. But my sister, yes, she got married and theyd been together three years. Of course I champion [queer rights] because its about human rights and everybody has the right to love who they want and be with who they want. I certainly dont want to be denied that myself. Does Jess have a partner at the moment? I do! she says, grinning widely. Were new, I met her after lockdown, she adds, a trill in her voice. So, yep, shes amazing.

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Jess was born in February 1988 to Eugene, a maths teacher, now retired, and Sally, who still works in aged care. Growing up in semi-rural Lesmurdie, on the south-eastern outskirts of Perth, she was the middle of five children in a family that also includes an older and two younger brothers. Her late stepfather, Greg, worked Clydesdale horses, which Jess grew up riding. Her early ambition was to become a vet. It was about love and sex and violence  when youre 18, 19, and your creative world is being smashed open, there are just such strong emotions in that work. That changed when she began taking after-school acting classes at Lesmurdie High School and performing in community drama. At Perths Curtin University, Jess completed a bachelors degree in performance studies, consumed with the late British playwright Sarah Kanes brand of in-yer-face theatre. It was so confronting and so brutal and so raw; it was about love and sex and violence  when youre 18, 19, and your creative world is being smashed open, there are just such strong emotions in that work. Bianca Spender Manhattan jacket, $795, and Berlin pants, $425. Roger Vivier Slide Strass Buckle mules, $2230, Sener Besim earrings, $280. Credit:Manolo Campion Several times during our interview, Jess refers to being lucky, and to the joy of being allowed to act. In 2012, she tested this luck by moving to Los Angeles and renting a two-bedroom house in the Los Feliz neighbourhood with five other Australian actors. I was sharing a bed with my very good friend Liz Blackmore, and T.J. Power was there, Geri Hakewill was there. Youd get that $2 wine from [grocer] Trader Joes and cook big meals. Its an adventure. Within a month, Jess had landed the role of Helena Bertinelli/The Huntress in the US superhero TV series Arrow. Her next role, in the TV series Dracula, would take her to London, a city Jess describes as probably my favourite in the world. It remains her base.

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Coming back to Australia to work remains a priority, however, with Jess appearing in local films These Final Hours (2013) and Cut Snake (2014) as well as two miniseries  The Hunting in 2019, opposite Richard Roxburgh, and Operation Buffalo, a 2020 ABC drama about British atomic testing in the Australian outback in the 1950s. Shes hands down one of my favourite people to work with, says Ewen Leslie, her co-star in Operation Buffalo, in which Jess played a mysterious British meteorologist with Russian heritage. We had to have a [Cary] Grant and [Katharine] Hepburn relationship and it was instantly easy to build chemistry with her. Our scenes were my favourites. We had to have a [Cary] Grant and [Katharine] Hepburn relationship and it was instantly easy to build chemistry with her. Our scenes were my favourites. She has a no-bullshit approach to her work. Shes fast, intelligent, prepared, extremely talented and a legitimately good person. A huge part of acting is empathy and Jess has that in spades. SIR Alberta blazer, $520. Sener Besim earrings, $280. Credit:Manolo Campion Two roles Jess has played in recent times are notable for their empathy. The first is as Louisa Clintoff, a writer and suffragette from an English liberal family, in Leah Purcells feature film The Drovers Wife: The Legend of Molly Johnson, which re-imagines the Henry Lawson tale as a revenge western told from an Indigenous womans perspective. The second is as slavery abolitionist Elizabeth Hawkes in the 2016-17 US series Underground, about the underground railroad which helped enslaved African-Americans to escape north between 1790 and 1870. Jess hadnt seen the connection between these two characters as saviours until I mention it, but she agrees. Theyre both in the infancy of their activism and really want to contribute to the world in a positive, meaningful way. These are privileged women. They have so far to go. Thats the greatest joy, right, to play flawed characters who arent perfect, who have so far to go, but are learning.

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The climate misleaders are at it again. The Another Voice in this column, Michelle Hook, is none other than a spokesperson for Danskammer Energy, the gas company that has been trying to open, without success so far, a new gas-fired plant in an environmentally beleaguered community in Newburgh, New York. Naturally, fossil fuel companies want to sell fossil fuels.

No, the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) does not specifically ban the sales of fossil fuels, but not burning them anymore and substituting renewable energy, the prices for which are dropping year over year, is the only way to meet CLCPA goals. Has anybody noticed the skyrocketing costs of gas and oil?

If the state Legislature had had a spine and passed the All-Electric Building Act this year, it would have paved the way for cheaper housing costs. Installing gas infrastructure in homes boosts building costs considerably.

As for New Yorks effect on global climate, lets take a more selfless view. Lets reduce our local air pollution indoor and out, reduce water pollution, and stop the danger we cause by importing fracked gas.

You can be sure that its the fossil fuel companies paying the price for an elimination of gas and oil use, not consumers.

Lynn Saxton

Warsaw
The beauty industry has a waste problem, contributing close to 12,000 tonnes a year in Australia, so when teenage sisters Daisy and Matilda Johnson from Melbournes Mornington Peninsula started their sustainable skincare brand, they wanted to avoid contributing to the problem. Their solution? Refillables.

Launching last year, One Summer aims to cut down the amount of waste that ends up in landfill from non-recyclable beauty product packaging by offering refills for customers.

Matilda Violet Johnson (L) and Daisy Truth Johnson launched their refillable skincare brand with sustainability at the forefront of their business model. Credit:Simon Schluter

Refillables are the way forward, says older sister Daisy, 16. As the younger generation that will be facing environmental issues, we wanted to create a brand that focused on sustainability.

The skincare brand sells lower priced, plain plastic refills to sit inside the original packaging. Empty cartridges can either be recycled or returned in a prepaid pouch, which the sisters clean, refill and reuse.
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This story is part of the July 3 edition of Sunday Life. See all 14 stories.

The home:

A three-bedroom, two-storey 1980s townhouse in Melbournes inner north. It has many design features typical of the era, including exposed brickwork, wood panelling and slate floors.

Who lives here:

Tamara Watts, owner and creative director at Retro Print Revival, makers of lamps, vases and planters inspired by mid-20th-century design.

What we did:

I painted over the peach walls, removed the carpet, wallpapered and put in new curtains, says Tamara. It feels like a totally different place now.

My favourite room

The lounge. When the afternoon sunlight streams through the window, the whole room glows. Its so relaxing to spend time reading or listening to music on the couch or playing the piano.

The hood

Im in a quiet, tree-lined street, removed from the hustle and bustle, but close enough to get to cafes, pubs, restaurants and live music in a flash.

Best advice

Rather than buying whats on trend, fill your home with pieces that represent your own style, says Tamara. And you cant go wrong with a plant or 10.
Passengers are being told to arrive as close as possible to two hours before their domestic flight to help Sydney Airport manage crowds, as school holidays and staff shortages cause delays.

Wet weather conditions have contributed to some delays and cancellations, but the most significant factors have been the school holiday season rush and the airport struggling to replace about 15,000 staff it shed during the pandemic.

A mass of passengers navigate confusing queues at Sydney Domestic Terminal 2 on Saturday. Credit:Oscar Colman

Queues at Sydney Domestic Airport Terminal 2 snaked outside the terminal on Saturday, impacting airlines including Jetstar and Virgin.

With delays expected to continue until at least July 18, Sydney Airport is asking domestic passengers not to be tempted to arrive more than two hours before their departure time.
The word and the gesture translate easily to White Australia. However, there has been a mix-up over how Reconciliation apparently requires a considerable amount of acquiescence (politely eating cupcakes at Reconciliation Week morning tea) and generosity (being expected to give advice and do other work for free) from Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander people. It is not us who need to do the reconciling. It is those who, to use the Christian vernacular, have sinned, and who continue to sin. The settlers, the colonisers, the invaders, the British, the White Australians: it is they who must listen to us, learn from us and work with us, not only to reconcile but to ensure justice and truth-telling. These must be combined with the sharing of wealth and power and an overhaul of the systems that White Australia has created to keep Indigenous people and communities from flourishing  even, in many ways, from existing. It is not enough to make admissions without anything then being changed. Bob Hawke was the first prime minister I heard talk about treaty, land rights and native title. I was 10 in 1988, when Australia was celebrating its bicentenary  200 years of British invasion/ settlement. Anticipating this event, the theme chosen for the 1987 National Aboriginal Islander Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) Week was White Australia Has a Black History. A new commitment was aired by Hawke at this time, after his visit to the festival at Barunga in the Northern Territory  that a treaty would be made to acknowledge the unique rights of all Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander people.

This was not the first time there had been promises, beliefs or hopes of treaties and justice. The Yirrkala bark petitions were the first documents asserting native title prepared by Aboriginal people  the Yolngu of Arnhem Land  and presented to parliament in 1963, in an act of sovereignty intended to create legislative change and constitutional reform. In 1972, the Larrakia people brought their petitions to then prime minister William McMahon, who also rejected them. Prime minister Bob Hawke receives the Barunga Statement from Galarrwuy Yunupingu in 1988. Credit:Sydney Morning Herald Discussions of treaties and land rights were met by some fierce opposition within Hawkes own party, including from then WA premier Brian Bourke, who supported the mining companies in their public scare campaigns. In the words of Labor MP Linda Burney, it was racist, venomous, ugly and feral. The Opposition said that as soon as they could take office, they would tear up any treaty Hawke dared make with Aboriginal people. Hawke should have stood his ground. I dont understand why a leader such as he didnt do so. Is it all easier said than done? Its not within my ambitions to enter politics, but as a citizen, a taxpayer and a sovereign Yawuru woman, the least I should expect is that a prime minister keeps their word. I remember seeing Hawke on TV, weeping during a press conference, dismayed that his government would not achieve treaty. He expressed his disappointment as he asked his Aboriginal friends to understand that more could not have been done. Dad was at that press conference, and when the camera panned across to him, I saw a sovereign man looking utterly bereft, an image now etched in my mind.

As a citizen and a sovereign Yawuru woman, the least I should expect is that a prime minister keeps their word: Inala Cooper. It cannot be said enough that the systems created by Australia are not broken. Rather, they have been intentionally designed to diminish us, humiliate us, imprison us, get rid of us. If institutions are serious about Reconciliation and aligning with campaigns such as Racism: It Stops with Me, then they need to be proactive in reviewing their governance, leadership and ways of working. Employment initiatives, for example, must do more than provide entry-level roles for Aboriginal/ Torres Strait Islander people. Look at who is in the boardroom, who makes up the executive, and who occupies other leadership positions, because the lived experiences of those individuals, combined with the history and culture of the organisation, define how things operate. It is not complicated. It starts with respect and humility to both see and admit that Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander people display knowledge and excellence, and ways of knowing, doing and being, which both differ from those of non-Indigenous people and hold extraordinary value. Bias, both conscious and unconscious, plays a huge role in the application of the concept of merit to individuals, and it is a means of maintaining a safe place from which White people can continue to operate the systems in the way they were designed to operate, which is usually (surprise, surprise) by White privileged men, for White privileged men. This is not to say that all White people are inherently racist. But nor does a disruption of who holds the power mean that White people lose anything  rather, everyone gains more. White versions of merit are too easily used to evaluate how someone will fit instead of broadening the discussion of what Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander people can bring to the table. We are also making our own tables, but that doesnt mean we dont belong at the existing ones.

Marrul: Aboriginal Identity & The Fight for Rights by Inala Cooper. Credit: The late Professor Uncle Colin Bourke was a strong and gentle Gamilaroi man who devoted his entire career to Indigenous success in education. In his words to me: All we need to do is appoint Aboriginal people and support them to succeed. Then we will achieve good outcomes for everyone. Having hope, I think, is a sign of optimism, and it can belong both to the privileged and the deprived. My views on hope shifted when I read Munanjahli/South Sea Islander woman Professor Chelsea Wategos 2021 book Another Day in the Colony, written clearly and unapologetically for the mob. Watego is unwavering in her message that we should not be hopeful but sovereign, for it is through our sovereignty that we remind the colonisers that we are still here, that they didnt succeed. Loading We who are Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander people identify ourselves as individuals, families and communities in the way we see fit. There are both solo and shared expressions of who we are, and we shall not be forced to pick or choose any one way to be according to others instructions or expectations. Similarly, we shall not be forced to pick or choose which rights and how much social justice we are afforded. It is not one or the other when it comes to treaty and land rights, truth-telling and recognition. We deserve all of our rights, and that means not having to compromise.
The West Coast Eagles were flying high after their second win for the season at Optus Stadium last weekend, but an engine failure on their flight to Melbourne for the next round almost brought them back down to earth.

The team left Perth on Friday afternoon, headed for their clash with the Richmond Tigers at the MCG.

An image from Flight Aware shows the plane the West Coast Eagles were on rapidly descending close to Melbourne. Credit:Flight Aware

But about an hour before their descent into Melbourne, while still flying at the highest altitude, they were told that there was an issue with one of the engines, and it needed to be shut down.

The live flight tracker shows the plane making a rapid descent, from 35,000 feet down to 17,000 feet.
In Australia, which initially kept its death toll low with repeated lockdowns, the shift to daily double-digit deaths has been swift. Murray said coronavirus deaths were now hitting more than 1200 every month. Loading But its just disappeared from the headlines. This is somebodys mother, grandmother and somebodys relative, so of course its very distressing for the individual and their family, Murray said. It is the price of us opening up, of people in the community not being careful enough about trying to prevent transmission, or not getting vaccinated, or not getting their third or fourth dose which, in my view, increases everybodys risk.

The risk factor most likely to lead to death from COVID-19 is old age. In older people, the most severe symptoms from an Omicron infection are often not respiratory, instead it affects physical and cognitive function, causing delirium, for example, leading to an overall decline. Older people are also more likely to have comorbidities. The ability of their immune systems to respond fully to vaccination is also diminished, which is why there have been prioritised for a winter booster, Murray said. The most challenging question really remains are they dying with COVID or from COVID? Murray said. Theyre an older group, who are frail, and therefore it doesnt take much to make their heart failure worse or their dementia worse when they get sick with coronavirus. Despite the high number of deaths in older Australians, the uptake of fourth booster shots in aged care remains slow. Only about 65 per cent of eligible residents have had their fourth vaccine dose. The Victorian data reflects what we have been saying all along about just how important boosters are, infectious disease expert Professor Paul Griffin, who has been the principal investigator for seven COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials, said.

We are entering into another wave of COVID-19 where were really concerned about the impact on hospitals and intensive care. The best thing we can do is get our third or fourth dose, but it seems to be a message that people are not very receptive to at the moment. Nearly 90 per cent of Victorians over the age of 65 have received a third vaccine dose, while 46 per cent have had their fourth, winter dose. Melbournes Austin Hospital intensive care director Stephen Warrillow said their ICU ward, once full of people critically ill with coronavirus, was now only treating one or two COVID patients a day. Last week there were 23 Victorians with coronavirus in ICU. Of the Victorians who died in hospital with or due to COVID-19 between January and June 28, 296 were unvaccinated and 21 had received only one dose.

The disparity between daily deaths and ICU admissions is mostly due to the high numbers of deaths in aged care, after the removal of strict lockdown restrictions. Interim chief executive of the Aged and Community Care Providers Association, Paul Sadler, said the booster program was in progress and working well overall. Many aged care homes are working with local GPs and pharmacies to arrange ongoing access to booster shots for residents who choose to be vaccinated, he said. However, he added it was vital the federal government urgently addressed aged care workforce shortfalls, to avoid staff shortages and interruptions during COVID or flu outbreaks.

Due to high rates of community transmission, Warrillow said he was now seeing more immunocompromised people infected with the virus being admitted to the ICU at the Austin, such as organ donor recipients. These patients were becoming seriously ill with the virus, despite taking all the precautions, including being up-to-date with their fourth and fifth booster shots. Loading Ive certainly personally cared for a number of patients recently who lead healthy, busy lives, and thats the success of their organ transplant, but theyve been terribly unlucky due to being immunosuppressed, he said. It is a reminder to the community to get vaccinated and not to forget all the health advice we have learnt. Its not just yourself that youre protecting, but youre also looking out for people who deserve our protection. Less than 20 per cent of coronavirus deaths were reported in Victorians aged between 70 and 79. This declined even further for people in their 60s, who made up about 6 per cent of the total reported deaths until the end of June, while those in their 50s made up 3.3 per cent of deaths.

There were 15 coronavirus related deaths among Victorians in their 50s died until June 28, while 12 were in their 40s, and less than 10 people were in their 20s. Head of infectious diseases at Melbournes Western Health, Marion Kainer, said deaths among younger, otherwise healthy people, who have been vaccinated, remained exceptionally rare. Often a death occurred in a younger, vaccinated person because they were immunocompromised in some way, such as a person undergoing cancer treatment. Its a numbers game. If youve got a lot of disease and youve got a lot of people being infected then, in rare cases, youre going to see these bad outcomes, she said. Loading

Australias death toll is a fraction of what has been recorded in similar countries around the world  in the UK, 10,000 had died from the virus by April 2020, and the same figure was recorded within two months this year. Professor Nigel McMillan, program director of infectious diseases and immunology at Griffith University, said COVID is on track to become the second leading cause of death in Australia in 2022, behind coronary heart disease. The current 50 deaths per day is hardly noted and yet, it is more than twice the daily road toll, McMillan said. We need our public health leaders to rethink the approach to this disease. We need Omicron-specific vaccines, wider use of antivirals, and we need to wear our masks much more. A Victorian health spokeswoman said staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations including third and fourth doses significantly reduces the chances of going to hospital or dying from COVID-19.

Our heartfelt sympathies go out to all the families and friends who have lost loved ones to COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic, she said. We now know that for those eligible, a fourth dose significantly reduces the chance of dying from COVID-19, compared with having three doses. She urged Victorians to wear a face mask indoors or when unable to physically distance, stay home when unwell and continue to get tested when they had symptoms. Up until June 28 this year, 14,537 people have required treatment in Victorian hospitals for COVID-19-related illness during the reporting period. This represents just 0.76 per cent of the more than 1.9 million cases diagnosed this year. Of the cases admitted to hospital, 5 per cent were later admitted to ICU. With Mary Ward
Loading Eritrea has been ruled by Isaias Afwerki since 1993. It has not held national elections since, its parliament and judiciary have no power and is ranked by Human Rights Watch as having one of the worlds worst human rights records. Reporters Without Borders says press freedom there is worse than in North Korea. Fesahas people-smuggled journey is one both sides of Australian politics say they are proud to have stopped and now an envious Britain is attempting to copy. The British government has engineered a migrant deportation plan with Rwandas Paul Kagame, a known human-rights abuser. Kagames government is at pains to show the world Rwandas maturation from a developing nation into the Singapore of Africa in less than three decades since Hutu extremists slaughtered hundreds of thousands of Tutsis and Hutu moderates in the 1994 genocide.

The president points to Gashora, one of Rwandas poorer, rural villages. Sign for the transit centre in Gashora, Rwanda. Credit:Latika Bourke It is here that we meet Fesaha who arrived on a flight from Libya last year and, around eight months ago, applied to resettle in Canada. The Gashora Transit Centre, run by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, has received about 1000 African asylum seekers and refugees from Sudan, South Somalia, Chad, Cameroon, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Eritrea since September 2019. We saved this situation where thousands of young Africans were caught up in Libya, [because] they are trying to get to Europe, they are not getting there. They got stuck, they were imprisoned. They were even slaved, there were people coming to buy them as slaves, Kagame said at the recent Commonwealth Heads of Government summit he hosted.

So we offered something to the international community. We told them look, instead of having these people suffering in Libya, can we have them in Rwanda? Houses for asylum seekers while their claims are processed by the UNHCR at Rwandas Emergency Mechanism Transit Centre in Gashora. Credit:Latika Bourke So far, 644 people have been resettled; 442 are waiting for their refugee claims to be processed; 14 babies have been born and the centre has been expanded to accommodate hundreds more refugees, who are all invited to choose Rwanda as their resettlement country. But none have, opting instead for Norway, Sweden, France, the Netherlands, Finland, Belgium and, like Fesaha, Canada. I would prefer to go Canada, Fesaha said. I came here to Rwanda for transitioning to another country.

When asked if he would advise his friends in Libya to come to Rwanda for processing, his response was immediate: Yes, of course, compared to Libya there is freedom. But his reluctance to call Rwanda home is critical. Zemen Fesaha, right, tried to get to Italy by boat from Libya but his vessel sank. Credit:Latika Bourke The UK has made much of the fact that Rwanda will welcome its unwanted migrants who arrive in Britain by boat, should their asylum claims prove invalid. It has invested 120 million ($213 million) on the transfer deal. But judging by the experience of those in Gashora, it appears unlikely, that many will want to stay in Africa. Australias inspiration is writ large. The objective of the UK policy is familiar - to deprive the people-smugglers on the French shores of the English Channel of the valuable opportunity to sell dangerous boat journeys to those fleeing persecution or wanting a better life.

Asked, while in Rwanda, if he is proud to see the UK adopting Australias model in a country with a dubious human rights record, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said: Having a firm border which means that governments are in power and the UNHCR is empowered, and people smugglers are disempowered, is the best human rights outcome that you can have in this space. Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles at the Commonwealth Heads of Government summit in Kigali, Rwanda. Credit:Latika Bourke He declined to endorse or criticise the UKs adoption of Australias approach, which while effective, has also been widely criticised for its human rights costs. Its a matter for them and they can answer for their own policies, he said. The UKs first deportation was held up by the European Court of Human Rights.

Kagame said he would be happy if none ever made it to Rwanda. If they dont come, we wont complain. Its not like we are dying to have people come to us, he said. But he defended the objective of the policy. The criminal networks are known in Africa and Europe and if countries are trying to say we are trying to have orderly migration, whats wrong with that? the president said. But Fesaha says nothing, not even the threat of losing his own life, would have stopped him from getting on a boat and that if he were in the same situation, he would do it again.
Portrait of woman having fun in the street.

Written by Adam Othman at The Motley Fool Canada

When it comes to investing, the best rule is to start as early as possible. The sooner you can start building your nest egg, the more time you will have to grow it to a desirable size. You can also take more risks as a young investor than you might as one nearing retirement, though time is still your best asset when you are a young investor.

And if you choose the right companies to hold for decades, you may have more capital for retirement than you initially hoped for, with minimal active portfolio management.

A utility company

Utilities are some of the safest investments there are. And if you invest in a utility stock like Hydro One (TSX:H), which has been steadily growing for almost four years and managed a swift recovery after the 2020 crash, you get to add more than just safety to your portfolio. The stock has risen roughly 70% in the last four years, or about 17.5% annually.

While this may not be a growth rate suited for a pure growth stock, its pretty sustainable in the long term. It also comes with healthy dividends and a decent 3.2% yield. If you are investing a small amount of capital in the company, you can still grow your stake over time by opting for the DRIP program.

If it keeps growing at a similar rate for the next three or four decades, you can experience remarkable capital appreciation.

A grocery store chain

Loblaw Companies (TSX:L) is a Brampton-based business that has been around for a bit over a century and has now grown to become the largest grocery store chain in Canada. With over 2,400 stores across the country, it has penetrated the bulk of the local market.

The business model is quite diversified, and the second-largest business segment (health and wellness) is just as evergreen as the primary grocery business is.

Loblaw Companies stock has seen two major growth phases in the last three decades, and the current one, which has gone on for over a decade, has pushed the stock up about 300%. Averaged out, thats roughly 30% capital appreciation a year.

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At this rate, you may experience nine-fold growth in about three decades. You also get Loblaws growing dividend but modestly low yield.

An insurance company

Another diversified pick for your beginner stock portfolio would be Sun Life Financial (TSX:SLF)(NYSE:SLF). Its one of the most prominent names when it comes to life insurance in Canada, but thats not what makes the company worth considering for your portfolio. It has a diversified business, with revenue coming from different business avenues and different geographies.

Its also one of the few insurance stocks in Canada that have mostly gone up in the last decade, and even though the growth has been quite slow, its generous dividends make up for it. Not only is Sun Life a Dividend Aristocrat, but its also offering a juicy 4.66% yield right now, which makes it a good candidate for passive income.

Foolish takeaway

The three stocks can be excellent choices for young investors. If you are starting in your 20s or 30s, these are the kind of companies you can buy and forget in your portfolio. And given enough time, they can significantly contribute towards making your nest egg bigger for your retirement.

The post 3 Fantastic Stocks for Young Investors appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.

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Fool contributor Adam Othman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned.

2022
Demonstrators for and against abortion rights gather in Overland Park, Kan., the day after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, effectively outlawing abortion in many states, June 25, 2022. (David Robert Elliott/The New York Times)

Pressed by Supreme Court decisions diminishing rights that liberals hold dear and expanding those cherished by conservatives, the United States appears to be drifting apart into separate nations, with diametrically opposed social, environmental and health policies.

Call these the Disunited States.

The most immediate breaking point is on abortion, as about half the country will soon limit or ban the procedure while the other half expands or reinforces access to reproductive rights. But the ideological fault lines extend far beyond that one topic, to climate change, gun control and LGBTQ and voting rights.

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On each of those issues, the countrys Northeast and West Coast are moving in the opposite direction from its midsection and Southeast  with a few exceptions, like the islands of liberalism in Illinois and Colorado, and New Hampshires streak of conservatism.

Even where public opinion is more mixed, like in Ohio, Wisconsin, Georgia, North Carolina and Texas, the Republican grip on state legislatures has ensured that policies in those states conform with those of the reddest states in the union, rather than strike a middle ground.

The tearing at the seams has been accelerated by the six-vote conservative majority in the Supreme Court, which has embraced a muscular states-rights federalism. In the past 10 days the court has erased the constitutional right to an abortion, narrowed the federal governments ability to regulate climate-warming pollution and blocked liberal states and cities from barring most of their citizens from carrying concealed guns outside of their homes.

Theyve produced this Balkanized house divided, and were only beginning to see how bad that will be, said David Blight, a Yale historian who specializes in the era of American history that led to the Civil War.

Historians have struggled to find a parallel moment, raising the 19th-century fracturing over slavery; the clashes between the executive branch and the Supreme Court in the New Deal era of the 1930s; the fierce battles over civil rights during Reconstruction and in the 1950s and early 1960s; and the rise of armed, violent groups like the Weather Underground in the late 60s.

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For some people, the divides have grown so deep and so personal that they have felt compelled to pick up and move from one America to the other.

Many conservatives have taken to social media to express thanks over leaving high-tax, highly regulated blue states for red states with smaller government and, now, laws prohibiting abortion.

Others have transited the American rift in the opposite direction.

I did everything I could to put my mouth where my money was, to bridge the divide with my own actions, said Howard Garrett, a Black, gay 29-year-old from Franklin, Tennessee, who ran for alderman in recent years, organized the towns first Juneteenth celebration and worked on LGBTQ outreach to local schools, only to be greeted with harassment and death threats.

Garrett moved to Washington, D.C., last year. People were just sick in their heart, he said, and that was something you cant change.

On abortion, history seems to be riffing on itself.

Both supporters and opponents of abortion rights see a parallel to the abolition of slavery.

As states like Illinois and Colorado vow to become safe harbors for women in surrounding states seeking to end their pregnancies, abortion rights advocates see an echo of past efforts by anti-slavery states in the North. But abortion opponents see themselves as emancipating the unborn, and often compare the Roe decisions treatment of the fetus to the Dred Scott ruling in 1857 that denied Black people the rights of American citizenship.

Conservatives are not resting on their victories. The anti-abortion movement, long predicated on returning the issue of reproductive rights to elected representatives in the states, talks now about putting a national abortion ban before Congress.

Roger Severino, a leading social conservative and senior official in the Trump administration, invoked the struggle of Black Americans for equality, saying the 10 years that passed between the Supreme Courts Brown v. Board of Education decision ending separate but equal segregation and Congress passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 mirrored the struggle ahead on abortion.

I cannot see us living in two Americas where we have two classes of human beings in this country: some protected fully in law, some who are not protected at all, said Severino, now the vice president for domestic policy at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.

On climate change, the courts decision to limit federal regulatory powers has underscored the impasse in Congress over legislation expressly limiting emissions of climate-warming pollutants like carbon dioxide and methane.

But again, the states are stepping unto the breach. States from Virginia to Maine have banded together to limit carbon emissions under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. In the West, California, Oregon and Washington are pursuing a Pacific Coast Collaborative to coordinate clean fuel standards and move toward zero-emission cars.

Im strongly supportive of the EPA having the power to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants from fossil fuel, said Katie Dykes, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the chair of the East Coast initiatives board of directors. But RGGI has been in place since 2009 and has provided clear, predictable signals to the power sector and to the states in the alliance. It becomes only more relevant if we see federal authority curtailed.

Fossil fuel states are moving in the opposite direction, pressing for more exploration and more production of coal, oil and natural gas and for fewer emissions regulations, putting local jobs and overall economic priorities ahead of the impact of climate change.

On guns, Washington, D.C., and 11 states, including Delaware and Rhode Island just this past week, have banned some weapons and accessories like high-capacity magazines in response to mass shootings across the country. Republican states, in contrast, have passed and continue to pass laws that allow for the carrying of concealed or unconcealed firearms with no permits necessary.

The Republican governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, signed legislation last year trying to nullify a decadesold federal ban on silencers. And a new law in New Hampshire is meant to stop state law enforcement agencies from cooperating with federal agencies to enforce federal firearms laws that do not match New Hampshires.

Its the biggest problem were facing now, said Sean Holihan, the state legislative director at the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. If most of the Northeast, parts of the Midwest and all of the West Coast want to pass good gun-safety legislation, that doesnt mean someone in Chicago cant go to basically any state that borders his and buy a gun.

As conservative states move to bar gender transition therapies for people under 18, Californias Legislature is considering a bill that would void any subpoena seeking information about people traveling to the state for such care. But Alabamas attorney general, invoking the Supreme Courts reasoning in its abortion decision, said this past week that federal courts must allow the states ban on gender-transition care to take effect.

And one states banned books are anothers teen summer reading list.

Jake Grumbach, a University of Washington political scientist who began studying the fragmentation of the nation more than a decade ago, said America was living through a hyper-drive of state-based dissolution, but he cautioned against looking regionally, instead locating the fault line between cities and their suburbs on one side and rural areas on the other. A voter in Milwaukee and one in rural Wisconsin, he said, are as different ideologically as one in Oklahoma and one in New York City.

However, gerrymandering and restrictions on voting access in Republican states have given conservatives a greater institutional advantage than the edge Democrats have in more liberal states, Grumbach said. He pointed to a gerrymandered legislative map in New York that was blocked and to similar maps that have gone forward in Louisiana, Ohio and Florida.

The tensions of the moment might be most acute in the porous borderlands of red and blue America. The St. Louis Board of Aldermen, responding to Missouris abortion ban, is considering using $1 million in COVID relief funds to instead aid women seeking abortions across the border in Illinois.

Anne Caprara, the chief of staff to the Democratic governor of Illinois, J.B. Pritzker, said abortion providers in the state used to serve a few hundred out-of-state women per week. Since the overturning of Roe a week ago, she said, its been several thousand.

The governor is committed to Illinois being an oasis, she said. He isnt shifting on that, but theres no question thats a burden.

Gun rights laws like the protections for silencers in Texas are edging back toward the idea of nullification, that states should be able to ignore federal law, an idea that grew directly out of slavery, said Bethany Lacina, a University of Rochester political scientist who studies federalism in different countries. But you can imagine a day where theres a federal ban on abortion, and the governor of California says, Eh, were just not going to do that. Its all very double-edged weapons.

Conservatives might see the coming years as the moment to pivot toward amassing more national power, if they can seize Congress in November and the White House in 2024. Anti-abortion activists have always had two arguments in favor of ending Roe v. Wade: a legal case that the Constitution does not include a right to end a pregnancy, and a moral case that abortion is murder.

Severino, again invoking segregation, said that until the legislative and executive branches of government stepped in with the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts in the 1960s, recalcitrant states failed to integrate their schools after the Supreme Court ordered them to in 1954.

There are deep parallels here, he said. Then, it was what is the value of a human person, measured between Black and white Americans. Here it is the value of a person within the womb and outside it.

As the political divide between the states becomes more pronounced, what political scientists call sorting may accelerate. Conservative Illinois billionaire Kenneth Griffin announced last week that he had moved to Miami from Chicago, and would take Citadel, his hedge fund, with him. He told his employees that Florida offered a better corporate environment.

At the same time, Caprara said the Pritzker administration routinely boasts of the states welcoming political environment, where abortion rights are codified and companies will never find themselves in the position the Walt Disney Co. now occupies in Florida  squeezed between a conservative government constraining gay and transgender rights, and liberal consumers demanding a corporate pushback.

Companies dont want to have to deal with people boycotting their business, or struggling to get people to move to them, especially younger workers, she said.

Joanna Turner Bisgrove, 46, a family physician at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, had worked her whole professional life in Oregon, Wisconsin, a small town south of Madison, when her hospital was purchased by a Catholic health care chain that began restricting abortions and transgender care. After the Wisconsin Legislature took up the issue of transgender girls in sports, she said, friends of her gender-fluid child became magnets for bullying so bad that it made the local news.

Nearly a year ago, the Bisgroves finally moved across the red-blue border, to Evanston, Illinois, where, Bisgrove said, her children would be accepted and her medical practice could thrive.

In the end, she said, my morals would not square with what I could do.

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Members of Calgary's Vietnamese community and Premier Jason Kenney cut a ribbon at the grand opening of the Journey to Freedom Park. (Helen Pike/CBC - image credit)

Hundreds of people gathered at the grand opening of the Journey to Freedom Park in southeast Calgary on Friday.

The park, which has been under construction since April 2021, was built to honour the journey of thousands of Vietnamese refugees who fled to Canada after the fall of Saigon in 1975.

Tu Lien Thurston, whose family was one of the major sponsors for the project, was at the unveiling ceremony on Friday.

"It's important to our family because I want my children and their future generation to understand where we have come from and the sacrifices that my parents have made and my grandparents have made," she said.

"That's why we're here today, is to honour them."

Helen Pike/CBC

A new monument commemorating the Vietnamese "boat people" sits at the entrance to the park near International Avenue at 1907 26th St. S.E. The park is built on land leased by the city, overlooking Calgary's skyline.

Vietnamese refugees in the 1970s were referred to as "boat people" because many who fled post-war Vietnam did so in over-crowded boats across the South China Sea to refugee camps in Southeast Asia.

The United Nations estimates up to 250,000 people died attempting to make the perilous journey at sea.

Thurston said her family tried to make the journey out of Vietnam twice in 1978. The first time they tried, they were unsuccessful. But the second time, they made it by boat safely to the coast of Malaysia.

"It was frightening because there was 500 people on this wooden boat ... in a rough sea. And we were lucky enough to avoid the pirates and the Vietnamese navy," she said.

Helen Pike/CBC

"I think it's important for people to come here and to reflect and to honour those who didn't make it through the rough seas."

Her family spent a year in a refugee camp before they were sponsored by a church in the village of Linden, about 100 kilometres northeast of Calgary.

Thurston said the monument and the park, conceived by The Calgary Vietnamese Canadian Association, will hopefully help people remember the history of Vietnamese refugees and the dangerous journey many faced.

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"We were labeled when we first came as FOBs  fresh off the boat. A lot of people don't understand that, and some people might feel even ashamed of it, but we shouldn't be, because we made it. And Canada is a great place for new immigrants to settle," she said.

According to the 2016 census, Calgary has the fourth-largest Vietnamese population in Canada.

The $1.2 million project was mostly funded by the community. It also received a $300,000 contribution from the province.

"This is a fantastic project in memorial to what makes Canada great, a place of freedom and refuge for people who have faced persecution," said Premier Jason Kenney.

"The Vietnamese boat people story is an amazing one. This is a spectacular monument to them, to Canada."
Germans have been warned to prepare for a possible shortage of natural gas this winter amid fears that Russia could cut off supplies.

People have been urged to get their gas boilers and radiators checked and adjusted to maximise efficiency within the next 12 weeks, before the cold weather comes.

Klaus Mueller, the head of Germany's energy regulator, said this maintenance could reduce gas consumption by up to 15% - potentially resulting in significant savings.

Mr Mueller said that families would have to start talking now about "whether every room needs to be set at its usual temperature in the winter or whether some rooms can be a little colder".

Analysis: Germany may have to ration gas after Russia's 'economic attack'

Germany has been heavily dependent on Russia for its energy imports, with 55% of its gas, 50% of its coal and 30% of its oil coming from the country.

Russia's state-owned gas company Gazprom announced in June that there would be a 60% reduction in gas flows to Germany through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline which runs under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany.

At the time Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said reductions in supply were not premeditated but instead related to maintenance issues.

Critics allege this is untrue and that the cuts are intended by Moscow to pressure Europe against resisting its invasion of Ukraine.

Gazprom claimed that equipment it was having refurbished in Canada was stuck there because of Western sanctions.

Robert Habeck, who is Germany's vice chancellor as well as the country's economy and climate minister, has warned that a "blockade" of the pipeline starting on 11 July is possible, as regular maintenance work is due to start on that date.

Usually this maintenance work has caused Nord Stream 1 flows to shut down for about 10 days, but Mr Habeck has questioned whether the forthcoming period could last even longer for political reasons.

If the gas flow from Russia is "to be lowered for a longer period of time, we will have to talk more seriously about savings," Mr Mueller said, warning that Germany may not be likely to meet its gas storage targets.

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If the supply of gas from Russia was stopped completely then there would be special protections in place for private households, hospitals and nursing homes, he declared.

"I can promise that we will do everything we can to avoid private households being without gas," he said, adding: "We learned from the coronavirus crisis that we shouldn't make promises if we're not entirely sure we can keep them."

He said his agency "does not see a scenario in which there is no more gas coming to Germany at all".

Also on Saturday, German chemical and consumer goods company Henkel said it was considering encouraging its employees to work from home in the winter as a response to a possible supply shortage.

"We could then greatly reduce the temperature in the offices, while our employees could heat their homes to the normal extent," Henkel chief executive Carsten Knobel told daily newspaper Rheinische Post.
A Utah County Sheriff's Office cruiser sits parked at the public safety complex in Spanish Fork, Utah, on June 27, 2022. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times)

Utah Sheriff Investigates Claims of Ritual Child Sexual Abuse; 120 Tips Received

UTAH COUNTY, UtahAn investigation by a Utah sheriff into allegations of ritualistic child sexual abuse has shocked residents as more than 120 purported victims and those who claim to know them have come forward.

The Utah County Sheriffs Office, which is leading the investigation, has solicited help from the FBI, which confirmed that its assisting, as well as other law enforcement agencies.

The alleged abuse occurred for two decades, from 1990 through 2010. In recent weeks, dozens of witnesses have come forward with information via phone calls, text messages, and emails.

I dont know the exact number, but it is now over 120 people who have contacted us, Utah County Sheriffs Sgt. Spencer Cannon told The Epoch Times. [Of that number], I am sure. There are likely more than 120 at this point.

On May 31, the sheriffs office said that an investigation had been underway since April 2021 involving reports of ritualistic child sexual abuse and child sex trafficking in Utah County, the states second-largest county.

The investigation uncovered even more possible victims in neighboring Juab and Sanpete counties during the same period. The sheriffs office said in a statement that local law enforcement confirmed portions of these allegations.

Its common practice for the FBI to offer assistance, when requested, to our law enforcement partners. We are assisting, and so I will defer to the lead agency, which is the Utah County Sheriffs Office, FBI spokeswoman Sandra Barker said.

A day after authorities announced the joint investigation in Utah County, then-Utah County Attorney David Leavitt identified himself and his wife, an attorney, as potential suspects while vigorously refuting the claims at a press conference.

Leavitt, who lost a reelection bid on June 28, said law enforcement is about trust  [and] being able to say that when the government makes an allegation that theres substance behind [it] that we can believe in.

He demanded that the sheriff resign and that the investigation be halted.

We deserve more from our public officials, and we deserve more from the news media to respectfully and responsibly ferret out what is true and what is not, Leavitt said during his 30-minute briefing.

Leavitt accused Utah County Sheriff Mike Smith of conducting a politically motivated witch hunt in an election year.

County Attorney Named Himself as Suspect

In a separate press conference, Smith said his office released no documents to the public that identified Leavitt as a suspect and denied that the investigation was political.

Mr. Leavitt named himself, Cannon said, declining to confirm, deny, or comment about anyone whose names have come up in the case.

What I will say, however, is that the case Mr. Leavitt referred to is not the case we began investigating in April 2021. He implies otherwise, but he is wrong.

Smith has refused to resign, halt the probe, or reprimand officers involved in the Utah County Sheriffs Office Special Victims Unit investigation.

We will continue to do our jobs. We wont be intimidated by [Leavitts] attempts to railroad this investigation, he said.

The sheriffs office declined to discuss the case further, absent new developments.

The Utah County Sheriffs Office in Spanish Fork, Utah, on June 27, 2022. It is investigating reports of ritualistic child sexual abuse in three counties spanning the years 1990 to 2010. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times)

And when I say new developments, I mean something beyond what weve said and the investigation of original information and talking to those reporting information to us as tips, Cannon said.

We dont discuss the [victims names] or suspects [while investigating cases]. In most cases, we comment very little, if at all, on active investigations. We have not, and will not at this point, confirm, deny, or name people whose names may or may not have come up in this or any other investigation.

The recent spate of reports concerning ritualistic child abuse harkens back to the Satanic Panic that gripped Western states during the 1980s and 90s.

A special report in The Daily Herald in Provo, Utah, dated Oct. 30, 1988, described ritualistic child abuse and Satanism as a severe problem in Utah and Utah County. Beyond the lurid allegations of abuse, however, these cases proved challenging, lacking physical evidence and relying on oral testimony and triggered memories years after.

Yes, there are definitely several cases, the story cited Robert Parrish, an official in the Utah attorney generals office at the time.

Im not assuming I know all of them, but there are at least a half dozen that have involved ceremonialnot necessarily satanistic ritualsbut most involve aspects that fit like a glove to Satanism.

Utah Task Force Investigates

The cases prompted the state office to create a Utah State Task Force on Ritual Abuse in 1990.

The agency released a report that generally spoke on the nature and extent of the problem in Utah two years later. However, the report lacked specific information on cases and perpetrators, noting: The nature of ritual abuse, and the secret groups involved, must be considered in any discussion about evidence.

Perpetrators maintain prolonged concealment, not only of their acts, but also of their membership in the secret society which is united in the commission of crimes.

For many, their continued existence as successful, prestigious, and powerful persons in outer society depends upon absolute secrecy of the inner group activities. Survivors report that such groups are extremely careful and highly skilled in destroying evidence of their crimes.

The Utah attorney generals office didnt respond by press time to a question from The Epoch Times about whether the task force is still in existence and active in the current probe.

The task force said in the report that it heard from victims parents concerned about the trauma their children experienced in the investigative process.

The report also said investigating ritual child abuse is difficult and time-consuming, requiring full-time, dedicated work.

Church Memo Cites Abuse Claims

Perhaps the most alarming examination of ritual child abuse in Utah came from a memorandum written by Glenn L. Pace in July 1990, when he was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints presiding bishopric.

The 12-page document to a committee on strengthening church membership reviewed 60 cases of alleged satanic ritual abuse involving parents of victims and church members.

The memo claimed that some of these victims displayed multiple personality disorder, a psychological coping mechanism for exposure to physical, mental, and sexual abuse and ritualistic killings.

When 60 witnesses testify to the same type of torture and murder, it becomes impossible for me, personally, not to believe them, Pace wrote in the memo.

Over the past 18 months, I have acquired a compassionate love and respect for the victims who are fighting for the safety of their physical lives and, more importantly, their souls.

The state of Utah investigated after the media obtained a leaked copy of the memo in 1991. However, the investigation found no evidence to substantiate the victims claims.

Ben McClintock, a Utah County resident and founder of the Tree of Liberty Society, said hes been following the police investigation in Utah County from the start.

Despite Leavitts claims, McClintock said he couldnt be sure whether the case was politically motivated.

If [Sheriff Smith] is serious about [the investigation], it has legs. If its political, it will go away after the primary, McClintock told The Epoch Times.

[Leavitt] decided to put himself out there even though he never was accused publicly.

Of the reality of ritual child sexual abuse, McClintock said he thinks it exists at the highest levels of society.

It sounds far-fetched and crazy to say these are Satanists pretending to be normal Christians. Its nationwide, [involving] high-level people, he said.

Local Residents React

Spanish Fork, Utah, resident Valerie Glazner said that Leavitt, having gone public, raised red flags for her.

He hung himself, Glazner said. It was news to me when it first broke out between the county sheriff and attorney. Thats when my eyes [opened]. We didnt know anything about it.

He was the one that got himself in trouble. I dont think its politics. I think Sheriff Smith speaks the truth.

Glazner said word of the joint investigation reminded her of when she worked at a local hospital with a woman who claimed to have multiple personalities.

She came from a family of satanic cult worshipers. She was from Utah County. I thought, Oh my gosh, she had to be involved in this thing.'

At Black Jacks Bar in Spanish Fork, Walter Blundell of Kearns said he was shocked to hear of the large-scale investigation into ritual child abuse.

I dont know anyone personally who would do something like that. I dont know anybody who would be interested in something like that, Blundell told The Epoch Times.

Id be disgusted. Id be pretty surprised.

I think all of those people are pathetic, said another patron, who asked that his name not be used.

Thats sick and wrong right there. There are a lot of things that happen [in Utah County] that nobody knows about.

A woman at the bar, who wished to remain anonymous, said she learned about the case through social media.

I know its all over [the web], but Ive never heard about it where Im from, she said.

The Utah County Sheriffs Office is pleading with the public to come forward with knowledge of these crimes.

We understand that there are individuals who have concerns for their safety and/or well-being who have been silenced, the office said. We need your help.
2 More Captured Britons Charged With Being Mercenaries: Russian State Media

Two more Britons captured in Ukraine have been charged over alleged mercenary activities in the pro-Russia separatist region of Donetsk, according to Russian state media.

Dylan Healy, a 22-year-old aid worker, and Andrew Hill, 35, are reportedly facing the same charges that led to the death sentences of Britons Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner last month.

According to the TASS news agency, Healy and Andrew Hill were charged with being mercenaries. The Friday report cited an unnamed official from the self-styled Donetsk Peoples Republic (DPR), saying investigators are looking for evidence because the pair do not want to testify and refuse to cooperate on their criminal cases.

TASS said it was not able to obtain official comments.

Also citing an unnamed source, a news agency connected to the DPR said Healy and Hill were charged under the same articles as the three mercenaries who were convicted earlier, referring to Aslin, Pinner, and a Moroccan national.

The Epoch Times can not independently verify the information.

In an email to The Epoch Times, the UKs Foreign Office said: We condemn the exploitation of prisoners of war and civilians for political purposes and have raised this with Russia. We are in constant contact with the government of Ukraine on their cases and are fully supportive of Ukraine in its efforts to get them released.

It is understood the FCDO is actively investigating and is providing support to the mens families.

Dominik Byrne, a co-founder of British charity Presidium Network, previously told BBC Breakfast that Healy and fellow British volunteer Paul Urey were captured on April 25 at a checkpoint in Zaporizhzhia, southern Ukraine, when they were trying to help evacuate a woman and two children.

Russian officials previously said Hill was captured by Russian troops in Mykolaiv.

On June 9, Aslin, 28, and Pinner, 48, both soldiers in Ukraines armed forces, were given death sentences for being mercenaries trying to overthrow the DPR, which is only recognised by Russia and Syria and was designated a terrorist organisation by Ukraines prosecutor general in 2014.

Both Aslin and Pinner settled in Ukraine and joined the military before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Aslin also holds Ukrainian citizenship.

British ministers said the sentencing was a sham and an egregious breach of the Geneva convention which affords protection to prisoners of war.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) told Russia on Thursday to ensure the two men are not executed, but Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia no longer complies with the requirements of the ECHR and that its up to the DPR to decide the mens fate.

Morrocan student Saadoun Brahima was also sentenced to death alongside Aslin and Pinner.
2 Teenagers Killed, 1 Man Wounded in Houston-Area Shooting

HOUSTONTwo teenagers were killed and one man was injured in a shooting at Houston-area apartment complex, authorities said Saturday.

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said on Twitter that deputies responded to reports of a shooting in the parking lot of the complex in north Harris County, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) north of downtown Houston, at 10:40 p.m. Friday. They discovered three males had been shot.

Two teenagers were pronounced dead at a hospital and a 20-year-old man who was shot twice is expected to survive, Gonzalez said.

Multiple people were detained, and the sheriffs office was looking through surveillance camera footage to piece together what happened.

Sgt. Dennis Wolfford with Houston County Sheriffs Office Homicide said the confrontation may have started at a pool party and multiple people had discharged weapons.

We do not know who was shooting first, we do have possible shooters detained, we are still working to figure out, who exactly fired the shots, Wolfford said. We will be interviewing them and reviewing surveillance video to determine how this went down.

Gonzalez said both teens killed were 17, but Wolfford said one was 17 and the other was 18.
Around 62 unions dissolved under the national security law, at least one union has been banned, while 11 union organizers have been arrested or prosecuted. (Screenshot of Mung Siu-tat Facebook)

62 Hong Kong Unions and Civic Societies Were Forced to Dissolve Under the National Security Law

Two years after the implementation of the national security law in Hong Kong, civic society life is becoming more dire by the day. A report was recently released by the Hong Kong Labour Rights Monitor, founded by Mung Siu-tat, former executive secretary of the now dissolved, Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions, confirming that many Unions in Hong Kong have been forced to disband.

The report shows, that at least 62 unions and civic organisations, including media groups and political parties, have been forced to dissolve since the national security law was enacted in June 2020: At least one union has been banned, while 11 union organizers have been arrested or prosecuted.

It is expected that this is only the tip of the iceberg, as the Hong Kong government is expected to side more with businesses, stripping away more workers rights and making it harder for union rights to survive. However, there might be a silver lining for the workers to continue to fight and struggle for labor rights in a new way.

The report analyzes, that during the process of dissolution of two of the largest trade unions, namely, the Hong Kong Association of Educational Professionals and the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) used three primary steps to clamp down on the independent trade union movement. First, they would use their state media, or government mouthpieces to smear the unions, then they would work with the local authorities and claim that the targeted union could be violating the national security law. Lastly, the CCP would send a middle man from Beijing, to act as a negotiator to force the unions to disband.

In the report, Mung Siu-tat wrote, that he was at one point interrogated by the middle man three times a month. The last time they met up, the middle man threatened to hand over their case to the National Security Bureau.

The report carries on to describe how the outdated colonial laws and practices, have suddenly been applied to union members in the present day. An outdated, law such as sedition, had been used many times by the authorities, to arrest and prosecute members of the Hong Kong Federation of Speech Therapists. Some elements in the publications were said to be incriminating,and as the government sees it, mocking the current Hong Kong political situation is an offense under new the national security law. A law established in the colonial era, is now ironically being twisted around by the CCP.

Under the current political and legal risks, Hong Kong trade unions are facing their three biggest challenges, including loss of talents, activity limitation, and fund shortage. Especially after the dissolution of the workers union, many affiliated associations have lost their offices, and support for organizational officers, resulting in more difficulties in recruiting new members. Some had no choice but to cease operations.

The reports highlights bigger individual effects of the situation: The remaining organizers are under a tremendous amount of psychological stress. The former president of the Trade Union, Wong Lai-yuen, revealed that he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The impacts on Wongs health include detrimental symptoms of insomnia, anxiety, unhealthy binge eating, and self-blame and shame.

Mung Siu-tat, who is currently in the UK, told Voice of America that, even though Lau Siu-kai, vice president of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau, openly declared, that Beijing would consider all be forgiven if small organizations no longer commit acts that are seen to be against China, or causing disruption to Hong Kong.

However, Mung has his hesitations, Anyone can be arrested for anything right now in the name of national security in Hong Kong. How much capacity and scope do workers still have to fight for whats fair?

Perhaps the only way we could tell is if someone continues to follow the striking format which Foodpanda (online ordering platform) ethnic workers used, by striking as a team, not as a union.
Happy Independence Day weekend from The Nation Speaks.

Are fossil fuels destroying the planet or helping humans thrive on it? Thats what we discuss with Alex Epstein who makes a bold argument in his new book, Fossil Future: Why Global Human Flourishing Requires More Oil, Coal, and Natural GasNot Less.

Then, in America Q&A we ask for your take: Has fossil fuel use resulted in more harm or benefit for humanity?

Next, Minds.com is a social networking platform that brings together thinkers from across the spectrum. They recently held the Festival of Ideas in New York City and I caught up with several provocative participants, including:

Former Democratic presidential candidate, Tulsi Gabbard; James OKeefe of Project Veritas; Musician and de-radicalization activist Daryl Davis; Nick Gillespie, editor at large with Reason Magazine; Coleman Hughes host of Conversations With Coleman podcast; and Margaret Kimberley, exec editor for Black Agenda Report.

Finally, our second America Q&A circles back to the climate: Do you think all human impact on the environment is bad?

* Click the Save button below the video to access it later on My List.

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Voters wait to cast their ballots at Marquee Theatre in Tempe, Ariz., on Nov. 3, 2020. (Courtney Pedroza/Getty Images)

Arizona Vows to Fight Possible DOJ Lawsuit Against Law Ensuring Only US Citizens Vote in Elections

Arizona on Friday vowed to fight a possible Biden administration lawsuit that would challenge a new state law that ensured only U.S. citizens can vote in Arizona elections.

Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed HB 2492 into law on March 30 to protect the states voters and election integrity.

According to a July 1 letter by Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) intends to file a lawsuit against it.

In his letter, Brnovich said that Arizona would defend the law up to the Supreme Court if necessary and defeat the federal governments efforts to interfere with our states election safeguards, as I did last year in Brnovich vs. DNC.

In Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee, the Supreme Court ruled 63 in favor of two Arizona election policies, finding they did not violate the Voting Rights Act nor had a racially discriminatory purpose.

It is curious, however, that the Department of Justice would use its resources to challenge a common sense law in Arizona designed to guard against non-citizen voting, while the Biden Administration is simultaneously opening our borders to encourage a flood of illegal immigration, Brnovich wrote in his letter (pdf) to DOJ Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke.

Is the federal government attempting to undermine our sovereignty and destabilize our election infrastructure? I hope that is not your intention.

I strongly urge you to reconsider your pursuit of this misguided suit and to instead recognize Arizonas constitutional authority to conduct lawful and secure elections, he wrote.

The Epoch Times contacted the DOJ for comment.

Brnovich published his letter on Twitter, writing: After Biden invites millions to illegally enter our country, his DOJ is challenging Arizonas law to ensure only citizens can vote. Alas the clouds part to show the true sky. Well see you in court!

After Biden invites millions to illegally enter our country, his DOJ is challenging Arizonas law to ensure only citizens can vote.

Alas the clouds part to show the true sky. Well see you in court! pic.twitter.com/7dHgh1i4xh  Mark Brnovich (@GeneralBrnovich) July 1, 2022

Thousands of Voters Without Proof of Citizenship

In a March 30 letter (pdf) explaining his support for the legislation, Arizonas governor noted that there was a growing number of voters who have not provided evidence of citizenship.

In 2014, when the federal form was first used to register Arizona voters who failed to provide evidence of citizenship, a mere 21 voters statewide voted using that method in the primary election, Ducey wrote.

In the 2020 general election, that number climbed to over 11,600. In just Maricopa County alone, there are currently 13,042 active registered voters who have not provided evidence of citizenship to vote through the use of the federal form.

Ducey declared that safeguarding election integrity meant counting every lawful vote and prohibiting any attempt to illegally cast a vote.

He said HB 2492 is a balanced approach that honors Arizonas history of making voting accessible without sacrificing security in our elections.
Shoemaker Crater, Australia ESA

For Asteroid Day, the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over the Shoemaker Impact Structure (formerly known as Teague Ring) in Western Australia.

Located around 100 km northeast of the small town Wiluna, the Shoemaker Impact Structure was renamed in honour of Eugene Shoemaker, a planetary geologist and pioneer in impact crater studies.

The almost circular shape of the Shoemaker impact site, visible in the bottom-right of the image, is approximately 30 km in diameter and is defined by concentric rings formed in sedimentary rocks (seen in dark brown). The precise age of the impact is unknown, but is estimated to be between 1000 and 600 million years ago  making it Australias oldest impact crater.

This false-colour image was processed by selecting spectral bands that can be used for classifying geological features, allowing us to clearly identify the concentric rings in the image. The light blue areas are saline and ephemeral lakes including Nabberu, Teague, Shoemaker and other smaller ponds.

Asteroid Day, the UN-endorsed global awareness campaign is back on 30 June with an exciting 5-hour live broadcast from 18:00 CET. With the help of leading experts, Asteroid Day Co-founder Dr. Brian May and the most engaging voices in science communications from around the world, the five hour programme will bring the solar systems smallest worlds to vivid life for audiences of all ages and backgrounds. For more information, visit ESA joins Asteroid Day for rocky live broadcast.

Credits: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2021), processed by ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO

Larger image
The Tobruk parliament (above) is the seat of one of Libya's two rival administrations

Protesters have stormed Libya's parliament in the eastern city of Tobruk and set fire to part of the building.

Images posted online showed thick columns of smoke as the demonstrators burned tyres outside.

There have been rallies in other Libyan cities against continuing power cuts, rising prices and political deadlock.

In the capital, Tripoli, where a rival administration holds sway, protesters called for elections.

Their demand was backed by the head of the interim unity government, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, who said all the country's institutions needed to be changed.

United Nations Libya envoy Stephanie Williams told the BBC the violence was unacceptable but described it as a "clarion call for the political class" to put their differences aside and hold the elections that the Libyan people want.

There were also protests in the capital, Tripoli

The unrest comes a day after United Nations-brokered talks in Geneva aimed at paving the way for a ballot ended with little progress.

Libya has been in chaos since the Nato-backed uprising in 2011 that ousted long-serving ruler Col Muammar Gaddafi.

The oil-rich country, a key departure point for some of the thousands of migrants travelling to Europe, once had one of the highest standards of living in Africa, with free healthcare and free education.

But the stability that led to its prosperity has been shattered and Tripoli has seen frequent fighting between rival forces.
The manned Shenzhou-12 spacecraft from China's Manned Space Agency onboard the Long March-2F rocket launches with three Chinese astronauts onboard at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Jiuquan, Gansu province, China, on June 17, 2021. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

Beijing Reacts to US Report on Close Encounter Between US and Chinese Satellites

News Analysis

A U.S. news publication revealed an in-orbit game of cat and mouse between a U.S. surveillance satellite and two new Chinese satellites in geostationary orbit. In response, Chinas state-run media published a commentary on June 30 that slandered the United States, accusing it of threatening [the] Chinese satellites safety.

SpaceNews reported on June 16 that China launched two satellites, Shiyan-12-01 and Shiyan-12-02, to geostationary orbit (GEO) early this year. The U.S. surveillance satellite USA 270 reportedly moved toward the Chinese satellites to get a closer look.

When the USA 270 closed in on Shiyan-12-01 and Shiyan-12-02, the Chinese satellites took off in opposite directions. But the Shiyan-12-02 moved into a position that can get a sunlit view of the U.S. surveillance satellite, according to SpaceNews.

Its pretty clear that as USA 270 gets close, these guys are getting out of Dodge, Space News quoted Dan Oltrogge, research director at COMSPOC. It also demonstrates that countries are doing what we call counterspace. Theyre taking action to avoid disclosure of their capabilities or their activities.

COMSPOC Corp. is an American space situational awareness company based in Pennsylvania.

Beijings Reaction

The Chinese regime doesnt allow private companies or individuals to work on space research or develop related technologies. Moreover, Beijing treats the progress of Chinas space development as a guarded state secret.

After SpaceNews reported on the close encounter between the U.S. satellite and two Chinese satellites, Chinese state-run tabloid Global Times published a commentary on June 30, claiming that the action of the U.S. satellite was threatening [the] Chinese satellites safety.

The article claimed the USA 270 approached the Chinese satellites, Shiyan-12-01 and Shiyan-12-02, with the intention of monitoring secretly.

Global Times warned that China has the ability to track and maneuver satellites with extreme precision.  Space is a new field for the benefit of mankind, and is also a new battlefield that is moving towards militarization and weaponization.

Global Times is published by Peoples Daily, the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Thus, articles published by Global Times and Peoples Daily represent the CCPs stance.

A piece of a Long March 3B rocket that fell in a field in Suichuan County in Chinas central Jiangxi Province is seen on Dec. 11, 2016. The rocket sent an FY-4 meteorological satellite to geostationary orbit on the day. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Conflicts in GEO

The GEO is an essential and fragile orbital shell. Its orbital period is the same as the earths rotation period, which means a satellite can remain motionless on the vertical equator at a fixed position relative to any point on the surface of the earth. This can allow the satellites in GEO to telecommunicate, broadcast television, observe, and forecast weather that covers a fixed region on the ground.

At the same time, one collision or explosion could spread very quickly throughout the GEO belt, Oltrogge said. It requires careful allocation and assignment of spacecraft for both conjunction-assessment purposes and to make sure you dont have RF [radio frequency] interference.

The GEO has become more and more crowded in recent years. According to the latest information from UCS Satellite Database, 574 operational satellites were in geostationary orbit, up from 449 in January 2018. In detail, the United States owned 179 satellites in January, while China had 80 and Russia operated 33, the UCS Satellite Database showed.

Moreover, some satellites allegedly attempted to damage other countries interests in GEO in recent years. For example, a Russian satellite in GEO was found intercepting military-related communications between two European satellites in 2018.

Experts claim that Chinese satellites in GEO can pose a threat, such as carrying out surveillance activities, based on the current technologies that China recently unveiled.

When you say, that satellite moves next to mine to spy on me, that may be true. Or maybe that was the only free space they could find to park for a while, SpaceNews quoted Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer and spaceflight analyst, to describe the situation in GEO.

To enable space flight safety, such as satellite collision avoidance, the U.S. military launched the Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) satellites in 2014, which monitors the resident space objects (RSOs) and performs rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO). RPO means two or more satellites matching in space and then performing maneuvers to affect their relative operations, including positions, information exchanges, and mechanism exchanges.

The GSSAP works well without the interruption of weather or the atmospheric distortion that can limit ground-based systems, the U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM) posted on its official website in September 2019.

US-China Space Race

China launched the Shijian-21 space debris mitigation satellite into GEO on Oct. 24, 2021. In late December, the satellite approached a defunct Beidou-2 G2 navigation satellite in orbit, rendezvoused with it, and then docked with it. On Jan. 22, the Shijian-21 hauled the Beidou-2 to a graveyard orbit about 200 miles above the GEO belt.

COMSPOC recreated the process by using video animation.

With the successful operation of Shijian-21, China became the second country in the world to possess the capability of removing a satellite.

The United States acknowledged that China is developing advanced space technology.

U.S. Army Gen. James Dickinson, USSPACECOM commander, testified before the House and Senate Armed Services Committees on March 8: In 2021, the PRC [Peoples Republic of China] increased on-orbit assets by 27 percent.  In January, the recently launched SJ-21 space debris mitigation satellite docked with a defunct PRC satellite and moved it to an entirely different orbit. This activity demonstrated potential dual-use capability in SJ-21 interaction with other satellites.

Dickinson confirmed the USSPACECOM could protect and defend against such threats but asked Washington for more support to authorize and fund Space Domain Awareness programs that enable USSPACECOM to monitor, characterize, and attribute behavior as well as provide combat-relevant indications and warning of potential threats to U.S. government, allied, and partner space systems, according to the USSPACECOM statement.

Chinas test of a new hypersonic weapon last year raised red flags. In an April report, the Defense Intelligence Agency warned that China and Russia pose the biggest threat to U.S. national security interests in space.
U.S. President Joe Biden gestures as he addresses media representatives during a press conference at the NATO summit in Madrid, on June 30, 2022. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

Biden Admin Gives $820 Million More in Military Aid to Ukraine, Including 2 Surface-to-Air Missile Systems

The Biden administration announced new security assistance to Ukraine on July 1 in a package worth about $820 million in total.

The assistance comprises an authorization of a Presidential Drawdown (PDA) of security assistance valued at up to $50 million, as well as $770 million in Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) funds. The PDA is the 14th drawdown of arms and equipment from the Pentagons inventories since August 2021.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, the United States has committed a total of about $6.92 billion in military aid to Ukraine to fight Russian forces. Prior to the invasion, since 2014, the United States had committed some $1.8 billion in weapons and military training to Ukraine, $700 million of which came from the Biden administration.

The latest $820 million aid package was broadly announced by President Joe Biden at a news conference on Thursday in Madrid, which was the third and final day of the NATO summit focused on the Russia-Ukraine war.

We are going to support Ukraine as long as it takes, Biden said, adding that the United States is giving Ukrainians the capacity so that they can continue to resist the Russian aggression.

Two Surface-to-Air Missile Systems

The Pentagon issued a more comprehensive announcement on Friday as it formalized the announcement. It said that the USAI funds in the latest aid package will provide for Ukraine two National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), a Norwegian-developed anti-aircraft system that is used to protect the airspace around the White House and Capitol in Washington.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude in his nightly video address, saying on Friday: I am especially grateful today to the United States and to Biden personally for the package of support for Ukraine announced today, which includes very powerful NASAMSan anti-aircraft missile system that will significantly strengthen our air defense. We have worked hard for these supplies.

The USAI funds will also provide for up to 150,000 rounds of 155mm artillery ammunition, as well as four additional counter-artillery radars.

The counter artillery radars being sent are the Raytheon-Technologies AN/TPQ-37 systems, a senior defense official told media, reported Reuters. This is the first time these systems are being sent to Ukraine which have about triple the effective range of the previously sent AN/TPQ-36 systems.

The radars will require weeks at a minimum for defense companies to build. Ukrainians are also being trained to use the newly provided systems.

The package will also include additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), provided by the PDA authorization. The Pentagon had provided the medium-range rocket systems to Ukraine in June.

Much of the aid will take weeks or months to reach Ukraine.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement following the announcement of the aid: As the United States prepares to commemorate our independence, we remain committed to the independence, security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President Joe Biden speaks about gas prices in the South Court Auditorium at the White House campus on June 22, 2022. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Biden Looks to Block or Limit New Offshore Drilling, Scaling Back Trump-Era Plan to Pump More Oil

The Biden administration has announced plans to block all new offshore oil and gas drilling in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, while potentially letting a handful of new leases go ahead off the coast of Alaska and in the Gulf of Mexico, charting a different course from a Trump-era plan that sought to expand offshore drilling to bolster Americas energy security.

The draft plan, released on July 1 by the Interior Department, lays out several options for public input as to how many offshore oil and gas lease sales should be held over the next five years, ranging from nearly a dozen new leases to zero.

The proposed plan puts forward several options from no lease sales up to 11 lease sales over the next five years, said Interior Department Secretary Deb Haaland said in a statement. The time for the public to weigh in on our future is now.

Open for consideration and public input are ten potential new leases in the Gulf of Mexico and one in the Cook Inlet off the southern coast of Alaska, as laid out in detail in the Draft Proposed Plan (DPP) (pdf).

Entirely removed from consideration are any new leases in federal waters off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.

A oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico is seen in a file photo on Oct. 27, 2011. (Jon Fahey/AP Photo)

America-First Offshore Energy Strategy

This stands in contrast to a Trump-era proposal for 47 new offshore drilling leases, including in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Former President Donald Trump, who sought to expand U.S. fossil fuel production as a bulwark against supply disruptions and to bolster Americas energy security, issued an executive order in 2017 titled Implementing an America-First Offshore Energy Strategy.

In it, Trump wrote that, increased domestic energy production on Federal lands and waters strengthens the Nations security and reduces reliance on imported energy, adding that, low energy prices, driven by an increased American energy supply, will benefit American families and help reinvigorate American manufacturing and job growth.

The Biden administration, by contrast, has sought to crack down on fossil fuels as part of its fight against climate change, with President Joe Biden taking steps like blocking the Keystone XL pipeline project and issuing an executive order that froze new oil and gas leases on federal lands and waters.

Oil prices have soared to multi-year highs since Biden took office, while the price of gasoline has soared to record highs, driving the Biden administration to take steps like pressuring OPEC to boost production, release oil reserves from the strategic stockpile, call on refiners to raise output, and demand that companies expand production under existing leases.

President Joe Biden in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington on June 23, 2022. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Reckless

The Interior Departments announcement that it is considering up to 11 new leases was met with criticism from a number of environmental groups, who saw it as a reversal of a pledge to phase out fossil fuels.

Offshore drilling is responsible for a quarter of the greenhouse gases the United States pushes into the atmosphere, Friends of the Earth, an environmental group, said in a tweet. @POTUS, your 5 Year Plan should protect climate and communities and prevent new oil and gas leases!

President Biden campaigned on climate leadership, but he seems poised to let us down at the worst possible moment, Brady Bradshaw, senior oceans campaigner at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement. The reckless approval of yet more offshore drilling would mean more oil spills, more dead wildlife and more polluted communities.

Others denounced the removal from consideration of new leases in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and the possibility of zero new leases in the Gulf of Mexico and off the coast of Alaska.

Apparently yes to wind turbines on the path of hurricanes and no to offshore drilling for critical energy supplies during an energy crisis, said Josh Young, Chief Investment Officer at Bison Interests, said in a tweet. The Biden administration recently launched a partnership with a half dozen state governors to accelerate offshore wind along the East Coast.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Marty Durbin told Reuters in a statement that the proposed plan sent mixed signals to businesses.

Reliable, affordable energy requires long term planning, a government-wide approach, and clear signals to the market, Durbin told the outlet. This proposal provides none of that.

Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank, told Reuters that its a good thing the draft plan features a no-drilling option on equal footing with drilling options and said it would push for that choice.

Matt Wolking, a Republican strategist and VP of Communications at Axiom Strategies, took to Twitter to criticize the Biden administrations blockage or significant reduction in the number of potential new oil and gas leases compared to the Trump-era plan.

High gas prices are the goal, Wolking said in a tweet.
A man walks in the rubble near damaged buildings in Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, in this still image obtained from a social media video released on July 2, 2022. (National Police of Ukraine/Handout via Reuters)

Blasts Rock Ukraine City as Russian Forces Advance on the Ground

KYIV/SERHIIVKA, UkraineExplosions rocked the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv on Saturday, the mayor said, at the end of a week in which Russian missiles have slammed into an apartment block and a shopping mall in other cities, killing dozens of people.

Air raid sirens sounded in the Mykolaiv region, which borders the vital Black Sea port of Odesa.

There are powerful explosions in the city! Stay in shelters! Mykolaiv mayor Oleksandr Senkevych wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

The cause of the blasts was not immediately clear, although Russia said on Saturday it had hit army command posts in the area. Reuters could not independently verify the reports.

Kyiv says Moscow has intensified missile attacks on targets far from the frontline and that it has deliberately hit civilian sites while Russian forces have been grinding out gains on the battlefield in the east, pummelling urban areas with artillery.

Russia says it has been aiming at military sites and denies taking aim at civilians. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, Russian Armed Forces do not work with civilian targets.

Russias defense ministry said on Saturday it had destroyed Ukrainian army posts in Mykolaiv and the eastern Donbass region with high-precision weapons and hit other military-related sites in the southern Zaporizhzhia region and Kharkiv to the north, Russian news agencies reported.

A view shows damage inside a building in Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, in this still image obtained from a social media video released on July 2, 2022. (National Police of Ukraine/Handout via Reuters)

Putin met Indonesias president on Thursday and spoke by phone on Friday to the prime minister of India, promising both major food importers that Russia would continue supplying grain.

As missiles have struck Ukrainian cities, Russian forces in the east have slowly advanced on the ground, raining down shells on Ukrainian forces battling to hold urban centers. Moscow aims to drive Ukraine out of Luhansk and Donetsk Provinces, which make up the industrial region known as Donbass.

Moscow has been on the verge of capturing Luhansk Province since taking the city of Sievierodonetsk last week after some of the heaviest fighting of the war.

Ukraines last bastion in Luhansk is Lysychansk, which is close to being encircled under Russian artillery barrages.

The governor of Donetsk region said four civilians were killed by shelling on Friday and 12 injured.

Ukraines military reported widespread Russian shelling on Friday, including on Kharkiv in the north and on Ukrainian positions in the border areas of Sumy and Chernihiv.

Zelenskyy said more weapons were needed in eastern and southern Ukraine. The United States said it was sending two NASAMS surface-to-air missile systems, four additional counter-artillery radars, and ammunition in its latest shipment.

By Pavel Polityuk and Iryna Nazarchuk
California Gives Free Health Care to Illegal Immigrants

SACRAMENTO, Calif.California is the first U.S. state to offer free health care to all low-income illegal immigrants, after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a $307.9 billion budget on June 30.

The allocation will give an estimated 764,000 people free health care coverage at a cost of $2.7 billion annually beginning in 2024, under the budgets expansion of the states Medi-Cal coverage.

This is what being pro-life ACTUALLY looks like, Newsom wrote on Twitter on June 30.

Across the country, federal and state governments provide free health care to low-income residents through Medicaid, but illegal immigrants currently are excluded. Newsoms provision will make California the only state to offer free health care regardless of citizenship status.

An estimated 92 percent of Californians have some form of health care, but that will change once the budget is in full swing and illegal immigrantswho make up the largest group of people in the state without health carereceive it under the expansion.

Various reports give different estimations of how many illegal immigrants live in the state, but according to Pew Research Center, there were roughly 2.2 million recorded in 2016. Despite not having legal status, these immigrants make up about 7 percent of the states workforce, according to a 2020 report by the health care nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation.

Hailed by immigrant advocates and proponents of universal health care, some critics worry that free health care will further incentivize illegal crossings at the southern border at a time when deaths among those crossing are increasing.

Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, told The Associated Press the expansion of Medi-Cal is a magnet for those who are not legally authorized to enter the country.

I think many of us are very sympathetic to the immigrant community, but we really wish we had better control of who enters this nation and this state.
Criminal lawyer Knia Singh (R) on Parliament Hill after giving a speech to a crowd of people protesting against federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates and marking Canada Day on July 1, 2022. (Limin Zhou/The Epoch Times)

Canadas COVID-19 Mandates Aim to Further Subjugate Society: Criminal Lawyer

The federal government aims to further subjugate society by extending COVID-19 mandates, a criminal lawyer told a large crowd of protesters at Parliament Hill on July 1, following calls from top health officials for eligible Canadians to get booster shots.

Knia Singh, a criminal defence lawyer with Maat Legal Services in Toronto, made the remarks at a rally held in Ottawa to mark Canada Day. The rally was held after thousands of people marched through the downtown core of the national capital to protest federal vaccine mandates and call for freedom.

Why we are here is because those who control the media, those who are in the high places of government, have decided that they want to further subjugate society, Singh said. I dont want this to be true, but if you look at every single piece of evidence, what else could it be? Why would they do this, unless they want people to be put in their place, not speak upbecause this is whats happening.

On June 30, federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos and Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said there will likely be a resurgence of Omicron variants like BA.4 and BA.5 in late summer and early fall, and called on those eligible to get their third shot.

Singh said many doctors who have presented evidence and arguments that contradict the conventional narrative or public health measures related to the pandemic are being censored, including University of Guelph professors Dr. Bonnie Mallard and Dr. Byram Bridle.

These doctors have presented evidence that show that these mandates are not rightthey are not humane, they are not helpful, theyre actually more destructive. Why hasnt Dr. Tam ever told anybody? he said.

He said the government has presented COVID-19 statistics in a way that leads people to believe the pandemic is a major threat, noting that masking mandates and lockdown measures deprive people of oxygen, fresh air, and sunlight.

Im not telling anybody here not to be vaccinated, but what Im saying is, this is a human right, a human choice, he added. And when your body is now being given over to the state for them to dictate what you can do with it, this is the next phase of human slavery.

Whats happening to humans, all humans right now, is that you no longer have a choice in what you do.

Compromised Right to Counsel

Singh raised the alarm about the impacts of government mandates on Canadas legal system, which he said is increasingly discriminatory against the unvaccinated population.

The lawyer said he had previously challenged an order from the chief justice of the Ontario Superior Court that required all jurors from the courts jury panel to be vaccinated, but he said he was blocked in every way possible.

It is a problem, he said, in that studies have shown that vaccinated and unvaccinated people have different perspectives, and that every person who is facing trial has a right to select from the pool of eligible Canadians.

Once you exclude unvaccinated jurors, youre excluding a segment of the Canadian population, and it is unconstitutional, it is illegal, and it actually affects the outcome of the trial, Singh said.

So this is not only about your right to get a job, or your right to get an education, or your right to travelthis has now made its way into our courts, where your right to representation has been compromised, and we can no longer stand for that.

As Singh spoke, the crowd at the rally could be heard cheering, and sometimes yelling Shame!

Intelligently Disobey

To get out of the mess created in the past two and half years of the pandemic, Singh said it is important for people to educate themselves about bylaws and their rights, and fight back against the mandates intelligently.

We have to intelligently disobey. We cant just disobey for the sake of making noise and drawing attention, he said. We have to disobey with knowledge behind our words and our actions. That is the only way were going to get out of this. Were at a very pivotal point in human history.

Everyone must come to realize the harms of the mandates, he said.

Its important that those loved ones that you care about who have bought into this, or have accepted this, or gone along with it, you need them to be on your side with this because they need to realize taking away human freedoms is not the acceptable answer, he said.

The only way were going to get out of this is if the rest of the people have awakened. The rest of the people have to wake up.
After calling on Congress to scrap the filibuster to codify Roe, President Joe Biden admitted there wont be enough votes to do so. This, as he again tries to warn Americans against voting Republican in November, while others say his push will not succeed.

Arizonas governor has just signed the most expensive border security legislation in Arizonas history. A record $564 million is being allocated.

Former Trump administration official Ken Cuccinelli joins us to discuss the Supreme Courts decision to reverse the Trump-era Remain in Mexico policy and what it actually means moving forward.

With China eying and purchasing vast amounts of U.S. agriculture infrastructure, a new bill in Congress aims to protect U.S. farmland and food supply from foreign adversaries. It would prevent Chinese firms from buying up U.S. farmland.

Chinas covert influence in the United States: How close to home have the Chineses Communist Partys tactics come to your town and local government? A former intel official warns its much closer than you might think.

Heading into the 4th of July celebrations, how accessible will fireworks be due to supply chain issues and how much will they cost?

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Workers scan QR health codes of people entering a shopping mall in the Huangpu district of Shanghai on June 1, 2022. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images)

China Removes Asterisk Indicating Travel Through COVID-Hit Cities From App, Fueling Discussion

In a state-mandated app, China has cancelled use of an asterisk that indicates an individual has travelled to a foreign country or a city with COVID infections. This comes 27 months after the app was first implemented and has raised some questions.

Chinas Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said on June 29 that as of that day, it has revoked the asterisk showing travel history through COVID-hit areas to help facilitate intercity travel and balance COVID curbs and economic development.

The breaking news swiftly turned out to be the top trending topic on Chinas social media platforms. As of 6 p.m. local time that day, relevant topics had garnered more than 360 million views and over 50,000 discussions.

The so-called app refers to a big data itinerary record, also known as a travel code, that was rolled out in March 2020, by China Academy of Information and Communications Technology and three telecommunication giantsChina Telecom, China Mobile, and China Unicomunder the direction of the MIIT. It tracks a cellphone users travel history including countries they have visited in the last two weeks and Chinese cities where they have stayed for over four hours.

In mainland China, people had to present both their travel code and health QR code before entering public venues, even if there were only sporadic outbreaks in the area, according to the countrys COVID monitoring requirements.

Mixed Reaction

The move has drawn praise from Chinese internet users who view it as an encouraging advance in relaxing COVID controls and recovering Chinas economy.

However, some analysts question the motivations of the communist regime. They are unsure whether the authorities will resume using the asterisk in the future.

China news commentator Wen Zhao noted, The asterisk removal does not mean the Chinese Communist Party is loosening its grip of digital authoritarianism. With the zero-COVID policy in place, China cannot essentially recover its economy, he said.

In fact, one day before the announcement, Chinese leader Xi Jinping reasserted his zero-COVID policy during his visit to Wuhan, despite criticism of his stand. If taken as a whole, our [dynamically clearing-to-zero] measures are the most economical and effective, Xi said.

A netizen who calls himself Citizen Old Hu argued on Twitter that neither Chinas travel card nor its health code really serves pandemic prevention. They serve big data surveillance.

By understanding this, youll be clear that the [big] data helps create a big prison, he said. [That] will impose upon you a red code, an asterisk marka digital fetter that deprives you of your freedom of movement.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Assembly of First Nations National Chief RoseAnne Archibald in a file photo. (The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck)

Court Rejects Bid by AFN National Chief RoseAnne Archibald to Overturn Suspension

OTTAWAThe Assembly of First Nations says an Ontario court has rejected a bid by National Chief RoseAnne Archibald to overturn her recent suspension.

The organization issued a statement Thursday saying an Ontario Superior Court judge declined to take action on Archibalds request for a hearing prior to the start of the assemblys annual general meeting next week in Vancouver.

Archibald argued her suspension was unlawful because the executive committee does not have the power to suspend a national chief.

The assemblys executive committee argued that the potential court action raised issues that should be handled through an internal disputeresolution process and the upcoming meeting.

This decision  does not support the claims that our actions were illegal or outside our authority, Regional Chief Paul Prosper said in the statement. We are sorry that the national chief chose the path of colonial court confrontation to resolve this.

Archibald was suspended with pay by the AFNs executive committee on June 17 pending an investigation into four complaints lodged against her by her staff.

The day before, Archibald issued a statement alleging she was being persecuted for trying to investigate corruption within the assembly. She also called for an independent audit of the AFN spanning the last eight years.

The executive committee says Archibalds allegations breached her oath of office, the organizations code of conduct and whistleblower policy. As well, Archibald has been ordered not to publicly discuss the investigation

Meanwhile, the committee now says Archibald will be allowed to attend the Vancouver meeting, where she will have the opportunity to speak to a resolution that asks the assemblys chiefs to ratify and continue her suspension.

The committee had previously said it would bar Archibald from attending the meeting.
Cypress City Councilwoman Frances Marquez speaks during the Cypress City Council meeting on June 27, 2022. (Screenshot via City of Cypress Video Stream)

Cypress City Council Censures Councilwoman Frances Marquez

Cypress city council voted 41 to censure Councilwoman Frances Marquez June 27, alleging she violated the states public records act requests, multiple city policies, and civility codes, and for purportedly disclosing closed-session information.

The censure against Marquez, the sole dissenting vote, registers as a formal reprimand, whereby she will be required to pay a $100 fine to the city for her alleged violations.

According to the public records request against Marquez, the councilwoman has failed to produce all the relevant correspondence from her meetings with any third party, including journalists and private residents. This correspondence includes any email, text, written letters, diary entries, and more.

Additional records demanded from her include documents of any kind submitted in any way between her and anyone else, voicemail, emails sent or received from non-government emails, telephone calls, any conversation or meeting between two or more persons, bank statements, contracts, books, ledgers, and others.

Cypress councilors meet at the Cypress City Council meeting on June 27, 2022. (Screenshot via City of Cypress Video Stream)

According to Mayor Paulo Morales, who placed the censure on the agenda, Marquez had put the city in an untenable position, while noting that she is the first on the council to be censured in the citys 66-year history.

This resolution is not something I take lightly.  Her failure to meet the minimum standards of civility in her elected role betrays the sacred oath of office that each one of us takes, Mayor Morales stated during the proceeding.

According to Morales, in addition to allegedly violating multiple codes and the citys charter, Marquez also made unfettered attacks on city staff, fabricating information and accusing the team of unethical conduct, including city manager Peter Grant and city attorney Fred Galante.

Morales claims Marquez accused Grant, the city manager, of opening her mail and impeding her from doing her job without his involvement, as well as eventual harassment, as Marquez stated during multiple meetings since January of this year.

Marquez lodged her own response to the allegations against her, noting that she submitted all the required information from the public records request, and that staff is still harassing her with claims of incomplete submissions.

Im being targeted.  [The city staff] started this harassment, Marquez stated, adding that she was never trained by the city to handle public records act requests and that, despite her lawyer contracting COVID-19 during these proceedings, she still hired another attorney out-of-pocket to comply with the citys requests, submitting the documents to the city attorney.

Additionally, Marquez claimed she has been subject to constant harassment, bullying, and an overall hostile work environment, within the city council from the start of her term in 2020.

Councilman Jon Peat leveled the same claim of harassment back at Marquez during the meeting, doubling down on allegations that she violated the citys civility code of conduct.

Councilmember Marquez is not a victim of bullying, harassment, or retaliation, Peat said. Rather, she has been the instigator of such behavior towards each of us.

Cypress City Councilman Jon Peat speaks during the Cypress City Council meeting on June 27, 2022. (Screenshot via City of Cypress Video Stream)

Although the meeting is over, disagreement between Marquez and city staff continues on.

[The council] is using hard-earned taxpayer dollars of the residents of Cyprus to harass a council member who is fighting for transparency, Marquez told The Epoch Times of the proceedings against her. Its a misappropriation of public funds for non-public purposes.

Several residents voiced their support for Marquez during this weeks meeting.

She supports the community, and I dont think she deserves censure, one resident noted during public comments, noting that information she allegedly leaked from a private session was information the public should have been aware of. You shouldnt be having all these back-door deals and meetings in the first place.

Speaking through tears, another resident stated that Marquez was the first city representative that she felt represented her and her family in the 55 years her family has lived there.

She should not be penalized for expressing her views or asking questions.  She deserves the opportunity and respect to do her job, Roseanne Howard said before the vote. Her emotional statement was met with thunderous applause.

The public records request against Marquez, described as bordering on insane by one resident, received additional blowback from members in attendance at the Monday meeting.

[Marquez] is the only person on the dais thats actually being transparent here. Censure is not the answer, another resident commented before the motion came to a vote.

These actions come amid pending litigation waged against the city for their own alleged violations against residents, namely the California Voting Rights Act and the states public records act.

According to an affidavit submitted by CalAware, an open-government advocacy group suing Cypress, city officials allegedly violated Californias open government meeting law, the Brown Act, when councilors secretly decided against switching the citys election system in closed session meetings.

Another group threatening suit alleges Cypress violated the states voting rights act by refusing to switch from at-large election voting to district voting.
SINGAPORE  Perhaps at no other point in the history of independent Singapore has the need of learning to coexist with nature been more pertinent.

As the city-state's urban areas grow rapidly, and as residential estates get built closer to pristine natural habitats, encounters with native wildlife such as otters, macaques, wild boars and even crocodiles have become more regular.

With the boundaries increasingly blurred between the activity areas of humans and animals, the need for local residents to understand the habits and instincts of the wild animals living close to them - so that everyone can coexist safely - has become more urgent.

"We're moving from a Garden City to a city in nature, and that entails a very different framework," Singapore primatologist Dr Andie Ang, who is the president of the Jane Goodall Institute of Singapore, said during a recent interview with Yahoo News Singapore.

"From a manicured garden, we're trying to weave the wild nature into our lives. The challenge here is whether we can interact positively  or at least neutrally  with this nature.

"Education is very important; we are reconnecting with forests and preserving habitats, but if people don't know how to interact with animals or animal-proof their homes, that's where conflicts will happen."

Nowadays, the advertisements of many new residential developments highlight their proximity to natural surroundings, such as forests or lakes, to appeal to the desire of Singaporeans to have the best of both the urban and rural worlds.

But how much do these developers understand about their surrounding nature? Dr Ang's institute  together with the Nature Society (Singapore) and the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society  have been actively engaging with developers to tell them what animals the potential residents may encounter.

"Sometimes they would say, 'Oh, if we tell buyers that there are snakes in the area, they will not go for our development.' But you have to be honest when it comes to what residents can expect in the area," she said.

Story continues

"The other thing is to animal-proof the area, making it safe for both people and animals. For example, for lower-level housing, the windows must be meshed so that animals cannot come in."

Dr Andie Ang, primatologist and president of Jane Goodall Institute of Singapore. (PHOTO: Nick Tan/Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore)

More encounters with wildlife seen; some are unpleasant

With more and more residents enjoying regular jogs or hikes amid Singapore's nature, it is not uncommon to see them posting on social media of their benign encounters with cute otters or curious macaques.

But some of these encounters may be unpleasant and even life-threatening. A woman was knocked unconscious by a wild boar in March, while a male jogger suffered injuries after being bitten by an otter in April.

More recently, macaques have become a thorny issue for Nanyang Technological University, whose campus is next to forests in the western catchment area. The monkeys have been foraging for food among the rubbish dumps, with some even trying to climb into hall residences or swiping at people carrying plastic bags.

"Animals will move out of their natural habitats for only two reasons: to mate or to find food," Dr Ang explained. "In NTU's situation, the issue of macaques staying in the campus lies with unattended food - in canteens, in rubbish bins that are not animal-proof, in hall residences.

"It's not deliberate, but the abundance of high-energy food gives the monkeys a reason to stay in the campus. That's when conflicts may happen, because students and staff do not know how to react in the presence of monkeys. So it's important we give them as few reasons to stay as possible. When there's no food to be found, they will move on."

Conserving endangered primate species in Singapore

Dr Ang - who is also a research scientist at Mandai Nature - was featured recently in "Expedition: Earth", a recent 12-episode podcast series hosted by Lillygol Sedaghat, which gathers stories and experiences from National Geographic Explorers to help listeners appreciate and learn ways to protect nature and wildlife.

Her topic? Not surprisingly, it is about coexistence, as she talked about the efforts in Singapore to live in balance with wildlife such as primates, her area of specialty.

In promotion for the podcast series, Dr Ang organised a visit to Thomson Nature Park, where she has been studying the Raffles' banded langur, a shy and critically endangered monkey, which is native to Singapore.

While the langur population has grown from 40 to 70 in the past 10 years, its genetic pool is quite poor as many of the langurs are highly related to one another. Dr Ang and her team at Mandai Nature are looking at introducing langurs from Malaysia to Singapore, in a bid to increase the genetic diversity.

"It is a long-term thing that we need to work on, as we can't just throw them into the nature park and expect them to adapt to this different environment," she said.

A primatologist for the past 15 years, Dr Ang admits that one of the major motivations that keeps her going in her field of expertise is that monkeys are "really cute".

"I find them very expressive. And the things that they do are very intricate, and many have a lot of meaning behind (their actions)," she told Yahoo News Singapore.

"It's very interesting when I can collect information from the monkeys and share those information, whether it is to educate so that people learn to appreciate them and protect them, or to help with the conservation of the nature we have here in Singapore.

"Nature is not just the beautiful things like monkeys, it also consists of other animals that might not be typically cute. We could do little things to prevent negative interactions, and that helps a lot in coexisting with nature here."

Do you have a story tip? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com.

Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our Southeast Asia, Food, and Gaming channels on YouTube.
A view of the Confucius Institute building on the Troy University campus in Troy, Ala., on March 16, 2018. (Kreeder13 via Wikimedia Commons)

Democrats Fail to Counter Chinese Regime Challenges on American Higher Education: Republican Lawmakers

As China reportedly maintains its enduring influence on American higher education by seeking to rebrand its Confucius Institutes (CI) in U.S. universities, Democrats have still refused to get tougher on the regime to counter its further infiltration, according to Republican lawmakers.

With Joe Biden in the White House, were seeing  their Confucius Institute and the threats that they pose, [including] espionage on college campuses, malign influences on American universities through Confucius Institutes, have come back under different names, Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) recently told the Capitol Report program on NTD, an affiliate of The Epoch Times.

The threat is still there. In fact, its growing because we have an administration that isnt just turning a blind eye, theyre welcoming a rise of Chinese malign influence in the United States, Banks said.

Under President Trump, for the first time ever, we had an administration that took the China threat seriously. We saw almost every Confucius Institute in America shut down on Donald Trumps watch, he added.

Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) echoed his view, saying, You will not see anything from the Democrats come against China.

Steube attributed the inaction of the Democrats on this foreign threat to the compromise of the Biden family by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The Biden family is compromised by the Chinese Communist Party when they have given billions of dollars to Hunter and his aligned companies, Steube said.

Entities connected to Hunter Biden in 2017 and 2018 received millions from Chinese energy giant CEFC China Energy and firms tied to the company, according to bank records revealed by senators in March.

The Democrats on the other side of the aisle see that China is a threat, but are completely unwilling, politically, to take them on, Steube added.

Banks called the rise of Chinese malign influence in the United States is shameful.

The Epoch Times has reached out to the White House for comments.

Incarnation of Confucius Institutes

The author of the report titled After Confucius Institutes: Chinas Enduring Influence on American Higher Education, Rachelle Peterson unveiled the re-popping up of the CCP-backed group in an interview with NTD.

We thought [CIs] had pretty much died out in the United States. But it turns out they have reincarnated themselves under a variety of new names, Peterson said.

So the problem isnt gone. It has just been renamed and become a lot harder to track, she added.

Out of the 118 CIs in the United States, about 105 have closed or announced closures. However, at least 38 colleges have replaced their closed CI programs with similar alternatives, according to the report by the National Association of Scholars (NAS), a conservative research and advocacy organization.

Peterson said that under the guise of the new name, the group still offers Chinese language and culture programs, but its Chinese culture as approved by the Chinese Communist Party.

It means the topics of ethnic minorities, religious minorities, Tiananmen Square massacre, and the status of Tibet and Taiwan are all excluded.

Its everything the Chinese government would want you to know about China and nothing else, she emphasized.

Peterson further pointed out the strategic target that drives the operation of the institutions on American soil.

The goal is to win the hearts and minds of American youth and make them think well of the Chinese government, of the Chinese Communist Party, and want to go along with the Chinese Communist Partys goals, she said.

But its also a way to have a strategic outpost on a college campus and keep an eye on Chinese students who are studying abroad, keep an eye on research and technology that is developing at the university, and just have an ear to the ground, Peterson added.

Countermeasures

Steube referred to the Protecting Higher Education from Foreign Threats Act, which he introduced back in March 2021 as a tool to push back the threat posed by the Chinese regime.

The bill, co-sponsored by seven other Republican lawmakers, seeks to prohibit the award of Federal funds to institutions of higher education that employ instructors funded by the Chinese Communist Party.

The only way youre going to get [U.S. higher education and research institutes] to be compliant is trying to take away the resources they get from the federal government, he said.

Peterson shared the same view, saying, The U.S. government should consider instituting a tax on Chinese gifts to colleges and universities, or even putting a cap on the amount of money that they can receive from Chinese sources before jeopardizing eligibility for federal funds.

In her opinion, those kinds of aggressive policies could wean colleges and universities away from this Chinese government funding and protect students from the kinds of propaganda that the Chinese government is spreading.

Banks also suggested better oversight, better guardrails, and holding accountable these universities who turn a blind eye to this threat.

So we need better guardrails on how research is funded in America and whos participating in that research, and there needs to be more accountability, Banks said, as malign CCP influences on college campuses in America continue to be prevalent.
Chris Pincher, then minister of state in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pictured in Downing Street, London, on Feb. 8, 2022. (Aaron Chown /PA Media)

Former Conservative Whip Suspended Over Groping Allegations Says Hes Seeking Medical Support

A British MP who resigned as the Conservative Partys deputy chief whip and had his party membership suspended over groping allegations said on Saturday that he is now seeking professional medical support.

Christopher Pincher, MP for Tamworth, resigned from the whips office on Thursday after The Sun reported that he had groped two male guests at the Carlton Club, a Conservative Party private members club in Londons Piccadilly, on Wednesday evening.

In his resignation letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Pincher apologised for his behaviour, saying he had drunk far too much.

The Conservative Party on Friday suspended his party membership on Friday following a formal complaint.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Pincher said he would cooperate fully with the inquiry, and that hes seeking professional medical support over stresses.

I respect the prime ministers decision to suspend the whip whilst an inquiry is underway, and I will cooperate fully with it, the MP said.

Pincher said hes truly sorry for the upset he had caused by drinking far too much and embarrassing himself and others.

The stresses of the last few days, coming on top of those over the last several months, have made me accept that I will benefit from professional medical support, he said, adding that hes in the process of seeking the help.

I hope to be able to return to my constituency duties as soon as possible, the statement reads.

Labour: Johnson Dragged Kicking and Screaming Into Acting

Johnson waited until hearing a formal complaint against Pincher before suspending the MP, according to a spokeswoman for Conservative chief whip Chris Heaton-Harris.

Announcing the suspension on Friday, the spokeswoman said: Having heard that a formal complaint has been made to the ICGS [The Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme], the PM has agreed with the chief whip that the whip should be suspended from Chris Pincher while the investigation is ongoing.

She said the whips office will not pre-judge that investigation, and urged MPs and the media to respect that process.

But the main opposition Labour Party accused Johnson of dragging his feet.

Deputy leader Angela Rayner said the prime minister had been dragged kicking and screaming into taking any action at all.

He just cant be trusted to do the right thing. This whole scandal is yet more evidence of his appalling judgment, Rayner said, adding that Conservative MPs should remove the prime minister.

Previous Resignation

Pincher previously resigned as a junior whip in November 2017 following a complaint that he made an unwanted pass at the former Olympic rower and Conservative candidate Alex Story.

Having referred himself to both the police and the Conservative Party complaints procedure, he was brought back by Theresa May as deputy chief whip in January 2018.

When Johnson became prime minister in July 2019, he was moved to the Foreign Office as minister for Europe and the Americas before returning to the whips office for a third time in February 2022 to shore up support for the prime minister amid growing unrest among Tory MPs over the partygate scandal.

Commenting on why Johnson appointed Pinch in February, a spokesman for Downing Street told reporters on Friday that he was not aware of the prime minister being aware of specific allegations against Pincher before appointing him.

The spokesman said it would not have been appropriate for Johnson to block Pinchers appointment on the basis of unsubstantiated allegations without any formal complaints against him.

Alexander Zhang and PA Media contributed to this report.
Spike protein is also toxic and mutates rapidly, which essentially destroys virtually any protection that the shot provides shortly after its given

The use of the spike protein in the shot was a diabolical mistake, as 90% of the immune response mounted after natural COVID-19 exposure is not to the spike protein

Yeadon says youve been lied to about the magnitude of the threat represented by this entity called SARS-CoV-2 and the disease COVID-19

Michael Yeadon, Ph.D., a former vice-president and chief scientific adviser for the drug company Pfizer, shares why he believes that the narratives around COVID-19 are false and were put into place deliberately to exert control over society

Bill Gates has stated that COVID-19 was pandemic one, and the next one will really get everyones attention. For that, this 17-year veteran Pfizer scientist whos an expert in respiratory pharmacology warns they may launch a therapy similar to a go kart with no accelerator, steering wheel or brakes.

Michael Yeadon, Ph.D., a former vice-president and chief scientific adviser for the drug company Pfizer and founder and CEO of the biotech company Ziarco, now owned by Novartis, has become one of the most prominent critics of COVID mandates and COVID-19 shots. In this riveting interview with British radio presenter Maajid Nawaz, he shares why he believes that the narratives around COVID-19 are false and were put into place deliberately to exert control over society.

Yeadon is uniquely positioned to speak on this topic, as he has degrees in biochemistry and toxicology, and studied respiratory pharmacology. You have likely seen Yeadon being interviewed many times previously, but I strongly encourage you to watch this one as he explains items I have never heard him previously discuss. He is one of the sharpest guys out there in this area and you will be glad you took the time to listen.

In the film, he says: So, I understand  inside of cells and how cells and tissues talk to each other, and how dangerous chemicals can affect and injure humans and others.1 Not only does Yeadon explain why COVID-19 shots arent effective, but he details why using spike protein in the vaccine was one of the most diabolical mistakes made.

First, Yeadon says, youve been lied to about the magnitude of the threat represented by this entity called SARS-CoV-2 and the disease COVID-19. Been lied to about that, in every way, shape and form  the bottom line is, weve been lied to and its deliberate, and they knew it, and no action was needed whatsoever, other than if youre sick, stay home.2 Further, the wheel may have been set into motion in 2009, during the swine flu pandemic.

The 2009 Swine Flu Was the Final Dress Rehearsal for COVID

During the 2009 H1N1 (swine flu) pandemic, secret agreements were made between Germany, Great Britain, Italy and France with the pharmaceutical industry before the H1N1 pandemic began, which stated that they would purchase H1N1 flu vaccinations  but only if a pandemic level 6 was declared by the World Health Organization.

Six weeks before the pandemic was declared, no one at WHO was worried about the virus, but the media were nonetheless exaggerating the dangers.3 Then, in the month leading up to the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, WHO changed the official definition of pandemic, removing the severity and high mortality criteria and leaving the definition of a pandemic as a worldwide epidemic of a disease.4

This switch in definition allowed WHO to declare swine flu a pandemic after only 144 people had died from the infection worldwide. In 2010, Dr. Wolfgang Wodarg, then head of health at the Council of Europe, accused pharmaceutical companies of influencing WHOs pandemic declaration, calling swine flu a false pandemic that was driven by Big Pharma, which cashed in on the health scare.5

According to Wodarg, the swine flu pandemic was one of the greatest medicine scandals of the century,6  and it shares many similarities with the COVID-19 pandemic. Yeadon explained:7

He [Wodarg] was public health officer and a politician during the swine flu pandemic in 2009. And some very similar things that happened in COVID were happening in 2009. Theres a very interesting experience here and I think 2009 was the final dress rehearsal for COVID.

They misused PCR, they overdiagnosed cases, they twisted the arms of governments all around the world to pay for billions of dollars worth of vaccines, and not very good antivirals.

And then they all ran off. And Wodarg was the one that managed to point out in the second season that it was a false positive pseudo epidemic. It was all bad PCR testing. And as soon as they fix the PCR, it all went away. All went away.

PCR Tests Labeled Healthy People Sick

For the first time in history, during the COVID-19 pandemic the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests were used to dictate whether someone was healthy or sick. If the test was positive, then youd be labeled as sick and counted as a case, even if you had no symptoms.

The PCR tests used for COVID-19 use a powerful amplification process that makes them so sensitive they can even detect the remains of a dead virus, long after infection.8

Wodarg said COVID-19 was a test pandemic. It was not a virus pandemic,9 because PCR tests may give a positive result when it detects coronaviruses that have been around for 20 years.10 PCR tests werent meant to be used for clinical diagnoses, according to their inventor, the late Kary Mullis, Ph.D. Yeadon explained:11

And the reason is  that the PCR test has a theoretical lower limit, that is, whats the smallest amount it might detect and give a positive result, the smallest amount is one, one virus, one piece of a virus.

 And then basically, every time you run a cycle of this polymerase chain reaction, like cranking a handle, it gets hot and cold, hot and cold, and it goes through basically a doubling, every cycle is a doubling 

So basically, if theres an infinitesimally tiny amount of a piece of a virus, or the sequence you allege is a virus, in the sample, and then you run it 40 cycles, you could get a positive result even though theres only one piece of one virus  not enough to make you ill, not enough to make you infectious.

The same strategy was used in COVID as deaths characterized as being COVID related, but only because they had been falsely lumped into that category due to a positive test being recorded within 28 days of death. If you die from something entirely unrelated but youve tested positive by a PCR test, and you die within that 28 days thats counted as a COVID death, Nawaz noted.12

90% of COVID Immune Response Is Not to Spike Protein

Yeadon stresses that there are design errors in COVID-19 shots. The main problem with them is theres no dose where you can get obvious signs of benefit without attendant harms, that are much greater at a population level than any possible benefit. Further, the use of the spike protein was a mistake, as its been known for more than 10 years that it causes adverse effects in humans:13

There are no gene based vaccines on the market for very good reasons. And thats one of the problems. But lets see, you could like pull it pull it apart, you can pull the spike off, you could pull the ball in the middle of this virus, which bit would you give to people?  what you would do is ask, whats the toxicity of the bit Im going to give to a person?

So if I told you that the spike protein, like a floating landmine in  the sea with the spikes sticking out, I told you that weve known for more than a decade that the spike bits from related viruses had unwanted biology that could cause blood to coagulate and activate platelets and make blood clots. Thats true.

And if you knew those things, youd think well, probably a bad idea then to give them the spike to train on  So the fact that they chose spike protein, gene for spike protein, make your body become a manufacturing center briefly to make that virus spike protein  thats the first mistake.

Further, according to Yeadon, the human body mounts its best immune responses after natural COVID-19 infection, not exposure to the spike protein in the shots. He states, 90% of the immune response to COVID are two bits of the virus that are not spike protein. So I think I am right that that was not the best bit to give, because its not the thing your body likes to respond to.14

Spike Protein Mutates Rapidly, Destroying Shots Protection

By choosing the spike protein on which to base COVID-19 shots, scientists picked a protein that was known to be toxic to humans and that was not the part of the virus that prompted the best immune response. On top of that, spike protein mutates rapidly, which essentially destroys virtually any protection that the shot provides shortly after its given. The end result is a seemingly never-ending series of annual shots and boosters.

COVID-19 shots have been found to have dismally low effectiveness rates of 12% in children, according to research conducted by the New York State Department of Health.15 Among adults, within four to five months post-booster, protection against emergency department and urgent care visits due to COVID-19 decreased to 66%, then fell to just 31% after five months or more post-booster.16 Yeadon explained:17

What you should do is pick the bits of the virus thats genetically most stable. Now, I dont know that we knew it at the beginning, but its certainly true now that the thing that undergoes variation most quickly is the spike protein  now youve picked something thats going to rapidly go out of focus to rapidly evolve to a different variant, new vaccine wont work anymore.

Further, because the spike protein is similar to lots of bits in humans, it can prompt your body to make an immune response to human proteins  thats called an autoimmune response, Yeadon says. Yet, scientists chose the spike protein anyway  even though it violated all of the rules when it comes to creating a safe and effective product. Yeadon believes this wasnt a mistake at all; it was intentional:18

So just to say, again, you deselect things that are toxic in their own right, you pick things that are genetically stable, and you pick things that are most different from humans, all three of those, in the words of patents, they teach away, they will teach you away from picking spike protein.

But guess what? Moderna picks spike protein and so does Pfizer, and AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson. So I put it to you, colleagues, any scientists out there or just logical people. How the hell would they pick?

No team I was ever part of would ever have picked bloody spike protein for this vaccine. And you know, what, if we did, and we have competing groups, we would not, all four of us, make the same mistake. Not possible. Its collusion and malfeasance. The did it on purpose, knowing it would hurt you.

For the Next Pandemic Understand Vaccines Are Not the Answer

Bill Gates has made it plain the next pandemic is inevitable, by stating publicly that COVID-19 was pandemic one and pandemic two is coming. Well have to prepare for the next one. That will get attention this time, he said  while smiling.19 The implication is that next time another experimental mRNA shot will be available much quicker with which to inject the population. But Yeadon wants the public to learn from COVID-19 and understand that the shots arent the answer:20

Its really important that you listen to me here, that if theres another respiratory virus, you must know this time that whatever however they design, the damn vaccine is the wrong answer. Its the wrong answer for loads of reasons. One is, you will generate an immune response in your blood that cannot possibly affect infection, it doesnt matter what it is, it wont affect infection.

Secondly, if you if you design it using spike protein from some other virus, then if it has that same property of causing toxicity, it will cause toxicity because when you inject these gene based vaccines, its like launching a go kart that has an accelerator, no steering wheel and no brakes  theres nothing in the design of these vaccines that limits where they go.

Some of it will go into your brain, the back of your eyes, your ovaries or testes, your blood vessels or your heart  you cant develop rapid vaccines, and then give them to billions of people, because you will never have enough safety data to allow you to know whether that was a good bet or not. And without that data, its reckless. Dont do it.

What else can be learned from the COVID-19 fiasco, Yeadon says, is that the nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs)  things like masks, lockdowns, border closures and mass testing of the population  were also useless in curbing the spread of the disease, and world leaders knew this in 2019, when a paper by WHO scientists showed that most NPIs were ineffective in stopping the spread of respiratory viruses.

Of course, many of them have really serious side effects on the economy, psychology, social relationships and so on, he noted.21

Evidence of Supranational Coordination

Public health officials knew perfectly well those things didnt work, Yeadon said, but the fact that virtually every country worldwide followed suit nonetheless suggests a coordinated effort was underway. I think its the strongest evidence of supranational coordination, something happening above the level of country, Yeadon said, and he wants to get the word out:22

They were doing it because there was pressure to do it  They did not oppose what was happening. Thats the most disappointing and frightening thing that why, why none of the scientists from Germany, Holland, Belgium, France, Spain, Portugal, Britain, why none of them, said, You know, this is absurd.

Im not doing this. And if youre going to do it, Im resigning, and then I shall go to the media. Either that didnt happen or they tried to try this and BBC  said, Well, were not interviewing you. Thats possible.

 There was a supranational agreement or pressure to do it. I dont know whether that pressure was instantiated in spring of 2020, or whether they had already agreed to do it a few months ago, but either way, nobody spoke up. And as far as I know, nobody resigned even though what was being imposed on all of those countries was  ineffective and would damage their economies. Thats the kindest thing you can possibly say.

Originally published July 02, 2022 on Mercola.com

References
The flag of Iran in front of the building of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Headquarters in Vienna on May 24, 2021. (Michael Gruber/Getty Images)

Frenchman Loses Appeal of 8-Year Sentence in Iranian Prison

TEHRAN, IranAn Iranian appeals court upheld the eight-year prison sentence of a French tourist for taking photos in a prohibited area and asking questions about Irans obligatory Islamic hijab for women, his lawyer said Tuesday.

Benjamin Briere, 36, was arrested in May 2020 and sentenced in January. He went on a hunger strike on Dec. 25 to protest his treatment in prison in the northeastern city of Mashhad, where he is being detained.

His Iranian lawyer, Saeed Dehghan, said on Twitter that The sentence of eight years and eight months in prison for Benjamin Briere, French tourist was finalized.

Paris-based lawyer Philippe Valent said at the time of Brieres sentencing that an Iranian revolutionary court sentenced him to eight years for espionage and eight months for anti-government propaganda. Under Iranian law, the longer part is applied in practice.

Briere was detained for taking pictures in a desert area where photography is prohibited and asking questions on social media about Irans obligatory Islamic headscarf for women.

Rights groups accuse hard-liners in Irans security agencies of using foreign detainees as bargaining chips for money or influence in negotiations with the West. Tehran denies it, but there have been prisoner exchanges in the past.

Other French citizens detained in Iran include Cecile Kohler, 37, and Chuck Paris, 69, who were arrested on May 7 after meeting with protesting Iranian teachers and taking part in an anti-government rally. France identified the two as a teachers union official and her partner on vacation in Iran.

Also in January, Iranian justice officials ordered the re-imprisonment of FrancoIranian academic Fariba Adelkhah, who was arrested in 2019. Adelkhah for a time had been allowed to serve a five-year prison sentence under house arrest. She had been accused of propaganda against the Islamic Republics political system and collusion to undermine national security.

Briere had been charged for cooperation with a foreign hostile nation against the Islamic Republic of Iran, Dehghan said in January. On Tuesday, the Iranian court again referred to France as a hostile nation.

France, alongside other world powers, is in negotiations with Iran to revive the 2015 nuclear deal.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivers a speech during the opening session of the Generation Equality Forum, in Paris on June 30, 2021. (Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images)

Hillary Clinton Reveals Her Pick for President in 2024

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has revealed that President Joe Biden can count on her endorsement to stay in the White House for a second term if he chooses to run again in 2024.

If he decides to run, hes a sitting president, Clinton told NBC News Yamiche Alcindor, who moderated a panel during the June 29 Aspen Ideas Festival that Clinton took part in.

Would you endorse him? Alcindor asked.

I would endorse our sitting president, yes, of course, Clinton replied, adding that Biden would be the person most likely to win in her view.

Joe Biden beat in a huge landslide victory in the popular vote Donald Trump. I think that says a lot, Clinton added.

Questions have swirled whether Biden, who is the oldest president in U.S. history and whose approval ratings have sunk sharply, will seek another term.

Biden has yet to officially declare his candidacy, though he and White House aides have said he plans to run.

Clinton, for her part, has flatly rejected a potential presidential run.

No, no, Clinton said when asked about the matter during a March interview on NBCs Morning Joe program.

But I am certainly going to be active in supporting women running for office and other candidates who I think should be reelected or elected, both women and men, Clinton added, while vowing to stay active in debates around issues of key concern to Americans.

During her panel appearance at the Aspen event, Clinton issued a full-throated condemnation of the recent Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and let states decide for themselves whether abortion should be legal.

Former President Donald Trump, who beat Clinton in the 2016 race for the White House, has on numerous occasions teased a possible run in 2024 but has never made any definitive statements to that effect.

I dont want to comment on running, but I think a lot of people are going to be very happy by my decision, the former president said in an April interview.

Trump also said that one thing that might stop him from running is if his health takes a turn for the worse, though he was quick to add that his health is fine.

More recently, Trump said that, if he were to run, hed consider Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as a possible running mate.

I get along with him, Trump told Newsmax in an interview. I was very responsible for his success, because I endorsed him and he went up like a rocket ship, the former president added, referring to his endorsement of DeSantis for governor.

For his part, DeSantis has downplayed suggestions of a 2024 White House bid.
Hong Kong Landmark Where East Meets West: Jumbo Floating Restaurant

Hong Kongs famous Jumbo Floating Restaurant was once used in 2011 by the production team of the American thriller Contagion as the setting of a Macau casino. A customer (Beth) was the first to be infected with an unknown virus. In the plot, the virus carried by a bat, mixes with a pig virus, and eventually a SARS-like plague breaks out leading to a loss of social order. Society is eventually saved by vaccines.

Eleven years later, the Pearl of the Orient in the South China Sea, once flourishing in the 70s ad 80s, was strongly hit by the pandemic and saw its shimmering lights diminish and disappear.

The Jumbo Floating Restaurant, flourishing through 10 years of Hong Kongs colonial history, was unable to find a suitable manager since its closure in March 2020. When its license expired, it was taken to Cambodia on June 14. But on the evening of June 18, rumours spread that the iconic Restaurant was capsized and sank during adverse weather.

The disappearance of the restaurant perhaps means the disappearance of memories for many Hong Kongers who grew up in the 70s and 80s. Every famous tourist city has a landmark, and Hong Kongs landmark is the iconic Jumbo floating restaurant, said Liu Xiliang, former full-time consultant to the Central Policy Group and Youtube current affairs commentator.

In 1840, the United Kingdom declared war on Chinas Qing government and launched the first Opium War. Two years later, the Qing government was defeated and leased Hong Kong to the UK, thus beginning Hong Kongs history as a British colony.

In 1841, the British government officially declared Hong Kong a free port. Its tax policy was extremely favorable to Chinese businessmen and ships, hence attracting import and export ships from China and Europe. International trade became an important anchor of the Hong Kong economy.

In the 1950s, Hong Kongs economy with strong sectors like textiles, garments, and plastic, grew almost exponentially, and claimed the city as one of the Four Asian Tigers.

In the 1980s, Hong Kong underwent an economic transformation after WW2. The economy developed its tertiary sector especially in financial services, and Hong Kong began to establish its status in international trade and as a budding financial hub in Asia and the rest of the world. At the same time, it became a world-famous tourist city.

She carries the Easts traditional culture and grace, but also the glimmers of the Western civilization, hence she won the renowned title as the Pearl of the Orient, said Liu Xiliang.

Liu also compared the Jumbo Floating Restaurant in Hong Kong to the Statue of Liberty in the United States, Big Ben in the UK, and the Eiffel Tower in France. The Floating Restaurant is an iconic building floating on the sea, where East meets West.

Changing Secondary School Textbooks

Liu regarded the departure of the Jumbo Floating Restaurant as a very political move, the government clearly did not appreciate the historical significance the Jumbo Floating Restaurant carries and only sees it from a business perspective.

Former Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam proposed in her 2020 policy address to revitalize the Jumbo Floating Restaurant, but a change of tone occurred in May 2021 when she said the government will not use any public funds to carry out the conservation of the Restaurant.

On July 1, 1997, the UK and China signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration, ending the 156-year British rule of Hong Kong. However, the new editions of secondary history textbooks completely deny Hong Kongs past as a British colony. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) claims that Hong Kong and Macau were only under colonial rule and the CCP never gave up sovereignty over either city.

Liu thinks the reason the Chinese authorities are doing this is to remove Hong Kongs autonomy in the Basic Law, and putting that power in its own hands.

According to the Basic Law, in addition to defense and foreign affairs, Hong Kong enjoys a high degree of autonomy and will maintain the status of a free port, separate customs territory, and an international financial center. In areas such as economics, trade, finance, shipping, culture, tourism, and communications, it can develop relationships and sign agreements with international governments and organizations independently from mainland China.

Liu thinks the CCP is changing textbooks to brainwash every Hong Kong citizen and deny Hong Kongs past as a British colony, hence washing away the colonial movement and forgetting about the history from The Republic of China (different to Peoples Republic of China), leaving only Communist China. He further said that changing textbooks is always used by the CCP, from culture and history then to politics and eventually to organizations and citizens.
Workers are seen next to a cage with mice (R) inside the P4 laboratory in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, on Feb. 23, 2017. (Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images)

House Committee Approves Ban on Funding Wuhan Lab at Heart of Leak Controversy

The House Appropriations Committee has approved a ban on sending funding to the Wuhan Institute of Virology, the Chinese lab at the heart of the controversy over the origin of the virus that sparked the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a June 30 voice vote, members of the committee adopted a fiscal 2023 budget amendment (pdf) that explicitly precludes any funding to the Wuhan lab, which some U.S. lawmakers say is where the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, the pathogen that causes COVID-19, originated.

None of the funds made available by this Act may be made available to the Wuhan Institute of Virology, or any other laboratory located in a country determined by the Secretary of State to be a foreign adversary, including China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran, reads the amendment, which was proposed by Appropriations Committee Chair Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.).

The committee later approved the fiscal year 2023 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies bill, which is to feature the amendment, on a 3224 vote. The legislation now faces a vote in both chambers before heading to the presidents desk for his signature.

While the committee said in a statement that DeLauros amendment made technical and noncontroversial changes to the measure, the inclusion of the Wuhan facility is noteworthy, as it sends a signal that lawmakers are attuned to the controversy surrounding U.S. taxpayer dollars being channeled to the lab.

The move was praised by the nonprofit White Coat Waste Project (WCW), which said in a statement that this historic legislation was in part thanks to the WCWs lobbying and investigative efforts into what it described as cruel and wasteful animal experiments in countries deemed foreign adversaries.'

The nonprofit also stated that an overwhelming majority of Americans want to defund animal labs run by our adversaries, citing a poll that showed that 64 percent of U.S. respondents back this view.

According to WCW, there are currently 32 animal labs in Russia and China eligible to receive U.S. taxpayer dollars.

An aerial view shows the P4 laboratory at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, on April 17, 2020. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images)

Wuhan Lab Funding Controversy

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) awarded a total of $1.1 million to the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) between October 2009 and May 2019, the agency wrote in a May 2021 letter (pdf) to Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-Pa.).

Reschenthaler alleged that the funding was used for a study that used gain-of-function research to create a hybrid, man-made virus by inserting a spiked protein from a wild coronavirus into a mouse-adapted SARS-CoV backbone, which could infect human airways.

The agency said the funds were channeled through EcoHealth Alliance and were meant for the purpose of advancing research on critical viruses that could pose a threat to humans. It also denied claims that the money was used for gain-of-function research, which seeks to boost viral lethality.

USAID never authorized or funded any work that aimed to increase the ability of infectious agents to cause disease by enhancing its pathogenicity or by increasing its transmissibility (research known as Gain of Function studies) at WIV, the agency wrote in the letter.

In February 2021, Reschenthaler introduced legislation that sought to prohibit funding to the EcoHealth Alliance. That proposal was referred to the House Oversight and Reform Committee, where it has stalled.

Chinese virologist Shi Zhengli is seen inside the P4 laboratory in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, on Feb. 23, 2017. (Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images)

Preponderance of Evidence for Lab Leak

In August 2021, a report by Republican lawmakers noted a preponderance of evidence for the theory that the virus that caused the COVID-19 pandemic leaked from the Wuhan lab.

Chinese officials have denied the lab leak claim, insisting that the virus made a natural jump from animals to humans.

Rep. Mike McCaul (R-Texas) said in testimony before the Coronavirus Select Subcommittee Republicans that evidence points to a lab leak as the likely origin of the virus, saying that its time to completely dismiss the wet market as the source of the outbreak and the preponderance of the evidence that it came from the lab is very convincing.

U.S. intelligence agencies later said in a report that a natural origin and a lab leak are both plausible hypotheses as to the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic, but that a lack of evidence makes a definitive conclusion either way impossible.

Its a sentiment echoed by McCaul in his testimony.

Unfortunately, we may never know for certain because the Chinese Communist Party went to great lengths to cover up this outbreak, he said. They detained the doctors in order to silence them. They disappeared journalists. They destroyed lab samples. They hid the fact there was clear evidence of human-to-human transmission. And they have refused to allow a real investigation into the origins.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the closing session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in Beijing, China, on March 10, 2022. (Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters)

Incidents Involving Top Chinese Diplomats Hint Situation Changing for Xi Jinping

Recent occurrences involving two Chinese diplomats may suggest that Xi Jinping is losing his grip on power. China experts believe that Beijings internal struggles are escalating as the regimes National Congress approaches.

On June 14, 2022, foreign vice-minister Le Yucheng was unexpectedly removed from the Foreign Affairs Ministry, and appointed deputy head of Chinas National Radio and Television Administrationa demotion in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) system. Le has served as foreign vice-minister since 2018, and had the potential to become the successor to Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

As a Russia expert, Le, 59, was mainly in charge of Russian and East European affairs. He worked at the Chinese embassy in Moscow twice, and later served as the ambassador to Kazakhstan.

He has been at the frontlines in defending Chinas wolf warrior diplomacy and blatantly blaming the United States for Russias invasion of Ukraine.

One watches its own arms dealers, bankers, and oil tycoons make a fortune out of the war, while leaving people of a small country with the wounds of war that will take years to heal. This is highly immoral and irresponsible, Le once said.

Le is a close ally of regime leader Xi Jinping. He originally had the opportunity to become the new foreign minister and thereby control the CCPs Foreign Affairs Ministry at the upcoming 20th National Congress. Apparently, his removal from the foreign ministry indicates he has lost a battle within the CCP.

Wu Hongbo, the CCPs special envoy for European affairs, is the other top diplomat whose actions deserve attention. Wu served as the UN Deputy Secretary-General from August 2012 to June 2017. After leaving office, he toured European countries as a diplomat and foreign affairs spokesperson for the CCP.

However, the CCP kept Wu quiet earlier this year after a public appearance on Dec. 2, 2021 in Oslo to meet with Norwegian State Secretary Henrik Thune.

At the end of May, Beijing sent Wu as a special envoy to visit European countries, including Belgium, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Germany, and Italy. During his three-week tour, Wu probably shocked the politicians he met, as he admitted at every stop that Beijing made three mistakes: handling the COVID-19 pandemic, wolf warrior diplomacy, and mismanaging the economy.

Craig Singleton, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington, told Radio Free Asia on June 24 that Chinas attempts to reset its relationship with the EU is reflective of a growing recognition in Beijing that its wolf-warrior tactics have undermined Chinas economic position with Europe, one of Chinas most important trading partners, and that China needs the European market and European consumers to help get itself out of its current economic mess.

In the opinion of Shi Shan, an expert on China issues, Wu went to Europe to mend the relationship between the CCP and Europe; but the fact that he openly admitted that the Xi administration made mistakes was detrimental to Xis rule.

The CCP leaders can never be wrong. Within the CCP system, leaders are said to have always been great, glorious, and correct. If one is identified as having been wrong, he will have to step down and someone else will replace him, Shi said.

Even when the CCP leader makes a small mistake, it is very likely to turn into a big mistake, because he has to cover it up, which is caused by the CCP system, Shi added.

He believes the removal of Le from foreign ministry and Wus unusual statements during his Europe trip indicate that some major events have happened within the CCPs top echelons.

The CCPs Politburo may have deprived Xi of his control over foreign affairs, Shi speculated.

There are other signs that indicate Xi still controls the CCPs military, and the public security system through his trusted allies.
India's national flag held during a rally in Ram Lila Ground in New Delhi on Dec. 27, 2011. (Sajjad Hussain/AFP/Getty Images)

India, EU Kick-Start Free Trade Pact Negotiations After 9-Year Lull

India and the European Union (EU) have resumed their free trade agreement negotiations after a nine-year hiatus since the previous negotiations ended in 2013.

India and the 27-nation bloc held their first round of negotiations from June 27 to July 1 in New Delhi.

For the European Union, the partnership with India is one of our most important relationships for the coming decade and strengthening this partnership is a priority, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on April 25.

 &  today kick-start 1st round of trade negotiations in #NewDelhi. pic.twitter.com/T397GD9lkO  Ugo Astuto (@EUAmbIndia) June 27, 2022

The two sides initially launched talks in 2007, but they were stalled in 2013 as both sides failed to bridge differences, such as the extent of tariff reductions, patent protection, data security, and the right of Indian professionals to work in Europe.

The EU is Indias second-largest trading partner after the United States, according to the Indian Commerce and Industry Ministry.

The India-EU merchandise trade reached an all-time high of $116.36 billion in 20212022, with Indias export to the EU increasing to $65 billion, the ministry stated on June 18.

Both sides are aiming for the trade negotiations to be broad-based, balanced, and comprehensive, based on the principles of fairness and reciprocity. There will also be discussions on resolving the Market Access Issues which are impeding bilateral trade, it said.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on June 18 that India aims to increase engagement in global trade through its agreement with the EU, particularly in areas where it can benefit from new technology and investments.

Agreements do not have to always be about gain or demands, I think agreements also have to be which is good for both negotiating teams and for the people, he said, according to local media.

For the EU, a free trade agreement with India would fit its strategy of increasing its engagement with the Indo-Pacific region, where the bloc is targeting bilateral deals to take advantage of expected higher economic growth.

A deal with India could act as a counter-balance to Chinas growing influence in the region. The EU is also aware that former EU member Britain is also pushing for a trade accord with India.

India signed a free trade pact with the United Arab Emirates and an interim Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement with Australia in April. Its trade talks with Canada and Britain are also underway.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Aberdeen Restaurant Enterprises Recently Denied Insurance Compensation Claims in the Midst of Jumbo Mystery

Words spread that the renowned Jumbo Floating Restaurant suddenly sank on its way from Aberdeen on June 14 to South East Asia for repairs and maintenance. But a few days later, the Marine Department said the Jumbo Floating Restaurant is still afloat near the Paracel Island. As the mystery deepens, the Aberdeen Restaurant Enterprises, parent company of the Jumbo Floating Restaurant, released a statement on June 26.

Previously, Sing Tao Daily quoted Chairman of Hong Kong Insurance Professionals Federation, Mak Shun-pong, that the estimated amount of the Jumbo floating Restaurant is at least HK$100 million (US$12.8 million). Conspiracy theory suggested that the sinking of the Restaurant would be to the Aberdeen Restaurant Enterprisess benefit as this does not save the considerable maintenance costs, but also receiving the insurance compensations. The Aberdeen Restaurant Enterprises issued another statement on June 26 to clarify that the company will not receive any compensation from the sinking of the Floating Restaurant as it only has insurance for third parties.

The Group said that it has hired marine engineering experts to examine the hull structure and mast hoop installation before the Jumbo Floating Restaurant left the port. After the leave is approved by the authorities, they have hired a professional towing company to take care. However, the Jumbo Floating Restaurant experienced adverse weather conditions near the Paracel Island and began to tilt over. The towing company tried to rescue but the attempts were unsuccessful and the Floating Restaurant unfortunately sank.

The Group said that they have submitted a report of this unfortunate event to the Marine Department. The Sansha City Maritime Safety Administration are following the incident closely. The towing company is still near the Jumbo Floating Company, assisting with waterway safety.
Muzammil Syed always dreamed of working in health care and says the Pathways to Education program helped him make that dream a reality. (Submitted by Pathways to Education - image credit)

Muzammil Syed always dreamed of working in health care but had no idea how to go about charting a path.

Then, thanks to a fellow newcomer, he found out about a community program that aims to break the cycle of poverty through education. Syed, who came to Toronto from Saudi Arabia at age 15, joined Pathways to Education and never looked back.

He went on to earn a master's degree and is now a medical researcher at Toronto's St. Michael's Hospital.

"A lot of newcomers come from countries where they don't necessarily choose a vocation; sometimes I think we just take any job because that's all we know," Syed told CBC News.

"Pathways kind of expanded our horizons. It says, 'Hey, this is an option, but it's not the only option.'"

Young people like Syed are exactly who Pathways to Education aims to reach. The free program provides financial support, tutoring, career guidance and a community for lower-income students, many of them newcomers  something the organization says is particularly critical given that as many as 50 per cent of youth in low-income communities don't earn a diploma.

'A culture of high expectations'

"In these communities, when the dropout rates were so high, it was so common that students just accepted that it might be their future," said Quinn Bingham, one of Pathways to Education Canada's vice presidents.

But this program "creates something I think is really critical and that is a culture of high expectations," Bingham said.

"They have a peer group that's saying, "No, you're part of us, we are all going to graduate."

The program recognizes high school graduation as a step on someone's journey, not an end point, Bingham says.

It also works with existing community partners that may already have a physical space and have the trust of the community already, he says.

Submitted by: Pathways to Education

For some families, the financial component of the program is what gets young people across the convocation stage.

Story continues

Bingham recalls a family that was excited to have both daughters join the program, "because they were struggling to decide which of the two girls could go to school on a given day. They couldn't afford the transit tokens."

Transit tokens are one of many financial offerings. Others include money for school supplies. Graduating students also receive $2,000 that they can put toward post-secondary education, buying new work clothes and equipment or whatever they need in their next steps after high school, he says.

Tutoring is another big one, he says. Many families the program works with would not be able to afford tutoring and parents working multiple jobs to make ends meet might not have as much time to help their children with academic challenges themselves, Bingham says.

Program gets $1M from Scotiabank

Pathway to Education runs on a mix of government grants and individual and corporate donations, some of which it solicits on its website.

With a recent investment of nearly $1 million from Scotiabank, the free program will help even more young people, Bingham says.

Matthew Teghtmeyer, a manager at a Pathways to Education program run by community partner Pinecrest-Queensway Community Health Centre in Ottawa, says he thinks using community partners has made all the difference in bringing youth into the fold because of the years of trust the centre has earned.

"It makes it easy to recruit youth for the program," he said. When people are coming to the centre for other things, from using a food bank to attending a parenting program, the centre lets them know about Pathways to Education, he says.

Submitted by: Matthew Teghtmeyer

The centre has also been keeping score, measuring graduation rates.

In 2007, when the program began, the community served by the centre in west-end of Ottawa had a high school graduation rate of only 52 per cent, he says. But now, 80 per cent of students are graduating from high school and many are completing their post-secondary education as well.

Syed attended YouthLink, a community partner with the program in Scarborough. Alejandra Cabezas, a senior manager there, says the increases in graduation rates and marks are one thing, but there is also a lot to the program that can't be measured.

"Being transplanted as a young person isn't easy," she said. "To feel like you belong here matters. People know you. You are no longer the person who just got here. All you have to say is you are part of Pathways and someone else will say, "Me too.'"

When youth are facing challenges at school or with what they'd like to do next, they suddenly have the support of a whole institution behind them, she says.

Cabezas says while the program is for youth, it impacts whole communities, because parents with youth in the program connect and alumni return and help out. People become more invested in the well-being of their community.

Meanwhile, Syed has something to say to everyone hearing about the program and wondering if it's really for them.

"Sign up. You don't have much to lose."
LA City Council Votes to Ban Homeless Encampments Near Schools

LOS ANGELESA hearing to reconsider an ordinance banning homeless encampments within 500 feet of schools and daycare centers is set for July 27 after the Los Angeles City Council failed to give the proposal its unanimous approval.

The council voted 10-1 in favor of the ordinance, with Councilman Mike Bonin dissenting. Since the vote was not unanimous, the matter will return to the council for a second vote following the summer recess.

The vote on July 1 came during a sometimes-raucous meeting that was repeatedly interrupted by shouting from the audience.

The ordinance is an amendment to the citys sweeping law regulating the location of homeless encampments. Municipal Code 41.18 prohibits sitting, sleeping, lying or otherwise obstructing the public right of way in several areas of the city.

Those areas include within 2 feet of any fire hydrant or fire plug; within 5 feet of any operational or utilizable entrance or exit; within 10 feet of a loading dock or driveway; in a manner that interferes with any activity for which the city has issued a permit or restricts accessible passage as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act; or anywhere within a street, including bike paths.

The law already protects the public right of way within 500 feet of sensitive facilities such as schools, day care facilities, parks and librariesbut only if each specific location is designated by the council for enforcement.

The amendment given tentative approval on July 1, and approved last week by the councils Homelessness and Poverty Committee, is a blanket ban on encampments within 500 feet of all schools.

Councilmen Mitch OFarrell and Paul Krekorian spoke in favor of the ordinance, dismissing allegations by opponents that the council is only trying to cover up the homelessness issue rather than address it through housing and services.

Multiple opponents of the measure began shouting from the audience as the councilmen spoke, bringing the meeting to a halt while Council President Nury Martinez issued warnings then ordered at least three people to be ejected from the council chamber. OFarrell and Krekorian, both visibly angered, said the conduct exemplified the bullying tactics of some organizations. OFarrell accused them of spreading disinformation.

You can protest all you want, but it doesnt change the truth, OFarrell said. The truth is the city is engaged in housing people. It is our focus.

Krekorian added, These bullies who want to disrupt our business do not want to acknowledge that kind of success.

We need to move forward with common-sense solutions, he said. We are not criminalizing homelessness at all with this change. We are taking actions necessary to restore some degree of sanity and civility to our streets, and at the very same time we are protecting the young people of this city.

Bonin opposed the measure, suggesting that it will just move the homeless around and adding, Making it less visible doesnt make it go away.

In some ways we actually make it worse, he said. By displacing people we actually disconnect people from housing and other services.

Councilman Joe Buscaino proposed the idea of an encampment ban near schools last year, but it never gained traction. The issue was revived earlier this year, in part due to the urging of Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, who said teachers, principals and parents have expressed concerns about homeless encampments near campuses.

Ive seen elementary schools with conditions that none of us as parents would find acceptable for children. Individuals with mental illness, some of them absolutely unclothed, shouting profanities in the listening ear of children, Carvalho told the council previously.

Buscaino, who sits on the Homelessness and Poverty Committee, said last week that approving the amendment will ensure the most sacred places among us, our playgrounds and schools, are safe.

Numerous speakers appeared at the council meeting to speak on both sides of the issue.

Supporters of the ordinance, including some parents and school workers, said the issue is a matter of safety for children who must walk by encampments on their way to classes.

One parent and school worker told the council it will help reduce the risk that my students, their families and my colleagues face on a daily basis because of the criminal activity that has been happening.

A school principal told the council the encampments expose students to unsafe, unsanitary conditions.

Opponents said the move is a criminalization of homelessness. Some called it a vast expansion of an already restrictive ordinance restricting the movements of a homeless population in need of services and housing.

This isnt about fixing homelessness, its about aesthetics, one opponent said.

The city ordinance already in place also prohibits encampments and sleeping in the following areas:

up to 500 feet of a designated overpass, underpass, freeway ramp, tunnel, bridge, pedestrian bridge, subway, wash or spreading ground, railroad track or where lodging unsheltered or in tents is unhealthy, unsafe and incompatible with safe passage.

up to 1,000 feet of a facility opened after Jan. 1, 2018, that provides shelter, safe sleeping, safe parking or navigation centers for persons experiencing homelessness.

The ordinance also allows the city to prevent encampments for a period of no longer than one year in areas that are deemed an ongoing threat to public health or safety, including due to:

death or serious bodily injury of any person at the location due to a hazardous condition.

repeated serious or violent crimes or threats of serious or violent crimes, including human trafficking.

fires at the location.

People who violate the ordinance face an infraction or citation, but a person who willfully resists, delays or obstructs a city employee from enforcing this section or who willfully refuses to comply after being requested to do so by an authorized city employee can face higher fines and a misdemeanor charge, according to the ordinance.

City News Service contributed to this report.
Assiduously copied, zealously photographed, and widely circulated, images of Leonardos Mona Lisa and The Last Supper have pervaded Western society and beyond. The latter, though deteriorating in a Milanese convent since the late 15th century, has never ceased to draw crowds. The former is worshipped by every visitor to the Louvre, in Paris, where it is displayed. A cultural symbol more than a painting, the Mona Lisa has invited both theft and vandalism.

Masterpieces as they are, these works have received disproportionate attention due to their quasi-mythical status in the popular imagination. Its no wonder that they have, since in his long and industrious career, the artist started many projects but finished only a handful. So any discovery of a lost Leonardo is bound to raise an uproar in the art world, and the prospect of owning one titillates the most prudent collector.

In Leonardos own day, the celebrated genius was nevertheless known as a notorious procrastinator, especially for his habit of routinely abandoning commissions. Undertaken in his native Florence, one paintingits monumental ambition and ruinespecially epitomizes that ambivalent mixture of frustration, regret, and simultaneously a design of the highest artistic level. This was The Battle of Anghiari, Leonardos planned fresco. Commissioned by the republican government in 1504, this painting was to be part of a resounding display of patriotism in an imposing meeting chamber in the Florentine city hall, the Palazzo Vecchio.

Copy of The Battle of Anghiari, circa 1603, by Peter Paul Rubens after Leonardo da Vincis fresco in the Palazzo Vecchio, Florence, Italy. Drawing, 17.8 inches by 25 inches, Louvre Museum. (Public Domain)

Working at one wall was Leonardo da Vinci, the 52-year-old polymath whose artistic genius was famed throughout Italy. Pitted against him was the emerging Michelangelo Buonarroti, whose marble Pieta and David had become instant classics. Both artists were native to the city, and they were each ordered to create a military scene of Florentine victory. This was an unabashed display of civic glorytwo historical battles painted by the citys most eminent artists, which would announce to the world both the military might of the republic and its influential cultural achievements.

That patriotic dream was short lived, as neither artist ended up finishing his painting. Michelangelo, having drafted a cartoon (a drawing used to transfer an image to the area being painted) filled with sculptural figures, was soon summoned to Rome by the pope and left the sketches for his followers to study. Leonardo, however, was intent on completing his monumental work. He built an ingenious scaffold that could be raised and folded like an accordion, and began applying colors onto the wall.

In a highly entrepreneurial spirit, the artist experimented with a thick wax undercoat and oil pigmentsunconventional in the painting of frescos. This novel method backfired; the paint started to drip and the colors intermingled. After a desperate and unprofitable attempt to dry the painted surface with charcoal braziers, Leonardo soon abandoned the project and departed for Milan, never again returning to the work he had started.

The Hall of the Five Hundred, where Leonardo da Vinci was commissioned to paint The Battle of Anghiari, is the most imposing chamber in the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy. (Guillaume Piolle/CC BY 3.0)

For the next 50 years, the unfinished battle scene hung in the Palazzo Vecchio like a ghostly apparition, until the city hall underwent a complete renovation for the new ducal regime. But Leonardos genius shone through, even in the paintings fragmentary state. The central scene came to be copied by generations of printmakers. In the 17th century, the design circulated to France and the Netherlands through such admirers as Peter Paul Rubens.

In the scene, men and horses engage in heated battle as they fight for the war banner. The composition is unified with the emotional intensity immediately evident in the tensed muscles of the horses, the dynamic movement of the human figures, and most apparently in the mens tormented facial expressions. It conjures up the highest moment of the historical battle and transports the viewer to the battlefield. We hear the clashing of murderous metal and the neighing of the combatant horses as we witness the deathly fierceness of the men.

Studies for The Battle of Anghiari, between 1503 and 1504, by Leonardo da Vinci. Pen and ink on paper. Uffizi Galleries, Florence. (Public Domain)

For Leonardo, capturing the observable subtleties of physical form was the way for the artist to penetrate the human mind. However, in these battling men we see none of the heroism and glory befitting a commemoration of victory. Perhaps, for the artist, there really wasnt anything glorious or worth celebrating about war. In the name of patriotism, it can turn men into monsters whose contorted faces speak only of ruthlessness, horror, agony, and death.

Throughout his life, Leonardo strove with his paintbrush to convey the entire range of human expressions. If in The Last Supper he sought to portray the peace and compassion of the divine, here instead he captured the unrestrained ferocity and madness of the infernal. For him, as much as for us, these two represent humanity at the extremes of behavior and intention.
Voters cast their ballots at Keevan Elementary School in North St. Louis, Mo., on Aug. 4, 2020. (Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images)

Missouri Requires Photo ID, Bans Ballot Drop Boxes in Election Law Overhaul

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson signed a new election law on Wednesday that will require a voter to show a photo ID to vote in the coming general election.

The new law, House Bill 1878, requires voters to show one of the following photo IDs at polling sites: nonexpired Missouri drivers license, nonexpired state nondrivers license, other documents issued by the state or federal government with a photo and recent confirmable signature, or photo identification issued by the Missouri National Guard, U.S. Armed Forces, or U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.

A voter who comes to the polling sites without the required photo ID can cast a provisional ballot with a signature on the ballot envelope and a sworn affidavit.

However, the election judges will mark the ballot envelope to indicate that the voters identity was not verified.

The voter can either come back to the polling site with a photo ID on the same day or allow the election authority to determine if the ballot is effective by comparing the voters signature with one on file with the election agency.

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson listens to a media question during a press conference in Jefferson City, Mo., on May 29, 2019. (Jacob Moscovitch/Getty Images)

The bill was sponsored by state Rep. John Simmons, a Republican, and passed in the Missouri House and Senate early this year.

It also bans the use of drop boxes to collect absentee ballots, mandates cybersecurity reviews, and prohibits private donations for elections unless its personal protective equipment, water, or food for election workers.

No absentee ballot shall be delivered through a drop box and no election authority shall establish or use a drop box for the purpose of collecting absentee ballots, read the text of the legislation (pdf).

The law will take effect on Aug. 28, 2022.

It comes amid a renewed national emphasis on election laws. Democrats in many states have sought to expand voter access following widespread mail-in voting during the pandemic-affected 2020 elections, while many Republicans have pursued new election integrity measures that they contend would cut down on the potential for fraud.

Missouris measure was backed by Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, who called it one of the strongest election laws in the country.

It makes sure that its easy to vote, its harder to cheat, and the people can have trust in the results, Ashcroft said.

Ashcroft rejected assertions that the photo ID mandate harms minority voters.

It seems pretty racist to me to say that the color of skin determines whether or not someone knows how to get an ID, Ashcroft said Wednesday.

Seventeen states besides Missouri had voter photo identification laws in effect as of this spring, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, and 19 states had identification laws that accepted proof other than photos.

Missouri Republicans have sought for years to impose photo ID requirements but have been rebuffed by courts. The state first adopted a photo ID requirement in 2006 that was ruled unconstitutional by the state Supreme Court.

In 2016, Republican lawmakers put on the ballot a constitutional amendment authorizing photo ID that was approved by 63 percent of voters. But lower courts placed a hold on the accompanying law enacting the actual photo ID requirement. In January 2020, the state Supreme Court struck down a misleading and contradictory provision requiring a sworn statement for voters without a photo ID to cast a regular ballot.

The Associated Press contributed to the Report.
A giant cowboy hat is on display outside the Tesla Giga Texas manufacturing facility during the "Cyber Rodeo" grand opening party on April 7, 2022 in Austin, Texas. (SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP via Getty Images)

More Companies Join the Great Migration to Red States

Blue states believe their abortion policies can bring companies back

Amid predictions of a political red wave in the upcoming midterm elections, an economic wave has been building for yearswith no end in sightas companies flood out of blue states and into red states.

As a result of its political divisions, the United States appears to now be dividing itself into prosperous, high-growth states and states that are suffering a chronic decline. But Democrat-run states believe that their abortion policies could be a key factor in attracting companies back.

Caterpillar and Citadel, which announced their exit from Illinois in June, are only the latest firms to leave high-tax, high-regulation states. Tesla, Hewlett-Packard, Oracle, and Remington are also among the hundreds of companies flocking out of California, Illinois, New York, and New Jersey to business-friendly places such as Texas, Florida, Arizona, and Tennessee. Relocating companies have spanned industries including tech, finance, media, heavy manufacturing, autos, and firearms.

There is a great migration going on, and I expect it to accelerate, Glen Hamer, president of the Texas Association of Business, told The Epoch Times. When the Caterpillars and the Elon Musks relocate, its an advertisement to the entire country and the entire world that something positive is going on in that state. And there is a multiplier effect.

According to a 2022 survey of 700 CEOs, the top states for business are Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Arizona, and North Carolina. The worst states for business were California, New York, Illinois, New Jersey, and Washington.

Even companies such as Apple, which didnt move its headquarters to Texas, chose to establish its second-largest campus for employees there. Amazon selected Houston as one of its prime hubs. Ford, Volkswagen, and Nissan chose Tennessee as the location for major new manufacturing facilities. And in some cases, entire industries, such as firearms, which are being targeted by legislation and lawsuits in blue states, are moving south.

The skyline of Miami on Sept. 29, 2021. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Its a broader trend that weve been tracking for the last 15 years, Lee Schalk, vice president of policy at the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), told The Epoch Times.

ALEC tracks state economic trends in their annual report, Rich States Poor States.

You wont see companies moving to states like New York, California, and New Jersey, Schalk said. Theyll be moving out of those states into neighboring states, where the policies are a little bit better, or theyll be making the big move to places like Texas, Florida, North Carolina.

Hamer said: Texas was one of the first states to recover all the jobs it lost during the pandemic. Now we have a workforce that is at an all-time high, and the economy has diversity and strength. Whether its energy, manufacturing, health care, technology, finance, you name it, the Texas economy is firing on all cylinders.

Texas has attracted 250 new corporate headquarters since 2015, he said.

When jobs leave, people leave with them. According to the U.S. Census, Democrat-run states California, New York, New Jersey, Michigan, and Illinois together lost 4 million people between 2010 and 2019, the so-called leftugees. During the same period, the states with the greatest influx of people were Florida, Texas, Tennessee, Ohio, and Arizona.

States have been able to attract companies by cutting taxes, reducing red tape, and establishing right-to-work policies. In 2013, North Carolina passed a landmark tax reform package to cut corporate and personal income taxes. The business income tax there is now 2.5 percent and will be phased out entirely over the next several years.

Contrary to expectations that states would bankrupt themselves by cutting taxes, an influx of companies and new residents often boosts state revenues from property taxes, sales taxes, and personal income taxes, even when the percentages are reduced. Florida attracted 624,000 new residents in 2020, along with more than $40 billion in income, equating to an estimated $23.7 billion in new tax income. Florida has enjoyed two decades of net in-migration, amounting to a total income gain of $197 billion.

North Carolinas latest budget included a deal to phase out corporate income taxes while also giving teachers a raise and even padding its rainy day fund, according to Schalk.

North Carolina has been able to do that because not only have they been bold on lowering taxes, but theyve also gotten the spending side under control, he said.

And when companies move in, they bring intangible benefits with them as well.

Any sort of civic organization loves it when they hear that a blue-chip company like Caterpillar is relocating to our state, Hamer said. It means these executives are going to be serving on all sorts of different boards of directors, the local art museum, opera, or the chamber of commerce. When companies relocate their individuals, they become deeply ingrained in the community. They contribute time and treasure to activities that make the community more vibrant.

The reverse is also true for states that are losing businesses and population, creating a vicious circle where continuously hiking taxes fails to bring in more revenue because the tax base gets depleted and quality of life suffers. According to a report based on IRS data by Wirepoints, an Illinois-based economic research organization, the cost of losing companies and people is stark for states such as Illinois, which has seen decreases in its population for 21 straight years.

Since 2000, that state has lost a total of $535 billion in income that moved away, which equates to about $25 billion in lost tax revenue during that period, and $4 billion in 2020 alone. Illinois problems include a loss of 114,000 residents in 2021, a string of 21 consecutive years of state budget deficits, a $313 billion deficit in public pensions, and the second-highest property tax rates in the country.

Illinois is stuck in a vicious downward spiral it cant hope to escape from without fundamentally changing how it governs, the Wirepoints report reads. Structural property tax reform, reductions in pension debt, slashing units of local governmentthe state needs to do all these things if it wants to convince Illinoisans to stay and persuade other Americans to move in.

Reducing violent crime would also help. Escalating crime was reportedly a factor, one among many, in Citadels decision to leave Chicago for Miami. Ken Griffin, the hedge funds CEO, had been one of Illinois richest residents and had given more than $600 million in charitable donations to educational, cultural, medical, and civic causes in the state.

Ken Griffin, founder and CEO, Citadel, speaks during the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, Calif., on May 2, 2022. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)

Its the beauty of the 50 laboratories of our democracy, Schalk said. Were able to quickly see whats working and whats not working across all issue areas. Unfortunately, I dont see the high tax and high spend states changing their ways.

Hamer said: We can see an acceleration of hostile business policies in states like California, Illinois, and New York. Its a race to increase taxes, increase regulation, and make it more difficult for people to live their lives. When you contrast that with states like Texas and Arizona, the gap is just widening, and were seeing the great migration as a result.

Republican representatives in Washington are attempting to grant even more economic power to states in energy production. Republicans introduced the Federal Land Freedom Act last year, which would take the authority to approve oil leases and permits away from the federal government and give each state the right to develop all of the energy resources on the federal lands located within that states borders.

Recently, however, blue states appear to be waking up and looking for ways to boost their competitiveness.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently said: Some businesses may have left the state, come on back! Its a point of pride that we welcome you back.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy sent personal letters to more than 50 companies in red states, appealing for them to come to New Jersey. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont made a similar attempt. These governors are highlighting one regulatory advantage that they believe will give them an edge over conservative states: their permissive policies toward abortion.

Murphys letter to companies in Georgia reads, The overturning of a womans right to bodily autonomyand the chilling effect this decision will have on your ability to attract and retain top female talent by being located in a state which has refused to recognize womens reproductive freedomcannot be ignored.

Alyana Alfaro Post, Murphys press secretary, said, Governor Murphy encourages businesses looking to stand with their employees to look at New Jersey, a state where they can be confident that the rights of women, the LGBTQIA+ community, and voters will always be protected.

Lamont said in a video pitch: Were a family-friendly state that respects women. I know some of you are in states like Texas, which are outlawing a womans right to choose. We have codified, we are protecting a womans right to choose  any of you business owners thinking about making a move, give me a call. Id love to hear from you.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping (R) and Hong Kong Chief Executive-elect John Lee pose for a photo before their meeting in Beijing, China, on May 30, 2022. (Li Xueren/Xinhua via AP)

Most Media Prohibited From Covering Xi Jinpings Visit to Hong Kong

Hong Kongs new chief executive John Lee met with the president and editor-in-chief of the China Media Group (CMG) on July 1. Meanwhile, numerous other media organizations were denied access to cover Chinese leader Xi Jinpings visit to the former British colony on the 25th anniversary of its handover to China.

At Government House, John Lee met and thanked Shen Haixiong, the president and editor-in-chief of the CMG and the Vice Minister of Chinas Publicity Department of the Central Committee.

Hong Kong Police search a journalists bag. (Yu Gang/The Epoch Times)

CMG, Chinas predominant state media organization, is widely known as the Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It is responsible for enforcing media censorship.

Two days prior, at least three other media organizations were disqualified from covering the historical anniversary event without notice, despite Lee saying in his inaugural speech that his team will strive to build a more caring and inclusive Hong Kong filled with vibrancy, hope, and development opportunities.

On June 29, the journalists of Hong Kong 01, Hong Kong Economic Times, and TVB News found themselves unable to check in upon arrival at the designated isolation hotel.

Prior to that rejection, the Information Services Department (ISD) had cited security concerns, when they informed an extended list of journalists attending the events on June 28 that they were required to provide daily negative COVID-19 test results from June 26.

The suddenly-imposed requirement appears to be aimed at blocking certain media organizations from attending the events as most journalists could not provide daily COVID-19 test results dated before the requirement was announced.

According to a Facebook post of the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA), at least seven major local and foreign media organizations were affected by the ISDs notice, including Ming Pao, Hong Kong 01, South China Morning Post, Now TV, and Agence France-Presse.

In addition, some media werent even allowed to sign up to cover the event, including Hong Kong In-media, Hong Kong Free Press, the Japanese Asahi Shimbun, Taiwans Central News Agency, and the Voice of America.

Ta Kung Pao, a Chinese state-owned media, also failed to obtain full entrance permissions for its journalists.

HKJA Chairman Ronald Chan said that he could not understand the logic and standards behind these arrangements.

Hong Kongs Diminishing Press Freedom

Regarding press freedom, Hong Kong is now ranked in the bottom 20 percent globally.

According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), an international journalism watchdog, Hong Kongs press freedom ranking has plummeted from 80 in 2021 to 148 in 2022 (out of 180 counties and territories) in the World Press Freedom Index.

Once a bastion of press freedom, [Hong Kong] has seen an unprecedented setback since 2020 when Beijing adopted a National Security Law aimed at silencing independent voices, RSF stated.

The citys worsened media freedom is reflected by the membership status of the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA).

In 2019, the HJKA had around 800 members. However, in 2022, the number is down to about 420.

Most Hongkongers will know theres a risk to be the chairman of HKJA, Ronald Chan said after being re-elected as HKJA chairman.

In 2002, Hong Kong, the then British colony, was ranked 18 on the World Press Freedom Index, compared to the current 148th position.

China remains one of the worst, ranking 175 out of 180, the same ranking it had in 2002 when the ranking first started.

China is the worlds largest prison for journalists, and its regime conducts a campaign of repression against journalism and the right to information worldwide, RSF said.

The Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party sends a detailed notice to all media every day that includes editorial guidelines and censored topics. The state-owned China Global Television Network (CGTN) and Radio China International (RCI) spread the regimes propaganda all around the world.

Many media have been denied access to cover the citys 25th anniversary event citing security concerns.

However, Ying Cheung, a former assistant professor at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), told The Epoch Times on June 29 that the city certainly has no significant security issues.

Heightened Security

One of the Hong Kong polices new anti-riot armored vehicles, Saber-toothed Tigers, parked outside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. (Yu Gang/ The Epoch Times)

Hong Kong has implemented heightened security measures for Chinese leader Xi Jinpings visit to the city on June 30 and July 1.

On top of road closures and traffic controls, small unmanned aircraft have been banned throughout Hong Kong during the visit.

Pro-democracy groups were also summoned by the national security police and told to not hold any protest on the 25th anniversary of the citys handover.
A teacher teaches a history lesson in Spanish in a Dual Language Academy class at Franklin High School in Los Angeles, on May 25, 2017. (Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images)

Nearly 20 Percent of LA Unified Teachers Not Fully Credentialed in 202021 School Year: State Report

Nearly one in five classrooms in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) were taught by teachers without full credentials during the 202021 school year, according to a June 30 report by the California Department of Education.

While 83 percent of LAUSD teachers are considered clear, or fully credentialed to teach in their assigned classrooms, more than 15 percent are considered ineffective, incomplete, or out-of-field, according to the report.

The 4.4 percent of ineffective teachers are those who hold an emergency teaching permit that waived the full credential requirement, teach outside of their credentialed area without temporary state authorization to do so, or possess no credentials to teach at all.

Meanwhile, the 4 percent with incomplete credentials are those who had completed some credential training and were on track to completion, and 3.9 percent were out-of-field, or credentialed teachers who havent yet demonstrated competence in the subject or for the particular student population they were assigned to teach.

The district also had 2.4 percent of teachers enrolled in an internship program and 1.5 percent of teachers with an unknown status.

A student plays the flute while wearing a mask during a music class at the Sinaloa Middle School in Novato, Calif., on March 2, 2021. (Haven Daily/AP Photo)

In the LAUSD, the percentage of clear teachers was highest94.1 percentamong classrooms for students with disabilities and creative subjects such as music, theater, and dance.

However, for key academic subjects, its much lower77.7 percent for English, 78.6 percent for mathematics, and 76.6 percent for science.

Physical education and health education had some of the lowest percentages, at 55.9 percent and 35.1 percent, respectively.

According to the report, LAUSD is only 2 percentage points behind the states percentage of fully credentialed teachersa reflection of a continuing statewide teacher shortage that was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

California had about 85 percent of clear teachers in classrooms, 3 percent out-of-field, 6 percent incomplete, 3.6 percent ineffective, 1.4 percent intern teachers, and 0.9 percent with unknown status.

Students walk to their classrooms at a public middle school in Los Angeles, on Sept. 10, 2021. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)

The data come from the first release of the Teaching Assignment Monitoring Outcome annual report, which is the result of a 2019 legislationAssembly Bill 1219that required the California Commission on Teacher Credentials to create a system to track teacher assignments.

As we begin to emerge from a global pandemic, this data is an important tool to drive conversations about how we can best serve students, Mary Nicely, deputy superintendent of the state education department, said in a statement. By launching this annual report, we are providing a new level of transparency to support schools, students, and families as we find ways to navigate todays challenges to public education, including statewide education workforce shortages.

For LAUSDs 202122 school year, the percentage of clear teachers could be lower, since the district has hired even more uncredentialed candidates this year to address teacher shortages.

A YMCA staff member assists a child as they attend online classes at a learning hub inside the Crenshaw Family YMCA during the COVID-19 pandemic in Los Angeles on February 17, 2021. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)

LAUSD officials told The Epoch Times last month that the district had about 1,500 teaching positions to fill before the fall semester starts in August.

The district fired more than 800 staff members during the 202122 school year for non-compliance with its COVID-19 staff vaccine mandate, which was enacted in November, according to the parent and teacher advocacy group Los Angeles Educators & Parents United.

In addition, about 600 teachers were forced to move out of classrooms to teach remotely in the districts City of Angels online learning program, according to the advocacy group.

The district was about 420 in-classroom teachers short this spring semester, which prompted the superintendent to direct non-teaching district staff who held teaching credentials or who formerly held teaching positions to fill the gap for the rest of the school year.

The district hasnt confirmed the number of teachers who were fired for being unvaccinated after multiple requests for comment.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul speaks during the primary election night party for New York Governor in New York city, on June 28, 2022. (Yuki Iwamura/AFP via Getty Images)

New York Limits Concealed Carry Guns After Supreme Court Ruling

New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday signed legislation into law to limit the use of concealed carry guns in sensitive locations such as schools and places of worship in response to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

Hochul called lawmakers to Albany for an extraordinary session of the state legislature this week to change gun laws after the Supreme Court struck down a 100-year-old state law that required applicants for conceal carry gun permits to show proper cause.

The state law was deemed unconstitutional because the state and licensing officers had too much discretion in approving permit applicants.

I just signed a new law to keep New Yorkers safeeven in the face of a monumental setback from the Supreme Court, Hochul wrote on Twitter Friday, thanking lawmakers for their quick work to pass the reforms.

But New York Republicans disagreed that the bill is about protecting New Yorkers.

This is NOT a public safety bill under debate in Albanys extraordinary session, the New York Senate GOP declared on Twitter. This is a callous, vengeful bill meant to put law-abiding New Yorkers in their rightful place.'

With a Democrat-controlled state legislature, the bill moved quickly through both chambers, with lawmakers deliberating on Thursday before it went to a vote on Friday.

The state Senate passed the bill (pdf) 43-20 in a party-line vote on Friday before the Assembly passed it later that night.

New Rules

In addition to other requirements, people applying for a firearms permit will need to hand over to licensing officers personal information about their home life and social media activity.

New Yorkers will need to provide information about their current partner or spouse and any adults or minors living with them.

The names of four people will also be required for reference checks to determine the applicants moral character and if there are any red flags that suggest they might be a harm to themselves or others.

The law requires that firearm permit seekers also complete 16 hours of firearm safety training and hand over information about their social media accounts for the last three years which will be used to confirm  character and conduct.

Some of the other requirements under the new law means firearm permit holders will undergo regular checks for criminal convictions. A state-wide license and ammunition database will also be created.

Concealed carry will also be prohibited at government buildings, places of worship, libraries, playgrounds, public parks, schools, and a number of other locations which have often been the location of mass shootings.

Anyone who violates the law at sensitive locations faces criminal penalties.

Constitutional Freedoms Trampled: NY GOP

New York GOP Chair Nick Langworthy decried the law, saying that New Yorkers constitutional freedoms were just trampled on by Kathy Hochul and her pawns in the legislature.

This bill is a political charade that makes New Yorkers less safe. Only under the insanity of New York Democrats can you get out of jail free for possessing an illegal firearm, but be targeted by the government for being a law-abiding citizen exercising your constitutional rights, Langworthy said in a statement.

This is NOT a public safety bill under debate in Albanys extraordinary session.

This is a callous, vengeful bill meant to put law-abiding New Yorkers in their rightful place. We will remember in November. The end of One Party Rule cant come soon enough.  NY Senate GOP (@NYSSRCC) July 1, 2022

The law comes into effect on Sept. 1, and anyone denied a permit will be able to appeal from April 1, 2023.
A view of New York State Supreme Court in New York City, on March 2, 2016. (Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

New York Moves to Bolster Abortion Access, Strengthen Affirmative Action

The New York State legislature has passed an equal rights amendment to the state Constitution that would bolster protections for affirmative action programs and strengthen a womans right to abortion by treating denial of the procedure as an act of discrimination based on sex.

The Equal Rights Amendment (S.8797B), which passed the state legislature on July 1, seeks to modify the New York State Constitution by adding a new section that expands the list of classes protected against discrimination and stipulating that one of these classes includes the right to abortion.

This amendment clarifies that any state action that discriminates against a person based on a pregnancy outcome is a sex-based classification, states the preamble to the amendment.

The State shall not use its police power or power of the purse to burden, limit, or favor any type of reproductive decision making, it adds.

Codifying the Right to an Abortion

Currently, Section 11 of the Bill of Rights of the New York State Constitution contains a provision that tracks the wording of the federal equal protection clause and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, or religion.

The new amendment goes beyond that, introducing additional protected classes by also barring discrimination based on ethnicity, national origin, disability, and sex including pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.

The preamble makes clear that it considers discrimination based on pregnancyincluding abortiona type of discrimination based on sex and that it seeks to strengthen abortion access by treating the failure to provide reasonable accommodations to those seeking to terminate an unwanted pregnancy as an act of discrimination.

Before it becomes law, the amendment still needs to pass again in the next legislative session before being put to a referendum for final approval.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul hailed the passage of the amendment, which comes on the heels of the recent Supreme Court decision that removed federal protections for abortion.

In light of the horrifying Supreme Court decision to strip away reproductive rights, New York State is taking an unprecedented step toward codifying the right to an abortion in our State Constitution, Hochul said in a statement.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks during the primary election night party for New York Governor in New York City, on June 28, 2022. (Yuki Iwamura/AFP via Getty Images)

Sending the Wrong Message

Kristen Curran, director of government relations for the New York State Catholic Conference, had a critical take on the amendment, arguing that it sends the wrong message on abortion while failing to provide meaningful support to women, children, and families.

Unfortunately, this bill solidifies the message that New York has been sending women for some time now: Abortion is positive, empowering, and the key to success. This couldnt be further from the truth, Curran said in a statement.

Women, children, and their families deserve support and compassion, she continued. Baby formula is scarce, raising a family is unaffordable, and the fallout from the pandemic continues to take its toll. New York State should be pouring resources into helping women and families, not promoting abortion through limitless funding, advertisements, and splashy legislation.

Boost for Affirmative Action

Besides seeking to enshrine the right to abortion in the state constitution, the amendment also includes language that expands the definition of discrimination to include not just intent but also effect.

New York courts have thus far interpreted the state constitution in line with federal equal protections provisions, banning only discrimination that is intentional in nature.

This amendment goes beyond that by prohibiting discriminatory impacts that result from the actions of government, thus providing a critical legal tool to dismantle acts that in effect perpetuate and/or result in inequality. Enabling the law to recognize disparate impact is a necessary step to eliminate systems of inequality, the amendment preamble states.

This suggests a shifting of the goal posts in the equal rights debate towards an equality of outcome position that critics of progressive policies would argue goes beyond providing a level playing field and amounts to active promotion of the interest of favored groups.

A statement from the New York Senate Majority (pdf) appears to say as much, stating that, this amendment preserves laws designed to prevent or dismantle discrimination on the basis of these characteristics such as affirmative action.

Further, the amendment preamble says the legislation reflects a commitment and pathway to eradicate the systemic racism that is woven through the fabric of our society, which could raise red flags for some conservatives.

The notion that Americas institutions and social structures are marred by systemic racism is a question of fierce debate and controversy, with those on the right tending to dismiss the idea as a vehicle for reverse discrimination and creeping socialism.
Police stand near a restaurant whose windows were shattered by a shooting in Oslo, Norway, on June 25, 2022. (Rodrigo Freitas/Getty Images)

Norway: Oslo Shooting Suspect Still Wont Talk to Police

COPENHAGEN, DenmarkA man held over a deadly weekend shooting in Oslo is still refusing to talk to police, making it hard to establish whether he had any accomplices, Norwegian authorities said on June 29.

Zaniar Matapour, a 43-year-old Norwegian citizen originally from Iran, was arrested shortly after June 25s predawn shooting in the Norwegian capitals nightlife district and was held on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.

Two people were killed and more than 20 wounded in what the Norwegian security service called an Islamist terror act.

Prosecutor Brge Enkosen told a press conference Wednesday that the suspects refusal to be questioned means we are still unsure whether (he) may have had accomplices. He added that police had offered to question Matapour without either sound or video recordings, but he declined.

The suspects lawyer, Bernt Heiberg, told The Associated Press in a text message that his client has all along been skeptical about how the police will present a possible explanation for his alleged acts.

He has therefore decided not to give an explanation for the time being, Heiberg said.

Police investigators work at the crime scene in the aftermath of a shooting outside pubs and nightclubs in central Oslo, Norway, on June 25, 2022. (Olivier Morin/NTB/AFP via Getty Images)

Investigators have several hypotheses regarding a possible motive for the shooting although police have unsuccessfully tried to question Matapour since June 25.

The gunman opened fire at three locations, including outside the London Pub, a popular gay bar in downtown Oslo. Police investigators have said it is too early to say whether the attacker specifically targeted the LGBTQ community.

On June 29, Norways domestic security agency lowered the threat scale to its second-highest level, saying the Oslo attack could potentially inspire others to carry out similar attacks.
Palau President Surangel Whipps speaks as he greets tourists from Taiwan during their arrival in Koror after Taiwan and Palau launched a rare holiday travel bubble as the two diplomatic allies try to kickstart their battered tourist industries after successfully keeping COVID-19 infections at bay on April 1, 2021. (Richard W. Brooks/AFP via Getty Images)

Palau President Speaks Up for Taiwans Inclusion at UN Conference

The president of the small Pacific Island nation of Palau called on Taiwan to be allowed to join efforts to protect the worlds oceans after Taiwanese nationals were blocked from attending a U.N. event in Portugal.

The event focused on the sustainable use of oceans and marine resources, a key concern for Pacific Island nations.

We need all of humanity, including the 23 million people in Taiwan, to be part of the solution, President Surangel Whipps Jr. said on the first day of the U.N. Ocean Conference held from June 27 to July 1.

The presidents comments were part of a media release put out by the U.N. on June 27 and were followed by more critical comments attributed to a delegate at the conferences closing ceremony as reported by Reuters.

The U.N. has excluded the 23 million people of Taiwan from the conversation, the unnamed delegate said. They were not given badges and were not allowed to be part of our delegation simply because they hold Taiwanese passports.

We view this as a violation of our sovereign rightsocean issues are global issues and we call on all of us to work together without discrimination.

Chinese Pressure

China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has blocked the self-ruled island from participating in any international organization composed of sovereign states, including the United Nations.

A U.S. delegate said that Palau should be allowed to include Taiwans people on its list of delegates as each member state has the right to decide the composition of its delegation for the conference.

No credential committee should have pressed them to remove those individuals from their delegations, the U.S. delegate said, reported Reuters.

The Palau presidents comments were made as Tuvalus Foreign Minister Simon Kofe withdrew from the Ocean Conference on June 27 after China, who is on the U.N. credentials committee, demanded three Taiwanese delegates be removed from the Tuvalu delegation.

In response to the incident, Beijings Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said that Taiwanese delegates will only bring disgrace to themselves if they continue to join foreign delegations to wedge into international conferences.

Certain countries ignored the One China principle and the overriding trend in the world. It facilitated the personnel of the Taiwan authorities to wedge into the conference and deliberately hyped up this matter, he told reporters.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi embarked on an eight-nation tour in May to shore up alliances with Pacific leaders who are on friendly terms with Beijing.

Tuvalu, Nauru, Palau, and the Marshall Islands are the only four Pacific countries to maintain diplomatic ties with Taiwan and recognize the island as a sovereign nation.

Daniel Y. Teng contributed to this report.
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University of South Australia (UniSA) childhood adversity experts warn that unless major funding and resources are redirected to prevent child abuse and neglect, as well as provide effective social and therapeutic services to people with histories of abuse, the intergenerational cycle of abuse will not be broken.

Professor Leonie Segal said in a UniSA release on Thursday it is paramount that authorities recognise the connections between childhood abuse and family violence later in life, and stressed that family violence, including familial child abuse and neglect, is a major public health and social issue.

It affects more than 20 percent of the population and shapes every aspect of a persons life, from their physical and mental health to their education, ability to interact with people, employment, and even criminal involvement, she said.

Yet what many authorities fail to understand is that child abuse is inextricably linked with violence later in life, and if we dont respond appropriately to one, we will have little impact on the other.

If more were done to help victims of child abuse while theyre still young, we could better disrupt pathways of abuse and stop victims becoming caught up in continuing cycles of violence, she added.

According to an Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) report from 2019, approximately 2.5 million Australian adults (13 percent) had experienced either physical or sexual abuse during their childhood.

Among other negative outcomes, people who had experienced childhood abuse were twice as likely to experience violence as an adult compared to those who did not suffer abuse, and three times more likely to experience partner violence.

Causal Relationship Between Child Abuse and Family Violence

Segal said the evidence of abuse as a child leading to family violence later in life is unmistakable.

For example, children whose mothers have been the subject of substantiated child abuse or neglect have 10 times the risk of being the subject of substantiated child abuse themselves, and nearly 20 times the risk of being removed into out-of-home care due to imminent and serious safety concerns, she said.

She also noted that child abuse and neglect does not discriminate between males and females, and both can be involved in family violence as a victim or perpetrator.

Too often media attention, and therefore public opinion, focuses on gendered violence, yet we know that both genders are affected equally as children, and mothers are the more likely perpetrator, Segal said.

In Australia, around 17 per cent of women and 6 per cent of men report being exposed to physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner. (Idanupong/Adobe Stock)

In Australia, some 17 percent of women and six percent of men report ever being exposed to physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner, while 23 percent of women and 16 percent of men report ever experiencing emotional abuse by an intimate partner.

What must be recognised is that family violence can affect anyone, and that the cycle of abuse almost always begins in childhood, she said.

Broadening the Discussion

Segal said its essential to broaden the discussion about the causal relationship, but it must be done safely by recognising the pathways into violence and the evidence available.

This logically leads to the need to better support infants, children and young people who are exposed to child abuse and neglect as a key component of any strategy for the prevention of family violence, she said.

Meanwhile, the South Australian Minister for Child Protection, Katrine Hildyard, stressed that to achieve real change, a whole of government and whole of community approach is needed, focusing on child safety and wellbeing.

We must change and deepen the public discourse to ensure that there is a better understanding of the risk and tension that the child protection system carries, she said in the UniSA release..

Among the many actions required to meet these challenges is the need to develop deeper community engagement with, and understanding of, the complexity and interconnectedness of issues that families face and have an impact on childrens safety, such as domestic and family violence, mental ill health, poverty and unemployment, intergenerational trauma, drug and alcohol misuse, and cyber-based crime, as well as the continuing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hildyard said the SA governments recent investment in child protection as part of the state budget reflects the deep commitment needed to improve the system.

We are also working collaboratively with other parts of government and key stakeholders and service providers in the community to ensure that we are providing the right kind of support and resourcing to intervene with at-risk families at crucial times, and to build their capacity and capabilities, she said.

Segal spoke earlier in June at a seminar titled Disrupting the pathways into family violence, the recording of which can be accessed here.
The most notable in the recent changes at HKgov is Patrick Li Pak-Chuen, who purged RTHK as the new Secretary of Security Bureau of Hong Kong. (Photo by Stand News)

Public Broadcaster RTHK Boss Appointed Hong Kong Security Chief, Raising Concerns

The Hong Kong government recently announced a new round of switching of their upper management, including the appointment of Patrick Li Pak-chuen, Director of Broadcasting, as the new Permanent Secretary of the Security Bureau. As Director of Broadcasting Li had been accused by analysts of turning Radio and Television of Hong Kong (RTHK) into state media and a government mouthpiece, and now have concerns as to what actions he might take in his new position.

From scholars analysis, the only reason why Patrick Li got the job is that he has been compliant enough to carry out the government orders without question.

Patrick Li Pak-chuen began his new post on July 1, 2022, as the Permanent Secretary of the Security Bureau. Since March 2021, Li had been working as the Director of Broadcasting and was responsible for major changes to RTHK.

With no prior media experience, Li, from being the Deputy Director of the Home Affairs Bureau, replaced the then Secretary of Broadcasting, Leung Ka-wing, a senior media professional, to become the newly appointed Permanent Secretary of Broadcasting.

When examining the governmental musical chairs, Dr. Benson Wong Wai-kwok, scholar and former assistant professor at the Department of Politics and International Relations at the Baptist University of Hong Kong, shared his thoughts on the governmental wheel of fortune.

Dr.Wong, who has been living in the UK since August 2021, but is still speaking out for Hongkongers, believed that Patrick Li was only being transferred to continue his compliant work at RTHK, to a different department for the Hong Kong Liaison Office, as well as that of the Chief Executive Elect John Lee Ka-chiu.

Dr. Wong said, whats more important is whether the bottom line of political ethics and neutrality has been completely erased, as senior government officials are executing political tasks for the regime. The landing of Li meant the death of RTHK, stricter censorship, and suspension of programs with which the powerful disagreed.

After Li took office as the Director of Broadcasting back in March 2021, he immediately set up an editorial committee to censor productions of RTHK programs.

Dr. Wong continued his analysis as follows:

The kill-list included programs such as award-winning Hong Kong Connection, This Week, and Hong Kong Story. These programs were required to be approved by Li, before going on air.

Li at the time stated, All production teams should submit a detailed proposal for the committees review before filming.

Li was also supervising the entire production process to ensure the final products would come out, aligned as they were proposed.

Employees at RTHK began quitting, being made redundant, or being fired after the appointment of Patrick Li Pak-chuen as the Director of Broadcasting.

One of the most memorable former employees of RTHK was a beloved talk-show host and former Assistant Programme Officer at RTHK, Nabela Qoser. Qoser became the hot target of the government after she had asked, the then Chief Executive Carrie Lam, to speak like a human being, at a press conference during the 2019 anti-extradition movement.

After two extended periods of probation, Nabela Qoser was eventually fired.

Tsang Chi-ho, former co-host of two long-running programs, Crazy Show Happy Man and political satire show Headliners, was fired without notice.

Others who departed RTHK with resignation, included Wong Luk-ha, former Head of Public and Current Affairs Sections of RTHK; Producer Liu Wai-ling of Headliners; Fong Hiu-shan, Producer of Hong Kong Story; and Au Li-ya, former Deputy Head of Broadcasting at RTHK.

At the time since Patrick Li Pak-chuen took office from March to May of 2021, RTHK reported a total of 18 civil servant departures. Half of them were resignations.

Many other talk-show hosts, guest hosts, producers were also terminated during Lis term at RTHK.

Programmes under Lis control were severed. RTHKs most popular show Hong Kong Connection, was pulled off air, right before episode premiers. The axed episodes were related to university student councils, the electoral system in Hong Kong, policy issues, police brutality and the survival guide of online media.

Multiple contracted workers of the production team of Hong Kong Connection, were told not to return to work.

Lee Yin-chit, human rights news award winning producer, who was producing programs with political subjects at the time for RTHK, such as the June 4th Tiananmen Massacre, the 721 Yuen Long Attack, had quit after being ordered to only report on livelihood issues.

LegCo Review, a live show which allowed guests to debate politics and had been on-air for decades, was also eradicated in May 2021, after showing a video footage of June 4th vigil, hosted by the now-dissolved Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China (HK Alliance). RTHK deleted that entire episode online and took the production team off the program.

LegCo Review had been running live since 1980 as a political debate platform between politicians and civilians.

Li threatened that if anyone had been found using public money inappropriately, they might be held responsible for compensating the loss to the HKgov.

Li Pak-chuen also censored and removed programs that had been online for over 12 months. RTHK staff were forbidden to use terms such as Taiwan President when describing Tsai Ing-wen, country when mentioning Taiwan.

Dr. Benson Wong said: Patrick Li is a sell-out who is responsible for turning RTHK into state media and a government mouthpiece.

He criticized, Li Pak-chuen is only someone who takes advantage of his power to terrorize others, and reach selfish goals for the regime. By becoming the director of broadcasting, Li had completely politicized RTHK, and turned it into a brainwashing camp. By censoring RTHK, Li turned the Hong Kong radio and television platform into a political mouthpiece. Not only has Partick Li sold out RTHK but he also betrayed Hong Kong.

Dr. Wong said Li, as a government official paid by Hong Kong citizens, should be serving Hongkongers, instead of the Hong Kong chief executive or Hong Kong Liaison Office. He is wasting taxpayers money even though RTHK no longer has any value to Hongkongers. Wong also believed that Li will be another name on the hit list of foreign sanctions.

When asked whether Li Pak-chuen would clamp the national security even more tightly on Hongkongers, Wong said people should not overestimate Lis power: Li is nothing but a loyal puppet. Benson Wong continued, Transferring from job to job doesnt confirm his competence, it only proves Lis ability to execute dirty orders from the government.

Wong said in order to become CCPs loyal puppet, whoever it is, has to be an idiot. The dumber you are, the closer you can get to the top.

Patrick Li Pak-chuen joined the civil service in August 1990. During his time as a civil servant, he had been involved in different policy-making departments, including the Education Bureau, the Security Bureau, the Chief Executive Office of Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong government might be better off outsourcing employees, as the new basic standard will be politics first, Wong said.
Australian researchers have developed a cheaper and less invasive alternative to traditional fertility treatments that is now available at Sydney's Royal Hospital for women. A stock photo of a baby and mother. (Illustration - Shutterstock)

Researchers Develop a Cheaper and Less Invasive Alternative to IVF Treatments

University of New South Wales (UNSW) researchers have developed a cheaper and less invasive alternative to traditional fertility treatments that is now available at Sydneys Royal Hospital for women.

In vitro fertilisation or IVF has been the established treatment for infertility for a long time. However, this method is expensive, and to stimulate egg growth before extraction, it requires patients to inject follicle-stimulating hormones (FSH) that can inflict significant discomfort and cause some medical complications.

UNSWs newly developed alternative to IVF, CAPA in vitro maturation (CAPA-IVM), involves retrieving immature eggs from the ovaries and maturing them outside the body, demanding fewer hormone injections at a lower cost. The treatment was developed by Prof. Robert Gilchrist from UNSW Medicine & Health in Sydney, and Prof. Johan Smitz from Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) in Brussels, Belgium.

The IVM fertility technique originates from UNSW laboratory research, so this is a wonderful example of the lifecycle of research and the huge difference it can make in peoples lives, said Gilchrist in a UNSW news release.

It is proof that bench-to-bedside research is alive and well in Australia, he continued.

Ive worked for many years on this technique with my research partners, and having it translated into a fertility treatment offered to patients in Australia is very rewarding.

Embryologist Ric Ross holds a dish with human embryos at the La Jolla IVF Clinic on Feb. 28, 2007, in La Jolla, California. (Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images)

How Do CAPA-IVM Treatments Work

Before the discovery of CAPA-IVM, the in vitro maturation method was not the recommended form of fertility treatment because pregnancy rates after IVM were lower than IVF.

IVM has been around for years, but its never been very successful because its hard to replicate what the ovary does in a laboratory, said UNSW Professor Bill Ledger from the Royal Hospital for Women.

The problem has been when you take an egg out of the human body, it matures very quickly, even when it may not be ready to, but this new method called CAPA switches off the progression of the egg for 24 hours, Ledger said. So it grows more slowly, and it matures more healthily. And its more fertile when you introduce it to the sperm. Its giving us a longer window of time to work with the egg.

Prof. Gilchrist said that the CAPA-IVM treatments are comprised of two steps that have been designed to imitate the natural processes of egg development and maturation that occur in the ovaries. To control egg maturation in cell cultures, CAPA-IVM adds a growth factor called cumulin, which was discovered by Gilchrist, and cAMP modulatorssmall signalling molecules that maintain natural egg processes to the egg cells.

We have demonstrated that it is possible to improve egg quality and embryo yield with next to no drugs, using potent growth factors produced by the egg, Gilchrist said in the earlier UNSW release that circulated CAPA-IVM.

The treatment was first tested on pigs, and then, after the trials showed improvements in egg quality and a doubling in embryo production compared to existing IVM treatments, preclinical trials on human eggs were launched. The preclinical trials were conducted by Prof. Smitz from VUBs Follicle Biology Laboratory in Brussels and showed similar results to the pig trials, with the quality of eggs improving and embryo production increasing by 50 percent.

A donated human embryo is seen through a microscope at the La Jolla IVF Clinic in La Jolla, Calif., on Feb. 28, 2007. The clinic accepts donated embryos from around the country through The Stem Cell resource, which are then given to stem cell research labs for research. (Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images)

Future of CAPA-IVM

Prof. Jeremy Thompson, from the University of Adelaides Robinson Research Institute said that the CAPA-IVM treatment was a significant advancement in fertility research.

It will remove the need for a woman to inject herself with high doses of hormones for up to 12 days, Thompson said. Most importantly, it could give a woman almost the same chance of becoming pregnant as with hormone-stimulated IVF.

A recent randomised trial in Vietnam found pregnancy rates were the same with CAPA-IVM as they are in regular IVF, although IVF patients had more embryos to freeze, Gilchrist said.

However, IVM treatments are not for everybody. Its estimated that only about 15 percent of infertile women will be eligible for CAPA-IVM.

The women best suited for this treatment include those with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and those who have been diagnosed with cancer and urgently need to take preservative action to secure their fertility. According to Fertility Specialists of WA, the hormone injections involved in IVF can stimulate cancer cells and cause women with PCOS to develop the condition ovarian hyperstimulation syndromeswelling and pain in the ovaries.

Professor Michel De Vos at UZ Brussel said in the earlier release that the new treatment would eliminate the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.

Young women facing cancer treatment, who wish to preserve their fertility but often dont have time to freeze their eggs, will also benefit from this breakthrough, Prof. De Vos said.

The Royal Hospital for Women was approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration to offer CAPA-IVM treatment in 2021, making it one of the first five places to make the treatment available. Additionally, this is Australias first hospital outside of Perth to offer IVM treatments.
PG | 1h 52min | Drama, Crime, Mystery, Thriller | 6 October 1998 (USA)

With a style so unique it has its own name (Mamet-Speak), playwright-turned-screenwriter-turned-director David Mamet is best known for his barbed, machine gun dialogue, adorned with thickets of carefully positioned profanity.

Although many Mamet-written movies feature women characters, rarely are they the leads. His strength lies is in creating testosterone-drenched friction between men, best displayed in films such as The Verdict, The Untouchables, Wag the Dog, Glengarry Glen Ross, and American Buffalo.

Atypical Mamet

The Spanish Prisoner (TSP) found Mamet heading (if only temporarily) in a direction few could have foreseen. The pace was slower and more deliberate, the dialogue was softer and, most surprising, theres not a single drop of foul language.

The two female performers with significant speaking roles remain largely on the sidelines but, like everything else in the movie, they are indispensable to the Big Picture.

A neo-noir thriller cut from a fine bolt of Hitchcockian gabardine laced with silken Chekhovian thread, TSP gets its title from a passage presented in the third act that Mamet calls the oldest con in the book.

Dating back to the 19th century, the Spanish Prisoner involves a mark who is approached by a grifter to put up a relatively small amount of money with the promise of a much bigger payoff down the road.

There is, of course, no such future windfall, but when pitched with finesse, the marks greed will get the best of them, and they fork over even more funds until theyre bled dry or finally realize theyve been had.

While on a fictional island in the Caribbean during a working vacation, mathematician Joe Ross (Campbell Scott) and his attorney co-worker friend George Lang (Mamet mainstay Ricky Jay) meet with their boss Mr. Klein (Ben Gazzara) and some flush potential investors.

Joe has created a book-length formula dubbed the Process which will generate gargantuan profits, and hes charged to sell the concept to the backers without revealing exactly how it works, and he succeeds. Mr. Klein couldnt be happier but, in the aftermath, brushes off Joes repeated attempts to discuss his compensation and bonus.

Also present on the island is Susan Ricci (Mamets wife Rebecca Pidgeon), a recently hired secretary operating as Joe and Georges girl Friday and gopher. A perky chatterbox, Susan is a ball of nervous energy recalling Diane Keatons title character in Annie Hall, and she is clearly smitten with the flattered and bashful Joe who wisely keeps her at arms length.

Cambell Scott and Rebecca Pidgeon in The Spanish Prisoner. (Sony Pictures)

After an awkward first meeting on the beach, Joe shares a few meals and chews the fat with Jimmy Dell (Steve Martin), a fellow New Yorker who Joe assumes is wealthy as he arrived on a private seaplane with a beautiful mystery woman half his age. Before leaving, Jimmy asks Joe to deliver a package to his sister in Midtown Manhattan which he agrees to without a second thought.

A la Hitchcock

What, you may ask, exactly is the Process, the name of Kleins company, or the product or service they offer? None of the answers are ever provided, which is actually a good thing. Its also never made clear why the Process must never fall into Japanese hands or why either Joe or Klein or both (in the interest of safety and security) havent copied it to a CD-ROM (arcane technology now but not in 1997).

With not one but two substantial MacGuffins firmly in play, Mamet goes full tilt Hitchcock with pans and fades at the start and end of each scene, spare sets, and a noticeable lack of demonstrable emotions from the characters.

Once all of the players return to New York, everyone, including Susan, dons poker faces. No one says what he or she is really thinking, and the audience knows only what Joe knows as its happening to him. Were in the dark as much as he is and this, combined with the placid and genteel veneer, heightens the suspense to often nerve-wracking levels.

This was also the same general approach director Ridley Scott employed in the vastly overlooked and criminally underrated Matchstick Men from 2003.

Had this movie been made 60 or 70 years ago, James Stewart or Cary Grant would have been cast as Joea trusting, polite-to-a-fault gentleman who isnt rich but could be soon. The son of George C. Scott and Colleen Dewhurst, Campbell Scott was the perfect choice for the lead role. He was given the unenviable task of playing a book-smart genius who is a tad too naive, far too agreeable, and thoroughly incapable of reading anyone.

During his long career, Gazzara was frequently cast as a villain, so playing a heavy here wasnt a big stretch for him. Here he does so as something of a cowardly weasel, and he nails it. Jay doesnt make a big impression, mostly because his character isnt afforded much to do, and as for Pidgeon  well, lets just say being married to the filmmaker comes with its perks.

Martins Career Zenith

Apart from Pennies From Heaven (1981) and the ensemble piece Grand Canyon (1991), Martin had worked exclusively in comedy (some of it banal and broad) and hes not the first name most people would associate to portray an imposing, calculating, semi-threatening power magnate yet he pulls it off with room to spare.

(LR) Steve Martin, Ricky Jay, and Campbell Scott in The Spanish Prisoner. (Sony Pictures)

Nothing Martin has done before or since comes close to matching the level of intensity, economy, and restraint, as what he delivered in TSP.

One of the many joys of TSP is in rewatching it. Ive viewed it probably a dozen times and, even knowing the ending going in, its a rare treat to notice something Id previously missed, discounted, or overlooked. It is arguably Mamets best movie (as both writer and director) to date and, if youre a fan of mysteries and havent seen it yet, put it at the top of your to-watch list.

The Spanish Prisoner

Director: David Mamet

Stars: Campbell Scott, Steve Martin, Rebecca Pidgeon, Ben Gazzara, Ricky Jay, Felicity Huffman

Running Time: 1 hour, 52 minutes

MPAA Rating: PG

Release Date: April 3, 1998

Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Supreme Courts in Texas, Ohio Block Efforts to Reinstate Access to Abortions

Texass and Ohios Supreme Courts have given the go-ahead for the states to enforce their respective state laws that ban abortion, blocking efforts that barred the laws from taking effect, coming after the U.S. Supreme Court last week overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling.

Roe v. Wade had enabled abortions up to 24 weeks of pregnancy across the country for almost five decades. The decision by the U.S. Supreme Court on June 24 sends regulation of the procedure back to states.

The Texas Supreme Court on Friday allowed (pdf) the states longstanding pre-Roe abortion ban to take effect, by blocking a lower court order that said clinics could continue performing abortions.

Judge Christine Weems in Harris County on June 28 had issued a temporary restraining order to block the enforcement of the 1925 Texas law that bans abortion unless necessary to save the life of the mother.

Abortions in Texas were already restricted under a law that took effect in September 2021, known as the Texas Heartbeat Act or Senate Bill 8 (S.B. 8). Weemss order had reassured some clinics they could temporarily resume abortions up to six weeks, which is roughly when a heartbeat is detectable in the unborn baby.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, announced on June 30 he sought emergency relief from the Texas Supreme Court by asking it to vacate the temporary restraining order.

A later hearing on the case is scheduled for July 12.

Julia Kaye, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) representing the Texas abortion clinics challenging the ban, said in a statement that the group wont stop fighting to ensure that as many people as possible, for as long as possible can access abortion.

Six-Week Abortion Restriction Continues in Ohio

Over in Ohio, the states top court on Friday denied (pdf) an emergency request by abortion providers to block the Ohio abortion ban, known as Senate Bill 23. The measure prohibits abortion after a detectable heartbeat in the unborn babyabout six weeks into pregnancy, which is when many women do not realize they are pregnant.

The courts denial of the emergency stay means abortion providers are legally barred from carrying out the procedures after six weeks as litigation continues.

Ohios Senate Bill 23 was signed into law back in April 2019 by Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, before a federal judge blocked it from being enforced three months later. Due to the injunction, abortions in Ohio went back to an already existing law that largely barred abortion after 22 weeks, unless the mothers life was in danger, or her health was affected.

Less than an hour after the U.S. Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost asked a federal judge to let the states 2019 abortion ban to take effect. Hours later, the judge granted Yosts request by eliminating the injunction against Ohio Senate Bill 23.

Attorney General Dave Yost in Columbus, Ohio, on Nov. 6, 2018. (Justin Merriman/Getty Images)

The U.S. Supreme Courts decision that overturned Roe represents a substantial change in the law, and abrogates the prior legal basis supporting this Courts Order enjoining enforcement of the challenged law, he said in a motion. Ohio would be irreparably harmed by any delay in dissolving the injunction, Yost had argued.

Ohio abortion providers responded by filing a lawsuit asking the states Supreme Court to find the new six-week ban unconstitutional and restore the previous 22-week abortion ban. The abortion providers argued that the Ohio Constitution guarantees a fundamental right to abortion under its broad protections for individual liberties.

Races dont start at the finish line, and lawsuits dont start in the final court, Yost on June 29 said in a statement commenting on the lawsuit. Aside from filing the wrong action in the wrong court, they are wrong as well on Ohio law. Abortion is not in the Ohio Constitution.

Make no mistake, any contention that Ohios constitution confers such a right is indefensible, no matter the theory of constitutional interpretation one might embrace, Yost said in a response (pdf) filed to the court.

In a statement after the Ohio Supreme Court denied the emergency request, Yost said his office will continue to defend Ohios duly enacted statutes and to advocate for the rule of law.

The Plaintiffs need to reconcile themselves to pursuing their policy goals through the political process, not the courts, he added.

Since last weeks Supreme Court decision overturning Roe, groups that believe abortion is a right have filed challenges against laws banning abortion in several states.

Judges in Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Utah have barred the abortion restrictions or bans from being enforced. Meanwhile, challenges to abortion trigger laws are pending in Idaho, Oklahoma, and Mississippi.
Trumps Social Media Company Subpoenaed by Federal Grand Jury

Former President Donald Trumps social media company, Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), has been subpoenaed by a federal grand jury in Manhattan as part of a criminal investigation into a deal to go public via a special purpose acquisition company called Digital World Acquisition Corp (DWAC).

TMTG is the parent company of Trumps Truth Social app.

In a securities filing on July 1, DWAC said it was informed that TMTG received a subpoena on June 30, issued by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of New York, seeking information about the proposed merger between TMTG and DWAC.

Certain current and former TMTG personnel also recently received individual grand jury subpoenas, DWAC said. No names were disclosed.

DWAC noted on July 1 that TMTG had separately received a subpoena from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on June 27 seeking documents relating to, among other things, Digital World and other potential counterparties for a business transaction involving TMTG.

In a statement on July 1, TMTG said it will continue cooperating fully with inquiries into our planned merger and will comply with subpoenas weve recently received, none of which were directed at the companys Chairman or CEO, referring to Trump and former U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes, respectively.

Probe Into Whether Companies Violated Securities Law

The investigations by the Justice Department and the SEC are probing whether DWAC had held private or undisclosed talks on plans to merge with TMTG before its own initial public offering (IPO) in September 2021, which would have violated federal securities law.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) in a letter (pdf) in November 2021 called on the SEC to investigate whether the deal violated such laws, saying that reports alleging that DWAC had held merger talks as early as May 2021 were concerning.

DWAC previously disclosed in a filing on June 27 it is the subject of an SEC investigation into the proposed merger, which it learned about on June 13. The SEC has issued subpoenas and document requests seeking information about DWACs due diligence regarding TMTG and other potential acquisition targets, as well as communications with them and with DWACs underwriter and financial advisor in its IPO.

The SPAC also said it learned on June 16 that each member of its board of directors received subpoenas from the same federal grand jury that later subpoenaed TMTG. The subpoenas asked for similar information to that being sought by the SEC, as well as information relating to Digital Worlds S-1 filings, communications with or about multiple individuals, and information regarding Rocket One Capital. DWAC said it received a grand jury subpoena with similar requests on June 24.

These subpoenas, and the underlying investigations by the Department of Justice and the SEC, can be expected to delay effectiveness of the Registration Statement, which could materially delay, materially impede, or prevent the consummation of the Business Combination, DWAC said.

In the same securities filing, DWAC said that Bruce J. Garelick said he would resign from DWACs board of directors on June 22. He said that his resignation was not the result of any disagreement with Digital Worlds operations, policies or practices. Garelick is listed as the chief strategy officer at Rocket One Capital.
Ukrainian soldiers stand next to ambulances as Ukraine carries out an exchange of prisoners in the location given as Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, in this handout photo released on June 29, 2022. (Courtesy of Ukraine's Military Intelligence/Handout via Reuters)

Ukraine Says 144 of Its Soldiers Released in Biggest Prisoner Swap of War

KYIVUkraine on Wednesday carried out its biggest exchange of prisoners of war since Russia invaded, securing the release of 144 of its soldiers, including 95 who defended Mariupols steelworkers, Ukraines military intelligence agency said.

The majority of the Ukrainians were badly wounded, suffering from gunshot and shrapnel wounds, blast traumas, burns, fractured bones, and amputated limbs, the agency known by the acronym GUR said in a statement on Telegram.

144 Ukrainian warriors have been liberated from russian prisons via an exchange mechanism. 95 of them participated in the defence of Mariupol.

 will fight for every single one of our servicemembers.#StandWithUkraine#FightLikeUkrainian  Defence of Ukraine (@DefenceU) June 29, 2022

There was no comment from Russia about a prisoner swap.

But the head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk Peoples Republic in eastern Ukraine said it had secured the release of 144 soldiers, including its fighters and those of the Russian army.

We handed over to Kyiv the same number of prisoners from Ukrainian armed units, most of whom were wounded.

The prisoner swap included the handover of 43 members of the Azov regiment, a National Guard unit that Russia says is a dangerous battalion.

A man with a white flag walks on a road during an exchange of prisoners in the location given as Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, in this handout photo released on June 29, 2022. (Courtesy of Ukraines Military Intelligence/Handout via Reuters)

Fighting Intensifies

Fighting intensified on Saturday for Lysychansk, Ukraines last bastion in the strategic eastern province of Luhansk, while blasts shook a southern city.

Andrei Marochko, an officer of the pro-Russian Luhansk Peoples Militia, was quoted by Russias TASS news agency as saying that the militias red hammer-and-sickle flag was now flying over the administrative building in Lysychansk, although Ukraines military rejected claims that the city was encircled.

Russian media showed videos of Luhansk militia parading in the streets of Lysychansk waving flags and cheering, but Ukraine National Guard spokesman Ruslan Muzychuk told Ukrainian national television the city remained in Ukrainian hands.

Now there are fierce battles near Lysychansk, however, fortunately, the city is not surrounded and is under the control of the Ukrainian army, Muzychuk said.

He said the situations in the Lysychansk and Bakhmut areas, as well as in Kharkiv region, were the most difficult on the entire front line.

The goal of the enemy here remains access to the administrative border of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Also, in the Sloviansk direction, the enemy is attempting assault actions, he said.

Oleksandr Senkevych, mayor of the southern region of Mykolaiv, which borders the vital Black Sea port of Odesa, reported powerful explosions in the city.

Stay in shelters! he wrote on the Telegram messaging app as air raid sirens sounded.

The cause of the blasts was not immediately clear, although Russia later said it had hit army command posts in the area.

Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield reports.

Ukrainian media quoted Vadym Denysenko, an adviser to Ukraines Interior Ministry, as saying that the Russian claims to have surrounded Lysychansk were a lie aimed at demoralizing Ukrainians and encouraging pro-Russian forces.

Kyiv says Moscow has intensified missile attacks on cities far from the main eastern battlefields and that it deliberately hit civilian sites. Ukrainian troops on the eastern frontlines meanwhile describe intense artillery barrages that have pummeled residential areas.

Russian denies that its forces targeted civilians.

The Chief of General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimov, inspected Russian troops involved in what Moscow calls its special military operation, Russias defense ministry said, although it was not clear if he was in Ukraine.

The inspection followed slow but steady gains by Russian forces in east Ukraine.

Russia is seeking to drive Ukrainian forces out of Luhansk and Donetsk provinces in the industrialized eastern Donbas region where Moscow-backed separatists have been fighting Kyiv since Russias first military intervention in Ukraine in 2014.
Signage outside of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in Washington on Aug. 30, 2020. (Andrew Kelly/Reuters)

US Commodities Regulator Charges South African Company With Record $1.7 Billion Bitcoin Fraud

WASHINGTONThe U.S. commodities regulator announced on Thursday it had filed civil charges against a South African man and his company for operating a fradulent commodity pool worth over $1.7 billion in bitcoin.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) said the fraud scheme, which saw the firm solicit bitcoin online from thousands of people to purportedly operate a commodity pool, was the largest it had ever pursued involving the cryptocurrency. The CFTC filed charges against Mirror Trading International Proprietary Limited and its CEO, Cornelius Johannes Steynberg.

Steynberg had been a fugitive from South African law enforcement but was recently detained in Brazil on an INTERPOL arrest warrant, the CFTC said. He could not be immediately reached for comment.

The CFTC said in its complaint that the company claimed to have proprietary software that would realize significant trading gains for investors who pooled their bitcoin with it, but in reality no such bot existed.

In reality, only a small portion of the pooled bitcoin was ever invested, at a loss, and the rest was misappropriated, according to the CFTC. The company ultimately filed for bankruptcy in 2021, shortly after which South African authorities launched a fraud investigation.

The CFTC said approximately 23,000 Americans invested in the pool.

By Pete Schroeder
Workers get ready to dig in front of a destroyed building in the city of Mariupol on July 1, 2022. (Stringer/AFP via Getty Images)

US Sending Ukraine Two Surface-to-Air Missile Systems: Pentagon

WASHINGTONThe United States is sending Ukraine two NASAMS surface-to-air missile systems, four additional counter-artillery radars and up to 150,000 rounds of 155mm artillery ammunition as part of its latest weapons packages for Ukraine, the Pentagon said on Friday.

The assistance package, worth about $820 million, was broadly announced by President Joe Biden on Thursday in Madrid following a gathering of NATO leaders that was focused on Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Ukrainians continue to face a brutality highlighted once again this week by an attack that struck a shopping mall filled with civilians. They continue to fight for their country, and the United States continues to stand by them and their just cause, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement about the assistance.

Ukrainian officials have said a Kh-22 missile fired by a Russian bomber hit a crowded shopping mall in the central city of Kremenchuk on Monday, killing at least 19 people. Russia rejected Ukraines account, saying the missile had struck a store of Western-supplied weapons next to the mall, causing it to catch fire.

The Pentagon offered more details on Friday as it formalized the announcement, and said the latest round of security assistance also included additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS).

The counter artillery radars being sent are the Raytheon-Technologies AN/TPQ-37 systems, a senior defense official told reporters. This is the first time these systems are being sent to Ukraine which have about triple the effective range of the previously sent AN/TPQ-36 systems.

The new U.S. aid is meant to bolster Ukraine as it confronts heavy pounding by Russian artillery. Russias stepped-up campaign of long-range missile attacks on Ukrainian cities has come as its forces have ground out success on the battlefield in the east, with a relentless assault to try to force Kyiv to cede two provinces to separatists.

Including the latest rounds of assistance, the United States has now committed approximately $6.9 billion since Russian forces rolled into Ukraine on Feb. 24 and brought full-scale war back to Europe.

By Phil Stewart and Mike Stone
Vaccine in Children Only 48 Percent Effective Weeks After Second Dose

An Israeli study assessed the effectiveness of BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccination (Pfizer) against the Omicron variant in children 5 to 11 years old using a large health care database and found the vaccine effectiveness (VE) to be 48 percent 721 days after dose 2 for symptomatic infection.

People with evidence of prior COVID infection by PCR, antigen, or serology test were excluded.

A U.S. study of a lesser scale found that VE in children declined from 60 percent to 28.9 percent from month 1 to month 2 after the second dose of Pfizer.

Cardiologist Sanjay Verma concluded that therefore, if this Israeli study were to follow the children beyond 21 days, it is probable the VE would be lower than 48 percent.

The authors of the study noted that assessment of vaccine effectiveness against more severe outcomes such as hospitalization were not possible, because they were very rare in the study population.

In the US, American Academy of Pediatric data note a hospitalization rate of 0.7 percent in children based upon officially confirmed PCR+ infections. This study and this study previously found that 40 percent of pediatric COVID+ hospitalizations may have been over estimated when differentiating those hospitalized for COVID pneumonia versus those who were hospitalized for other causes but had incidental COVID+ testing during routine surveillance, Verma noted.

Therefore, the true hospitalization rate may actually be 0.42 percent of children infected with SARS-CoV2. CDC seroprevalence data report 75 percent of all children have already been infected (4.5 times more than officially confirmed PCR+ results). Perhaps the true SARS-Cov2 hospitalization rate for children then is as low as 0.09 percent. With such low incidence of COVID+ hospitalizations in pediatric population, most trials are not large enough to detect a statistically significant difference in COVID+ hospitalizations (or deaths) between vaccinated and unvaccinated children, he concluded.

The study notes that 17 percent of the children were obese or overweight, while for the U.S. study, 35 percent of the children were so.

For the Israeli study, 43 percent of the population had received at least three doses of influenza vaccine in the past five years, while in the United States, an estimated 58 percent of children receive an annual flu vaccine, and some schools require the influenza vaccine.

The Israeli study also notes that many of the children in our study cohort did not receive a second dose within the study follow-up period.

mRNA COVID-19 vaccinations do have a known risk of myocarditis and other rare severe adverse reactions. To better contextualize the risk-benefit analysis it would be helpful to know why the children did not receive the second dose, Verma added.

Statistics show the rate of COVID-19 associated hospitalization among children aged 5 to 11 is 0.0008 percent, writes Dr. Joseph Mercola. In real-world terms, thats so close to zero you basically cannot lower it any further. Yet, despite such reassuring data, children in this age group are urged to get two to three doses of the COVID jab, even though side effects of the injection could harm them for life, or kill them.
An Indiana man facing criminal property damage charges for releasing otters and owls from a Baraboo zoo allegedly boasted of the break-in while drinking at a nearby bar, according to a criminal complaint.

Baraboo police were led to Aaron Wayne Hovis, 34, of West Lafayette, Indiana, after a bartender contacted them about a patron who said he had been at the Ochsner Park Zoo and set a bunch of animals free, according to the complaint filed Wednesday in Sauk County Circuit Court.

Hovis went into the Downtowner Bar and Grill, just blocks from the zoo, the day of the break-in and, while drinking shots of Jack Daniels alongside a pet Chiweenie dog, started telling stories that seemed way out there, the bartender told police, according to the complaint.

Hovis, who was walking with a limp, eventually confessed to the bartender that he rolled his ankle jumping the zoos fence, the complaint states.

The Indiana man faces nine counts of criminal property damage for allegedly destroying locks, a door and a gate at the zoo. Hovis also allegedly broke into a bear cage, but only managed to damage one of three doors that fully open the cage.

Between the lock damage and veterinary bills, the break-in cost the zoo $2,100, the complaint states.

On the morning of June 7, police responded to the zoo after staff arrived to find doors broken and a pair of river otters and great horned owls missing from their enclosures. Kayakers found the otters later that day playing in the Baraboo River.

One of the owls, Jerry, was found on June 9 and taken to the zoos veterinarian with two wing fractures and a small eye injury. The other owl, Linda, was eventually captured Tuesday and brought to the vet.

According to the complaint:

Through receipts from the bar, security camera and a northwestern Indiana phone number, Baraboo police reached the mother of Hovis children, who said Hovis had told them three days before the break-in that he planned to release animals from a zoo.

Hovis works as a trucker and makes deliveries to states around Indiana, she told police. The bartender in Baraboo also told police Hovis had arrived in a white semi-cab with no trailer.

Hovis later texted the mother of his children news articles about the break-in and bragged in a phone call that he had liberated animals from the zoo.

The woman told police Hovis had been acting erratically as of late and might have been using meth.

During the investigation, Baraboo authorities were contacted by police in Rensselaer, Indiana, who had arrested Hovis for various warrants on June 15.

While being arrested, Hovis allegedly told his mother that I robbed a (expletive) zoo just to prove this (expletive). He was also talking to police about Baraboo, saying thats where that zoo is.

Hovis remains in custody at the Jasper County Jail in Indiana after being charged there on June 9 with felony counts of bribery, theft and tax evasion, in addition to later charges on June 17 of felony intimidation and resisting arrest, according to online court records.
file photo

Connecticut State Police made eight drunken-driving arrests between Friday and Saturday morning as they ramped up patrols ahead of the Fourth of July weekend, according to a press release.

State police said they responded to 1,872 calls for service from the start of Friday to 5 a.m. on Saturday.
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BRIDGEPORT  A city mother is in custody after police said she left her two toddlers in her locked car while she got her nails done.

Police said the boys, ages 1 and 4, were found unconscious in the backseat of the car.

Tiffany Covington, 28, of Eagle Street, was charged with two counts of risk of injury to a child, and one count each of interfering with police and assault on a public safety officer.

She was being held in lieu of $250,000 bond and is scheduled to be in court July 5.

According to police, shortly after 5 p.m. on June 18, police were dispatched to the Price Rite parking lot on Boston Avenue for a complaint of two toddlers left unattended in the back of a car.

Police said officers found the car, a silver Honda sedan, with its windows rolled up and the ignition off. The two toddlers appeared unconscious in the back seat, not breathing.

Firefighters responded to the scene and broke open the car, police said. Police said medics managed to revive the toddlers and they were taken to Bridgeport Hospital for evaluation.

Police said at the time it was more than 70 degrees in the car and there was no air motion inside. No food or water had been left for the children.

About five minutes later, police said Covington walked out of the nearby nail salon. Police said she told officers she had been inside, getting her nails painted.

When they tried to arrest her, police said Covington punched one of the officers in the chest, knocking off his body camera. She then attempted to flee the scene, police said.

When an officer brought Covington to the ground, police said she fought with officers, biting them on their hands until they managed to handcuff her.
An Edwardsville man is in the hospital with serious injuries after a fatal airplane crash killed his Floridian co-pilot Saturday in St. Jacob.

Robert L. Binger, 60, of Lake City, Florida, was announced dead on the scene of the crash by a Madison County coroner.
Joel Martinez/AP

AUSTIN, Texas (AP)  A prosecutor's office said Friday that it won't move forward with a lawsuit against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over his refusal to release his communications relating to his appearance at a pro-Donald Trump rally that preceded the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol last year.

The Austin-based Travis County district attorney's office said in a letter that it wouldn't sue because journalists who had requested Paxton's records didn't want to testify in court because they might have to reveal their sources, The Dallas Morning News and the Houston Chronicle reported.
County fairs are family events. Families come to see the shows, ride the rides and even run some of the attractions. It is rare, however, for four generations to show animals consecutively.

Nine-year-old Sydney Kosch did her first horse demo at the Platte County Fair's horse show June 28. She and her great-grandfather Don Kummer's horse, Buck, have practiced for some time.

"It's about learning how to canter and trot and walk, all the different maneuvers," Sydney said.

Her mother, Melissa Kosch, and Melissa's brother Lance Schmidt also showed horses when they were young.

"There's a variety of classes and different things you get to do, some have obstacles, things to do, things to go around," Melissa said.

Kummer himself got his start with 4-H and showing animals at the fair with a calf in 1948. Kummer, 12 at the time, brought the animal to show, not to ride.

"The calf, they just judge its appearance, but the horse, it's about maneuvers and what he can do," Kummer said.

Kummer's daughter and Melissa's mother, Kim Schmidt, also showed horses as a child, including Kummer's first horse, Sue, who he bought when he was only 13.

"Columbus used to have an auction broadcast, live auction, and they had some colts from North Platte," Kummer recalled.

Kummer said the auctioneer announced they had several colts they didn't sell, so Kummer convinced his mother to take him down to get one. He bought a mare yearling for $100, using money he had earned picking strawberries at 35 cents a quart.

Kim rode Sue for some time before she got her horse and trained her daughter, Melissa on him. Now, Sydney rides her great-grandfather's horse, Buck. Kummer said it's important that a child should be experienced on a new horse or a new child ride an experienced horse.

"Years ago people used to say a young horse and a young kid learn together but that doesnt work. The horse has got to know something or the kid has got to know something," Kummer said.

Kim agreed, adding that there's a lot of work involved in training a horse that a child may not be able to do with a new horse.

"Training a horse takes a lot of time and energy," Kim said. "If the horse knows nothing and the kid knows nothing, that's just not a good combo."

This is Sydney's first year of being eligible to show a horse, as she just turned 9 in February, and entrants must be eight or older on the first of the year. She will also be showing her work at several of the non-animal 4-H events, such as sewing and decorating. Kim said 4-H is all about kids and their hard work.

"The biggest thing with 4-H in general is work ethic in kids, and the county fair is a culmination of the work they've put into something all year," Kim said. "We're excited she got to show Tuesday for the first time, to have that tradition and love of animals."
When a video of some actors of Yoruba extraction such as Jike Kosoko, Adebayo Salami (Oga Bello), Yinka Quadri and Funke Daramola-Salako surfaced during the week. it was criticised by many Nigerians who felt that celebs should not use their star power to campaign for politicians.

However, in a recent exclusive interview , Kosoko stated that the APC presidential aspirant, Bola Ahmed Tinubu had done a lot for the movie industry. He said, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is not just a leader of note, he is a father figure and benefactor.

I have benefited from him and his wife. As a matter of fact, I have had a relationship with his family for a long time. He is a focused leader; a leader of all leaders.

He has personally developed many people in our industry, especially those that had health challenges. For example, when actress, Moji Olaiya, died in Canada, he was responsible for everything that had to with transporting her body back home.

If you observe his wife, you will see that she is a very quiet woman that does a lot for people. I know the number of sick people (in the industry) that she has also sent money to.

The veteran actor stressed that the former Lagos state governor has been providing immense support to advance the course of the industry.

The film industry has enjoyed Tinubu, as he was the first person to give us several hectares of land in Badagry to construct a film village.

The succeeding administration gave us reasons the place was not conducive enough, and immediately, an effort was made to give us another place in Epe.

Kosoko also stated that Tinubu had often shown interest in the film industry by ensuring that the leadership of associations in the industry was united.

The veteran actor, however, advised the youths to participate in the forthcoming elections by first getting their permanent voters card.
Dakar, June 30, 2022  Authorities in Burkina Faso should investigate and hold accountable those responsible for threats made against journalist Ahmed Newton Barry and ensure his safety, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday.

Barry told CPJ in a phone interview that on June 10 his lawyer sent him an audio clip, then circulating widely in WhatsApp groups, that featured an anonymous voice calling for people to attack Barrys home.

A joint statement by local press associations called on Burkina Faso authorities to immediately investigate the threatening message and hold those responsible to account.

Barry, the former editor-in-chief of the privately owned LEvenement newspaper who now appears as a current affairs commentator for a variety of Burkina Faso media outlets, told CPJ that the clip did not cite any specific reason for the threats, but added that he had recently voiced skepticism of a deal between the Malian government and a Russian mercenary company, which would have been seen as provocative to pro-Russian enthusiasts in the region.

Burkina Faso authorities should thoroughly investigate the threatening message against Newton Ahmed Barry that recently circulated on social media, and ensure his safety, said Angela Quintal, CPJs Africa program coordinator in Johannesburg, South Africa. The security of journalists in Burkina Faso is tenuous enough without their having to worry about a mob being provoked to attack their homes.

In the audio clip, in the local Moore language which Barry translated for CPJ, the speaker identified Barry by name and then said they would organize a hundred people and invade his house. We are going to set fire to it and then destroy everything and collect the rubble that is piled up.

Barry said the threat may be related to comments he made during a May 19 broadcast of Surface de verite, a prime-time program aired by privately owned TV station BF1, in which he criticized the Malian governments work with the Russian mercenary company.

Barry told CPJ that he had shared a copy of the audio with Harouna Yoda, Burkina Fasos attorney general.

As soon as we were informed, we contacted the Central Brigade for the fight against cybercrime, which mobilized other subunits to find the person [who made the threats], Yoda told CPJ in a phone interview, saying that he could not speak further about an ongoing investigation.
The President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Ambassador Professor George Obiozor has reacted to the presidential nominations by the mainstream political parties, namely the All Peoples Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). According to him: Now, it is clear that the Nigerian national political elite have successfully orchestrated to deny the south east an opportunity to produce the president of Nigeria come 2023. By this machination, some Nigerian leaders have demonstrated gross historic injustice towards Ndigbo, beyond our expectations.

Obiozor who is convalescing in a Dubai hospital notes that our country, Nigeria, by their deliberate injustice has failed the Rotary Club International four way tests. Which are:

First-Of the things we think, say or do: Is it the TRUTH?

Second - Is it FAIR to all concerned?

Third - Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?

Fourth - Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

For Ndigbo, I urge us not to lament much but wait for the verdict of history.

In the end, this political manipulation will end in a Pyrrhic victory for those who rejoice and celebrate injustice.

I want to also use this opportunity to appreciate all those Nigerian statesmen and patriots across the country, who supported the idea for the South East to produce the president of Nigeria in 2023, based on Nigerian proven history of rotation of power between the north and the south as well as commitment to equity, justice and fairness.

Obiozor asks a rhetorical question: What does Nigeria want from Ndigbo?
Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo has tasked the International community, particularly the United Nations system on active participatory roles to assist the country and Anambra State.

Governor Soludo was speaking when the United Nations delegation led by the Resident and Humanitarian Cordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Marthias Schmale, paid him a courtesy visit at the Governor's Lodge, Amawbia.

According to the Governor, the visit is significant in the history of the state, pointing out that for many years, the United Nations was without an office in the South East, until his administration came on board.

Speaking on his administration's huge and ambitious agenda for Anambra in the areas of security, law and order, economic transformation, human capital, governance, rule of law and value system and the environment, Professor Soludo emphasized that his government wants to benchmark with the rest of the world in transforming Anambra State into a liveable and prosperous homeland.

While saying that more than half of the indigenous population of Ndi Anambra live outside the state, the Governor announced that his administration will soon inaugurate the Anambra Education council, to further engender qualitative and accessible education, as well as establishing the Strategy Execution and Evaluation, 'SEE' Office.

In his response, Mr. Schmale said their visit was to familiarise with the South East and erase the perception that they are only interested in the North East. He emphasised that though they may not be able to make input in terms of financial assistance, but could assist in areas of technical assistance

He explained that one of their targets is to identify where things are working, learn on it and make sure other countries capitalize on it.

Secretary to the State Government, Professor Solo Chukwulobelu, Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr. Ernest Ezeajughi, Chief of Protocol and Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr. Glamour Nwoye, Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Mrs Chiamaka Nnake among other senior government officials were present at the event.

Christian Aburime

Press Secretary To The Governor


The National Primary HealthCare Development Agency has commended the United States Agency for International Development  funded Breakthrough Action Nigeria, for its Social Behavioural Change advocacies and mobilization which has greatly increased demand for primary healthcare services in Ebonyi State.

Dr Yakubu Suleiman, the Senior Communication Specialist, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency gave the commendation on Friday during the official flag-off of the ongoing 2022 Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week

in Abakaliki, the State capital.

Speaking to newsmen, Suleiman noted with delight that the social mobilization activities of BA -N accounted for the very high turnout of women and children for the exercise in Ebonyi Communities, adding that demand for other basic health services has also increased by the combined efforts of the partners and the State government.

Suleiman said: "We have been asked to come and supervise the MNCHW.

"There is a lot of good news to convey to the national office about Ebonyi State: the ease and political commitment we have identified is one.

"We have been to some rural communities in Izzi and other Local government areas since my arrival, and I saw a large turnout of targeted population for the MNCHW.

"This shows the level of social mobilization the State has achieved through the support activities of Breakthrough Action - Nigeria, and other partners

Yakubu further pledged to stimulate sustainability and increase intervention programmes extended to the State by the NPHCDA.

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Daniel Umezurike had earlier disclosed that the State government was targeting to reach One Million, two hundred and sixty-four thousand, five hundred and six pregnant women and children with medical services in the 2022 MNCH week.

The Commissioner maintained that the State health system was focused on reducing maternal, child and infant morbidity and mortality to the barest minimum in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs.

He stated that the targeted number would be reached through fixed and outreach vaccination strategies.

Umezurike explained: "MNCHW strategy is aimed at scaling up a package of key maternal, Newborn and child survival interventions that have been proven to reduce maternal, neonatal and child mortality, designed along the continuum of care model, to strengthen Nigeria's health system at all levels.

"Through the MNCHW of this year, we target to reach out to 169, 052 pregnant women with iron folate and folic acids; 608, 586 children under 5 years with Vitamin A; 486, 868 children under 5 with deworming tablets, using fixed and outreach vaccination strategies."

Umezuruike appreciated the invaluable support of development partners: WHO, UNICEF, USAID/ Breakthrough Action, Nigeria and USAID- Integrated Health Program towards the success of the event and other routine health services, ranging from capacity strengthening, provision of commodities, community mobilization, coordination, supportive supervision, among other interventions.

The Executive Secretary, State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Mrs Catherine Barry -Oko, in her address, commended the friendly disposition of the State government towards the health of mothers and their children, and enjoined primary health care workers in the State to sustain the zeal.

In their separate goodwill messages, Partners' representatives at the event: the Advocacy and Capacity Building Specialist for BA -N, Mrs Charity Odio; Emmanuel Okike for WHO and Oladipo Akinmade for IHP, appreciated the enabling environment provided by the State government for their smooth intervention programmes.

They pledged their continued availability and commitment in helping the State strengthen its health systems.

The event marked the first official flag-off of the MNCH Week in the State for the past three years due to the effect of COVID-19.
Phuket officials blank first tourist arrivals without Thailand Pass

PHUKET: Phuket officials have yet to recognise the first international tourists to arrive in Phuket without having to register through the Thailand Pass system or be required to have US$10,000 COVID insurance  despite an instant uptick in the number of arrivals recorded yesterday (July 1).

tourismeconomicsCOVID-19

By The Phuket News

Saturday 2 July 2022, 12:43PM

The entry of the last tourist to enter Thailand at Phuket airport under the Thailand Pass system was marked by health officials at the airport. Photo: HKT Quarantine

Phuket Immigration yesterday marked a noticeable increase in the number of international arrivals on the first day of the new measures. Image: Phuket Immigration

Phuket Immigration yesterday marked a noticeable increase in the number of international arrivals on the first day of the new measures that are hoped to help Phukets tourism industry recover.

Immigration officers at the airport reported 4,824 arrivals yesterday. Previously for weeks the number has hovered in the mid- to high-3,000s, dipping to the 2,000s once a week and spiking into the low-4,000s once a week.

The new entry measures for foreigners entering the country came into effect yesterday (July 1). Tourists are no longer required to register through the Thailand Pass system and no longer required to have US$10,000 COVID insurance.

However, international arrivals must present evidence of vaccination for COVID-19, or present negative results from a professionally administered antigen test (ATK) performed within 72 hours of departure.

Airports of Thailand (AoT) staff at Phuket International Airport yesterday afternoon reported the first arrivals under the new relaxed entry measures in a post that was taken down within hours of being posted. (Link to the original post is here.)

The post, marked as issued by the Special Affairs and Public Relations Division at the Phuket Airport Administration Department, noted that Phuket airport General Manager Monchai Tanode and accompanying staff were on hand to welcome the arrivals yesterday. The post included photos showing the staff warmly welcoming the tourists.

AoT Phuket explained that officials were also on hand to randomly spot-check arrivals for proof of vaccination for COVID-19 or testing negative by ATK within 72 hours of departure, as required under the new entry measures.

If a passenger is not vaccinated or has not received the vaccine as scheduled, [officers] will perform an ATK examination for passengers. and if found that the said passenger is infected will proceed for the airline to return immediately, the post said.

A press conference was to be held on the 3rd floor of the domestic terminal building at the airport at 2:50pm, the post noted. However, no report of that presentation has been released.

Instead, AoT Phuket this morning noted an inspection of the airport by Phuket Vice Governor Pichet Panapong to confirm the airports readiness to receive a delegation of representatives from the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) later this month as part of Thailands bid for Phuket to host World Specialised Expo in 2028.

At last report by Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew, the BIE delegation is not to arrive in Phuket until July 25.

However, health officials stationed at the airport yesterday through a post online marked the last person to be cleared to enter Phuket under the Thailand Pass requirements.

The tourist, unamed in the post, was marked as the "3,492nd passenger" to be processed by authorities under the Thailand Pass system "before closing the mission of Thailand Pass at 24.00 on June 30, 2022."

The health officials defended the Thailand Pass registration and authroisation process. "Blamed on occasions for not being able to respond to people all over the place, but Thailand Pass has done its best when the country needs some tools to help screen safe travelers for the safety of the people of the country and for the balance of life," the post said.

"Nothing is perfect in a crisis. In an emergency we just to come together and think and work together so we can move forward," the health officials continued.

"Thailand Pass may not create the kind of smile that you like, like the Thai girls volleyball team or Thepbi Phuriphol, but we are happy that Thailand Pass has come to be part of the operation at the international infectious disease control checkpointa and will develop to be useful in the future.

"We will miss you Thailand Pass," the officials said.
HARRISBURG  State lawmakers gave their final approval to new restrictions on fireworks Friday but the rules will not be in place as July Fourth weekend fireworks light up Pennsylvania skies.

The House voted 163-37 to send the legislation to the desk of Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, whose spokeswoman said he plans to review it. The law would take effect in two months.

The bill would let municipalities restrict the use of fireworks to 10 a.m.-10 p.m. except during July 2-4 and Dec. 31, when they can be used until 1 a.m. The law allows their use on those holidays and over the Memorial and Labor Day weekends.

There are also more severe penalties for improper sales or illegal use.

Those who plan to set them off will have to give nearby livestock owners or managers three days notice before fireworks can be used near an animal housing facility. Local governments now have explicit authority to ban them if there is not a place to use them safely.

A 2017 law greatly liberalized the sale of fireworks in Pennsylvania but also has generated complaints from neighbors. Firefighters say it has resulted in more fires and fire deaths.

Until the 2017 law change, fireworks in Pennsylvania were largely limited to sparklers and similar novelties. The changes permitted the sale of the full array of fireworks that meet federal consumer standards.
Celebrating its 40th anniversary this summer, Montreals iconic Just For Laughs Festival is known for discovering the biggest names in the business. Over four weeks, we are reflecting on the most memorable moments in festival history. Last week, we covered the first decade of its launch, which saw the recognition of a number of comedy icons, from Adam Sandler to Jim Carrey.

1994-2003

The years 1994 through to 2003 continued this reputation  hosting Jimmy Fallon, Jon Stewart and more  saw the introduction of the coveted New Faces showcases and introduced exciting new programming additions.

JFLs New Faces, first introduced during this decade, has become on of the most sought-after showcase by comedians looking to make their big break. It was originally hosted by Greg Proops, and featured a young Todd Barry and Patton Oswalt, marking the beginning of the most reputable comedic program in the industry. Oswalt, who made strides in the industry ever since, will be hosting his own gala at this years festival. Other artists who got their break on New Faces include Kevin Hart, Amy Schumer, Pete Davidson, Colin Jost, and Ali Wong, to name a few.

The festival also welcomed Animation Director David Silverman and Executive Producer/Showrunner David Mirkin to premiere exclusive clips and behind-the-scenes info of the Emmy award-winning TV series, The Simpsons. To this day, the panel is one of the most memorable in JFL history.

Comedians throughout this period continued to get noticed after their sets on the Montreal stage. Jimmy Fallon had a breakout performance for Penn & Teller, which led to his very first development deal. Homegrown Canadian actress, Nia Vardalos performed her solo show My Big Fat Greek Wedding, which incited the production of the blockbuster movie also, starring John Corbett and Lainie Kazan. Following the creation of This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Rick Mercer and his castmates transformed their hit show into a Gala event deemed one of the most spectacular shows in festival history. This year, Rick returns to the festival to host Comedy Night in Canada, a multi-comic lineup showcasing some of todays best Canadian artists.

Additionally, Jon Stewart, who had previously hosted a JFL Gala, returned to the festival with a comedic fire in him, earning the title of one of the all-time best hosts. The American who claims "Thank you Canada. Yeah! following his breakthrough as an actor, star Kevin James performed at the festival and garnered lots of industry attention, landing him The King of Queens deal and the start of his career.

As a new way to partake in the festival, a number of exciting additions allowed creators to make their mark. The Eat My Shorts short film competition invited aspiring filmmakers, screenwriters, and producers worldwide to submit their best work to be seen by the most influential industry players. After submitting their short film, The Spirit of Christmas, South Park co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone gained international attention. In fact, this eventually became the impetus for the Emmy Award-winning series, South Park. Both creators returned to the festival years later for a live table reading of the hit animated show. Further, a few years following the initial launch of the coveted New Faces showcase, a young Orny Adams appeared in the lineup, which resulted in his involvement in Jerry Seinfelds cult classic documentary, Comedian.

JFL from the mid 90s to early 2000s invited a stacked lineup of comedy superstars (Jimmy Fallon, Rick Mercer), introduced film competitions, panels from hit series The Simpsons, and launched the prestigious New Faces showcase. Ever since, getting a spot on New Faces has become every rising stars dream.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the international comedy festival. From July 13 to July 31, festival goers will be able to attend and see the galas, concert shows, club series, OFF-JFL and ComedyPro. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.hahaha.com/en

 Just For Laughs

 AB
Montreal, CA (H4T1V6)

Today

Periods of rain. High 26C. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall possibly over one inch..

Tonight

Showers and thundershowers this evening will give way to steady rain overnight. Low 19C. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%.
The reading list for a Muskego High School English class has become a national talking point after district leaders said staff had to reconsider their selection of a book that delves into the U.S. incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II.

The Wisconsin school district leaders have denied interview requests and issued a vague statement about why the book, When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka, isn't moving forward as part of the Accelerated English curriculum. They said staff had to start over their process for choosing a new book for the class.

In recent weeks, more than 100 parents and others have signed a petition asking the district to accept the book. National organizations and Otsuka herself have weighed in about the value of the text.

Banned books explained: Book bans are on the rise. What are the most banned books and why?

A June 13 school board committee meeting, where the book was not approved, was not recorded, according to Muskego-Norway Schools administrative assistant Laurie Buxengard. The district has not posted or provided minutes, which Buxengard said will be presented at the next board meeting July 18.

Parents in attendance, including Ann Zielke and Alison Hapeman, who support the book, told the Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network, that committee member Laurie Kontney said she thought staff chose the book because it was "diverse" and that should not be the basis of choosing it.

Kontney, in an email, said her words have been spun to meet a narrative and she wants to see a wider pool of book options considered. She also said she didn't think the book was rigorous enough to prepare students for the Advanced Placement English course and exam, arguing the book doesn't appear on lists of top books referenced on the exam or recommended for the AP course.

"When the Emperor was Divine" book cover

She did not grant interview requests to discuss the issue further.

Superintendent Kelly Thompson, committee chair Terri Boyer and board president Christopher Buckmaster also have not agreed to interviews with the Journal Sentinel.

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Boyer did send a statement saying the book didnt move forward because of concerns that the selection process had been discriminatory. She didnt explain what that meant, or say what may have been discriminatory about the process.

Another board member who was in attendance but not on the committee, Brett Hyde, said committee members seemed to think the point of view of the book, of Japanese people being incarcerated, was too similar to an excerpt from another book taught in the class.

District staff first asked the board for approval of the book, along with four other new reading materials for other classes, in April, after an internal selection process. In the staff memo, they said the book was chosen as an update as part of a College Board review cycle.

While the board approved materials for the other classes, Otsuka's novel was held for weeks before being sent back to staff for reconsideration. Boyer didn't clarify whether staff could recommend the same book after going through the process again.

Zielke, a district parent who has been speaking out and organizing support for the book since it came up in April, said she hopes the board will reopen discussion about the book and hear from specialists in diversity in education.

"There are members of the community who didnt feel heard in this process, or seen or cared about," she said.

'Handmaid's Tale' is a best seller again: Margaret Atwood's classic novel is a post-Roe v. Wade best seller

Board members say book 'too poetic,' suggest a 'different angle'

Of the three-person board committee, Tracy Blair was the only committee member to talk to the Journal Sentinel.

Blair said her problem with the book was that she "didnt feel it was a very good book, was too poetic, and had bad reviews online. She also didnt like that the characters didnt have names.

It was just a hard book to read, Blair said in an interview. She had too much poetry in it.

Asked why she thought staff had chosen the book, Blair said she didnt know, as it was her first meeting as part of the committee.

The book, published in 2002, was well-received by literary critics and has won awards from the American Library Association, the Asian American Writers' Workshop and  just this year  the Children's Literature Association.

Hyde said, from what he heard at the meeting, committee members felt the book was too similar in terms of the viewpoint and the timeframe to a chapter from Farewell to Manzanar.

The view was coming from the same point  both people who were interned at the camp, and I dont think that the committee felt that was a broad enough selection, as far as trying to get a different angle on everything," he said.

Jesmyn Ward honored: Author becomes youngest person to win Library of Congress fiction prize

Hyde suggested there could be reading material from another "angle," such as something about the Pearl Harbor attack that would provide some history as to why the citizens of Japanese descent were viewed as a threat and what was the reasoning to have them put into the internment camps.

The debate over the book comes as conservative school board candidates nationwide, including Kontney, have run campaigns demanding more oversight of curriculum materials and opposing diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.

"Many of the topics around 'social justice' are no longer about social justice, rather, targeted propaganda designed to divide people and teach our children to not love our country," Kontney wrote on her campaign's Facebook page in March, before the book came before the committee.

Hyde, asked whether he thought the political movement of scrutinizing diverse curriculum was influencing the debate, said there is a concern about going too far teaching one part of history or one part of social ideas.

"I do think the concern is out there that we want to make sure that we don't miss out on the American culture that we've grown up with," he said, noting that he didn't think classes should focus too much on certain parts of history  like the incarceration of Japanese Americans.

We shouldn't focus on it and have all that we're teaching are the mistakes that have been made in the past, again, by a culture that we have absolutely no right to judge based on our moral standards today, Hyde said.

Book's author believes lessons more important than ever

After the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941, U.S. authorities forcibly removed nearly all of the 120,000 Japanese people in the country from their homes and incarcerated them in remote areas under harsh conditions for most of the war. Two-thirds were U.S. citizens.

A congressional commission that studied the incarceration concluded it had been based on racism, pointing out that no mass detention was ordered against German and Italian Americans.

President Ronald Reagan later officially apologized on behalf of the U.S. government and authorized $20,000 in reparations for each internee who was still alive.

Otsuka, the book's author, said it's important for students to learn from the past and consider how racism against Asian Americans persists today.

Given the level of hatred that Asian Americans are experiencing in this current moment  every time we step out onto the street we are fearful  I think it is more important than ever that students learn about this countrys racist past," Otsuka said in a statement provided to the Journal Sentinel.

She continued: "For so long we have been seen as foreign, as the other, and if, by reading my novel, students are able to better understand  and empathize with  a family that may not resemble theirs at all, then I will consider my job done. Reading is a radical act of empathy.

The Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation, which shares the legacy of a location where over 14,000 Japanese people were incarcerated, Tweeted an invitation to the school district leaders to meet with them virtually or in person to talk about the history.

The executive director of the Japanese American Citizens League, David Inoue, also weighed in with a letter to board members.

"The call for a 'balanced' viewpoint in the context of the incarceration of Japanese Americans is deeply problematic, and racist, and plays into the same fallacies the United States Army used to justify the incarceration," Inoue said.

The Wisconsin chapter of the League recently shared the family stories of its members as part of an exhibit at Jewish Museum Milwaukee about the WWII incarceration. Those videos are also available on the chapter's YouTube page.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Banned books: School board blocks book about WWII Japanese Americans
Russian forces are pounding the city of Lysychansk and its surroundings in an all-out attempt to seize the last stronghold of resistance in eastern Ukraines Luhansk province
VADNAIS HEIGHTS, Minn. (AP)  The bodies of three young children and a woman believed to be their mother have been recovered from a Minnesota lake, and authorities say the deaths are being investigated as a triple murder-suicide.

Meanwhile, the body of the children's father was found at a different location hours earlier. Names had not been released as of Saturday afternoon. The children, all under the age of 5, were two boys and a girl.
Friday's court appearance for a Collinsville man charged with murder was brief, but it served as a segue as to what comes next.

Robert "Bobby" J. Tarr made his first court appearance with his new attorney, Montgomery County Public Defender Erin Mattson, and set Friday, July 22, for his first in-person court hearing. It is scheduled for 11 a.m.

Tarr has been in custody at the Montgomery County Jail since his arrest in the shooting death of his ex-girlfriend, Leslie Reeves of Troy, and the shooting of her date, Chris Smith of Farmersville, at Smith's Farmersville home in the overnight hours before Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 2021.

Tarr is charged with three counts of first-degree murder in Reeves' death and attempted first-degree murder in Smith's shooting.

Read more: Accused killer left home twice the night of Farmersville homicide

Mattson told the court she needs one hour for a hearing to discuss pretrial motions. She mentioned the possibility of motions involving privileges and evidence, but nothing has been formally filed. Tarr himself handwrote a motion to the court regarding his personal property in evidence that does not pertain to the case.

Mattson also said she believes an agreement could be reached in the unspecified motions.

Resident Circuit Judge Jim Roberts said he prefers in-person hearings when they are "matters of substance" and cited motions brought forth to the court.

Roberts also pointed out the case's status has been in the pre-trial status for a few months, but Mattson said, "I'm not ready to set a jury trial yet." She also hinted at the possibility it could be set at the July 22 hearing.

Sharon Costanza, the mother of Chris Smith, was not present for Friday's hearing, and when asked if she'd attend the in-person hearing at the Montgomery County Courthouse she hesitated and said, "We'll have to sit back and think about this." She said she'd like to bring Smith who has been steadily learning how to walk again after being shot in the head and suffering multiple strokes during his hospital stay.

Watch: 'I should've listened to my gut feeling,' shooting survivor says

Tarr's first in-person hearing would also be the first time friends and family of Reeves and Smith would be in the same public setting as he since the incident occurred.

Nanette Stuiber, Reeves' close friend, said being in the courtroom with Tarr present would make her emotional and "sick to my stomach," but she won't be alone.

"I think there's probably some of us going," Stuiber said.

Reeves' was well-known in her community as a business owner and advocate for women.

"She texted me (that night)," Stuiber said. "She was telling me she was having a nice time, but something felt off."

Read more: Well-known Troy businesswoman and advocate killed, ex-boyfriend charged
EDWARDSVILLE  A Cottage Hills man faces multiple drug- and weapons-related charges filed Wednesday by the Madison County States Attorneys Office.

William C. Forbes, 63, of Cottage Hills, was charged June 29 with armed violence, unlawful possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine and unlawful possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, all Class X felonies unlawful possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, a Class 1 felony; two counts of unlawful possession of weapons by a felon, both Class 3 felonies; and escape, a Class 3 felony.

The case was presented by the Madison County Sheriffs Department.

According to court documents, on June 28 Forbes allegedly had 15-100 grams of methamphetamine, 15 grams or more of LSD or its components, and 1 gram or more of cocaine, all with intent to deliver. He also allegedly had a .22 caliber Chiappa revolver and a .22 caliber American Tactical Firefly semi-automatic handgun, and he allegedly failed to return from a furlough on or before Jan. 12, 2022 after a 2021 conviction for felony driving while license revoked out of Madison County.

The armed violence charge stems from the presence of weapons during the drug-related crimes.

It was noted that the felony conviction makes it illegal for him to possess weapons.

In November Forbes was charged for the seventh time for driving while license revoked. Court records at the time noted his license was revoked in 1985 for a DUI and he has convictions for driving while revoked in 1985, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1997, 1998, 2007 and 2020.

Bail was set at $200,000.

In an unrelated case, Darius D. Hearn, 21, of Alton, was charged June 3 with aggravated discharge of a firearm, a Class 1 felony; failure to report an accident involving personal injury or death, a Class 2 felony; and reckless discharge of a firearm, a Class 4 felony.

The charges were suppressed June 3 and released June 30. The case was presented by the Alton Police Department.

According to court documents, Hearn allegedly was driving a vehicle in the 300 block of Mitchell Street Alton, and had knowledge of or gave consent to his passenger to fire a gun from the vehicle. He allegedly was involved in an accident at the intersection of Mitchell and Belle streets that resulted in injuries to a 16-year-old girl but failed to report the accident.

Bail was set at $150,000.

Other felony charges filed June 30 include:

 Todd A. Willis Jr., 33, of East St. Louis, was charged with unlawful possession of weapons by a felon, a Class 3 felony. The case was presented by the Granite City Police Department. According to court documents, on June 29 Willis allegedly had a Taurus 9 mm handgun. He has a 2013 conviction for domestic battery (second subsequent offense) out of Madison County, making him ineligible to possess weapons. Bail was set at $50,000.

 Jaila K. Lane, 25, of Cahokia, was charged with aggravated battery, a Class 3 felony. The case was presented by the Madison County Sheriffs Department. On June 29 Lane allegedly struck a man in the face and arms with a tire iron. Bail was set at $50,000.

 Melissa Minton, 28, listed as homeless out of Granite City, was charged with aggravated battery, a Class 3 felony. The case was presented by the Alton Police Department. On June 29 Minton allegedly struck a senior citizen in the face with a closed fist. Bail was set at $30,000.

 Mary E. Pinkerton, 49, of Granite City, was charged with aggravated assault, a Class 4 felony; and resisting a peace officer, a Class A misdemeanor. The case was presented by the Granite City Police Department. On June 30 Pinkerton allegedly took a swing at a Granite City police officer and resisted the officers attempts to arrest her. Bail was set at $30,000.

 John W. Burch III, 43, of Highland, was charged with criminal damage to property over $500, a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the Highland Police Department. On April 21 Burch allegedly caused in excess of $500 damage to a slot machine owned by Prairie State Gaming, and located at 1 Central Boulevard, Highland. Bail was set at $15,000.
Exclusive-Canada sees Repsol LNG as fastest way to boost gas supply to Europe FILE PHOTO: Canada's Environment Minister Guilbeault speaks in the House of Commons in Ottawa

By Steve Scherer

OTTAWA (Reuters) -Canada's East Coast has only enough natural gas supply to accommodate one new liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility, and the project that would boost shipments to Europe the fastest is Repsol's, Canada's environment minister told Reuters.

In May, Canada said it was in talks with Spanish company Repsol's LNG facility in New Brunswick and Pieridae Energy, which has proposed building an LNG facility in Nova Scotia, about increasing exports to Europe.

"The amount of gas that is available would be available only for one facility at this point," Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said in an interview late on Wednesday, adding the idea of constructing new gas pipelines in Canada was not "very realistic".

"Repsol is probably the fastest project that could be deployed because it requires minimal permitting - there's already an existing facility, (and a) gas line is right there," Guilbeault said.

The vast majority of Canada's natural gas is produced in the western provinces of Alberta and British Columbia.

Europe is seeking to diversify its energy supplies as it pivots away from Russian oil and gas after the invasion of Ukraine. Canada's foreign minister said on Wednesday talks had taken place with its European allies, including Spain and Germany, about increasing its East Coast exports.

Canada, the world's sixth-largest natural gas producer according to 2020 figures, does not currently have any functioning LNG facilities, though one is under construction on the West Coast.

Canada is seeking to increase oil and gas exports by 300,000 barrels per day by the end of this year to help improve global energy security, but in the short term can do no more, Guilbeault said.

Making the current Repsol LNG import facility in Saint John, New Brunswick, also an export facility may help lift supply in the medium term, as long as the facility respects Canada's requirements for steady reductions of carbon and methane emissions, he said.

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"So it's a project that could be deployed rather rapidly, but we're still talking about some years" before it could export LNG to Europe, Guilbeault said, referring to the Repsol project.

When asked about the minister's comments, Repsol said in a statement it "will look at any/all business that enhances or creates value at the Saint John LNG, including the potential to add liquefaction capabilities to the existing facility."

While Canada has said it is keen to help its European allies, the government is also seeking to reduce its carbon emissions to net zero by 2050, and it has regularly missed its reduction goals in the past.

Approving new fossil fuel projects at this stage would appear to run against its climate goals.

Guilbeault said he had conversations with German officials about increasing gas flows, adding they want the new LNG facility to be converted to exporting hydrogen instead of gas long before 2050.

The Germans are "very keen on finding ways to convert these LNG facilities to hydrogen as soon as the technology is available," he said.

(Reporting by Steve SchererAdditional reporting by Isla Binnie in MadridEditing by Barbara Lewis and Mark Potter)
ALTON  Each week award-winning photographer John Badman of The Telegraph captures images of the Riverbend.

Here is a sampling of his photographs from this week. They also appear in the weekend issue of The Telegraph.
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP)  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pressed on with his campaign to obtain support from Latin America with calls Friday to the leaders of Argentina and Chile.

I continue to establish relations with an important region  Latin America, Zelenskyy wrote on social media.

The conversations with Alberto Fernandez of Argentina and Gabriel Boric of Chile came a little more than two weeks after Zelenskyy spoke with Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso and Guatemalans President Alejandro Giammattei.

At the time, Zelenskyy said in a speech that the conversations with Lasso and Giammattei marked the beginning of our new policy of restoring relations with Latin America.

Fernandez held a 35-minute call with Ukraines leader, in which he offered help in any negotiations that may take place with Russia, Argentinas government said in a news release.

As the current head of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, Fernandez told Zelenskyy, Latin America is a continent of peace that rejects the use of force and promotes dialogue to resolve conflicts, according to the release.

Before the war, Fernandez was moving to improve relations with Russia. In a sit-down with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in early February, Fernandez said Argentina should become the entry door to Latin America for Russia. Fernandez later condemned Russias invasion.

Boric wrote on social media that in his convesation with Zelenskyy he expressed my solidarity and our willingness to support the condemnations of the invasion in international organizations.

Ukraine has a friend in South America, Boric added.

Zelenskyy wrote that he thanked Boric for his countrys support in the United Nations and discussed the possibility of involving Chilean specialists in demining.
How do we respond if a child wants to know what the recently passed federal gun reform legislation means?

We should meet any questions with clarity, patience and a great degree of empathy.

With our youths internet and social media access, they are aware of what is happening in our society. They are learning about mass shootings and other acts of violence that are happening at rates we have never seen: There have been over 250 mass shootings so far this year, according to the nonprofit research group Gun Violence Archive. The unconscionable act in late May of a lone gunman slaughtering 19 children and two adults in Uvalde, Texas, has caused fear and uncertainty in our children. Some feel like it could happen to them.

As we work to reassure our youths of their safety, how we talk about violence will affect how they understand it and who they perceive as causing it. I recall growing up and hearing the word boogeyman bandied about. While we children could not reach a consensus on how to define it, we knew it meant something that could do us harm. How we describe and define violence and those who are doing us harm is no different.

Cases like the Uvalde tragedy and similarly shocking shootings at Columbine High School shooting in 1999 and Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, indeed, require full discussions that may require social and emotional support.

At the same time, not every violent act should be met with that type of response. If we dont guard against that tendency, we stand the risk of creating extreme fear in our youths, which could lead to the development of hypervigilance. Psychologists define hypervigilance as extreme alertness or an over-awareness. Its often linked to adverse psychosocial outcomes. Its symptomatic of larger issues and causes. Their feelings of security rest with how we interpret, understand and communicate our beliefs to them.

How we help our youths understand the importance of this gun reform legislation will influence how they value it. Its essential to let them know that the deaths of 19 children  their peers  and two adults in Texas were instrumental in getting gun reform legislation passed. The fact that Congress achieved bipartisan support for this kind of reform, something not seen in decades, is more than noteworthy. It should demonstrate to our youths that collectively we want this nation to be a better place for them.

Lets use it as a teachable moment to inspire and uplift our youths. Their lives are filled with so much information from social media platforms that is often negative. Fortunately, this legislation is positive in nature and sends the message that their lives matter to all of us. Representatives from all over the country came together to protect their futures.

The legislations overarching goals and objectives are more than clear and can be readily explained to our youths. Simply put, the legislation aims to save lives. It shows how our country can come together for the better good when we work together.

We often talk to our youths about finding common ground. Unfortunately, in far too many cases, we dont practice this. Our politics seem to give only lip service to this principle, while emphasizing differences and perpetuating divisiveness. Seeking to find dissimilarities only results in finding them. And then we are still left to answer the question: What do we do now?

Perhaps this gun reform legislation is a watershed moment, a change from years past, and a time in history that we will fondly remember. American innovator Henry Ford once said, Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is a success.

This was a success that our youths can certainly be proud of. They need us to continue to work together, find areas of agreement and not use words to denigrate one another. We all benefit from this approach.

So, if our youths ask about this historic piece of legislation, take the time to let them know that it was written for them because they matter beyond words.
Westerly, RI (02891)

Today

Mixed clouds and sun with scattered thunderstorms. High 78F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Scattered showers and thunderstorms, especially during the evening. Low 71F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
'Does my boot look big in this?' is a fair question to ask of the new all-electric Citroen e-C4 X.

The French marque has given a distinctive derriere to its 4.6m-long, four-door fastback alternative to mid-sized models.

With a 510-litre boot and roomy interior, the 100kW powertrain offers a range of up to 224 miles, fitting in between the existing C4 hatch and flagship C5 X.

Good question: The French marque has given a distinctive derriere to its 4.6m-long, four-door fastback alternative to mid-sized models

Its being sold in the UK and many European markets only as a pure electric car.

Expect prices from 33,000, with first deliveries by spring 2023.

Citroen says its 'capacious' 510-litre boot volume, roomy interior, and 'outstanding rear knee room' makes it the ideal for everyday use in cities by families, and by professional drivers or chauffeur businesses.

With a 510-litre boot and roomy interior, the 100kW powertrain offers a range of up to 224 miles, fitting in between the existing C4 hatch and flagship C5 X

Its being sold in the UK and many European markets only as a pure electric car

Expect prices from 33,000, with first deliveries by spring 2023

Citroen says its 'capacious' 510-litre boot volume, roomy interior, and 'outstanding rear knee room' makes it the ideal for everyday use

Citroen CEO Vincent Cobee said: 'Many customers have told us they want an affordable, responsible and elegant alternative to the mass of hatchback and SUV offerings in the volume compact car segment, and this is our best interpretation of that need.'

Hyundais newly revealed all-electric Tesla-rivalling Ioniq 6

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Citroen should be greatly pleased by Korean car giant Hyundais newly revealed all-electric Tesla-rivalling Ioniq 6.

Flattery: , Citroen should be greatly pleased by Korean car giant Hyundais newly revealed all-electric Tesla-rivalling Ioniq 6

Its the stylistic spitting image of the French marques classic curvaceously sweeping C6 saloon sold from 2006 to 2012.

And theres just a hint of Mercedes-Benz in the rear tail. Expect prices from around 40,000 when order books open later this year ahead of deliveries in 2023.

Honoured to be shortlisted

I am honoured to have been shortlisted in five categories for the UKs motoring Oscars  the Newspress Automotive Awards.

These are for: news, consumer, feature writer, electric vehicle writer and motoring editor of the year.

The winners will be announced on Thursday July 21 at an awards event at Bicester Heritage. Good luck to all fellow finalists.
For some, investing is a source of fascination. Others are motivated by the need to provide for the future, but even they can get caught up in the excitement of a new share issue.

An IPO (initial public offering) or flotation seems to offer the chance of a stake in a success story that's possibly destined for even greater things.

There are thrills and spills along the way. In 2021 a record 1,095 companies went public worldwide. Bens Creek, a UK company that mines coal for steel making, made its stock market debut at 10p. Its shares now stand at 42p.

Shares in Nightcap, the night club business, also floated at 10p. They have risen to 15.75p.

By contrast, shares in Cellular Goods, the cannabis skincare product company backed by David Beckham (pictured top) have slumped by 78pc since their February 2021 market debut.

And food delivery service Deliveroo (which I hold) has also been a disaster. But at least I was able to apply for shares in that IPO, which is rarely the case for ordinary individuals, who are still often shut out in favour of institutions.

The stockbroker Peel Hunt is now offering a service allowing easier access to IPOs for clients of AJ Bell, Hargreaves Lansdown and Interactive Investor. It says that private investors were able to take part in just 21 of the 182 flotations in the UK since October 2020.

It may be true, as Warren Buffett preaches, that 'an IPO involves an informed seller thinking it's a pretty good time to sell,' but we should still be permitted to make an assessment of a company's prospects. Those who invested in the IPO of the online retail player The Hut Group (THG) in September 2020 will be dismayed by its subsequent descent from 500p to 83p. But they were not denied the opportunity to participate.

As Richard Wilson, chief executive of Interactive Investor, argues, the strategy of exclusion will not build a 'nation of investors'.

Wilson wants the Treasury to introduce 'prescriptive rules, enshrined in legislation' to end the marginalisation.

He says: 'IPOs can be risky, and the research is mixed  but it does suggest that the best time to be involved in a typical one tends to be before it begins trading on the stock market.'

Oxford Nanopore, the gene sequencing company, highlights this. Its shares, offered to institutions only in September 2021 at 425p, bounced by 28 per cent at the start of trading. The sense of injustice over this and other examples of exclusion has not gone away, although economic gloom means there has been a dearth of IPOs in London this year.

Gymshark, the athleisure company and Burger King's UK arm were among those poised to list.

The cost of living squeeze has been a reason to delay for companies that depend on free-spending consumers.

Another factor is the dire performance of Spacs (special purpose acquisition companies), the shells used by some businesses to go public on Wall Street.

The CNBC SPAC Post Deal Index made up of these erstwhile stars has dropped by close to 50 per cent this year. It is said that companies and their advisers may be waiting to see the reception accorded to Haleon this month.

This 50billion company, whose brands include Panadol and Sensodyne, is being spun off by GlaxoSmithKline. Existing investors will receive one GSK share and one new Haleon share.

If the Haleon shares surge, this could be a sign that the markets' mood is more sanguine.

During this hiatus, you may be pondering the purchase of shares in some of the businesses that floated in 2021 at possibly inflated prices. But some fund managers are yet to be persuaded that bargains are appearing.

Alexandra Jackson of the Rathbone UK Opportunities fund has been looking at Oxford Nanopore, whose shares have suffered a reverse, tumbling to 304p: 'But we are not buying for the moment if only because there could be another stock market decline.'

Should the Treasury ensure that you get the chance to apply, when IPOs resume, do bear in mind the Buffett dictum.

David Coombs of Rathbones comments: 'Remember that private equity owners may have laden up a business with debt, or that the founders may be ready to quit. Don't be too comfortable just because the company is a household name  Aston Martin shares have halved since its IPO.'

Although private investors may be treated as second class citizens in most IPOs, one industry does welcome your cash.

Healthcare, property and renewable energy infrastructure investment trusts have raised about 4billion this year in share placings.

Through this route, I have put money into trusts like Gore Street Energy Storage using Primary Bid, the app that helps ordinary people invest in IPOs and placings. But this democratisation has a great deal further to go.
Just over two weeks ago, Inchcape, the car dealership and sales group, released an unexpected trading update.

Having told shareholders back in April that profits would be around 300million for 2022, chief executive Duncan Tait said the group was now likely to do considerably better than that.

With sales and margins moving at pace and order books at record levels, Tait suggested full year profits would be closer to 370million, a 54 per cent increase over 2021 underlying figures.

Sales drive: Inchcape has over 100 dealerships in the UK but more overseas, including Australia and the Caribbean

The news was a surprise to City analysts, who quickly upgraded their forecasts for the company. But it was perhaps even more of a shock to the wider market. After all, prevailing wisdom has it that the motor industry is struggling, as sales fall and supply chains buckle.

Inchcape's current performance indicates that theory may be wrong.

It operates just over 100 dealerships in the UK, selling around 80,000 cars a year, from top brands, such as Mercedes, Porsche and Jaguar, to runarounds like Toyota and Volkswagen.

Electric vehicles and hybrids add to the mix, with a healthy sprinkling of used cars too. The business helps Inchcape to form close bonds with big carmakers, but it is small beer from a profit perspective.

Inchcape makes the vast majority of its money overseas, operating in 40 countries around the world, from big developed economies such as Australia and New Zealand to tiny Pacific islands such as Guam.

The firm also works in a host of Latin American, African and Caribbean states, as well as many smaller European countries, from Romania and Bulgaria to Belgium and Luxembourg.

In these regions, Inchcape acts as a distributor rather than just a dealer. That means the company does pretty much everything for car producers apart from actually making their vehicles.

They bring cars from the factory gate, set up clever marketing strategies, sell the cars and handle servicing and repairs as well.

The markets where Inchcape operates vary hugely but share certain characteristics. Consumers want to be able to buy cars easily and cost-effectively and carmakers want to work with firms they can trust. Inchcape ticks both boxes.

The company has long had a reputation for reliability and integrity, qualities that carmakers really seek out, especially the more upmarket brands, where reputation is paramount.

Under Tait, however, Inchcape has made a real push in the digital world  so that would-be car owners can do almost everything online, including customising vehicles and securing finance. Some places will even deliver new cars to the home so motorists do not need to set foot in a showroom.

Going online: Inchcape is making inroads into the digital world, which makes sense given 90% of customers start their search for a new car on the internet

The digital push makes sense. More than 90 per cent of consumers the world over start looking for a car online.

Tait and his crew make it their business to put the carmakers they work for near the top of the pile. The group is also investing heavily so that consumers can find what they need once their search becomes serious.

Inchcape performs all kinds of clever analysis too so it can work out which cars are most likely to appeal to certain markets and how best to make the buying process as effortless as possible.

All these tactics are really bearing fruit. In Chile, for example, Inchcape recently took over a dealership which was selling 400 Volvos a year. This year, it is forecast to sell more than 4,000.

This is the type of growth that Tait is looking for. Around 90 million cars are sold each year, of which 17 million are sold by independent distributors.

Inchcape is the largest of the breed but it has little more than 1 per cent of the market, a percentage Tait intends to increase organically and by acquiring smaller distributors, many of which find it hard to keep up with the demands of top car firms.

The group is keen to up its game in the used car market too, and Tait is making a determined effort in the electric vehicle sector, even in countries where charging networks are relatively undeveloped.

Challenges remain. Earlier this year, Inchcape moved out of Russia, selling its highly profitable Russian business to management.

Looking ahead, there may be dips here and there, if economic pressures become deeper and more widespread.

Yet Inchcape is robust and cash-generative, and it operates in places where car ownership is a real aspiration because it can transform lives and livelihoods.

As such, brokers expect sustained sales and profits growth over the next few years, accompanied by rising dividends  27.55p for 2022, 28.9p for next year and almost 33p in 2024.

Midas verdict: At the beginning of this year, Inchcape shares were 9.40. Today they are 6.91, even after the recent profits upgrade. The slide reflects wider market worries about economic growth but it does not reflect Inchcape's long-term prospects or its proven resilience over many years. The stock is a buy  and the dividend provides an income kicker too.

Traded on: Main market Ticker: INCH Contact: inchcape.com or 020 7546 0022
Shell may have to write off an investment of more than 3billion in a major Russian gas project after Vladimir Putin moved to seize control of the site.

The Kremlin has drawn up plans to transfer ownership of the Sakhalin-2 plant, located in the far east of the country, to a new Russian firm citing national and economic security interests.

Putin has given the project's backers a month to decide whether they will take a holding in the new company, meaning those that refuse could lose all their money. Shell owns nearly 28 per cent of the Sakhalin-2 plant worth around 3.4billion.

The energy company said it was 'assessing the implications' of the decision.

'As a shareholder, Shell has always acted in the best interests of Sakhalin-2 and in accordance with all applicable legal requirements,' it added.

Shell shares dropped 0.6 per cent, or 13p, to 2121p following the announcement. The oil giant previously pledged to exit the project and make no further investments in Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.

Shell boss Ben van Beurden said the firm was making progress in discussions over a sale, with several Chinese state-run energy firms thought to be interested.

But the latest development means the company may be left out of pocket if it fails to secure a buyer within the one-month time frame.

Two Japanese firms, Mitsui and Mitsubishi, also hold large stakes in the project but have already decided to continue backing Sakhalin-2 to keep exports flowing.

Moscow is seeking to tighten the screw on global energy markets in response to western sanctions imposed following the outbreak of the Ukraine war. The situation has caused oil and gas prices to spiral.
Editor's note: This page recaps the news from Ukraine on Friday, July 1.

KYIV, Ukraine  At least 21 people were killed and 30 injured in a Russian missile strike early Friday in southern Ukraines Odesa region, authorities said, a day after Russian troops abandoned their positions on an island off the coast of Odesa that has become a symbol of the Ukrainians' stiff resistance.

Sergei Bratchuk, a spokesman for Odesa's military administration, said the missiles were launched by aircraft in the Black Sea and struck a nine-story apartment building. At least two of the dead were children and three other kids were rescued from the rubble. Video of the attack before daybreak showed the charred ruins of buildings in the small town of Serhiivka.

Ukrainian authorities interpreted the attack as payback for Russian troops being forced off Snake Island, a tiny rocky outcrop south of Odesa and just 30 miles from European Union nation Romania's closest coastal city. Moscow, however, called its Thursday withdrawal a "gesture of goodwill" over allegations it is blocking grain exports from Ukrainian ports.

Ukrainian civilians are being killed and injured every day by Russian missile strikes and artillery shelling. On Monday, at least 18 people were killed and dozens injured in a missile strike on a shopping mall in Kremenchuk, in central Ukraine. About 1,000 people were in the mall at the time and at least 20 are still missing.

USA TODAY ON TELEGRAM: Join our Russia-Ukraine war channel to receive updates straight to your phone

MAPPING AND TRACKING: Russia's invasion of Ukraine

Latest developments

 Russian President Vladimir Putin has handed full control over a major oil and natural gas project partly owned by Shell and two Japanese companies to a newly created Russian firm, a bold move amid spiraling tensions with the West over Moscow's military action in Ukraine.

 An international film festival in the Czech spa town of Karlovy Vary kicked off Friday amid controversy following a protest by Ukraine against the scheduled screening of a Russian movie, Captain Volkonogov Escaped.

Story continues

Russian forces deliberately dropped two 1,000-plus-pound bombs on the Mariupol theater that was being used as a shelter March 16, resulting in a mass killing of civilians that amounted to a war crime, according to evidence cited in a report Thursday by the rights group Amnesty International.

WNBA star Brittney Griner's trial for drug charges in Russia began Friday, but experts say it will probably lack legitimacy. Read more here.

In this photo provided by the Odesa Regional Prosecutor's Office, a damaged residential building is seen in Odesa, Ukraine, early Friday following Russian missile attacks.

Russian missile that killed 18 not designed to avoid civilian casualties

The Russian missile used in the deadly strike on the shopping mall in Ukraine on June 27 was designed to attack ships, a senior defense official said Friday. The missile did not have the accuracy needed to avoid civilian casualties in an urban environment.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe intelligence assessments, described Russia's use of the anti-ship missile as reckless, and Russian commanders could have expected it to kill or wound civilians. The attack killed at least 18 people.

 Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY

US to send additional $820M in aid to Ukraine, including missile systems

The United States will send $820 million more in aid to Ukraine, including missile systems, officials announced Friday.

Included in the package are two systems called NASAMS, a Norwegian-developed anti-aircraft system currently used to protect airspace around government buildings in Washington. The Pentagon will also provide additional ammunition for HIMARS rocket systems given to Ukraine in June.

The newest round of aid brings the U.S.' total commitment to about $8.8 billion to Ukraine, $7 billion of it since Russia invaded Ukraine in February.

Biden vows US, NATO allies will stand with Ukraine 'for as long as it takes'

Speaking in Madrid, President Joe Biden vowed Thursday the U.S. and its NATO allies would back Ukraine "for as long as it takes" in its war with Russia.

Russia is paying "a very, very heavy price" for its decision to invade Ukraine, Biden said, during a news conference in Madrid at the close of a six-day trip to Europe, which included a summit of NATO leaders.

"I don't know how it's going to end," Biden said of the war, "but it will not end with a Russian defeat of Ukraine."

 Francesca Chambers and Michael Collins, USA TODAY

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ukraine updates: At least 21 dead in Russian missile strike near Odesa
In recognition of Canada's 155th birthday we present this photo from the ISS: The Ottawa River separates the provinces of Ontario and Quebec. (Oct 14, 2020) NASA

The seven Expedition 67 crew members are going into the weekend with a host of microgravity research and housekeeping activities.

The four astronauts and three cosmonauts will also relax on Monday observing the Fourth of July U.S. holiday aboard the International Space Station.

NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren and Bob Hines participated in a robotics test on Friday. The duo practiced simulated robotics maneuvers on a computer for the Behavioral Core Measures space psychology study. The investigation may provide insights into behavioral health and performance issues crews may face separated from family and friends while on missions farther away from Earth.

NASA Flight Engineer Jessica Watkins set up acoustic monitors in the Kibo laboratory module, the Tranquility module, and the Zvezda service module on Friday. Mission controllers want to ensure station noise levels remain acceptable.

ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti started Friday checking samples for the Soft Matter Dynamics fluid physics study potentially impacting the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries among others. Cristoforetti also serviced combustion research hardware and installed new software to maintain operations and support ongoing science inside an EXPRESS rack.

In the Russian segment of the orbiting lab, Commander Oleg Artemyev had a hearing test then moved on and set up hardware to measure activity in the Earths upper atmosphere. Flight Engineer Denis Matveev studied ways future crew members might pilot spacecraft and robots on planetary missions. Flight Engineer Sergey Korsakov collected his blood and saliva samples for an experiment investigating how the immune system adapts to long-term spaceflight.

All seven space station crew members will spend Saturday on housekeeping activities such as disinfecting surfaces, vacuuming dust, and clearing vents for better airflow. Also on Saturday, the NanoRacks Bishop airlock will open up to the vacuum of space for the first time and jettison a trash container toward Earths atmosphere for a fiery, but safe disposal. The crew will then relax on Sunday and Monday enjoying a long Fourth of July weekend.

On-Orbit Status Report

Payloads:

Behavioral Core Measures (BCM): The crew performed a BCM research session consisting of a set of 12 runs/tests. The Standardized Behavioral Measures for Detecting Behavioral Health Risks during Exploration Missions (Behavioral Core Measures) experiment initially examined a suite of measurements to reliably assess the risk of adverse cognitive or behavioral conditions and psychiatric disorders during long-duration spaceflight, and evaluated the feasibility of those tests within the operational and time constraints of spaceflight for two crewmembers. Subsequent subjects perform a subset of the original activities to measure the performance capabilities of deconditioned crew members to complete either individual or crew telerobotic operations within the first 24 hours after landing. This information could help characterize what tasks a crewmember who has spent months in weightlessness can reasonably be expected to perform after landing on the surface of Mars.

Cold Atom Lab (CAL): A visual inspection was performed of the CAL Moderate Temperature Loop (MTL) Jumper to check for leaks and report any observed leakage. The MTL Jumper has been susceptible to a small leak and periodic crew monitoring has been implemented while the ground assesses future remediation options. The CAL produces clouds of atoms that are chilled to about one ten billionth of a degree above absolute zero  much colder than the average temperature of deep space. At these low temperatures, atoms have almost no motion, allowing scientists to study fundamental behaviors and quantum characteristics that are difficult or impossible to probe at higher temperatures. In microgravity, researchers may be able to achieve even colder temperatures than what is possible on the ground and observe these cold atom clouds for longer periods of time.

Crew Earth Observation (CEO): The crew used the Window Observational Research Facility (WORF) or Cupola as appropriate to capture CEO targets. In CEO, crew members on the ISS photograph the Earth using digital handheld cameras from their unique point of view located 200 miles above the surface. Photographs record how the planet is changing over time, from human-caused changes like urban growth and reservoir construction, to natural dynamic events such as hurricanes, floods, and volcanic eruptions. A major emphasis of CEO is to monitor events needing immediate (disaster-level) response in support of the International Disaster Charter (IDC) (coordinated through the US Geological Survey). CEO imagery provides researchers on Earth with key data to understand the planet from the perspective of the ISS. Crew members have been photographing Earth from space since the early Mercury missions beginning in 1961. The images taken from the ISS ensure this record remains unbroken.

Fluid Science Laboratory/ Soft Matter Dynamics (FSL/SMD): Six Foam Coarsening samples were inspected for hardware degradation and/or signs of humidity impacts. In space, foams are more stable because there is no drainage in weightlessness. This allows scientists to study the slower phenomena of a bubble becoming bigger and bursting, which on Earth are masked by the drainage that destabilizes the foam.

Solid Combustion Experiment Module (SCEM): The crew exchanged the unit air gas bottle in the Multipurpose Small Payload Rack (MSPR) and configured the valves in the system to support a leak check by the ground team. The SCEM is designed to investigate the oxygen concentration required to sustain a flame over solid fuels. It is also possible to obtain the limiting electric current caused by self-ignition of the insulated wires due to short-circuit. Combustion characteristics of solid materials in the microgravity environment where no buoyancy-induced convection occurs will be identified, as well as the effect of gravity on the combustion limit of solid materials, through studies by SCEM.

Systems:

Crew Maintenance Activities: The crew completed several maintenance activities, beginning with cleaning of the intake and exhaust ducts, fans, and airflow sensors in the Port Crew Quarters (CQ). Due to the large amounts of dust seen during previous CQ cleanings, the crew removed all relevant panels, temporarily stowed them, and then cleaned all areas at once. Stowage and crew preference items across the station were then organized per crew discretion. Clean-up of the cabling and electronic equipment in Nodes 1, 2, and 3 was completed to reduce clutter and snag hazards and increase habitability.

Solar Array Wing (SAW) Blanket Survey: After configuring two D5 cameras, the crew took still and video imagery of the 1B SAW Blankets and inboard Flat Collector Circuit (FCC) from the MRM2 Forward and Starboard windows in order to assess potential damage in the area. Ground teams will be analyzing the imagery in the coming weeks.

Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) Quarterly Maintenance: Today, the ISS crew completed regularly scheduled maintenance which included inspection of the X-rotation dashpots, cycling of the main arm through full range of motion, and applying grease to the ARED rails and rollers. This quarterly maintenance allows the ARED exercise device to keep operating nominally as well as verifying if any wear and tear exists on the hardware.

Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Short Extravehicular Mobility Unit (SEMU) Launch Enclosure (SLE) Return Preparation: In preparation for installation of EMU 3015 into the Launch Enclosure for SpX-25, the crew configured the EMU for return. The EMU Battery, Rechargeable EVA Battery Assembly (REBA), and Metal Oxide (METOX) canister were removed, cables and harnesses rerouted, and the Secondary Oxygen Pack (SOP) and other ancillary hardware installed.

Completed Task List Activities:

ESA EPO message recording

Todays Ground Activities:

All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

JEMRMS SFA Preparation Maneuver for Joint Zeroing

TCS S1 TRRJ Reposition

ISS External Video Survey

Look Ahead Plan

Saturday, July 2 (GMT 183)

Payloads:

No Utilization Activities

Systems:

Resupply Air Tank Teardown

Sunday, July 3 (GMT 184)

Payloads:

XROOTS Wick Open and Fluid Recover

Systems:

PMD Equipment Config for NRAL Pressurization and N3 Port MPEV Open

Monday, July 4 (GMT 185)

Payloads:

CAL MTL Jumper Leak Check

Systems:

Crew Off-Duty Day

Todays Planned Activities:

All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

In Flight Maintenance (IFM) Crew Quarters (CQ) Port Cleaning

Station Reorganization

Confocal Space Microscopy (Microscope) and Payload Laptop Terminal 5 (PLT5) Closeout

JAXA Payload Laptop Terminal 5 (PLT5) Relocation Part2

FSL Soft Matter Dynamics Sample Cell Units Inspection

Inventory Management System (IMS) conference

Node 1 and Node 2 Cable Management

Photo/TV 1B SAW Blanket Survey

Cold Atom Lab MTL Jumper Leak Check

Solid Combustion (SCEM) Gas Bottle Exchange

EXPRESS Rack ZBook Setup

Emergency Personal Breathing Apparatus (PBA) Stow

Swap SSC (Station Support Computer) 20 and 12 Swap

Countermeasures System (CMS) Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) Quarterly Maintenance

EPO message recording

Node 3 Cable Management

Acoustic Monitor Setup for Static Measurements

Solid Combustion (SCEM) Valve 0 and 1 Open

Crew Earth Observation Operations

Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Short Extravehicular Mobility Unit (SEMU) Launch Enclosure (SLE) Return Preparation

Behavioral Core Measures ROBoT-r Research Testing 2

[deferred] Countermeasures System (CMS) Treadmill 2 System (T2) Monthly Inspection

CST-100 One-Time-Use Thumb Drive Reformat

Health Maintenance System (HMS) ISS EveryWear (EVW) Nutrition Tracking

MVP Hardware Locate

[deferred] ISS SAFETY VIDEO

On-orbit Hearing Assessment (OOHA) with Kuduwave Software Setup and Test

Resupply Air Tank Setup and Initiation
An area man has been charged in St. Francois County with possessing child pornography following a CyberTip and subsequent Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) investigation.

Carl A. Hart, 36, of Farmington, was charged Thursday with three counts of possession of child pornography.

According to a probable cause statement, on April 11, Missouri State Highway Patrol investigators were provided a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The CyberTip reportedly contained information provided to NCMEC by Dropbox Incorporated, an online cloud storage service.

On March 10, the report states, Dropbox reported to NCMEC a user identified by their username and email address. The company reportedly informed authorities that the user had uploaded one video and two images of child pornography to their online storage service.

Using public records, the report states investigators determined the IP address used to upload the child pornography was registered to Charter Communications. Charter responded to a search warrant issued through the Cole County Circuit Court indicating the IP address was being used for service at an address in Farmington.

An additional search warrant was reportedly served to Dropbox to obtain the contents of the account belonging to the suspect. Dropbox provided the requested data that allegedly consisted of more than 700 image and video files which all appeared to be pornography.

On June 29, MSHP investigators executed a St. Francois County search warrant at the Farmington address. The report states Hart was interviewed and admitted to creating the email account and owning the Dropbox account.

Hart was booked at the St. Francois County Detention Center on Thursday, and a $250,000 bond has been set in the case. If the man posts bond, he must comply with pre-trial monitoring, have a GPS monitor installed, have no contact with any alleged victims, and is prohibited from possessing any electronic media.

An initial court appearance in the case is scheduled for Tuesday morning in St. Francois County.

The case against Hart was investigated by members of the MSHPs Division of Drug and Crime Controls Digital Forensics Investigative Unit. The MSHP was assisted by the Department of Social Services State Technical Assistance Team.

The Division of Drug and Crime Control encourages internet users to promptly report to the Patrol or local law enforcement anyone who attempts to engage in unwanted, inappropriate, or sexualized communications with children, the MSHP stated in a press release.

The Digital Forensics Investigative Unit is partially funded by the Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The above charges are mere accusations and are not evidence of guilt," the release continues. "Evidence in support of these charges must be presented before a court of competent jurisdiction whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
Mary Anne Vigliante believes in providence.

It led her to take the Academy of the Holy Names entrance exam the summer before she would have attended ninth grade at public school. She won a scholarship and graduated with the Class of 1964.

It was also providence, Vigliante says, that led her to apply for a job teaching at her alma mater even though she was poised to accept an offer elsewhere.

And it was providence that nudged her, 52 years later, to retire in 2022 as the head of school. Its not because she has a long list of things she wants to do  she doesnt. Vigliantes life has revolved around the girls of Holy Names, some 2,700 of whom graduated from the school during her tenure. She simply felt it was time.

Colleagues, students and parents describe Vigliantes remarkable career as one of steady, loving guidance grounded in intellectual curiosity. The school was established in Albany by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary in 1884. The order was founded in Quebec by Blessed Marie Rose Durocher in 1843 with the goal of expanding education for children. The academy was first housed at 628 Madison Ave., where Vigliante was a student, and then expanded to its campus on New Scotland Avenue in the late 1950s.

Vigliantes parents were the children of Italian immigrants. She was the third of four girls. Her two older sisters attended Albany public schools, but a priest at St. James Church on Delaware Avenue, where Vigliante received religious instruction, encouraged her to take the entrance exam at Holy Names. The Class of 1964 was 100 strong and the next year 120 girls graduated from the academy  a high point.

Enrollment over the years has fluctuated, but largely contracted. At one time Holy Names included pre-kindergarten through 12th grade; it is now sixth grade through high school. There were 197 students enrolled in grades 6 through 12 in the 2021-2022 school year. Tuition is $19,500 for grades nine through 12; $16,800 for seven and eight, and $15,700 for sixth grade.

Vigliante served several roles between her first year as an English teacher and 2014, when she was appointed head of school. She did not set out to be a teacher, but, after graduating from the College of Saint Rose, she won a full fellowship to the University of Chicago, where she planned to get a master's degree and a doctorate in English literature. After a year of study, she became restless and impatient.

I had no career plans. I loved learning and studying, Vigliante said. You get to a point you want to act, not just learn but to use what youve learned to make the world better.

She came back to Albany. Jane Ladouceur, now an English teacher at Holy Names, was one of Vigliantes students.

It was clear she loved her subject, Ladouceur said. She had a positive attitude toward students, so everyone felt smart. She was an intellectual who made everyone feel included and elevated.

As a leader, Ladouceur said Vigliante brought strategic thinking to the job, and clearly understood every inch of the institution. Her car was the first one in the lot in the morning, and even as she was promoted, she did jobs that could have been relegated to someone else, Ladouceur said. Plus, Vigliante, who stands less than five feet tall (but Ive never felt short, she says) was always stylishly dressed.

Denyse Mackey is one of the parents who chose Holy Names for her children, even though she describes the tuition as a stretch. When her daughters, Madison and Makayla, were little, Holy Names offered full-day kindergarten; their local public school did not.

Mackey said she did not intend to keep them there, but while the girls were in preschool, her husband, Warren Mackey, was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. Knowing that upheaval might await them, the Mackeys chose to remain at Holy Names.

If anything happened, I wanted my children to be in a loving, faith-based environment, Mackey said.

When the girls were in high school, the worst happened. Warren Mackey was placed on life support in 2021 and later died. Makayla, distraught one day in class, went to the bathroom to cry. Vigliante heard and spent an hour with her. She called Denyse, their therapist and Madison. Mackey was deeply touched by the care.

And afterward, when Madison was ready to go back to class, Ms. Vigliante is so proper, she wrote her a note on HN stationary Makayla could give to the teacher, Mackey said.

Beyond their personal circumstances, Mackey is proud of the experience her girls have had and the education they received. Madison graduated last month and will attend Villanova University in the fall. Makayla is going into her senior year at Holy Names. Mackey wants to make an education at Holy Names possible for other Black families. She founded the Warren and Denyse Mackey Foundation in part to help Black girls attend Holy Names. Around 10 Black girls are enrolled at the school now, Mackey said.

Mary Jordan, who graduated this year, said Vigliante greeted students every morning as they trouped through the lobby past a statue of Eulalie Durocher rendered in copper pipes.

You cant underestimate her influence, she was not a remote administrator, Jordan said. Even though our society has changed and religion is not as influential, shes kept spirit at the center.

Shes also fun, Jordan said. A lifetime lover of music, Vigliante has a good singing voice, Jordan said. Jordan and her friends taught Vigliante to play spike ball, and at the song contests held every year at Thanksgiving and Christmas, Vigliante has joined in with enthusiasm.

Girls, Vigliante says, have not changed all that much between her early days at Holy Names and now. They have a phenomenal vitality, and a capacity for fun and development at the same time. Drama that once unfolded in passed notes now happens over text messages, but the drama is the same, Vigliante said. Social media has added challenges because the girls face more temptations that could move them off their path.

Most troubling, Vigliante said, is the anxiety she sees among students.

This is the most anxiety-ridden generation Ive seen, she said. It existed before COVID and COVID exacerbated it.

Most promising is the girls passion to do something in the world. Single-sex education is particularly beneficial to girls, Vigliante said, because it does away with the distractions in the classroom of girls wondering what boys think about them. It also gives the teachers the opportunity to combat the drop in confidence they see in girls between sixth and seventh grade. There are studies that speak to this, but Vigliante cites the anecdotal evidence from Holy Names alumna  the women who say they were the only girls who raised their hands in physics class in college.

They have a sense of urgency, not only for the future but for the here and now. They take on projects (frequently service-based) I would never have thought to take on at their age and they pull them through, from planning to implementation to conclusion, Vigliante said. Not a lot of people want to spend time with teenagers, period. Here, we love them.

Vigliante never married and doesnt have children. She has some loose ideas about what she will do in retirement. Her nieces and nephews have ideas for her yet non-existent bucket list.

I still want to do things that have impact and purpose, she said. You dont want to suddenly stop making your corner of the world a better place. Something will emerge. Providence will provide.

Correction: An earlier version of this story confused the Mackay sisters. Academy of the Holy Names Head of School Mary Anne Vigliante came to the aid of Makayla Mackay.


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Climate activists and preservationists on Friday cheered the Hochul Administrations decision to deny an air emission permit to a major cryptomine in the Finger Lakes that was using a once-shuttered power plant to power its activities.

With that victory behind them, they urged Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign a bill that would impose a moratorium on cryptomining across the state while the state Department of Environmental Conservation conducts an extensive review on how the practice comports with efforts to cut greenhouse gas pollution and phase out the use of fossil fuels.

At the same time, the Finger Lakes cryptominer, Greenidge Generation Holdings, said it will continue to mine crypto currency with its gas-fired plant while it appeals the states decision. The firm also is likely to go to court if that decision is denied, meaning that the process could go on for years until its fully resolved.

Governor Hochul must finish the job by signing the crypto moratorium, said Yvonne Taylor of Seneca Lake Guardian, the organization that has led the fight to close the Greenidge operation.

Taylor added that this was the governors fracking moment, alluding to former Gov. Andrew Cuomos 2014 decision not to allow hydrofracking for natural gas in New York. That was hailed by environmentalists but condemned by the oil and gas industry.

This decision does not have any impact on our current operations, Greenidge said in a prepared statement to investors following the decision from the state Department of Environmental Conservation to deny a new Title V air emission permit.

The statement continued: We can continue running uninterrupted under our existing Title V Air Permit, which is still in effect, for as long as it takes to successfully challenge this arbitrary and capricious decision.

Cryptomining is the practice in which investors and computer experts set up banks of purpose-built computers to solve the lengthy, complex math equations needed to verify transactions in cryptocurrency. That is virtual currency, sometimes redeemable in cash, that exists online in a blockchain, or digital format that allows users access with a personalized key or special code.

By detecting and verifying these crypto currency transactions, miners earn digital coins or currency that they can turn into dollars.

The practice can be lucrative and miners operate globally, but the mining consumes enormous amounts of electricity since the special computers involved in the process run 24/7.

As a result, miners are always seeking out locations where there is inexpensive power.

Upstate New York is one of those places due to the availability of low-cost hydroelectricity.

Greenidge, however, took over a gas-fired power plant on Seneca Lake. While the plant adds power to the states electric grid, it also runs Greenridge's cryptomine.

Environmentalists say that so much power consumption, especially from a gas plant, runs counter to the states goal of reducing greenhouses gases.

State Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos essentially agreed with that contention in denying the air permit request.

As Greenidge's appeal plays out, activists note that other crypto miners are still coming to the state and some want to re-start dormant gas-fired power plants to run their computers.

Thats why the environmentalists are pushing for the moratorium.

Supporters such as Anna Kelles, the Ithaca Democratic Assemblywoman who sponsored the moratorium measure in the Assembly, along with Brooklyn Democratic Sen. Kevin Parker, noted that other crypto miners are eyeing gas-fired power plants for their operations, even though the state's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act aims at retiring these facilities.

Opponents have also noted that the crypto mines create relatively few jobs, since they are essentially buildings full of computers which can be programmed from afar. Many of the jobs entail tending the computers and making sure they keep running. Greenidge, according to earlier reports, contains more than 15,000 of these purpose-built mining computers.

Crypto supporters see things differently. They say this is a chance for upstate New York to host a growing industry, which will generate tax revenue and potentially help revive rust-belt areas of the state.

Construction and trade unions also like cryptomining since reopening power plants could create more jobs for them.

Financiers who have pursued cryptocurrency have also opened their wallets when it comes to campaign contributions.

The Times Union earlier reported that a federal PAC, Protect Our Future, has been heavily funded by Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of Manhattan-based FTX Group, a crypto derivatives exchange. That PAC gave about $1 million to a New York-based group, also named Protect Our Future, which listed Hochuls Lt. Gov. running mate Antonio Delgado as one of the candidates it planned to back this year.

FTX Group in March also hired the Hinman Straub lobbying firm for $11,000 a month to work on behalf of the crypto industry, according to state records.

While the moratorium will face a sign-or-veto decision by Hochul, another bill was also passed by lawmakers that appears to take a softer approach, by launching a study without a moratorium.

Sponsored by two Queens Democrats, Assemblyman Clyde Vanel and Sen. James Sanders, that measure would direct the state Department of Financial Services to set up a task force to study cryptocurrency. It would look at numerous aspects of cryptocurrency, including consumer protection as well as the environmental impacts.

New York is arguably the financial capital of the world, and we must ensure that we help foster the creation of an environment that allows us to continue to lead the world in the financial sector, reads part of the memorandum that the sponsors put forth in support of the bill.

rkarlin@timesunion.com  518-454-5758  @RickKarlinTU
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COHOES  Preserving the citys 19th-century architecture so that television and movie crews want to use the city as a historic backdrop for productions can begin with just fixing the windows.

The city replaced three of the 330 windows at City Hall in mid-June as part of a demonstration to see how the new panes and frames will fit into the historic building at 97 Ontario St. where nearly all of the windows are originals dating back to 1895.

The new windows are working out as city officials had hoped. They have a tight fit that will prevent the snow and wind from blowing in, keep heat from leaking out and help reduce energy costs.

We know we have some gems in the city. Weve been working on restoring them, said Mayor Bill Keeler.

The architecture caught the attention of the production team of "The Gilded Age," the HBO period drama that filmed part of its second season in Cohoes. Historic architecture in Troy prompted producers to shoot scenes from the first season in that city.

Historic is the singular adjective officials and residents utter when they mention local gems: It's the "historic" Cohoes Music Hall, "historic" Harmony Mills, "historic" Cohoes Public Library and "historic" City Hall. The city has pumped in funds, used tax breaks and sought grants to make sure its architectural prizes survive and thrive.

That work paid off: Location scouts and production executives selected the Music Hall and Harmony Mills as sites to film important scenes for "The Gilded Age."

The show, which premiered earlier this year with its nine episodes set in 1882, was created and written by Julian Fellowes, the creative force behind the popular Downton Abbey series set in Great Britain. The Gilded Age takes place in late 19th-century New York depicting the lives of societys upper crust. Downtown Abbey was set several decades later in the 20th century, portraying the lives of British aristocrats.

The architecture of the hall and mill is solidly a product of the late 19th-century Gilded Age in the United States.

Assemblyman John T. McDonald III, D-Cohoes, was mayor when the successful push to rescue Harmony Mills began more than 15 years ago. Developer Uri Kaufman bought the mill property in 2000 and used historic tax credits and other funding to redevelop the site into apartments.

Im happy that when you take the Capital Region, Cohoes is an integral part of it with a real historic importance, McDonald said.

City Hall is a dominant building in Cohoes with its tower a visible landmark in three counties: Albany, Rensselaer and Saratoga. It's near the confluence of the Hudson and Mohawk rivers. The city has secured $2.49 million for roof repairs through state grants and bonding and an additional $1 million in grants for heating and air conditioning upgrades. The city has spent about $54,000 on its initial window project. Officials are figuring out how much replacement of all the windows will cost.

Its hard to tell a business owner or homeowner what to do if youre not doing it yourself, City Planner Joe Seman-Graves said about the commitment to upgrade city-owned historic buildings.

Restore Historic Cohoes is the program Keeler has promoted to repair the music hall, library and City Hall.

The buildings are a treasure, said Theresa Bourgeois, the city director of operations, who works with Seman-Graves on securing grants.
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Don't be alarmed if you notice what looks like an increased police presence around University at Albany's Alumni Quad on the school's downtown campus this Wednesday and Thursday.

UAlbany has alerted the media that it will hold active shooter training drills 8 a.m.-4 p.m. on July 6 and noon-8 p.m. on July 7 in the Alumni Quad at Brubacher Hall, which is on State Street between Ontario and Partridge streets.
The St. Francois County Commission clarified a 12-year-old road agreement during their regular session Tuesday morning at the courthouse annex.

Presiding Commissioner Harold Gallaher stressed that this is not an addition of roads to the list of maintained county roads, but a modification of a commission agreement from April 20, 2010.

In the minutes, the original agreement said to adopt Whitetail Lane, Maple Hill, Doe Lane, Ridgetop Drive, Timber Lane and Fawn Circle Drive as county roads and to do road maintenance only and will not include mowing and snow removal upon approval of the HOA." Fawn Circle Drive is in another location and is already fully maintained by the county.

In 2010, that commission took those roads on with partial maintenance only, he said. Road and Bridge has had problems with that because it is not standardized.

The roads that are updated already receive funds from the state of Missouri through the County Aid Road Trust (CART) to maintain those roads.

County Clerk Kevin Engler asked if any county officials or employees live on these roads or have any property in that area. Gallaher said he was not aware of anyone in that situation.

In other business, the commission approved a Transportation Alternative Program (TAP) grant application for a new ADA Compliant sidewalk .85 miles long along Highway M for students of the West County School District. Another motion was made approving Cochran Engineering to design and supervise the construction of the West County sidewalk, subject to the grant award.

A sealed bid was opened for 50 computers requested by IT Director Nick Jones. The bidder was SomethingCool.com for $39,226. The bid will be reviewed by the IT Department and the auditors office before being approved.

A sealed bid was also opened for tuckpointing and cleaning the exterior of the courthouse annex requested by the maintenance department. The bidder was from Eddings Masonry for $59,950. The bid will also be reviewed by maintenance and the auditors office before approval.

In department reports, Engler said that in-person absentee voting for the Aug. 2 primary is ongoing and they had eight votes as of Tuesday.

The next St. Francois County Commission meeting will be Tuesday at 10 a.m. in the courthouse annex in downtown Farmington.
The ongoing absence of a Stormont executive is totally unacceptable given the latest rises in energy prices in Northern Ireland, Michelle ONeill has said.

The Sinn Fein vice president was commenting as the most recent wave of price hikes announced by several local energy providers came into effect in Northern Ireland yesterday (Friday July 1).

Powersharing at Stormont is on ice after the DUP refused to re-establish a devolved executive following Mays Assembly election in protest at the Northern Ireland Protocol, which has created economic barriers on trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Ms ONeill restated her appeal to the DUP to get around the table and start to support people.

The DUPs Gavin Robinson hit back at the criticism, saying his party is doing what it can to help people.

Speaking to reporters in Belfast, Ms ONeill said: People are struggling, theyre struggling to heat their homes, its going to get even more difficult into the winter months, theyre struggling in terms of being able to afford to put food on their table for their children.

Thats totally unacceptable that we do not have an executive in order to be able to help people to actually put money into their pockets. We have money to spend, we want to give it to the public but the DUP, unfortunately, are blocking the formation of an executive.

But I encourage them again today on the back of these latest hikes to actually join the rest of us and actually get around the table and start to support people.

Ms ONeill said the UK Government has not been doing enough to support people through the cost-of-living crisis, as she called on the Tories to tax the big companies.

She said: There are things that are within the gift of the British government that we do not have the powers to do and they should be taxing the big companies, they should be making sure that theres a windfall tax that actually allows us to put that money directly to the public to help them through the cost-of-living crisis.

What the British government have done to date is not good enough. It does not cut the mustard, it does not support people enough.

So, what we need to see is an executive formed and the British government need to tax the big companies and put the money into peoples pockets.

Mr Robinson criticised Sinn Feins continued abstentionist stance when it comes to the UK Parliament.

The East Belfast MP told reporters: I think people can see through the blame that shes laying at our door.

That doesnt give any comfort to folks that are receiving an increase again today, or, depending on who their provider is, a significant increase between 20 and up to 46%. It is big.

Three weeks ago, I stood outside Westminster with one of her colleagues, a Sinn Fein member of parliament who refuses to take his seat. That day, we supported a Labour motion that was providing a windfall tax from energy companies so that money was coming off energy bills.

We were in, we were voting on those issues and that motion was ultimately successful, but Sinn Fein stayed outside the room.

Mr Robinson said the Northern Ireland Protocol is standing in the way of the region benefitting from any hugely significant VAT cut on energy bills and fuel costs.

He said: The secondary issue that we have been highlighting for weeks, and that Sir Jeffrey Donaldson is writing to the chancellor today upon, is the steps that they intend to take around VAT.

Because the reduction of VAT on energy bills and on fuel costs will be hugely significant, much more significant than the three or four or five pennies taken off a litre of petrol, for example.

As it stands under the Northern Ireland Protocol, those moves cannot apply to Northern Ireland. We want to see not only significant action from the Government on energy bills and the cost-of-living crisis, but it needs to be applicable right across this United Kingdom.

I dont think we can stand for a situation where such seismic decisions could be taken, but dont apply to consumers and hard-pressed families here in Northern Ireland.
Had the pandemic permanently dampened my intrepid spirit? I travelled to wild Patagonia hoping to resurrect it
Were looking for Indigenous reporters, storytellers, knowledge keepers and teachers

Diversifying the authors in our publications has been a goal, says Roger Belgrave
With a shortage of manpower and necessary water, four alarms were struck and 12 departments responded to a two-building fire in Iron County on Thursday afternoon.

At about 3 p.m., Bismarck Fire Department was dispatched to a report of a residential structure fire with rescue. Upon arrival, crews found a garage or outbuilding fully involved that had spread to a nearby barn full of hay.

The residence was not involved, but a second alarm was struck to get additional personnel and water to the scene. Due to low manpower turnouts preventing some departments from responding, the equivalent of a fourth alarm was struck to get adequate personnel on scene.

A total of 12 departments brought 17 apparatus and 38 personnel to the site. Crews remained on the scene for approximately three and a half hours. Responding departments were Doe Run, Farmington, Park Hills, Irondale, Leadwood, Potosi Fire, Belgrade, De Soto Rural, Big River/Bonne Terre, Wolf Creek, and Desloge. Jefferson R-7 Fire Protection District provided coverage to the Bismarck area and handled a call for service during the fire. No injuries were reported during the incident.

Information for this article was provided by the Bismarck Fire Department Facebook Page.
The Junes Women Connection Brunch will be held from 9:15-11 a.m., July 12, in the fellowship hall of the Farmington Presbyterian Church, located at the junction of Columbia and Cayce Streets.

Cost for the brunch is $10. Reservations and/or cancellations are required by July 8. Call 573-747-3854 or 573-358-1274.

The program, Christmas in July, will be presented by Tiffany Rothlisberger of Oasis Christian Bookstore, along with guest speaker Elaine Vatalaro.

Rothlisberger shares that after a year of personal strife and feeling at her lowest, she put her faith in God and purchased the Oasis Christian Bookstore in November 2013. Then in 2016, she moved the store from its original location on Columbia Street where it was first opened in 2013 by Jane Cook, to its current location at 3 North Henry Street in one of Farmingtons most historically captivating sites.

According to Rothlisberger, her favorite part about the ministry is building personal relationships with her customers who are a blessing to she and her kids. Some of her customers tell her they pray for her ministry daily.

One if the highlights of the ministry is assisting customers  anywhere between the ages of 5 and 85  purchase their very first Bible. Her prayer is that her store will always promote an atmosphere where the Holy Spirit is felt and where customers of all walks of life are welcome.

The Oasiss merchandise includes products to help Christians grow in their walk with the Lord including bibles, devotionals, studies, books as well as unique and personal gifts that uplift and inspire plus apparel that will help believers shine the light!

Guest speaker Elaine Vatalaro and her husband call Bella Vista, Arkansas, home. Vatalaro is bringing a little more Christmas in her talk, His Indescribable Gift, in which she will share what Christmas was like in a big Italian family.
Member of Parliament for Chaguanas West and Attorney at Law Dinesh Rambally is eager to see the transcripts from the Special General Meeting of the Law Association.

It was at this meeting on Friday where two motions against Attorney General Reginald Armour failed.
French President Emmanuel Macron has said that Ukraine will soon receive additional modern Caesar howitzers, as well as other military, economic and humanitarian aid to fight Russian aggression.

The French leader wrote this on his Twitter account on Thursday, June 30, Ukrinform reports.

"France will deliver swiftly equipment Ukraine needs to defend itself, including 6 more Caesar howitzers and a significant number of armored vehicles," the French president noted.

He emphasized that France, allies and partners, will continue to stand with Ukraine.

In another tweet, Macron said that the NATO leaders "unanimously decided, as we did a few days ago at the European Council and the G7, to step up our economic, humanitarian and military support for Ukraine."

Countering Russian aggression and supporting Ukraine was one of the main issues raised at the NATO summit held in Madrid on June 28-30.
Member of the European Parliament from Lithuania Petras Austrevicius, answering a question of whether Ukraine needs F-15s and F-16s interceptor aircraft, said that American fighters would help protect the sky and save lives in Ukraine, while missile defense systems are inevitably required to effectively protect Ukraine.

The corresponding statement was made by the Lithuanian lawmaker in a comment to Guildhall, according to Ukrinform.

Ukraine needs to be provided with more and more powerful weapons to defend itself from Russian/ Belarus aggressors. The bigger defense power Ukraine will have the fewer war crimes Russia will commit. American fighter jets would help to protect the sky and save lives in Ukraine, MEP said.

Read also: Death toll in Russian strike on apartment building in Odesa region rises to 18

Same applies to missiles which are inevitably needed for effective defense of Ukraine which is under Russian aggression, Austrevicius added, noting that there has not yet been a turning point in Russian invasion so we need to sustain weapons supplies to Ukraine on an increasing level.

According to the lawmaker, whatever it takes to win against the aggressor must be the principle of arms supplies to Ukraine.

Western assistance should be reconsidered, and this must be done soon, the parliamentarian said.

Earlier, Oleksandr V. Danylyuk, Head of the Center for Defense Reforms, Coordinator of the Interdepartmental Platform for Combating Hybrid Threats, which operates within the framework of Ukraine-NATO cooperation, said guided cruise missiles that the Russian army has been launching at Ukrainian military and civilian infrastructure remain effective as they fly at low altitudes, invisible to the Ukrainian air defense system. Western powers should transfer F-15, F-16 fighter jets, or other Western interceptors to Ukraine to effectively counter enemy cruise missile strikes, the expert stressed.

Member of the British House of Lords, Meghnad Desai, shared the view that Ukraine needs western interceptor jets to counter Russian cruise missile strikes on military and civilian infrastructure targets.
The United States announced a new support package for Ukraine, which includes powerful NASAMS systems that will significantly strengthen our air defense.

That's according to a video address to the nation by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Ukrainians!

All our defenders!

In the Odesa region, the dismantling of rubble after the Russian missile attack on Serhiivka is underway. Three missiles hit an ordinary residential building, a nine-story building in which no one hid any weapons, military equipment or ammunition, as Russian propagandists and officials always tell about such strikes. It was a simple house, about 160 people. It was inhabited by ordinary people, civilians. The recreation center was also destroyed by this strike - an absolutely typical object for the seaside area.

I emphasize: this is a deliberate, purposeful Russian terror, not some mistakes or an accidental missile strike. Four people from one family were killed... The murdered boy, 12 years old, whose name was Dmytro... As of now, there are 21 people on the list of the dead, and about 40 are wounded. The numbers have been changing all day, unfortunately, the death toll is increasing.

Simultaneously with the missiles at Serhiivka, missiles were fired at Zatoka. 12 missiles hit Mykolaiv at once - various objects in the city. It's only one night and morning... My condolences to all relatives, loved ones of all whose lives were taken by such strikes.

I am especially grateful to the United States of America and personally to Biden for the new support package for Ukraine announced today, which includes very powerful NASAMS systems. An anti-aircraft missile complex that will significantly strengthen our air defense. We have worked hard for this supply. In total, this package is worth 820 million dollars and, in addition to NASAMS, also includes artillery munition and radars.

We are no less actively negotiating about other new weapons from our partners - it is necessary for Donbas, the Kharkiv region, the south of Ukraine. We are doing everything to break the advantage of the occupiers.

The Prime Minister of Norway visited Kyiv today. We discussed the further defense support for Ukraine, the strengthening of sanctions against Russia. Norway has already given us significant support, but there will be an additional package of 1 billion euros. Thank you so much. We will not forget.

A special Group on International Security Guarantees for Ukraine was formed. The Group is headed by Anders Fogh Rasmussen, ex-Secretary General of NATO (he arrived in Kyiv today). Head of my Office Andriy Yermak will also work with him.

The Group included influential figures from various democratic countries of the world - Australia, USA, Sweden, Great Britain, Germany, Poland, France, Italy and, of course, Ukraine. The main task of the Group is to develop a format of security guarantees for our country, which will really work and work long-term, so that there are no future aggressions.

We are increasing Ukraine's foreign policy ties with Latin America. I held talks with the leaders of Argentina and Chile. Ukraine's interests will be represented everywhere in the world.

Despite the war, despite all threats, we do not stop our movement towards the European Union. Today in the Verkhovna Rada, I signed a statement on European integration together with the Chairman and our Prime Minister. We have specified with this document that we are starting to move from candidate status to full membership.

I am grateful to President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen who expressed clear support for Ukraine in her address to the Verkhovna Rada today. We will not waste time. I believe that Ukraine will be able to gain membership as energetically as we gained candidacy.

I am grateful to everyone who helps our country today, I am grateful to everyone who defends our country.

Glory to Ukraine!
In the Volyn and Polissya directions, according to available information, the terms of mobilization training in the Belarus army have been extended until July 9, 2022. Having kicked off on June 22, it was initially supposed to be wrapped up on July 1.

Thats according to a war update by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, seen by Ukrinform.

As part of the above-mentioned measures, summonses are being served through the military commissariats of the Gomel region. In addition, doctors have been notified of a ban on traveling outside the country, the update reads.

In the Siversky direction, in order to cover the Russian-Ukrainian border in the Bryansk and Kursk regions, the enemy continues to hold up to three battalion tactical groups from the 1st Tank Army, the 20th Combined Arms Army of the Western Military District and units of airborne assault troops. The aggressor carried out artillery attacks on the positions of Ukraines Defense Forces in the border areas of Sumy and Chernihiv regions.

In order to disrupt the system of Ukraine Armys control and communication, the enemy employs electronic warfare systems near the state border of Ukraine in the territory of Belgorod region.

In the Kharkiv direction, enemy units are focusing their efforts on restraining the actions of Ukrainian troops and preventing their further advance. In order to regain lost ground, the enemy is running assault missions in the direction of Kochubeyivka - Dementiyivka. Their artillery shelled the areas of Zolochiv, Ruska Lozova, Khrestyshche, Peremoha, Dementiivka, Verkhnii Saltiv, Molodova, Stariy Saltiv, Korobochkine, Zamulivka, Velyka Babka, Volobuyivka, and Malinivka, as well as carried out airstrikes near Verkhny Saltiv, Prudyanka, and Mospanove.

In the Sloviansk direction, the enemy is fighting defensive battles. They also stormed Bohorodychne, without success. The areas of Dolyna, Dibrivne, Kurulka, Mazanivka, Bohorodychne, Krasnopillya, Adamivka, Sukha Kamianka, Husarivka, and Krynychne settlements were shelled with artillery.

The enemy is trying to improve the system of logistical support in the specified area.

In the Kramatorsk direction, the areas of Bilohorivka, Mayaky, and Donetsk were shelled with barrel and jet artillery, while in the Lysychansk area, the settlements of Zolotarivka and Verkhnyokamyansk came under enemy fire. The Russians led an offensive in the direction of the latter, with no success, being forced to withdraw.

Read also: Putin mobilizing Russian economy to sustain war in Ukraine

In the direction of Bakhmut, mortar, barrel and jet artillery strikes were recorded near Vershyna, Bakhmut, and Spirne. The enemy also carried out airstrikes in the area of Vershyna.

In the Avdiyivka, Kurakhiv, Novopavlivka, and Zaporizhia directions, the occupiers fired artillery of various calibers into the areas of Shumy, New York, Zalizne, Avdiyivka, Krasnohorivka, Novomykhailivka, Maryinka, Pavlivka, Vuhledar, Zolota Nyva, Shevchenko, Novodanylivka, Orihiv, and Zaliznychne settlements. Enemy airstrikes were reported near Novobakhmutivka and Avdiyivka.

In the Pivdenny Buh direction, the enemy is focusing its efforts on holding the occupied positions and preventing the advance of Ukrainian units. The Russians shelled the vicinity of Partyzanske, Kobzartsi, Prybuzke, Tavriyske, Stepova Dolyna, Posad-Pokrovske, Trudolyubivka, Mykolaivka, Potemkyn, and Lupareve.

In the north-western part of the Black Sea, the warship group of the Russian Black Sea fleet continues to perform the task of blocking Ukraine's maritime communications and conducting reconnaissance. The group of two carriers is combat-ready for high-precision missile strikes on targets across the territory of Ukraine.

The Air Force continues to patrol Ukraines airspace and deliver strikes to provide fire support to Land Forces units in designated operational areas.

Russian occupiers and their henchmen are wary of the resistance of local population, which is growing, particularly in Kherson region. Local leaders of the invasion forces move around the area accompanied by security teams, in armored vehicles, sporting body armor. Local residents continue to put up total resistance.
When Havva Mohammad Zadeh became a U.S. citizen earlier this year, the moment itself was anticlimactic.

She spent more than a year preparing for the test, but the actual oath ceremony in Fairfax was quick. She took the oath during Ramadan, so she had to be back in Charlottesville quickly and couldnt celebrate as much as she wouldve liked.

She gets another opportunity to celebrate Monday, though, when she is scheduled to take the oath of citizenship at Monticellos naturalization ceremony.

Im happy because right now I am part of this country, said Zadeh, who immigrated to this country from Afghanistan with her husband and four children in 2016.

After living five years in the U.S., Zadeh was eligible to apply for citizenship. When she needed to start studying, she turned to the team at Literacy Volunteers Charlottesville/Albemarle for her help. The local nonprofit helps immigrants become citizens for several years through group classes, one-on-one tutoring and practice interviews. During the pandemic, the organization retooled its classes, moved them online and saw participation double.

Literacy Volunteers works to help adults learn to read primarily through one-on-one tutoring. McCall said that many of those adults are immigrants or refugees.

Zadeh is one of 69 students of Literacy Volunteers who have passed the citizenship test in the last year. In the fiscal year before the pandemic, 19 of the organizations students passed, said Catherine McCall, the citizenship coordinator for Literacy Volunteers.

For Zadeh, the most difficult aspect of the citizenship test was learning English. Literacy Volunteers, especially tutor Ronna Gray, helped her learn the ins and outs of English.

I was lucky to have Ronna and the class, she said.

The two met for about two hours a week to talk, go over vocabulary words and read news articles. Both women said two hours was not enough for them, as they often got carried away.

Sometimes I have to say, OK, Havva, we have to read now, Gray said. Havva always makes me laugh. I learn something from her every week. Its been an education for me.

The citizenship test also includes 10 questions about U.S. history and government. The class goes over 100 potential questions and their answers. Potential citizens have to answer six of the 10 correctly in order to pass. The text also includes a reading and writing component as well as a section on speaking and listening in English.

Zadeh said she liked studying for the civics questions because she wanted to learn about the country she was joining.

Shes not just learning English to pass the test, Gray added. Shes learning English to really find out about the United States.

For Zadeh, the citizenship test is just one of several items on her to-do list. Shes already a certified nursing assistant and is studying for the GED exam. Her goal is to be a pediatric nurse.

Now that shes a citizen, Zadeh said shes excited to vote.

Participation in the nonprofits citizenship classes is continuing to increase. In the fall session, 10 new students participated. In the winter session, 18 new students enrolled. In the spring session, there were 27 new students.

Its really been a big growth for us, McCall said. Were super excited to have so many of our students working on this goal, and that were able to help so many of them achieve it.

McCall said that after switching to Zoom and expanding the number of classes offered, students from throughout Virginia started participating in the citizenship classes. The citizenship program is funded by private donations.

Switching over to Zoom has made an enormous difference, McCall said, adding the online format provided greater flexibility for people juggling work or child care.

McCall said shes hoping to start an in-person class in the fall, but the Zoom options will likely remain.

A lot of our students dont have computers at home, she said. Some of our students are taking our classes on a phone.

Gray has been volunteering since 2012.

So its something that Ive known that I have enjoyed and I believe in the mission of Literacy Volunteers, she said. I like giving back to the community. I like meeting all kinds of different people. Its been both fun and an education and just a lot of really good things about it.

The organization is in need of volunteers who can help tutor students. Training is available for those who are interested. For more information, go to literacyforall.org.
As a result of Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine, 344 children have already been killed.

"As of the morning of July 2, 2022, more than 984 children were affected in Ukraine as a result of the full-scale armed aggression of the Russian Federation. According to the official data of the juvenile prosecutors, 344 children were killed and more than 640 children were injured," the Prosecutor General's Office posted on Telegram.

It is noted that these figures are not final, as the efforts to establish casualties in places of active hostilities, in temporarily captured and liberated territories are being made.

According to the Prosecutor General's Office, most children were affected in Donetsk region  340, Kharkiv region  185, Kyiv region  116, Chernihiv region  68, Luhansk region  61, Mykolayiv region  53, Kherson region  52, Zaporizhzhia region  31.

In particular, an 11-year-old boy was injured in enemy airstrike on the civilian infrastructure of Bakhmut, Donetsk region, on July 1.

The law enforcement officers also established that a 9-year-old child was injured in Russian missile attack on the Amstor shopping mall in Kremenchuk, Poltava region, on June 27.

"Moreover, the number of those killed and injured in missile strike on Bilhorod-Dnistrovsky district of Odesa region on July 1 increased. It became known that one more child died and three were injured: a 2-year-old girl and two boys aged 8 and 13. The condition of the two children is critical," the Prosecutor General's Office informed.

As noted, 2,102 educational institutions were damaged due to bombing and shelling by the armed forces of the Russian Federation, of which 215 are completely destroyed.

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Since the beginning of the full-scale war, about 35,870 Russian service members, 1,582 tanks, 217 aircraft, 186 helicopters, and other enemy equipment have been eliminated in Ukraine.

As the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine posted on Telegram, the enemys combat losses totaled about 35,870 personnel from February 24 to July 2.

Moreover, 1,582 Russian tanks, 3,737 armored personnel vehicles, 800 artillery systems, 246 MLRS, 105 anti-aircraft systems, 217 aircraft, 186 helicopters, 144 cruise missiles, 15 ships and boats, 653 UAVs of operational-tactical level, 2,614 vehicles and fuel tanks, 61 units of special equipment have been eliminated since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

On February 24, Russia began a new stage of the eight-year war against Ukraine  a full-scale offensive. The Russian troops shell and destroy key infrastructure facilities, massively fire on residential areas of Ukrainian cities and villages using artillery, rocket launchers, aviation bombs, and ballistic missiles.

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According to the information of Ukraine's international partners and domestic intelligence data, there are currently no signs of the formation of strike groups in the territory of Belarus.

"Both our partners and domestic intelligence data clearly state that there are no signs of the formation of strike groups in the territory of Belarus. However, we have information about possible provocations, the final involvement of Belarus in the Russian-Ukrainian war. Sabotage and reconnaissance groups could be sent [to Ukraine]. And that is why our law enforcement officers have reinforced the service at checkpoints," First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Yevheniy Yenin said during the nationwide telethon.

Over the past week alone, the Ukrainian police checked about 10,000 people. Of them, 256 people raised suspicions and were taken to the Security Service of Ukraine. Two sabotage and reconnaissance groups were exposed.

"From time to time, our law enforcement officers detect either drones on the border of Ukraine in the northern regions, or the citizens of the Russian Federation or Belarus who want to move to our side. All such persons are thoroughly checked by our law enforcement officers," the official said.

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The Ukrainian Armed Forces have received Germany's Panzerhaubitze 2000 self-propelled howitzers and are already employing them to strike Russian positions in the east of the country.

According to Ukrinform, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said this in a Facebook post and published a respective video.

"A 155mm self-propelled gun Panzerhaubitze 2000 has already 'worked' against Russian invaders on the eastern borders. Rapid fire. Precision. Effective use of ammunition. Minimum time for hitting a target and leaving a combat position. The PzH 2000 is a German combat vehicle weighing over 55 tonnes and already 'registered' with the Ukrainian Armed Forces," the report reads.

From February 24 to July 2, Ukrainian defenders eliminated about 35,870 Russian soldiers and destroyed 1,582 tanks, 217 warplanes, 186 helicopters and other enemy equipment.
Russian troops may resume the offensive on Ukraines capital Kyiv if Belarus forces join the invasion or if the Ukrainian forces are destroyed on the eastern front.

Thats according to Vadym Denysenko, an advisor to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, who spoke with RBC-Ukraine, Ukrinform reports.

"The first (case - ed.) is if (Alexander - ed.) Lukashenko agrees to deploy Belarusian army here. So far hes been dodging that, stopping short of approving such a move. The second option, thats if Lukashenko doesnt agree to this, an attack on Kyiv is possible only after the Ukrainian group in the east of Ukraine is completely destroyed," the advisor suggested.

Read also: Belarusian forces training to set up pontoon crossings

Denysenko noted that Belarus is currently very important for the Kremlin, as its possible invasion of Ukraine will divert the focus of part of the Ukrainian military from the eastern front and create a threat of an attack on Chernihiv or Kyiv.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, referring to the Ministry of Defense, there are no signs of preparations for another offensive of enemy forces from the territory of Belarus, but such a threat remains in place so the Ukrainian Army keeps part of its troops on the countrys north to cover the border areas.

According to Ukraines defense intelligence, the Belarus army command as of July 1 has massed seven battalions on the border with Ukraine.

Photo: AA
Moscow, while losing the war it launched against Ukraine, seeks to artificially create a global food crisis and blame it on the European Union.

The Kremlin regime is seeking not just to set off a global famine in Africa and Asia, but blame the potential crisis on the West, because, as it claims, EU sanctions have made Russia cut off from international food supply chains, thus dooming millions to starvation ... This could be considered the beginning of the initial phase of Russias undeclared war on Europe, aimed to divert attention from the war in Ukraine and give a boost to pro-Russian activities in the EU.

Insidious, double-bottomed plot

It makes no bones that it is Russia who is responsible for the worsening food crisis that is currently growing and expanding across the globe. In early April, Deputy Chairman of Russias Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev did not hesitate to call grain exports "a quiet but powerful weapon, as food security in a number of countries depends on Russian supplies." This maniacal will to make human food needs into a weapon is helpful in Russias ambition to expand its presence in new markets  Russia is currently exporting its grain to more than 90 countries. Beyond that, the aggressor country, while waging its war in Ukraine, is deliberately and systematically destroying not only critical infrastructures, but agricultural lands and grain terminals; it is blocking wheat export from Ukraine, and, in May, attacked and destroyed even the Seed Bank in Kharkiv.

According to estimates by the UN World Food Program, in Ukrainian ports alone, almost 4.5 million tons of export-destined grain remain blocked due to the war. Part of the grain Russia seized in Berdyansk, Mariupol and Kherson was taken to mainland Russia and occupied Sevastopol, Crimea. The Russians then send the stolen Ukrainian grain, using forged documents, for export, specifically to Syria.

Thus Russia, in its attempt to muscle Ukraine out of global markets for food, most especially wheat, seeks not just to damage Ukraine economically and set off a chaos in Africa and the Middle East. The aggressor country aims to monopolize trade in wheat as the a global food crisis is looming over the world. In this situation, a global food shortage is almost inevitable, and Russia will try to shift the blame onto Europe.

Witold Repetowicz, a highly reputed Polish analyst believes this to be an attempt by the Kremlin to exert an influence on the governments of wheat-importing countries facing famine and on food-related social unrest events. The consequences of dependence on wheat exports from Russia (including the wheat stolen from Ukraine) will be similar to those already seen in gas and energy supplies, one such being that Moscow will exert pressure on the importers of this highly valued commodity.

Russia wants a global support from wheat-import dependent governments in order to pressurize the West into lifting the sanctions crippling the Russian economy. Another intent is to introduce into the global agenda the narrative that focus should be on the lifting of sanctions enforced on Russia, rather than on the reasons that caused them - that is Russias war of aggression on Ukraine and Moscows neo-imperialist policies This narrative, it should be noted, is already working, as the media in Africa and the Middle East are often more critical of the West and NATO than they are critical of Russia and its war in Ukraine.

Hunger riots and refugees are allies for Moscow

Setting off social unrest in countries at risk of famine is the first move in this Russian plot. The global narrative -- that it is the responsibility of the West to resolve the crisis and provide humanitarian assistance -- will be shared not only by the governments of the grain-importing countries friendly to Moscow, but by local societies and the media. This all will fit well into Russia's plans to exploit the demographic or migratory weapons in countering the West by instigating instability and a new influx of refugees into the EU.

For your information: According to the UN, some 60 percent the world's malnourished population reside in conflict-affected areas. Last year, 140 million people suffered from acute hunger worldwide, primarily in countries such as Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. According to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, the war in Ukraine threatens hunger and poverty for 1.7 billion people worldwide, which is 20% of the world's population. And, according to EurasiaGroup, about 1.9 billion people would have faced food insecurity by November 2022.

That is, Russia can easily gain support from grain-import dependent countries to stimulate migration to Europe, turn a blind eye to, or even encourage the export of jihadism, terrorism, and illegal goods, including weapons and narcotic drugs.

A new wave of migration bound for Europe from the south (from Africa through the Mediterranean to Southern Europe), the southeast (through Turkey to Greece and the Balkans), the east (through Belarus and Russia to Poland and the Baltic States), and northeast (through Russia to Scandinavia), can send many European countries to political crises. This scenario is fully in line with the Kremlin's plans.

Experts judge that the Russian paradigm of demographic attack will encompass a powerful information and psychological operation that would be targeted primarily at the extreme right and left-liberal circles and aimed to incite fear and foster intolerance towards migrants. This is supposed to send Europe into a political crisis, in which anti-immigration groups who are often more inclined to cooperating with Russia will create alternatives to the governments unable to cope with illegal migration.

The resulting crisis will be exacerbated futher by terrorist attacks, racist incidents, and information chaos. At the same time, pro-Russian media will provide a distorted version of events, with emphasis on growing expenditures, rising prices, and deteriorating financial status for Europeans. As a result, societies most prone to the negative effects of migration will be increasingly less interested in the situation in Ukraine. Nor will they link the migration crisis to the aggressor, Russia, but will even see its capabilities as a solution.

Experts share the view that this scenario is aimed to help Russia win both military and strategic victories in Ukraine and thus pave the ground for further expansion. And this is the last resort measure Moscow is likely to employ to achieve a U-turn in the current trend.

Russia is currently losing the war strategically; its ability to achieve military victory remains in question. The Wests turning away from Ukraine, as it is hoped by the Kremlin, would allow Russia to buy time it needs to revive its capabilities and reverse the situation to win. According to German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, "Putin aims to divide the world with a 'grain war'.

Thus, the need to counter the Russian campaign of spreading misinformation and distrust in the governments of democratic countries is once again coming to the fore. Not only does Russia threaten the democratic world with weapons, but remains a major security challenge.

A key to preventing this Kremlins scenario from coming into reality is the understanding that it will no longer be enough to just circumvent the Russian blockade on Ukrainian grain or reduce illegal migration simply by way of reinforcing Europe's borders.

After all, a Russian attack using migration as a weapon, according to the classics of this genre, will begin in the countries of the migrants origin, as a result of their governments being won over to Russias side. A pressing need therefore arises to adopt (at the level of a multinational anti-Russian coalition consisting of a majority of NATO and EU countries, as well as some other countries in the Free World) a comprehensive strategy to disable this Russian plan.

Against this backdrop, Ukraine has warned that there should be no easing of pressure on Russia, and the civilized worlds unity to counter the aggressor country should never be compromised.

thesis.od.ua

Ukrainian potential

One of the key measures that would help foil Russia's plan to destabilize the EU should be to unblock Ukrainian Black Sea ports as soon as possible and resume grain exports, and the more so because Ukraine has enough stocks for export, and its grain terminals must be emptied for storing fresh harvest of 2022.

The Executive Director of the UNs World Food Program (WFP), David Beasley, said that Top United Nations officials are leading negotiations on a package deal to ensure that Ukraine can export stalled shipments of grain through the Black Sea. The WFP feeds some 125 million people across the globe, and buys 50% of its grain from Ukraine. Ukraine grows enough food to feed 400 million people around the planet. Beasley appealed, on behalf of the United Nations, to Russian President Vladimir Putin to open the Ukrainian ports, but to no avail. The Kremlin has said that Moscow is ready to look for ways to ship grain stuck in Ukrainian ports but has demanded the West lift sanctions.

According to a UN report for 2021, Ukraine was the world's sixth largest food supplier with a market share of 10% for wheat and 16% for corn, having exported 20 million tons of wheat and rye, 24 million tons of corn, more than 15-20% of barley, and more than 55% of sunflower seed oil (5.1 million tons).

Among the regions of the world that depend most on Ukrainian food supplies are Africa and the Middle East. Ukrainian wheat exports account for more than 10% of annual wheat consumption in 15 countries.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said Russia must be compelled to create corridors so that food and other vital supplies can safely leave Ukraine by land or sea. "There are an estimated 22 million tons of grain sitting in silos in Ukraine right now. Food that could immediately go toward helping those in need if it can simply get out of the country," Blinken said.

As the all-out war goes on, Ukraine continues to export its agricultural produce through railway, highways, and rivers. Without supplies from Ukraine, the amount of grain available for sale in the world market is decreasing, causing prices to rise. Depending on the type of grain, discontinued grain exports from Ukraine could cause global food prices to increase by 25%, as many countries rely on its exports. That must not happen.

Ukrainian ports must be re-opened

All the countries bordering Ukraine have responded to the problem of grain exports from Ukraine and have either significantly simplified the procedures for registration of freight, or are actively working on it. In particular, liberal conditions for Ukrainian carriers have been introduced by Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, as well as Italy, Turkey, Bulgaria, Georgia, Denmark, Greece and, more recently, Austria. A new intermodal route connecting Ukrainian transport hubs to the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta has become one of the main transit hubs for Ukrainian grain exports. This route, however, has been currently suspended due to Russian missile attacks.

Thus, despite the use of all available alternative ways enabling food grain exports from Ukraine, they are not sufficient to ensure a speedy transit of large amounts of grain. It is, therefore, an urgent need to unblock Ukrainian ports and let grain exports out as soon as possible, and especially so because transportation by sea will help bring food prices down.

A good solution would be to join hands across the UN, EU and NATO to raise pressure on Russia to end its war in Ukraine, allow grain shipments by sea and river transport, and de-mine transportation routes among other things. Given the strategic importance of unblocking Ukrainian grain exports, Ukraine is working with international partners to create a United Nations-backed mission to restore Black Sea shipping routes and export Ukrainian farm produce. The mission would be conducted with naval support from a number of the worlds leading countries and involve security measures such as providing air defenses over Ukrainian ports and sea areas, de-mining fairways and port waters, and warships escorting freight ships in transit.

Another way to compel the aggressor to retreat from its plans to destabilize Europe is to defeat it militarily. The destruction of targets by Ukrainian missile strikes on Snake/Zmiiny Island and on militarized gas production platforms in the Black Sea, which have been modified by the aggressor for reconnaissance and surveillance roles, can be considered the first decisive and successful step towards unblocking Ukrainian ports. The recipe for doing this is well known - Ukraine needs more support in its fair fight against the Russian aggressor and the soonest possible transfer of heavy weapons, especially medium and long-range air defense systems, as well as strike systems that will enable a speedy liberation of Ukrainian areas currently occupied by Russia and would allow Ukraine to resume production and export of key food produce to the global market.

Volodymyr Zablocky, Defense Express for Ukrinform
A ship from the occupied city of Berdyansk, southern Ukraine, entered the port of Karasu in Turkey, bringing Ukrainian grain highly likely stolen by Russia.

Thats according to Ukrainian Ambassador to Turkey Vasyl Bodnar, who broke the news on Facebook, Ukrinform reports.

Diplomats are currently taking the necessary measures in this regard, the ambassador noted.

"With a letter from the Prosecutor General's Office, we appealed to the Turkish side to take urgent measures. We have good communication and close cooperation with the authorities of the Republic of Turkey. I am convinced that the decisions to be adopted will prevent attempts to violate the sovereignty of Ukraine!" Bodnar wrote.

The Argus Media agency also confirms the report about the illegal export of grain. The ship carrying 7,000 tonnes of grain illegally exported from Ukraine is called Zhibek Zholy, informed Andrii Klymenko, chief of the monitoring group at the Black Sea Institute for Strategic Studies.

This is not the first ship that carries grain illegally transferred from Ukraine to Turkey.

"Today, we are observing eight ships that deliver grain from the Russian-occupied ports of Crimea directly to Turkish ports," Kateryna Yaresko, a journalist with the "SeaCrime Peacemaker" project, told.

The "Zhibek Zholy" dry cargo ship was built in Russia by order of the Kazakh-based KTZ Express Shipping. The vessel flies a Russian flag.
Reconstruction of Ukraine requires colossal investments: billions, new technologies, best practices, new institutions and, of course, reforms.

On Monday, Ukraine will present in Lugano a national view on how to implement all this, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his evening video address.

Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians!

We are actively preparing for the start of a special conference in Lugano, Switzerland. Its first day is on Monday. A large-scale international event dedicated to the reconstruction of our country. Reconstruction in the broad sense of the word. It is necessary not only to restore everything that the occupiers destroyed, but also to create a new basis for our life, for Ukraine - safe, modern, convenient, barrier-free. This requires colossal investments - billions, new technologies, best practices, new institutions and, of course, reforms.

And already on Monday, Ukraine will present in Lugano a national view on how to implement all this.

In fact, this is the largest economic project of our time in Europe and extraordinary opportunities for every state, for every company that we will invite to work in Ukraine to prove themselves.

The territory of 10 regions was affected by hostilities after February 24. During this time, we managed to liberate 1,027 cities and towns, and another 2,610 are still under Russian occupation. And most of them need to be reconstructed, hundreds of them were completely destroyed by the Russian army, they actually have to be rebuilt from scratch. But besides that, dozens of cities in other regions of Ukraine were hit by missiles. Hundreds of enterprises were destroyed. Among them there are also complex, very dangerous industries - chemistry, metallurgy...

Of course, we have already begun to restore normal life in liberated communities and territories on our own. But implementing such a large-scale project across the country, providing new safety standards and a new quality of life is possible only by attracting international capabilities.

Therefore, the Conference in Lugano can become an important step for the reconstruction of Ukraine. And when we implement this project - and I am sure that it will happen - this event might be considered its beginning.

Although a lot still needs to be done for our victory - and it is a difficult path, because the war continues - but already now we must do everything possible so that the aggressor loses not only on the battlefield, but also historically, conceptually... So that everyone in Russia remembers that Ukraine cannot be broken by anything, by anyone, even by a brutal war.

Today, the Russian army continued to fire missiles at our cities. As of the evening alone, there have already been six missile strikes, a total of 12 missiles. Mykolaiv, the Donetsk region... The airstrikes continued. Fierce hostilities continue along the entire frontline, in Donbas - the epicenter is, of course, in the cities of the Luhansk region. The enemys activity in the Kharkiv region is intensifying. We managed to oust the occupiers from Ivanivka, Kherson region, we continue to put pressure in the south of our country...

In many cities in the rear there is a feeling of relaxation now, but the war is not over - it goes on. Unfortunately, its cruelty is increasing in some places, and it cannot be forgotten. Therefore, help the army, help volunteers, help everyone who was left alone at this time. And constantly use all your contacts abroad, all your information opportunities - even just social networks to spread the truth about the war and about the crimes of the occupiers on our land.

Tomorrow and during the week there will be important negotiations and meetings for Ukraine - we do not reduce diplomatic activity for a single day. We also expect new decisions from partners regarding defense assistance to our state...

The main thing, no matter how difficult it is for us today, we must remember that there will be tomorrow. And tomorrow should bring maximum benefit to Ukraine - everyone should do absolutely everything possible for this.

I am thankful to all our defenders!

You are doing great! You are strong!

Glory to Ukraine!
Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olga Stefanishyna and President of the Regional Council of Ile-de-France Valerie Pecresse have discussed humanitarian needs, plans for the reconstruction of Ukrainian regions and the strengthening of contacts between the two countries' businesses.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration said this in a Facebook post, Ukrinform reports.

"Olga Stefanishyna met with Valerie Pecresse, President of the Council of the French region of Ile-de-France. We discussed humanitarian needs, plans for the reconstruction of Ukrainian regions, as well as the strengthening of contacts between Ukrainian and French businesses," the statement said.

In addition, Stefanishyna thanked Pecresse for the assistance that Ile-de-France has already provided to Ukraine, including humanitarian goods and medical equipment, as well as for her leadership in mobilizing support for Ukraine.

Stefanishyna said that the goal of the French official's visit is to establish partnerships with the Kyiv and Chernihiv regions for the implementation of reconstruction programs.

Stefanishyna added that during her latest visit to Paris, she and Pecresse visited one of the largest logistical humanitarian hubs created by the French National Federation of Civil Protection, including with the support of the Ile-de-France region, for assistance to Ukraine.

Earlier reports said that the Kyiv region and the French region of Ile-de-France had signed a memorandum of cooperation. Oleksiy Kuleba, head of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration, said that major areas of cooperation will be the development of general planning of urban space, the development of the medical field, civil protection of the population, and small and medium-sized businesses.

Subsequently, a bilateral working group will be created for the implementation of specific projects to rebuild the Kyiv region.
The civilized world is definitely on the way to recognizing Russia as a terrorist country.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the head of the Ukrainian President's Office, said this in an interview with Ukraine's Channel 24, Ukrinform reports.

I think the world will gradually come to this. I mean the civilized world, because there are countries like the DPRK and Syria that look at human life in a completely different way. They believe that a certain number of people can be killed for the sake of a ghostly goal. It is clear that they will support Russia, because they believe that it has the right to enter sovereign Ukraine and kill any number of our people. However, the civilized world is definitely on the way to recognizing Russia as a terrorist country, Podolyak said.

According to him, the fact that Russia is a terrorist country that kills people should be recognized legally, as this will have consequences, in particular, economic ones.

Russia's full-scale armed aggression has been ongoing in Ukraine since February 24, 2022.

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During the meeting in Lviv, Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Hanna Maliar and Minister of Defense of the Czech Republic, Jana Cernochova, discussed the situation at the front lines and further assistance to Ukraine.

Thats according to Maliars report delivered via Telegram, as seen by Ukrinform.

"Today I worked in Lviv, where I was meeting with Minister of Defense of the Czech Republic, Jana Cernochova. We had a very warm meeting. Of course, we talked of war and aid to Ukraine," Maliar said, recalling that the Czech Republic is among the European nations that consistently supports Ukraine in countering Russian military aggression.

According to the Deputy Minister of Defense, the Czech Republic has already provided Ukraine with weapons and military equipment, and also helps the country in the field of military heatlhcare by training Ukrainian specialists and treating the wounded.

Maliar also drew attention to the strong stance of the Czech Republic towards the Russian Federation and reported on the introduction of the following restrictive measures regarding Russia: the Czech Republic withdrew its consent to the operation of Russian consulates in Karlovy Vary and Brno and suspended the work of the Czech consulates in St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg. Also, Czech Ambassador to the Russian Federation was recalled for consultations; while Czech House in Moscow was shut down. The government of the Czech Republic decided to stop issuing visas, as well as long-term and permanent residence permits, to Russian citizens, with the exception of humanitarian cases (the residence permit shall be reviewed in connection with the sanctions imposed against the Russian Federation). The airspace over the Czech Republic has been closed for aircraft of Russian air carriers, while permits for charter transportation are no longer issued. Besides, regions of the Czech Republic suspended cooperation with 12 regions of the Russian Federation.
The delegation of the Czech Republic led by Minister of Defense Jana Cernochova visited Ternopil region. The delegation members and the leadership of the region commemorated the fallen Czechoslovak legionnaires and discussed the support for the Ukrainian army.

"The Czech Republic stands in solidarity with Ukraine. The visit of the delegation of the Czech Republic led by Minister of Defense Jana Cernochova to our region is yet another proof," Volodymyr Trush, Head of the Ternopil Regional Military Administration, posted on Telegram.

The foreign delegation and the local authorities honored the memory of the fallen Czechoslovak legionnaires on the 105th anniversary of the Battle of Zboriv.

In addition, the issue of support for the military and citizens who lost their homes due to Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine was discussed.

The Battle of Zboriv took place between the Russian and Austro-Hungarian armies during the World War I, July 1-2, 1917. On the side of the Russian Empire, the units of the Czechoslovak Legion, formed from captured Czechs and Slovaks, took part in this battle for the first time. The battle ended with the victory of the Russian troops, essentially the only great victory of the Russian Empire during the so-called June offensive. The victory near Zboriv also contributed to the elevation of Czech national self-awareness.

Photo credit: Volodymyr Trush, Telegram

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Omaha, Nebraska  The report  Nebraska's Women in STEM: Listen Then Act  provides data on the experiences of 48 women working in STEM and how they navigate the challenges and opportunities of working in traditionally male-dominated environments. Bio Nebraska and Nebraska Cures commissioned the report with NASA Nebraska Space Grant funding for a graduate student fellowship.

In 2019, only 5% of persons 25 years and older worked in a core STEM occupation in Nebraska. Of those that work in STEM, about 27% are women compared to 73% of men, using data from the United States Census Bureau's American Community Survey. Women of color are even less represented.

Our research shows that Nebraska's women in STEM face considerable gender barriers when entering and advancing in STEM fields." - Josie Gatti Schafer, CPAR director

Researchers in the report identified themes across the women interviewed, including early interest in life to pursue a career in STEM; grit; workplace inequities; barriers in career promotion and advancement; challenges navigating work-life balance; and unique Nebraska influences on the STEM culture and workforce. The report also includes a series of recommendations with ideas from interview participants for how to recruit and retain women in STEM in Nebraska.

"Our research shows that Nebraska's women in STEM face considerable gender barriers when entering and advancing in STEM fields. The report also proposes solutions for how to support women in STEM at both the organization and public policy levels," said Josie Gatti Schafer, CPAR director.

Data in the report was collected through 48 in-depth interviews with women working in STEM who reside in Nebraska, led by Morgan Vogel, Ph.D., a research associate at CPAR. Interview participants represented a range of STEM occupations in academia and industry in Nebraska.

The full report as well as ways to be involved in sharing and acting on the research can be found online at NebraskaWomenInSTEM.com.

About CPAR

CPAR collaboratively produces and disseminates high-quality public scholarship about topics that impact the lives of Nebraskans. Ongoing projects from CPAR include policy analyses for the Planning Committee of the Nebraska State Legislature, the Nebraska Rural Transit Project, governing.unomaha.edu, and designation by the U.S. Census Bureau as a statewide liaison for disseminating a range of data products. Visit cpar.unomaha.edu to access CPAR's extensive data resources on state and local issues in Nebraska.
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SARGODHA, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Jul, 2022 ) :Pakistan Medical Association Sargodha President Dr Sikandar Hayyat said collective efforts were needed to control dengue mosquitoes.

Talking to APP here on Friday, he said the district administration had taken comprehensive measures to tackle the dengue virus, adding that dengue fever had now become a global problem.

He said:" The monsoon season has been started which favors the dengue larvae breeding so we should clean our houses, offices, shops and bazaars.

A special ward had also been set up in the District Headquarters Teaching Hospital for denguepatients where a team of doctors and paramedical staff were available round-the-clock, he added.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 2nd Jul, 2022 ) :Provincial Minister Khwaja Salman Rafique has said that dengue virus can only be tackled with the support of the community.

He was talking to the media while leading an anti-dengue awareness walk, organised by the Punjab Health Department to observe the anti-dengue day at the office of the Director General Health here on Saturday.

He said that the anti-dengue day was being observed across the province on the special direction of Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz. He said that walks and awareness seminars were being organised at almost all public hospitals.The minister said that keeping the houses clean was basic responsibility of every citizen. He said that the Punjab government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had successfully eliminated dengue virus in the province in the past.

He said that all provincial health departments were working to overcome the dengue virus. He said that the Health Department was trying to create awareness among people about precautionary measures against dengue virus through walks and seminars.

Kh Salman said that the media was also playing a vital role in creating awareness about dengue. He urged people to avoid accumulation of water in their homes and adopt precautionary measures especially during the monsoon season.

About coronavirus, the minister said that 88 per cent citizens had been vaccinated against COVID-19 and urged people to get vaccinated as early as possible. He said that coronavirus cases were once again increasing in the country; therefore, precautions should be followed for it besides dengue. He said that strict action would be taken against officers over negligence in dengue virus awareness campaign.

To a question, he said that the Punjab Health Department was ensuring implementation of the standard operating procedures (SOPs) and instructions from the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), adding that there was no shortage of paracetamol tablet in the province.

To another question, he expressed his hope that Hamza Shehbaz would easily win the re-voting.
ISLAMABAD, Jul 2 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 2nd Jul, 2022 ) :Fruit growers and dealers of north Kashmir held a peaceful protest at the Fruit Mandi Sopore here on Saturday against the halting of fruit-laden trucks along Srinagar-Jammu Highway in view of the Amarnath Yatra in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

According to Kashmir Media Service (KMS), the fruit growers and dealers held a peaceful protest and urged the authorities to allow the smooth passage of fruit-laden trucks on the highway.

They said they had already suffered huge losses over the past several years and they would have to bear more losses if fresh fruit-laden trucks were not allowed smooth passage along the highway.

The protesters also said they welcome Amarnath pilgrims but they should not be made to suffer at the cost of yatra. They added that they had been in touch with the administration for the last several days but to no avail.
ISLAMABAD, Jul 2 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 2nd Jul, 2022 ) :US Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) Todd D. Robinson has visited Islamabad from June 29  July 2 to discuss the US-Pakistani partnership, highlighting the 75th anniversary of bilateral relations.

During his visit, assistant secretary Robinson met with senior government officials to discuss US-Pak cooperation on several topics, including counter narcotics, gender issues, transnational crime, and border security, a press release on Saturday said.

The assistant secretary Robinson also took part in celebrating the 75 years of US-Pakistani relations and INL's 40-year partnership with Pakistan under the theme "justice, security, and prosperity." On June 30, the assistant secretary participated in the groundbreaking of the Anti-Narcotics Force academy (ANF) construction and training project, valued at $2.2 million (451.7 million PKR), hosted by implementing partner United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

Ministry of Narcotics Control Minister Shahzain Bugti and ANF Director General Ghulam Shabbir Narejo also attended.

The assistant secretary also attended a ceremony to celebrate the delivery of $1.

44 million (295.7 million PKR) of commodities to the excise, taxation and narcotics control of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a KPK provincial agency that has a drug interdiction mandate.

On July 1, the assistant secretary joined Inspector General of Frontier Corps Khyber Pakhtunkhwa North Major General Adil Yamin, Inspector General of Frontier Corps Khyber Pakhtunkhwa South Major General Muhammad Munir Afsar, and senior Frontier Corps leadership for an inauguration and agreement signing ceremony for two joint projects worth approximately $10.5 million (2.1 billion PKR).

The inauguration celebrated completion of 45 new structures at FC KP North's Warsak Training Center, including accommodation barracks for 500 men and 128 women, classrooms, and facilities for physical training.

The officials also signed an agreement for the construction of women's facilities at eight existing FC KP South regional headquarters.

The US government-funded project will provide barracks, dining halls, kitchens, and other facilities that will support stationing of up to 128 women Frontier Corps members at each location.
The Aluakluak hospital in South Sudan's Lakes State was renovated by Doctors with Africa CUAMM, and can respond well to obstetric emergencies in the region.

Byy Francesca Sabatinelli - Yirol, South Sudan

About one hundred kilometres separate Rumbek from Yirol, in South Sudan's Lakes State, but it can take up to four hours to get there by car, and that is when there is no rain or herds of cows make everything more complicated.

In this strip of red-coloured land in the Yirol area sits the Primary Health Care Center (PHCC) of Aluakluak, a level II health unit. This is one of the six centers in the Governorate of Yirol supported by the missionary doctors of CUAMM for Africa, one of the major Italian non-governmental health organizations promoting healthcare for Africans.

"We follow up with pregnant women," explains the obstetrician Stephen Obulejo. "We assist them in childbirth and post-birth; we offer medical care to children under the age of five, and adults, and an obstetric emergency service."

Over 25,000 people, who otherwise wouldnt have any health care at all, refer to this unit, and are sent to the hospital in Yirol in the most serious cases.

The hospital of Yirol, in South Sudan

Dealing with health challenges

The government hospital, which covers three counties, caters to some 300,000 people. It was in Yirol that CUAMM began its activity in South Sudan in 2006 and, in 2008, it renovated and inaugurated the hospital, which today represents one of the most important health facilities in South Sudan.

It is all about giving birth safely. The coordinator, Dr Paul Lubega, recounts the progress made so far, serving a growing and largely isolated population.

One of the most important challenges, he explains, is finding qualified health personnel to deal with the the most common diseases in the region: malaria, which is endemic, respiratory infections, and HIV.

In this remote area, where healthcare is extremely poor, patients who know about the healthcare facility often arrive when their illness is at an advanced stage, which can become very serious for children under the age of five. Many of them are severely malnourished, and are often hospitalized in extreme conditions.

Doctor Paul Lubega

Listen to the interview with Doctor Paul Lubega

The importance of tradition

In this hospital, which offers the local population vaccinations, pre-natal visits, and nutrition screening, a fundamental milestone has been reached: that of responding to obstetric emergencies.

CUAMM has launched an advanced project, both in terms of human resources and infrastructures, providing support to maternity, in the form of prenatal care, childbirth, and subsequent monitoring of mothers and babies.

The project now also includes an ambulance service for pregnant mothers who can call directly if they are in danger.

This represents an important challenge for CUAMM and the hospital, which has involved a fundamental figure for the local community, that of traditional midwives, who enjoy the unconditional trust of pregnant women and their families for having given birth to entire generations of children.

Traditional midwives have been present in the hospital since 2014 to welcome and encourage future mothers and their loved ones who feel they are in a familiar and safe environment, where they are not afraid to return in the future, challenging ancestral beliefs.
Ecuador is still facing a crisis of indigenous protests as the crisis continues to divide the nation.

By James Blears

Ecuador is still facing a crisis of indigenous protests as the crisis continues to divide the nation.

On Sunday, Pope Francis called on all parties in Ecuador to abandon violence and extreme positions as the country continues to see violent protests in response to rising food and fuel prices.



The Holy Father expressed his closeness to the people of Ecuador, while insisting that it is only through dialogue that social peace can be achieved with particular attention to the marginalized populations and the poorest, but always respecting everyones rights, as well as those of the countrys institutions.

Read also 26/06/2022 Pope calls on Ecuadorians to abandon violence and extremism The Holy Father says he is following "with concern" the situation in Ecuador, which has seen violent protests over food and fuel prices in recent weeks.

Resuming talks

Representatives of Ecuadors government and indigenous leaders restarted talks on Thursday in an attempt to step back and move away from protests in large parts of the country, with roadblocks still being used by more than 14,000 demonstrators in the capital Quito.

The Minister of Government, Francisco Jiminez, says the negotiations will be mediated by the Episcopal Conference, as tensions and tempers continue to fray.

Negotiations had started on Monday but were suspended the very next day, after demonstrators attacked a truck. One soldier died, and seven other soldiers, as well as five police officers, have been injured.

Attempting to restore stability

Ecuadors president, Guillermo Lasso, has reacted strongly, stating activist Leonidas Iza is not able to control the people he represents as leader of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador. Indigenous peoples comprise half of the countrys population of seventeen million people. Lasso had lifted a month-long state of emergency in six provinces, but now he has reimposed it in four of them.

Jimenez is attempting to apply a measured approach, stressing that the aim must be to re-establish calm, stability, and peace via talks to find practical political and economic solutions.

Protests over rising costs

The protests started on 13 June in response to rising fuel prices and increases in the cost of living, along with the resulting poverty. Five people have died, while hundreds more have been injured and arrested.

The government has subsequently reduced the price of a gallon of gasoline by ten cents, but demonstrators say this is inadequate. They are demanding controls on spiralling food prices, job creation programs, and substantially more investment in health and education.

Meanwhile, during this current crisis, disrupted national oil production has halved and could grind to a halt.
A three-day assembly of Islamic clerics and tribal elders in the Afghan capital concluded Saturday with pledges of support for the Taliban and calls on the international community to recognize the country's Taliban-led government.

The meeting in Kabul was tailored along the lines of Afghanistans traditional Loya Jirgas  regular councils of elders, leaders and prominent figures meant to deliberate Afghan policy issues.

But the overwhelming majority of attendees were Taliban officials and supporters, mostly Islamic clerics. Women were not allowed to attend, unlike the last Loya Jirga that was held under the previous, U.S.-backed government.

The former insurgents, who have kept a complete lock on decision-making since taking over the country last August, touted the gathering as a forum on issues facing Afghanistan.

According to Mujib-ul Rahman Ansari, a cleric who attended the gathering, an 11-point statement released at the end urges countries in the region and the world, the United Nations, Islamic organizations and others to recognize a Taliban-led Afghanistan, remove all sanctions imposed since the Taliban takeover and unfreeze Afghan assets abroad.

Ansari said that more than 4,500 Islamic clerics and elders who attended renewed their allegiance and loyalty to the Talibans supreme leader and spiritual chief, Haibatullah Akhundzada.

In a surprise development, the reclusive Akhundzada came to Kabul from his base in southern Kandahar province and addressed the gathering Friday. It was believed to be his first visit to the Afghan capital since the Taliban seized power.

In his hourlong speech carried by state radio, Akhundzada called the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan a victory for the Muslim world.

His appearance added symbolic heft to the gathering. The Taliban are under international pressure to be more inclusive as they struggle with Afghanistans humanitarian crises.

The international community has been wary of any recognition or cooperation with the Taliban, especially after they restricted the rights of women and minorities  measures that hark back to their harsh rule when they were last in power in the late 1990s.

Saturday's 11-point resolution called on the Taliban government to pay special attention and to ensure justice, religious and modern education, health, agriculture, industry, the rights of minorities, children, women and the entire nation, according to Islamic holy law." The Taliban adhere to their own strict interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia.

On Friday, Akhundzada, who rose from a low-profile member of the Islamic insurgent movement to the leader of the Taliban in a swift transition of power after a 2016 U.S. drone strike killed his predecessor, Mullah Akhtar Mansour, also offered prayers for Afghanistan's earthquake victims.

The powerful quake in June killed more than 1,000 people in eastern Afghanistan, igniting yet another crisis for the struggling country. Overstretched aid groups already keeping millions of Afghans alive rushed supplies to the quake victims, but most countries responded tepidly to Taliban calls for international help.

The gathering in Kabul also touched on the Taliban's chief rivals, the militant Islamic State group, and appealed on Afghans across the country, saying that any kind of cooperation" with IS was prohibited.

On Thursday, at the start of the gathering, gunfire was heard near the heavily guarded assembly venue, the Loya Jirga Hall of Kabuls Polytechnic University. Later, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told reporters that security forces fired on someone suspected to have a hand grenade, but that there is nothing of concern.

However, IS claimed responsibility for the attack. It said in a statement that three of its fighters climbed onto the roof of a building near the gathering and posted a video showing a group of heavily armed men, their faces masked, who say they have taken positions very close to the gathering and are awaiting orders to attack.

The IS affiliate in Afghanistan, known as Islamic State in Khorasan Province or IS-K, has been operating since 2014. Since the Taliban takeover, IS militants have staged numerous assaults on Afghanistan's new rulers and the Taliban have launched a sweeping crackdown against IS in the country's stronghold in eastern Afghanistan.
U.S. President Joe Biden vowed to protect the right of American women to access abortion, following what he called the "tragic" and "extreme" decision by the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade. The 1973 ruling had guaranteed a woman's constitutional right to end her pregnancy.



"I share the public outrage to this extremist court, that's committed to moving America backwards with fewer rights, less autonomy, and politicians invading the most personal decisions," Biden said Friday in a virtual meeting with Democratic governors to discuss protecting abortion access.



Biden reiterated his support to end the Senate's filibuster rule in order to secure broader constitutional rights to privacy including abortion.



Sixty-one percent of U.S. adults say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, according to the latest Pew Research poll.



The president warned that authorities in states outlawing abortion may arrest women for crossing state lines to obtain the procedure elsewhere.



"I don't think people believe that's going to happen, but it's going to happen," he said, calling the issue a "gigantic deal" that affects all basic rights of Americans.



Last week the administration announced it would protect women's access to medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration, including contraceptives and pills to end pregnancy such as mifepristone. It also pledged to defend the "bedrock right" of a woman to travel across state lines to terminate her pregnancy.



Biden urged Americans to vote for lawmakers who support abortion rights, saying that two more Democratic senators were needed to change the filibuster rules in the Senate, which could allow a bill to pass that would codify the right to an abortion. The term filibuster describes actions designed to prolong debate to delay or prevent a vote by lawmakers.



"The choice is clear," he said. "We either elect federal senators and representatives who will codify Roe, or Republicans who will elect a House and Senate that will try to ban abortions nationwide."



Thirteen Republican-led states have banned or severely restricted the procedure under so-called trigger laws after the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade last week in a 6-3 ruling that fell along ideological lines.



Because of the decision that overturned Roe  known as Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization  more states are expected to outlaw or severely restrict access to the procedure, which may force women living in those states to travel to the approximately 20 states where abortion services will likely remain available in the immediate future.



"Utter chaos lies ahead," warned Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, predicting that some states will "race to the bottom with criminal abortion bans, forcing people to travel across multiple state lines and, for those without means to travel, carry their pregnancies to term  dictating their health, lives and futures."



Roe v. Wade ruled that states may not regulate abortion for any reason during the first trimester of pregnancy and may regulate abortion only to protect the health of the woman during the second trimester. During the third trimester, the state may regulate or prohibit abortion to promote its interest in the potential life of the fetus, except where abortion is necessary to preserve the woman's life or health.



Dobbs v. Jackson was welcomed by Republicans including Senator Ted Cruz of Texas who called it a "massive victory for life" that will "save the lives of millions of innocent babies," as well as by the anti-abortion movement.



"With this ruling, the abortion business that has been built through the exploitation of women and the killing of their children is beginning to crumble," said Mary Szoch, director of the Center for Human Dignity of the Family Research Council. In a statement she said the work does not stop here as in some states, "the evil of abortion that ends the life of a unique child, breaks the heart of a mother and father, and shatters the conscience of a nation continues."



Earlier this week, Biden warned that the Supreme Court, which is now dominated by conservative justices, may expand its rulings to other areas concerning the right to privacy, including the legality of same-sex marriage and the availability of legal contraception.



International outliers



The three liberal justices of the Supreme Court that voted against the ruling noted a "worldwide liberalization of abortion laws." In their dissenting opinion, Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan warned that some U.S. states "will become international outliers" following the Dobbs ruling.



Since the 1990s, only the U.S., El Salvador, Poland and Nicaragua have rolled back access to abortion, while about 60 countries have liberalized sexual and reproductive rights.



About 91 million women of reproductive age live in about 24 countries or territories that prohibit abortion under any circumstances, including El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, Malta, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Haiti, Iraq, Madagascar, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Senegal and Suriname.



Following a summit with NATO leaders in Madrid Thursday, Biden denied that the decision by the court contributes to the perception of world leaders that the U.S. is going backward but slammed the ruling as "destabilizing" and "outrageous."



"They do not think that. You haven't found one person  one world leader to say America is going backwards. America is better positioned to lead the world than we ever have been," he said.



"The one thing that has been destabilizing is the outrageous behavior of the Supreme Court of the United States on overruling not only Roe v. Wade, but essentially challenging the right to privacy," he added. "We've been a leader in the world in terms of personal rights and privacy rights, and it is a mistake, in my view, for the Supreme Court to do what it did."



International rights groups have warned that the reversal of Roe v. Wade will weaken abortion rights around the world. The United Nations agency that supports reproductive health care, UNFPA, said the decision has "a wider impact on the rights and choices of women and adolescents everywhere," including in developing countries where most illegal, unsafe abortions currently occur.



"We expect that this decision will embolden those seeking to undermine women and girls' sexual and reproductive health and rights," Sandy Keenan, senior director of communications and marketing of the Center for Reproductive Rights, told VOA. The group urged governments around the world to condemn the U.S. "regression on abortion rights."



At least two world leaders have. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called overturning Roe horrific," and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it was a big step backwards."
The Palestinian Authority on Saturday said it has given the bullet that killed Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh to American forensic experts, taking a step toward resolving a standoff with Israel over the investigation into her death.

Abu Akleh, a veteran correspondent who was well known throughout the Arab world, was fatally shot while covering an Israeli military raid May 11 in the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.

The Palestinians, along with Abu Akleh's colleagues who were with her at the time, say she was killed by Israeli gunfire.

The Israeli army says that she was caught in the crossfire of a battle with Palestinian gunmen, and that it is impossible to determine which side killed her without analyzing the bullet. The Palestinians have refused to turn over the bullet, saying they don't trust Israel.

The Palestinian attorney general, Akram al-Khatib, said the bullet was given to U.S. experts "for technical work." He reiterated the Palestinian refusal to share the bullet with the Israelis.

Al-Khatib said the Palestinians welcome the participation of any international bodies to "help us confirm the truth."

"We are confident and certain of our investigations and the results we have reached," he said.

It was not immediately clear what the American experts could discover without also studying the Israeli weapon that Israel says might have fired the shot. There was no immediate word from Israel on whether it would share the rifle.

The Palestinian announcement comes just over a week before President Joe Biden is to visit the region.

A Palestinian official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was discussing a diplomatic matter, said the issue was raised in a phone call between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Secretary of State Antony Blinken and that both sides hope to resolve the issue before Biden's visit.
Medical centers in Canada that perform abortions are preparing to receive patients from U.S. states that ban the procedure. The U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning a constitutional right to abortion in America is also being used as motivator to expand Canadas abortion services and provide other forms of support to pregnant women.

Canadas Supreme Court decriminalized abortion in 1988, 15 years after Americas landmark Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion across the United States.



Canada is the worlds second-largest land mass, and abortion services are not easily accessible for hundreds of kilometers in some rural areas, but most major urban areas have hospitals or medical centers where they are available.



Now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned, the 13 U.S. states along the border with Canada are free to allow abortions, restrict them or ban them entirely.



Winnipeg is the capital of Manitoba, which borders North Dakota, a state that is expected to restrict access to abortion.



Blandine Tona, director of clinical programs at the Womens Health Clinic in Winnipeg, expects to see American patients visit the center, as some did before the coronavirus pandemic. She said this has had less to do with laws and more to do with proximity; some Americans are closer to Winnipeg than to states where abortion is still legal.

Martha Paynter, author of Abortion to Abolition, Reproductive Health Injustice in Canada, is not sure about the number of cross-border trips that might happen to access abortion services.



Paynter, who has a doctorate in nursing, said there are costs and logistical obstacles for Americans to obtain care in Canada. However, she said, the situation is a motivator to expand access to abortions across the country.

It seems unlikely because you'd have to pay for the travel, you'd have to have a passport  it would be quite a process," she said. "I nevertheless think that we should prepare. This is a very good reminder of how we need to be ever vigilant and expanding access.

Canadas westernmost province of British Columbia shares a stretch of border with Washington state, where abortion services will continue to be widely available, but also Idaho, where a state law will soon ban the procedure if it survives court challenges.



Michelle Fortin, executive director of Options for Sexual Health, formerly Planned Parenthood Association of British Columbia, said possible immigration issues such as requiring passports and having to cross an international border lead most Americans who seek abortion services to visit the nearest U.S. state that allows it.

Even so, she said, nobody will be turned away in Canada, and many Canadians are looking to offer other types of support as well.

So I believe that any American that shows up who's got a pregnancy that is unintended and unwanted would be served," she said. "I don't know that we're going to see huge influx. I do know that there's a lot of folks in Canada looking for ways in which we can support people in America to access abortion.

Fortin said this support is mostly financial to help cover travel, child care and other costs for Americans. She said this might also include sending pharmaceutical abortion medication into the United States, much like what has been done for years with other prescriptions that are cheaper in Canada than in the United States.
For many in the United States on July 4, watching a fireworks show after barbequing with family and friends is the perfect way to end the day's celebration. The dazzling bursts and the artistic display of red, white and blue lights evokes a sense of patriotism on Americas Independence Day.

Yet due to lingering supply chain disruptions, the skies of quite a few cities will stay dark for a third consecutive year since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Arizonas capital city, Phoenix, canceled three of its fireworks shows this year because it couldnt get enough fireworks in time.

Unfortunately, much like many other municipalities, Phoenix has been affected by the ongoing supply chain issues. The city's contractor was unable to secure fireworks for the events," the citys Parks and Recreation Department said.

In Ottawa, Kansas, city officials ordered the fireworks in February, yet they are still stuck on a ship from China. As a result, the residents there will be enjoying a fireworks show two months later, on Labor Day, instead of on the Fourth of July.

Weve seen a supply chain disruption, we have seen a lack of access to ports, Larry Farnsworth, a representative for the National Fireworks Association, told VOA Mandarin.

Shipping costs are a concern. I will give you the example of one volume importer, who imports 200 to 250 containers a season. In 2019, it cost about $9,800 a container, this year it has skyrocketed to about $36,000, he added.

China produces most of the fireworks used in the United States. According to the National Pyrotechnics Association, China provides around 70% of the professional-grade fireworks used in fireworks shows. For commercial products, such as sparklers and bottle rockets, that percentage goes up to 94%, according to Forbes.

In April and May of this year, China has imposed strict COVID-19 lockdowns in many cities, including Shanghai, causing severe delays in the global supply chain. Export goods are piling up at ports as shipping rates skyrocket and labor shortages continue. In addition, the Ukraine crisis has pushed up oil prices, making the already high shipping cost even higher.

Think about what we have gone through over the last 28 months in supply chain disruption, I would consider that the equivalent of Great Chilean earthquake, which is one of the most profound earthquakes on the planet, said Nick Vyas, an associate professor of operations and a supply chain expert at the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business.

The disruption we saw (in supply chain) is equivalent of that. There is still lingering effects of that disruption and its been felt by various industries. The fireworks industry is no different, he added.

For other cities, the reason for cancellation is staffing shortages.

In Fairfax, VA, the citys fireworks show was pushed to July 5th.

Fairfax citys fireworks vendor canceled our show due to a lack of qualified pyrotechnicians. We contracted with a new vendor and moved the show to July 5, Matthew Kaiser, communications director of city government, told VOA in an email.

Were confident that our show will be as spectacular as ever, he added.

To be a professional pyrotechnician and shoot the professional show, you are the person, Larry Farnsworth from the National Fireworks Association said.

One must receive professional training, clearance with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and to get the product and drive them to the shoot site one also needs to keep a commercial drivers license to handle hazardous materials.

Shows kept getting canceled over the past two years because of the global pandemic, so many people stop keeping up with their certifications, Farnsworth said.

For some western cities, the concern is the threat of wildfire.

In California, a popular northern San Joaquin Valley fireworks show was canceled for the third consecutive year because of drought conditions. For Flagstaff in northern Arizona, the city canceled its fireworks display due to fire concerns, but a laser show will follow its annual Independence Day parade downtown.

Vyas of USC said that this is the silver lining. There are a lot of environmental concerns over these large-scale fireworks shows, so this might be an opportunity for cities to experiment with different types of celebrations instead of pyrotechnics celebration, he said.

For those cities that have canceled their fireworks shows, people will be more likely to purchase commercially sold fireworks and celebrate at home. Farnsworth of the National Fireworks Association provides some safety tips.

Have a bucket of water or hose nearby. Remember sparklers can burn at pretty high temperatures so put them in a bucket when you finish, he said, and finally, dont mix alcohol and fireworks.
The World Health Organization is warning of growing health risks in the Horn of Africa as acute hunger spreads there.

The World Health Organizations incident manager for the Horn of Africa, Sophie Maes, says urgent action is needed to slow the health and hunger crisis that is sickening and killing increasing numbers of people in the region.

WHO has released $16.5 million from its emergency fund for operations there.

Due to the acute food insecurity, malnutrition rates are getting higher and higher, and especially children and pregnant and lactating women are very, very vulnerable," said Maes. " There is this synergy between malnutrition and disease where malnourished children become more easily sick and sick children more easily malnourished.

The World Food Program warns 20 million people are at risk of starvation as drought in the Horn worsens.

Speaking from the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, Maes says the priority is to ensure everyone has access to food. At the same time, she says it is important that health needs are not neglected.

She warns the risk of disease outbreaks is higher because of a lack of clean water. She says the drought has dried up water sources, forcing people to leave their homes in search of food, water, and pasture for their cattle. Consequently, she says people are more likely to get sick as their living conditions deteriorate.

And we are seeing a spike in disease outbreaks. We are looking at measles in Djibouti, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Somalia, Sudan," said Maes. "Cholera and acute water diarrhea in Kenya, in South Sudan and Somalia. Meningitis, Hepatitis E, to name but a few.

Maes appeals for international support to help WHO provide needed care to severely malnourished children.

She says it is crucial to respond to disease outbreaks quickly, to have sufficient supplies of drugs and equipment available, and to ensure children receive needed vaccines.
A Venezuelan Indigenous leader who was an opponent of armed groups and illegal mining was shot dead on Thursday in the Amazonas state capital, a non-governmental organization and three people with knowledge of the case said.

Virgilio Trujillo Arana, a 38-year-old Indigenous Uwottuja man, was a defender of the Venezuelan Amazon and had set up community groups to act as guardians of the Autana municipality of Amazonas.

"In life, Trujillo Arana strongly opposed the presence of foreign groups and illegal mining exploitation in the indigenous territories of the Uwottuja people, in the Alto Guayapo area," Indigenous rights organization A.C Kape Kape wrote Friday on Twitter.

The Uwottuja community is made up of about 15,000 people.

Kape Kape's director general Armando Obdola told Reuters that Trujillo had received threats for his activism, and that his case echoed the murders of environmental and social activists in neighboring Colombia.

Communities from the town of Uwottuja announced last February their decision to defend their territory against a "silent invasion" by criminal groups, rejecting illegal mining exploitation as well as the use of their land for illicit activities.

"Virgilio was accompanying the Armed Forces as a territorial guard during operations into areas where there are irregular groups," said Obdola, who added that there are other leaders in hiding who fear for their lives.

The Ministry of Communication and Information and the Prosecutor's Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Non-governmental organizations and a United Nations report have denounced the presence of violent criminal groups that control gold mines in the jungle.

Mining has been prohibited since 1989 in Venezuela's southern Amazonas state, which is not part of the so-called Arco Minero, a gold exploitation zone 111,000 square kilometers created by decree in 2016 by the government of President Nicolas Maduro covering.

The Office of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet has asked the government to regularize mining activities and guarantee that they are carried out under international and environmental standards.

The Universidad de Los Andes Working Group on Indigenous Affairs called for an investigation into Trujillo's killing and said Indigenous organizations have so far not received responses from the Inter-America Commission on Human Rights regarding protection measures for other environmental defenders.
Protesters stormed Libya's parliament building in the eastern city of Tobruk on Friday, demonstrating against deteriorating living conditions and political deadlock, Libyan media reported.

Several television channels said that protesters had managed to enter the building and committed acts of vandalism, while media outlets showed images of thick columns of black smoke coming from its perimeter as angry young protesters burned tires.

Other media reports said part of the building had been burned.

The parliament building was empty as Friday falls on the weekend in Libya.

Libya's parliament, or House of Representatives, has been based in Tobruk, hundreds of kilometers east of the capital, Tripoli, since an east-west schism in 2014 following the revolt that toppled dictator Moammar Gadhafi three years earlier.

A rival body, formally known as the High Council of State, is based in Tripoli.

Images on Friday showed that a protester drove a bulldozer through part of a gate, allowing other demonstrators to enter more easily, while cars of officials were set on fire.

Later protesters began to break through the building's walls with construction equipment.

Other protesters, some brandishing the green flags of the Gadhafi regime, threw office documents into the air.

Libya has endured several days of power outages, worsened by the blockade of several oil facilities against the backdrop of political rivalries.

"We want the lights to work," protesters chanted.

Talks fail to resolve stalemate

Two governments have been vying for power for months: one based in Tripoli, led by interim Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, and another headed by former Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha, appointed by the parliament and supported by eastern-based strongman Khalifa Hifter.

Presidential and parliamentary elections, originally set for December last year, were meant to cap a U.N.-led peace process following the end of the last major round of violence in 2020.

But the vote never took place because of several contentious candidacies and deep disagreements over the polls' legal basis between rival power centers in the east and west.

The United Nations said Thursday that talks between the rival Libyan institutions aimed at breaking the deadlock had failed to resolve key differences.

Parliament speaker Aguila Saleh and High Council of State president Khaled al-Mishri met at the U.N. in Geneva for three days of talks to discuss a draft constitutional framework for elections.

While some progress was made, it was not enough to move forward toward elections, with the two sides still at odds over who can stand in presidential elections, said the U.N.'s top Libya envoy Stephanie Williams, who facilitated the talks.

'Escalating quickly'

The prospect of elections appears as distant as ever since the House of Representatives, elected in 2014, appointed Bashagha, arguing that Dbeibah's mandate had expired.

Recent weeks have seen repeated skirmishes between armed groups in Tripoli, prompting fears of a return to full-scale conflict.

Protests took place in other Libyan cities on Friday including Tripoli, where protesters held images of Dbeibah and Bashagha crossed out.

"Popular protests have erupted across Libya in exasperation at a collapsing quality of life, the entire political class who manufactured it, and the U.N. who indulged them over delivering promised change," tweeted analyst Tarek Megerisi of the European Council on Foreign Relations.

"Things are escalating quickly and the response will define Libya's summer," he added.

Libya's National Oil Corporation said Monday that a blockade at oil installations in the central coastal region of Sirte meant it may declare force majeur, a measure freeing it of contractual obligations because of circumstances beyond its control.

A blockade of two major oil export terminals and several oilfields began in April.

Eastern-based strongman Haftar's forces control major oil facilities.

A drop in gas production contributed to chronic power cuts, which can last around 12 hours a day.
Millions of Ukrainians are suffering from acute shortages of food, water, shelter and other basic needs more than four months after Russias invasion, U.N. agencies say.

U.N. agencies are trying to provide assistance to Ukrainians in light of Russias invasion, but they say destruction from Russian airstrikes and artillery fire, plus security concerns, make delivery to some areas difficult. They say it is not possible to enter and provide relief supplies to Kherson and Mariupol, cities that have been pummeled into rubble by Russian airstrikes.

Speaking from Kyiv, U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine, Osnat Lubrani, says an estimated 10,000 civilians have been killed and injured, adding this is probably a fraction of the true number. She says nearly 16 million people in Ukraine need humanitarian assistance and protection.

We are making every effort to support the people whose lives have been torn apart because of this war," Lubrani said. "But the Russian Federationalso the Ukrainian governmenthave to do more to protect the people of this country and to make our work possible.

Lubrani says the U.N. and private aid agencies have provided assistance to nearly 9 million people in every region in Ukraine. She adds nearly 2 million have received cash assistance for basic needs.

The Ukrainian crisis also is having a global impact. Russian ships are blockading Ukraines Black Sea ports, preventing the country from exporting its wheat and grain to the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Asia. The United Nations warns this is causing a global hunger crisis.

World Food Program Deputy Emergency Coordinator Kate Newton says without the Black Sea ports it is not possible to get anywhere close to the export levels Ukraine needs.

However, we are doing everything we can, which means by road, by rail and now by river, to try to get close to the maximum output," Newton said. "And at the moment, we think it is about 1 million metric tons a month and maybe we can push up to 2 million, but we urgently need access to the Black Sea.

Ukraine is considered one of the worlds breadbaskets. It provides about 10% of global wheat exports and nearly half the worlds sunflower oil.

The World Food Program says Ukraine exported up to 6 million tons of grain a month before the war. It says about 400 million people worldwide consumed Ukrainian products last year. Now that exports have largely stopped, WFP says about 20 million tons of grain are stuck in storage in Ukraine.
The World Health Organization's Europe chief warned Friday that monkeypox cases in the region have tripled in the past two weeks and urged countries to do more to ensure the previously rare disease does not become entrenched on the continent.

And African health authorities said they are treating the expanding monkeypox outbreak as an emergency, calling on rich countries to share limited supplies of vaccines to avoid equity problems seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.

WHO Europe chief Dr. Hans Kluge said in a statement that increased efforts were needed despite the U.N. health agency's decision last week that the escalating outbreak did not yet warrant being declared a global health emergency.

"Urgent and coordinated action is imperative if we are to turn a corner in the race to reverse the ongoing spread of this disease," Kluge said.

To date, more than 5,000 monkeypox cases have been reported from 51 countries worldwide that don't normally report the disease, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Kluge said the number of infections in Europe represents about 90% of the global total, with 31 countries in the WHO's European region having identified cases.

Kluge said data reported to the WHO show that 99% of cases have been in men  the majority in men who have sex with men. But he said there were now "small numbers" of cases among household contacts, including children. Most people reported symptoms including a rash, fever, fatigue, muscle pain, vomiting and chills.

Scientists warn that anyone who is in close physical contact with someone who has monkeypox or their clothing or bedsheets is at risk of infection. Vulnerable populations such as children and pregnant women are thought more likely to suffer severe disease.

About 10% of patients were hospitalized for treatment or to be isolated, and one person was admitted to an intensive care unit. No deaths have been reported.

Kluge said the problem of stigmatization in some countries might make some people wary of seeking health care and said the WHO was working with partners including organizers of gay pride events.

In the U.K., which has the biggest monkeypox outbreak beyond Africa, officials have noted the disease is spreading in "defined sexual networks of gay, bisexual, or men who have sex with men." British health authorities said there were no signs suggesting sustained transmission beyond those populations.

A leading WHO adviser said in May that the spike in cases in Europe was likely tied to sexual activity by men at two rave parties in Spain and Belgium.

Ahead of gay pride events in the U.K. this weekend, London's top public health doctor asked people with symptoms of monkeypox, like swollen glands or blisters, to stay home.

Nevertheless, in Africa the WHO says that according to detailed data from Ghana monkeypox cases were almost evenly split between men and women, and no spread has been detected among men who have sex with men.

WHO Europe director Kluge also said the procurement of vaccines "must apply the principles of equity."

The main vaccine being used against monkeypox was originally developed for smallpox and the European Medicines Agency said this week it was beginning to evaluate whether it should be authorized for monkeypox. The WHO has said supplies of the vaccine, made by Bavarian Nordic, are extremely limited.

Countries including the U.K. and Germany have already begun vaccinating people at high risk of monkeypox; the U.K. recently widened its immunization program to mostly gay and bisexual men who have multiple sexual partners and are thought to be most vulnerable.

Until May, monkeypox had never been known to cause large outbreaks beyond parts of central and west Africa, where it's been sickening people for decades, is endemic in several countries and mostly causes limited outbreaks when it jumps to people from infected wild animals.

To date, there have been about 1,800 suspected monkeypox cases in Africa, including more than 70 deaths, but only 109 have been lab-confirmed. The lack of laboratory diagnosis and weak surveillance means many cases are going undetected.

"This particular outbreak for us means an emergency," said Ahmed Ogwell, the acting director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control.

The WHO says monkeypox has spread to African countries where it hasn't previously been seen, including South Africa, Ghana and Morocco. But more than 90% of the continent's infections are in Congo and Nigeria, according to WHO Africa director, Dr. Moeti Matshidiso.

Vaccines have never been used to stop monkeypox outbreaks in Africa; officials have relied mostly on contact tracing and isolation.

The WHO noted that similar to the scramble last year for COVID-19 vaccines, countries with supplies of vaccines for monkeypox are not yet sharing them with Africa.

"We do not have any donations that have been offered to (poorer) countries," said Fiona Braka, who heads the WHO emergency response team in Africa. "We know that those countries that have some stocks, they are mainly reserving them for their own populations."

Matshidiso said the WHO was in talks with manufacturers and countries with stockpiles to see if they might be shared.

"We would like to see the global spotlight on monkeypox act as a catalyst to beat this disease once and for all in Africa," she said Thursday.
Here is a summary of Native American-related news around the U.S. this week:

Supreme Court Expands Oklahomas criminal jurisdiction over tribes

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that Oklahoma has concurrent jurisdiction with the federal government to prosecute non-Indians who commit crimes against Indians on tribal land.

The 5-4 decision limited the courts 2020 ruling in McGirt v. Oklahoma, which said a large part of eastern Oklahoma, about 43% of the state, remains Native land, and as such, only federal and tribal courts can prosecute crimes there.

The States interest in protecting crime victims includes both Indian and non-Indian victims, Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote for the court.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt celebrated the ruling: Today our efforts proved worthwhile, and the Court upheld that Indian country is part of a State, not separate from it, he said in a statement.

Tribes in Oklahoma were swift to condemn the ruling as an attack on tribal sovereignty.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said the Court failed in its duty to honor the nations promises, defied Congress statutes, and it has disregarded tribal sovereignty.

Homelands returned to Onondaga Nation in New York State

In one of the largest transfers of land back to a Native American nation by a state, New York will return to the Onondaga 414 hectares of their original 404,700-hectare ancestral land in Tully Valley.

The agreement is a result of the March 2018 Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) Program settlement between the Natural Resource Trustees and Honeywell International and will convey the title and full ownership of the land to the Onondaga Nation.

It is with great joy that the Onondaga Nation welcomes the return of the first substantial acreage of its ancestral homelands, said Onondaga Nation Chief Tadodaho Sidney Hill. The Nation can now renew its stewardship obligations to restore these lands and waters and to preserve them for the future generations yet to come."

Oklahoma First Stop on Road to Boarding School Healing

This week, the U.S. Interior Department announced that Secretary Deb Haaland and Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland will visit Oklahoma on July 9 to launch the The Road to Healing, a yearlong, cross-country tour to give Native American boarding school survivors and their descendants a chance to tell their stories.

Last month, the department released the first volume of an investigative report into the federal Indian boarding school system. So far, the investigation has identified more than 400 federally supported residential schools and more than 50 burial sites.

They found the greatest concentration of these schools was in what is today the state of Oklahoma, with 76 schools representing 19% of the total.

Alaska University Working to Revitalize Native Languages

The University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) announced on June 29 that beginning this fall it will offer free classes in three Alaska Native languages, Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian languages, at three levels  beginner, intermediate, and advanced.



The free classes are non-credit courses, but credit can be received if a student chooses to pay tuition and fees.

The University of Alaska Southeast is committed to recognizing and acknowledging historical wrongs endured by Alaska Native Communities. We are making sure Indigenous people don't have to pay to learn their own language. It's so important in the work towards language revitalization and overall healing, said Carin Silkaitis, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences.
Plans to rebuild Ukraine will need to address restoring the country's war-torn ecosystems, the EU Commissioner for the Environment has said.

Virginijus Sinkevicius warned the environmental cost of the conflict was "increasing every day"  and said it could take "generations" to overcome.

Next week, leaders from dozens of countries and international organizations will gather in the Swiss city of Lugano to discuss rebuilding Ukraine, hoping to draw up a "Marshall Plan" for the country's reconstruction even as Russias attacks in Ukraine continue.

The plan will "absolutely" have to include an environmental component, Sinkevicius told AFP in an interview Wednesday.

He spoke of the mass destruction of forests, land covered with mines and trenches, chemical pollution spread by munitions, and contaminated waterways and soil.

"The (environmental) price tag every day is increasing, because we see the barbaric actions of the Russian side (are) not stopping," Sinkevicius said.

"They bomb chemicals facilities" and have put nuclear power plants at risk, he said, adding that "hundreds of thousands of tons" of destroyed Russian military machinery would need to be cleared.

He said environmental damage  especially that inflicted on vast areas of forest  was "a crime of the biggest scale" that would "take generations to deal with."

He added there was now a "unique opportunity" to create a "cleaner" Ukraine, but warned: "We can rebuild roads, we can rebuild the infrastructure, but for forests to grow, you need hundreds of years. So, it will take time."
The U.S. Supreme Court wrapped up on Thursday one of its most consequential terms in recent history, having done away with nationwide abortion rights, eviscerated a form of gun control and tackled other controversial issues in a string of polarizing and ideologically split decisions.



As the highest court of the land, the Supreme Court routinely issues opinions of great weight that affect people's daily lives.



But this term will be remembered as one of the most momentous, in no small measure because the high court for the first time in five decades declared that abortion is not a constitutionally protected right.



The June 24 abortion ruling was a bombshell, even though a draft of the majority opinion had been leaked weeks before, hailed by social conservatives as a victory and denounced by liberals as an assault on women's reproductive rights.

It also demonstrated the enduring legacy of former President Donald Trump's three Supreme Court nominations during his four years in office.



Trump came to office in 2017 with the court evenly split 4-4 between conservative and liberal justices, as the seat of the late Justice Antonin Scalia had yet to be filled in the nine-member body.



By the end of Trump's term four years later, conservatives held a commanding 6-3 majority.



Supreme Court justices like to say they're above politics, pointing out that many, if not most, of their decisions are unanimous or near unanimous, backed by conservative and liberal justices alike. That used to be true but is no longer the case.



The court is issuing fewer unanimous decisions. The percentage of unanimous decisions has dropped from 49% in 2016 to 28% this most recent term, according to Adam Feldman, a Supreme Court scholar and creator of the Empirical SCOTUS blog. Meanwhile, the percentage of 6-3 ideological rulings edged higher as the court took on a slew of hot-button issues.



But Feldman said what is more important is how the conservative majority approaches contentious issues. With a six-vote, defection-proof supermajority, the conservative bloc "is bolder in the types of cases it takes because the justices know they have the numbers to win," Feldman said. "Even if (Chief Justice) Roberts, (Justice Neil) Gorsuch, or (Justice Brett) Kavanaugh swing in a case, you would need at least two of them to go the other direction (for conservatives) to lose. That didn't happen in any really significant cases this term."



Meanwhile, the White House has been up in arms over some of the Supreme Court's decisions issued in recent weeks.



On Wednesday, President Joe Biden called the Supreme Court's abortion ruling "destabilizing" and "outrageous," voicing support for ending the Senate's filibuster rule to codify abortion rights in legislation.



On Thursday, the president said the Supreme Court's landmark ruling that the Environmental Protection Agency lacked the authority to reduce gas emissions at power plants was "another devastating decision that aims to take our country backwards."

Republicans have hailed and defended the court rulings. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who played an instrumental role in getting Trump's Supreme Court nominees confirmed, criticized what he called Biden's "attacks on the court as unmerited and dangerous."



Here is a look at four notable decisions of the term:



Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization

This was by far the most significant decision of the term, if not of the past generation.



In a 6-3 ruling on June 24, the Supreme Court overturned its landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, saying the U.S. Constitution does not guarantee the right to have an abortion.



The ruling does away with nearly half a century of Supreme Court precedent. But conservative Justice Samuel Alito wrote that the long-standing principle of adherence to precedent is "not a straitjacket" and that Roe was "egregiously wrong and deeply damaging."



Roberts, who voted with the majority, nonetheless said he would have favored a "narrower decision," calling the majority opinion "a "serious jolt to the legal system."



The court's three dissenting liberal justices slammed the majority ruling as a "curtailment of women's rights, and of their status as free and equal citizens."



The decision leaves it to the states to set their own abortion laws. Twenty-six states are expected to restrict or ban abortion, according to a research group, forcing women to travel long distances to other states to undergo the procedure.



Legal experts are split over the implications of the ruling beyond abortion. While Alito wrote that the ruling was limited to abortion, progressives worry it could potentially affect other rights such as the right to same-sex marriage.



New York State Rifle and Pistol Association Inc. v. Buren

This was the Supreme Court's biggest gun rights decision in more than a decade.



By a vote of 6-3 on June 23, the Supreme Court ruled that people have the right to carry weapons in public for self-defense.



At issue was a New York state law that requires people who want to carry a gun outside the home to show a "special need" for a license.



Writing for the majority, conservative Justice Clarence Thomas said that while states can regulate firearms, any such regulations must be consistent with the Constitution's Second Amendment right to "keep and bear arms."



The New York law prevents "law-abiding citizens with ordinary self-defense needs from exercising their Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms in public for self-defense," Thomas wrote.



The court's three liberal justices dissented. Retiring Justice Stephen Breyer wrote that the court's ruling "severely" impedes efforts by states to combat gun violence by limiting the use of firearms. (Breyer was replaced on the last day of the court by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first female African American Supreme Court justice.)



It was the most significant gun rights decision since 2008 when the court struck down restrictions on gun registrations in the nation's capital as well as a requirement that gun owners keep their firearms unloaded and disassembled at home.

West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency

This was one of the most consequential environmental cases to reach the Supreme Court in recent history.



The 6-3 ruling earlier this week dealt a blow to the Biden administration's plan to fight climate change but has implications beyond environmental policy.



At issue was an Obama-era EPA plan to reduce carbon emissions from power plants. The Trump administration repealed the scheme known as the Clean Power Plan, but a federal court last year restored the plan and sent it back to the EPA.



Roberts wrote that while reducing carbon emissions may be a "sensible solution" to climate change, "it is not plausible that Congress gave EPA the authority to adopt on its own such a regulatory scheme."



The three liberal justices on the court dissented, complaining that the court stripped the EPA of the power "to respond to 'the most pressing environmental challenge of our time."



Conservatives, however, see the ruling as a victory for separation of powers and curbing federal agencies' power to make regulations not authorized by Congress.

"Congress has the authority to enact all sorts of legislation here in the climate change area," said Edward Whelan, distinguished senior fellow and Antonin Scalia chair in constitutional studies at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a conservative think tank and advocacy group. "It shouldn't let bureaucrats simply run amok without Congress taking responsibility for what's happening."



Environmentalists argue the ruling will hobble America's ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and harm the planet.

Biden v. Texas

In a rare victory for the Biden administration, a divided Supreme Court voted 5-4 on June 30 to allow the administration to end a Trump era immigration policy known as "Remain in Mexico."



Implemented in 2019, the policy kept tens of thousands of asylum seekers in Mexico while they awaited an immigration court hearing in the U.S. The Biden administration repealed the policy in 2021 but faced legal challenges by several states.



The ruling was penned by Roberts, who was joined by conservative Kavanaugh and the court's three liberal justices.



Under federal immigration law, the government "may" return asylum seekers who arrive at the U.S. border with Mexico back to Mexico.



That suggests that the government is not "required" to do so, Roberts wrote.



While immigration rights groups hailed the ruling as ending an injustice and in keeping with America's history as a destination for immigrants, several Republican lawmakers criticized it as making it more likely that record-breaking migration to America's southern border will accelerate further.

White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara contributed to this report.








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A rural town in central Texas is home to the largest bitcoin mining facility in North America, bringing jobs and welcomed vitality into the community. But critics warn the operations are part of a volatile new industry. Deana Mitchell has the story.
Oksana Markarova, Ukraine's ambassador to the United States, talked to VOA diplomatic correspondent Natalie Liu on the sidelines of an event at the Ukraine House on June 28 in Washington in celebration of Ukraine Constitution Day. Below is a transcript of their exchange, edited for clarity. The Ukraine House, a center designed to showcase Ukrainian culture and enhance ties with America and Americans, was opened on September 1, 2021, by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his official visit to the United States, six months before Russia invaded Ukraine.

VOA: We saw (the Ukrainian city of) Mariupol past, present (in this photo exhibition). Where do you see Mariupol in the future?

Markarova: Mariupol will be Ukrainian, Mariupol will be liberated, and Mariupol will be rebuilt. Of course, we will never be able to return the lives the Russians killed in Mariupol, but we will properly bury them, we will mourn them, and we will rebuild the city.

VOA: What can America do now to help Ukraine?

Markarova: What America is doing now. We're very grateful for the support Ukraine is getting. We just need America and all our other partners to continue to help us with security assistance, with weapons, with sanctions against Russia, with assistance to us. We need to win, all of us together.

VOA: Do you see, do you sense, that weapons delivery has picked up pace or not yet?

Markarova: We're working very closely with our partners, and before this phase of the war, over the past eight years, the United States had always been a strategic friend and ally. We're fighting against a very large and brutal enemy, so of course we need more. But we're grateful to the U.S. for not only appropriating money, not only for supporting us  everyone, from the president to Congress to people at the Pentagon  but also doing everything possible  sometimes impossible  in order to help us.

VOA: Your defense minister indicated that there may be counteroffensives in the summer. Are they coming?

Markarova: We know what happens to people in the territories that fall under Russian control. They've been killed, tortured, raped, so we need to liberate our territories as soon as possible. As soon as we can do it, as soon as we have sufficient number of weapons to do it, of course we will do it. We're defending our homes.

VOA: Do you think Russian President Vladimir Putin is a rational actor in that when he senses defeat, he will sit down and negotiate with Ukraine?

Markarova: I'm not a psychologist to answer this question. I just know that the situation is very black and white. The Russian Federation  Putin and every Russian that supports this war  crossed the border in 2014 and attacked a sovereign nation. They illegally attacked Crimea, they illegally attacked Donetsk and Luhansk, and they've committed war crimes since 2014. Over the past 125 days, they have waged a full-fledged war in Ukraine, everywhere, and we need to stop them, and they need to get out of our country.

VOA: Some people say that time is on Russia's side because they have more manpower and bigger artillery, and that if Ukraine does not win the war in a short time, Russia could gain more and more territory and control. How do you see this question?

Markarova: The truth, God and justice  is on our side. We're the ones that have been attacked by Russia, so we hope it will take not a lot of time to defend ourselves. But regardless of how much time it will take, we will not stop, we will not surrender and we will win. Because this is our home, this is our people, and we've lost so much [because of] Russia during the past centuries, we will not do it this time.

VOA: Have you learned anything about your country, your people, about President (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy that you didn't know before?

Markarova: I always knew that my country is great, that my people are very resilient, and that in times like this, we will always come together, and we'll always be united. And I'm very proud and honored to represent my country here.
The United States announced details Friday of $820 million in additional military aid for Ukraine, including new surface-to-air missile systems and counter-artillery radar.

The latest aid package is designed to help Ukraine counter Russia's use of long-range missiles and follows calls by Ukrainian officials for Western countries to send more advanced weapons systems that can better match Moscow's equipment.

The Pentagon said Friday the Biden administration has now sent $7.6 billion in security assistance to Ukraine, including nearly $7 billion since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine at the end of February.

U.S. President Joe Biden said at a news conference during this week's NATO summit in Madrid that the United States is "going to support Ukraine as long as it takes."

The 14th U.S. package of military aid for Ukraine include two air defense systems, known as NASAMS, which can help Ukrainian forces defend against cruise missiles and aircraft.

A senior U.S. official said the systems are NATO-standard defense systems and are part of an effort to update Ukraine's air defenses from a Soviet-era system to a modern one.

"The Ukrainians are doing a magnificent job of employing their existing air defense systems, but we all know that Soviet-type systems means that it's Russian made  so over time it will be harder to sustain with the spare parts," the official said.

The latest military aid package also provides Ukrainians with up to 150,000 rounds of 155-millimeter artillery ammunition as well as additional ammunition for medium-range rocket systems the United States provided Ukraine in June.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his daily address, I am especially grateful to the United States of America and personally to Biden for the new support package for Ukraine. ... We are no less actively negotiating about other new weapons from our partners. ...We are doing everything to break the advantage of the occupiers.

On the battlefront Friday, at least 21 people were killed and dozens injured in Russian missile strikes in Ukraine's Odesa region. At least one of the sites that were hit was a residential building. Ukrainian military officials said two children were among the dead, and the search for survivors is ongoing.

The missile struck the nine-story building in the town of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, according to a Ukraine Defense Ministry statement.

Serhiy Bratchuk, spokesperson for the Odesa regional administration, said on Ukrainian state television that a rescue operation continues to free people buried under the rubble after a section of the building collapsed. Another missile hit a resort facility, Bratchuk said, wounding several people.

Russia has denied targeting civilians in the attack.

"I would like to remind you of the president's words that the Russian Armed Forces do not work with civilian targets," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

Zelenskyy's chief of staff accused Russia of waging a war on civilians.

In his nightly video address Friday, Zelenskyy called the strikes "conscious, deliberately targeted Russian terror and not some sort of error or a coincidental missile strike."

Zelenskyy also said 12 missiles also hit Mykolaiv.

Friday's missile attack in Odesa came hours after Russia said it had pulled its forces from Ukraine's Snake Island on Thursday. The strategic island had become a symbol of Ukrainian resistance since Moscow's invasion four months ago.

Russia had used the Black Sea island near Odesa as a staging ground after seizing it in the early stages of the war, launching attacks on Ukraine from it and monitoring shipments from Ukrainian ports.

Ukraine confirmed Russian forces had pulled out after Ukrainian forces hit the island with missile and artillery strikes overnight, leaving the remaining Russian forces to escape in two speedboats.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed it had left the small island "as a symbol of goodwill" after completing its mission there.

A senior U.S. official said the United States does "not believe there is any credence to what Russia is saying, that this is a gesture of goodwill." The official said the retreat was more about Ukraine's efforts to defend the island and Kyiv's use of weapons like harpoon missiles.

"The Ukrainians made it very hard for the Russians to sustain their operations there, made them very vulnerable to Ukrainian strikes," the official said.

In other developments, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told Ukraine's parliament that EU membership was "within reach" but urged them to press forward with anti-corruption reforms.

"You have created an impressive anti-corruption machine," she told the lawmakers by video link Friday. Von der Leyen stressed that Brussels and the EU member states were firmly behind Ukraine in both its battle with the ongoing Russian invasion and the quest to be "reunited with our European family."

For his part Zelenskyy said Ukraine and the European Union were starting a new chapter of their history after Brussels formally accepted Ukraine's candidacy to join the 27-nation bloc.

"We made a journey of 115 days to candidate status and our journey to membership shouldn't take decades. We should make it down this road quickly," Zelenskyy said.

At the NATO meeting in Madrid, Western leaders, including Biden, proclaimed their continued military and humanitarian support for Ukraine.

Norway announced $1 billion in aid to Ukraine over two years, as Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store visited the country.

The fund is for "humanitarian aid, reconstruction of the country, weapons and operational support to the (Ukrainian) authorities," the Norwegian government said in a statement Friday.

"We stand together with the Ukrainian people," Store said in the statement.

"We help support the Ukrainians' struggle for freedom. They are fighting for their country, but also for our democratic values."

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
With the collapse of the former Afghan republic in August 2021, Azizullah Jahish suffered two losses.

The new Taliban leadership fired him from his job as a civil engineer at the Ministry of Urban Development. Around the same time, he was informed that a U.S. Fulbright scholarship he was expecting to start in 2022 had been canceled.

Because of significant barriers, an email sent to Jahish from Fulbright administrators said, the selection process for 2022-2023 academic year will not go forward.

Jahish was among the 140 semifinalists, some of them females, who were expecting to start their graduate programs at U.S. universities in 2022.

Now, the U.S. State Department says it is considering resuming the flagship educational scholarship program for Afghanistan for the next academic year.

We continue to work toward the safe resumption of the Fulbright program for Afghan students. While conditions on the ground have not changed, we are making plans for the 2023-2024 academic year of the Afghanistan Fulbright program, a State Department spokesperson told VOA.

For that cohort, we are considering the 2022-2023 semifinalist applicants.

The semifinalists have already gone through most of the eligibility and testing procedures, including an English language requirement, which all applicants must pass to be considered for the scholarship.

This is the best news, Jahish told VOA, adding that he had selected Texas A&M University for his master's degree in water resource management.

Some applicants evacuated

The U.S. evacuated more than 124,000 individuals from Afghanistan last year.

Fearing Taliban retaliation or loss of jobs and rights under new leaders, many Afghans have also migrated from their country in the past 10 months.

One Fulbright semifinalist who did not want to be named because of security concerns said many of her cohorts had already left Afghanistan.

To remain in touch and exchange information, the semifinalists have created a WhatsApp group.

Some contacts in the WhatsApp group have changed their numbers and the country codes, said Jahish, adding that most were still inside Afghanistan.

The U.S. Embassy in Kabul, which used to manage the Fulbright program, remains closed and Afghans who seek to travel to the U.S. must submit visa applications in a third country.

Unlike students who receive scholarships from U.S. academic institutions and have to pay visa fees, Fulbright applicants do not pay for visa or flight tickets.

No new applications

About 4,000 foreign students from dozens of countries receive Fulbright scholarships annually. Since its inception in 1946, more than 400,000 students and academics from 160 countries have participated in the program.

The State Department said it does not accept new applications from Afghans for the 2023-2024 cycle. It is also uncertain whether Afghans will be able to apply for the 2024-2025 academic year.

From 2003 to 2021, more than 950 Afghans received Fulbright scholarships, mostly for two-year master's degree programs.

The U.S. also spent more than $145 billion on other reconstruction and humanitarian and development projects in Afghanistan during the same period.

When the U.S.-backed Afghan government collapsed last year, the U.S. government ceased all development assistance, including the Fulbright program, to Afghanistan. The U.S., however, has remained the largest humanitarian donor to the country and has pledged more than $750 million in humanitarian aid over the last year.

The United States has an enduring commitment to the people of Afghanistan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement Tuesday while announcing $55 million in funding for an earthquake response in Afghanistan.

It's imperative to build a people-to-people relationship, especially after the U.S.s exit from Afghanistan. Such cultural, academic and human connections are more important than ever before, Mohsin Amin, a former Fulbright scholar from Afghanistan, told VOA.

Despite profound disagreements between the Taliban and the U.S. government and the widespread accusations that the Taliban target Afghans who have had affiliations with U.S. programs in Afghanistan, Mohsin said Afghan Fulbright scholars would still be able to work in the country.

I believe some of the Fulbright scholars are in the nonprofit and the private sector in Afghanistan, and some are retained by the Taliban in their government positions, Mohsin said, adding that the Taliban must also respect the technical expertise U.S.-educated Afghans bring to Afghanistan.
MADRID  As NATO leaders met in Madrid this week, Ukraine demanded new heavy weapons to defeat Russia's invasion. Here's a look at what Ukraine says it needs and what other countries have promised and delivered.

Ukrainian demands

Addressing NATO leaders by video link Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he urgently needed more advanced weapons.

"By providing them to us, you can completely break Russia's tactics to destroy cities and terrorize Ukrainian civilians," he said.

Ukraine said it needed a tenfold increase in the supply of weapons to counter Russia's huge arsenal of artillery.

NATO is not supplying heavy weapons to Ukraine, explained Jim Townsend, former U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defense for European and NATO policy.

"That's not NATO itself as an institution providing things. It doesn't have them. But its allies do," Townsend told VOA. "And so, NATO has been very supportive of allies providing that assistance if they can. There's an absorption rate and a training rate that has to be met as well, in terms of timing."

More US aid

U.S. President Joe Biden said a new package of military support was on its way to Ukraine.

"Again, the United States is leading the way," Biden told reporters Thursday in Madrid. "We've provided Ukraine with nearly $7 billion in security assistance since I took office. In the next few days, we intend to announce more than $800 million more, including new advanced Western air defense systems for Ukraine, more artillery and ammunition, counter-battery radar, additional ammunition for the HIMARS [High Mobility Artillery Rocket System] multiple-launch rocket systems we've already given Ukraine, and more HIMARS from other countries, as well."

Training

The United States and Britain have supplied several Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS) to Ukraine. In Britain this week, more than 450 Ukrainian troops completed training on these systems, which are considered crucial in countering Russian artillery.

British army Captain James Oliphant, who oversees the training program, said the systems will provide new capabilities to Ukrainian forces.

"It's another component to their own balance. It's a force multiplier. Because it's a truck vehicle, their rocket systems are wheeled. It's going to give them more mobility, which is going to aid in their survivability. It's an ammunition that's able to punch up to 84 kilometers," Oliphant said.

The U.S. has supplied other heavy weapons, including self-propelled howitzers, armored vehicles, drones, and air defense and missile systems.

Britain

Britain pledged an extra $1.3 billion in military aid for Ukraine at the summit, taking its total contribution to $2.8 billion  second only to the United States. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it was vital that other Western partners step up to support Ukraine.

"I think that if Ukraine were to be crushed or forced into a bad peace, the consequences for freedom around the world would be appalling. And that view is shared by everyone in NATO," Johnson said.

France

France announced plans to send additional self-propelled Caesar long-range artillery systems. Ukraine is reported to have deployed these on the Black Sea coast close to Snake Island, which Russian forces abandoned Thursday after repeated Ukrainian attacks.

"The Caesar artilleries  we have [given] 12 of them right now, and six will be added  are among the most appreciated equipment by the Ukrainian army. They're also among the most credible equipment, considering their range and their efficiency," French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters at the summit Thursday.

Germany, Poland and Slovakia

Germany has pledged to deliver 15 anti-aircraft tanks in July after repeated delays, while Spain is considering sending around 40 German-made Leopard tanks  though Berlin would have the final say.

Poland said it had already supplied Ukraine with $1.7 billion worth of arms and military equipment, including Soviet-era T-72 tanks, self-propelled howitzers and surface-to-air missiles. Slovakia donated its S-300 air defense system to Ukraine in April.

NATO

While not supplying heavy weapons, NATO agreed on a long-term package of military support for Ukraine at the Madrid summit.

"This included security communications, fuel, medical supplies and body armor, equipment to counter mines and chemical and biological threats, and hundreds of portable anti-drone systems," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday in Madrid.

"It is also very clear that allies are prepared for the long haul  because they [Ukrainians] are fighting for their independence. But they are also fighting for values which are important for NATO, fundamental for NATO  the sovereignty, territorial integrity of every nation. And, therefore, this matters for our security," Stoltenberg said.

Falling short?

But as the war enters its fifth month, the West still has not supplied heavy weapons in the numbers that Ukraine says it needs, said Fabrice Pothier, a former head of policy planning at NATO.

"There is a political calculation that we should give a bit more but not so much that somehow we can feed and trigger an escalation that gets out of control. And in a way, I understand the logic. But I think it's profoundly wrong, because fundamentally, that means we are asking Zelenskyy to fight with one hand [behind] the back," Pothier told VOA.
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As NATO leaders met in Madrid this week, Ukraine demanded new heavy weapons to defeat Russias invasion. So what has been promised  and what has been delivered? Henry Ridgwell reports. Camera: Henry Ridgwell.
UN coordinator warns humanitarian crisis in Lebanon

Xinhua) 15:20, July 01, 2022

GENEVA, July 1 (Xinhua) -- A senior United Nations (UN) official on Friday provided an update on the humanitarian situation in Lebanon, saying that Lebanon's crisis is affecting everyone, everywhere across the country.

Najat Rochdi, UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon, told a press briefing here that the socio-economic meltdown in Lebanon has been further exacerbated by the impact of the Ukrainian crisis, which is mainly reflected in the drastic increases in bread prices and threatening food security.

"Our recent assessment shows that 2.2 million people require urgent support to secure access to food and other basic needs until the end of the year, an increase of 46 percent compared to last year," she said.

She said that almost one-third of Lebanon's labor force is unemployed, with the unemployment rate tremendously increasing from 11.4 percent in 2018-2019 to 29.6 percent in 2022.

The UN official said that the minimum monthly wage in the country has currently become less than 25 U.S. dollars, resulting in a significant decline in income and purchasing power.

She cited the latest UN figures as saying that 51 percent of small-scale enterprises in Lebanon have temporarily stopped operations with 84 percent of their workers being laid-off and 94 percent of those retained seeing their wages largely reduced.

As for the health sector, Rochdi told reports that in Lebanon, 1.95 million people are requesting humanitarian health services, an increase of 43 percent from August 2021.

"All the more, hospitals suffer from an acute shortage in medical supplies and power shortages, at a time when over 40 percent of Lebanon's doctors and 30 percent of nurses have left Lebanon since the beginning of the economic meltdown, according to WHO," she noted.

According to the UN official, another concerning crisis is people's access to safe water. Almost 4 million people are at immediate risk of being denied access to safe water in Lebanon, with alternative water supplies expected to be unaffordable to the most vulnerable households due to the soaring cost of fuel and the inefficiency of water establishments.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Bianji)
After reporting only 8,529 deaths due to Covid-19 between 2020 and today, and systematically seeking to cover up the major exodus from Cuba, the authorities' falsification of the reality on the island was exposed after the first reports of the Statistical Yearbook, containing figures from between January and December 2021, were released.

In the section of the document dedicated to Population, drafted by the State Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI), it is striking that in the previous year 167,645 deaths were recorded, while the total population fell by 68,380.

Although the decrease in the number of inhabitants has been steady since 2015, mainly attributed to the low birth rate, the downward curve in 2021 was about 7% per 1,000 people.

In numbers, this means that while the country closed out 2020 with 11,181,595 people, at the end of 2021 there were 11,113,215.

These figures could be even more acute if we take into account that in November 2021 an exodus began that, through last May, had seen over 140,000 Cubans emigrate to the USA in what it qualifies as the largest migratory wave from the island in the last half century.

The average number of annual deaths in Cuba over the past five years was 106,813 people, remaining quite stable, with maximum variations of 7,540 cases between 2016 (99,401) and 2017 (106,941), while thereafter it grew by no more than 4,000 cases, such that a major increase in the annual figure could only be due to a health emergency such as the Covid-19 pandemic, which killed millions around the world in the last two years.

In 2021 there were just 99,096 births and, significantly, the numbers of deaths of children under one year of age also shot up, to 753, more than those reported in 2020, when there were 516.

In addition, the decline in births, which according to the Government is a cause for concern and constant attention, was almost 10% compared to 2020, when 109,716 people were born. This fall was the sharpest since 1970, something that is also true for the mortality rate, according to the study.

According to the Yearbook, children under the age of 15 now account for just 15.7% of the population, while 62.7% are aged between 15 and 59, and 21.6% over 59.

Coincidentally, without mentioning the recently published figures, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero posted on his Twitter profile a comment stating: "Demographic Dynamics are a matter of special interest to the Government of Cuba. At a meeting of the Government Commission created to address this issue, we analyzed several points that have a significant impact on it."

In the summer of 2021, when hospitals were overwhelmed and social media brimmed with complaints of overcrowded hospitals and morgues, as well as the sudden, rushed expansion of cemeteries, and burials in mass graves, the media and official spokespeople strove to deny these allegations, offering absurd explanations.

After a year, the truth has come to light, as well as the authorities' systematic distortion of the national reality. all to try, unsuccessfully, to hide its botched handling of the crisis.
Palio was cancelled for last two years due to pandemic.

The historic Palio di Siena horse race returns on Saturday 2 July after being cancelled for the last two years due to Italy's covid restrictions.

The bareback race, which takes place in the heart of the Tuscan city of Siena, was called off in 2020 - for the first time since world war two - and again last year.

The Palio dates back to the 17th century and is traditionally held on two dates, 2 July and 16 August, with the colourful spectacle attracting tens of thousands of spectators.

Photo credit: M. Rohana / Shutterstock.com

The event sees riders and horses race three laps around Piazza del Campo, Sienas central mediaeval square, in a fiercely-contested competition between 10 of the city's 17 rival contrade or neighbourhoods.

The contrade competing in Saturday's race are Valdimontone, Civetta, Leocorno, Torre, Istrice, Drago, Bruco, Pantera, Lupa and Chiocciola.

Piazza del Campo for Palio di Siena

Apart from the last two years, the race has rarely been cancelled over the centuries, notably in 1855 due to a deadly outbreak of cholera.

In recent years the Palio has been the subject of protest from animal rights activists who claim that horses endure suffering during the event.

The race begins in the early evening of Saturday and will be broadcast live on Italian television network La7 from 17.30.

Cover photo: Migel / Shutterstock.com
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Over the past couple of years, shortages of everyday goods have become a fact of life. First came toilet paper, then infant formula. But messed-up supply chains have now claimed another victim: tampons. Share with The Post: Whats one way youve felt the impact of inflation? ArrowRight That a tampon shortage could cause such consternation in the US would have puzzled women of an earlier age. A century ago, pads remained an exotic item, and tampons had yet to be invented. Yet today, upward of 98% of women use tampons some or all of the time. How did the tampon triumph?

For most of human history, disposable tampons didnt exist. Instead, women simply bled or relied on rags that would be washed and reused.

A major innovation came from an unexpected quarter. In the 19th century, military doctors began experimenting with new kinds of wound dressings designed to soak up copious quantities of blood. These included different types of cotton batting filled with highly absorbent materials. Some of these wartime bandages ended up repurposed as menstrual pads.

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Not all of these made the cut. Consider sphagnum moss, better known as peat moss. Doctors in the early 20th century realized it was both highly absorbent and had anti-bacterial properties. Eventually, the Sphagnum Moss Products Company of Portland, Oregon, began selling moss-filled bandages during World War I.

When the market dried up in peacetime, company executives created a new feminine hygiene product featuring an angelic Sphagnum Moss Girl. They gave it a name as cryptic as it was unpronounceable: SFAG-NA-KINS. Ads claimed the product was equivalent to three or more of the Cotton Sanitary Napkins  a dig at the competition, particularly the Kotex brand.

As Western entrepreneurs looked for new ways to profit off of menstruation in industrial societies, the monthly cycle was spun it into something that was taboo and dirty, much like urination and defecation.

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Kimberly Clark, manufacturer of Kotex, won the day. The company launched extensive advertising campaigns to win over women. As scholars like Roseann Mandziuk have observed, the marketing campaign of Kotex turned on making menstruation a source of private embarrassment  a problem to be concealed at all costs. The first bloodless Kotex ad, which depicted a sylvan scene of women frolicking with parasols, declared that the new hygienic napkins enabled women to insure poise in the daintiest of frocks.

Unlike its all-natural competitor, the firm relied on an industrial material made of wood pulp known as CelluCotton. After wartime use, the companys creative types turned this into Kotex: a faux portmanteau of cotton and texture. (Not long afterward, Kimberly Clark followed suit with Kleenex, turning gas-mask filters into facial tissue  yet another wartime product repurposed for peace.)

The new sanitary napkins quickly became popular among affluent women eager to hide their so-called condition. But for all the efforts of copywriters, the new sanitary pads  emphasis on sanitary  didnt always deliver on their more ridiculous promises.

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First, they werent entirely invisible, as this classic Saturday Night Live skit makes abundantly clear:

But the bigger issue was that pads, aside from being absorbent and disposable, werent really all that far removed from old-fashioned rags. They were uncomfortably close to the older ways of managing menstruation. This prompted a search for alternatives to pads, including menstrual cups. But these failed to find a significant following.

Was there an alternative? Could something be devised that largely denied that women were menstruating at all? A magical remedy that got rid of the problem at its source? A product that could be used without women running the risk of becoming soiled with their blood?

Enter the tampon, which owes its etymology to a French cognate that means a plug of cloth. The historian Sharra Vostral notes that while several men and one woman developed the idea of a vaginal plug in the 1920s, the honors for selling the first commercial tampon goes to a man named Frederic Richardson.

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Richardsons product came with the all-important pull string, easing removal. He called it Wix, advertising that the new product spared women the embarrassment of protruding pads, insuring complete, healthful protection internally, invisibly. Problem solved!

But Wix proved a commercial failure. That opened the door to Colorado-based doctor Earle Cleveland Haas. In 1931, he filed a patent for a tampon made of dense cotton batting that could be inserted into the vagina using two interlocking cardboard tubes. Women could now insert them without  heaven forfend!  touching their own genitals.

Haas appears to have been a slightly profane, irreverent figure. He later claimed he developed tampons because he had gotten tired of women wearing those damned old rags. His wife wore various prototypes to test different designs; eventually they unveiled the new tampon, which Earle dubbed Tampax. But the product failed to attract buyers. Earle eventually sold the patent and company to a Denver businesswoman named Gertrude Tenderich.

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Tenderich soon partnered with Ellery Mann, president of the Zonite Products Corporation, which sold another unmentionable: vaginal douches. The duo now began to roll out Tampax to a larger market, using implied endorsements from the medical community. Tampax had been invented by a doctor; it was advertised in medical journals as such. At medical conventions, a former X-Ray technician named Mable Matthew dressed up as a nurse and pitched the product, lending it legitimacy.

This campaign, which included a rollout in dozens of womens magazines, stressed that tampons protected users from detection. Vostra relates a typical ad, which touted: Tampax cant be seen or felt once its in place.

Tampons banished menstruation from public view. The outbreak of World War II elevated them in importance: Tampax cleverly marketed tampons as a way to reduce workplace absenteeism, furthering wartime productivity in all-important munitions factories. One Tampax advertisement told readers: Why should you be a deserter when other girls carry on in comfort every day? You dont need a furlough!

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Between 1942 and 1943 alone, sales of tampons grew by 50%, with younger women the first adopters. By this time, Kimberly Clark had waded into the tampon business with its own version: Fibs, which it boasted would allow menstruating women to pass undetected with nobody the wiser! Though Fibs was short for fibers, more than a few critics suggested it was a synonym for lies.

Fibs flopped. Instead, Tampax largely bested newcomers in the postwar era, including German-made O.B. tampons. Why the acronym? Advertising executives avoided the flimflammery with Onhe Binde, German for without napkins.

The German product fizzled, largely because it required the use of a womans fingers. And that was a non-starter in much of America, where fears that tampons might prove sexually stimulative had already made them a bit suspect.

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But Tampax succeeded where others failed. Its savvy marketing team assured mothers and daughters that this was the safest, most discreet method of managing menses. By the 1970s, these efforts had paid off, with Tampax and a clutch of smaller competitors firmly ensconced in the marketplace. Today, P&Gs Tampax leads the US tampon market by a significant margin.

Tampons have weathered a host of challenges in the intervening years, including fears of toxic shock syndrome, which was largely associated with products designed to remain in place much longer than normal tampons. In general, though, the tampon has remained popular in the United States in the intervening years.

The current shortage is no laughing matter. But its also an opportunity to have an open conversation as to why our society has gone to such lengths to hide something that is entirely natural. If youre interested, the history of tampons is as a good a place to start as any.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Stephen Mihm, a professor of history at the University of Georgia, is coauthor of Crisis Economics: A Crash Course in the Future of Finance.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

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Twenty miles west of central London there lies a memorial inscribed, To commemorate Magna Carta, symbol of Freedom Under Law. Sir George Mudies construction was paid for by the American Bar Association, not the native British. Share with The Post: Whats one way youve felt the impact of inflation? ArrowRight Not long after the memorial was unveiled, British comic Tony Hancock finished a tirade against bureaucracy with the line: Magna Carta, did she die in vain? How many English school children today know that in 1215 King John bowed to the barons and signed the great charter that put restrictions on his arbitrary rule?

Hancocks joke about British ignorance of their history conveys a deeper truth: The law plays a less visible and contested role in the UK than it does in the US  though that may be changing.

Many in the UK were shocked by the US Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade. The British sometimes feel they own the US, just as Americans prize their special vision of the UK. The Black Lives Matter movement, for instance, resonated deeply in London and other British cities, although problems over race and policing over here are different in more than just scale.

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How could our America take away a womans right to choose? When the news broke that Roe vs. Wade had been overturned, performers at the Glastonbury music festival vented their rage with expletives. Even prime minister Boris Johnson joined in, as if by right.

If more British observers understood the role of the Supreme Court in interpreting the US Constitution, there perhaps would have been less surprise, though dismay would hardly have been diminished.

The Washington DC beat is staffed by British correspondents versed in great power politics or Westminster veterans who relish getting to grips with the most sophisticated and well-funded democratic campaigning machines on the planet. Explaining the ramifications of Supreme Court decisions is not the most glamorous part of the job. Arguments about the opposing claims of federal government and states rights are seldom aired.

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The British therefore remember Watergate but few recall President Nixons railing against the liberal jurisprudence of Chief Justice Earl Warrens Court (1953-1969) for being unfaithful to the text of the US Constitution. We think of President Reagans Star Wars program and his sunny optimism, but overlook his election pledge to restore protection of the right to life for unborn children.

Yet opposing judicial philosophies and contested Supreme Court appointments are the bread and butter of American politics. The decisions of the Court from the time of Marbury vs. Madison (1803), the Dred Scott decision (1857), Plessy vs. Ferguson (1896), Brown vs. the Board of Education (1954) and Roe vs. Wade (1973) have helped shape the US, for good and ill.

On this side of the Atlantic, however, the British respect the law and the courts, but they dont expect them to play a central role in politics. Governments may call in senior judges to chair inquiries into their failures, but both the politicians and the public are wary of judicial meddling.

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The left and the trade unions still have a lingering suspicion of what they used to call the Tory courts and conservative judges. In pre-democratic times, the judges enforced reactionary laws against sedition and free speech. In earlier centuries, too, court decisions threatened the unions right to organize and withdraw their labor. More recently, the unions fought tooth and nail to stop the adjudication of labor-management disputes by a new (Tory-created) industrial-relations court.

On the political right, Tories have for decades trumpeted the virtues of the rule of law. Yet attitudes are shifting. Leading Conservatives these days have begun to complain that the judges have surreptitiously assumed new powers to curtail the executive.

Judicial review is becoming more commonplace. Policy Exchange, the most influential center-right think tank in London, has a unit which monitors and criticizes judicial activism. Progressives in turn blame Tory politicians for hasty, ill-framed legislation that necessitates judicial tidying up.

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Tectonic shifts in Britains relationship with Europe have also dragged the courts into the limelight. After the establishment of the single European market, the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg took on a highly visible role because its job is to ensure that every nation applies the same commercial rules and standards. This development undoubtedly fanned the flames of Brexit sentiment among influential Tory lawyers.

Tony Blairs Labour government also set up a Supreme Court for England and Wales  although it had no power to override the legislative as the American court can. In 1998, he incorporated the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)  wholly separate from the European Union  that enabled people to bring cases in UK courts to uphold their rights rather than wait for lengthy appeals to the supreme tribunal in Strasbourg.

Many Tories dislike the role of the ECHR in limiting the freedom of the executive. Strasbourg recently stopped the government from deporting asylum seekers and migrants who had illegally entered the country after British judges had given ministers the green light. And Conservatives fear that far-reaching decisions about societys values may be delegated to the judges. The rights of transgender people, for instance, are now hotly debated. Will the judiciary be called upon to adjudicate?

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In these debates, British lawmakers could learn a lot from studying the workings of the US constitution. There is much to emulate  and to avoid.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Martin Ivens is the editor of the Times Literary Supplement. Previously, he was editor of the Sunday Times of London and its chief political commentator.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

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The global eradication of smallpox more than 40 years ago was one of the greatest achievements in public-health history, vanquishing a cause of death, blindness and disfigurement that had plagued humanity for at least 3,000 years. But, on the downside, it also led to the end of a global vaccination program that provided protection against other pox viruses. That includes monkeypox, which has been spilling over from its animal hosts to infect humans in Africa with increasing frequency since the 1970s. Monkeypox now represents a serious, evolving threat after sparking outbreaks in dozens of countries this year, mostly in Europe, demonstrating again how readily an infectious agent that emerges in one country can quickly become an international concern.

1. Whats monkeypox?

Monkeypox is a misnomer resulting from the fact that it was first discovered at the Statens Serum Institut in Copenhagen in 1958, when outbreaks of a pox-like disease occurred in monkeys kept for research. While monkeys are susceptible to it, just like humans are, they arent the source. The virus belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus, which includes the variola virus, the cause of smallpox; the vaccinia virus, which is used in the smallpox vaccine; and cowpox virus. Monkeypox is less contagious than smallpox and the symptoms are milder. About 30% of smallpox patients died, while the fatality rate for monkeypox in recent times is around 3% to 6%, according to the World Health Organization.

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2. What does monkeypox do?

After an incubation period of usually one to two weeks, the disease typically starts with fever, muscle aches, fatigue and other flu-like symptoms. Unlike smallpox, monkeypox also causes swelling of the lymph nodes. Within a few days of fever onset, patients develop a rash, often beginning on the face then spreading to other parts of the body. The lesions grow into fluid-containing pustules that form a scab. If a lesion forms on the eye, it can cause blindness. The illness typically lasts two to four weeks, according to the WHO. The person is infectious from the time symptoms start until the scabs fall off and the sores heal. Mortality is higher among children and young adults, while people whose immune system is compromised are especially at risk of severe disease.

3. How is it normally transmitted?

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Monkeypox doesnt usually spread easily between people. Contact with the virus from an animal, human or contaminated object is the main pathway. The virus enters the body through broken skin, the respiratory tract or the mucous membranes in the eyes, nose or mouth. Transmission from one person to another is thought to occur through respiratory particles during direct and prolonged face-to-face contact. But it can also happen through contact with body fluids or lesion material, or indirectly through contact with contaminated clothing or linens. Common household disinfectants can kill it.

4. Whats unusual this time?

There have been multiple chains of human-to-human transmission occurring, including in sexual networks, in countries in which monkeypox isnt normally present.

 Cases dont involve recent travel to places in West and Central Africa, where the disease is endemic.

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 Although anyone can get monkeypox, most cases occur in men. In endemic areas of Africa, it was thought that was related to hunting practices, whereas in the current outbreak, most individuals are men aged 21 to 40 years who have sex with men, people with multiple sexual partners, or people who practice condomless sex.

 Flu-like symptoms havent always preceded the rash, and some patients first sought medical care for lesions in the genital and perianal region.

 In some cases, the lesions are mostly located at these sites, making them hard to distinguish from syphilis, herpes simplex virus, shingles and other more common infections, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

 Close skin-to-skin contact during sex is the primary mode of transmission among men who have sex with men.

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 Semen from four patients in Italy collected around the time their symptoms appeared was positive for monkeypox DNA in three of the cases. Its not yet known whether the fluid alone can transmit the infection.

5. Has monkeypox virus mutated?

Analysis of the genetic sequence of the virus collected from patients in Europe indicates that the current outbreak in non-endemic countries is caused by a strain that likely diverged from the monkeypox virus that sparked a 2018-19 Nigerian outbreak, according to a June 24 study in Nature Medicine. The authors, from Portugals National Institute of Health in Lisbon, identified some 50 genetic changes or differences compared with the original strain, including several mutations the authors associate with increased transmissibility. The changes are roughly 6-to-12 times more than scientists would expect based on the observed evolution of orthopoxviruses, they said. The strain belongs to the West African clade, or branch on the evolutionary tree that usually have a case-fatality rate of less than 1%. (That compares with 10% for a second clade called Congo Basin, which appears on the US governments bioterrorism agent list as having the potential to pose a severe threat.)

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6. How fast is it spreading?

From just a handful of cases in Europe in early May, more than 6,100 cases, mostly in men, were reported across the region, as well as in the Americas, the Middle East, Asia and Australia by early July. One death was reported in an immunocompromised person. Experts told a WHO meeting that monkeypox had been circulating undetected in Europe since at least April. Preliminary research estimates that among cases who identify as men who have sex with men, the virus has a reproduction number greater than 1, which means more than one new infection is estimated to stem from a single case. A UK study found anonymous sex has proved to be a barrier to effective contact tracing, with only 28% of men able to provide the names of recent sexual contacts. This may challenge efforts to stem transmission ahead of LGBTQ pride celebrations occurring in major cities around the world. Data from outbreaks in Canada, Spain, Portugal, and the UK suggest venues where men have sex with multiple male partners are helping to drive spread.

7. Where does monkeypox come from?

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The reservoir host or main carrier of monkeypox disease hasnt yet been identified, although rodents are suspected of playing a part in transmission. It was first diagnosed in humans in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in a 9-year-old boy. Since then, most cases in humans have occurred in rain forest areas of West and Central Africa. In 2003, the first outbreak outside of Africa occurred in the US and was linked to animals imported from Ghana to Texas, which then infected pet prairie dogs. Dozens of cases were recorded in that outbreak.

8. Is monkeypox a pandemic threat?

A meeting of the World Health Organizations Emergency Committee on June 23 determined that, at present, the event doesnt constitute a public health emergency of international concern. Just over a week later, Hans Kluge, the WHO Regional Director for Europe, intensified a call for governments and civil society groups to scale up efforts to prevent monkeypox from establishing itself across a broader area, after cases in the region tripled in two weeks. Small numbers of cases have been reported among household members, heterosexual contacts, and non-sexual contacts, as well as among children. Where information is available, close to 10% of patients were reported to have been hospitalized either for treatment or for isolation purposes, and one patient has been admitted to an ICU, Kluge said.

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9. How is it treated and prevented?

The illness is usually mild and most patients will recover within a few weeks; treatment is mainly aimed at relieving symptoms. For the purposes of controlling a monkeypox outbreak, the CDC says smallpox vaccine, antivirals, and vaccinia immune globulin can be used. Vaccination against smallpox can be used for both pre- and post-exposure and is as much as 85% effective in preventing monkeypox, according to the UK Health Security Agency, which is offering the Imvanex smallpox vaccine to close contacts of a person diagnosed with monkeypox. It lists cidofovir and tecovirimat as antiviral drugs that can be used to control outbreaks. Tecovirimat was approved by the European Medical Association for monkeypox in 2022 based on data in animal and human studies but isnt yet widely available, according to the WHO. Newer vaccines based on non-replicating versions of the vaccinia virus have been developed. Bavarian Nordic A/S, the only company with an approved vaccine specifically for monkeypox, will supply the US with more than 4 million doses of its Jynneos immunization in 2022 and 2023, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Some states have begun immunizing people at risk of the disease. The main way to prevent infection is by isolating patients suspected of having monkeypox in a negative pressure room and ensuring health staff wear appropriate personal protective equipment.

10. Is there a test for monkeypox?

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Yes. Monkeypox is diagnosed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests to detect viral DNA in specimens collected from the scabs or swabs of a patients lesions. In the US, these are available at state health departments and the CDC.

(Updates number of cases in section 6; call from WHO official in section 8; US vaccine order in section 9.)

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Amtrak, truck driver's widow sue in collision Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight As federal safety investigators work to determine the factors that contributed to this weeks deadly train collision with a dump truck in Missouri, dueling lawsuits filed by Amtrak and BNSF Railway and by the truck drivers widow are seeking accountability and damages in federal and state courts. Amtrak, which was operating the train Monday when three passengers were killed and more than 100 injured, and BNSF, which owns the tracks, sued MS Contracting on Thursday, blaming the company and its deceased driver, Billy Dean Barton II, for negligently, carelessly, and recklessly operating the 2007 Kenworth dump truck that was hauling rock for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Despite the clearly visible approaching Amtrak Train 4, Barton failed to yield the right of way . . . and instead attempted to cross the grade crossing which resulted in a collision, according to the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Missouri.

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But a lawsuit filed by Erin Barton, the truck drivers widow, alleges that BNSF and Chariton County, where the collision occurred, were negligent.

BNSF was actually warned by concerned citizens of the ultra-hazardous nature of the crossing; yet it sat on its hands and failed to make sure the grade crossing was in proper condition or had active warnings to prevent this horrific crash, said the lawsuit, filed this week in Chariton County Circuit Court.

The suit also alleges that the county was negligent in designing and maintaining the road leading to the crossing, and that the road did not follow engineering standards for such crossings.

BNSF, county officials and Amtrak declined to comment. MS Contracting did not answer calls seeking comment.

The speed limit along that stretch of track near Mendon was 90 mph. The National Transportation Safety Board said the Amtrak train, which was headed from Los Angeles to Chicago, had been traveling at 87 miles per hour.

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 Michael Laris

2 officers killed while trying to serve warrant

Two law enforcement officers were killed and five were injured when a man opened fire on police attempting to serve a warrant at a home in eastern Kentucky on Thursday night, authorities said.

Police took Lance Storz, 49, into custody late Thursday night.

An emergency management official was also injured and a police K-9 dog was killed, according to the arrest citation.

The responding officers encountered pure hell when they arrived on the scene, Floyd County Sheriff John Hunt told reporters Friday afternoon.

Hunt said four deputies initially responded, and then called for backup when shots were fired at them. The officers at the scene were under fire for hours, Hunt said. He said Storz surrendered after negotiations that included Storzs family members.

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Storz used a rifle to fire multiple rounds at officers around his residence on Main Street in Allen, Ky., the citation said.

Kentucky State Police were called to the scene at 6:30 p.m., joining local officers already on the scene.

Storz was arraigned Friday morning by a judge in Pike County. He pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder of a police officer and was jailed on a $10 million bond. One of the charges was originally attempted murder of a police officer, but a judge said at the hearing that was upgraded to murder. He is also facing another attempted murder charge and assault on a service animal.

Hunt said one of his deputies, William Petry, and Prestonsburg Police Capt. Ralph Frasure were killed in the shooting incident. Frasure worked for 39 years in law enforcement in Floyd County. Another Prestonsburg officer, Jacob Chaffins, is currently hospitalized, Prestonsburg Mayor Les Stapleton said in a social media post.

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Child left in hot car dies in N. Carolina: A 1-year-old North Carolina child died Friday after being left inside a hot car by the father after he went to work, police said. The Mebane Police Department said officers responded to a call from a manufacturing plant after 12:20 p.m. following a report of someone in cardiac arrest, according to local news outlets. When the officers arrived, CPR was being administered, but the child couldn't be revived, police said. The child's father worked at the plant and had left the baby in the vehicle, police said. Investigators have not determined just how long the child was in the car. Mebane is a community about 45 miles northwest of Raleigh.

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The affidavit also outlines a cosy relationship between founder Tony Castagna, Macquarie and senior Nuix executives including then CFO Stephen Doyle, who is currently the subject of an Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) insider trading investigation. The affidavit alleges a $100 million funding package with industry fund UniSuper was scuppered shortly before being finalised by Castagna in mid-2016. I am going to be charged with tax evasion and money laundering and I do not want to tell UniSuper. I am going to kill the deal instead, Castagna allegedly told Sheehy. Tony, I think you need to resign, Sheehy alleges he told Castagna. The AFP and ATO are two of Nuixs biggest and most prominent customers, and it does not look good. Its not good for the company. All our global regulator customers like the IRS and SEC in the US and the FSA in the UK will hear. It will be really bad for the company. The affidavit reports text messages between then Nuix director and Macquarie representative David Standen, where Sheehy says: He [Castagna] cannot be our chairman when he is charged. I can see the headlines - Panama Papers investigation company chairman charged with tax fraud and money laundering. It has kept me awake much of the night  it will be a milestone around his neck as customers leave and competitors belly laugh. It says within weeks of the UniSuper deal falling apart, Castagna brokered a deal with Macquarie to buy some shares.

Sheehys request for his resignation was ignored, and he alleges he was bullied out of the company. Castagna was charged and in April 2018 a Supreme Court jury found Castagna and his cousin guilty of money laundering and tax evasion. He went to jail. Tony Castagna was sent to jail and acquitted in June 2019. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer On June 5, 2019, the Court of Criminal Appeal quashed his conviction, and he was acquitted. The Crown case was that he had avoided tax by channelling his consultancy fees from Macquarie to Vanuatu via a New Zealand bank account operated by a UK company. Even if it was assumed the Crown case was strong, the appeal court judges said a new trial was not appropriate in part because of Castagnas age, he was then 72, and hed already been in jail for more than a year.

Soon after his acquittal he rejoined the Nuix board. Days before Nuix listed he resigned and unbeknown to investors Nuix entered a consultancy arrangement with Castagna which was terminated in May 2021. Jonathan Rubinsztein CEO of Nuix Credit:Jessica Hromas Nuix elected not to call Castagna as a witness in the recent court proceedings, which meant many of the allegations raised in the affidavit could not be heard in court. The case finished on Thursday with final submissions in August. The judge will then make a finding later in the year. Despite the unrelenting bad headlines you wouldnt know if from serial optimist Nuix CEO Jonathan Rubinszteins letter to staff on Friday. Happy July 1  Today is an exciting day for all of us at Nuix as our new structure officially comes into place, he told staff. This is part of our journey of creating a Nuix thats more customer-focused, with a simpler organisational structure that makes it easier to work with us - for our customers, our stakeholders and you - our people.

Loading Absent was any mention of the court case which, if successful, would have a profound impact on Nuixs finances. Nor did he mention that customers were being smacked with double-digit price hikes, well in excess of inflation, and some products on the new price list are up almost 200 per cent. He also failed to mention the other elephant in the room, Nuixs financial performance for 2022. If the share price performance is any guide, investors are expecting more bad news when it reports its full-year results in August. Since Rubinszteins appointment as CEO was announced in October last year, the share price has gone from $3.05 to close on Friday at 78.
To the rest of Australia, Melbourne is easy to mock. Melburnians are often derided as a bunch of latte-sipping, bleeding-heart-liberal, intellectually superior snobs, naive to the concerns and realities of life outside the self-proclaimed cultural capital of the country.

For locals, Melbourne culture provides just as much fodder for comedy, but with far more granularity. Its not Melbournes laneway culture locals make fun of, but specific bars, DJs and even sommeliers.

A number of mainly anonymous local Instagram accounts have emerged and begun chronicling the many eccentricities of life in inner-city Melbourne. Credit:@inner_north_rainbow_mafia/Instagram

Of late, a number of mainly anonymous local Instagram accounts, including but by no means limited to @merri_freek, @melbourneaffirmations, @dumbbitchmemes69, @club_nite_guest_list and @inner_north_rainbow_mafia, have emerged and begun chronicling the many eccentricities of life in inner-city Melbourne.

These accounts trade in memes, where images, text and videos are used to communicate an immediately funny or relatable idea and then spread across the internet, often being reproduced and reinterpreted along the way. Famous global memes included distracted boyfriend, which features a man ogling a woman as his partner looks on disapprovingly, and Pepe the Frog, which was initially a fairly innocuous comic book character but has become associated with the far right. Melbourne memes run the gamut, from wholesome references to places that Melburnians can identify with, to esoteric ruminations on the citys nightlife, brands and trends, made to appeal to niche communities.
I was 10 years old when I read a line in music magazine Kerrang! that stayed with me forever. Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott had died of pneumonia and heart failure related to his drug use. The journalist was moved to open the article by breaking the fourth wall: Phil Lynott is dead. I know. I cant believe it either.

It was effective, but it was also, well, unbelievable that the writer couldnt believe it. Another Kerrang! journalist, Ian Winwood, has written a book, Bodies, that is so tightly packed with music industry overdoses, suicides and accidental deaths as to be overwhelming. Its not a gawk at the 27 club, but a call to arms. There is something systemically broken in the world of music, he writes. Its making people ill.

Duff McKagan suffered from survivors guilt, having lost so many friends in bands to suicide. Credit:Paul Rovere

When Winwood joined Kerrang! in 2000, he took full advantage of the permissive culture, using drugs to power through overseas trips and overnight deadlines. In Ireland, he dabbed speed with Primal Scream. In Vegas, to cover Green Day, he was robbed by a sex worker he recruited to buy cocaine. The tortured artist, he admits, is forever celebrated: Scenting blood, I have written reams of articles that examine in precise detail the degradation of a hundred lives 

Winwoods own addiction was also able to hide in plain sight. After his father died in traumatic circumstances, he was in and out of psych wards. Ive taken so much medication that its likely Ill be buried in a coffin with a childproof lid, he quips. At one point, the features editor banged on his front door, chasing a missing cover story, and found Winwood delirious, naked from the waist down, with cut feet. Even his coke dealer wound up barring him: Sorry, mate, shops closed.
Theres that old joke about a tourist in New York who asks a passerby how to get to Carnegie Hall, one of the worlds most prestigious classical music venues.

Practise, practise, practise, the local quips.

But if they were really in the know, rather than just a wiseguy, theyd have added that an artist diploma from the citys Juilliard School  the pre-eminent performing arts school, whose alumni have won more than 100 Grammys, 62 Tonys and 16 Pulitzers  couldnt hurt.

Guitar players Miles and Ziggy Johnston. Credit:Jiyang Chen

And now two Australian brothers are about to make history in that course: they are the second guitarists, and the first guitar duo, to be accepted into a scholarship program that takes on only a handful of the worlds best young musicians each year, and rigorously trains them to become even better.
Things are different in Sydney. The national census, released last week, showed the city is younger, more religious and more culturally diverse than Australia as a whole. The pay packets are bigger as well  Sydneys median family income was $13,000 a year higher than the national figure (the median being the midpoint of all incomes).

The 2021 census provides a snapshot of Sydneys regions

But when it comes to incomes and housing, one city region is strikingly similar to the rest of Australia: western Sydney.

The median family income in the Blacktown district, in the heart of Sydneys west, was $2,252 a week, just a little higher than the national figure of $2120. The Outer West and Blue Mountains, Outer South West and Parramatta districts also had family incomes close that the national marker.

The character of housing in western Sydney broadly matches the Australian norm. Just over 72 per cent of the national population lives in a standalone house; the share across much of western Sydney is around 80 per cent.
Australias coronavirus experts often dont agree. But there has been one big exception over the past couple of months.

When asked if indoor mask mandates would help reduce the growing COVID-19 death toll and flatten massive and persistent waves of infections, epidemiologists have largely sidestepped the question.

What would it take for more people to wear masks in public? Credit:Paul Rovere

Instead, the consistent reply has been that its not going to happen. The public doesnt want it. The message experts have received loud and clear is that the time for mandates is over. By extension, it means few politicians would be brave enough to consider it.

They could be right, that the time for mask mandates is over, at least for this variant. The unfortunate thing is that this unwillingness to talk about any new or reinstated public health mandates seems to have extended to generalised COVID-19 avoidance.
We will remember Jane always for her contagious love of life and people; her intense compassion and the drive which made her a very fierce advocate for women and those most disadvantaged. Her intellect, wit, and generosity are irreplaceable, and her loss leaves a huge hole in the Garrett family. We will remember Jane always for her contagious love of life and people; her intense compassion and the drive which made her a very fierce advocate for women and those most disadvantaged. - Garrett family statement The Victorian Government has offered a state funeral to mark her significant contribution to Victoria. I offer our deep condolences to Janes family, friends and colleagues  and all those who knew and loved her, Premier Daniel Andrews said in a statement on Saturday night. I cannot imagine the grief her family, particularly her three children, must be feeling at this incredibly difficult time  my thoughts are with them. Garrett entered Parliament in the lower house seat of Brunswick in 2010 and was promoted to cabinet in 2014 as a rising star, viewed as a potential Labor leader, before being permanently sidelined in 2016.

She resigned as emergency services minister in the fallout from a bitter dispute with the firefighters union that pitted her against Andrews and union leader Peter Marshall. After a bruising preselection, Garrett moved to the upper house in 2018, representing eastern Victoria. Jane Garrett (rear) with Daniel Andrews in 2015 when she was a minister. Credit:Simon O'Dwyer In December, during an exclusive interview with The Age in which she announced her decision to leave Victorian politics, Garrett said she was still being targeted by bullies in the United Firefighters Union. In May 2021 the Victorian government refused to release a long-suppressed report into sexism and intimidation in the fire services, five years after it was commissioned by Garrett.

Close friend Luba Grigorovitch, the former state secretary of the Rail Tram and Bus Union, who is now contesting the seat of Kororoit, said Garrett was a mentor to many young women. Jane was a wonderful person who was always very positive and an amazing mum to her three beautiful children. Jane would light up the room when she entered with her gregarious personality and charm and will be very sadly missed by her many friends. Jane would light up the room when she entered with her gregarious personality and charm and will be very sadly missed by her many friends. - Luba Grigorovitch Deputy Premier Jacinta Allan tweeted that Garrett was a hardworking MP who fought for working people for her entire career.

Like many social media tributes about Garrett on Saturday night, Public Transport Minister Ben Carroll noted her ability to light up a room, or even a Zoom call, with her presence. Opposition leader Matthew Guy said her death was immensely sad and described her as bold and brave. She wont be forgotten. May she rest in peace. Friend and former Labor MP Philip Dalidakis said Garrett was a remarkable person and a real talent.

Tonight we have lost a good woman but her family has lost so much more, he said. Labor MP Martin Pakula shared a picture of himself with Garrett on social media, writing he was very, very sorry to hear of the passing of my dear friend Jane. Liberal MP Tim Smith said he was completely devastated by her death. Jane was one of the best people Ive ever met. Victorian Greens leader Samantha Ratnam said her condolences went to Garretts family, loved ones and colleagues.

Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins said Garrett served Victoria with integrity and commitment. A loving, fun, caring and super smart person and lifelong bluebagger, taken too soon, Jenkins said. Loading Garrett was a close friend of Fiona Richardson, the former MP for Northcote, who died of breast cancer in 2017, aged 50. At Richardsons funeral, Garrett paid an emotional tribute to the MP, Australias first minister for the prevention of family violence, for her fierce intellect, her drive and sense of justice. -With Jackson Graham
Washington: US President Joe Biden is considering using military bases, veterans hospitals and other federal hubs to expand abortion care as he comes under growing pressure to respond more forcefully to the Supreme Courts decision to overturn the constitutional right to end a pregnancy.

One week after the court wound back reproductive rights in the US, the president met with Democratic governors from across the country to brainstorm ways of countering restrictions that have already been imposed in Republican states.

Crowds outside the US Supreme Court after its decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Credit:AP

North Carolina Governor Rob Cooper warned his state was already seeing an influx of women from other states where abortion is now banned or limited. Planned Parenthood received 192 interstate patients who flocked to North Carolina for treatment this week alone and a further 10,000 are predicted over the next year.

New Mexico Governor Lujan Grisham called for an expansion of telehealth services and the use of school-based health clinics as places for women to get healthcare, while New York Governor Kathy Hochul urged Biden to provide abortions on federal property in states that ban the procedure - something the White House believes would be challenging.
I dont have any military service.

Im neither proud nor ashamed of it. Its simply a fact, and a matter of timing. I was too young to be drafted into service in the Vietnam era, and then the draft ended. By the time registration was reinstated, I had aged out. I wasnt compelled to enlist voluntarily; I had a different path in mind.

But several times each year, I regret that I dont have the context that military service would have given me. Veterans Day. Memorial Day. D-Day. Independence Day. These are times when our hearts and minds should reflect on duty and sacrifice, and I cant help but believe that military service would have added a particular dimension to that reflection.

Last week, we learned of the death of the last World War II-era recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor, Hershel W. Woody Williams. In news stories reporting his death, I was struck by the modesty he displayed in the interviews hed given. As far as Woody Williams was concerned, he was just doing his job. But to the rest of us, he acted with extraordinary valor in his efforts to bring the US capture of Iwo Jima to fruition.

Most of us have seen the photograph of Marines planting the flag there. In Washington, that image is now a statue. Its a moving tableau, and Woody Williams played a critical role in it.

What makes one worthy of the Medal of Honor? I wanted to know more. According to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, the Medal of Honor has been received by 3,511 people, with the first awarded in 1863 to Private Jacob Parrott, a 19-year-old Union soldier who was recognized traveling more than 200 miles into enemy territory to seize a railroad train in Big Shanty, Georgia, in an effort to destroy rail bridges between Chattanooga and Atlanta.

Another 1,522 people were granted the Medal for their Civil War service, the most of any American conflict. The next most-decorated conflict, World War II, added 472 including Williams. Bennie Adkins of Opelika, who died last year, was belatedly awarded the Medal of Honor in 2014 for a feat of valor in the Vietnam War.

As I thought about these men, I couldnt help but think of others I have known who persevered in remarkable circumstances in the course of protecting our freedoms. Years ago I met a man named Jim Flaitz at the library one day. He seemed like a regular guy; he had a son who was just ahead of me in school. But in that short visit at the library, this regular guy told me stories that made my hair stand on end. Jim Flaitz spent more than three years in a Japanese internment camp, and survived the infamous Bataan Death March. I left the library that day understanding that Charlie Flaitzs dad was a war hero.

So was my classmate Mary Jo Gilchrists daddy, Joe Ed Howell. I spent an afternoon with him long ago as he recounted the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, when Japanese aircraft darkened the skies over his military base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

I never had the opportunity to meet Acie Taylor from Geneva County, who would send me painstakingly handwritten narratives of his time in the hell that was Hertzgen Forest in Germany, but I was fascinated by his experiences and his eloquent recall.

My old pal Vic Bubbett spent time in a German POW camp, but I wasnt able to coax him into telling me about it. Its the sort of thing you only ask once. Vic had moved on from it, and I respected that.

Ive listened to hours of war recollections from various friends and acquaintances through the years, and I have some keepsakes as well.

However, its the stories I cherish, and the willingness of these men to share them. Perhaps if I had the context of personal military service, I might have heard them with a different ear.
If you know of local business openings or closings, please notify us here.

PREVIOUS OPENINGS AND CLOSINGS

 Air Products and Chemicals Inc.'s chosen warehouse developer, Prologis Inc., will have to wait until July 13 for a final decision by Upper Macungie Township's zoning hearing board on 2.61 million square feet of warehouses.

 Chubby's of Southside Easton has added Krispy Krunchy Chicken to its offerings and name.

 Curaleaf Holdings Inc., which operates in the U.S. and Europe, will open a medical-marijuana dispensary at 1801 Airport Road, Hanover Township.

 Habitat for Humanity, which has "ReStores" that sell new and lightly used furniture, has leased 30,000 square feet at the South Mall.

 Nat Hyman's bid to convert an old warehouse at 938 Washington St. in Allentown into 48 apartments did not win zoning hearing board approval this week after neighbors said more housing would make an on-street parking shortage worse.

 Members 1st Federal Credit Union opened a new branch this week at 5605 Hamilton Blvd, Trexlertown. It's one of five planned for the Lehigh Valley.

 A Turkish restaurant has relocated from one downtown to another, taking its fresh ingredients and cozy atmosphere from Nazareth to 200 Main St., Tatamy.

 The Tennessee Titans have chosen Allentown-based Shift4 Payments to handle payments at Nissan Stadium.

 Wells Fargo Bank held ribbon-cutting at its downtown Allentown branch at 740 Hamilton St.

 The Wiz Kidz outlet at the Madison Farms residential/retail development in Bethlehem Township will hold a grand reopening and ribbon-cutting at noon on July 15.

 Bad Biscuit Company, which offered breakfast with scratch-made biscuits, freshly baked pastry and local, small-batch artisan coffee, said it will cease operations at 16 Columbia Ave. in Reading after its July 1 hours.

 FastBridge Fiber has announced it will build an all-fiber cable network that will offer ultra-fast internet in the Reading area.

 Hamid Chaudhry has said he no longer plans to move forward with pursuing a food truck park he previously proposed on the site of the former Sheetz convenience store and gas station in Exeter Township at 6600 Perkiomen Ave. (Route 422 East).

 The Maxatawny Township Planning Commission has OK'd a proposal for a Mavis Discount Tire store in the Kutztown Road shopping center that features a Giant supermarket.

 Valentino's Italian restaurant has gotten Maxatawny Township's approval to remain open when the state transportation department takes one-third of its parking lot to build a traffic roundabout at the intersection of Route 222 and Long Lane.

 Pocono Mountain Harley-Davidson, under new ownership, will hold a "Grand Re-Opening Bash" July 9 and July 10 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

 Sauce West End plans to open in a former Rita's Italian Ice, just off Route 209 across from the Tractor Supply store in Brodheadsville.

 The Surgery Center of Pottsville, which offered medical procedure services for 16 years in Cressona Mall. will close June 28.

 Wells Fargo has closed its branch office in Langhorne, near the intersection with Maple Avenue.

 The latest PrimoHoagies location in New Jersey held a grand opening at 1930 State Route 57, Hackettstown.

 A new Tractor Supply Co. store in Warren County will have its grand opening in the former Toys 'R' Us store in Pohatcong Plaza on July 9.

 Hunter Pocono Peterbilt plans to move Pocono Township operations to Stroudsburg.

 Coal Winery and Kitchen at 81 Broad St., Bethlehem, has closed as its owner searches for a new location for the business, according to its Facebook page.

 Lowhill Township supervisors approved a 312,120-square-foot commercial warehouse and distribution center on a 43.4-acre tract on the west side of Route 100, south of the Kernsville Road intersection.

 The Mint Gastropub at 1223 W. Broad St., Bethlehem, announced that it has temporarily closed to undergo a merger with a "well-known restaurant group" from Bethlehem.

 The Slatington Farmers Market opened its 28,000-square-foot showroom, which includes space for 53 vendors, as well as a 4,000-square-foot event space.

 St. Luke's University Health Network opened a new pediatric inpatient unit next to the eight-bed pediatric intensive care unit at St. Luke's University Hospital  Bethlehem.

 25th Asian House opened at the location of the former Tin Tin Chinese restaurant in the 25th Street Shopping Center in Palmer Township.

 The Chick-Fil-A in Broadcasting Square shopping center in Spring Township was razed to make way for a new, expanded facility for the popular chicken sandwich restaurant.

 Plans for drive-thru locations of a Chipotle and a Starbucks at the intersection of Ivy League Drive and Kutztown Road were rejected by Maxatawny Township planners.

 Cumru Township plannes reviewed preliminary plans for NorthPoint-Morgantown Commerce Center, a 738,720-square-foot warehouse to be built on 75.2 acres at Morgantown Road (State Route 10) and Freemansville Road.

 Kutztown University has plans to expand its historic Poplar House to 13,161 square feet with an addition around its side and back, but keep the 129-year-old structure intact.

 A wine store and beverage outlet could be coming to a new two-unit building along the commercial strip of Blakeslee Boulevard Drive East in Lehighton, Carbon County.

 ChristianaCare, a Delaware health care organization, has announced it will buy the former Jennersville Hospital in West Grove, Chester County.

 Garden of Health Inc. celebrated the opening of the food bank's new warehouse at 201 Church Road, North Wales, in Montgomery County.

 Silverline Trailers Inc. opened its first location in Pennsylvania and in the Northeast at 223 Porter Road, Pottstown, where it sells utility, cargo, dump, equipment and car hauler trailers.

 A new smoothie and bowl restaurant, Sips & Berries, opened at 285 Maple Ave., Harleysville, in Montgomery County.

 Terrain on the Parkway offers 160 new 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom apartments at 1625 Lehigh Parkway East in Allentown.

 Lehigh Valley native Don Wenner is moving his real estate investment and finance firm DLP Capital from Bethlehem to Allentown at 835 W. Hamilton St.

 While Wells Fargo has been the leader in closing banks lately, it will hold a ribbon-cutting for its new downtown Allentown office at 740 Hamilton St. on June 30.

 If you're in the market for sterling silver jewelry, minerals and semi-precious gemstones, C& I Minerals is now operating at the South Mall at 3300 Lehigh St. in Allentown.

 The Allentown-based utility company PPL Corp. bought a major Rhode Island utility.

 Ownership at Martellucci's Pizzeria in Bethlehem has changed, but Paul and Donna Hlavinka and their family are running the pizza place at 1419 Easton Ave., just as it has been operated for 49 years.

 Dr. Jacob Kasprenski's new Kasprenski Family Eye Care opened at 1088 Howertown Road, Catasauqua.

 Josie's New York Deli in downtown Easton closed early in the COVID-19 pandemic, but a June 13 Historic District Commission meeting approved a request for a new sign at its building at 14 Centre Square.

 Zekraft cafe has opened its second location in the Easton Silk Mill in Easton. The first Zekraft restaurant was opened in Bethlehem. The restaurants' menus change frequently, with a focus on local ingredients.

 Manta Massage at 319 Main St., Emmaus, will hold its grand opening on July 10 starting at 11 a.m.

 The former Iron Lakes Country Club, constructed in the late 1950s and early 1960s, will operate at 3625 Shankweiler Road in North Whitehall Township under its new name, The Club at Twin Lakes.

 Prologis, a titan in the logistics industry, will own and operate three warehouses proposed in Upper Macungie Township at the former Air Products headquarters campus at 7201 Hamilton Blvd.

 Lehigh Valley Health Network ceremonially opened its first Carbon County hospital  a $78 million, 100,578-square-foot facility at 2128 Blakeslee Boulevard Drive East in Mahoning Township.

 Pocono Township commissioners voted to accept Swiftwater Solar's preliminary final plan for the $111 million, 80-megawatt field on a private 644-acre site on top of Bear Mountain that would include about 200,000 solar panels.

 Firetree Ltd. wants to expand its in-patient rehab operation at the former Sands Ford auto dealership at 440 N Claude A Lord Blvd. (Route 61), Pottsville.

 A Dunkin' in Schuylkill County located at 400 Terry Rich Blvd., St. Clair, has become just the fourth location of the donut and coffee chain to go entirely digital.

 The Conservatory music school in Bucks County will close after 34 years, and school officials say the COVID-19 pandemic is the cause. The nonprofit, located at 4059 Skyron Drive, Doylestown, will close June 30.

 A Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen and Arby's will be built on the site of the former Ahart's Market on Route 22 in Phillipsburg, New Jersey.

 Hunterdon County Chamber of Commerce offices and the Unity Bank Center for Business & Entrepreneurship will be located at 119 Main St., Flemington.

 Honeygrow opens Quakertown location, next to Chipotle on Route 309, on June 3.

 Dunkin' reopens remodeled restaurant at 1174 MacArthur Road in Whitehall Township

 Muse Modern Med Spa at 325 Fifth St. in Whitehall Township will hold a grand opening June 4.

 Around Again, a consignment store, opened at 154 S. Main St., Phillipsburg

 Steak and Steel Hibachi, a restaurant in the works at 44 W. Walnut St., Bethlehem, still plans on opening late this summer.

 Take It Outdoors Recreation Hub has moved to a spot along the Schuylkill River Trail at Riverfront Park in Pottstown, Montgomery County

 Pedego Electric Bikes has a new outlet in Lambertville, N.J. at 13 N. Union St.

 Amanda Vachris has opened a new Keller Williams Real Estate office at 15 St. John St. in Schuylkill Haven.

 Easton's new West Ward Market will open Wednesday and be open on Wednesday's through the summer from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. The market, created by the Greater Easton Development Partnership, will sell fresh produce on 12th Street, next to Paxinosa Elementary School.

 Ciao Sandwich Shoppe is adding a second location, this time on College Hill in Easton. Ciao plans to open at 325 Cattell St. in late summer. Ciao already operates in downtown Easton at 12 N. Third St

 Ma's Crepes and Cakes will hold a grand opening and ribbon-cutting June 16 at 46 W. Broadway, Jim Thorpe. The celebration starts at 5 p.m., with the ribbon cutting at 5:45 p.m.

 Bethlehem's Back Door Bakeshop will reopen as a wholesale operation at 7 E. Church St. in the city's historic district. The business was open for nine years as a retail outlet at Broad and Center streets, before announcing in March that it would close the storefront April 3 and "go back to its origins as a wholesale business."

The Beef Baron on Catasauqua Road in Bethlehem is closed indefinitely for renovations

 The Brothers That Just Do Gutters are opening a new location in Allentown at 1302 N. 18th St.

 St. John Chrysostom Academy, an Orthodox school serving grades 1-9 starting this fall, held a grand opening at its St. Francis Center, Bethlehem, campus.

 Easton Commons, a shopping center anchored by Giant Foods at 2920 Easton Ave., Bethlehem Township, has a new name: The Shops at Bethlehem.

 Carbon County is getting a taste of Brazil at Uai Brasil BBQ at 315 Lehigh Ave. in Palmerton.

 The Keystone Pub in Bethlehem Township, at 3259 Easton Avenue, has reopened after a lengthy and expensive renovation.

 The Trading Post Depot opened at 401 Northampton St., Easton. The rustic furniture store makes custom tables for dining rooms, desktops, conference centers and more.

 The Easton area has a new gym: Homemade Fitness at 444 Cedarville Road in Williams Township.

 Il Gaetano Ristorante opened at its 665 Columbus Ave., Phillipsburg, location.

 Ciao! Sandwich Shoppe to open second location on College Hill in Easton, replacing The Kettle Room

 Rene and Grisellies Benique have opened Ezekiel 47 Cafe at 10 S. Fifth Ave., off Fifth and Penn avenues, in West Reading.

 Alter Ego Salon and Day Spa in Emmaus is holding a grand opening Sunday, May 22, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a ribbon cutting at noon.

 Origen Latin Fusion has opened at the site of the former Tomcat Cafe in Sinking Spring, Berks County.

 Sellersville Senior Residences will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony May 24. The Bucks County affordable-housing community for adults 55 and older has 50 apartments, with eight allocated for people with behavioral health needs.

 The House and Barn in Emmaus has opened its Shed outdoor dining and cigar bar area. The House and Barn is at 1449 Chestnut St. in Emmaus.

 Realtor Amanda Vachris and the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce will hold a ribbon cutting at Vachris's new Keller Williams Real Estate office at 15 St. John St., Schuylkill Haven, at 4 p.m. on May 24.

 Il Gaetano Ristorante will hold a grand opening on Friday, May 20, at 5:30 p.m. The 665 Columbus Ave., Phillipsburg.

 First Commonwealth Federal Credit Union will hold a grand opening at its new headquarters in Trexlertown, 6126 Hamilton Blvd., on May 18.

 Vinyl Press Signs & Graphics has relocated within Emmaus. The new site is 15 S. Second St., not far from the former Sixth Street location.

 Pedro's Cafe in Emmaus to close

 SV Sports (formerly Schuylkill Valley Sports) to close Quakertown location

 Flemington DIY will host a Grand Re-Opening on May 14 at 26 Stangl Road, Flemington. The celebration will kick off at 10 a.m.

 Elpedios Ristorante at Seipsville opened at 2912 Old Nazareth Road in Easton. The restaurant is open Wednesday through Sunday.

 Uai Brazil opened at 315 Lehigh Ave, Palmerton, offering both a seated or buffet option.

 Colombian Mex Restaurant opened at 107 E Union Blvd in Bethlehem, offering traditional Colombian cuisine.

 Precision Ink opened at 161 W Berwick St. in Easton.

 King Wing opened a location in Bethlehem at 129 E. Third St., serving wings and sandwiches.
Samsung Engineering has acquired a 24 percent stake in water treatment company Dong Nai Plastic Water for 52.7 billion Korean won (US$40.57 million).

The ceremony to sign the deal was held at the Intercontinental Landmark Hotel in Hanoi, and attended by executives from both companies, including Samsung Engineering Executive vice president GyuYeon Kang and DNP Water chairman Ngo Duc Vu.

With this acquisition, Samsung Engineering holds a 24 percent stake in DNP Water, DNP Holding owns 53 percent and other stakeholders have 23 percent.

DNP Water is a private enterprise that focuses on water supply business in Vietnam and is the largest private water treatment company in terms of capacity.

It was spun off from the DNP Group, a manufacturer of plastic pipes, in 2017.

Since then it has been growing in the water treatment business by buying private water supply assets and developing new businesses.

(From L) Nguyen Van Hieu, DNP Holding CEO, Kang Gyu-yeon, Samsung Engineering EVP and Ngo Duc Vu, DNP Water Chairman at the signing ceremony. Photo by Samsung Engineering

The Asian water treatment market is shifting from a loan business to a private-led market due to recent economic developments. Accordingly, Samsung Engineering plans to actively target the Vietnamese market as a base.

Samsung Engineering has confidence that its rich EPC experience and global technology expertise in water treatment and DNP Water's experience and network in Vietnam's water supply industry have synergies for future businesses.

The stake in DNP Water enables Samsung Engineering to get access to Vietnam's water and sewage treatment businesses and thus expand its business in this important market.

Further, based on such regional competitiveness, Samsung Engineering plans to expand into Vietnam's sewage treatment businesses before expanding this model to neighbouring Asian countries.

GyuYeon Kang, its executive vice president, said, "Aligned with the recent global environmental, social, and governance (ESG) trend, our environmental business is positioned as one of our company's future growth engines.

"Samsung Engineering plans further to grow in global environmental markets such as in Asia by setting an example with our environmental businesses in Vietnam."

Samsung Engineering is one of the world's leading EPC&PM companies, and has served clients in a variety of industries such as oil refining, gas processing, petrochemicals, infrastructure, environment, and bio-industry, and providing professional services across the project cycle ranging from professional feasibility studies to design, procurement, construction, commissioning, maintenance, and operation.

Samsung Engineering has completed more than 1,000 projects worldwide.
Allentown, PA (18103)

Today

Humid with limited sunshine. Scattered showers and thunderstorms, most widespread later in the afternoon. Watching for heavy downpours and possible localized flooding. May be dry for much of the morning/ midday..

Tonight

An evening shower or thunderstorm; otherwise, mostly cloudy and muggy. There might be some clearing late.
An international port worth $6 billion has been proposed for Ho Chi Minh City's outlying district of Can Gio to meet rising shipment demand.

In a statement sent to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Thursday, HCMC Chairman Phan Van Mai said the city has received a proposal from Terminal Investment Limited (TIL), the second-largest container carrier in the world, to build the port in Can Gio.

TIL, owned by Switzerland-based Mediterranean Shipping Company, has signed a framework agreement with HCMC on cooperation in the field of seaport infrastructure development and logistics services in the city.

As proposed by TIL, the port in Can Gio will have a dock of more than seven kilometers long to receive 24,000-twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers, the worlds largest, with a throughput capacity of 10-15 million TEUs per year.

The transshipment port is expected to be built through seven stages and the investor, TIL, wishes to start work on the first phase in 2024 for operation four years later. The entire port will be finished in 2040, it plans.

Once completed, Can Gio Port will replace Cat Lai Port in HCMCs Thu Duc City as the nation's largest terminal.

According to HCMC's authorities, Can Gio port is at the mouth of Thi Vai - Cai Mep River, the natural border between Dong Nai and Ba Ria - Vung Tau provinces, which lies on international maritime routes and can receive ships from Europe, Africa, and the U.S.

Such a location is favorable for the formation of an international container port, creating a competitive advantage with other countries in the region as well as a breakthrough in the development of the marine economy of the city and the whole country, the city said.

Now the city suggested the PM assigns related agencies to evaluate TIL's plan to build the port so that the city could guide the investor.

Approximately 4.9 million 20-foot containers are handled in HCMC each year, which equates to about three million trucks, or more than 8,000 trucks per day transiting in and around the city to discharge or load containers from the port area.

Tan Cang-Cat Lai Terminal handles over 92 percent of this volume and roughly half of the country's total container number.

The amount of cargo through HCMCs ports has exceeded its planned capacity, staying at more than 160 million last year, surpassing the target set for 2030 by 2.6 percent.
Travelers might think Vung Tau is boring with just sandy beaches, but there is more to do than just swim in the 140-square-kilometer town. BEST TIME TO VISIT

Between November and June is the best time to visit Vung Tau, a HCMC neighbor whose sunny weather and warm temperatures make it ideal for beach activities. In summer and during weekends and holidays, the number of tourists increases dramatically leading to overcrowding. WHAT TO EXPLORE

There are two mountains where you can go hiking: Nui Lon (Big Mountain) and Nui Nho (Small Mountain). Big Mountain houses Indochina's biggest ancient artillery battlefield and has several religious sites. To reach the top of the mountain at a height of 254 meters, hikers have to navigate steep roads and clamber up boulders on a 3.5-kilometer-long trail that takes around one hour and 20 minutes to complete. From the summit, you can see an ancient artillery battlefield which was built by the French in the late 19th century.

Cannons are on display at an ancient artillery battlefield on Big Mountain in Vung Tau. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran

There are six cannons placed in an arc, all facing the sea. Each is more than four meters long and weighs 15 tons. Another tourist attraction from the French colonial period on the mountain is Bach Dinh (Villa Blanche or White Villa) built by Paul Doumer, governor general of Indochina.

The facade of the White Villa in Vung Tau Town. Photo by Quynh Tran

It was built on one side of Big Mountain like a resort for French colonial leaders. The 19-meter-tall building is painted in white and so is also called White Villa. Today it serves as a museum for antiques and relics collected from shipwrecks around Vung Tau over the centuries, including a collection of ceramic tableware used by 17th-century Chinese Emperor Kangxi.

Antiques and relics are displayed inside the White Villa. Photos by Quynh Tran

Those not interested in trekking can take a cable car ride to the peak of Big Mountain that takes 10 minutes and costs VND400,000 ($17.20) for a round trip. Situated at a height of 170 meters, Small Mountain is home to the towns two most famous tourist sites: an old French lighthouse and Asias largest statue of Jesus Christ. The 32-meter statue with arms outstretched 18.3 meters was modeled on the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. It is a popular attraction in a country that is home to 5.86 million Christians.

The statue of Jesus Christ with outstretched arms is seen from above. Photo by Tran Thanh Duy

Installed by the Vietnam Catholic Association in 1974, it took 19 years to complete. From a gate on Ha Long Street, you have to climb up 811 steps to the statue, which overlooks the sea. The statue is a symbol of Vung Tau and a sacred site for the Christian community, and so there is a strict dress code. To enter, visitors must remove their shoes and have their knees and shoulders covered. You can climb the 133 steps inside the statue to an observation area from where you can get an even more panoramic view of Vung Tau.

Vung Tau beach is captured from above. Photos by Tran Thanh Duy

Another gem on Small Mountain is the lighthouse built in 1862 by the French for trading ships. It was connected to the operators quarters by a solid tunnel with unique French architecture.

A white lighthouse built by the French is a symbol of Vung Tau. Photo by Kim Anh At the foot of the lighthouse is a display of ancient cannons kept from the anti-French resistance war. One of the highlights of Vung Tau is Ba Islet where rocks and coral reefs are only revealed for a few hours during low tide on the 14th and 15th days of each lunar month and form a pathway leading to a small temple on the islet. On other days the only way to reach the islet is by boat.

A temple where the Goddess of Sea is worshipped on Ba Islet. Photo by Tuan Anh

For locals, the temple is a sacred place where fishermen go to pray for luck and peace before going out into the sea. If tourists decide to walk at low tide instead of going on a boat, good footwear will be useful as the path is slippery. Situated near Front Beach Park at the intersection of Phan Boi Chau and Nguyen Cong Tru streets, Xom Luoi seafood market is busy at 4-5 a.m. when fishing boats return after a long night at sea.

Tourists visit Xom Luoi seafood market in Vung Tau. Photos by Phong Vinh

The seafood here is fresh and reasonably priced. There is a wide range usually available too, including snail, shrimp, octopus, and crab. During the vacation season, some stalls offer discounts for buying large quantities. The market also has yummy souvenirs to take back home like dried seafood and snacks. The best option is to buy fresh seafood and have it cooked on the spot. Cooking services are available in the market, with grilling, boiling and steaming being the normal styles. Another destination you should not miss on a tour of Vung Tau is the Robert Taylor Museum inside a 1,500-hectare French-built compound on Tran Hung Dao Street.

Weapons and soldiers uniforms from different periods are on display inside the Robert Taylor Museum in Vung Tau. Photos by Quynh Tran

It is the largest private museum for weapons in Vietnam, according to the Vietnam Book of Records. It has over 2,500 items on display like weapons and soldiers uniforms from across the globe, classified by period. It opens every day and the entrance fee is VND70,000 ($3) for adults and half that for children under 12. Situated along Long Hai coast in Long Dien District, around 30 minutes from downtown Vung Tau, Dinh Co Temple used to be a small shrine but is now a renowned place of pilgrimage, especially for fishermen, who always come to pray before going out to sea. The temple was built to commemorate a young girl called Le Thi Hong Thuy who died at sea and washed ashore two centuries ago. Local people believe she is a sacred goddess who protects local fishermen from danger at sea. Her grave is just beside the temple. Two white lion statues guard the gate and visitors have to climb up 37 stone steps to reach the main altar. Make your trip to Vung Tau more special with a visit to an offshore oil rig. A speed boat tour starting from Vung Tau Marina takes visitors to deep waters where there is a state-of-the-art oil rig. You can also see vessels large and small belonging to the Vietnamese Coast Guard, Dong Xuyen Port, Viet Xo Port, PV OIL petroleum storage, and realize the importance of this port town as the hub of the countrys oil industry.

Oil rigs off Vung Tau coast. Photos by Phong Vinh

An oil rig tour costs VND120,000 ($5.13) per person. Though nightlife is not buzzing and varied like in HCMC or Hanoi, Vung Tau does have bars and pubs on tourist street Ha Long at the foot of Small Mountain. Gazebo Beach Front Lounge & Cafe, Black Pearl Bar, Vuvuzela Beer Club, Vitamin C2 Beer Club, Blue Moon Club, and The Beach Club all remain open from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Photos courtesy of the bars

WHERE TO STAY

Most budget hotels and homestays are located along Bai Truoc (Front Beach) and Bai Sau (Back Beach), also known as Thuy Van Beach, with prices ranging from VND200,000 to 1 million a night. Some recommended addresses are Coco Homestay, Vung Tau Homestay Container, Vung Tau Milan Homestay, Amigos Vung Tau Homestay and Co May Homestay.

Photos courtesy of the homestays

For those wishing to experience a private holiday at luxury resorts with swimming pools and high-end services, these are some options such as Fusion Suites, The Imperial Hotel, Pullman, Marina Bay Resort & Spa, The Grand Ho Tram Strip, and Mercure.

Photos courtesy of the resorts

WHAT TO EAT One dish that always comes up on the Vung Tau food map is the stingray hotpot. The fresh ray is filleted, marinated and cooked with salt, sugar, lemongrass, chili, and other condiments. The slices are then cooked in a pot. The hotpot broth is rich with its sweet, sour and spicy tastes. The hot pot is often served with fresh vermicelli, herbs and a small bowl of fish sauce with a few slices of chili. There are many eateries serving this delicacy in Vung Tau, but arguably the best place is on Truong Cong Dinh Street. It costs VND180,000.

A serving of stingray hotpot on Truong Cong Dinh Street in Vung Tau. Photo by Phong Vinh

Banh khot (mini pancake) is famous in many coastal provinces like Ninh Thuan, Nha Trang and Binh Thuan. In Vung Tau, the mini pancakes are a popular breakfast. The tiny crispy pancake is cooked in small round molds. The edges are burned slightly to add flavor to the tasty treat. The cake is eaten by being rolled in fresh leaves and dunked in fish sauce. Unlike the Mekong Delta's version which has ingredients like pork, mung beans, shallots, and coconut milk added on top, Vung Taus banh khot is flatter and crunchier and is white with shrimps and shrimp powder on top.

A serving of banh khot (mini pancake) at a stall in Vung Tau. Photo by Tam Linh

Goc Vu Sua restaurant on Nguyen Truong To Street is the most famous address in the town to try this dish. Banh mi cha ca (bread served with fish cake) costs VND10,000 - 15,000 a loaf. In Vung Tau, visitors can easily find small stalls selling this popular breakfast on Hoang Hoa Tham, Vo Thi Sau, Ba Cu, Truong Cong Dinh, an Le Lai streets.

The famous tossing noodle restaurant Nghiep Ky on Ba Cu Street has been successfully run by a family for generations.

A bowl of noodle soup is served after several rounds of tossing at Nghiep Ky Restaurant in Vung Tau. Photo by Vi Yen

In what is a fun spectacle, the chef tosses noodles up in the air to dry them up before putting them into a bowl. Many people come here to witness the act. The broth here is cooked with pork bones and ribs. The noodle is served with extra ribs or chewy beef meatballs. The noodles-wonton combination is a favorite for many.

HOW TO GET THERE From HCMC, visitors can travel by motorbike, bus or ferry. Motorbike: There are two routes. You can take Highways 1 and 51 to reach Vung Tau. The second option is to go through Cat Lai (District 2, HCMC), Nhon Trach (Dong Nai Province) and Highway 51 to Vung Tau. Bus: You can board a bus to Vung Tau at the Mien Dong station (Eastern station) in HCMC or book a ticket online in advance. The fare is VND80,000  160,000. If you want to experience a ferry ride, from HCMC travel 70 km to Tac Suat Wharf in Can Gio District where you can board a ferry for a 30-minute trip to Vung Tau. There are ferries leaving on the hour every hour. Tickets cost VND70,000.

Thuy Van beach is seen from above. Photo by Dang Khoa
NEW ORLEANS (AP)  President Joe Biden's administration on Friday proposed up to 10 oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico and one off the Alaska coast over the next five years  going against the Democrat's climate promises but scaling back a Trump-era plan that called for dozens of offshore drilling opportunities including in undeveloped areas.

FILE - This Oct. 27, 2011, file photo, shows the Perdido oil platform located about 200 miles south of Galveston, Texas, in the Gulf of Mexico. The Biden administration is proposing up to 10 oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico and one in Alaska over the next five years. The announcement on Friday, July 1, 2022, said fewer lease sales or even zero could occur, with a final decision not due for months. (AP Photo/Jon Fahey, File)

NEW ORLEANS (AP)  President Joe Biden's administration on Friday proposed up to 10 oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico and one off the Alaska coast over the next five years  going against the Democrat's climate promises but scaling back a Trump-era plan that called for dozens of offshore drilling opportunities including in undeveloped areas.

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said fewer than 11 lease sales  or even no lease sales at all  could occur, with a final decision not due for months. New drilling off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts would be blocked, after being considered under Trump.

President Biden and I have made clear our commitment to transition to a clean energy economy. Today, we put forward an opportunity for the American people to ... provide input on the future of offshore oil and gas leasing, said Haaland, whose agency oversees drilling on federal lands and waters.

The proposal brought immediate backlash from both environmentalists  who accused Biden of betraying the climate cause  and oil industry officials and allies, who said it would do little to help counter high energy prices. Gasoline prices averaged $4.84 a gallon on Friday, a strain on commuters and a political albatross for Bidens fellow Democrats going into the midterm elections. That has left the White House scrambling for solutions, including Bidens call last week for suspension of the 18.4 cents a gallon federal gas tax.

The Interior Department had suspended lease sales in late January because of climate concerns but was forced to resume them by a U.S. district judge in Louisiana.

FILE - A man wears a face mark as he fishes near docked oil drilling platforms, Friday, May 8, 2020, in Port Aransas, Texas. The Biden administration is proposing up to 10 oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico and one in Alaska over the next five years. The announcement on Friday, July 1, 2022, said fewer lease sales or even zero could occur, with a final decision not due for months. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

The Biden administration cited conflicting court rulings about that decision when it canceled the last scheduled lease sales in the Gulf and Alaska during the previous offshore leasing cycle. That prior five-year cycle, a program adopted under former President Barack Obama, expired on Thursday.

There will be a months-long gap before a new plan can be put in place. The oil industry and its allies say the delay could cause problems in planning new drilling and potentially lead to decreased oil production.

Theres unlikely to be an offshore lease sale until well into next year, said Frank Macchiarola, senior vice president of the American Petroleum Institute, the industrys top lobbying group.

And, he said, administration officials went out of their way to say there might not be any lease sales at all.

Its very important for the administration to send a signal to the global oil markets that the United States is serious about increasing supply ... for the long term, he said, repeating a longtime claim by industry officials and Republicans that ties uncertainty over oil supply to high prices.

Biden in recent weeks has criticized oil producers and refiners for maximizing profits and making more money than God, rather than increasing production in response to higher prices as the economy recovers from the pandemic and feels the effects of Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland speaks at the National Interagency Fire Center on Friday, June 17, 2022, in Boise, Idaho. Haaland announced the U.S. is adding $103 million this year for wildfire risk reduction and burned-area rehabilitation throughout the country as well as establishing an interagency wildland firefighter health and well-being program. (AP Photo/Keith Ridler)

The leasing announcement was a bitter disappointment to environmentalists and some Democrats who rallied around then-candidate Biden when he promised to end new drilling in federal lands and waters.

The proposal comes a day after the administration held its first onshore lease sales, drawing $22 million in an auction that gives energy companies drilling rights on about 110 square miles (285 square kilometers) in seven western states. The sales came despite the administrations own findings that burning oil and gas from the parcels could cause billions of dollars in potential future climate damages.

Our public lands and waters are already responsible for nearly a quarter of the countrys carbon pollution each year. Adding any new lease sales to that equation while the climate crisis is unfolding all around us is nonsensical, said House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Raul Grijalva, D-Arizona.

Cynthia Sartou, executive director of the environmental nonprofit Healthy Gulf, called the lease-sale plan a huge loss for Gulf residents, American energy policy and the global climate.

Moderate Democrat Joe Manchin, who chairs the Senate energy committee, welcomed the proposal as a chance to get our leasing program back on track.

While Americans everywhere are suffering from record high gas prices and disruptions in the global oil market caused by (Russian leader Vladimir) Putins senseless war in Ukraine, the Department of the Interior hasnt held any successful offshore lease sales since November 2020, the West Virginia lawmaker said.

Under the Trump administration, Interior officials had proposed 47 sales, including 12 in the Gulf of Mexico, 19 in Alaska and nine off the Atlantic coast that were later withdrawn. Trump lost the 2020 election before the proposal was finalized.

The current format of holding Gulf-wide sales was put in place under Obama because of dwindling interest in offshore leases. Prior to that there had been decades of regional sales.

Fridays announcement opens a 90-day public comment period, then a final plan must be submitted 60 days before it goes into effect.

The government held an offshore lease auction in the Gulf of Mexico in November that brought $192 million in bids. A court canceled that sale before the leases were issued.

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Haaland has said previously that the industry is set with the amount of drilling permits stockpiled and at its disposal. She testified during a House hearing in April that the industry has about 9,000 permits that have been approved but are not being used.

Oil production has increased as the economy recovers from the coronavirus slowdown, but its still below pre-pandemic levels. Energy companies have been reluctant to ramp up production further, citing a shortage of workers and restraints from investors wary that todays high prices wont last.

Major oil companies reported surging profits in the first quarter and sent tens of billions of dollars in dividends to shareholders.

Athan Manuel of the Sierra Club said delaying offshore sales until next year is an important step toward protecting communities and climate, and we urge the administration to finalize a plan that commits to no new offshore drilling leases, period.

__

Brown reported from Billings, Mont. Associated Press writer Matthew Daly in Washington contributed to this story.
LOS ANGELES (AP)  A Southern California man who once competed on the Philippines national decathlon team has agreed to plead guilty to bilking investors out of more than $28 million with a phony scheme to market cannabis vape pens, federal prosecutors announced Friday.

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LOS ANGELES (AP)  A Southern California man who once competed on the Philippines national decathlon team has agreed to plead guilty to bilking investors out of more than $28 million with a phony scheme to market cannabis vape pens, federal prosecutors announced Friday.

David Joseph Bunevacz, 53, of Calabasas, agreed on Wednesday to plead guilty at a later date to securities and wire fraud. He could face up to 20 years in federal prison when he is sentenced in Los Angeles, the U.S. attorney's office said.

According to his plea agreement, as far back as 2010 Bunevacz created several businesses that he claimed were involved in the cannabis industry and the sale of vape pens, prosecutors said.

He raised tens of millions of dollars from at least 10 investors, prosecutors said.

But instead of financing business operations, Bunevacz used much of it to fund a lifestyle that included a fancy house, Las Vegas trips, jewelry, designer handbags, horses and a lavish birthday party for his daughter, the U.S. attorney's office said in a statement.

Bunevacz is a former University of California, Los Angeles, decathlete and competed for the Philippines in the 1990s.
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (AP)  Google will automatically purge information about users who visit abortion clinics or other places that could trigger legal problems now that the U.S. Supreme Court has opened the door for states to ban the termination of pregnancies.

FILE - In this Monday, Nov. 18, 2019 file photo, the logo of Google is displayed on a carpet at the entrance hall of Google France in Paris. Google will automatically purge information about users who visit abortion clinics or other places that could trigger legal problems now that the U.S. Supreme Court has opened the door for states to ban the termination of pregnancies. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, File)

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (AP)  Google will automatically purge information about users who visit abortion clinics or other places that could trigger legal problems now that the U.S. Supreme Court has opened the door for states to ban the termination of pregnancies.

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The company behind the internet's dominant internet search engine and the Android software that powers most of the world's smartphones outlined the new privacy protections in a Friday blog post.

Besides automatically deleting visits to abortion clinics, Google also cited counseling centers, fertility centers, addiction treatment facilities, weight loss clinics, and cosmetic surgery clinics as other destinations that will be erased from users' location histories. Users have always had the option edit their location histories on their own, but Google will proactively do it for them as an added level of protection.

Were committed to delivering robust privacy protections for people who use our products, and we will continue to look for new ways to strengthen and improve these protections," Jen Fitzpatrick, a Google senior vice president, wrote in the blog post.

The pledge comes amid escalating pressure on Google and other Big Tech companies to do more to shield the troves of sensitive personal information through their digital services and products from government authorities and other outsiders.

The calls for more stringent privacy controls were triggered by the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision overturning the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion. That reversal could make abortion illegal in more than a dozen states, raising the specter that records about people's location, texts, searches and emails could be used in prosecutions against abortion procedures or even for medical care sought in a miscarriage.

Like other technology companies, Google each year receives thousands of government demands for users' digital records as part of misconduct investigations. Google says it pushes back against search warrants and other demands that are overly broad or appear to be baseless.
NICE, France (AP)  Tourism is booming again in France  and so is COVID-19. French officials have invited" or recommended people to go back to using face masks but stopped short of renewing restrictions that would scare visitors away or revive antigovernment protests.

People wearing face masks to protect against COVID-19 ride a subway in Paris, Thursday, June 30, 2022. Virus cases are rising fast in France and other European countries after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted in the spring. With tourists thronging Paris and other cities, the French government is recommending a return to mask-wearing in public transport and crowded areas but has stopped short of imposing new rules. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

NICE, France (AP)  Tourism is booming again in France  and so is COVID-19. French officials have invited" or recommended people to go back to using face masks but stopped short of renewing restrictions that would scare visitors away or revive antigovernment protests.

From Paris commuters to tourists on the French Riviera, many people seem to welcome the governments light touch, while some worry that required prevention measures may be needed.

Virus-related hospitalizations rose quickly in France over the past two weeks, with nearly 1,000 patients with COVID-19 hospitalized per day, according to government data. Infections are also rising across Europe and the United States, but France has an exceptionally high proportion of people in the hospital, according to Our World in Data estimates.

French government spokesperson Olivia Gregoire has said there are no plans to reintroduce national regulations that limit or set conditions for gathering indoors and other activities.

The French people are sick of restrictions," she said Wednesday on channel BFMTV. We are confident that people will behave responsibly."

France's parliamentary elections last month resulted in President Emmanuel Macron losing his majority in the national legislature, while parties on the far right and the far left that had protested his governments earlier vaccine and mask rules gained seats.

After the prime minister this week recommended that people resume wearing masks on public transportation, commuter Raphaelle Vertaldi said, We need to deal with the virus, but we cant stop living because of it.

Vertaldi, who was boarding a train in Boussy-Saint-Antoine south of Paris, said she opposed mandatory mask use but would cover her mouth and nose again, if the government requires it.

Hassani Mohammed, a postal worker in Paris, didn't wait for the government to decide. He masks up before his daily commute. With his wife recovering from surgery and two children at home, he does not want to risk contracting the coronavirus a third time.

I realized that the pandemic does not belong to the past, Mohammed said.

Masks have been contentious in France. Early in the pandemic, the French government suggested masks weren't helpful. It ultimately introduced some of Europe's toughest restrictions, including an indoors and outside mask mandate that lasted more than a year, along with strict lockdowns.

A Paris court ruled Tuesday that the French government failed to sufficiently stock up on surgical masks at the start of the pandemic and to prevent the virus from spreading. The administrative court in Paris also ruled that the government was wrong to suggest early on that that masks did not protect people from becoming infected.

The government lifted most virus rules by April, and foreign tourists have returned by land, sea and air to French Mediterranean beaches, restaurants and bars.

In the meantime, French hospitals are struggling with long-running staff and funding shortages. Local officials are contemplating new measures, including an indoor mask mandate in some cities, but nothing that would curb economic activity.

French tourism professionals expect a booming summer season despite the virus, with numbers that may even surpass pre-pandemic levels as Americans benefit from the weaker euro and others rediscover foreign travel after more than two years of a more circumscribed existence.

On the French Riviera, a slow economic recovery began last summer. But with attendance at gatherings still capped, social distancing rules and travel restrictions in place a year ago, most visitors to the area were French.

A tour guide and electric bicycle taxi driver in Nice described her joy at seeing foreign visitors again. During Frances repeated lockdowns, she transported essential workers, and took people to hospitals, to care for elderly relatives or for PCR tests.

Now, passengers on her bike from the U.S., Australia, Germany, Italy or beyond reach for the hand disinfectant taped to the barrier between the passenger and driver's seats. She said she still diligently disinfects the bike before each ride, like it's 2020.

A retired couple from the U.K. visited France this week on their first trip abroad since pandemic travel restrictions were lifted. They started with a cruise down the River Rhone  face masks were mandatory on the ship - and ended with a few days on the Mediterranean.

Its been delightful from start to finish, said Ros Runcie, who was in Nice with her husband, Gordon. Everyone is so pleased to see you, everyone is really polite and nice to visitors.

Sue Baker, who was traveling with her husband, Phil, and the Runcies, observed: It feels very much like pre-2020.

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Asked about the possible return of French mask rules, Phil Baker said, Masks are a bit uncomfortable, especially in the heat."

But his wife added, If it means we can still go on a holiday, well put them back on without hesitation."

___

Le Deley reported from Boussy-Saint-Antoine, France.

___

Follow AP's pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic
Two immunocompromised women, who were deemed a priority to get the COVID-19 vaccine earlier in the pandemic, are upset they were turned away from getting their second booster shot.

Two immunocompromised women, who were deemed a priority to get the COVID-19 vaccine earlier in the pandemic, are upset they were turned away from getting their second booster shot.

The women said they had booked appointments June 25 to go to the supersite at the downtown RBC Convention Centre, but were turned away because they were told they didnt appear to meet the provinces criteria.

But last year, when the vaccines first came out, both the 39-year-old woman, who received open heart surgery and a tissue transplant as both a child and adult, and her 40-year-old friend, who recently underwent chemotherapy for cancer, were deemed to be Priority 2, which meant they got the shot ahead of many members of the public.

I asked my doctor if I needed a prescription and he said, Nope, if you can book it, you can go and they can also look at your past history of vaccinations, the 39-year-old said.

But, when the pair got to the convention centre, they were stopped at the first checkpoint.

They said we would need a doctors note, but it doesnt say that on the website, she said. Then they said you could call your doctor, but it was a Saturday.

The 40-year-old said she began feeling uncomfortable because they were being asked questions about their personal medical information near members of the public who were there to get vaccinated.

It was to the point I had to prove Id had cancer, she said.

It seemed to them like we were trying to jump the line, but we have legitimate concerns and want to get the vaccine. I was a Priority 2 and I also have respiratory issues due to cancer treatment. Who is deciding this? It just seems very arbitrary now.

A provincial government spokesperson said there are eligibility criteria and people who want the vaccine can look at the governments website to see if they qualify (www.gov.mb.ca/covid19/vaccine/eligibility-criteria.html).

Currently, Manitobans who can get the second booster shot include residents of personal care homes, people aged 50 and older, First Nations, Inuit and Metis people aged 30 or older, and individuals 18 to 49 who are moderately to severely immunocompromised.

While overall, 81 per cent of Manitobans from age five and up have received the first dose of vaccine, and 78 per cent for the second dose, only 43.4 per cent have received a third shot, or first booster shot.

It gets lower still for the fourth shot, or second booster dose, which has only been given to 7.7 per cent of Manitobans.

The province is not expecting to change the vaccine eligibility until the fall. If public healths advice and recommendations for vaccine eligibility changes, updates will be provided accordingly.

When asked if the Free Press could speak with the head of the vaccine rollout, the spokesperson replied: Please note, there hasnt been a vaccine task force for a few months now and clinical decisions on vaccine continue to be led by clinical and public health experts.

Uzoma Asagwara, NDP critic for health care, said barriers to vaccination, such as a doctors note, must be removed.

Vaccines not only save lives, they have made it possible to return to seeing our loved ones and participating in the activities we enjoy, she said.

Thats why its so disappointing to hear the province has disbanded its vaccine task force. With low uptake for booster doses, we need to do everything we can to reach eligible Manitobans with public awareness campaigns and community outreach.

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Manitoba Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont said requiring a doctors note is a further waste of time and health care resources in a system that is stretched to the limit.

It is outrageous that the PCs are making people jump through hoops for a vaccine that could save their lives. If we are going to live with COVID, then the government needs to make sure people dont die of it. The whole point of public health  all of it  is to prevent people from getting sick and dying.

There is no financial or medical need to ration these vaccines.

The questions about vaccine eligibility also come at a time when both Canadas chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, and federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos have urged all eligible Canadians to get their third shot before a new, more infectious Omicron variant, hits later this summer and early fall.

Tam has said while the first two doses of the vaccine reduce the chances of being hospitalized or dying, they dont do much to protect against Omicron, so a third dose is needed.

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca
Winnipeg firefighters were short-staffed on three recent shifts, a problem their union claims is putting patient care at risk.

Winnipeg firefighters were short-staffed on three recent shifts, a problem their union claims is putting patient care at risk.

Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service confirmed crews were six members short on June 26, when the service couldnt find enough staff to operate one fire engine and one squad unit. That left those units out of operation for 10 hours.

Similar problems took place on the previous weekend. On Saturday, June 18, seven shifts couldnt be filled, while the service fell three firefighters short on June 19.

WFPS said the shortage was caused by vacation, sick days and other leaves that it could not find enough staff to cover through overtime.

The head of the United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg union said the reduced staffing level threatens to lengthen response times and compromise patient safety.

Were starting to put machines off duty so thats a bit of Russian roulette, as far as Im concerned, said union president Tom Bilous.

Bilous said many firefighters are willing to work overtime but the demand for them to do so surged in recent months, leading more of them to start turning down shifts.

They are getting burned out, fatigued theres no doubt they are getting exhausted and its unsustainable, this level of overtime, he said. That period of rest and recovery is getting jeopardized and it has been for months on end. Were starting to see the effects.

The union leader urged WFPS to hire 50 more firefighters.

WFPS Chief Christian Schmidt said the service is concerned by the staffing crunch, which began in late December, and is doing all it can to mitigate it.

There (are) no adverse outcomes but obviously its not ideal. We have a complement we have run with for many years and its proven effective and we need to maintain that, he said.

The service said COVID-19 isolation and illness led to a sharp increase in sick days and overtime hours earlier this year. Mental health issues and burnout have fuelled absences, which the service links to the strain of the pandemic and high demand for service.

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Schmidt said five firefighters were recently hired and four firefighter primary care paramedics will start working in July, adding to 73 firefighters hired last year.

He noted COVID-19 is still forcing more staff to be absent, since emergency workers with symptoms of the virus must stay home to avoid causing an outbreak within WFPS or infecting vulnerable patients.

We simply cannot be in a situation where we have somebody in the workforce who is COVID-positive who is potentially spreading that illness to other members of the workforce or patients that theyre caring for, he said.

The chief said the service has taken several steps it hopes will help stabilize the staffing level. Those include: researching retirement trends and using the data to proactively hire replacements; adding two health resource specialists to help staff on leave get treatment to safely return to work as soon as possible; and creating a behavioural health unit to help employees address mental health issues.

Joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga
Known for his service to community, his impact through art, his strength and ability to forgive, Cliff Derksen wanted to make the world a better place.

Known for his service to community, his impact through art, his strength and ability to forgive, Cliff Derksen wanted to make the world a better place.

Appreciated by friends, colleagues and even strangers for exemplifying his faith and showing his capacity to love, Derksen walked the talk, transforming the trauma from his own experience  the slaying of daughter Candace  and creating a life that inspired many along the way.

Derksen died May 22, at age 76.

Born in Saskatoon, he grew up on a farm north of Borden, Sask., and moved to Winnipeg in 1980.

His wife Wilma remembers meeting him in Bible school: he was student president, she was president of the yearbook committee.

He got her number soon after they met. She recalls their first kiss, and when he first told her he loved her. That bond would grow and hold them together through the best and worst of times.

We really loved being together, Wilma says. It was a huge adventure as we tried to find our dream. We were two artists  a writer and an artist; all we wanted was to create.

The couple had a son and two daughters and were together for more than five decades.

Derksen was a man of many talents. He worked as a lifeguard, porter, bus boy, milkman, construction worker, DJ and photographer. Valedictorian of his graduating class, he could act, ski, swim, play guitar and sing tenor.

He was a magician who loved to entertain. He was a businessman and pastor, ultimately fulfilling his lifelong dream of being an artist with an art studio and teaching art.

He could do anything. He was great at everything he did, says Wilma, adding Derksen once even finished sewing a dress for her when shed struggled to do it herself.

Though family and art were always priorities, it was faith that mattered most.

He would choose his God over me, says Wilma. Thankfully, he didnt have a narrow definition of God.

He believed in me. He was truthful, loyal, and he really loved me. What I loved most about him was his art. I was so mesmerized. He could replicate anything he saw. I could never get over how he could paint a picture of a flower or anything in his mind.

That art would serve Derksen well in his healing.

When the couples 13-year-old daughter Candace disappeared on her way home from school in November 1984, their lives would never be the same. Her body was found in an industrial area shed in January 1985.

The Derksens made the decision to fight through the trauma and grief by choosing the path of forgiveness.

Over time, and with unbridled honesty, Derksen documented his thoughts and shared stories online  on everything from the creative process, to the slaying of his daughter, to his relationship with God and with his family.

Even in the darkest moments he always included a joke: a reminder to enjoy life, to have fun. That openness and vulnerability in living life so publicly inspired a community that grieved alongside his family.

In 2010, Derksen began renting studio space, and it was there he expressed the myriad of painful and difficult emotions through his ceramic sculptures. In 2018, the Derksens opened Candace House, a non-profit Winnipeg charity providing a safe and comforting refuge for those impacted by serious crime while in the court process.

We had the same goal, says Wilma. We try to be missionaries; we try to make a difference. We wanted to make the world a better place. Our goal was lets make the evil into good. He would have his way of doing it; I would have my way of doing it.

Earlier this year, Derksens world would change again when he received an unexpected diagnosis.

When he found out he had cancer, we kind of tunnelled; we didnt see anybody for about a month, says Wilma. We watched crazy movies together, (Winnipeg) Jets games. He really wanted to finish his autobiography; it was so intense. Discussions were amazing. We saw the beauty as he was dying, in some ways.

I think his legacy means supporting what he loved and telling his story. You can move through real darkness. He moved through the worst: he had parental abuse, poverty, yet he survived each one by using all the negative in life to make himself a better person.

Longtime family friend Dave Loewen worked with Derksen at Christian summer Camp Arnes for many years. Loewen says what made him a well-liked and unusual person was his warm, friendly, cheerful disposition and his ability and practice of forgiving unconditionally.

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Few people go through the very deepest valleys that Cliff encountered in his lifetime, Loewen said.

When his eldest daughter Candace was abducted and left to freeze to death, Cliff was the primary suspect for many years. The tests and interrogations he had to go through were many. Humanly speaking, Cliff had every right to become an embittered person.

But he knew Jesus, the author of forgiveness. He accepted Jesuss promise that His grace was sufficient for him to also forgive. For me, the legacy that Cliff leaves is this: an intentional and unconditional forgiveness is the foundation for a happy, fruitful life.

Derksens daughter Odia shared her feelings about her father in the eulogy she wrote.

He was kind, gentle and always smiling and happy. I loved his chuckle. My dad was a good father. He could make every person feel like they were the most important person in the world. Growing up, I knew that I could always ask Dad for help  and he would be willing to drop anything to lend a hand. He was a rock of stability in my childhood and a source of strength for our whole family.

fpcity@freepress.mb.ca
A pair of Canada Day stabbings has capped off a week of extreme violence at The Forks, where seven people have suffered assaults since Monday.

A pair of Canada Day stabbings has capped off a week of extreme violence at The Forks, where seven people have suffered assaults since Monday.

Fridays victims were two Ukrainian refugees who had come to The Forks to celebrate Canada Day. One of them, a male, bumped into an unknown assailant and attempted to apologize but had difficulty speaking English. He was stabbed in the neck, a justice source told the Free Press.

The Winnipeg Police Service confirmed the sources account was accurate, and the attack occurred around 10:30 p.m.

Police said two people were injured but would not provide details of the second victims injuries or an update on their health statuses. They did not say whether there were suspects in police custody.

"The investigation is still ongoing," a spokesperson said.

The pair are the latest victims after a week of bloodshed at The Forks.

Around 12:30 a.m. on Wednesday, two men were stabbed, and a woman was assaulted outside The Forks Market. First-responders rushed the men to the hospital in critical condition and both were later upgraded to stable condition. The woman received treatment for minor injuries.

All three victims were in their 20s.

Police arrested four youths and two adult suspects but have not yet laid charges.

Another incident involving an attack and attempted robbery on a father and daughter occurred Monday evening in the parking lot next to the market building.

The victims told police a group of unfamiliar girls approached them and demanded cash before punching and kicking the man in the head. The daughter used her cellphone to call 911 before the mob turned on her, assaulting her, smashing the cellphone and running away.

Police arrested three suspects who will all face robbery charges.

The man went to the hospital in stable condition.

The seven victims from this week join a long list of others who have suffered senseless violence on the grounds of The Forks.

In May, Kyle James Craik, 27, died after being assaulted inside a Forks parkade. And in January, another man survived an unprovoked, mid-day stabbing as he was exiting a washroom at the market.

Violence is a common Canada Day occurrence at the historic site, which has seen numerous attacks during celebrations in recent years, including in 2020 when a man was shot in the head.

In anticipation of this years Canada Day events, The Forks increased the size of its internal security team and enlisted the support of the WPS and the Downtown Community Safety Partnership, a group of volunteer patrol organizations, adding to what it formerly called a "robust, 24/7 security presence on site."

"Yesterday, we anticipated a large crowd and had coverage even beyond our normal event day levels," a spokesperson said in an email to the Free Press. "Our own team (was) all on site and extremely visible throughout the day."

The spokesperson confirmed Fridays assault but could not provide further details, including where exactly the attack occurred and whether or not its internal security was involved in responding.

The Forks team is cooperating with authorities, and their thoughts are with the victims, the spokesperson said.

"We value the safety of our visitors, staff members and tenants. We will continue to review our security strategies as we get more information," they said.

Sydney Elliott and Chase Stoker were sitting in the grass near the Oodena Celebration Circle when they learned of the latest attacks. The couple, both in their 20s, live in Winnipeg and visit The Forks a few times each year.

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They had heard of assaults there in the past but did not realize the level of violence and frequency with which they were occurring, they said.

"Its terrible, its such a beautiful place and I wouldnt think that anybody would want to do something like that. I guess something you take for granted is that its safe because the sun is out and people are around, but its not always safe," Elliott said. "If youre going to have to worry about getting stabbed, why would you come here?"

"If I ever come at night, its probably something I would think about now," Stoker added.

Both agreed with The Forks decision to bolster their security force and suggested increasing the amount of lighting at night and possibly installing cameras as a deterrent.

 With files from Erik Pindera

Tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca
Editorial

There are few things more exciting than a horse race.

The majesty and sheer unpredictability of thoroughbreds, as well as how their jockeys use their charges strengths and strategies to beat their rivals to the finish line, can be so irresistible that the Kentucky Derby is referred to as the "most exciting two minutes in sports."

Mayoral races in Winnipeg seldom come close to matching a run for the roses in excitement, but the anticipation is definitely heightened as the 2022 campaign has the potential to be the most fascinating civic electoral sprint in decades.

The mayoral election, which hits the finish line Oct. 26 when voters cast their ballots and the results are tabulated, has a field of 11 candidates who offer voters a wide variety of experience, policies, name recognition and backgrounds.

The race was off and running  along with the inevitable and immediate handicapping of the field  back in October 2020 when Mayor Brian Bowman said he wouldnt stand for re-election.

The pace quickened in early May when Scott Gillingham, the city councillor for St. James since 2014, announced his candidacy and was anointed as a front-runner, owing to his vocal presence on council and connections with some of the citys power brokers.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS When City Coun. Scott Gillingham announced his candidacy in May, he was anointed as a front-runner, owing to his vocal presence on council and connections with some of the citys power brokers.

The filled-out field arrived at a full gallop on June 22 when Glen Murray  Winnipegs mayor from 1998 to 2004  announced his intention to seek a second stint in the mayors chair.

Mr. Murray, one of the citys more prominent left-wing politicians during his abbreviated two terms as mayor, has returned to Winnipeg after several years in Ontario, where he was elected to that provinces parliament and became a cabinet minister in Kathleen Wynnes Liberal government. He also ran unsuccessfully for the federal Green Party leadership.

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Name recognition is also a plus for three other candidates: Jenny Motkaluk, runner-up to Mr. Bowman in the 2018 mayors race, earning 35.7 per cent of the vote; Robert-Falcon Ouellette, who served as a Liberal MP from 2015 to 2019 and ran third to Mr. Bowman in the 2014 election; and Rana Bokhari, who was the leader of the provincial Liberals from 2013 to 2016.

Six others round out the mayoral field, each with their own ideas for improving the city: Shaun Loney, Chris Clacio, Don Woodstock, Rick Shone, Idris Ademuyiwa Adelakun and Desmond Thomas.

The stakes in this race are the power, policy-setting influence and problems that come with sitting in the mayors chair for the next four years. Theres much for voters to consider, and whether this expanded field with so many recognizable names will pique Winnipeggers civic-electoral interest remains to be seen.

In 2018, when Mr. Bowman was re-elected to a second term as mayor, only 42.3 per cent of eligible voters bothered to cast a ballot. Its a disheartening number, even in the historical context that municipal elections typically generate the lowest voter turnout.

The challenge facing this years field of mayoral candidates is twofold: to earn the support of those who consistently exercise their democratic right to vote, and to somehow convince those who usually cant be bothered that theres enough at stake for Winnipeg in this election to lift them off the couch and propel them to a polling station.

For the first time in a long time, the run for this citys mayoralty really does have the air of a full-field thoroughbred race. Winnipeg would be well served by a turnout that ensures the candidate who ends up in the winners circle truly has the majority support of an enthusiastic and engaged citizenry.
The Bureau of Land Management has announced that the draft environmental impact statement for the Goldrush Mine Project proposed by Nevada Gold Mines is now available for public review and comment, an important step toward the development of a major new mine in the Cortez Mining District.

The Goldrush Project is east of NGMs Cortez Mine, about 30 miles southwest of Beowawe, and stretches across the county border into both Lander and Eureka Counties.

Goldrush will be a world-class underground mine, Nevada Gold Mines said in a statement. The publication of a notice of availability for the draft environmental impact statement for the Goldrush Mine is an important step in advancing the project and involving the public in the review process.

Nevada Gold Mines has been working to explore and develop Goldrush since the early 2000s and has designed the mine to have a small surface footprint, share existing NGM facilities, and to consider the environment and stakeholder input.

NGM and its employees have been strong community partners for years, and the Goldrush Mine will ensure this positive partnership continues.

NGM applies the highest standards of environmental management across its operations, as demonstrated over its many years of mining in Nevada. We are proudly committed to the continuation of these high standards with the completion of permitting, construction, and operation of the Goldrush Mine.

The Goldrush Mine is expected to employ about 570 people directly and 407 people indirectly. The construction workforce would be around 495 people employed directly and 354 people indirectly. The anticipated mine life is at least 24 years.

The draft EIS says the direct labor income which would be generated from the Goldrush Mine is estimated to be over $108 million per year.

The mine is expected to generate net proceeds taxes of around $288 million and direct business taxes of $48 million over the life of the mine.

The Goldrush operation will benefit the local economy and communities through additional employment and hundreds of millions of dollars paid in taxes and spent on goods and services, including with local suppliers and contractors, the statement from NGM said.

The Goldrush Mine would develop the demand for both temporary and permanent housing, which may result in additional demand for housing that is not currently available, the draft EIS says.

The Goldrush Mine Plan of Operations would encompass about 19,895 acres  772 acres of private land controlled by NGM, and 19,123 acres of public lands administered by the BLM. The proposed project includes about 1,658 acres of new disturbance and about 1,024 acres of existing and previously authorized disturbance.

The site already has twin declines for underground exploration and test production.

The infrastructure planned for Goldrush includes a dewatering system, a backfill aggregate paste plant and crusher, a shotcrete/cemented rock fill plant, and two new power lines.

A section in the draft EIS on eagles say the mine would result in the removal of an additional 1,067 acres of foraging habitat. Eight golden eagle territories occur within one mile of Goldrush Mine Project disturbance, and NGM has committed to obtaining a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service incidental Eagle Take Permit, including required USFWS mitigation.

Back in December 2021, Jess Harvey of the BLM said the draft EIS for Goldrush might be available in mid-January 2022, but the document was not ready until June 30. There can always be delays, but now that the draft EIS is available, the final EIS could be completed in about six months from now, and a decision could be issued about a year after that, an important step in allowing the project to move forward.

Timely preparation and review of EIS documents for projects like Goldrush is critical to economic recovery, NGMs statement said. Any delays in the permitting process will cost Nevadans jobs and delay tax payments from mine production at a time when the US is facing economic challenges.

Public review and comments on the draft are critically important to ensuring we are meeting our obligation to ensure that development on public lands is being done responsibly, said Jon Sherve, BLM Mount Lewis Field Office manager.

The draft EIS for the Goldrush Mine Project is 339 pages, and a statement on the cover says the estimated cost to prepare the draft EIS was $22,060,000, with $22,000,000 coming from the proponent  Nevada Gold Mines  and $60,000 coming from the BLM.

For more information or to comment on the Goldrush draft EIS, go to eplanning.blm.gov and search for the Goldrush Mine Project.

Two public scoping meetings which will be held online via Zoom have been scheduled for Aug. 25 at 2 p.m. and Aug. 26 at 5 p.m. The BLM will also hold two in-person public meetings, one in Elko and one in Crescent Valley. More information on these meetings will be announced at least 15 days prior to the meetings.
An Indiana man who is facing criminal property damage charges for releasing otters and owls from the Ochsner Park Zoo in Baraboo allegedly boasted of the break-in while drinking at a nearby bar, according to a criminal complaint filed in Sauk County court on Wednesday.

Baraboo police were led to Aaron Wayne Hovis, 34, of West Lafayette, Indiana, after a bartender contacted them about a patron who said he had been at the zoo and set a bunch of animals free, according to the complaint.

Hovis went into the Downtowner Bar and Grill, just blocks from the zoo the day of the break-in and, while drinking shots of Jack Daniels alongside a pet dog, started telling stories that seemed way out there, the bartender told police.

Hovis, who was walking with a limp, eventually confessed to the bartender that he rolled his ankle jumping the zoos fence.

The Indiana man faces nine counts of criminal property damage for destroying locks, a door and a gate at the zoo. Hovis also allegedly broke into a bear cage but only managed to damage one of three doors that fully open the cage.

Between the lock damage and veterinary bills, the break-in cost the zoo $2,100, according to the complaint.

On the morning of June 7, police responded to the zoo after staff arrived to find doors broken and a pair of river otters and great horned owls missing from their enclosures. Kayakers later found the otters that day playing in the Baraboo River.

One of the owls, Jerry, was found on June 9 and taken to the zoos veterinarian with two wing fractures and a small eye injury. The other owl, Linda, was eventually captured Tuesday and brought to the vet.

According to the complaint:

Through receipts from the bar, security camera and a Northwest Indiana phone number, Baraboo police reached the mother of Hovis children, who told them that Hovis had told them three days before the break-in that he planned to release animals from a zoo.

Hovis works as a trucker and makes deliveries to states around Indiana, she told police. The bartender in Baraboo also told police that Hovis had arrived in a white semi cab with no trailer.

Hovis later texted the mother of his children news articles about the break-in and bragged in a phone call that he had liberated animals from the zoo.

The 34-year-old had been acting erratically as of late, she disclosed to police, and might have been using meth.

During the investigation, Baraboo authorities were contacted by police in Rensselaer, Indiana, who had arrested Hovis for various warrants on June 15.

While being arrested, Hovis allegedly told his mother that I robbed a f zoo just to prove this s-. He was also talking to police about Baraboo, saying thats where that zoo is.

Hovis remains in custody at the Jasper County Jail in Indiana after being charged there on June 9 with felony counts of bribery, theft and tax evasion, in addition to later charges on June 17 of felony intimidation and resisting arrest, according to online court records.
As they launch a new legal challenge, environmental groups are panning a federal review that says a planned natural gas power plant in Superior would reduce greenhouse gas emissions despite pumping millions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year.

La Crosse-based Dairyland Power Cooperative and two Minnesota utilities are seeking a loan from the U.S. Department of Agricultures Rural Utilities Service to finance the $700 million Nemadji Trail Energy Center, which they say will help them transition away from coal-fired power.

Environmental and consumer groups, along with Native American tribal governments, have challenged the plant in both Minnesota and Wisconsin, and on Thursday the Sierra Club and Clean Wisconsin appealed a Dane County judges ruling that state regulators followed state law in approving construction of the plant, which they call an environmental and economic disaster.

Constructing NTEC would saddle Wisconsinites with decades of paying for this plant and set back home-grown renewable development in Northern Wisconsin for years to come, said Elizabeth Ward, director of the Sierra Clubs Wisconsin chapter.

In a new draft environmental review, Dairyland said the 625-megawatt plant would produce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to more than 2.7 million tons of carbon dioxide each year.

But because the plant would likely displace electricity from less efficient gas and coal plants, the review determined it would actually reduce net carbon emissions in the region by about 964,000 tons per year.

Stephanie Fitzgerald, staff attorney for Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, said the review fails to look at the lifetime emissions of the plant and contains unrealistic assumptions about coal plants running until 2050 when most utilities are already shutting them down for economic reasons.

Katie Nekola, general counsel for Clean Wisconsin said a plant that will produce billions of tons of carbon dioxide over its lifetime cannot be considered a climate change solution.

Its too late to use coal emissions as a baseline, Nekola said. Its urgent we do far better than just cut carbon emissions in half with gas plants; we have plenty of clean, low-cost technology that emits no carbon at all, and the ability to conserve far more energy than we do.

When burned to generate electricity, natural gas produces only about half as much carbon dioxide per megawatt as coal, but the primary component of that gas is methane, a far more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. The environmental review did not account for methane released during extraction and transport, saying uncertainty about the source makes it impossible to quantify leaks.

Those upstream emissions largely negate any climate benefit, said Morgan Edwards, an assistant professor of public affairs at UW-Madison who studies the impacts of energy use.

We need to dramatically reduce our use of fossil fuels across the board to address the scale of the climate crisis, Edwards said.

The new environmental assessment was prepared in response to requests from environmental groups including the Minnesota environmental center, the Sierra Club and Clean Wisconsin to evaluate the impact the plant would have on the climate.

Those groups have also called on the government to deny funding for the plant, saying its incompatible with the Biden administrations stated position on fossil fuels.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has said investments in fossil fuel infrastructure are incompatible with pathways to head off the most disastrous impacts of climate change.

Fitzgerald questioned why the Rural Utilities Service has not done a more thorough review  known as an Environmental Impact Statement  required for projects that will have a significant impact.

Clearly a gas plant that emits 2.2 million tons of carbon dioxide every year is a significant impact, Fitzgerald said. If building a big gas plant wont have a significant impact, what will?

Dairyland spokesperson Katie Thomson said the utilities have complied with state and federal permitting requirements and extensive environmental reviews since proposing the plant in 2017.

Current challenges to the project only serve to compromise progress towards the lower-carbon goals shared by consumers and utilities alike, Thomson said. In addition to grid stability risks and reducing access to renewable energy generation, the unnecessary delays will result in cost increases to the project, negatively impacting regional energy consumers.

The plant has been the subject of court challenges in both Minnesota and Wisconsin.

The Sierra Club and Clean Wisconsin on Thursday appealed a May ruling by Circuit Judge Jacob Frost, who rejected arguments that the PSC failed to consider the full environmental impact of the plant.

The NTEC project should never have been approved in the first place, and we will continue to fight it, Nekola said.

The groups have also challenged the construction permit over perceived bias by former Commissioner Mike Huebsch, one of two commissioners who voted to approve the plant shortly before leaving the PSC in early 2020. Huebsch later applied to lead Dairyland, though he did not get the job.

Frost has delayed ruling on the conflict of interest charge pending a state Supreme Court ruling in a similar case involving Huebsch.

Last year the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that state utility regulators do not have the authority to consider the environmental impact of a plant built in another state, though the plant faces ongoing regulatory scrutiny as part of Minnesota Powers long-term resource plan.
An immigrant and refugee from Vietnam, Stephanie Murphy is the first woman in her family to attend college. During her time at William & Mary, she majored in economics, was a member of the Chi Omega sorority, a Japanese House resident and a research assistant. She also studied abroad and served on the Student Alumni Council. "My education at William & Mary prepared me to be an effective engaged citizen, and to be somebody who cares about this country and where it is going," she says.

Stephanie is the first Vietnamese-American woman to have been elected to Congress and currently represents Floridas Seventh Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Before being elected, she worked as a college instructor and as a national security specialist in the Office of the U.S. Secretary of Defense.

Learn more about Stephanie
HONG KONG, July 1 (Xinhua)  President Xi Jinping left Hong Kong by train Friday after attending celebrations for the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland.

At the West Kowloon high-speed rail station, people from all walks of life and children, waving flags and flowers and singing songs, bid farewell to the president. Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan waved back to the crowd.

Arriving here Thursday afternoon, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended celebrations, met with representatives of various sectors and inspected Hong Kong.

Xi attended Friday morning a meeting marking the anniversary and the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

In his speech at the meeting, Xi extended cordial greetings to all Hong Kong residents and warm congratulations to John Lee, the newly inaugurated sixth-term chief executive of the HKSAR, principal officials of the sixth-term government of the HKSAR, and members of the Executive Council.

Hong Kong's return to the motherland opened a new epoch in the history of Hong Kong, Xi said, noting that the practice of "one country, two systems" has achieved success in Hong Kong recognized by all.

He stressed the need to fully and faithfully implement the "one country, two systems" policy, ensure both overall jurisdiction by the central authorities and a high degree of autonomy in the special administrative region, implement the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong," and maintain Hong Kong's unique status and strengths.

Calling the next five years crucial for Hong Kong to break new ground and launch a new take-off, Xi expressed hopes for efforts in Hong Kong to improve governance, strengthen the momentum of development, address difficulties in people's lives, and uphold harmony and stability.

During his trip here, Xi met with Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Leung Chun-ying, the fifth-term Chief Executive of the HKSAR Carrie Lam, and John Lee, respectively.

Xi met with senior figures of the HKSAR's executive, legislative and judicial bodies, local dignitaries, and representatives of the HKSAR disciplined services, and visited central government officials based in Hong Kong and senior executives of Hong Kong branches of mainland enterprises and institutions. He also inspected the Chinese People's Liberation Army Garrison in the HKSAR.

In a tour of the Hong Kong Science Park, Xi had warm exchanges with researchers and youth representatives of innovation enterprises.

Xi also met with Ho Iat Seng, chief executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region, who was here for the celebrations.

(Source: Xinhua)
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, attends a meeting celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and delivers an important speech, at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center in Hong Kong, south China, July 1, 2022. [Xinhua/Yao Dawei]

HONG KONG, July 1 (Xinhua)  The meeting celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and also the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) was held on Friday morning at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended the event and delivered an address.

Over the past 25 years, with the full support of the country and the joint efforts of the HKSAR government and people from all walks of life in Hong Kong, the success of "one country, two systems" has won recognition throughout the world, Xi said.

"One country, two systems" has been tested repeatedly in practice. It serves the fundamental interests of not only Hong Kong and Macao, but also the whole country and the nation. It has gained wide support from the 1.4 billion-plus Chinese people including the residents of Hong Kong and Macao. It is also widely accepted by the international community. There is no reason for us to change such a good policy, and we must adhere to it in the long run, Xi stressed.

The atmosphere in the center was solemn and warm. Behind the podium were the national flag and emblem of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the flag of the HKSAR. Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan walked into the center accompanied by John Lee, the sixth-term chief executive of the HKSAR, and his wife Janet Lam. All present rose and greeted them with warm applause.

The meeting and inauguration ceremony began at around 10 a.m. All rose and sang the national anthem of the PRC.

Xi walked onto the stage to administer the inauguration. Lee took his oath of office, as stipulated in the Basic Law of the HKSAR, in front of the national flag and emblem of the PRC and the flag of the HKSAR with his right hand raised, sworn in as the sixth-term chief executive.

Then, led by Lee, principal officials of the sixth-term HKSAR government took their oaths, administered by Xi.

Members of the Executive Council of the HKSAR were then sworn in by Lee.

After a shower of applause, Xi delivered a speech. He first extended sincere greetings to all the people of Hong Kong and expressed warm congratulations to the newly inaugurated sixth-term HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee, principal officials of the sixth-term HKSAR government, and members of the Executive Council. And Xi expressed heartfelt appreciation to all fellow compatriots both at home and abroad, and international friends for their support for the cause of "one country, two systems" and for Hong Kong's prosperity and stability.

According to Xi, in the over 5,000-year history of Chinese civilization, Chinese ancestors working hard on the land south of the Five Ridges is an important chapter. In the history of modern China after the Opium War in 1840, the humiliation of ceding Hong Kong is a page of pain and also included is the Chinese people's fight for the survival of our country. The past century has witnessed how the Communist Party of China has united and led the Chinese people in its magnificent endeavors for a better future, to which fellow Chinese in Hong Kong have made unique and significant contributions. Throughout history, people in Hong Kong have always maintained a close bond with the motherland in weal and woe.

The fundamental purpose of "one country, two systems" is to safeguard China's sovereignty, security, and development interests and to maintain long-term prosperity and stability in Hong Kong and Macao. All that the central government has done are for the benefits of Hong Kong and Macao, for the wellbeing of all residents of the two regions, and for the future of the whole country. "One country, two systems" has been tested repeatedly in practice. It serves the fundamental interests of not only Hong Kong and Macao, but also the whole country and the nation. It has gained wide support from the 1.4 billion-plus Chinese people including the residents of Hong Kong and Macao. It is also widely accepted by the international community. There is no reason for us to change such a good policy, and we must adhere to it in the long run, Xi stressed.

The practice of "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong has left us both valuable experience and profound inspirations. Only if we have a profound and accurate understanding of the laws guiding the practice of "one country, two systems," can we make sure our cause advances in the right direction in a sound and sustained manner, Xi noted.

First, we must fully and faithfully implement the principle of "one country, two systems." This principle embodies a complete system. Its top priority is to safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests. With this as a prerequisite, Hong Kong and Macao can keep the previous capitalist systems unchanged for a long time and enjoy a high degree of autonomy. The thorough and precise implementation of the "one country, two systems" principle will open up broader prospects for the development of Hong Kong and Macao. The more firmly the "one country" principle is upheld, the greater strength the "two systems" will be unleashed for the development of the SARs, Xi said.

Second, we must uphold the central government's overall jurisdiction while securing the SARs' high degree of autonomy. The central government's overall jurisdiction over the SARs underpins their high degree of autonomy, and such autonomy bestowed by the law is fully respected and resolutely safeguarded by the central government. Only when the enforcement of the central government's overall jurisdiction dovetails with the fulfillment of a high degree of autonomy in the SARs, can the SARs be well governed.

Third, we must ensure that Hong Kong is administered by patriots. It is a universal political rule that a government must be in the hands of patriots. The government of the HKSAR must be safely kept in the hands of those who love the country. This is an essential requirement for Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability and must not be compromised under any circumstances. To put the governing power in the right hands is to safeguard Hong Kong's prosperity and stability as well as the immediate interests of more than 7 million people in the region.

Fourth, Hong Kong should maintain its distinctive status and advantages. Hong Kong's close connection with the world market and strong support from the motherland are its distinctive advantages. The central government fully supports Hong Kong in its effort to maintain its distinctive status and edges, to improve its presence as an international financial, shipping and trading center, to keep its business environment free, open and regulated, and to maintain the common law, so as to expand and facilitate its exchanges with the world. On the country's journey toward building a modern socialist country in all respects and realizing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, the central government believes that Hong Kong will make great contributions.

Xi made four proposals for the newly inaugurated government of the HKSAR and people of all sectors in Hong Kong. First, Hong Kong should improve its governance and deliver better performance in ensuring stability and prosperity in the region. Second, Hong Kong should continue to create strong impetus for growth and unlock enormous creativity and development potential of Hong Kong society. Third, Hong Kong should earnestly address people's concerns and difficulties in daily life and make sure that all citizens in Hong Kong share more fully and fairly in the fruits of development. Fourth, the people of Hong Kong should work together to safeguard harmony and stability, creating a better future.

Xi stressed that it is important to give special love and care to young people. We must guide young people to be keenly aware of the trends in both China and the world and help them cultivate a sense of national pride and enhance their awareness of their status as masters of the country. We must help young people with their difficulties in studies, employment, entrepreneurship, and purchasing of housing, so that more opportunities will be created for their development and accomplishment. We sincerely hope that all of Hong Kong's young people will devote themselves to building Hong Kong into a better home, writing a rewarding chapter of their life with impassioned youth.

Xi said that China's national rejuvenation has become a historical inevitability, and the successful practice of "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong is an important part of this historic process. We firmly believe that, with the strong backing of the motherland and the solid guarantee provided by "one country, two systems," Hong Kong will surely create a splendid feat on the journey ahead toward the second centenary goal of building China into a modern socialist country in all respects, and will share the glory of the Chinese nation's rejuvenation together with people in the rest of the country.

John Lee said in his speech that as the sixth-term chief executive of the HKSAR, he felt deeply honored and is also well aware of the immense responsibility on his shoulders. He said that he will lead his governance team in making all-out efforts and will unite people from all sectors in Hong Kong in order to fully and faithfully implement the policy of "one country, two systems," under which the people of Hong Kong administer Hong Kong with a high degree of autonomy. He promised that his team will protect the special administrative region's constitutional order as defined in the Constitution of the PRC and the Basic Law of the HKSAR, safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests, and secure the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong, with a view to contributing to the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Ding Xuexiang, Xu Qiliang, Shen Yueyue, Wang Yi, and Xia Baolong attended the meeting and inaugural ceremony.

Leung Chun-ying, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Ho Iat Seng, chief executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region, Carrie Lam, former chief executive of the HKSAR, as well as representatives from Hong Kong society and specially invited guests also attended the meeting and inaugural ceremony.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, administers oath of office to the sixth-term Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) John Lee at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, south China's Hong Kong, July 1, 2022. Xi attended a meeting held here Friday morning to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term government of the HKSAR and delivered an important speech. [Xinhua/Ju Peng]

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, administers oath of office to the sixth-term Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) John Lee at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, south China's Hong Kong, July 1, 2022. Xi attended a meeting held here Friday morning to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term government of the HKSAR and delivered an important speech. [Xinhua/Ju Peng]

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, administers oath of office to the sixth-term Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) John Lee at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, south China's Hong Kong, July 1, 2022. Xi attended a meeting held here Friday morning to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term government of the HKSAR and delivered an important speech. [Xinhua/Ding Haitao]

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, poses for a photo with Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) John Lee, who was just sworn in, at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, south China's Hong Kong, July 1, 2022. Xi attended a meeting held here Friday morning to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term government of the HKSAR and delivered an important speech. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi]

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, administers oath of office to principal officials of the sixth-term government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, south China's Hong Kong, July 1, 2022. Xi attended a meeting held here Friday morning to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term government of the HKSAR and delivered an important speech. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi]

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, administers oath of office to principal officials of the sixth-term government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, south China's Hong Kong, July 1, 2022. Xi attended a meeting held here Friday morning to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term government of the HKSAR and delivered an important speech. [Xinhua/Yue Yuewei]

(Source: Xinhua)
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, inspects the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Garrison in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, south China, July 1, 2022. [Xinhua/Li Gang]

HONG KONG, July 1 (Xinhua)  President Xi Jinping on Friday inspected the Hong Kong Garrison of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), ordering the troops to raise its capabilities in performing duties and contribute more to the enduring success of "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), came to the Central Barracks on Friday morning, and met with representatives of the army officers and soldiers.

Over the past 25 years since Hong Kong returned to the motherland, the Hong Kong Garrison has steadfastly carried out decisions and instructions of the CPC Central Committee and the CMC and fulfilled defense-centered tasks under the guidance of "one country, two systems" principle as well as the Basic Law of the HKSAR and the Law of the People's Republic of China on Garrisoning the HKSAR, Xi said.

Particularly in recent years, the garrison, while facing a complicated and evolving situation in Hong Kong, has played an important role in Hong Kong's transition from chaos to order by dutifully serving the CPC Central Committee's work on Hong Kong affairs, he noted.

With Hong Kong now at a crucial stage of advancing to further prosperity, the Hong Kong Garrison must strengthen self-building in all respects and raise its capabilities in performing duties, so as to contribute more to safeguarding national security and Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability as well as the enduring success of "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong, Xi said.

(Source: Xinhua)
ELKO  A 17-year-old male drowned while kayaking near the north shore of South Fork Reservoir Thursday night, according to the Elko County Sheriffs office.

The incident occurred at about 8 p.m. when the teens kayak overturned, resulting in him being unable to get safely back in the kayak, the office reported in a press release posted Friday evening.

Witnesses immediately responded, trying to assist him, but were unable to locate him under the surface of the water, the office stated.

Law enforcement from the Sheriffs Office, Nevada State Parks and Nevada Division of Wildlife launched boats to search the area, but were also unable to find the victim.

A member of the Elko County Fire Protection District who snorkeled in the area was also unsuccessful in finding the teen.

At 4 p.m. Friday afternoon, a dive team from Twin Falls County Sheriffs Office located the teen under 20 feet of water.

The Sheriffs office thanked all agencies for their assistance in the search.
Our solar system is home to countless asteroids and other forms of planetary debris. With so many asteroids in the solar system, they inevitably collide with the planets from time to time. Every planet in the solar system experiences asteroid impacts, and the Earth is no exception. Asteroids can pose a significant threat to life on Earth, with the size of the asteroid determining whether it could cause an extinction level event. The last major asteroid impact on Earth was around 65 million years ago, when an asteroid around 6 to 9 miles (10 to 15 kilometres) wide struck the Earth in what is now the Yucatan Peninsula. The resulting impact was truly apocalyptic, eventually wiping out over 75% of all life on Earth, including the dinosaurs. If such an event were to happen today, it would likely mean that end of our civilization and of human life. How likely is it that such an event could happen again?

Near Earth Asteroids

The asteroid Bennu is classified as a near-Earth asteroid that could potentially become a threat to the Earth in the far future, NASA

Space agencies from around the world actively track what are called near-Earth asteroids. These are asteroids that are located within Earths vicinity, and they pose more of a threat to our world than other asteroids. As of 2021, there are 26,115 known near-Earth asteroids, 2,000 of which are potentially dangerous to the Earth. Of those 2,000, 158 are larger than one kilometre wide, meaning they could potentially cause an extinction level event. Thankfully, none of these asteroids pose an immediate or significant threat to our planet. Of all the potentially dangerous near-Earth asteroids, none have a greater than 1% chance of impacting our world.

How Often Do Asteroids Impact Earth?

The asteroid Vesta is far enough away that it poses no risk to life on Earth. NASA

Large asteroids, such as the one that killed the dinosaurs, do not strike the Earth often. On average, the Earth will experience one large asteroid impact every 100 million years or so. Since the last one hit the Earth 65 million years ago, we have about 35 million years before were due for another impact. Even if a large asteroid were suddenly heading towards the Earth, NASA has developed plans to deflect such an asteroid. Unlike in a lot of movies, we cannot simply blow an asteroid apart. Blowing up an asteroid would not significantly change its trajectory, and the Earth would still be pummeled by the asteroids debris. Rather, humanity would have to deflect the asteroid and place it in a new orbit. Thankfully, NASA is already testing this method on asteroids. In November 2021, NASA launched the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) on a mission to impact an asteroid. DART is currently heading towards an asteroid that is orbited by a smaller asteroid. The goal of DART is to crash into the smaller asteroid and alter its orbit around its larger companion. If the mission is successful, it will prove that we have the technological capability to potentially deflect an Earth-threatening asteroid.
A child is dead and emergency personnel are searching for two other juveniles and an adult female Friday at Vadnais Lake in Vadnais Heights.
Clwyd South MS quizzed by Chirk school pupils

Local school pupils recently got the chance to quiz their local Member of the Senedd during a recent visit to Ysgol y Waun in Chirk.

Ken Skates MS was put on the spot by members of the school council on Friday morning (June 24).

He was asked a wide range of questions, including what inspired him get into politics, what he does day-to-day and what is favourite subject was at school.

When he asked the pupils about issues that concerned them, responses included global warming and petrol prices.

It was brilliant to get back to Ysgol y Waun, said Ken Skates MS.

Its a fantastic school with a really happy, caring environment, and the children were really enthusiastic.

Id like to thank teacher Amy Roberts, deputy head Steph Rodgers and most of all the children for their warm welcome.

Cllr Frank Hemmings, chair of governors, said: It was great to welcome Ken back to our school.

Were really proud of what we do and the atmosphere the teachers and staff have created, and it was really good to give our local Member of the Senedd a taste of that.

Earlier in the week, the Welsh Government confirmed children in reception classes in Wales will begin to receive universal primary free school meals from as early as September.

As part of their Co-operation Agreement with Plaid Cymru, the Welsh Government is committed to implementing the scheme as quickly as possible in response to the cost-of-living crisis, and are working with local authorities.

Funding of 225m has been set aside to meet the commitment for every primary school pupil to receive a free school meal by 2024.

From September, the Welsh Government will fund local councils to begin rolling out their offer of a free, nutritious school meal, starting with their youngest learners.

Most schools in Wales will be ready to commence the roll-out for the start of the next academic year.
By Trend

Norway will provide a EUR 1 billion aid package to Ukraine by the end of this year and throughout the next year.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stre said this at a joint briefing with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Friday, Trend reports citing Ukrinform.

He said he had arrived in Kyiv to announce Norway's support for Ukraine and its people. He added that Norway would provide EUR 1 billion to help people in need and support measures to rebuild Ukraine.
ELKO  The community is invited to the annual Independence Day and fireworks celebration that kicks off at 8 p.m. Monday at the Elko County Fairgrounds with a patriotic program honoring Americas military and veterans and local citizens.

Gates open at 6 p.m. with a suggested donation of $5 for general admission, but is not required, said Assemblyman John Ellison.

Fireworks are scheduled to start at 9:35 p.m. in what Ellison has said will be the biggest show Elko has ever had.

Food and beverages can be purchased at concessions from the VFW Post 2350. Sandwiches and drinks will be available for VIP ticket holders.

At 8 p.m., the VFW will start the program with the posting of colors, followed by the National Anthem sung by Esther, Hannah, Abigail, and Josiah Holhos-Vaida.

The program will also remember those lost in the past year, and set to the song Remember When.

Special recognition for Fourth of July committee members Cindy Ellison and Charlie Myers will also be presented.

Veterans will be invited to stand for the audience to thank and pay tribute to them in acknowledgement of their service to their country.

Former Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons will also be honored for his service in the armed forces and public office.

Before the fireworks at 9:30 p.m., VFW Post Commander Gil Hernandez will open the Candlelight Vigil, which traditionally helps a lost soldier find their way home.

In Spring Creek, the Lake of Fire at the Marina caps off day-long activities with fireworks set to start at 9 p.m.
Public urged to remain vigilant after increase in reports of cold calling and thefts from vehicles

Members of the public are being urged to remain vigilant following an increase in the number of certain incidents being reported to police.

Over the last few days North Wales Police has seen an increase in reports of:

Cold calling

Criminal Trading

Persons acting suspiciously

Thefts from Motor Vehicles

Vehicle inference (Including theft of number plates)

A spokesperson for North Wales Police said: Please can any suspicious activity please be reported to North Wales Police via one of our platforms (999, 101 or online reporting)

Sometimes small bits of information that might appear to be nothing on their own, could help North Wales Police investigations and develop existing information or evidence.

Also can we please look out for everyone in our communities especially the vulnerable as they are offend the ones targeted.

The public is North Wales Police best source of information and without your assistance our job is much harder.
Sponsored walk raises over 800 for dementia charity

Over 800 has been raised for Dementia UK thanks to a recent charity walk.

Staff and clients at the National Exercise Referral Scheme Team (NERS) in Wrexham waled from Trevor Basin to Llangollen Canal and back.

Distances were available for walkers of all abilities from 0.7km to 10km.

Overall participants raised 831.00 through sponsorship and donations.

A spokesperson said: The NERS team in Wrexham would like to thank all those who joined us on the walk and to all those who donated so generously for a worthy cause.

Everyone finished the walk back at the Chapel Tea Room and a well-deserved coffee and delicious cake was enjoyed.

The National Exercise Referral Scheme is a Welsh Government funded scheme which has been centrally managed by Welsh Local Government Association working in partnership with Public Health Wales (PHW) since July 2007.

The aim of the scheme is to reduce the inequalities in ill health by providing access to tailored and supervised physical activity.

The target population is aged 16+ who are not used to being regularly physically active and are at risk of or currently experiencing a long term or chronic health condition.

The scheme is designed to provide opportunities to exercise that are fun, rewarding and that can be incorporated into everyday life.
Thousands attend march for Welsh independence in Wrexham town centre

Thousands of people marched through Wrexham town centre this lunchtime as part of the All Under One Banner March for Independence event.

AUOBCymru describe themselves as a voluntary grassroots movement which organises marches calling for independence for Wales, noting they are not affiliated with any other group or political party, but work closely with groups and individuals who share its core beliefs and goals.

The event had been delayed due to the pandemic, and was the first in Wales since a march in Caernarfon in 2019.

The march left Llwyn Isaf just after midday, and due to the numbers involved had to pause on Hope Street to allow everyone to form up.

The route completed a loop down High Street, Tuttle Street, down the side of St Giles way with a return up Town Hill to head back to town towards Llwyn Isaf.

As is usual with such events it is hard to be precise on attendances, with organisers AUOB giving out a figure:

Rhif swyddogol yr heddlu ydy 6-8,000 yn gorymdeithio dros #Annibyniaeth yn Wrecsam! Official police number for the March for Independence in Wrexham is 6-8,000! #AUOBWrecsam pic.twitter.com/jXkcswkcbN  AUOBCymru (@AUOBCymru) July 2, 2022

A National Wales journalist on the ground opted for a figure around 2,000

Sorry, but the attendance figures for independence march in Wrecsam were nowhere near 5k, never mind 8k. Around 2k is what Id say  Huw Marshall  (@HuwMar) July 2, 2022

The march ended at Llwyn Isaf where a stage and big screen broadcast various speeches and performances to the crowd. Speakers included Dafydd Iwan, and comedian and broadcaster Tudur Owen  along with Evrah Rose, Marc Jones and Carrie Harper.

Dafydd Iwan said: A new spirit is spreading throughout Wales, and the feeling is growing that we can do better for the people of Wales if we do it ourselves. That is the true meaning of Independence, not a separation, but joining all the other nations who govern themselves. Wales is beginning to believe in itself, and nothing can hold back a nation which has self-belief.

Tudur Owen said, The case for independence has been made. We now need the consent of the people of Wales and that is our next challenge.

Mary Lou McDonald, President of Sinn Fein, had also sent a video message that was played on the large video screen  with smaller crowds on Queens Square also viewing a via a separate screen, she said I wish you every success with your march today you will always have friends here in Ireland. Above all, I wish you a future that matches the hopes and aspirations of the Welsh people.

Queens Square also hosted an Indy Market with a range of stalls offering local food, drink and produce, and Indy Wales merchandise.

Local resident and one of the organisers of the March for Independence, Kieran Thomas, said: We were so disappointed when Covid put paid to our plans 2 year ago, but we are over the moon that people believe so strongly in the cause that they have traveled from all over Wales to get here today. People want a better Wales and can see that the dysfunctional British state is not going to provide it. This march has been a big economic boost for Wrexham and months of hard work has paid off.

AUOB say the next March for Independence will be held in Cardiff on October 1st.
Hollywood High School 2022 Valedictorian Speech: Destabilize the Status Quo

On June 6, Axel Brito, Hollywood High School Class of 2022 valedictorian, gave a powerful speech during his senior graduation ceremony at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. His speech is an indictment of the entrenched corruption within the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) at the expense of quality education and services for students and the working conditions of teachers and school workers.

Video footage of Axels speech has gone viral on social media, having been viewed over 2.6 million times on TikTok, over 24,000 times on YouTube and over 11,000 times on Instagram. Social media posts have been flooded with statements of support for Axel and the content of his remarks, showcasing the overall discontent among students, teachers and parents to not only LAUSD but the present dire state of K-12 public education.

During the speech, the school administration cut Axels mic. Immediately the crowd chanted, Let him speak! Let him speak! Axel waited on stage, took the microphone off the stand and moved away from the administrator who had come onto the stage. Fearing the opposition brewing in the crowd, the sound to Britos mic was switched back on, allowing him to finish.

Reporters with the World Socialist Web Site spoke with Axel about his speech and the conditions in the district, including the negative impacts of privatization and charter schools, the pandemic, racial politics, lowering standards for graduation, overworked teachers, and low quality education.

Axel Brito [Photo: WSWS]

Axel began the interview by laying out the impact of school privatization efforts in the district: Corruption is just rampant. Either by LAUSD inflating graduation rates to keep schools open and get better funding; or in the school board of education, where we have people like Nick Melvoin and others such as Monica Garcia, who are elected by having super PACs that centrally funnel millions of dollars into their campaigns.

There is no way that a teacher or even a parent who actually cares about the kids can win against them in running for school board member, because they are always going to be out-funded by multimillion-dollar entities. And in some instances, it is multi-billion, like Eli Broad...

We have very few entities that are manipulating our school system. Broad has passed away, but his foundation still lives on, and its still funding and churning out superintendents and principals who are ready to have a pro-charter stance. Its more of the problem of the illusion of free choice because they are funneling money and taking the cream of the crop of the student population and transferring them to other schools.

District half composed of charters

During his speech, Axel also criticized former superintendents John Deasy and Austin Beutner, who were put into power by the late billionaire Eli Broad and his heavily charter-centered foundation. ... Both of these men were put there with no experience in education and left amid controversy and successfully paved the way towards privatizing LAUSD. Broad disrupted our education to achieve a district half-composed of charters. He, alongside the Gates Foundation and the Walton Foundation, wormed their way through this district to privatize our human right to an education.

The recently-elected LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho will continue this process. As former superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools in Florida, he oversaw $2 billion in school cuts in 2008-09. Now, Carvalho will divert even more money to charters and other school privatization schemes in LAUSD.

For his part, Superintendent Carvalho rakes in $440,000 per year. Showcasing the level of corruption in the district, LAUSD board members make the highest salaries of any school board in the US, with each board member taking in over $125,000 annually. Significantly, LAUSD school board member Nick Melvoin, who was present during Axels speech, walked off the stage.

Speaking with the WSWS, Axel detailed the impact of school closures on students and families. Regarding a middle school closing in his neighborhood to be replaced by a new charter school, he said, They say the school is underperforming, but now they are replacing all the students with people that dont even live in this community. They are not serving the community. Parents who used to walk a block to take their kids to school now have to go two or three miles or more. It doesnt make sense to me.

Education is a human right

Why are we burdening parents and students to get an education? Education is a human right, isnt it? They are privatizing education, making it more difficult for parents and students to get a quality education. We [students] are treated as commodities; we are just data points so that schools can remain open. They dont care about us. We are being taught to take standardized tests and Advanced Placement tests. At the end of the day, its not about us, its not about an education.

Axel also spoke about the hypocrisy of the school district when it came to keeping students and staff safe from contracting COVID-19 as well as the overall impacts of the pandemic on teachers and students. The district was heavily hyping the fact that our classes would be smaller, and we would be six feet apart. But then you walk in the first day, theres no COVID protocols, nothing. Its just 32 students crammed into a room, sometimes 40. Thats not right, thats not COVID safety.

My girlfriend had a lot of health issues after she contracted COVID, and she still had to go to school because it wasnt an excused absence. She no longer had COVID, but she still felt sick like she had some of the underlying conditions, and she had to go to school or else she wouldnt be able to graduate. Thats not fair at all!

There are a lot of students still coping with the pandemic. They dont have access to counselors, therapists, psychologists. [The district] should have thought everything out, but they didnt. Every aspect of LAUSD was so poorly planned out. We also were not given any heads-up or supporteither emotional or academic.

Axel has been researching charter schools and following conditions in the district for years as he saw the quality of education in the district changing. On the 2019 LAUSD teacher strike, he noted that teachers demands for better wages, lower class sizes, more nurses and psychologists, etc., were not met under the new terms of their contract and that the pandemic only exacerbated these issues.

It was a lie. Yeah, it was all a lie.  From my experience from what Ive seen is class sizes went down by maybe one or two students. Thats still ridiculous. But when you compare it to a private school, which is like one teacher for 12 or 20 students, thats what education should be. We shouldnt be like all huddled into a room and have one teacher catering to 32 students, sometimes even more; like sometimes they go against the new set regulations. Like that shouldnt be the case.

In my senior year of high school, I had a teacheran amazing teacherwho was teaching 14 classes at the same time because there werent enough math teachers. The average teacher was teaching six classes. He was teaching two classes simultaneously, where he would be teaching a specific class and then hed run across the hall and teach a different class. Thats what our education became. Teachers are just not paid enough

The UTLA accomplished nothing

The [United Teachers of Los Angeles union] accomplished nothing. It was a sham. Class sizes didnt go down significantly. Teachers got paid such a small fragment of what they should be paid. And even with nurses and psychiatrists, there are only enough in the district to have on site two times a week, at best.

The teacher shortage is still an ongoing thing. We had three counselors in the span of one year: Our first counselor retired. The second was anti-vax, so she just left when vaccines became mandatory for staff.

And then we had a third counselor step in. She was amazing! She was an intern, working a job that was not meant for an intern. She was overworked, chewed up, and spit out by our school system. She was an amazing person who helped me get into Brown University and helped other people get into prestigious universities. She wasnt supposed to be a college counselor, but she worked as a college counselor and sometimes became a therapist, and she was amazing. Its people like that, that keep our schools open, and yet they chew them up, spit them out, and thats not right. Its not right at all.

We need more funding. The district does fund but they do it in the form of virtue signaling. For example, during the pandemic, we had the BLM movement in the summer of 2020. There was a movement calling for defunding school police. Okay, Im fine with that. But where did that money go to? It went to black students, only black students. Yes, who cares about Hispanics, or you know, Middle Easterners that are coming who dont know how to speak English. Its always about virtue signaling.

At Hollywood High School, we had $1 million for Title I funding, the general funding for the school, and then there was $833,000 that was used just for 11.6 percent of the school, which was black. That was how it was arranged because its always about virtue signaling. They dont care about us.

Programs should be for all races, not just one race

So white students are always held up as the metric, like everyone wants to use that metric.  Before, the disparity between Hispanics and blacks was minuscule. It was like a 5 percent difference. Then black students were performing 17 percent worse than white students, I believe on average. And then Hispanic students were performing 12 percent worse, but Hispanic students arent given any additional support at LAUSD. Theyre just ignored, sidelined. I think the Black Student Achievement Plan (BSAP), the program that funds all this, is a great idea. It is a great idea! Honestly, I love it. But I feel it should be implemented across the board to all races, not just to one race because of virtue signaling.

Black students at my school, only black students, were given access to a full-time psychiatrist, a full-time counselorwe didnt have one, most of our school didnt have one. They had a special coordinator. They had a school climate advocate, they had tutors, they had all this extra stuff.

And we didnt. Its like, why arent we given any of this?

Ive been labeled racist by a lot of students at my school because I wrote an article about this, how no one else is getting funding, how this is not fair at all. This is just virtue signaling because they did this immediately after the BLM movement. They could have done this at any other moment. They could have helped the black community; they could have helped the Hispanic community at any other moment in time. But they chose to do it right after the BLM movement. They dont care about us. They were just virtue signaling. They were like, Oh, students have always had a problem with school police. Oh, man, theres a protest about police being violent. I guess we have to defund the police now. Oh, okay. Now well do it.

A WSWS reporter ended the interview by asking, What if the working class, if the teachers and students could run society and run the schools, what do you think it would be like? Axel responded, It definitely would not be like what we have nowit would be ideal. It would be ideal to have students and teachers leading.  And I really hope that someday we do accomplish that.

Whenever I push towards anything like this happening, no one really cares in my community. No one really notices it. And thats why I had to use my, you know, my right as the valedictorian of Hollywood High School.  I needed to use this to make at least one final stance against the system we have in place, and hopefully at the very least, inspire someone to lead a revolution against what we have now.

Youre right. It is capitalism that is deeply entrenched in our system, and it is affecting us. It does have its benefits, right? We have all this amazing technology and whatnot, but at the end of day it doesnt really matter if we have all these issues from health care all the way down to education.
Caterpillar workers: Make your voice heard. Fill out the form at the end of this report to share your experience with any workplace or safety issues at your facility. All comments will be published anonymously.

Tractors and equipment made by Peoria, Ill.-based Caterpillar Inc. are seen in Clinton, Ill. [AP Photo/Seth Perlman]

The death of 39-year-old Steven Dierkes in a molten iron crucible at Caterpillars foundry in Mapleton, Illinois earlier in June continues to evoke outpourings of anger by current and former workers. Stevens untimely death was the second in just six months at the foundry.

A number of workers have written in to the World Socialist Web Site to express their outrage against the company, the United Auto Workers (UAW), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)s toothless response to these deadly industrial conditions.

Every day the plant manager came to harass us

I worked from 2005 to 2013, said Jon, a former Caterpillar worker in the Peoria, Illinois area (Jons name has been changed to protect his identity). I started as a welder in building LL. Then I found out there was a spot open for a touch-up booth in another building.

I loved that job for the first five years, he said looking back on his first few years. We had a really good manager. She was from the floor, but she never forgot who she was.

Then they brought on a new plant manager named Chad. He was the most hated. He harassed paint lines. He would walk right by other departments in accessories and walk over to us to harass us.

Every day the plant manager came to harass us, to the point that we joked about getting a restraining order on him. He used to be a big intimidating presence. But I wasnt afraid of him.

One day he wanted my boss to walk a woman out because she was on the phone. He told the foreman she should be walked out. Chad, the foreman said, her mom died. Chad replied, I dont care.

I made it obvious that I thought he was a piece of sht. He started hawking over me. I went from nothing on my disciplinary record in six years to, within a span of a few months, verbal to written warnings, then to one-day, to three-day, to indefinite suspensions. It was over trivial BS.

I was fed up and ended up bidding out and going back to building LL as a kit builder. Theres this area full of little parts, clips, things you can bolt on to a case frame, the gut of a tractor, etc. Id gather up these parts, put them on a cart, and take them down to a D-11 cart, D-6 cart. Wed take them to the designated areas to where they were building the tractors. Youd restock the area. I worked there for probably two years.

Jon said workers faced divisions in the plant due to the UAW imposing concessions contracts that pitted newer and older workers against each other. There was this older guy who didnt like anyone, he recalled. The only people he got along with were other people who had been there for decades. This was due to the divisions in the older contracts.

He added of the UAW, Theyre worthless. What they will do and wont do depends on that two-tier system. One UAW guy, we called him Maybe: maybe hed help you, maybe he wouldnt. There was a woman who worked there from a temp agency who had to pay union dues and got no protection whatsoever.

I got written up once for not using a ladder to get up on a D-6 cart. I got to climb up on the ladder and jump down on the D-6 cart. The thing is you could grab the irons like a ladder. I filed a grievance for my write-up. A few months later, I asked the union rep whatever happened about the grievance I filed. He said, I think it got dropped. I said, Why? For insubordination, he said.

I lost it. I said, You dont do anything for people on this contract. Every time I had a problem, they said pointing to the contract that theres nothing they can do because youre on the new contract.

Jon said he was told again and again by the UAW, Well theres nothing I can do 

I then asked for core membership forms, he continued. Your normal dues were two hours of your regular pay every month. The core form is when you feel UAW is not representing you as it should, you ask to drop down your dues.

I was also getting a divorce at that time. I had heard the union would help you pay for a divorce lawyer. First thing out of his mouth, That depends when you were hired in. If you were hired after February of 2005 you couldnt get it.

Not only was the guy working alongside me working the same job as me, hed get paid $10 more than me, Jon angrily said about the two-tier system.

Wed have meetings about quality having suffered. Theyd say, We got to ramp quality back up. One of the guys said we want to get quality back to the 1980s level. All of it went back to the new contract when they screwed everyone and quality suffered.

The year we had a contract up in 2011, they were talking about how much we made and how much we should make. Jim Owens, the CEO of the time, got around $20 million. I took that number at my wage, and calculated Id have to show up to work every single day, five days a week for 43 years to make what he made in a month!

I came back and they said, Youre fired.

Jon said he was finally pushed out of Caterpillar as he tried to take time off for his dying father. The reason I left, back in 2013, was because my dad was dying. I made a mistake by not going on FMLA [Family and Medical Leave Act]. I was down in Peoria, but my dad was in another town. I went up there a lot. I was calling in a lot. They didnt have a point system then. It was up to your foreman. When you call in on that automated system, they say if you are absent more than three days, you need a doctors note.

I spent the whole week out of town with my dad. But I didnt have a doctors note. I came back and they said, Youre fired.

Jon had seen others fired callously by Caterpillar as well. Ive seen other supplemental workers fired. One guy got in a motorcycle accident. They fired him, he said.

Cat approved me for unemployment. But that lasted for nine months. My dad died in 2013. From October to New Years, I lost my truck, my apartment, and after my dad died, in December 2013 I thought nothing worse could possibly happen. Then a girl I went to school with died.

Life got progressively more difficult for him for a few years. 2014 was a blur. Then I did odd jobs after that. I did a job welding. He currently works a job that pays considerably less than what he made at Caterpillar.

There was blood everywhere it chewed his arm off

Jon went on to describe glaring safety issues at Caterpillar while he had been there.

In the touch-up booth, they had military tractors they wanted painted military green, he said. At first they wanted me to lift these blades up that weighed thousands of pounds and were hoisted.

I was frequently under the blades, and if it would have fallen it would have landed on me and killed me. The hoist was rated at so many pounds, but the blade weighed so many more pounds. I told them Im not doing this anymore.

A few years had passed since he left Caterpillar, but one day in 2016 he got a text message from his former coworker still working at CAT. The text said, Remember what we said would always happen the way we painted the tracks? It happened. The woman I talked to said there was blood everywhere. I texted a few former coworkers to confirm it as well.

Describing the horrific accident, he continued, The tractors go into the booth on a dolly. Once in the tack booth the tractor is started and put into gear making the tracks rotate. The painter then maneuvers his gun at several different angles to cover the track with paint. They reach in and under the track and within inches of the final drive.

The painter got his paint hose caught up in the final drive and within a second his arm was pulled into where the drive and the track meet, and it chewed his arm off.

We told them for years it would eventually happen, but they didnt care as long as the numbers were made. Last I heard he was moved to building LL and is on permanent light duty.

This was in East Peoria. The only time they really care about safety at all is like when something like the death of a worker like at Mapleton happens. They go on the head hunt about who to fire for this.

Other than that, safety is used as a termination tool, as a discipline tool, Jon said.

The most ridiculous thing I ever saw in there was this guy, Jon noted, describing a widely hated foreman. He put the tracks on the tractors. This guy was such a colossal jerk. He told his crew, If you get hurt, Im gonna write you up. One woman was putting her boots on in the locker. A spider bit her, and it was a brown recluse, he said, a spider with toxic venom that can cause inflammation, fevers and skin ulcers.

She went to the ER, came back to work the next day. She told the foreman the next day, and the foreman wrote her up because she didnt go to medical.

The foreman ended up dying, he had some illness. That guy was so hated, when he died the department had a potluck to celebrate.

Another time, he said, I saw a guy get walked out. He grabbed a platform ladder. There was a barb on the ladder that he had asked maintenance to handle. They walked him out for not wearing a glove!

I saw another woman get walked out because she was standing on the ladder wrong. Management just went around and told people what theyre doing wrong. Theyre totally reactive, theyre not proactive at all and dont train anyone.

Jon added sarcastically, If you fell into a pit, they wouldnt throw you a rope. Theyd write you up.

Jon recently was at the hospital and heard the news of Steven Dierkes death there. The woman I talked to her husband is a safety guy at Cat. She said the husband heard about this over the radio. There was apparently a huge plume of black smoke over there. A few minutes later they said there was a fatality that was non-recoverable.

What I was told, what she told me, he had only been there six days. He should not have been on that platform because he had no training. He wasnt able to get a hold of his supervisor.

From what she told me, the crucible wasnt entirely full, but it burned him in half.

I dont know how true it is, but I had heard the same thing happened in the 70s. A worker fell into the crucible then. There was a ceremony. They buried the crucible.

With the contract coming up in 2023, theyre going to do contingency training. Theyre going to have people from the office coming down to train. If theres a strike, theres a potential of having under-trained people doing this job.

Before Caterpillar, I worked at another plant for 10 years, when I was 19 to 31. When I left there, I was sure I couldnt get anything worse. Then I worked at Caterpillar.

Make your voice heard. Fill out the form below to share your experience with any workplace or safety issues at your facility. All comments will be published anonymously.
The World Socialist Web Site received a letter from a nurse named K. who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation by her employer. Her story is highly disturbing and indicative of the physically, mentally and emotionally draining environment which nurses and health care workers have been forced to confront in profitable hospital chains.

A nurse helps a patient change his position while treating him in a COVID-19 unit at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Los Angeles, Monday, Dec. 13, 2021. [AP Photo/Jae C. Hong]

Her letter primarily refers to her work as a travel nurse for HCA Healthcare. HCA is the worlds largest private health care corporation and has approximately 185 hospitals and over 2,000 health care facilities in more than 21 states in the United States and the United Kingdom. As of April this year, the private corporations revenue was upwards of $14.9 billion. In addition to hospitals, HCA has surgery centers, freestanding ERs, urgent care centers, diagnostic and imaging centers, and walk-in clinics and physician clinics throughout the United States.

As a profitable Fortune 500 company, HCA is highly politically connected. In particular, HCAs association with the Republican Party is noteworthy. HCA founder Thomas Frists brother, William Harrison Frist, is a physician, businessman and politician. He served as a Republican Senator from Tennessee from 1995 to 2007. HCAs former CEO Rick Scott is a junior Republican US Senator from Florida since 2019 and the 45th governor of Florida from 2011-2019. In the UK, Labour Party leader Keir Starmer has received donations from HCA shareholders.

The following letter has been edited slightly for clarity.

***

I was a traveling nurse as well as a staff registered nurse, including as a trauma ER nurse for mostly Level-1 facilities. Staffing issues, which were a direct result of management decisions to do more and more with less and less, is what enticed me to work as a traveling nurse.

As a traveler, we were forced to manage 8-to-1 staffing ratios at WellSpan in York, Pennsylvania, while staff nurses hid out in the trauma bays. Acuity was thrown out the window if a bed was open. I would receive three or four ESI (Emergency Severity Index, a five-level triage algorithm which rates a patients case from 1, or most severe, to 5, least severe, based on the nature of their emergency) Level 1 acuity. In principle, this would require a 1-to-1 ratio and possibly a second nurse to assist. I would routinely have no certified nursing assistant coverage, as they all were pulled to do 2-to-1 ratio sitter duty.

HCA, which owns HealthTrust, which runs WellSpanrelied on unqualified volunteers to sit with psychotic/homicidal/suicidal patients from as young as six years old to geriatric patients. Most had serious medical issues but were medically cleared almost immediately upon admission so that the ER residents/attendants were not responsible for their care.

There was a chronic patient, profoundly autistic, a victim of sexual abuse in his mid-teens. He was so acutely violent that no amount of drugs (extremely powerful: ketamine, thorazine, ativan, geodon) could control him. He was routinely dumped at the WellSpan, York ER by his parents, who could not control his violence. The patient was locked in a room with no windows for months at a time. His food consisted of what he would eat, such as Oreos, Doritos and candy, and no psychiatric help was given.

When the patient was dumped at WellSpan, the staff nurses would rally around each other to prevent any of them from having to care for this ultra-violent individual, who would ram his head into plexiglass windows.

WellSpan would simply shut him into seclusion with no windows, padding, bedding or any psychiatric care. We would simply dose him with higher and higher amounts of thorazine and other antipsychotics until he would finally sleep for 30 minutes.

Each of the travelers in turn refused to care for the patient for more than a 4-hour block of time, as he routinely punched/kicked/bit/used items in the room as weapons against pretty much all of the staff and support staff. Security personnel were assaulted to the point many received injuries that required emergency care. The management would allow the hold on this patient, as his insurance was provided by the state.

When WellSpan was nominated by an unknown entity for an award regarding their excellence in psychiatric care, this patient had been tortured, secluded, deprived of any type of psychiatric care or stimulation and was declining rapidly over the 44 days of his confinement.

The Governor of Pennsylvania (note: the current Governor of Pennsylvania is Democrat Tom Wolf) was to be in attendance for this awards ceremony. This ceremony was to be held in the parking lot instead of at the end of a tour of the facility, so that the Governor could have plausible deniability of the actual conditions within the hospital. This would also prevent him from having any type of interaction with the staff/travelers/support staff.

This young patient was handcuffed to a gurney and escorted to one of the local psychiatric hospitals where an entire unit was cleared of all items in order for this individual to simply be housed for the time beinguntil the Governors visit was completed.

WellSpan is owned by HCA, which is the same for-profit company that owns places like Lewis Gale in Blacksburg, Virginia, and others in the Richmond area. Travelers know never to take an assignment with any HCA facility due to the dangerous staffing ratios, lack of supplies, violent patients and the hospitals notorious practice of not paying travelers for their work.

This isnt referring simply to just no PTO [paid time off]. HCA has failed to compensate on traveler pay for years. This usually happens when a traveler leaves a contract due to a high risk of losing their license and dangerous staffing issues or when a traveler refuses assignments that are dangerous.

HCA is well known for their dangerous staffing decisions. Lewis Gale in Blacksburg employed two RNs in their 25-bed ER, filling the holes with emergency medical technicians and CNAs. The senior charge nurse had 6 months of experience.

The ratio in the emergency room was 12-to-1. I should know; I spent an entire shift shadowing after Lewis Gale offered me an obscene amount of money to work at this ER. Of course, I was required to sign a non-disclosure agreement before employment. I saw patients in hypertensive crisis, almost stroking, lying in beds with alarms blaring and no one to help them.

I saw psychiatric patients wandering the hallways, urinating on themselves, with feces running down their legs tracking this filth all through the ER. Not one person stood up to direct the patient back to their room because there was no one to do it. This is par for the course at any HCA facility.

I have no idea why anybody would work for HCA unless it has to do with the nurses family living next door, and the nurse can live for free. Any self-respecting nurse would run screaming from HCA.
On Thursday, US District Judge Robert Jonker set August 9 for the start of a second trial of two men charged with plotting to kidnap and kill Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer over pandemic restrictions in the months before the 2020 presidential election.

A right-wing protester carries his rifle at the State Capitol in Lansing, Michigan in an April 30, 2020 demonstration against Whitmer [AP Photo/Paul Sancya]

The men, Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr., were originally tried in April along with two others, but the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict against them, and Judge Jonker declared a mistrial. The two other men, Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta, were found not guilty on all charges by the jury after five days of deliberations.

Judge Jonker made his ruling in Grand Rapids, Michigan federal court after he denied a request by attorneys for Fox, 38, of Wyoming, Michigan and Croft, 46, of Bear, Delaware to have the federal kidnap conspiracy charges dropped. The attorneys argued that since Harris and Caserta were acquitted and because there was insufficient evidence presented by government prosecutors in the first trial, the two should be released.

Originally, a total of fourteen men, most of whom were affiliated with a paramilitary organization called the Wolverine Watchmen, were arrested for plotting to kidnap and murder Governor Whitmer at the height of a fascistic campaign against government pandemic policies in Michigan and other states. Far-right groups and individuals had been mobilized by then-President Donald Trump who had repeatedly denounced Governor Whitmer and others and called for the states of Michigan, Wisconsin and Virginia to be liberated.

Six of those who were arrested were charged with federal kidnap and terrorism offenses for plotting to storm Governor Whitmers summer home, engage in a gunfight with her security detail, set off a bomb and either take her out in the middle of Lake Michigan and leave her there or transport her to Wisconsin where she would appear before a tribunal and be executed.

Two of the six men, Kaleb Franks and Ty Garbin, pleaded guilty to the federal charges and testified against the other four during the April trial. The other eight defendants were charged with state felony offenses including terrorism, gang membership and firearms violations. Three of the eight are scheduled for trial in October in Jackson County and the other five are awaiting a preliminary exam in August in Antrim County, Michigan.

Judge Jonker explained his decision to move forward with a second trial for Fox and Croft based on his view that there was sufficient evidence presented against them in the first trial. The judge said, We dont know what the jury was thinking. ... Theres enough here to say that a rational jury could still go against Mr. Fox, go against Mr. Croft, even considering the outcome with respect for Mr. Harris and Mr. Caserta.

However, it was Judge Jonker himself who, by preventing the prosecution from entering any of the broader political context and motivation of the kidnappers into trial evidence, aided the defense and their primary argument that the kidnap plotters were goaded into the conspiracy by several FBI informants who had posed as members of the Wolverine Watchmen.

As the World Socialist Web Site explained at the conclusion of the first trial, an enormous amount of evidenceincluding eyewitness testimony and taped conversationswas presented against the defendants. However, the acquittal of Harris and Caserta along with the inability of the jury to arrive at a unanimous decision on Fox and Croft was bound up with the fact that the location of the trial and the jury pool were drawn from a part of Michigan where opposition to Whitmer and the states pandemic restrictions was strong and played a role.

Chris Gibbons, attorney for Adam Fox, told Fox17 after the hearing on Thursday that the defense strategy would not change from that of the first trial. All signs point to the federal government having manipulated and conceived a fictional crime here. Gibbons said the new jury and the public at large will agree that the defendants were victims of a grave injustice.

Joshua Blanchard, attorney for Barry Croft, said the previous acquittals will impact a new trial because the first jury found, there wasnt enough evidence that these other guys were involved. Blanchard added that this fact is compelling and that the governments case is weak.

The essential narrative of the defense is that the men were habitual marijuana smokers and big talkers who never planned to carry out any violence against the Michigan governor. They claim that the kidnapping plot was planted by the FBI informants who stoked up the discussions which were recorded in phone calls and in meetings of the group where the agents were wearing wires.

The prosecution argued during the April trial that the men were not just talking about what they were planning to do but cased the governors residence twice, mapped it out, bought night vision goggles and were drifting around armed to the teeth, making homemade bombs.

Assistant US Attorney Nils Kessler told the jurors, If you dont like the governments policies, you can protest them. If you dont like elected leaders, you can vote them out at the ballot box. What you cant do is kidnap them, kill them or blow them up.

Andrew Birge, the US Attorney for the Western District of Michigan in April, has been replaced by Mark A. Totten, who was sworn in on May 5. Totten has since filed a motion with the district court saying he would not be participating in the new trial of Fox and Croft. No explanation has been provided for why Totten has withdrawn from the case. Kessler was one of two prosecutors in court on Thursday.

The arguments for acquitting the kidnapping defendants are similar to those being advanced about the fascistic mob which participated in the January 6 insurrection in Washington D.C. aimed at overturning the results of the 2020 elections and keeping Donald Trump in the White House as dictator-president. While it can no longer be denied that Trump was at the center of a conspiracy to prevent the certification of Biden as president, the Democrats have been covering up the relationship between his inner circle and a substantial section of the Republican Party.

Many questions about the Whitmer plot remain unresolved and have not been raised by prosecutors. Who else was involved in encouraging the kidnap conspiracy and knew about the discussions among the Wolverine Watchmen and other paramilitary groups in Michigan during the spring and summer months of 2020? What Republican politicians in Michigan were working with these paramilitary groups during the armed entry of the State Capitol Building in Lansing in April and May 2020?

These critical political questions will not be answered by the Democratic Party, which fears a movement by the working class against the threat to democratic rights more than it does the acts of violence by the far right. The fight to bring out the truth about the full extent of the conspiracy against Governor Whitmer and to stop the rise of fascism requires the independent mobilization of the working class against the capitalist system and for socialism.
At a press conference Wednesday, amid the latest global surge of COVID-19 infections, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus cautioned that our ability to track the virus is under threat as reporting and genomic sequences are declining, meaning it is harder to track Omicron and analyze future emerging threats. This warning was issued under conditions where the highly infectious and immune-resistant Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants have become dominant globally and account for 55 percent of all international samples.

According to Our World in Data, the global seven-day rolling average of daily new cases is approaching 750,000, almost 60 percent above the lows seen in the first week of June. Cases are rising in four of six WHO regions of the globeEurope, the Americas (including a 24.6 percent surge in South America), Southeast Asia and Eastern Mediterranean, and Europe, which is seeing the fastest growth in this period.

In the week ending June 20, 4.5 million new cases were officially registered, a 23 percent rise from the previous week. COVID-19 deaths for the same week rose by over 9,000, a more than 8 percent increase and the first substantial jump since the peaks in early February.

The new surge in cases must be viewed in the context of the systemic and near-universal dismantling of all COVID-19 surveillance and data reporting, meaning that these figures represent significant undercounts. In every country where COVID-19 infections are surging, test positivity rates are also soaring. In mid-June, more than 41 percent of all COVID-19 tests in Germany were positive, while in France that figure is over 22 percent. Similar skyrocketing test positivity rates can be seen across Europe.

[Photo by Our World in Data / CC BY 4.0

Another more accurate measurement of the real spread of the virus, wastewater sampling, shows record levels of viral transmission in Madrid, Spain. This takes place as official cases are less than a quarter of the record set in mid-January 2022.

The surge is expected to deepen in the coming weeks and persist throughout the summer, as the tourist season is in full swing. Speaking with Agence France-Presse (AFP), WHO Europe Regional Director Dr. Hans Kluge stated this week, As countries across the European region have lifted the social measures that were previously in place, the virus will transmit at high levels over the summer. This virus wont go away just because countries stop looking for it. Its still spreading, its still changing, and its still taking lives.

These comments are an about-face for Kluge, who welcomed the first Omicron wave in January as a supposed harbinger of permanent immunity for the population. On January 24, 2022, he said, Its plausible that the region is moving towards a kind of pandemic endgame. We anticipate that there will be a period of quiet before COVID-19 may come back towards the end of the year but not necessarily the pandemic coming back.

The 53 countries representing the WHO European region are now averaging nearly 500,000 official daily new cases, accounting for a significant majority of current global infections, up from 150,000 daily infections in late May. Austria, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg and Portugal have recently seen the highest case rates. Weekly deaths from COVID-19 across Europe now stand at roughly 2,500, comparable to figures registered in the summer of 2020 before vaccines were available.

The current developments in Greece starkly exemplify what is unfolding across Europe and will soon transpire in every other country that has allowed the virus to spread uncontrolled. Last Monday, the National Organization for Public Health (EODY) reported nearly 7,700 COVID-19 cases, double the daily cases seen at the beginning of June. The next day, EODY said cases had exploded with more than 20,000 infections, with the seven-day rolling average reaching over 13,000. Of these, approximately 15 percent represent reinfections.

The EODY also noted that there were 16 more COVID-related deaths, with 95 patients in intensive care units. These are mostly the elderly over 70, and many have multiple underlying medical conditions predisposing them to severe manifestations. The trend in deaths across Greece is climbing once again, even though more than 71 percent of the population is fully vaccinated. The elderly and debilitated will suffer most from these surges and reinfections, as their waning immunity to the virus places them at greater risk than other demographics.

Similarly, the United Kingdom is experiencing another wave of infections and hospitalizations. Official new cases are up 34 percent from the prior week. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), one in 30 people is now infected with COVID-19. Their data estimates that around 1.8 million people were infected despite 98 percent of the population having antibodies either from previous vaccination or infection. Scotland has been hit the hardest in the current surge.

The seven-day average of people hospitalized for COVID in the UK has reached close to 7,400, a 45 percent increase over the lows reached in early June. The current trend in admissions will soon approach the highs seen during the Delta wave.

Virologist Dr. Stephen Griffin, an associate medical professor at Leeds University, told the Financial Times, Vaccines reduce severe disease, and waves such as this do not cause the same spikes in hospitalizations as we saw, for example, with the Alpha variants. However, the constant bombardment of waves we are seeing does cause a clinical impact that is not to be underestimated.

Indeed, the clinical impact of Long COVID, or post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC), is mounting with each new wave of infections. This will have untold consequences on the populations overall health, since the complex interaction between the virus and the various organ systems, including the brain and neurological systems, will accumulate.

The repeated mantra that the coronavirus only causes mild disease is increasingly belied by objective reality, in which mass infections and long-term debilitation have profoundly destabilized the global economy and led to mounting labor shortages internationally. The most visible manifestation of this at present is the huge number of flight cancellations due to staffing shortages at airports and airlines. The aviation consultancy Cirium reported that June, the start of summer season in Europe, saw 7,870 flights canceled for departures from the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain alone.

In the US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced Wednesday that BA.4 (15.7 percent) and BA.5 (36.6 percent) now dominate all other variants across the country. This will likely cause another surge of infections in the coming weeks, the seven-day average of daily new cases having plateaued at just over 100,000. The positivity rate in the US has reached nearly 14 percent, while since mid-April hospitalizations have more than doubled to 33,600 admissions on average. Over the past two weeks, COVID-19-related deaths have risen by nearly 50 percent to 380 per day, while estimates of daily excess deaths attributable to the pandemic now stand at 660 per day in the US.

On Tuesday, an expert committee advised the FDA that COVID-19 booster shots should be updated to reflect the circulating subvariants. As the New York Times carefully said, The panels vote paves the way for the FDA to push manufacturers to make reformulated boosters in time for the Biden administration to offer them later this year, before an expected winter surge, which coincides with the mid-term elections.

Moderna executives told the FDA panel that the vaccine manufacturer would not be able to produce Omicron-specific vaccines until late October or early November, while Pfizer pledges to have such vaccines ready by early October. FDA regulators shared their concerns that by the time such a vaccine specifically tailored to BA.4 and BA.5 is developed, it will already be outdated. This underscores the fact that chasing the virus through a vaccine-only strategy is a futile game.

Infectious disease specialist Dr. Mark Sawyer from the UC San Diego School of Medicine told the Times, Were all troubled by the steady erosion of immune protection. Were going to be behind the eight ball if we wait longer. He added that right now the critical thing is the manufacturers need to know what to put into their vaccine. Over the coming months, I think well get a sense, and therell be plenty of time for debate over who is most appropriate for boosters.

However, potential BA.4/BA.5-specific boosters and next generation therapies require funding for the Biden administration to bid with suppliers. White House COVID-19 response coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said on Wednesday: There are new generations of treatments that are coming online, companies that are making them with some very promising data. [However,] the US government and no one in the US is negotiating with these companies for these treatments because we dont have the resources. Yet, there are ample resources to fund the US-NATO proxy in Ukraine against nuclear-armed Russia, and as President Joe Biden reiterated Thursday, to do so for as long as it takes.

Additionally, funding and research into pan-coronavirus and intranasal vaccines are urgently needed. However, these must be coordinated through a strategy that also ensures non-pharmaceutical measures are taken to end the perpetual community transmission of the virus and prevent the development of newer coronavirus strains. These treatments must be prioritized for health care workers and patients at long-term care facilities, the elderly, and essential workers, while infrastructure for air quality and ventilation needs to be urgently undertaken.

There is no political tendency outside of the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) calling for a coordinated strategy to eliminate the coronavirus globally, which would prevent the needless death and debilitation of millions more people.

In a critical video published this week, Evan Blake, a WSWS writer and coordinator of the Global Workers Inquest into the COVID-19 Pandemic, offers a clear and concise outline of the current surge of the pandemic and what must be done to stop it. We urge all of our readers to share this video as widely as possible at your workplaces and across social media, and to take up its call to build a mass international movement to end the pandemic.
The campaign for the Socialist Equality Party (SEP) and International Youth and Students for Socialist Equality (IYSSE) online meeting on the political lessons of the popular uprising against the Rajapakse government is winning strong support from workers, youth and farmers.

Port, power and petroleum workers march towards Presidential Secretariat on December 8, 2021 (WSWS Media)

SEP/IYSSE members have distributed thousands of copies of the SEPs statement To oppose IMF austerity, Sri Lankan workers must draw the lessons of past two months of popular uprising. The statement is provoking important discussion amid a deepening political crisis of the ruling elite and escalating social attacks by the Rajapakse-Wickremesinghe government.

This week, the government declared a virtual shut-down of the economy due to fuel shortages, even as millions of workers and the oppressed were struggling to survive with skyrocketing food prices and shortages of essentials. The majority of workers in the public and private sectors have been directed to remain at home.

Military supervises distribution of fuel supplies to essential services at filling station in Wellawatta, Colombo, 1 July 2022 [WSWS Media]

The Sri Lankan economy, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe told parliament a few days ago, has collapsed to the bottom. The government already is implementing the International Monetary Fund (IMF)-dictated economic reforms, with even harsher attacks to come. This includes the privatisation and commercialisation of government enterprises and massive cuts to job, wages and benefits, and social subsidies.

While millions of workers participated in general strikes in April and May, to demand the ousting of President Rajapakse and his government, the struggles were betrayed by the trade unions, which oppose any independent movement of the working class. All the opposition parties, including the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and Tamil National Alliance, support the IMF austerity program.

The working class has demonstrated enormous courage and determination but it needs a socialist perspective, a party and organisations independent of these capitalist parties and the trade unions. Tomorrows public meeting has been called to discuss these critical issues.

Liyanage, a Colombo Port worker, said that millions of workers faced major attacks on their jobs and wages.

The chairman of the COPE [parliamentary Committee of Public Enterprises] said recently that our overtime work must be reduced, but the basic salaries of some grades of harbour workers are very low. This means any reduction in overtime work will affect us severely, he explained.

This will not only hit harbour workers but the whole working class. As the SEP explains, the problems faced by the Sri Lankan working class are a result of the crisis of global capitalism, escalated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the US-NATO war against Russia, he added.

Colombo harbour workers protest in April 2022 [WSWS Media]

Liyanage said the trade unions continuously limit workers, diverting them into pressuring the government, and then betraying their struggles.

We have had so many experiences regarding that, he added. Several parts of Colombo Port could only have been privatised because of those betrayals, he said, referring to the South Asia Gateway Terminal, Colombo International Container Terminal and Western Terminal of Colombo Harbor as examples.

Padmasiri, a farmer from Tangalle in southern Sri Lanka, said farmers have been hard hit by the worsening economic crisis.

There is no diesel for tractors and no fertiliser. This has meant that farmers have been compelled to abandon their cultivations. Peoples lives have collapsed as everything has been closed, including schools, he explained.

Padmasiri said all the opposition parties, including the Samagi Jana Balawegaya and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, have no solution to burning issues confronting the masses. I agree that the working class must mobilise politically on a socialist program, he added.

A post graduate student at Moratuwa University, on the outskirts of Colombo, said that there was no future for youth. I intend to go abroad after my studies because it is difficult to find a job here. [Prime Minister] Wickremesinghe asks the people to tighten their belts, which means no jobs for the youth. This is not a solution to the crisis, he said.

He had participated in the protests at Galle Face Green in Colombo, the main anti-government protest site, but now realised that this was useless.

The Inter University Students Federation is protesting every day but nothing has been achieved. I agree that the trade unions have abandoned the struggle and are collaborating with the government. As you said, the working class must take the fight into its own hands.

Commenting on the government-ordered closure of schools and universities over the acute fuel crisis, he said, The economic process has broken down. What is the use of governments like this? The analysis of WSWS regarding this situation is correct and there is a potential to attract many readers. I will join the meeting and read the WSWS.

Roshan, a railway worker from Ratmalana workshop, said he had read the SEP statement and agreed with it.

I got it [the statement] when I was at the Galle Face Green protest. I was inspired by the unity across ethnicities [at the protests]. I agreed with the ousting of President Rajapakse and the government, but the so-called interim government proposed by this protest and the opposition parties is not the solution to this crisis, he said.

More loans from the IMF, Roshan continued, is not a solution to the debt crisis and will worsen the situation further. The real solution, as explained in the SEP statement, is rejecting repayment of foreign debt and the seizure of the wealth and properties of the capitalists.

A railway station master told SEP campaigners that nothing can be gained by putting pressure on the capitalist government and complained about workforce shortages in the railways, including station masters.

His station, he explained, requires a staff of seven but there are currently only three. The recent struggle of the station masters was betrayed by the trade unions in collaboration with the government, he said.

The program of an international alliance of action committees presented by the SEP is an important step forward. I will take the initiative to form committees among station masters and other railway workers. Id like to talk about these political developments and will join the SEPs online public meeting on Sunday, he said.

Imasha, a law student at the University of Jaffna, said, The situation is now very bad. My father is a three-wheeler driver and is always stuck in lines for petrol rather than doing his job. Boarding fees [for university students] have now gone up to more than 5,000 rupees [$US13.89] per month. The teachers have organised to provide free lunches to all the students and so the cost has been slightly reduced.

We were really confronted with the question, who would replace Gotabhaya [Rajapakse] but we cannot accept [SJB leader] Sajith Premadasa. I didnt vote in the previous elections because there was no-one to vote for, he added.

The workers really need to break from the trade unions. My sister works in the district secretariat and according to her experience, workers are not allowed to act outside of the trade unions. Youre not allowed to think of anything other than what the unions say. Theres no discussion with workers. The unions calland call offstrikes as they wish. If workers defy them, they threaten the workers, he said.

A 28-year-old Jetwing Hotel worker at Sigiriya said he has never seen such a crisis in his industry. Some 750 bookings for our hotel were canceled this month, and now only two rooms have been booked out of 35 rooms. I cant think when this crisis will end. Our wages were reduced by about 53,000 rupees [$US147] last month, he explained.

The hotel worker said that he had realised from the beginning that the crisis was not confined to Sri Lanka, that people in many countries face shortages of fuel, cooking gas and food, and rising prices.

But no one talks about this world situation except WSWS, he noted.

The JVP, Frontline Socialist Party and trade unions protest against the government, but they defend this capitalist system. These organisations say everyone must unite without any political differences but there is a difference between bourgeois politics and working-class politics. The workers must organise on an independent political perspective against capitalism, as you say. I agree with that, he said.
ELKO  A fire that started Friday afternoon at Emigrant Pass closed Interstate 80 temporarily and has burned an estimated 450 acres.

The fire at mile marker 268 was reported during the noon hour Friday, according to Elko Interagency Dispatch. The freeway reopened later Friday.

On Thursday, a fire near Boss Tanks east of Elko burned about six and a half acres.

Firefighters continued to work on a nearly 2,000-acre blaze in the Goshute Mountains of southeastern Elko County that started a week ago. It was estimated to be 50% contained.

A red flag warning has been posted for eastern Elko County. The warning includes the entire south and eastern parts of the state, as well as western and central Utah.

The National Weather Service issued a special weather statement for the rest of northern Nevada, including Elko, over the holiday weekend due to warm and dry conditions.

Elko received only three-tenths of an inch of precipitation in June. Average rainfall for the month is .57 of an inch.

Temperatures are expected to climb into the 90s on Saturday for the seventh day in a row, before dropping to the mid to lower 80s Sunday and Monday.
The week before the NATO summit in Madrid, a group of imperialist powers led by the US announced a new coordination mechanism for the Pacific while confronting and encircling China in preparation for war.

US Indo Pacific Coordinator Kurt Campbell [left] meets with Solomon Islands opposition leader Mathew Wale in Honiara, April 2022 (Image: Twitter - Dr Anna Powles@AnnaPowles)

The so-called Partners in the Blue Pacific project involving the US, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Japanall with long histories of ruthless colonisation in the regionannounced a broad concept plan to address growing challenges to the regional rules-based order. The phrase, promoted by Washington, refers to the post-World War II order established by the US in which it sets the rules globally.

A tour by Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi saw multiple bilateral deals signed with almost a dozen Pacific nations. The Solomon Islands and China finalised a security agreement, prompting threats by Washington and Canberra of a possible regime change operation against the government of Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare.

The announcement was in line with the NATO summit which, amid the US-led proxy war against Russia in Ukraine, signalled the extension of the Atlantic military alliance to the Asia-Pacific. The leaders of Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Australia were invited to attend, addressed the gathering and held an inaugural meeting of the so-called Asia-Pacific Four.

The Blue Pacific initiative includes the four countries plus the United Kingdom. France was also initially involved but chose not to formally join. According to the projects official communique, the five-nation pact will provide closer, more purposeful, and more ambitious cooperation. Too often, our efforts have been uncoordinated, creating duplication in some cases and gaps on the others, it declared.

The statement claimed the program aims to strengthen the Pacific Islands Forum, facilitate regular engagement and dialogue, and coordinate future activities to avoid lost opportunities. It targets areas such as climate change, maritime security (i.e. Chinas fishing fleet), health, education, and better access to infrastructure. Funding for infrastructure development has been a key element of Chinas growing influence.

White House Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell introduced the initiative at a June 23 discussion hosted by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and international Studies. The event was supported by the embassies of New Zealand and Australia and included a panel involving diplomats from Fiji, Samoa and the Marshall Islands.

Campbell said the US needed more diplomatic facilities across the region, and more contact with Pacific Island countries that at times receive lesser attention. He said: I think you will see more cabinet-level, more senior officials, going to the Pacific as we go forward recognising that nothing replaces, really, diplomatic boots on the ground.

Claiming that Washington will work in partnership with the Pacific, Campbell declared: Our mantra will be nothing in the Pacific without the Pacific we do not take these bonds for granted. He acknowledged there were perceptions that Washington had not always sufficiently taken the needs of islanders into account.

In fact, the upgraded engagement with the Pacific by the US and its allies has nothing to do with listening to Pacific governmentsmuch less the peoples of the regionbut is intent on aggressively re-asserting their geo-strategic dominance.

Visiting the Solomons in April, Campbell issued a menacing statement that Washington would respond accordingly to any announcement of a de facto Chinese permanent military presence in the country. Asked directly if this meant a US military invasion of Solomon Islands, a State Department official refused to deny or clarify the query, leaving no doubt of the Biden administrations intentions.

Washington will now expedite the opening of an embassy in the Solomon Islands, announced earlier this year by Secretary of State Antony Blinken when he visited Fijithe first trip to that country by the White Houses top diplomat in four decades.

Campbell said he envisioned Fiji would also be one of the main hubs of US engagement. Fiji, the Pacifics second largest country after Papua New Guinea, occupies a pivotal strategic role. Following Prime Minister Bainimaramas 2006 military coup, he looked towards China and Russia to counter moves by Canberra and Wellington to isolate his regime. He also encouraged other Pacific countries to take a more independent line.

In a discreet visit to Suva last month, US Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro met with Fijis military commander General Logavatou Kalouniwai, naval Commodore Humphery Tawake and Jone Usamate, infrastructure and lands minister. US Ambassador-designate to Australia, Caroline Kennedy also joined. Speculation is rife that the US is considering opening a navy base in Fiji.

The Biden administration has already vowed to commit more resources to the Indo-Pacific. Following a meeting with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in late May, the two leaders released a statement declaring that increased Chinese influence required new resolve and closer co-operation between the US, Wellington and other regional allies.

The countries joining the Blue Pacific partnership are all involved in the rapidly evolving architecture aimed against China. These include ASEAN, the Quad (the de facto military alliance of the US, Japan, India and Australia), the IPEF trade bloc and AUKUSthe militarist pact between Australia, UK and the US. AUKUS includes Australias acquisition of hypersonic missiles and nuclear-powered attack submarines.

As NATO vastly ramps up its military presence in Europe, US-led escalations are proceeding apace in the Pacific. Last month the Pentagon successfully conducted the first-ever Patriot missile live-firing near Palau, while major new bases are being established across Micronesia.

This month the US Indo-Pacific command has begun holding its largest ever Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC 2022) war games, in Hawaiian waters. It sees 38 ships from 26 countries, 4 submarines, 170 aircraft and 25,000 military personnel involved in naval manoeuvres, while ground units from 9 countries will conduct amphibious landings. Forty percent of RIMPAC participants are either in NATO or have NATO ties.

Meanwhile, in a major step-up of its own military presence in the Pacific, Japan has dispatched its so-called Maritime Self Defence Force to 11 Indo-Pacific countries. The flotilla includes the helicopter-carrying vessel Izumo, currently being upgraded as a de facto aircraft carrier, two destroyers, a submarine and aerial units. The deployment runs until October 28.

Pacific Island governments, for their part, are increasingly concerned over the intensifying geostrategic competition and militarization buffeting the region. The Pacifics peak diplomatic body, the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), will for the first time not hold an in-person meeting for dialogue partners at the Leaders Week in Suva this month. China, the US, Japan and others will all be effectively excluded.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was among the leaders from the Asia-Pacific regionalong with those of Australia, Japan and South Koreawho were invited to attend the NATO war-planning summit this week in Madrid, Spain.

New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern at NATO meeting, with Australian PM Anthony Albanese (right foreground) [Image: Jacinda Ardern Facebook]

Ardern is the first New Zealand leader to take part in a summit of the alliance. Her presence points to the increasing integration of the country into both the US-NATO proxy war against Russia in Ukraine, and the US-led plans for war against China.

The 30 members of NATO, including the United States, Canada, and most European states, adopted a new strategy document outlining plans to militarise Europe and to develop the capacity for warfighting against nuclear-armed peer competitors. In addition to denouncing Russia as a threat and demanding an escalation of the war against it, NATO also targeted China. The document asserts that Chinas economic development (expressed as control) conflicts with the interests of NATO members.

The imperialist powers, led by Washington, are responding to the historic crisis of capitalism by ramping up the exploitation of the working class at home, and through the use of military force to redivide the world. As was the case in World Wars I and II, minor powers such as New Zealand and Australia are rushing to secure their seat at the table for the carve-up.

In her statement to the NATO summit, Ardern touted New Zealands expanding contributions to the war in Ukraine. This includes training Ukrainian troops and supporting intelligence efforts, and providing other military and non-military aid, in addition to joining the sanctions against Russia.

She regurgitated NATOs false version of the conflict, describing it as Russia versus all those who hold a basic sense of humanity and chose to act on it. In fact, Putins invasion of Ukraine was a reactionary and disastrous response to years of military encirclement and provocations by NATO, including the 2014 fascist-led and US-backed coup that ousted a pro-Russian government in Kiev. The Russian invasion has been seized upon by the imperialist powers as a long-awaited pretext for massive rearmament and war against Russia.

Arderns speech had an unreal quality, as she sought to cloak NATOs war with pacifist phrases, calling for countries to focus on de-escalation, peace and stability.

Even as NATO openly discusses the need to plan for nuclear war, and the US alone spends $80,000 per minute on building up its nuclear arsenal, Ardern declared that countries must not allow the legacy of the war in Ukraine to become an arms race, or an even more polarised and dangerous world. She asked NATO members to send a strong message by committing to nuclear disarmament.

Ardern also sought to cover-up the increasingly anti-democratic and fascistic forms of rule, which are being adopted across Europe as the continent is placed on a war footing. In a joint press release, Ardern and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced a Global Values Partnership, based on their commitment to vibrant and resilient democracy, diversity, human rights and even internationalist values.

This staggeringly hypocritical statement was issued just four days after Sanchez defended the massacre of at least 37 migrants by Spanish and Moroccan forces at the border of the Spanish enclave of Melilla.

Significantly, Ardern also hinted at attacks on democratic rights in NZ, telling the NATO summit that even New Zealand is targeted by Russian mis- and disinformation. This is a thinly veiled threat that any opposition to war will be treated as enemy propaganda to be suppressed, as the New Zealand ruling class did during World Wars I and II.

In addition to denouncing Russia, Ardern lined up firmly with NATOs pivot against China, stating that China has in recent times also become more assertive and more willing to challenge international rules and norms. She referred to attempts to disrupt and destabilise the Indo-Pacific region, and warned against militarisation. The US, Australia and New Zealand, which are all colonial powers in the Pacific, have denounced Chinas activities in the region, including its recent security agreement with the Solomon Islands.

The Chinese embassy in Wellington issued a statement on June 30 hitting back at Ardern, saying her comments were wrong and not helpful for deepening mutual trust between [China and New Zealand], or for the efforts made by the two countries to keep our bilateral relations on the right track. The embassy said that Chinas actions in the Pacific had nothing to do with militarization, and that if militarization does exist in the South Pacific, it is clear to all who and what is fuelling such tensionsa clear reference to the US and its allies.

The Labour Party-led government has sought to maintain a balance between New Zealands military-intelligence alliance with the US, on the one hand, and increasing economic reliance on trade with China. Since 2018, the share of New Zealands exports (by value) going to China has increased from 23 to 30 percent.

Arderns participation in the NATO gathering marks a definite escalation in New Zealands support for confrontation with China. Ardern this week signed a new free trade agreement with the European Union, aimed in part at shifting New Zealands trade away from China. Her visit to Europe follows recent meetings with US president Joe Biden, Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese and Japans Fumio Kishidaall of which were aimed at strengthening military and intelligence ties.

Significantly, the far-right ACT Party issued a statement welcoming Arderns comments at the NATO summit. It called for the New Zealand parliament to go further by declaring that China is engaged in genocide against the Uyghursa fabricated charge which is part of Washingtons effort to build a humanitarian case for war.

The pro-Labour Party Daily Blog similarly applauded Ardern, with editor Martyn Bradbury writing: I agree with every word from the PM. He warned that China could retaliate by slashing trade, and concluded: We are part of the great game now. The nationalist blog has repeatedly called for greater military spending and urged the intelligence agencies to investigate the Socialist Equality Group for possible treason for opposing anti-China war propaganda.

Conscious of widespread anti-war sentiment in New Zealand, the Green Party sought to distance itself from Arderns open embrace of NATO. Green foreign affairs spokesperson Golriz Ghahraman told Newshub that New Zealand should stand as an independent, principled voice on the world stage and expressed concern that with the war in Ukraine, were kind of going back into those old Cold War allegiances, rather than focusing on Asia-Pacific.

The Greens, however, are an integral part of the Labour-led coalition government. Ghahraman made clear that the party has no principled opposition to NATOs war with Russia. She merely said that New Zealands response to the Ukraine war has been more militarised than the Green Party would have liked it to be, and called for more humanitarian aid. Ghahramans reference to the Asia-Pacific, moreover, underscores the fact that the party supports New Zealands neo-colonial activities in the region, which are bound up with the US-led confrontation against China.

The Ardern government has dragged New Zealand into the US-NATO war against Russia, and far-advanced plans for war with China, which threaten to rapidly transform into a third world war involving nuclear-armed adversaries. This looming catastrophe can only be stopped through the construction of an anti-war movement led by the international working class, armed with a socialist program to put an end to capitalism, which is the source of war.
The contract for 6,200 nurses at Michigan Medicine expired on Thursday at midnight with no resolution to the staffing crisis that has created intolerable working conditions and an unsafe health care environment for patients at the fifth largest hospital in the state of Michigan.

Michigan Medicine nurses discharging patient [Photo by Michigan Medicine]

No new agreement has been announced and the union has steadfastly opposed strike action by nurses, claiming that to do so would be illegal.

On Friday afternoon, the Michigan Nurses Association (MNA) and its affiliated local, the University of Michigan Professional Nurse Council (UMPNC), published a bargaining update that said the union was hoping to bring you better news, but that Michigan Medicine was demanding 101 concessions from the nurses in the new contract.

The union update further explained that hospital management is refusing to grant nurses their step pay increases due in the month of July, and is instead holding the wages we deserve. Since Michigan law prohibits retroactive pay for public employees, the MNA-UMPNC says management is holding the pay increases over the heads of nurses as a bargaining chip in hopes we will take concessions.

As Michigan Medicine continues its provocations against the nurses, the union seeks to block any mass action to fight back. Prior to the expiration of the contract, the MNA-UMPCNC scheduled bargaining update meetings on Friday evening and announced informational pickets on July 16, one day after and more than two weeks after the contract expiration, respectively.

In the unions announcement that nurses and supporters will picket the perimeter of the Michigan Medicine hospital facilities in Ann Arbor on July 16, it states, now is the time to stand together and show the University of Michigan that were ready to fight. It adds that MNA-UMPNC nurses will be speaking out to make the public aware about what is happening in our hospital and the actions of the University of Michigan executives.

However, based on everything that has happened up to this point, it is clear that the actual goal of the union leadership is to have a sellout tentative agreement in place and ratified by the membership before July 16, so that no picketing ever takes place.

The strategy of the MNA-UMPNC all along has been to make useless appeals to the University of Michigan Board of Regents, especially its Democratic Party friends on the board, and block any mobilization of the strength of the nurses in coordination with the rest of the hospital staff and other nurses around the state, all of whom face the same issues.

The day before the contract expired, a Michigan Medicine nurse who just finished a 12-hour shift spoke with a representative of the WSWS Health Care Workers Newsletter about the contract fight and the need to provide patient safety.

She said, Hospitals are a business. Its unfortunate. It really makes our job very difficult. I feel bad for patients and patient safety. Most nurses just care for patients. Theyre not sitting here like, oh, I need higher wages for this and that. Its more that there are patient safety concerns. Its basically a businessall of heath care is like that in the US. Its not just one place.

The union almost split up into different unions recently. A lot of people have lost faith in the union. Im hoping things end up changing.

An indication of the desire by nurses for mass action to win their demands can be found in the FAQ section of the MNA-UMPNC website regarding the bargaining. Among the questions being asked are the legality of strike action and what will happen after the contract expires. According to the union, since the Michigan Medicine nurses are considered public employees, a legal strike can only be called to protest an employers alleged unfair labor practices.

The union has repeatedly stated for over three months that Michigan Medicine is bargaining in bad faith, but it has made no preparations for an unfair labor practice strike.

Another question posted in the FAQs is Has a ULP (Unfair Labor Practice) Work Stoppage been called for? What is the difference between an informational picket and a work stoppage? The union responded that the informational picket is not a work stoppage or disruption of work. We hope that this will send a clear signal to management about how serious we are.

Showing once more its refusal to take any decisive action to win the demands of nurses, the MNA-UMPNC tweeted on Friday morning, Day 1 of no contract. Our contract expired at midnight, and our nurses are speaking out. Because our consciences demand it.

The union then posted a comment from a newborn intensive care unit nurse, who wrote, Ask anyone. I love what I do. Deadly pandemic hits. Short staffed. The whole world is. Mandatory overtime? Sure. Once in a while, just in an emergency, right? Missing a nurse at 3PM? Sure, Ill come in for 16 hours. Just in an emergency, right? Just once or twice, right?

Ask anyone. I love what I do. Working 4 nights in a row. 12, 16, 16, 12. Exhausted. But its just once or twice, right? Short-staffed again at 11 PM. Ding, ding, ding, ding- the texts on my phone. PLEASE HELP. NEED NURSES. But its just once in a while, right? Right?

Ask anyone. I love what I do. Deadly pandemic hits. 3 years in. Still short staffed. Hire, hire, hire. Teach, teach, teach. Still short staffed. PLEASE HELP. ALL SHIFTS. MANDATORY OT IF NO VOLUNTEERS. Every shift. Multiple nurses. For three years. Ding, ding, ding goes my phone. But its just in an emergency, right? Right??

Ask anyone. I love what I do. Closing ICU beds because no nurses means no patients. But you could have nurses if you paid them better, right? No? Just close the beds? Work us to the bone because were still too short staffed? Well, okay. Sick, sick, sick babies. Sicker than weve ever seen. Do we deserve better now? No? Close more beds. Closing beds to save money and save staff instead of treating staff the way we deserve. But its just in an emergency, right?

Nurses must recognize that they are fighting a battle on two fronts. One front is against the management of Michigan Medicine, which is preoccupied with the financial performance of the hospital as well as the massive salaries of its executive leadership, not the quality of care or the quality of working conditions and well-being of the nurses and employees.

The other front is the battle against the union, which is tied to the management of Michigan Medicine and the University of Michigan through the MNA-UMPNCs connections with and support for the Democratic Party. While the nurses fight against the drive by Michigan Medicine to impose a new concessionary contract has been underway since the middle of March, the MNA did not even post a news story about it until June 16, two weeks before the contract was ending.

Instead, the MNA was busy endorsing state-wide Democratic Party candidates in the upcoming August 2 primary elections. Among the campaigns endorsed by the MNA during the contract fight at Michigan Medicine is the reelection bid of current Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, who has said she is for a fair and safe workplace for our states health care workers so that Michigan residents may receive the best treatment possible.

This is a lie. Dana Nessel has not and will not lift a finger to support the struggle of nurses at Michigan Medicine or any other hospital in the state of Michigan. Nessel, as well as Democratic Party Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, are part of the big business political establishment that is deeply involvedwith the endorsement of unions such as the MNA-UMPNCin the conversion of the entire health care industry into a vast money-making operation for a handful of billionaire investors and their multi-millionaire senior executives.

The first step for nurses to prevent the hospital and the union from imposing a new sellout agreement is to demand an immediate strike vote and the adoption of a list of contract demands based on what nurses and their patients need, not what management says is or is not affordable. The contract fight must be taken out of the hands of the pro-corporate union and a rank-and-file committee established that directs the struggle as part of the growing movement of workers in every industry against concessions and attacks on basic rights.
Popular anger is brewing in Akron, Ohio and throughout the United States following the latest heinous police killing of a young unarmed African-American worker. Jayland Walker, a 25-year-old DoorDash delivery driver and former Amazon employee, was shot and killed in a fusillade of nearly 100 bullets fired by at least eight police officers sometime after 12:30 a.m. Tuesday morning.

Jayland Walker [Photo by Walker family photo]

Following the killing, and attempted police cover-up, small groups of protesters have gathered outside the Akron police department on Thursday and Friday carrying signs reading Cops are Killers, Justice for Jayland and Arrest the Murderers.



While the Akron Police Department has refused to name the officers involved in Walkers slaying, the department did confirm that several cops have been placed on paid administrative leave pending the completion of an investigation by the Ohio Attorney Generals Bureau of Criminal Investigation.



In a statement issued on June 28, the police department claimed that Walker refused to pull over after a traffic stop was initiated for unknown reasons. After Walker allegedly refused to stop, police claim they were forced to engage in avehicle pursuit, which lasted less than five minutes.



The police, in an attempt to justify their unrestrained zeal in executing Walker, claimed that during the vehicle pursuit, officers reported a firearm being discharged from the suspect vehicle. They have since claimed to have recovered a gun from the vehicle.

The police statement then alleges that Walker exited his vehicle while it was still in motion and continued to flee from police on foot. As Walker was fleeing from the cops, they claimed that actions by the suspect caused the officers to perceive he posed a deadly threat to them. In response to this threat, officers discharged their firearms, striking the suspect.



What exact actions Walker took while he was running away that apparently caused the officers to perceive a deadly threat, have yet to be elaborated. Police have confirmed that Walker was unarmed at the time of the shooting and that no officers were injured in either the vehicle or foot pursuit.



Police have confirmed that Walker did not have any warrants and that he had no criminal record. The traffic stop police claim was over traffic and equipment violations, but they have not elaborated on exactly what the violations entailed.



Initial autopsy and medical examiner reports viewed by local press outlets have confirmed that Walker, who recently lost his high school sweetheart in a hit-run accident in May of this year, was shot at least 60 times by police. Several reports citing unnamed police sources have stated that police fired nearly 100 rounds at Walker.



On Friday, ABC News 5 investigative reporter Tara Morgan viewed photographs of the scene and Walkers autopsy at the Summit County Medical Examiners office. Morgan reported that autopsy photos showed more than 60 markers indicating defects on Walkers body.



The documents and photos show that there were multiple gunshot wounds to Walkers face, abdomen and upper legs, with bullet wounds under Walkers left eye and below his chin. The photos also show that after executing Walker, police placed his corpse under arrest by handcuffing Walker and rolling him onto his back on the pavement. When emergency services arrived to the scene, they declared the handcuffed Walker dead.



The circumstances surrounding the killing of Walker remain extremely murky as police have refused to release more details as to what led to the initial traffic stop or why Walker fled from police. As of this writing, the police have not publicly released any of the body camera footage.



Giving some indication of the scale of the criminality and frenzied violence meted out by police against the young worker, an unnamed police official told local NBC outlet WKYC 3, Use of force cases are always ugly. This case is ugly times 10.



Confirming the police barrage was completely unwarranted, Akron Police Chief Stephen Mylett was forced to admit during a Wednesday press conference that the public is going to have legitimate questions and Ive got questions.



In the face of growing protests and rising social anger, Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan (Democrat) announced that he and Mylett will be holding a press conference on Sunday during which some portions of the body camera footage will be released.



Horrigan also announced on Friday that in light of the shooting, the city-planned Rib White and Blue festival, which was set to begin on July 1 and run through July 4, had been canceled. Instead of music and food, police have coordinated the deployment of city snow plow trucks outside the Akron police department to act as a barricade in anticipation of mass protests once the footage is released.



Seeking to divide and dissipate righteous class anger among all races at unending police violence, Ohio Democratic Representative Shontel Brown released a statement Friday attempting to frame the killing of Walker as a product of racism. Brown said that they were gravely concerned about the killing of a young Black man at the hands of police, especially as it happens all too often across the country.



Attempting to provide legitimacy to the murderous police and their ability to investigate themselves, Brown urged the City of Akron and its Police Department to conduct a through and transparent investigation.



The Democratic Partys obsessive focus on race is meant to obscure the class function of police as the front-line enforcers of capitalist rule. Brown and the Democratic Party are terrified that a mass movement of the working class against the source of police violencethe capitalist systemwill emerge, which is one of the reasons the Democrats and groups like Black Lives Matter ignore virtually every police killing of any white person, such as 22-year-old Michigan worker Joe Nagle and 12-year-old Thomas Siderio in Philadelphia.



The fact is, police violence is overwhelmingly focused on poor working class men of all races, with rural white men suffering similar rates of death at the hands of police as urban black men.



While police have yet to release any of the body camera footage, the police have allowed some members of the Walker family to see parts of it.



In a Friday interview with WKYC 3, the lawyer for the Walker family, Robert DiCello, said that police invited him to watch some of the footage. DiCello said the tape he saw contradicted police claims that the shooting was justified or that Walker posed a deadly threat to the police.



The shooting is absolutely not justified based on what the video shows, DiCello said. The video makes absolutely clear, he [Walker] makes no gesture, he doesnt point at them [the police], he doesnt stop and turn towards them. He doesnt square his shoulders to them. He is seen running away when the gunfire erupts. Thats it.



DiCello added that the public is going to be most bothered by the violence. He said that there was a lot of gunfire. It sounds like fireworks are going off.



Pastor and Walker family member, Robert DeJournett, who also saw some of the footage for the first time on Friday, said in an interview with WKYC 3 that he was shocked.



I was really caught off guard. They tried to prepare us that the video was troubling. The first word out of my mouth was Jesus. I just broke down.
More than a month after the massacre at Robb Elementary School that killed 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas, the families of the shooting victims and survivors pressed city officials for more details on the investigation into the shooting and decried the lack of transparency at a Thursday city council meeting.

People gather at a memorial at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas Monday, May 30, 2022, to pay their respects to the victims killed in last week's school shooting. [AP Photo/Jae C. Hong]

For weeks, families of the victims and Uvalde residents have demanded explanations about why local and state police took so long to respond to the shooting, and why authorities did not act on prior concerns about the gunmans behavior.

Since May, the police, local and state officials have changed their account of what happened inside Robb Elementary and what police did for over an hour as the 18-year-old gunman mowed down children and teachers.

Were looking for some answers that nobody seems to be getting, and its just making Uvalde PD and everybody else look even more guilty, said Berlinda Arreola, grandmother of Amerie Jo Garza, one of the students who died.

Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin, who has previously expressed frustration with his inability to get answers about what happened from state officials investigating the shooting, told those gathered that he could not provide any answers.

The one thing I can tell you is, we dont know anymore, McLaughlin said. Were not trying to hide anything from you.

Citing letters from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and Uvalde County District Attorney Christina Mitchell Busbee requesting that no information be released until the investigationcurrently being conducted by the Texas Department of Public Safety and the FBIis complete, McLaughlin claimed city officials could be prosecuted if they released any details about the investigation.

The letter from Busbee, dated June 8, does not mention prosecuting anyone but says, Any release of records to that incident at this time would interfere with said ongoing investigation and would impede a thorough and complete investigation.

Similarly, the letter from the Texas DPS said, [R]elease of records related to that incident at this time would interfere with the ongoing investigation.

Those gathered Thursday criticized McLaughlin for his statement and urged officials to work harder to obtain information that can be shared with the public. Youre in charge of this city, one parent yelled.

Were sitting here just listening to empty words, said Velma Lisa Duran, the sister of Irma Garcia, one of the fourth grade teachers who died attempting to shield her students from bullets.

These kids were obliterated. My sister was obliterated. It was a closed casket. I couldnt hug her. I couldnt touch her. I couldnt say my last goodbye, Duran said, while fighting back tears.

We need something to happen now, said Duran, who drove more than 80 miles from San Antonio to attend the meeting. We need change. Enough is enough.

Duran and others said the children of Uvalde are afraid to return to their classrooms.

These kids are not going to go back to school, and its going to be on your hands, Duran said. This blood is on your hands because you failed to do anything.

Angel Garza, whose daughter Amerie Jo Garza was killed in the shooting, asked the mayor and other city officials if they had children, imploring them to act as if their own children had been massacred at Robb Elementary.

We want yall to look at thisnot as a mayor, not as a city council member, he said. Look at it as a dad, as a parent. Dont do what you can do as a mayor. Go beyond that. ... What if it was your kid?

During the meeting, attendees blamed Busbee for how the investigation was being handled. The families complained the district attorney has dodged their questions and has refused to release evidence, including 911 calls and surveillance footage. Some attendees considered recalling Busbee because of her withholding information on the investigation.

Some residents also demanded to know why Pedro Pete Arredondo, a city council member and the school district police chief whose actions during the shooting have been heavily criticized, failed to show up for a second consecutive city council meeting.

Last week, Arredondo was placed on administrative leave by the school district, but the families of the victims have demanded he answer why police disregarded long established training instructing police to immediately engage with or attempt to otherwise distract an active shooter if children are in immediate danger.

Uvalde police have also been the subject of withering criticism for harassing a mother who ran into the elementary school during the mass shooting to rescue her two young sons as law enforcement officers stood outside. Angeli Rose Gomezs attorney, Mark Di Carlo, told the Huffington Post there have been at least two definite instances where Gomez was harassed.

According to Di Carlo, she was pulled over for a traffic stop and falsely accused of having illegal immigrants in her vehicle. In a separate incident, a police vehicle parked outside of her home for about 45 minutes and flashed its lights at her and her mother while they were going for a walk.

Thursdays city council meeting came as a Texas House committee held its second straight day of private interviews as part of an investigation into the shooting. The committee, chaired by Representative Dustin Burrows, heard testimony from the mayor, teachers, Uvalde police and state law enforcement. Burrows said the interviews were private because he believes witnesses would give more candid testimony away from the public eye.

In June, Texas officials holding a special Senate hearing claimed that Uvalde residents never reported that the gunman Salvador Ramos had any prior abhorrent behavior and animal abuse issues to law enforcement, despite it being common knowledge in the small town of just 17,000 people.

Steve McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, claimed that in interviews after the shooting many residents reported incidents such as seeing Ramos carrying a bag of dead cats, but there was no known record of it from either the school district or law enforcement before the shooting.

However, the families of the victims have pushed back against these claims, saying officials have only been concerned with distancing themselves from the tragedy.

Tina Quintanilla-Taylor, whose daughter survived the shooting, made a direct plea to state leaders who have details of the investigation and have not shared them with the community. Were not here just to sit around, she said. We are demanding answers. Show your face, answer our questions now!
The U.S. Department of Defense announced on Friday the allocation of a package of additional military assistance to Ukraine in the amount of $820 million, the department's press service reports.

"This includes an authorization of a U.S. Presidential Drawdown of security assistance valued at up to $50 million, as well as $770 million in Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative [USAI] funds," the report says.

It clarifies that the said package is the fourteenth withdrawal of equipment from the Pentagon's stockpiles for Ukraine that the Joe Biden administration has authorized since August 2021.

This assistance package includes the supply of additional ammunition to Ukraine for HIMARS highly mobile artillery missile systems, 150,000 155-mm artillery shells, four counter-battery warfare radars, and two NASAMS air defense systems.

The United States has now committed approximately $7.6 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden Administration, including approximately $6.9 billion since the beginning of Russia's unprovoked invasion on February 24.

"Since 2014, the United States has committed more than $8.8 billion in security assistance to Ukraine," Pentagon says.

Earlier, U.S. President Joe Biden, at a press conference held in Madrid at the end of the NATO summit, said: We have provided almost $7 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since I took this position. In the next few days, we intend to announce $800 million more.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky thanked U.S. President Joe Biden for providing the NASAMS air defense missile system, the delivery of which was announced on Friday.

"This complex will significantly strengthen our air defense, we have worked hard for such a delivery," he said in a traditional video message on Friday evening.

According to Zelensky, "in total, this package 'weighs' $820 million and, in addition to NASAMS, contains ammunition for artillery and radars."

"We are no less actively negotiating other weapons from our partners  for Donbas, for Kharkiv region, for the south of Ukraine, this is necessary. We are doing everything to break the advantage of the occupiers," the President said.

Before that, Zelensky recalled the numerous missile strikes on different cities of Ukraine over the past day. "Three cruise missiles on Serhiyivka. Also missiles on Zatoka. Immediately 12 missiles hit Mykolaiv  at various objects in the city. It's just for one night and morning. My condolences to the families and friends of all whose lives were taken by such strikes," he said.
The Pentagon has confirmed the retreat of the Russians from Snake Island in the Black Sea due to professional shelling by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The Defense Department does not believe there is any credence to Russia saying its retreat from Snake Island [in the Black Sea area of Ukraine] was a gesture of goodwill. We view this development as that the Ukrainians were very successful at applying significant pressure on the Russians, including by using Harpoon missiles that they recently acquired to attack a resupply ship. When you realize how barren and deserted Snake Island is, you understand the importance of resupply. So, the Ukrainians made it very hard for the Russians to sustain their operations there [and] made them very vulnerable to Ukrainian strikes. So, that of course, is why Russia left the island," said a senior DOD official, who took questions from the Pentagon press regarding Russia and Ukraine.

He emphasized that as a result, it does make it a lot easier for Ukraine to defend Odesa and in the future to be able to open those sea lanes without Russia controlling Snake Island.

Thanks to the recent shipments of highly mobile artillery missile systems from the United States, the Ukrainian forces have made good progress in using these longer-range artillery systems, including against Russian command posts, the official said.
A goat skull at an animal breeders farm that has been affected by the lack of water at Montenegro, in Santiago, Chile (Reuters)

The Penuelas reservoir in central Chile was until 20 years ago the main source of water for the city of Valparaiso, holding enough water for 38,000 Olympic-size swimming pools. Water for only two pools now remains.

A huge expanse of dried and cracked earth that was once the lake bed is littered with fish skeletons and desperate animals searching for water.

Amid a historic 13-year drought, rainfall levels have slumped in this South American nation that hugs the continents Pacific coast. Higher air temperatures have meant snow in the Andes, once a key store of meltwater for spring and summer, is not compacting, melts faster, or turns straight to vapour.

The drought has hit mine output in the worlds largest copper producer, stoked tensions over water use for lithium extraction and farming, and led the capital, Santiago, to make unprecedented plans for potential water rationing.

Horses rest on the site of the dried-up Aculeo lagoon at Paine (Reuters)

Segundo Aballay, a rancher, walks next to a water container used for his animals (Reuters)

We have to beg God to send us water, said Amanda Carrasco, who lives near the Penuelas reservoir and recalls line fishing in the waters for local pejerrey fish. Ive never seen it like this. Theres been less water before, but not like now.

The reservoir needs rainfall  once reliable in winter but now at historic lows, said Jose Luis Murillo, general manager of Esval, the company that supplies Valparaiso with water.

Basically what we have is just a puddle, he said, adding that the city now relied on rivers. This is especially significant if you think that several decades ago the Penuelas reservoir was the only source of water for all greater Valparaiso.

A general view of the almost-dry Penuelas lake in Valparaiso (Reuters)

An aerial view of Olivares glacier in the Andes Mountain range (Reuters)

Behind the issue, academic studies have found, is a global shift in climate patterns sharpening natural weather cycles.

Normally, low-pressure storms from the Pacific unload precipitation over Chile in winter, recharging aquifers and packing the Andes mountains with snow.

But naturally occurring warming of the sea off Chiles coast, which blocks storms from arriving, has been intensified by rising global sea temperature, according to a global study on sea temperature and rainfall deficits. Ozone depletion and greenhouse gases in the Antarctic, meanwhile, exacerbate weather patterns that draw storms away from Chile, according to a study on variables affecting Antarctic weather.

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Cattle ranchers at Farellones, close to the Andes mountain range (Reuters)

The almost-dry Penuelas lake in Valparaiso (Reuters)

Water towers

Analysis of tree rings going back 400 years shows how rare the current drought is, said Duncan Christie, a researcher at the Centre for Climate and Resilience in Chile. It is totally unrivalled for duration or intensity.

He said that meant the Andes  which he called the countrys water towers  were not getting a chance to replenish, which in turn meant that as snow melted in spring there was far less water to fill rivers, reservoirs and aquifers.

Miguel Lagos, a civil engineer and water specialist, travelled to measure snow cover near the Laguna Negra station in central Chile, 50km east of Santiago  part of a process to estimate summer water supply.

A sign reading zona de pesca (fishing area) hangs next to a pier at the former Aculeo lagoon at Paine (Reuters)

A dead fish lies in the dried-up lake (Reuters)

There was just nothing, he told Reuters. There were so few precipitation events and such warm conditions that the snow melted that same winter.

As snow compacts, it creates new layers, which help keep it colder for longer. But with warmer weather and less snowfall, Lagos said, top layers of snow were melting faster or turning straight to vapour, a process called sublimation.

A 2019 study in the International Journal of Climatology that analysed Chiles drought from 2010 to 2018 said shifting weather events could ease the drought in future, but much would depend on the trajectory of human emissions impacting climate.

Segundo Aballay, an animal breeder in the village of Montenegro, is praying change comes soon.

Segundo sits as he gives water to his horses (Reuters)

Remains of trees at the dry Runge reservoir at Tiltil in Santiago (Reuters)

If it doesnt rain this year we will be left with nothing to do, he said. The animals are getting weaker and dying day by day.

Unfortunately for agriculture workers such as Aballay, researchers at the University of Chile predict the country will have 30% less water over the next 30 years, based on mathematical models and historic data.

What we call a drought today will become normal, Lagos said.

A pier structure stands at the dried-up former Aculeo lagoon (Reuters)

A goat stands next to words reading agua no potable (non-potable water) at Segundo Aballays farm (Reuters)

In the Laguna de Aculeo, another dried-up lake south of Santiago, local campsite manager Francisco Martinez recalled hundreds of people coming to the area to take out kayaks or swim in the waters.

Now rusting piers and old boats sit in the barren landscape. An eerie island in the middle of what was once water rises up above the dust.

Now there is no water; it is a desert here, Martinez said. The animals are dying and there is nothing to do here in the lagoon any more.

Photography by Ivan Alvarado and Ailen Diaz

Reuters
Crosses attached to a destroyed bridge in the town of Irpin, in the Kyiv region of Ukraine, memorialize the 60 people killed in nearby Bucha by Russian forces. Whether Russia's actions in the invasion of Ukraine rise to the level of genocide, as defined in a 1948 global treaty, has come under debate. (Photo: SOPA Images via Getty Images)

Crosses attached to a destroyed bridge in the town of Irpin, in the Kyiv region of Ukraine, memorialize the 60 people killed in nearby Bucha by Russian forces. Whether Russia's actions in the invasion of Ukraine rise to the level of genocide, as defined in a 1948 global treaty, has come under debate. (Photo: SOPA Images via Getty Images)

More than 350 Ukrainian villagers held in an overcrowded school basement for 28 days, leaving 10 dead. More than a million Ukrainians forcibly relocated to Russia since the war in Ukraine started, including more than 180,000 children. An 11-year-old Ukrainian boy, raped as his mother was tied to a chair and forced to watch.

The mounting allegations against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine have been described as war crimes or even crimes against humanity. But human rights groups and others are debating if they amount to genocide, at least as defined in international law.

Declaring Ukrainians to be the victims of a genocide may not have huge practical implications, but the historic weight of the word, with its overtones of the Holocaust, the killing fields of Cambodia and the breakup of Yugoslavia, may matter more. War crimes and crimes against humanity are deplored, but genocide by its nature implies the need for more forceful, immediate action.

And though President Joe Biden has said he thinks its genocide, that concern over the obligations the label would impose may be why theres wariness on Capitol Hill to follow suit.

Rep Steny Hoyer (Md.), the second-ranking Democrat in the House and a former chair of the human rights-focused U.S. Helsinki Commission, said he was not sure if the word genocide was applicable because he thought of it in terms of ethnic groups.

The way I think about genocide is Hitler getting rid of the Jews or, frankly, to some degree, what we did with Indians or what Christians did to the Muslims because they were Muslims in the Crusades, he said.

Though that perception is widely shared, its actually not the definition under international law.

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People confuse genocide with mass murder and mass atrocities, said Azeem Ibrahim, director of special initiatives for the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy in Washington, pointing to the definition in a 1948 international treaty.

The number of people being killed is not relevant to what the Genocide Convention actually says. What is relevant is the intent of the parties to eliminate a group in whole or in part using all the various means at their disposal, he said.

If that intent exists, genocide can include:

killing members of or causing bodily or mental harm to a group;

inflicting conditions of life meant to bring about a groups destruction;

imposing measures to prevent births in a group; or

forcibly transferring children of the group.

The accusations against Russia certainly check off many of those boxes. Aside from the above incidents cited in a report by New Lines and the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, Russia has been accused of indiscriminately bombing civilian targets, including apartment buildings and malls; blocking the transport of and stealing Ukrainian grain exports; and bombing health care facilities, including a maternity hospital in Mariupol.

A refugee from the Russian-occupied city of Mariupol, Ukraine, Nadiajda Vorotylina, cries on arriving at a Ukrainian processing center in Zaporizhzhia on May 2. (Photo: ED JONES via Getty Images)

A refugee from the Russian-occupied city of Mariupol, Ukraine, Nadiajda Vorotylina, cries on arriving at a Ukrainian processing center in Zaporizhzhia on May 2. (Photo: ED JONES via Getty Images)

In April, Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for Russian President Vladimir Putin, denied Russian troops had committed atrocities. Russia has also claimed that conditions in the eastern part of Ukraine it had seized were akin to genocide for Russian-speaking people before it invaded.

Still, the report by New Lines and the Wallenberg Centre said Russia was guilty of incitement to commit genocide and a pattern of atrocities from which an intent to destroy the Ukrainian people could be inferred.

Human Rights Watch, a New York-based group, said it is observing and documenting whats happening in Ukraine.

Rachel Denber, the groups deputy director for Europe and Central Asia, said it was documenting grave breaches of international law and heinous acts of murder, torture, inhuman conditions of detention.

I think its really important to focus on the evidence that we are documenting and what it is that our findings are so far because theyre really quite serious. The crime of genocide has a very specific threshold for intent, and while evidence of intent may become apparent, for now the most effective thing we can do is to continue to do our documentation of the conduct of the Russian forces, she said.

But even some old foreign policy hands on Capitol Hill are reluctant to go as far as the human rights community may be headed.

I dont put this in the same category as the Holocaust, said Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee since 1997.

I guess if you looked at the whole of Ukraine together, you could add up a lot of atrocities that might add up to [genocide].

Sherman, who supports aiding Ukraine, said the cost of justice has to be weighed against the costs to the U.S., the costs to the Ukrainians fighting and the risk of a nuclear war.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), a staunch Ukraine supporter, also demurred when asked if he thought Russia had crossed the line.

Im in favor of helping Ukraine and giving them what they need to beat the Russians, he said.

If you could walk the streets of Irpin and Hostomel, like I did, and listen to the stories that those people told about what the Russian soldiers did  this is a genocide. The world needs to recognize it as such.Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho)

The State Department, which has recognized three instances of genocide since 2021  the treatment of Muslim Uyghurs in China, the Rohingya in Burma and the Armenians in Turkey in 1915  also has yet to follow Bidens lead to add Ukraine to that list.

We are aware of the New Lines Institute report. We are deeply concerned by the reports findings and by what we are seeing, particularly with respect to the apparent gratuitousness of violence by members of Russias forces, a State Department spokesperson told HuffPost.

That is why we are working with allies and partners to gather, review and preserve evidence of atrocities and make it available to the appropriate bodies to hold those responsible to account.

In the Senate, though, two members of the Foreign Relations Committee have no doubts.

There is no question that what Russia is doing in Ukraine is a genocide, Sen. Jim Risch (Idaho), the top Republican on the panel, told HuffPost.

If you could walk the streets of Irpin and Hostomel, like I did, and listen to the stories that those people told about what the Russian soldiers did  this is a genocide. The world needs to recognize it as such, he said.

I think theyve passed the international definition of genocide, said Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.). I thought they passed that a while ago. Transporting people, in some cases unaccompanied children, into Russia with clear intentions of removing them from their culture, thats genocide.

Under the Genocide Convention, countries are required to take measures to prevent and punish genocide. The U.S., which has signed on to the treaty, has provided assistance to Ukraine to investigate and document war crimes and other atrocities in addition to imposing punishing economic sanctions and providing weapons and training to Ukraine.

The prevent comes first. The entire purpose of the convention, its primary purpose, is to prevent genocide from happening.Azeem Ibrahim, New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy

Risch said the United States is already doing a lot, but not enough. I personally would do more, he said, declining to elaborate.

Risch said he thinks the wariness to call what is happening genocide may stem from unfamiliarity with the definition.

The Holocaust is the Holocaust. This, like many genocides, has its own marks and should be judged in that regard, he said.

Ibrahim, from New Lines, said the focus should not be on whether the definition has been met because the mere risk of genocide, which has been documented in their report, was enough to trigger the genocide treatys obligations.

The question, he said, was whether the 150-plus countries that signed the Genocide Convention would live up to their obligations.

This is important because whats happened too often in our lifetimes is whether something is a genocide or not becomes an academic exercise after the fact, he said.

The prevent comes first. The entire purpose of the convention, its primary purpose, is to prevent genocide from happening.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
Travelers headed off for the 4 July weekend experienced delays, overnight stays in airports and even $10,000 offers to give up seats on oversold flights, as the US braces for its busiest Independence Day holiday since before the pandemic.

On Friday, nearly 8,000 flights were delayed in the US, with the worst breakdowns at New York City-area airports.

Forty-five per cent of flights were delayed out of LaGuardia, while 44 per cent of flights were delayed at the John F Kennedy and Newark airpots, according to data from Flight Aware.

Their analysis found that JetBlue and Allegiant Air were the worst carriers for delays heading into the long weekend, each delaying about 45 per cent of flights.

In some places, passengers were offered eye-popping amounts to get off oversold flights. Inc. magazine tech columnist Jason Aten reported that passengers were offered $10,000 to yield their spot on an oversold route between Michigan and Minnesota.

Others were pictured sleeping in airports overnight as delays compounded.

Staffing shortages and rebounding travel demand are among the reasons causing delays, according to travel analysts, and things could be getting even worse as the weekend continues. Aviation officials have warned that thunderstorms could prompt continued delays over eastern cities like Boston, New York, and Philadelphia.

Nearly 2.5 million US travelers passed through airports on Friday, according to the Transportation Security Administration, roughly three times the number that did so during the same period in 2020. Even as the pandemic rages, airpots are seeing similar numbers of summer travelers as they did in 2019, according to the TSA.

There were already warning signs before the 4 July rush began.

On Thursday, Delta Airlines pilots picketed outside of airports, saying they were frustrated with the pace of contract negotiations and having to work high rates of overtime.

During the Memorial Day and Juneteenth holiday weekends, more than 3,000 flights were canceled and more than 19,000 were delayed.

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"Theres no getting around the fact that this is going to be a summer of travel delays, cancelations, and frustrations," Sebastian Modak, editor-at-large of Lonely Planet, told NPR .

Major carriers, facing staffing shortages, retirements, and other issues, have attempted to cut back on summer schedules and pack planes to avoid further issues.

The travel chaos is prompting some to question whether Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who had no previous mass transit experience before being nominated to the Biden Administration, is up to the job. Equally sharp criticisms are heading towards airlines, which received $54bn in pandemic relief funds , in part to keep staff and avoid widespread delays.

"During the pandemic, when air travel came to a near halt, U.S. taxpayers came to the rescue and gave $54 billion to the airline industry," Sen Bernie Sanders wrote to Mr Buttigieg in a letter on Wednesday. "The top eight airlines alone received nearly $50 billion in taxpayer assistance from the federal government. Given all of the generous taxpayer support that has been provided to the airline industry, all of us have a responsibility to make sure that passengers and crew members are treated with respect, not contempt.

Mr Sanders has argued that the Department of Transportation should fine airlines $55,000 per passenger for every flight cancelation they know cant be fully staffed and $15,000 per passenger for every extended delay on domestic and international flights.

On Thursday, Delta CEO Ed Bastian wrote a letter apologising to customers.

Weve spent years establishing Delta as the industry leader in reliability, and though the majority of our flights continue to operate on time, this level of disruption and uncertainty is unacceptable, the letter reads.
Damion Lee is the first offseason addition to the Suns roster after free agency opened Thursday.

The 6-foot-6 shooting guard and unrestricted free agent won't be returning to the defending world champion Golden State Warriors next season. He agreed to a one-year deal with Phoenix on Friday, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Lee, 29, played the past four seasons of his five-year NBA career as a Warrior. He averaged 7.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 44.1% shooting and 33.7% beyond the arc, and 19.9 minutes through 63 games played during last regular season. He's produced 8.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.7 steals, 43.4% FG and 35.7% on 3s per game for his career.

Lee wasn't in Golden State's rotation during their latest title run. He posted just 2.0 points, 1.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists in 7.8 minutes during the playoffs.

After Lee played his college days at Drexel and Louisville, his journey to the NBA came up through the G League on the Maine Red Claws and Santa Cruz Warriors, which are affiliates of the the Boston Celtics and Golden State, respectively.

He signed several 10-day and two-way contracts with the Atlanta Hawks and Golden State before he signed a three-year deal for $4.5 million with the latter team in January 2020.

Have tips for us? Reach the reporter at dana.scott@azcentral.com or at 480-486-4721. Follow his Twitter @iam_DanaScott.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Former Warriors guard Damion Lee agrees to one-year deal with Suns
WINCHESTER, Ind.  A Winchester man's recent death at an Ohio work site is being investigated by federal authorities.

Bradley Fritz, 37, died June 23, two days after being critically injured at an Ohio AES substation under construction near Tipp City in Miami County, Ohio, about 45 miles southeast of Winchester.

Fritz, an employee of Cobalt Civil in Winchester, reportedly fell head first into a hole that was 10 feet deep and less than three feet wide.

After he was pulled from the hole, resuscitation efforts began, but the Randolph County man later died at a Dayton hospital.

Miami County sheriff's deputies and Tipp City EMS personnel responded to the scene.

In a release, officials with AES Ohio said on June 21, "a contractor working for AES Ohio sustained a serious injury that later resulted in a fatality."

"AES Ohio extends its deepest sympathy to the individuals family and is providing support resources as they grieve the loss of their loved one.

The fatality is under investigation by the sheriff's department and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Fritz was married and the father of a 7-year-old son.

A GoFundMe account has been established to help the family with expenses.

STAY INFORMED AND SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM: Subscribe today using the link at the top of this page.

Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Work-site accident results in death of Winchester man
As the largest migrant caravan this year makes its way through Mexico toward the United States, numerous organizations on both sides of the border are trying to support the several thousand immigrants seeking asylum.

For people like Estefania Rebellon, who runs a school within a shelter for migrants in Tijuana, the work is personal.

When I was 10 years old, my parents had to travel to the United States from Colombia to seek asylum, Rebellon told ABC News. I know what it's like to be transported from your home to a completely unknown place.

Rebellon runs a school called Yes We Can, which provides free education to children five days a week while their families are preparing to cross the border into the United States.

PHOTO: Estefania Rebellon shows ABC's Maria Elena Salinas Yes We Can's school in Tijuana. (ABC News)

This week, the Supreme Court voted to overturn the Trump administration's "Remain in Mexico" policy, known formally as the Migrant Protection Protocols, or MPP, which required migrants seeking asylum and traveling through Mexico from a third country to return to Mexico while awaiting their court dates. The Biden administration has rarely enforced the policy and has said it seeks to end it.

Far more consequential has been former President Donald Trumps policy called Title 42, which allows border officials to turn migrants seeking asylum away due to the health risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the American Immigration Council, over 1.8 million people have been expelled as a result.

Recently more than 50 people died in an alleged migrant smuggling operation in San Antonio, Texas, in what Homeland Security Investigations has called the deadliest incident of human smuggling in U.S. history.

PHOTO: A coyote, referred to by the pseudonym Willie, is shown during an interview with ABC's Maria Elena Salinas. (ABC News)

Willie, a third-generation coyote, the colloquial term for a person who smuggles migrants across the U.S.-Mexico border, says that he has no qualms about his profession.

Nothing in this life is safe," Willie, who asked to be referred to by a pseudonym, told ABC News' Maria Elena Salinas. "Right now, [there are] people who are helping their families and have thanked me for it.

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For some its illegal. For us its legal, he added of his illegal activities.

MORE: Migrant caravan in south Mexico demands corridor to border

In Deming, New Mexico, 35 miles from the U.S. Mexico border, Ariana Saludares runs a pop-up shelter for migrants called Colores United.

Some who are dropped at her shelter have applied for asylum and are legally awaiting their claims; others have requested humanitarian parole. The shelter, which receives around 50 migrants twice a week, runs out of a number of local hotels.

Saludares says that, while she would love to have a permanent space for a shelter, the local hotels she operates out of are her only option.

There's no other space thats available to us, said Saludares. We hope that will change one day, but we can't wait. We need a shelter. And we need it now.

Benny Jasso, the mayor of Deming is specifically concerned that removing Title 42 would mean an influx of migrants that he says the city cannot handle.

What I'm concerned with is, are we going to be able to process them? he told Salinas.

We do not have the volunteer base right now to establish a shelter.

He says that Deming currently receives no federal resources to help house the asylum seekers they receive.

MORE: Supreme Court allows President Biden to end Trump's 'Remain in Mexico' policy for asylum seekers

What might be a concern to some, like added safety risks, are not a concern for Demings police chief Clint Hogan.

We don't have any issues at all, he told Salinas during an interview.

Marisa Ugarte is the founder and executive director of the human rights non-profit Bilateral Safety Corridor Coalition, based in California.

Ugarte has helped people such as "Maria," who is a survivor of abuse at the hands of people who promised to smuggle her safely across the border.

PHOTO: A former asylum seeker, referred to by the pseudonym Maria, holds her hands together during an interview. (ABC News)

"Maria," who is using a pseudonym due to safety concerns, was brought from El Salvador to Sonora, Mexico, where instead of finding safety she says she was repeatedly drugged and raped.

She finally managed to escape and fled to a shelter where she was helped by the workers, who encouraged her to make the trip to the U.S.

Thank God Im okay, even though I almost died, "Maria" told Salinas. But God never abandoned me.

MORE: Texas sheriff pens letter to Biden about the migrant crisis

Maria was taken to meet Ugarte, who helped her obtain asylum in the U.S. For Ugarte, who has supported countless women in similar situations, the notion that people immigrating to the U.S. should do so the proverbial right way, waiting for whatever legal means are available at the time, is flawed.

What is the right way? she said. If you're running from violence and from dying, what is the right way?

Immigrants find safe havens in shelters amid border chaos originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Matt Ford, who contracted monkeypox earlier this month, described it as a "pretty miserable experience" overall and urges others to get vaccinated.

In mid-June, Matt Ford learned someone he had been in contact with the weekend prior was experiencing monkeypox symptoms. The following weekend, intense flu-like symptoms hit the 30-year-old hard. Fever, chills, sore throat, coughing, swollen lymph nodes and sweating through his sheets at night.

After being swabbed for monkeypox at his doctor's office, flu-like symptoms lessened but lesions appeared and became "quite painful."

Dull, constant soreness. Bursts of sharp jabbing pain whenever he moved the wrong way or irritated a lesion.

His test results confirmed it: He had monkeypox too.

The U.S. has recorded at least 460 cases of monkeypox reported in 30 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, yet the disease remains a mystery for many.

Caused by a virus in the same family as smallpox, monkeypox is transmissible through person-to-person contact with rashes, scabs or bodily fluids, as well as touching infected items like clothing. Symptoms, which can begin to appear seven to 14 days after exposure, include fever, muscle aches, exhaustion and a rash that can appear on the body. It is fatal for up to 1 in 10 people, the World Health Organization says. No deaths have been reported in the current U.S. outbreak.

The virus is not considered a sexually transmitted disease, though it can be transmitted through close personal contact with sores or bodily fluids, such as what happens during sexual activity, Dr. John Brooks, a medical epidemiologist with the CDC's Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, previously said.

USA TODAY spoke to people who either experienced monkeypox or got vaccinated against it and learned that the fight against stigma will be as important as fighting yet another circulating virus.

More: US to release at least 1.6 million vaccines to fight monkeypox by end of year, officials say

What it is like to have monkeypox, get the vaccine

Ford says his illness was overall a "pretty miserable experience." It prompted him to cancel his New York City Pride plans and remain isolated in Los Angeles, taking prescribed painkillers to help manage the discomfort.

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"More lesions started to appear throughout the next week  a couple of concentrations on my arms, on my face and on more sensitive skin like in the underwear area. Then more popped up on my legs, arms, everywhere," he says.

This past weekend, the pain started to subside, and he's been sharing his experience on social media to help inform others and urge them to get vaccinated.

More than 1.6 million vaccines to combat monkeypox will be released in the U.S. throughout the rest of the year, and anyone possibly exposed to the virus is encouraged to get vaccinated, federal health officials said Tuesday. But the current rollout has led to some confusion.

In this photo provided by Matt Ford, a monkeypox spot can be seen on his chin.

One person who decided to get the vaccine is Will Kellogg, a 29-year-old based in Brooklyn, New York, who said "it just made sense" once he heard there was one available.

"I am a gay man and obviously I know a lot of gay people and spend a lot of time with them. So it just seemed like the most proactive thing to do," he explains. "I can obviously protect myself, but in theory, if it can decrease the amount of cases among gay people, it won't necessarily spread to everybody else."

Despite his willingness, the journey to get the jab was a bit more challenging.

"I had seen a tweet about it  that doses were suddenly available last Thursday. I wasn't able to make an appointment online, so I called after seeing some people had success calling to make appointments," he explained. Although he made an appointment over the phone for the next day, when he arrived, he found out he wasn't actually in the system. After "a little bit of phone tag," he was contacted about another appointment for a later date.

Getting the vaccine itself was fine, he added, saying it was similar to getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

Murray Penner, an HIV advocate who works in the public health space, had been following the monkeypox outbreak closely and was ready to get vaccinated when shots became available in his home in Washington, D.C.

Murray Penner, an HIV advocate who works in the public health space, had been following the monkeypox outbreak closely and was ready to get vaccinated when shots became available in his home in Washington, D.C.

As soon as he saw a tweet from the mayor informing the public of vaccination appointments rolling out in the coming minutes, he hopped on his computer and was able to seamlessly book an appointment for the next day.

"I know a lot of people had trouble using the website and getting it to work because I think a lot of people were trying, but I guess I was just fortunate and got through," the 60-year-old said.

What needs to be improved? And how does stigma play a role?

Kellogg says he's happy to have gotten the vaccine, and doesn't want to downplay the importance of it, but adds it's "definitely been a little frustrating."

He questioned why health officials didn't start distributing these vaccines sooner when the technology was already available.

"Clearly based on the amount of people that were willing to drop everything and go get this vaccine in the middle of the day on a Thursday, people are willing to take it."

While there are no treatments specifically for monkeypox infections, smallpox viruses are genetically similar, meaning smallpox vaccines could be used to prevent monkeypox infections. The Jynneos vaccine is one of those vaccines, and it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2019 for monkeypox prevention in people ages 18 and older. It requires two doses, taken four weeks apart.

For those who are already dealing with the painful symptoms of the virus, Ford wishes it was also easier to access treatment options like Tecovirimat (or TPOXX), an antiviral drug developed and approved by the FDA to treat smallpox and may be considered for emergency treatment of viruses such as monkeypox.

Penner found the website to sign up for vaccination convenient but the physical vaccination site not so much.

After providing his proof of residency and filling out forms, Penner found the room "a little disturbing." It sparked memories of his experience in the 1980s and 90s HIV clinics, with mostly gay men lined up in spaced-out chairs waiting to be called.

He noted a "somber" and "clinical" feeling in the space as people waited to get vaccinated, but also noticed something else: The room was overwhelmingly young and white, with the exception of "maybe one or two people," he recalled.

"Where's the equity in this? We always talk about health equity and reaching populations that normally don't have access to things like this, and it just looked very white," he says, pointing to systemic barriers that limit access.

"I don't think there were any evening appointments, so if someone is working, they're not going to be able to do it. And if you're not active on social media, how do you find out about this?"

People with privilege may also feel more comfortable speaking out about their experience with monkeypox more so than people with intersecting identities of less privilege.

The name of the virus has also sparked racism concerns. Earlier this month, more than 30 international scientists said the monkeypox label is discriminatory and stigmatizing with an urgent need to rename it.

Plus, a delicate balance remains at play when it comes to informing men who have sex with men about the virus (who make up the majority of current cases) without causing stigma.

"I absolutely feel like there needs to be education to the gay community about it," Penner says but understands how the focus on gay men may fuel some to place blame. " 'Now they're starting another disease'  I can hear it. "

As of now, however, Penner says he's been impressed with the federal and state response in using inclusive, non-stigmatizing language surrounding the virus.

Still, Kellogg worries about a lack of education in the broader population, especially if the virus gets painted as a sexually transmitted disease only focused on affecting queer men.

"(It's) spread from close contact or skin-to-skin contact, which obviously includes sex, but isn't the only way you can get it," he explains.

Ford agrees it's not useful to "stigmatize any part of this because it doesn't serve anyone  and the reality is that it's not only affecting gay men."

USA TODAY has reached out to DC Health and NYC Health for comment.

If you've experienced monkeypox or have gotten vaccinated against it, we'd love to hear from you. Please contact smoniuszko@gannett.com if you're willing to share your experience for a potential follow-up story.

Contributing: Jordan Mendoza and Mike Snider, USA TODAY

More: Monkeypox cases may be mistaken for a sexual transmitted disease, CDC warns

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Monkeypox: What it's like to have the virus, get vaccine
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has become an honorary citizen of Odesa, Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov said in an interview with BBC.

"We very much appreciate the help of your country, your Prime Minister. Therefore, I signed an order to award Boris Johnson with Grigory Marazli Honorary Badges of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd degrees," Trukhanov was quoted by the press service of Odesa City Council on Telegram.

The presence of all degrees of the award automatically made Johnson an Honorary Citizen of Odesa.

According to Trukhanov, the United Kingdom is the main ally and friend of Ukraine.

"If the entire world community took the same position as the people of Britain, we would have defeated the occupiers long ago," the mayor of Odesa emphasized.

"I emphasize that this is the struggle of the entire civilized community against fascism version 2.0, and in this struggle, Mr. Johnson will become the first Honorary Citizen of the city  a citizen of Great Britain, since 1862, for the entire existence of the award," the mayor emphasized.
Latvian Prime Minister Arturs Krisjanis Karins holds a meeting with his Spanish counterpart at La Moncloa in Madrid, on June 13, 2022. / Credit: GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP via Getty Images

Washington  Latvia's Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins has warned European and U.S. leaders not to succumb to "war weariness" as Russia's war in Ukraine grinds on, helping to drive energy and food prices higher around the world. In an interview with CBS News, Karins said leaders of countries that aren't experiencing war first-hand can become "tired or less committed to aiding the country which is in need."

He urged countries struggling with inflation to accept it as a small price to pay, as "Ukrainians are paying with their lives."

This week, NATO announced the military alliance's high-readiness forces would be significantly increased from 40,000 to more than 300,000 troops, with a focus on increasing the Eastern flank, close to the EU's borders with Russia.

Latvia, a NATO member sharing a land border with Russia, will host the largest NATO force on the Eastern flank with 1,887 troops. Lithuania will have 1,632 and Estonia 1,430. Karins praised the U.S. for its decision to increase the troop presence in the east, saying the announcements made at a NATO summit in Madrid had put the security alliance "on the right track."

As he left that summit, President Joe Biden vowed that the U.S. would continue to support Ukraine for "as long as it takes," and he said more military aid would be announced in the coming days.

Earlier in the week, Mr. Biden reiterated America's commitment to defend its NATO allies, referencing the Article 5 collective defense clause in the alliance's charter.

"We mean it when we say an attack against one is an attack against all," the president said Wednesday.

During a visit to Turkmenistan on Thursday, President Vladimir Putin said Russia would outlast Ukraine  whose sovereignty he has repeatedly called into question  saying he was in no hurry to end the war that he refers to only as a "special military operation."

And German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also said in an interview with CBS News' Margaret Brennan Thursday that Putin, having prepared for his war on Ukraine for at least a year before inciting it, is likely ready to wage his offensive for a "long time."

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Karins said NATO leaders shouldn't worry about provoking the Russian autocrat, as "there's nothing that we in Europe, or in NATO, can do to provoke or not to provoke Putin. He is on his own trajectory, regardless of what it is that we do."

In early June, French President Emmanuel Macron warned that "we must not humiliate Russia so that the day when the fighting stops we can build an exit ramp through diplomatic means."

Karins argues there is "political danger" in the argument "that we need peace at any cost, because that translates to peace at the cost of Ukraine."

The Latvian leader called it "ludicrous" to imagine any world leader being willing to give up any part of their own nation's territory.

According to a May survey by the Washington Post, 72% of Latvian speakers in Latvia saw Russia as the primary threat to their country, and almost 80% of Latvian speakers supported a larger NATO presence. With a long history of Russian invasion and occupation, the threat of Russia looms large over the collective Latvian subconscious.

Karins warned that a Russian victory in Ukraine "would radically change world order."

"It's like giving the devil your little finger. It might seem good at first, but in the end, you're essentially in the first step of giving up your own way of life," he said.

Latvia has already been on the receiving end of Russia's aggression in the form of cyberattacks and disinformation. Karins described a "steady barrage" of Russian cyberattacks, which he said his own country's defense forces had managed to to stay one step ahead of.

Latvia has been targeted with cyberattacks by the Russian hacking group "Killnet" and its associated groups since May, according to Latvian Radio.

Russia's disinformation campaign has also targeted Russian speakers in Latvia in an effort to "try to split our society," according to Karins. Since Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, Latvia's media watchdog has shut down more than 100 television channels and websites spreading Russian propaganda, Karins told CBS News.

Just as important, Karins said, have been Latvia's efforts to fill the void left by those Russian language channels with objective information.

"We all need to do a little more,'' he said. "If Latvia, which is not the richest of countries in Europe, can donate the equivalent of one third of our annual military budget to Ukraine, then certainly some of our friends and neighbors, who are relatively more wealthy, can probably donate a little bit more than they have today."

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I grew up in Hawaii and far too often, I see tourists being disrespectful. Kathleen Wong

I grew up on Oahu and still live in Hawaii. All too often, I see visitors being disrespectful.

There are six things I wish travelers would do to be more responsible tourists in Hawaii.

Start by researching the culture, meet locals, stay off social media, and support local businesses.

I'm a Hawaii resident and all too often, I see visitors being disrespectful. There are six things I wish they would do instead to be a more responsible tourist in Hawaii.

I grew up in Hawaii and still live on Oahu as an adult. Kathleen Wong

As someone who grew up in Hawaii and still lives here as a resident of Oahu, I feel lucky to be able to enjoy the raw natural beauty and exceptional weather of this remote island chain on a regular basis.

To show my appreciation, and so others may enjoy it well into the future, I always make sure to be respectful and leave places as they were when I arrived. Sometimes I'll even pick up others' trash on my way out.

Unfortunately, many visitors to Hawaii don't behave in the same way. Locals, including myself, frequently catch tourists being disrespectful, acting like Hawaii is their tropical playground. This disrespect can come in many forms.

On Oahu, I'll drive to the North Shore from Honolulu and see tourists parked at a beach called Laniakea, also known as Green Turtle Beach for the turtles that bask on its sandy stretch. Despite signs telling you not to feed or get too close to them, I see tourists pose right next to the endangered animals for photos.

Just a month ago, at Bowls, a surfing spot I frequent near Waikiki Beach, a monk seal  also considered endangered  was resting on the beach and I saw a tourist family let their young child run around it. And over the years, I've seen popular hiking trails and beaches become overrun and covered in litter.

Of course, I don't think every visitor to Hawaii does these things. But in my experience, enough do to exhaust the locals beyond just me. A 2020 survey found that 67% of Hawaii residents think their "island is being run for tourists at the expense of local people." I agree.

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But because about a quarter of Hawaii's economy hinges on the tourism industry, tourists aren't going anywhere.

However, according to Pauline Sheldon, a professor emerita at the University of Hawaii's Travel Industry Management School, told me she thinks tourism in Hawaii can be reshaped to educate curious visitors without depleting resources. "It's becoming evident that tourism can transform the visitor, but tourism can also transform the destination for the greater good," she said.

By making more thoughtful choices, you can have a more authentic experience in the islands and directly support Hawaii and the local community. Here are the six ways to do it, that I wish more tourists would do on any trip to Hawaii.

Before your trip, spend time researching Hawaii  and not just the best beaches. Learn about Hawaiian culture, history, and values.

There's much more to Hawaiian culture than just beaches and hula dancing. The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua

When planning any trip, in addition to scheduling out your itinerary, it's important to learn about your destination beyond the major things to do.

In this case, take time to learn about Hawaiian culture and history, including its values, and put those learnings into action when you're here. I don't expect you to learn everything, but there are a few key things to understand to ensure you see the state through an accurate lens.

"Many Native Hawaiians feel that tourism has not delivered on its promises, and there are certainly elements of some activities, attractions, and marketing campaigns that present a distorted or misinformed picture of Hawaiian culture," said Malia Sanders, executive director of the Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association.

For me, that's tourists coming to Hawaii thinking the island is just hula dancers in grass skirts and coconut bras.

"If you visit, know that there are expectations when you are here," she said. "Know that you have kuleana, which means a responsibility, duty and privilege to learn, aloha, and malama, take care of and respect our home."

For example, you probably already know that aloha is a common greeting. But it means so much more; it's a philosophy of being welcoming and kind to others with no expectation in return. As a visitor, you should understand aloha and show it to others.

Likewise, Native Hawaiians have lived in harmony with nature for many years, and respecting the land, or aina, and ocean is expected of anyone. So don't litter or take parts of the island, like rocks back home with you.

A good starting point to learn about Hawaiian culture is the Go Hawaii website, where you can learn common Hawaiian phrases, history and stories of goddesses like Pele, and how Hawaii came to be.

When friends visit me for the first time, I like to recommend that they watch chef and television personality Eddie Huang's "Huang's World" episode in Hawaii, which explores modern Hawaiian identity through the eyes of local folks like farmers and restaurant owners.

I also ask my friends to check out Honolulu Civil Beat, a local nonprofit journalism outlet, to learn some of the issues Hawaii is currently facing, such as a housing crisis. These resources help break down the misconception that Hawaii is just an idyllic paradise.

Book Hawaii hotels with cultural advisors who will help you learn about Hawaiian culture in a respectful way.

Be sure to book a hotel that employs a Native Hawaiian cultural advisor on-site who is dedicated to educating guests on Hawaiian culture. The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua

In Hawaii, cultural practitioners are key figures in perpetuating Hawaiian culture, like a hula dance teacher, called a kumu. These knowledgeable people have spent many years working hard at their craft, and in the past decade, have become an important part of the hospitality industry to educate visitors.

Clifford Nae'ole is the award-winning Hawaiian Cultural Advisor for The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua and helped pioneer educational programs in the tourism industry. Each year on Maui, he hosts the Celebration of the Arts, where the public can participate in ceremonies and hands-on demonstrations, such as storytelling, or mo'olelo, by highly regarded practitioners across the state.

When choosing your hotel, Nae'ole encourages visitors to pick one who employs a Native Hawaiian cultural advisor who is dedicated to educating guests on Hawaiian culture. They also ensure the hotel is being respectful in the way it shares Hawaiian culture.

"These engagements with practitioners and artists instill a sense of place rather than just a destination,'" he said. "A visitor will be able to feel the emotion behind our history and what continues to shape the contemporary Hawaiian."

For example, during the Celebration of the Arts, guests are invited to an early morning E ala E and Hiuwai Ceremony, where they can take a quiet dip in the ocean as practitioners chant to the rising sun. This introspective experience offers guests a glimpse into an ancient Hawaiian tradition that's not often advertised to tourists in the same way that surfing lessons might be.

Geotagging social media posts can wreak havoc on natural resources and cause overcrowding. Leave locations off your posts  or better yet, keep your phone in your hotel room.

I like to post pictures and videos when I surf in Hawaii, but I leave the exact location off of my post. Kathleen Wong

With edited and filtered photos, social media is understandably the main source of #travelspo for many people.

Because let's face it, we do want to show off the cool activities and places we experience. But when you post a picture of a place that's off the beaten path, that additional exposure could lead to it becoming so overcrowded that not even locals can enjoy it anymore.

For example, about 10 years ago, I used to hang out in gorgeous tide pools at the bottom of a remote hike. When Instagram became popular around the same time, so did those tide pools. Now, it's always so crowded that I don't bother to go anymore.

So while I still use social media, I no longer share the location of my activities. Whenever I post a surfing video or pretty hike onto Instagram, I avoid geo tagging the specific place or giving away the name. If a friend personally asks me, I'll tell them, because I want them to have an enjoyable time, but I try my best to remember the widespread impact social media can have.

You might also consider just putting your phone away and keeping that special discovery for your mental memory.

Spend your money wisely in Hawaii, and whenever possible, choose local businesses to support.

I always support local businesses when dining or shopping on any Hawaiian island. Kathleen Wong

When you buy local, you're investing in local people and helping to keep our economy vibrant.

Choose farm-to-table restaurants or mom and pop eateries over chain restaurants, where the profits don't stay within the community.

Book excursions with locally-owned businesses to see how local farmers cultivate the land and feed the state, like ones hosted by Island Cruzin Hawaii.

Instead of mass-produced souvenirs, buy gifts made by local artisans for your loved ones back home because it allows the vendors to continue to preserve their culture and craft. I like stopping by Honolulu stores like MORI by Art +Flea and Na Mea, or other locally-owned boutiques to find unique items.

Better yet, choose businesses owned by Native Hawaiians. Hawaii's Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce and the Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association partnered together to create Kuhikuhi.com, a directory listing Native Hawaiian-owned businesses from tours to food.

Supporting local businesses makes your purchase more meaningful. You can have a conversation with a local artisan who shapes koa wood by hand rather than just grabbing something off a shelf in a store.

Start one-on-one conversations with as many locals as possible for insight, recommendations, and the most authentic vacation possible.

When you speak to local people, you can hear stories, get deeper insight on what Hawaii is all about, and learn the best recommendations and travel tips. The Moolelo Group

Maui-born Kainoa Horcajo is the principal owner of the Mo'olelo Group, a "cultural and communications firm" that promotes Native Hawaiian businesses and organizations to visitors and locals. Horcajo encourages people to spark conversations with as many locals as possible, whether that's your server at lunch or the worker at the hotel front desk.

"A lot of people think because they come to a place and they looked on Instagram and the internet, that they have permission to do things and have an understanding of what the place is," he said. "But those things don't ever function as a real host. The best way to have a real experience is to have one-on-one conversations with local people."

When you foster relationships with local people, you can hear their stories and get deeper insight on what Hawaii is all about. You can learn about places that are overrun that you should avoid, or recommendations for local businesses to support. Instead of ending up at tourist traps, a local can tell you what shave ice spot they grew up eating at, or where to get the best poke bowl. That's about as real of an experience as you can get, in my opinion.

Instead of spending all your vacation by the beach, consider giving back to Hawaii through volunteer opportunities.

Volunteering on vacation with an organization like Maui Cultural Lands enables you to directly benefit the place you are visiting. Kathleen Wong

Choosing to volunteer while traveling doesn't mean trading vacation for work. Rather, it will have you side-by-side with locals to directly benefit the place you are visiting.

Edwin "Ekolu" Lindsey III is president of the nonprofit Maui Cultural Lands. Every Saturday, the public is welcome to join Maui Cultural Lands and take care of the Honokowai Valley on Maui through planting native plants with the goal of educating people on why these resources should be protected. Many who join are tourists, and Lindsey says they come from all around the world.

"These travelers want something more in-depth," Lindsey said. "They want to see a Hawaii outside of tourism spots  they want something more intimate. If you come humble and respectful, as well as ready to learn and give back, the doors will open wide for you here."

Last month on Maui, I did something similar with the nonprofit Puu Kukui Watershed Preserve. On a rainy Saturday morning, we hiked up a hill to plant native species like koa trees at the state's largest private nature preserve with our hands. When the koa trees grow large, they can be shaped into canoes, which the Native Hawaiians historically steered to other islands. By the end of the morning, I felt connected to the island in a way that I had yet to feel before.

Curious visitors can explore additional volunteer opportunities with local nonprofits like Travel2Change or Go Hawaii.

Read the original article on Insider
By Tsvetelia Tsolova

SOFIA (Reuters) - Bulgaria's outgoing prime minister on Thursday called on Russia to withdraw a diplomatic ultimatum sent after Sofia expelled 70 Russian diplomatic staff which included a threat to close Russia's embassy in the Balkan nation.

Bulgaria, an EU and NATO member, said on Tuesday it was expelling 70 Russian diplomatic staff over espionage concerns and had set a cap on the size of Moscow's representation as tensions between the two once-close countries fractured over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The move, announced by the foreign ministry and Kiril Petkov, the outgoing prime minister, was the largest expulsion of Russian diplomats by Sofia in recent years and would more than half the size of Moscow's diplomatic footprint in Bulgaria if it goes ahead.

In a diplomatic note seen by Reuters, the Russian embassy on Thursday told Sofia to reverse the expulsions decision by midday on Friday. If it did not, the embassy said it would ask Moscow to consider ending Russia's physical diplomatic presence in Bulgaria altogether.

Russian Ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova, who has called the Bulgarian expulsions an "unprecedented hostile step," was not available for comment.

Petkov in a statement urged Russia to keep diplomatic channels between Moscow and Sofia open despite the expulsions which he said would still leave Russia with 43 diplomatic staff versus only 12 for Bulgaria in Moscow.

"We believe in the need for dialogue, for which diplomatic channels are key," Petkov said.

"For this reason, we ask the Embassy of the Russian Federation to withdraw the note submitted today. For the sake of the past and for the sake of the future, we must be able to take steps forward with mutual respect," he said.

Petkov, who last week lost a parliamentary no-confidence vote, has taken has taken an unusually strong stance over Ukraine against Russia for the leader of a country that enjoyed close ties with Moscow during the communist era.

Story continues

He sacked his defence minister for refusing to describe as a war what Russia calls its "special military operation" against Ukraine. He also backed EU sanctions against Moscow and agreed to Bulgaria repairing damaged Ukrainian military hardware.

The expulsions angered Bulgaria's Socialists, allies in Petkov's outgoing coalition government, who on Wednesday said they would not back a new cabinet led by him, a move that could bring the country closer to holding elections in the autumn.

(Reporting by Tsvetelia Tsolova; Writing by Andrew Osborn; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
National Economic Council Director Brian Deese said it makes sense for President Joe Biden to travel to Saudi Arabia despite that nation's much-criticized human rights record.

Speaking on "Fox News Sunday," Biden's economic czar said that next month's trip is all about advancing American interests.

"What's behind this is a very simple proposition, which is when it is U.S. interest for the president to engage with a foreign leader, he will do so," he told host Shannon Bream.

Deese was responding to suggestions by Bream that Biden might look desperate traveling to Saudi Arabia  a nation he has previously condemned for its human rights record, including the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi  at a time of increasing energy prices. Critics on both the left and right have said it is wrong for Biden to seem to give the Saudi royal family his stamp of approval by visiting there.

"We have significant interests, national security interests, in the region, as well as economic interests as well. He will vigorously represent American interests, while also vigorously representing American values," Deese said of Biden's July 13-16 trip, which will also include a trip to Israel and the adjacent West Bank.

Deese also spoke at length of various steps the administration is taking in connection with oil companies to help lower energy prices  while still attempting to make it possible to address long-term clean energy and climate goals.

"The reality is," Deese said, "we are a net exporter of oil, but more important than that for the immediate term is what we can do to increase supply. As you said, supply came down precipitously during Covid; we want to see that come back and come back online. In the near term, the companies have a very powerful market incentive. Prices are high, and their profit and profit margins are high, and what we are encouraging is that they take those and put those profits to work to increase production."

He added of the administration: "If there are practical things we can do, we're willing to listen and willing to be open."
(Kare 11)

Authorities recovered the bodies of three young children and their mother from a lake in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota.

Police have labelled the horrific incident, which unfolded on Friday at Vadnais Lake, located north of the state capital of St Paul, as a potential triple homicide.

Theres nothing more tragic than the loss of young children, Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher told reporters, adding that the youngsters are believed to be under the age of five.

Earlier on Friday, police responded to a mobile home in the area after a reported suicide, according to the Star Tribune . The deceased was identified as the father of the children and the partner of the mother who is still missing.

According to NBC News , family members then directed police to the lake on suspicion of a murder-suicide.

We do not know yet where their mother is, but were treating this as a potential triple homicide, Sheriff Fletcher told reporters at a press conference late on Friday. The womans car was discovered near the lake, as well as the childrens shoes.

On Saturday, according to the Star Tribune, all of the bodies were recovered.

Police had described their efforts as an active rescue and recovery operation, and dive teams have been dragging the lake in hopes of finding the other missing persons.
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Staff at the Whidbey Camano Land Trust in Washington knew they had to act quickly when a beachfront property south of Coupeville came on the market last December
Continued support for Ukraine is essential for European partners, because Putin hates the well-being of Europeans and wants to bring the crisis to the door of every European home, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba emphasizes.

"Keeping up the support for Ukraine is essential for European partners, because Putin hates the well-being of Europeans and wants to bring crisis to the door of every European home. Ukraine stands in the way of these malicious plans. By supporting us, partners support themselves," Kuleba said on Twitter.
Today

Sunshine along with some cloudy intervals. High around 110F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph.

Tonight

A mostly clear sky. Low near 85F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.

Tomorrow

Partly cloudy skies. High 112F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.
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A ship from Berdiansk, Zaporizhia region, occupied by Russian troops, entered the Turkish port, and in this regard Ukraine appealed to Turkey for urgent measures, Ukrainian Ambassador to Turkey Vasyl Bodnar reports.

"The ship Zhibek Zholy from occupied Berdiansk entered the port of Karasu. Based on the letter from the Prosecutor General's Office, we appealed to the Turkish side to take urgent measures. There is good communication and close cooperation with the authorities of the Republic of Turkey. I am convinced that the decisions taken will prevent attempts to violate the sovereignty of Ukraine!" Bodnar said on Facebook.
YORK  Governor Pete Ricketts made a stop in York as he traveled around the state, promoting the placement of the Voter ID initiative on the ballot, in order for the people to decide.

This policy would require all voters to present their identification when casting a ballot.

Joining Governor Ricketts was Mark McHargue, president of the Nebraska Farm Bureau. He introduced the governor to a large crowd at the Holthus Convention Center, saying, The leadership of the governor has been excellent and one thing Im really proud of it that hes finishing really strong on a conservative platform. Being here today is one example of leading well and getting good policy in place.

The governor thanked those in attendance, for taking the time to be there as this is a very important topic. This is about the integrity of our elections. One of the most solemn duties we have is voting. We know we are blessed, in the United States, to have this opportunity. Voting is how we help keep our Republic. This is not to be taken lightly. We have a constitutional Republic and to maintain that, we have to have security in our elections.

He reflected on issues and problems found during the 2020 General Election in other states, such as ballot watchers not being allowed near counting areas, ballots not being counted or found in time, legal issues not being addressed soon enough to impact the final counts, people bringing in more than one ballot at a time, issues with the chain of custody when ballots were delivered and unfortunately, voter fraud.

We can see the importance of why integrity in the voting system matters, Governor Ricketts said. We can see why the peoples confidence in the system is not at a high level. We can do better. The Heritage Foundation ranked Nebraska as tied for 43rd when it comes to voting integrity  we have to do better. This initiative will help us to do better. If we could pass Voter ID, that would help.

He noted that the legislature has passed some provisions to help with voting integrity  such as disallowing private donations to election commissioners and requiring secured ballot boxes.

But we still have opportunities to do more, Governor Ricketts continued. Voter ID has been considered by the legislature before but it was filibustered because Democrats wont go along with it. We havent been able to get it through. But here in Nebraska, we have a second house and thats the people. Thats what this is all about. This would give the people a chance to vote if they want Voter ID as part of our voting security.

Some argue that this would suppress voting, the governor said. But research shows that is simply not true. No one is disadvantaged by providing identification when voting. Its not a new idea. We need identification to drive our cars, board an airplane, cash a check, even buy Sudafed.

Another question has been why do we need Voter ID if we dont have widespread voter fraud in Nebraska, he continued. We dont want to wait until we have a problem we need to solve, we need to be proactive. We want to make sure it doesnt start in the first place. This will make sure a person is who they say they are. It will disallow non-citizens from voting and ensure people are voting in the right place and not voting multiple times in multiple places. We will be able to help people avoid accidentally voting twice and stop those who are doing it intentionally.

But to bring this to a vote of the people, we need to have 125,000 signatures to get it on the ballot, Governor Ricketts told the crowd  most of whom signed the petition as they entered the room. We want to makes sure people know about it.

His visit was on the edge of the deadline which is now here  July 6. Circulators and proponents have until the end of day on Wednesday, July 6, to gather signatures to be turned in on July 7. The governor said he didnt know how many signatures had already been achieved, but noted, We are close. This is an opportunity for the Second House to do what the legislature hasnt been able to do. If this would pass, Nebraskans would simply present their drivers licenses when voting. For those who do not have a drivers license for whatever reason, they could get state identification cards. It would be a simple process that would do a lot to provide election security in this state.
Fred Krieg received a call at 6:30 a.m. from a truck driver notifying him that his farm about two miles west of Lingle was under water as the result of a breach of the Interstate Canal. By later Friday morning, that breach threatened the small Wyoming town.

After I got the phone call, I called my farmer and he said we got a massive water problem, Krieg said. He could see about a 20 foot section broke out of the Tri-state ditch ruptured and it was dumping water downhill to our property.

Dan Ellis, who leases the Krieg farm ground, Well, I've heard of it happening. But this is the first time I've ever witnessed it and it's a lot of water."

Krieg and his wife, Sue, rent the house on their farm, which was quickly evacuated. He said the first floor of the house along with the barn were under water Friday morning. Sue said the water was running down both sides of U.S. Highway 26 toward Lingle when they tried to reach their farm.

Ellis said about 550 head of cattle were moved out of Brian Greenwalds feedyard before it became completely flooded.

They got the canal shut off but it's gonna take quite a while for it to drain, Ellis said. It drains back both directions for a while and then we get a lot of our water out of the little ditch, the Lucerne canal and it broke it out, too. So its running water too but not near the volume.

According to an alert issued by the U.S. National Weather Service-Cheyenne office, by mid-morning, residents of Lingle have been advised to evacuate due to the canal breach one mile east of Lingle.

A Flash Flood Emergency has been issued for the Lingle area. The warning stated, "This is a PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. SEEK HIGHER GROUND NOW!"

The Flash Flood Emergency is in effect in and near Lingle until 4 p.m. The weather service advised that a Whalen Dam operator reported that flow in the canal should begin to recede after 2 p.m.
The launch of the Mahindra Scorpio-N has definitely raised the bar for rival SUVs with its top 5 variants. The car fanatics are going haywire with their wildest of imaginations to come up as they are coming up with various modified ideas. Hence, an illustration of the Mahindra Scorpio N pick up truck version of the SUV by Abin designs on Instagram has caught the eye of netizens. This digital iteration of the Mahindra Scorpio N pick up truck can give a tough fight to the Isuzu V-Cross virtually.

The front fascia doesn't seem to have many alterations apart from having a scooped-out bonnet in the illustration. The silver skid plate beneath the front bumper looks sturdy. This version has more muscular wheel arches than the regular ones and alloy wheels look a size smaller. To make the door panel more prominent, there is a distinguished side skirting finished with a silver texture.

Instead of third-row seating, this version has a rear section that now has a cargo bed which is giving all the feels to the modified truck. The utilitarian aspect of this illustration has definitely put the pickup truck as a rival to Isuzu V-Cross and Toyota Hilux.

Also read: 2022 Mahindra Scorpio-N first drive review: The OG Indian SUV is back in a new avatar: WATCH Video

The new Mahindra Scorpio N which was the much-awaited SUV comes with the latest features and design upgrades. The price of the SUV starts at Rs 11.99 lakh (ex-showroom) and goes up to Rs 19.49 lakh (ex-showroom) for the top-level trim of the new car. The D-segment, ladder-frame SUV is now introduced in its 3rd-gen avatar with an all-new chassis, body shell, exterior design, and cabin. The Scorpio-N gets a new variant line-up as well. There are a total of 5 variants on offer this time - Z2, Z4, Z6, Z8, and Z8L.

Two engine options are offered on the Scorpio - N. The turbo-petrol motor will belt out 200 PS and 380 Nm, whereas the oil burner is rated to deliver 175 PS and 400 Nm. Bookings for the Mahindra Scorpio-N will begin from July 30th in both online and offline fashion.

Live TV
A Spicejet aircraft going from Delhi to Jabalpur had to return to Delhi after the cabin crew and passengers on the plane noticed smoke coming out of the aircraft. The incident occurred when the plane was 5,000 ft in the sky. Based on the report the plane safely returned back to the airport, upon return the passengers safely disembarked off the plane.

The video of the incident was shared by ANI, the video shows the cabin filling with smoke and passengers fanning themselves using paper, probably to help them breathe. This is not the first incident a Spicejet plane has come into controversy because of problems in its aircraft. Recently one of the planes from the airlines had to make an emergency landing because it caught fire mid-air due to a birdstrike. There have been multiple such incidents.

#WATCH | A SpiceJet aircraft operating from Delhi to Jabalpur returned safely to the Delhi airport today morning after the crew noticed smoke in the cabin while passing 5000ft; passengers safely disembarked: SpiceJet Spokesperson pic.twitter.com/R1LwAVO4Mk July 2, 2022

"The Delhi-bound flight had returned to Patna airport after locals noticed a fire in the aircraft and informed district and airport officials. All 185 passengers were safely deboarded. The reason is a technical glitch, engineering team analyzing further," said Chandrashekhar Singh, Patna District Magistrate told media persons.

On June 25, a SpiceJet aircraft with a destination of Guwahati had to abort takeoff from Patna's Jay Prakash Narayan international airport because of some technical difficulties. This was after numerous instances of aircraft making emergency landings. Former Bihar MLA Bunty Chaudhary, who was a passenger on the flight, posted a video on social media.

It is to be noted that these incidents with multiple airlines are on a rise even after warnings from the aviation watchdog authority DGCA. Another airline Indigo has also been involved in one such incident of birdstrike.
New Delhi: Top crypto hedge fund Three Arrows Capital (3AC) has filed for bankruptcy in the US, days after its liquidation began in the British Virgin Islands, the media reported on Saturday. The liquidation, and now Chapter 15 bankruptcy in New York, comes as popular crypto tokens such as Bitcoin and Ethereum nosedived by nearly 70 per cent from their record highs amid the economic meltdown.

According to court documents seen by the Financial Times, crypto options and futures exchange "Deribit claimed Three Arrows failed to repay $80 million, as financial woes have plagued the hedge fund". (ALSO READ: Truck driver goes to take Rs 1.5 lakh lottery prize, gets Rs 7.5 crore)

"The company is or is likely to become unable to pay its debts as they fall due, and is therefore insolvent," claimed Deribit. (ALSO READ: Mark Zuckerberg's WARNING for Facebook employees: 'Get ready for intense performance appraisal, else LEAVE'!)

The Monetary Authority of Singapore this week slammed Three Arrows for providing false information and breaching an asset under management threshold, the report noted.

The mega fund, founded by Credit Suisse traders Zhu Su and Kyle Davies, once managed an estimated $10 billion in assets.

Its insolvency has forced major industry players to reshuffle operations and limit customer withdrawals amid a crypto selloff that seemed to catch plenty of mega firms off guard, according to The Verge.

On Friday, beleaguered crypto lending firm BlockFi announced a deal with leading crypto exchange FTX US, saying it had lost around $80 million from its dealings with Singapore-based 3AC.

The Chapter 15 bankruptcy will allow the foreign firm to protect its stateside assets while the liquidation is carried out in the British Virgin Islands.
New Delhi: Meta has issued a warning to its staff, telling them to prepare for "difficult times" ahead. Meta is actively reducing its hiring. CEO Mark Zuckerberg of the firm disclosed a nearly 30% reduction in the company's planned engineering hiring. During a weekly employee Q&A, Zuckerberg also stated that the company is "turning up the heat" on performance management to remove employees who are unable to fulfill their goals.

Actually, a lot of the employees at the company definitely shouldn't be there, according to Zuckerberg. I think some of you might decide that this place isn't for you, and that self-selection is OK with me, so that's part of my hope for raising expectations, having more aggressive goals, and just sort of turning up the heat a little bit," he was cited by Reuters as saying. Employees were informed by Zuckerberg that the current economic crisis in Meta is the worst in recent memory. Read More: 7th Pay Commission: DA hike of 5% expected in July; Here's how much your salary will increase, check latest update..

Meta has generally acknowledged freezing the employment process but has declined to provide specific numbers. According to Zuckerberf, the corporation has lowered its goal for employing engineers in 2022 to between 6,000 and 7,000. Initially, the corporation had intended to bring on approximately 10,000 new engineers, but things have changed. Read More: Garena Free Fire redeem codes for today, 2 July: Check website, steps to redeem

Chris Cox, the chief product officer of Meta, recommended in a message that the business run leaner, meaner, and better-executing teams. "I must stress that the situation is dire and that there are strong headwinds. We must perform flawlessly in a slower-growth environment where teams shouldn't anticipate massive influxes of new engineers and funding, "Cox said.

The largest social network firm in the world, Meta, had a loss in daily active users recorded by Facebook this year, which caused Meta to lose approximately half of its market value. The popularity of Instagram Reels is growing, though. Users in the US and other markets were spending a lot of time on Reels, according to Cox.
Mumbai: On June 21, a 54-year-old chemist was killed in Maharashtras Amravati district. Reports claimed that he was murdered for his Facebook post supporting Nupur Sharma. Now, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to take over the probe into the killing of shop owner Umesh Kolhe. "MHA has handed over the investigation of the case relating to the barbaric killing of Umesh Kolhe in Amravati Maharashtra on 21st June to NIA. The conspiracy behind the killing, involvement of organisations & international linkages would be thoroughly investigated," the Office of the Home Minister of India tweeted.

MHA has handed over the investigation of the case relating to the barbaric killing of Shri Umesh Kolhe in Amravati Maharashtra on 21st June to NIA.



The conspiracy behind the killing, involvement of organisations and international linkages would be thoroughly investigated. July 2, 2022

"Six people arrested so far and have been sent to police custody. They've been booked under IPC sec 302 (murder), 120 B (criminal conspiracy), 34," said Vikram Sali, DCP Amravati on Amravati murder. "Prima facie, it seems to be the case," he was quoted by ANI as saying when asked if the reason is his social media post on Nupur Sharma.

The police complaint was filed by Sanket, Umesh's son. Talking to Indian Express, Sanket said that the murder happened when Umesh was returning home on his two-wheeler from his shop on June 21 night. Sanket and his wife were on another two-wheeler following him. On the way, Umesh was reportedly stopped by two men who stabbed him and fled the spot. Umesh was taken to a hospital but died during his treatment.

This development comes as a worry for the country which saw a brutal murder of a tailor, Kanahaiya Lal, in Udaipur over a social media post supporting Nupur Sharma. Tailor Kanhaiya Lal was killed by two cleaver-wielding men - Riaz Akhtari and Ghouse Mohammad - who posted a grisly video of the crime online. Both the main accused were arrested in Rajsamand hours later. On Saturday, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) took custody of the two men.

The assailants identified themselves in the video as Riyaz Akhtari and Ghouse Mohammad. In the video, Riyaz was seen attacking 47-year-old Kanhaiya Lal with a sharp-edged weapon while the other, Ghouse, recorded the crime on his mobile phone. The victim reportedly had recently shared a social media post in support of Nupur Sharma-- former BJP leader who had made controversial remarks against Prophet Mohammad. Riyaz and Ghouse were arrested from Bhim in the Rajsamand district. Kanhaiya Lal was cremated on Wednesday in Udaipur in the presence of a large number of people who raised slogans demanding capital punishment for the accused. His last rites were performed amidst heavy police security.

Also read: 'I respect Hinduism a million times more than Islam', says THIS politician who supports Nupur Sharma
New Delhi: Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair was produced before the Patiala Court in Delhi today in a case for allegedly hurting religious sentiments, through a social media post. Delhi Police sought his judicial custody after his 4-day remand ended on Saturday. The police have also alleged conspiracy and destruction of evidence in the case by the accused and the relevant sections of the same were added in the FIR. The police added three new Sections - 201 (for the destruction of evidence - formatted phone and deleted tweets), 120-(B) (for criminal conspiracy) of IPC and 35 of FCRA (Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act) in the matter. A bail application has been filed by the counsel for Mohammed Zubair. Meanwhile, Atul Shrivastava has been appointed as the Special Public Prosecutor for Delhi Police in a case related to an alleged objectionable tweet by Zubair.

Notably, Section 35 of the FCRA states the punishment for contravention of any provision of the Act, whoever accepts any foreign contribution or any currency or security from a foreign source, in contravention of any provision of this Act or any rule or order made thereunder, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years, or with fine, or with both.

The accused was produced before the Patiala House court in Delhi today after the end of his 4-day police remand. The FIR against Zubair was lodged on June 20 based on the complaint filed by the Duty Officer of the IFSO unit of the Delhi Police Special Cell which tackles cyber crimes. Zubair was arrested and sent to one day of police custody after a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against him based on a Twitter posting, which another Twitter handle alleged "hurt Hindu sentiments." Delhi Police said that Zubair was evasive during questioning and did not cooperate in the investigation. "He was evasive on the questions and neither provided the necessary technical equipment for the purpose of the investigation nor cooperated in the investigation," said Delhi Police senior officials.

Also read: Twitter handle that led to Alt News founder Mohammed Zubair's arrest, now deleted: Delhi Police

Meanwhile, Zubair moved Delhi HC challenging the police remand granted by Patiala House Court to the Delhi Police Special Cell. On Friday, the Delhi High Court had issued a notice to Delhi Police on the plea moved by Zubair challenging the police custody remand granted by a trial court. He was remanded to four days of police custody on 28 June in a case related to an objectionable tweet. The vacation bench of Justice Sanjeev Narula issued notice to Delhi Police on the plea and directed it to file a reply in two weeks and a rejoinder to it in one week. The matter has been listed for July 27 for further hearing. The hearing at the lower court would not be prejudiced by the arguments of the counsel who appeared in this petition and during the pendency of it, the bench observed.
There is speculation that former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh may formally join the BJP this month. Meanwhile, a BJP source said on Saturday that Amarinder Singh may be made the NDA's candidate for the vice-presidential election.

Amarinder Singh is currently in London for a back surgery. According to sources in the saffron camp, the process of merging his party 'Punjab Lok Congress' with the BJP will begin when he returns home after a couple of weeks. If Amarinder is announced as the NDA alliance's candidate for the post of vice-president, the process of merger of his party will be led by his wife and former Union minister Praneet Kaur. Patiala MP Praneet is still in the Congress.

The vice-presidential election will be held on August 6. The Election Commission will release the official notification regarding the vice-presidential election on July 5. July 19 is the last day for candidates to file nominations. The scrutiny of nomination will be held on July 20. July 22 is the last day for withdrawal of nominations. The NDA alliance is likely to announce its name for the post of Vice President by the second week of July. The term of the current Vice President Venkaiah Naidu ends on August 10.

Polling to elect the next vice president will be held on August 6 and counting of votes will take place the same day.

The BJP-led NDA has a clear edge in the poll in which members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, including nominated members, are eligible to vote.

The notification for the election will be issued on July 5, which will set in motion the nomination process. The last date for filing of nomination papers will be July 19.

The scrutiny of nomination papers will be done on July 20 and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is July 22.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (July 2) arrived at Hyderabad Convention Centre to attend the National Executive meet of the BJP. The two-day meeting began in the presence of the top leadership including BJP national president JP Nadda, several central ministers, chief ministers of 19 states, presidents of BJP's state units and others. As per ANI sources, the BJP is expected to hold discussions over NDA presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu and the recently formed Eknath Shinde-led government in Maharashtra under the political agenda. The strengthening of the Indian economy is also on the partys agenda.

A photo exhibition will be held at 6 pm today to display the photos from the earlier national executive meet and important events.

#WATCH | Telangana: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at Hyderabad Convention Centre, earlier today.



Two-day National Executive meet of the BJP, that commenced today, is underway here pic.twitter.com/oWz5V1iTQf  ANI (@ANI) July 2, 2022

PM Modi is also expected to address the national executive meeting on Sunday. He will also address a public rally at the Parade grounds on Sunday afternoon.

Meanwhile, a verbal spat broke out between BJP and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) as Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao did not receive Modi at the airport when he arrived in Hyderabad. However, KCR received Opposition presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha at the Begumpet Airport a couple of hours before Modi landed at the same airport.

Reacting to KCR's absence, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan tweeted, "Cooperative federalism in letter & spirit is cornerstone of our democracy. Breaching protocol on purpose yet again, Telangana CM has insulted institution of both CM & PM. KCR can hide but his corrupt politics will not remain hidden."

Commenting on the development, Telangana minister T Srinivas Yadav had said earlier, "Why should he receive him? As per the protocol, a state representative is supposed to go and give an invitation. So, I am going there to receive him as a minister."

(With agency inputs)
Number of dead, missing as result of missile attack on Amstor mall is 22 people  mayor

The number of dead and missing persons as a result of a missile terrorist attack on the Amstor shopping center is 22 people, one person remains missing as a result of a Russian missile attack on the Amstor shopping center, city mayor Vitaliy Maletsky said.

"The latest data on the search and rescue operation at the site of the terrorist attack on the Amstor shopping center: of the 21 people who were considered missing, the bodies of 20 dead people were established by the examination, at present one person remains missing. One person died in a hospital. Thus, today the number of dead and missing as a result of a terrorist attack on the Amstor shopping center is 22 people," he wrote on Facebook.

The search and rescue operation continues, less than 10% of the rubble remains to be dismantled.

"We will never forgive the rushists, we will avenge every innocent person killed!" the mayor added.

As reported, on June 27, the Russian Federation launched a missile attack on the Amstor shopping center in Kremenchuk, Poltava region, where there were more than a thousand civilians at that moment.
New Delhi: The Patiala High Court on Saturday denied Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair's bail plea and granted him 14-day judicial custody. The fact-checker was arrested last week for tweeting an objectionable tweet in 2018 that hurt the religious sentiment of a section of Hindus. Earlier in the day, the IFSO unit of the Delhi Police said that it noted that Twitter handles and accounts supporting Alt News co-founder and fact-checker Mohammed Zubair after his arrest was "mostly" from middle eastern countries" and Pakistan, ANI reported. Ever since his arrest, several posts and hashtags in support of Mohammed Zubair have been floating across social media. As per Delhi police analysis, most of these supportive tweets are from users staying in Middle East countries or Pakistan

"During social media analysis, it was noticed that Twitter handles supporting Mohammad Zubair after his arrest, were from Pakistan and mostly middle eastern countries like UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait," ANI reported quoting the IFSO unit official.

Mohammed Zubairs financial transactions monitored

The police further said that from the analysis of the reply received from Razorpay Payment gateway, various transactions, with phone numbers or IP addresses outside India, were from locations including Bangkok, Manama, North Holland, Singapore, Victoria, New York, England, Riyadh Region.

The other locations, as stated by the police, include Baladiyat ad Dawhah, Sharjah, Stockholm, Aichi, Central, Western and Eastern Provinces of UAE, Abu Dhabi, Washington DC, Kansas, New Jersey, Ontario, California, Texas, Lower Saxony, Bern, Dubai, Uusimaa, and Scotland.

"A total of about Rs 2,31,933 have been received by Pravda Media, Alt News parent company," the police said.

Mohammed Zubair case: Criminal conspiracy charge added

Delhi Police sought Mohammed Zubairs judicial custody after his 4-day remand ended on Saturday. The police have also alleged conspiracy and destruction of evidence in the case by the accused and the relevant sections of the same were added in the FIR.

The police added three new Sections - 201 (for the destruction of evidence - formatted phone and deleted tweets), 120-(B) (for criminal conspiracy) of IPC and 35 of FCRA (Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act) in the matter.

A bail application has been filed by the counsel for Mohammed Zubair. Meanwhile, Atul Shrivastava has been appointed as the Special Public Prosecutor for Delhi Police in a case related to an alleged objectionable tweet by Zubair.

(With ANI inputs)
CBSE Class 10, 12 Result 2022: Class 10th and 12th students across the country eagerly await their CBSE Board Results 2022 as most of the state boards have announced the class 10th results and class 12th results 2022. Earlier, various media reports suggested that the CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) would release the class 10th, and 12th term-2 results by July 4, however, the sources have informed that the results will be declared by the end of July. As per the latest media reports, board officials have told that the evaluation process is underway and the results will be announced by the end of this month which is July.

Sanyam Bhardwaj, Controller of Exams, CBSE said that the evaluation process is going as per schedule, and the result date and time will be revealed soon. The board is on track to advance the schedule. UG admission schedule of different institutions are kept in mind and CBSE (is) in touch with the concerned authorities to protect the interest of its students, Bharadwaj told The Indian Express.

CBSE Results 2022: Official website to check class 10th, 12th Term 2 results

cbseresults.nic.in

results.gov.in

digilocker.gov.in

ALSO READ- Agnipath Recruitment 2022: Indian Navy Agniveer registration begins, direct link to apply here

CBSE 10th, 12th Results 2022: Mobile apps to download CBSE Term 2 results

DigiLocker app

UMANG App

CBSE 10th, 12th Results 2022 SOON: Here's how to download your term-2 scorecard

Visit the official website of the Central Board of Secondary Education at cbseresults.nic.in and results.gov.in

On the homepage, click on the link that reads, CBSE Term 2 Class 12 Result, or CBSE Term 2 Class 10 Result 2022.

Enter the login credentials such as your roll number.

Your CBSE Term 2 Result will be displayed on the screen.

Download the CBSE Term 2 Scorecard and mark sheet on the screen.

Take a printout of it for future reference.

CBSE conducted the Term 2 exams for classes 10 and 12 from April 26 to May 24, 2022. It is to be noted that for CBSE Term 1 and Term 2 results, students will get a single combined mark sheet. ALSO READ- JEE Main 2022: NTA's Mock Tests, Video Lectures and app to prepare for exams at nta.ac.in, get direct link for all here

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Zee Exclusive: Penpa Tsering, the President of the Tibetan government in exile based out of Dharamshala has said that the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Jai Ram Thakur will be the chief guest at the birthday of his holiness Dalai Lama next week, that is 6th July. The development shows growing engagement by siting functionaries of the Indian govt. Remember last time Indian PM Modi had spoken to Dalai Lama and sent his congratulations. Speaking to our Diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Penpa Tsering who is the Sikyong of the Central Tibetan Administration said, "Dalai Lama is well regarded by the international community and you remember PM Modi wishing him on his birthday last year. So, this year, we have the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh as our chief guest for his holiness's birthday".

China is known to get miffed over engagements with the Dalai Lama or members of the Tibetan leadership in exile. Sikyong Tsering was in Washington a few days ago where he participated in the 8th World Parliamentarians Convention on Tibet which saw address by Nancy Pelosi speaker of the United States House of Representatives. Interestingly, the US Congressional-Executive Commission on China held a hearing on Sino Tibet conflict and how to deal with Beijing's narrative on Tibetan history, particularly it being an independent state.

Asked about Dalai Lama's reincarnation debate and China staking claim to appoint the next highest spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, Sikyong Tsering pointed out, "a communist government that doesn't believe in religion itself cannot be responsible for recognition of re-incarnation of his Holiness the Dalai Lama" and "His Holiness's reincarnation is solely dependent on the decision of his Holiness"

Q: If you can talk about your Washington visit for the 8th World Parliamentarians Convention on Tibet from 22nd to 23rd June, we saw the participation of Nancy Pelosi...

A: The world Parliamentarian convention on Tibet took place first in 1994 in India, then in Lithuania, 1997 in Washington, so we come back to Washington DC after 25 years. 4th, 5th such conventions were held in Scotland, in Rome, 7th in Latvia and this is the 8th Parliamentarians convention on Tibet and 28 nations participated in this in hybrid form. At the inaugural, Speaker Nancy Pelosi was present and the President of the international campaign for Tibet, Richard Gere was also present and addressed the gathering. Speaker Pelosi has been very kind and supportive on the Tibet issue and is committed to the cause of Tibet. She was very categorical on countering disinformation on Tibet, and historical narrative on Tibet and expressed strong support.

In Congress, Congressman Jim McGovern is also the co-chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China. He, along with speaker Pelosi has decided to organize a hearing on the historical status of Tibet to counter misinformation on the narrative on the historical status of Tibet as an independent state by experts. China's propaganda has been very strong and almost every country recognizes Tibet as part of the People's Republic of China. That needs to be countered. The hearing was held in congress for the first time and they also plan to move a bill in the house in the coming days.

Q: On that hearing on Tibet at the US congress, how significant you see them as. It looks like both the Administration and the congress have been engaging on Tibetan issues... ALSO READ- KCR to receive Yashwant Sinha but not PM Modi at same airport today: Report

A: I would like to thank President Biden for appointing Uzra Zeya as U.S. Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues just one year after coming to the office and that at the level of undersecretary. You will remember that I was in the US in April-May and we met her, then she also came to India, and Nepal the following month, so the progress and interest from the United States government have been very strong and very consistent. Then the hearing on the hill, on the historical narratives, termed as barriers to resolving the Sino-Tibet conflict including on the status.

Unfortunately, not many people read Tibetan history and China has been saying Tibet was part of China since the 7th century, and they could not hold, then they said Tibet was part of China from the 13th century, that also could not hold, then the 18th century, that also could not hold. At one point they were saying Tibet was part of China since antiquity, and now they are talking about Tibet being part of China since time immemorial.

So, if we don't counter China's narratives, you don't get the middle way approach. People don't realize that Tibet was an Independent country and his holiness Dalai Lama, considering the reality inside Tibet decided to step down from Independence to a middle-way approach, seeking negotiated mutually beneficial lasting solution for the Sino-Tibet conflict. On that count, the hearing is significant and it is on record of the US Congress that Tibet was not part of China.

Q: How do you see the G7 statement mentioning Tibet and Xinjiang, calling on China to respect universal human rights and fundamental freedoms.. ALSO READ- Sanjay Raut grilled by ED for over 10 hours amid Maharashtra power crisis

A: Right now, because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, everybody focuses on Russia, but the US, Nato and G7 recognize the fact that China is the long-term competition and challenge to the global democratic world order. In that sense, G7 mentioning Tibet on fundamental human rights is significant and shows a shift on the policies, focusing on the Sino-Tibet conflict. Really appreciate the G7 for coming out with a statement, not just on Tibet but also on Uyghurs.

I prefer to call it Uyghurs, instead of Xinjiang because that is the name given by China, and China does Sinicization, including names. Now if you go to the Tibetan map, it will be very difficult to read Tibetan names, because it's all Sinicization. They call Tibet Xizang, which is not acceptable.

Q: The Chinese President has gone to Hong Kong; how do you see the visit...

A: China has already gone against International law, so what has been agreed between the British and the Chinese after the takeover in 1997, China has trampled on all those agreements and then there were developments in the last few years, and now Hong Kong guys are spread all over the world as refugees.

President Xi has not travelled outside China for more than 2 years, and people believe that he will not travel internationally. So, Hong Kong, now more or less under China, the visit may in a way be President Xi's message to the world that Hong Kong is very much part of China and they are trying to improve economic conditions but without freedom it's very difficult to engage with China.



Q: Dalai Lama, his birthday is coming, a lot of celebrations are planned. What is the Tibetan leadership, the Parliament planning and do you see world leaders congratulating the Dalai Lama.

A: This has always been there, his holiness, Dalai Lama is well regarded by the international community and you remember PM Modi wishing him on his birthday last year. So, this year, we have the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh as our chief guest for his holiness's birthday. But we won't be celebrating on a large scale because of the Covid. Of course, now his holiness is aging and now it's a concern, concern that now he is going to be 87. We are happy for the fact that his holiness is keeping very very healthy.

Q: Do you expect congratulations from the Indian PM and do you expect a meeting as well, His Holiness Dalai Lama meeting PM

A: The meeting, I suppose will happen only when His Holiness comes down to Delhi. Not during his Holiness's birthday, because the PM is not travelling there and his holiness is not coming here. Following last year's trend, I am sure there will be many many wishes from the international community including about India.

Q: You mentioned concerns are there as to who will be the next Dalai Lama, his reincarnation, and who is next. China has its own view in appointing the next Dalai Lama, what is the viewpoint of the Tibetan leadership vis-a-via what China has been saying and you're expecting from India on reincarnation

A: His Holiness's reincarnation is solely dependent on the decision of his Holiness because he is going to be reincarnated. A government, a communist government that doesn't believe in religion itself cannot be responsible for the recognition of the re-incarnation of his Holiness the Dalai Lama. Even if they come up with another candidate, as reincarnated Dalai Lama, that will not be accepted, not only by Tibetans but the whole world community.

The US government has already taken a position on this in the form of an amendment to the 2002 Tibet policy act, now it is called the Tibet policy and support act 2020, which I think many many countries will replicate. As far as His Holiness is concerned, according to some predictions His Holiness is predicted to live up to 113 years of age, so right now it is too early to talk about his reincarnation. He will live for long.

Live TV
Hyderabad: For the third time in the last six months, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), an open critic of PM Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), will not go to the airport with PM Modi, who is arriving in Hyderabad on Saturday to participate in the two-day long BJP National Executive meeting, ANI reported. On the other hand, KCR will receive the Oppositions presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha at the Begumpet Airport just a couple of hours before PM Modi lands at the same airport, according to the sources. For quite some time now, KCR has been opposing and attempting to create a strong opposition against NDA. KCR has announced his support for Sinha in the upcoming presidential polls slated to be held on July 18.

According to ANI, only one TRS Minister will be present at the airport to welcome him while all other ministers including Chief Minister KCR will receive Yashwant Sinha. Notably, this is for the third time in six months that CM KCR is skipping the protocol of receiving a visiting Prime Minister.

Earlier, he had flown to Bengaluru in May when PM Modi visited the state to attend the 20th annual celebrations at the Indian School of Business (ISB). In February this year, KCR had remained absent during the Prime Minister`s visit to Hyderabad. The two-day Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National Executive meeting will start in Hyderabad today.

BJP executive meeting

The BJP is holding an executive meeting in Hyderabad on Saturday with coming elections on the agenda. The meeting will be attended by BJP national president JP Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Ministers of 19 states and other BJP senior leaders at Hyderabad International Convention Centre.

PM Modi will attend the meeting and is expected to address the national executive on Sunday.

In his speech, PM Modi is expected to give a roadmap for the party in the coming times especially when they look at Assembly elections in the big states like Gujarat.

(With ANI inputs)
New Delhi: The Kolkata Police has issued a Look Out Circular against suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma over her controversial statement against Prophet Mohammad, ANI reported. The former BJP spokesperson was earlier asked to appear before the Amherst and Narkeldanga Police stations, however, she had failed to appear and sought more time citing security threat. The development comes in the wake of the Supreme Courts rebuke of Nupur Sharma over her objectionable remarks against the Prophet. On Friday, the apex had come down heavily on Sharma, saying her loose tongue has set the entire country on fire and that she is single-handedly responsible for what is happening in the country. The court also observed that the remarks were made either for cheap publicity, political agenda or some nefarious activities.

A vacation bench of Justices Surya Kant and JB Pardiwala refused to entertain Sharma's plea for clubbing of FIRs lodged in various states against her for the remark, and allowed her to withdraw the plea. "These remarks are very disturbing and smack of arrogance. What is her business to make such remarks? These remarks have led to unfortunate incidents in the country. These people are not religious. They do not have respect for other religions. These remarks were made for cheap publicity or for political agenda or some other nefarious activities", the bench said, as per PTI.

West Bengal | Kolkata Police issues a Look Out Circular against suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma.



Earlier she was asked to appear before the Amherst and Narkeldanga Police Stations. However, she didn't appear before them and sought more time.  ANI (@ANI) July 2, 2022

Nupur Sharma had triggered a furore with her controversial statements against the Prophet in a TV debate. Violent protests had erupted in some states over her remark and also invoked sharp reactions from many Gulf countries. The BJP had distanced itself from Sharma and suspended her from the party.

Moreover, after the top courts remarks, the Delhi Police on Friday said it had issued a notice to Nupur Sharma on June 18 and questioned her the same day for allegedly hurting religious sentiments.

(With agency inputs)
New Delhi: A leopard was found in a residential society in Maharashtras Nashik city on Saturday (July 2) morning. The two-and-a-half years old leopard was rescued from Nashik's Ashok Nagar after a three-hour-long operation. As per the police, the leopard was spotted in Satpur area around 7 am. "The animal was found in the loft of a bathroom in the premises of a bungalow owned by one Vikas Kale in Rajya Karmchari Vasahat at Ashoknagar in Satpur. On seeing the leopard, Kale immediately informed his neighbour, who contacted the forest department officials," a police official was quoted as saying by PTI.

The forest department and police reached the spot and conducted a rescue operation.

Nashik, Maharashtra | A 2.5-year-old female leopard was spotted in Nashik's Ashok Nagar this morning. We immediately mobilized our rescue team. We took the help of a veterinary doctor & darted him with a tranquilizer. He would be released by evening: RFO Nashik, Ketan Birari pic.twitter.com/R7ydyqPnd4 July 2, 2022

RFO Nashik, Ketan Birari, said that with the help of a veterinarian the big cat was darted with a tranquilizer. "We immediately mobilized our rescue team. We took the help of a veterinary doctor and darted him with a tranquilizer. He would be released by evening," Bihari said. A heavy police force was deployed during the rescue operation in the area.

In a similar incident, a leopard cub was found roaming in the under-construction towers of AVJ Heights Housing Society in Zeta I, Greater Noida on June 30.

(With agency inputs)
Manipur Landslide: Several people have lost their lives so far in the fateful Manipur landslide that hit the north-eastern state on Wednesday. Chief Minister N Biren, who has constantly been monitoring the rescue operations, called the landslide the worst incident in the history of Manipur. Worst incident in the history of the state. We have lost 81 people's lives of which 18, including the territorial army (personnel) were rescued; around 55 were trapped. It will take 2-3 days to recover all the dead bodies due to the soil, Biren told ANI. As many as 12 more bodies including eight Army personnel and four civilians were recovered during the search operation from the landslide incident site at Tupul in Manipur on Friday, according to an official statement by the Indian Army.

The landslide hit on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday near the company location of 107 Territorial Army of the Indian Army deployed near Tupul Railway Station for protection of the under-construction railway line from Jiribam to Imphal.

The North-East Frontier Railway CPRO said the landslide triggered by incessant rains caused damage to the Tupul station building of the ongoing Jiribam - Imphal new line project.

Meanwhile, CM Biren said that the state is getting full cooperation in managing the situation from the Centre. The Centre has also sent NDRF and Army personnel to carry out rescue operation. Vehicle movement is affected due to moisture in the soil causing the delay. The rescue operation will take 2-3 more days, said CM Biren.

Meanwhile, Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday reviewed the landslide situation caused due to incessant rainfall in Manipur with Chief Minister N Biren Singh and assured full support from the central government.

"Spoke to Manipur CM Shri @NBirenSinghJi and reviewed the situation due to a tragic landslide. Assured all possible support from the Centre. I pray for the safety of all those affected. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon," PM Modi tweeted.

(With inputs from agencies)
Pakistan has lodged a strong protest against Indias recent blocking of many of its official Twitter accounts, including handles of Pakistani diplomatic missions in various countries. The Foreign Office on Saturday summoned Indian Charge d`Affairs in Islamabad to hand over a strong demarche, terming the Indian action being against international obligations and norms. "The Indian Charge d`Affaires in Islamabad was called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today and a strong demarche was made on the Indian government`s blocking of access to content of 80 accounts on Twitter including accounts of Pakistan`s diplomatic Missions in Iran, Turkey, Egypt, UN-New York and the national broadcaster Radio Pakistan, by activating geo-blocking and censorship laws," said a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"The Charge d`Affaires was conveyed that these Indian actions were against the international standards, obligations, norms, and framework of flow of information and reflected the alarming pace of shrinking space for pluralistic voices and curbing of fundamental freedoms in India."

Pakistan maintained that blocking of its twitter accounts of its diplomatic missions abroad was a clear and deliberate attempt to block Pakistan`s right to access to information and "fundamental freedom of opinion of expression".

"It was noted that the new illegal practice employed by the Indian government of regulating the internet sphere with regard to diplomatic accounts, with a clear intent to stifle dissent stood completely against the rights to access to information and fundamental freedom of opinion or expression," the statement said. Pakistan was faced with this issue when at least 80 of its official twitter accounts of diplomatic missions in important countries were blocked by Twitter.

Pakistan raised the matter with the micro-blogging site, and called for an immediate restoration of the handles which were banned by India.

"Diminishing the space for plurality of voices and access to info in India is extremely alarming. Social media platforms must abide by applicable international norms; we are urging twitter to restore immediate access to our accounts and ensure adherence to democratic freedom of speech and expression," the Foreign Office had said after it raised the matter with Twitter.

Live TV
The Patna High Court has dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking recovery of money from the agitators who damaged public and government properties during Agnipath protests. A division bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice S Kumar took up the matter on Friday. The petitioner has claimed that the respective governments of state and Centre have lost properties worth Rs 100 crore. He also urged the court to recover money from the agitators and political parties involved in the arson. He also accused the state government of failing to stop violence during the agitation.

Responding to it, Solicitor General of Bihar government Lalit Kishore informed the court that the government had efficiently dealt with the agitators. The state government had deployed a large number of police forces. Such a PIL was filed to defame the state government.

After hearing the solicitor general, the division bench court dismissed the PIL.

Live TV
Mumbai: Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut has made a big claim just a couple of days after a regime change in Maharashtra, thanks to a rebellion within the Shiv Sena, led by Eknath Shinde. On June 29, Uddhav Thackeray quit as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and the next day, Eknath Shinde took over the top job in the state. In a revelation that has again left tongues wagging, Raut has now claimed that even he received an offer to join the rebel MLAs and go to Guwahati but being a follower of party patriarch and founder Bal Thackeray, he turned down the offer.

"I also got an offer for Guwahati but I follow Balasaheb Thackeray and so I didn't go there. When the truth is on your side, why fear?" Raut was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Sena president Uddhav Thackeray resigned as Maharashtra chief minister on Wednesday, days after party leader Eknath Shinde raised a banner of revolt. The majority of Sena MLAs sided with Shinde, leading to the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government of which NCP and Congress were constituents along with Sena. A day after his resignation, Shinde took oath as the chief minister, while Fadnavis was sworn in as his deputy.

The Shiv Sena has also accused the BJP of misusing unlimited power and its overwhelming majority. "How will democracy survive by finishing the opposition parties," it asked. After the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly election results, the BJP and Sena had parted ways following differences over sharing the chief minister's post.

Also read: Sena Vs Sena: Uddhav Thackeray sacks Eknath Shinde from party posts; Reason - 'anti-party' activities

Meanwhile, Sanjay Raut was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for about 10 hours on Friday in connection with a money-laundering probe. Commenting on his, Raut was quoted by ANI as saying, "As a responsible citizen and MP, it's my duty to appear if an investigative agency (ED) summons me. The problem is with timing - amid the Maharashtra political crisis, but they (ED) had doubts. Their officials behaved well with me; I told them that I can come again if need be."

(With ANI inputs)
Mashreqbank, one of the leading financial institutions in the UAE, today (July 2) announced the pricing of an aggregate principal amount of $300 million of its 8.5% Perpetual Non-callable 5-year Additional Tier 1 Notes. The offering is expected to close on July 7, subject to customary closing conditions.

Following a strong first quarter trading update, the virtual roadshow for the Reg S only transaction was announced.

Through a global investor call and a combination of individual and group meetings, Mashreq engaged with over 50 investors from key centers across Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Following the extensive marketing campaign, the transaction was formally launched on June 30.

Initial Price Talks (IPTs) of low-mid 8% were released at 9.15 am UAE. Despite a challenging and volatile market backdrop, investor demand exceeded $500 million during the course of London morning: a book update was announced at 12.30pm London time, allowing Mashreq to set the yield at 8.500% and communicating a transaction size of $300 million.

According to Mashreq, the issuance is expected to further strengthen its capital structure and leverage ratios, positioning for further balance sheet growth.

Additionally, it diversifies the banks funding mix by reducing funding concentration and increasing the average duration of liabilities.

Furthermore, the transaction enhances Mashreqs international credit profile as it marks the Banks first-ever Additional Tier 1 offering in the international debt capital markets  and the first Additional Tier 1 issued this year out of the UAE.

On the issuance, CEO Mashreq Group Ahmed Abdelaal said: "The demand from both regional and international investors for this successful capital raise demonstrates continued confidence in Mashreq and our ability as a leading UAE bank to access the global debt capital markets even in volatile conditions."

"With strong levels of capital and liquidity and a rock-solid balance sheet Mashreq is well placed to execute on our strategy for growth and customer innovation in both the UAE and our core international markets," he stated.

BofA Securities, Citi, Emirates NBD Capital, JP Morgan, Mashreqbank, Societe Generale and Standard Chartered Bank acted as Joint Lead Managers.-TradeArabia News Service
Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu said on Friday that Romania is ready to help the victims of a missile attack in Odesa region and that the Romanian authorities are in contact with the authorities of the Republic of Moldova, which runs a rehabilitation center for children in Serhiyivka.

According to the Romanian news channel Digi 24, Aurescu said Friday's attack on some civilian targets in Odesa region confirms once again that this war is "not only illegal, but also immoral, and that it must end as soon as possible."

"We strongly condemn this attack that took place this morning, just as we condemn all other attacks by the Russian Federation on the civilian population of Ukraine. This is another gross violation of international humanitarian law, another gross violation of the rules of warfare, the conduct of hostilities," Aurescu said.

The Foreign Minister said that the Romanian authorities are in constant contact with those who are in Chisinau, and to the extent that they can help in connection with the victims of this attack, they will.

As reported, as a result of a missile strike on the village of Serhiyivka, 21 people were killed, including a child, and 38 were injured. The Minister of Health of Moldova, Ala Nemerenco, announced the death of an employee of the Children's Rehabilitation Center belonging to the ministry in the Ukrainian village of Serhiyivka, Bilhorod-Dnistrovsky district, Odesa region. Five employees of the Center were injured.
All the four accused involved in Udaipur murder case were attacked by an angry mob in Rajasthan's Jaipur today. The mob, that largely included lawyers, slapped, pushed and shoved the four accused of Udaipur murder case. The cops, who were escorting the accused, somehow managed to put them inside the police van. The crow was heard shouting "Maro... maroo! (beat them)" slogans.

All the four accused in the Kanhaiya Lal murder case were presented at a special NIA court in Jaipur today. They were sent to a 10-day judicial custody by the court. The two main accused, namely Riyaz and Ghaus Mohammad, have been brought to Jaipur from the Ajmer high security jail amidst tight security.

#WATCH | Udaipur murder incident: Accused attacked by an angry crowd of people while being escorted by police outside the premises of NIA court in Jaipur



All the four accused were sent to 10-day remand to NIA by the NIA court, today pic.twitter.com/1TRWRWO53Z  ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) July 2, 2022

Initially, they were taken to ATS headquarters. The other two accused, Mohsin and Asif, arrested on Thursday night, were already kept in the ATS headquarters.

Heavy police force was deployed in the court premises.

Four of the two accused had executed Kanhaiya Lal, a tailor, inside his shop last week. They had even made a video recording of the incident and circulated the same on social media.

In the video, Riyaz was seen attacking 47-year-old Kanhaiya Lal with a sharp-edged weapon while the other, Ghouse, recorded the crime on his mobile phone.The victim reportedly had recently shared a social media post in support of Nupur Sharma-- former BJP leader who had made controversial remarks against Prophet Mohammad.Riyaz and Ghouse were arrested from Bhim in the Rajsamand district.

Kanhaiya Lal was cremated on Wednesday in Udaipur in the presence of a large number of people who raised slogans demanding capital punishment for the accused. His last rites were performed amidst heavy police security.

Rajasthan Police on Wednesday said that the main accused involved in the killing of the tailor in Udaipur were in touch with Pakistan-based organisation Dawat-e-Islami and one of them also went to Karachi in Pakistan in 2014 to meet the organisation.
Udaipur murder: The Rajasthan government on Friday night suspended Udaipurs Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Ashok Meena, PTI reported. The suspension order issued by the Joint Secretary (Police) of the home department Jagveer Singh does not mention any reason for the action. While it is not yet clarified why the Udaipur ASP was suspended, it is believed that he was terminated for negligence in the matter of tailor Kanhaiya Lal, who was constantly threatened for a social media post supporting Nupur Sharma and then brutally beheaded in broad daylight by two Islamic radicals.

Apart from this, Udaipur Range IG and Udaipur district superintendent of police were transferred on Thursday night.

Prafulla Kumar is the new IG and Vikas Sharma is the new SP in Udaipur. Jodhpur Commissioner Navjyoti Gogoi has also been shifted and given the responsibility of Jaipur Police Academy.

The transfers and suspension came after opposition and several journalists alleged that the Rajasthan police and administration denied Kanhaiya Lal security despite his claim that he was constantly being threatened for the post.

Later, Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot said that the government will investigate if there were any negligence on the administrations part and strict actions will be taken if any merit is found in the allegations against senior officials.

Udaipur murder case

Kanhaiya Lal, a Hindu tailor was beheaded by two Islamic radicals over a social media post, in which he supported now-suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma, who made a controversial remark against Prophet Muhammad. The killers later released Udaipur killing video in which they also threatened PM Modi. The Udaipur killing video was later widely circulated on social media platforms.

Udaipur murder investigation

Apart from the killers, two more persons were arrested and three others detained in connection with the brutal killing of Kanhiya Lal in Rajasthan`s Udaipur, police said on Friday. The arrests were made on Thursday by an Anti-Terrorist Squad.

Accused Mohsin and Asif have been arrested under IPC sections 120b, 307,326.

(With PTI inputs)
New Delhi: A National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Saturday (July 2) remanded in 10-day police custody the four people arrested in connection with the brutal murder of tailor Kanhaiya Lal in Rajasthans Udaipur. Riaz Akhtari and Ghouse Mohammad, who were seen in the viral video of Lals murder, were arrested on Tuesday hours after they allegedly attacked the tailor with a cleaver in his shop. The other two accused Mohsin and Asif were apprehended on Thursday night for being involved in the conspiracy and carrying out a recce of the victim's tailoring shop. "The court ordered police remand till July 12," a lawyer told PTI.

The four accused were produced in the NIA court in the presence of a heavy police force. When the accused were being taken back to the police vehicle, several agitated lawyers on the court premises attacked them and shouted slogans like "Pakistan Murdabad" and "Kanhaiya ke hatyaron ko fansi do" (give death sentence to Kanhaiya's killers).

Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee Saturday made serious allegations against the BJP saying the party has direct links to the gruesome murder in Udaipur. Taking to Twitter, he shared two photos of one of the accused where he can allegedly be seen along with local BJP leaders at functions held in the past.

Attacking the BJP, Banerjee tweeted, "No, they (BJP) don't want unity. No, they don't want harmony. No, they don't want democracy. They want to divide the nation."

"Responsible for spewing hate, unleashing propaganda and divisive politics, @BJP4India is directly linked to the gruesome #UdaipurHorror, See for yourself," the TMC leader said sharing the pictures.

NO, they dont want UNITY.

No, they dont want HARMONY.

No, they dont want DEMOCRACY .



THEY WANT TO DIVIDE THE NATION.



Responsible for spewing hate, unleashing propaganda & divisive politics, @BJP4India is DIRECTLY LINKED to the GRUESOME #UdaipurHorror.



See for yourself pic.twitter.com/r7TJoqhaGC  Abhishek Banerjee (@abhishekaitc) July 2, 2022

While Rajasthan BJP has denied any link to the accused and said he has never been a member of the party. M. Sadiq Khan, Rajasthan BJP Minority Morcha state president told IANS, "BJP is world`s largest party and hence anybody can come and click pictures with our leaders. But this doesn`t mean that he has been our party member. The accused has never been a member of our party. The state government due to its failure, wants to hold someone responsible. I request the Chief Minister to leave his post."

(With agency inputs)
Los Angeles: Hollywood actress Alexandra Daddario, who is known for her work in 'Baywatch' and 'Texas Chainsaw 3D', has tied the nuptial knot with her boyfriend Andrew Form, reports 'People'.

The two got married in New Orleans, and the bride did so in a silk-wool gown by Danielle Frankel that could not have been more perfect for the setting.

"I fell in love with Danielle Frankel's dresses," Alexandra told 'Vogue'. "I followed them on Instagram. They sent me a message, and we chatted, and when I went to their studio, I just felt beautiful in everything. I chose my dress because it felt like it belonged in New Orleans and was the right choice for the Louisiana heat."

'People' noted that the dress, called the Scarlet and retailing for $9,990, is pleated silk wool with lace appliques, spaghetti straps and a tulle train, making it light and breezy enough for the New Orleans weather.

It paired seamlessly with Form's Brunello Cucinelli pinstripe number, which Daddario, 36, called a "beautiful, not-too-serious" suit that he chose for the couple's big day.

Their wedding, which took place at New Orleans' iconic Preservation Hall before moving further into the heart of the French Quarter, was casual from the jump, Daddario said. "Laid-back" was the theme she was going for, as well as authentic to New Orleans.

"We loved the look of Preservation Hall -- it was so old, so historic, it lets its age and 'flaws' show," she told Vogue. "That's what makes it so beautiful. We wanted it to be about music, drinking, and authentic New Orleans."

'People' further states that New Orleans wasn't even the original plan. The actress wanted to get married in Italy so that she could "drink Italian wine for three days straight."

That all changed, though, when she landed a job that took her to New Orleans and reminded her of her friends' wedding in the same city. "We switched it to New Orleans," she said. "It's a city full of music and life," she said.

Daddario and Form, 53, met by chance during the pandemic, when they bumped into each other on the street in New York. They got engaged at the end of 2021, and Daddario shared her happiness on Instagram, writing, "The absolutely most wonderful man, you handle nonsense, loss, life, difficulty, people, with grace and compassion."

She added that Form took the "worst moments" of her life and made everything better.
MUMBAI: Bollywood actor Malaika Arora's recent social media post, featuring her pet Casper, is a sheer treat to the eyes of every dog lover out there. Taking to Instagram, the actor wrote, "When did my baby Casper get this big? (p.s who's a better poser?)"

In the picture, Malaika was seen carrying her pet dog Casper in her arms, as the adorable furry pooch stared at the camera with its innocent eyes. The snow-white canine seemed to pose along with her owner. The duo were clicked on a lift. The 48-year-old actor sported a tomboyish look wearing an all-black outfit. She donned a pair of chic black-rimmed sunglasses and kept her hair in a bun.

Soon after she shared the image, Bollywood director Farah Khan commented, "Aww he is carrying you definitely." Malaika also shared another picture on Instagram, featuring her son Arhaan Khan and Casper. The furball, Casper sat in Aarhan`s lap on a couch, looking with its adorable eyes.

Malaika added a big heart emoji to the endearing image. The 'Chaiyya Chaiyya' star is often spotted with her pet, making netizens go 'aww'.

Talking about Malaika, the actor recently visited the beautiful destination of Paris, with her beau Arjun Kapoor on the latter's 37th birthday. The couple shared numerous pictures of their romantic vacation on social media, giving out couple goals.

Malaika and Arjun both looked so in love in the pictures. Further, rumours are on the rise that the star couple is ready to tie the knot by the end of the year. Meanwhile, Malaika, after glamorizing the film industry with her sexy moves is all set to become an author. She will soon write her debut book which is going to be all about nutrition.

The actor, who also serves as a judge on the reality show 'India's Best Dancer', will be sharing her wellness tips in the book.

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MUMBAI: Marathi actress Ketaki Chitale, who was arrested for allegedy sharing an objectionable Facebook post on NCP chief Sharad Pawar, claimed that she was abused and molested while she was odged in a prison in adjoining Thane district. The actor got bail late last month, more than a month after being arrested over the controversial social media post.

Speaking to News18, Ketaki said, "I was molested while I was in jail. I was beaten up and some black poisonous ink was thrown at me." The actress also alleged harassment by NCP workers claiming that they beat her while she was in the cutsody.

"I look back and think as to how weird our justice system is, how unfair, how unlawfully I was picked up from my place and thrown behind bars for just copy-pasting someone elses poem, they were not even my words. And is this how India is going to work? Isnt it illegal to just pick someone up, without any prior intimation, without any notice given, without any arrest warrant? And it was just a post. It wasnt even as if I was targeting somebody. People interpreted it to be Mr Sharad Pawar and they just picked me up and there were 22 FIRs. Whenever I think about it, that is what comes to my mind," she told the news channel.

Ketaki Chitale claimed that NCP workers thrashed her, threw toxic black colour, eggs on her

"I was just picked up, taken into custody. Then the custody changed hands. From Kalamboli I was given to Thane police custody. And I was beaten up by NCP females who were there. They were a mob of about 20 people along with reporters. Of course, reporters did not harass me. But they (NCP workers) threw colour at me. They say it is ink, but it wasnt ink. It was that toxic black colour, which is extremely harmful to our skin. They threw that colour at me, they threw eggs, while in police custody. What was the police doing, inside the police compound? It is illegal, unlawful," she said.

Marathi actress says she was molested, hit on her breat during custody



Not only me being attacked, harassed, beaten, molestedI was molested, you knowMy pallu fell down. I was wearing a sari, my pallu fell down, someone tripped me over, hit me, hit my right breast, and when they hit me, I fell into the police car, and so my sari went up, my pallu fell downAnd, OK, I understand you are angry or whatever it is, but being a female they are molesting another female. Are these people who should be representing us in future? she said in the interview.



Ketaki Chitale faces a total of 22 FIRs lodged at various districts in Maharashtra. She was arrested on May 14 in an FIR lodged at Kalwa police station and was granted bail in the last week of June by a Thane court. The actress hd urged the Bomay High Court to quash the FIR, declare her arrest as illegal and violative of her fundamental rights and release her from jail forthwith.

Chitale (29) was arrested on May 14 and booked under various Indian Penal Code sections for defamation and promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion and race. The film and TV actor was arrested by the Thane police last month over the post she allegedly shared on her Facebook page, which was in verse form and purportedly written by someone else.

It contained phrases like 'hell is waiting' and 'you hate Brahmins', allegedly referring to Pawar, whose party shares power in Maharashtra with the Shiv Sena and Congress.

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New Delhi: Actress Kubbra Sait, who shot to fame with Sacred Games has released her memoir titled Open Book: Not Quite A Memoir. The talented find shared details of her personal life in the book, narrating incidents which surprised her fans.

In the book named 'I Wasn't Ready to Be a Mother' tells about the time Kubbra went on a trip to Andamans in 2013. She was 30 and had a night time scuba diving experience, followed by a one-night stand and abortion. "A week later, I decided to terminate the pregnancy. I wasnt ready for it. It just wasnt the way I had imagined my life or my journey," the actress wrote in her book.

Recently, in an interview with Times Digital, Kubbra opened up on the incident. She said, "I think I was not ready for it. I was not ready because I was not ready for it as a human being, the actress reveals, before going on to add, I dont think I am still ready. I dont understand this pressure around women to get married at 23 and have children by the time they are 30. It is like a set invisible rulebook. I knew I was not ready for it."

Reflecting on the regrets, she quipped, "No regrets, Of course, I felt like a terrible human being! A horrible human being because of that choice I had made. But my feeling bad did not come from how I felt but rather how other people would perceive it. My choice was about me. Sometimes helping yourself can be hard. But it is ok. You have to do it, " Kubbra said.
New Delhi: The Personnel Ministry has granted promotions to over 8,000 government officers belonging to three key secretariat services in one go, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Friday. He said the orders for "mass promotion" of these employees belonging to the Central Secretariat Service (CSS), Central Secretariat Stenographers' Service (CSSS) and Central Secretariat Clerical Service (CSCS) have been issued.

All these three services 'CSS, CSSS and CSCS' form the backbone of the central secretariat administrative functioning. (ALSO READ: Rakesh Jhunjhunwala's net worth reduced by more than Rs 1000 crore in THESE two stocks)

Of the total of 8,089 promoted employees, 4,734 are from CSS, 2,966 from CSSS and 389 from CSCS, a statement issued by the Personnel Ministry said. (ALSO READ: PPF, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, Senior Citizen Scheme, others: Here's how much interest they offer)

Singh, the Minister of State (MoS) for Personnel, said the orders for mass promotion of these employees belonging to the CSS, CSSS and CSCS have been issued after several rounds of high-level meetings in Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) chaired by him in the last two-months.

The minister said even legal experts were consulted widely as some of the orders were subject to the outcome of pending writ petitions.

Singh said it was disheartening to see government employees attaining retirement from service without getting their due promotions and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for this kind decision.

The minister also met delegations of central secretariat officials on several occasions to thrash out the issue, as he considered that these three services -? CSS, CSSS and CSCS -- form the backbone of the central secretariat administrative functioning.

Singh also recalled that over three years back, the DoPT had carried out mass promotions of nearly 4,000 officials in different departments at different levels, which had been widely hailed.

Many of these promotion orders were also issued, subject to the outcome of pending writ petitions, he recalled.



Singh said that the secretariat services are an essential tool of governance, since the notes and drafts prepared by them form the bedrock of government policies as the proposals pass through various stages in the government hierarchy.

The Central Secretariat Service officers' association has also been protesting over delay in their promotion, claiming it was causing irreparable financial loss to them.

The CSS Forum, an association of CSS officers, has recently written to the Secretary, DoPT in support of their demand.

"We are thankful to PM Modi for taking prompt initiative for resolving long-pending regular promotion issue of the officers. We are also thankful to MoS Jitendra Singh and Secretary, DoPT for getting the mass promotion orders issued within the limited time," said Manmohan Verma, General Secretary of the CSS Forum.
New Delhi: A malware called ZuoRAT is being used by hackers to gain access to the devices connected to a Wi-Fi router. For the unversed, a Wi-Fi router is a simple device that is used to provide wireless internet connectivity to devices such as laptops and mobile phones. However, the ZuoRAT, a highly sophisticated malware, is known for attacking the device, now commonly seen almost all offices and homes. The malware could steal data from the connected devices, putting users at risk of losing personal and financial information.

American telecommunications company Lumen Technologies discovered and reported ZuoRAT malware first. The firm said that malware is affecting popular routers from Asus, Cisco, DrayTek, and Netgear. (ALSO READ: Rakesh Jhunjhunwala's net worth reduced by more than Rs 1000 crore in THESE two stocks)

During our investigation of the ZuoRAT activity, we observed telemetry indicating infections stemming from numerous SOHO router manufacturers, including ASUS, Cisco, DrayTek and NETGEAR, the company said in a blog. (ALSO READ: PPF, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, others: Check out the returns offered by them)

The device types consisted of, but were not limited to: Cisco RV 320, 325 and 420; Asus RT-AC68U, RT-AC530, RT-AC68P and RT-AC1900U; DrayTek Vigor 3900 and unspecified NETGEAR devices, it added.

How to stay safe from ZuoRAT malware?

Using the ZuoRAT malware, hackers can get access to your Windows, macOS, and Linux devices by getting into your router first. However, you can stay safe by following a few simple steps.

Lumen said in the blog that users should follow best practices of regularly rebooting routers and installing security updates and patches. They should leverage properly configured and updated EDR solutions on hosts and regularly update software consistent with vendor patches where applicable, it added.

For network defenders, Lumen said to use IoCs outlined in this report to monitor for the Windows loader and its modules, as well as connections to any suspicious infrastructure.

We recommend that businesses consider comprehensive Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) or similar solutions to bolster their security posture and enable robust detection on network-based communications, it added.
Kyiv (Ukraine): At least 21 people were killed and dozens injured when the Russian missile on Friday struck a residential tower and a recreational centre in the southern Ukrainian region of Odesa. One of the missiles hit the nine-storey residential tower in Serhiivka, killing at least 16 and injuring 38 people, according to The New York Times citing Ukraine's state emergency service. And then another missile hit a recreational centre, where five people died and one was injured, emergency officials said on Telegram. The residential tower, which is home to 100 people, has been destroyed on one side, according to the Ukrainian regional military administration. They were still going through the rubble of the recreational centre, officials said.

The missiles struck around 1 a.m.The Kremlin's spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov, again denied on Friday that Russia was targeting any civilian infrastructure. "I would like to again remind you of the words of the president of the Russian Federation and commander in chief that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are not working against civilian targets in the course of the special military operation," Peskov said as quoted by The New York Times. He further said that Russia's target included ammunition and arms depots, plants that manufacture and repair military equipment, and places where "foreign mercenaries" and "nationalist elements" are based and trained.

The attack came as Russian troops withdrew from Snake Island after occupying the strategic Black Sea outpost for months. Snake Island, a tiny piece of land about 25 miles off Ukraine's southeastern coast, sits on a major shipping lane and is an important access point to the key port of Odesa. As per the report by The Washington Post, "the Ukrainian artillery, rockets and airstrikes this month pushed the Russians out of the Snake Island," wrote Commander in chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, Valery Zaluzhny in a Facebook post. He also shared a video of missiles hitting the island and claimed a week earlier it had taken out Russian anti-aircraft systems there. However, Russia denied its systems had been destroyed.

"Russian forces tried unsuccessfully to stymie the assault with nighttime fighter jet attacks on the coast of the Odesa region," the Ukrainian military's southern command said on Facebook. As the Ukrainian military operation continued, Russian troops remaining on the island "hurriedly evacuated" the garrison on two speedboats, the statement added. Taking to Telegram, Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky`s office said "On Snake [Island] there are no more Russians," stating further that the Ukrainian Armed Forces conducted a wonderful operation and knocked them out, the report said. He also thanked foreign allies for weapons that aided the fight.

Also read: Russia-Ukraine war: President Putin warns Sweden and Finland over NATO troops and infrastructure

On February 24, Russia began a military operation in Ukraine due to which almost 14 million Ukrainians have been forced to flee their homes, according to United Nations (UN) estimates and most of those displaced are women and children. The conflict has left 15.7 million Ukrainians stranded and in need of humanitarian support, with some of them lacking access to water and electricity. Three million children inside Ukraine and over 2.2 million children in refugee-hosting countries are now in need of humanitarian assistance. Almost two out of every three children have been displaced by incessant rocket attacks and fighting between the two nations.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Zee News staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
More than 10,000 Mariupol residents are in "prisons" of the so-called "DPR," Mariupol City Council reported on Saturday.

"Peaceful, civilian residents were detained by the occupiers and sent to places of deprivation of liberty. It is known about four such prisons: two in Olenivka, Donetsk pretrial detention facility and one in Makiyivka. People are in terrible and inhuman conditions, like in a concentration camp. They are closed in cramped cells 2 by 3 meters for 10 people. Mariupol residents almost do not receive water and food. They are not taken outside. They have no access to normal medical care and are subjected to various forms of torture, from psychological to physical" the city council said on Telegram.

The occupiers have created real concentration camp conditions in which peaceful Mariupol residents are forced to survive.

"I call on the International Committee of the Red Cross and the UN to pay attention to the illegal detention of city civilians. Use all possible tools to obtain lists of prisoners. Ensure that they receive decent living conditions. And work together on the release of every Mariupol resident," Mayor Vadym Boichenko said.
In temporarily occupied Chaplynka, Kherson region, pressure on local residents from the invaders is increasing, since June 29, all private garages have been searched in the village, the Intelligence Agency of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry reports.

"In the absence of the owners, the garage doors are broken down with the help of the Tigr armored combat vehicle. Searches are carried out in great detail  up to digging the soil in the basements in search of hiding places. In the premises of the former municipal pharmacy, the occupiers organized the work of their own private pharmacy point. Medicines are imported from the occupied Crimea. An insider was put in charge of the work, who exercises control and collects cash at the end of the working day," the message says.

Also, the entire crop from the settlement is exported by grain trucks in the Crimea direction. At the same time, the final removal of last year's grain is carried out.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock opened on Monday the 13th Petersberg Climate Dialogue (PCD13) in Berlin.
Egypt's General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC), the country's s grains buyer, announced on Sunday a tender for an unspecified amount of wheat from five imports origins, namely the US, Canada, Australia, Argentina, and Brazil.
On the morning of Day 142 of the war in Ukraine, the mayor of a community slipping closer to the front line stands in sneakers and blazer near the newest soldier's grave.
Moscow ally Syria on Wednesday recognised the independence of eastern Ukraine's two separatist republics, making it the first state other than Russia to do so.

The breakaway states of Donetsk and Lugansk, whose independence Moscow recognised in February, are situated in the Donbas region at the centre of Russia's invasion and have escaped Kyiv's control since 2014.

"The Syrian Arab Republic has decided to recognise the independence and sovereignty of both the Lugansk People's Republic and the Donetsk People's Republic," a source at Syria's foreign ministry told the official SANA news agency.

"We will communicate with both countries to agree on frameworks for strengthening relations, including establishing diplomatic relations in accordance with established rules," the source said.

Earlier this month, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad met with a Russian delegation and representatives of the Donetsk republic.

During the meeting he said Damascus was ready to start political relations with Donetsk.

This is not the first time that the Syrian government, which since 2015 has been heavily backed by Russia in its own civil war, has supported Moscow's recognition of breakaway states.

In 2018, Syria recognised South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent from the former Soviet state of Georgia, prompting Tbilisi to cut diplomatic ties.

Abkhazia and South Ossetia are internationally recognised as part of Georgia, which gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, but Russia and a handful of other countries recognise their independence.

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Russian forces withdrew from a strategic Black Sea island Thursday, potentially easing the threat to the vital Ukrainian port city of Odesa, but kept up their push to encircle the last stronghold of resistance in the eastern province of Luhansk.

The Kremlin portrayed the pullout from Snake Island as a ``goodwill gesture.'' Ukraine's military said the Russians fled in two small speedboats following a barrage of Ukrainian artillery and missile strikes. The exact number of troops was not disclosed.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said the withdrawal was intended to demonstrate that Moscow isn't hampering U.N. efforts to establish a humanitarian corridor for exporting agricultural products from Ukraine.

Ukraine and the West have accused Russia of blockading Ukrainian ports to prevent exports of grain, contributing to a global food crisis. Russia has denied the accusations and said that Ukraine needs to remove mines from the Black Sea to allow safe navigation.

Turkey has sought to broker a deal to unblock grain exports. But the talks have dragged on, with Kyiv expressing fear that Russia will exploit the removal of the mines to attack Odesa.

Snake Island sits along a busy shipping lane. Russia took control of it in the opening days of the war in the apparent hope of using it as a staging ground for an assault on Odesa.

It was unclear if the evacuation meant a change in Moscow's designs on Odesa. Odesa is Ukraine's biggest port, crucial for shipping grain to Africa, the Middle East and other parts of the world, and is also the headquarters of the country's navy.

The island early on took on legendary significance for Ukraine's resistance to the Russian invasion, when Ukrainian troops there reportedly received a demand from a Russian warship to surrender or be bombed. The answer supposedly came back, ``Go (expletive) yourself.''

Ukraine has celebrated the story with patriotic fervor, issuing a postage stamp in commemoration.

The island's Ukrainian defenders were captured by the Russians but later freed as part of a prisoner exchange. After the island was taken, the Ukrainian military heavily bombarded the small Russian garrison there and its air defenses.

At a NATO summit in Madrid, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson billed the Russian pullout as a sign that Ukraine will prevail in the war launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin. ``In the end it will prove impossible for Putin to hold down a country that will not accept'' occupation, Johnson said.

Meanwhile, Moscow kept up its push to take control of the entire Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. It is focused on the city of Lysychansk, the last remaining Ukrainian stronghold in Luhansk province.

Russian troops and their separatist allies control 95% of Luhansk and about half of Donetsk, the two provinces that make up the mostly Russian-speaking Donbas.

Ukraine said the Russians were shelling Lysychansk and clashing with Ukrainian defenders around an oil refinery on the edge of the city.

Luhansk Gov. Serhiy Haidai said Russian reconnaissance units tried to enter Lysychansk on Wednesday but were repelled. He said the Russians were trying to block a highway used to deliver supplies and fully encircle the city.

``The Russians have thrown practically all their forces to seize the city,'' Haidai said.

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A three-day assembly of Islamic clerics and tribal elders in the Afghan capital concluded Saturday with pledges of support for the Taliban and calls on the international community to recognize the country's Taliban-led government.

The meeting in Kabul was tailored along the lines of Afghanistan's traditional Loya Jirgas _ regular councils of elders, leaders and prominent figures meant to deliberate Afghan policy issues.

But it appeared that the overwhelming majority of attendees were Taliban officials and supporters, mostly Islamic clerics. Women were not allowed to attend, unlike Loya Jirgas held under a U.S.-backed government in the past.

The former insurgents, who have kept a complete lock on decision-making since taking over the country last August, touted the gathering as a forum to hear a range of voices on issues facing Afghanistan.

According to Mujib-ul Rahman Ansari, a cleric who attended the gathering, an 11-point statement released at the end urges countries in the region and the world, the United Nations, Islamic organizations and others to recognize a Taliban-led Afghanistan, remove all sanctions imposed since the Taliban takeover and unfreeze Afghan assets abroad.

Ansari said that more than 4,500 Islamic clerics and elders who attended renewed their allegiance and loyalty to the Taliban's supreme leader and spiritual chief, Haibatullah Akhundzada.

In a surprise development, the reclusive Akhundzada came to Kabul from his base in southern Kandahar province and addressed the gathering on Friday. It was believed to be his first visit to the Afghan capital since the Taliban seized power.

In his hour-long speech carried by state radio, Akhundzada called the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan a ``victory for the Muslim world.''

His appearance added symbolic heft to the gathering. The Taliban are under international pressure to be more inclusive as they struggle with Afghanistan's humanitarian crises.

The international community has been wary of any recognition or cooperation with the Taliban, especially after they restricted the rights of women and minorities _ measures that hark back to their harsh rule when they were last in power in the last 1990s.

Saturday's 11-point resolution called on the Taliban government to pay ``special attention and to ensure justice, religious and modern education, health, agriculture, industry, the rights of minorities, children, women and the entire nation, according to Islamic holy law.``

The Taliban adhere to their own strict interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia.

Akhundzada, who rose from a low-profile member of the Islamic insurgents to the leader of the Taliban in a swift transition of power after a 2016 U.S. drone strike killed his predecessor, Mullah Akhtar Mansour, also offered prayers Friday for earthquake victims.

The powerful quake in June killed more than 1,000 people in eastern Afghanistan, igniting yet another crisis for the struggling country. Overstretched aid groups already keeping millions of Afghans alive rushed supplies to the quake victims, but most countries responded tepidly to Taliban calls for international help.

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Allegations that Ethiopian forces captured and killed Sudanese troops in a contested area along their border -- charges denied by Addis Ababa -- have revived a decades-old dispute over the fertile land.

The brinkmanship over Al-Fashaqa has alarmed regional leaders and fed into wider tensions between the rival powers of Sudan and Ethiopia over land and water in the Horn of Africa.

Deadly dispute

Khartoum announced on Monday it would recall its ambassador to Addis Ababa after accusing Ethiopia's army of executing seven Sudanese soldiers and a civilian during a clash in Al-Fashaqa last week.

Sudan said the soldiers were "kidnapped from Sudanese territories" on June 22, taken into Ethiopia, and later "killed and their bodies publicly maimed".

During a visit to the contested zone claimed by both countries, Sudan's military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan instructed soldiers "to not allow any new movements or encroachments" on their soil.

The army, which has been in power since a militart takeover in October 2021, vowed that the "perfidious act will not pass".

Ethiopia's army hit back, denying any role whatsoever in the killings, and vowing to drive Sudanese forces off any seized land if ordered.

Addis Ababa said the casualties resulted from a skirmish with a local militia and accused Sudanese forces of violating Ethiopian territory.

As the sabre-rattling intensified, the African Union and a grouping of regional leaders called for cool heads to prevail.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed issued an appeal in Arabic for calm and restraint "for the sake of our shared interests and good-neighbourliness".

It is far from the first bloody incident in the restive strip of fertile land along the shared border.

In November, Sudan's armed forces said six soldiers were killed in an attack by armed groups and militias linked to the Ethiopian military in Al-Fashaqa, allegations Addis Ababa again denied.

Blood and soil

Arguments over Al-Fashaqa, between two rivers where Ethiopia's Amhara and Tigray regions meet Sudan's Gedaref state, date back to colonial times.

Al-Fashaqa covers some 12,000 square kilometres (4,630 square miles), but analysts point to a flashpoint zone directly along the border, covering some 250 square kilometres (just under 100 square miles).

Treaties signed over a century ago during the colonial era drew the international boundary east of Al-Fashaqa, giving the land to Sudan.

But in the intervening decades, thousands of Ethiopian farmers have grown crops there during the rainy season, despite being periodically expelled by Sudanese forces.

Talks between Khartoum and Addis Ababa over the years have never produced a final deal on a border.

War and water

Al-Fashaqa borders Ethiopia's troubled Tigray region, where deadly conflict erupted in November 2020 between federal forces and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).

The fighting sent tens of thousands of Ethiopian refugees fleeing into Sudan, exacerbating tensions between the two states.

Abiy has leaned heavily on security forces from his country's Amhara region during the fighting, which has reached a stalemate as diplomats push for peace talks.

Many Amhara officials view Al-Fashaqa as rightfully theirs, and some analysts fear Abiy will struggle to rein in their territorial ambitions.

Sudan and Ethiopia both face daunting domestic economic and political challenges.

Aside from Tigray, Ethiopia faces internal unrest including in the Benishangul-Gumuz and Oromia regions.

Sudan has been under military control since October when Burhan took power, and mass street protests demanding a path to civilian rule have been violently broken up.

The border dispute over farming land also stirs anxieties over resources between the rivals, particularly stoked by Ethiopia's mega dam on the Blue Nile.

Sudan believe the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam threatens its water supply and along with Egypt, another downstream country, is pushing for a binding deal over its filling and operation.

Ethiopia has resisted pressure, and in February said it had begun producing electricity at the dam.

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Kuwait Finance House  Bahrain (KFH-Bahrain) has collaborated with the Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF) to launch Waed, a customised graduate trainee programme for Bahrainis to help develop their personal and technical competencies and enhance their employment opportunities.

The programme, developed by the recognized trainers from BIBF, targets Bahraini graduates from accredited local and international universities who meet the admission requirements to partake in the programme.

Applicants will undergo a series of international assessments deployed by the BIBF, in addition to selection interviews, upon which 20 candidates will be qualified for joining the program.

During the first month of the programme, they will receive intensive training courses that have been developed by KFH  Bahrain in partnership with the BIBF.

In addition, the bank will host a series of educational lectures held by experienced banking professionals from KFH-Bahrain.

Participants will subsequently spend a period of two months in one of the banks specialised functions with the aim of gaining hands on knowledge and practical experience.

At the end of the programme, five trainees will be selected to undergo a two months job rotation program to get additional on the job training across the various functions of the bank, and will then have to develop and apply an innovative initiative for digitalization or enhancing work processes and developing new products.

On the collaboration, Managing Director and CEO Abdulhakeem Alkhayyat said: "We are pleased to introduce our latest training program Waed, which aims to develop the skills of youth cadres and elevate the human capital in Bahrain."

"Through this programme, we further seek to enhance KFH-Bahrains contribution towards the implementation of the kingdoms development initiatives, including the creation of job opportunities for Bahraini graduates, and making citizens the first choice when hiring," stated Alkhayyat.

BIBFs Director Dr Ahmed AlShaikh said: "We are very pleased to work alongside KFH-Bahrain, to facilitate this opportunity for fresh graduates to enhance their skills-set and increase their chances of employability. Through such partnerships the BIBF is able to provide the necessary training that will help Bahraini youth to take the first step in their professional career journeys."

Sara Zainalabedin, Head of Human Resources at KFH-Bahrain, said: "We aim through Waed program to invest in the development of local talent and to enhance the employability of Bahraini graduates and the career opportunities available to them."

"The programme is tailored to provide the graduates with a unique opportunity to gain hands on experience and the competencies needed to keep pace with the changing needs of the labor market and the skills required for the future of work," stated Zainalabedin.

"This initiative falls under the scope of our fruitful partnership with the Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance, and comes as part of our corporate responsibility and sustainability efforts to enable Bahraini youth and support their growth. We would like to invite graduates to benefit from this experience and to learn from mentors who will accompany them through every phase of the program to ensure attaining maximum benefit," he added.

Sana Haji, Acting Head of Leadership and Management Centre at the BIBF, said: "We highly value our partnership with KFH-Bahrain on developing and delivering this tailored program, through which we aim to achieve a common goal of developing national talent."

"This program was specifically designed in line with the objectives of KFH-Bahrain for preparing Bahraini graduates with key skills needed to succeed in the workplace whilst increasing quality job opportunities available to the graduates," she added.-TradeArabia News Service
Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad said on Saturday that Egypt is looking forward to having support of the UK in its agriculture initiative set to be launched during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27).

The impacts of global warming on agriculture will be discussed during COP27, along with the means of adapting to them, Fouad said during her meeting with Lord Goldsmith on the fringe of the 2022 UN Oceans Conference in Lisbon.

Fouad and Goldsmith discussed many environmental topics as well as the preparations for COP27, slated to be held in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh in November.

The activities of COP27 will include a day on nature and biodiversity, the Egyptian minister added.

For his part, Goldsmith stressed the importance of last years Glasgow conference and meeting its promises and recommendations.

Egypt is set to launch presidential initiatives in the spheres of food, water and energy at COP27, Fouad said in previous remarks.

Foud also has noted that Egypt has prepared a concept paper detailing 20 projects on energy and the relationship between water and food as well as mechanisms for providing the needed funding, the minister further noted.

In May, Egypt launched the National Strategy for Climate Change 2050 with the aim of addressing the repercussions of climate change in a way that contributes to improving the quality of life for Egyptians, achieving sustainable development, sustainable economic growth and preserving natural resources and ecosystems.

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Recommendations from Egypts National Dialogue will be referred to the House of Representatives and the government for implementation, said Diaa Rashwan, head of the Press Syndicate and the general coordinator of the National Dialogue.

In a statement aired during his talk show programme 'New Egypt' on 'ETC' TV channel on Friday, Rashwan said: At the end of the National Dialogue Conference, which is expected to kick off this week, it will be natural that its recommendations will be referred to the House of Representatives and the government so it can be implemented on the ground.

If these recommendations require legislative amendments, they will be passed to the House, and if these recommendations require taking a number of executive steps, they will be referred to the government, said Rashwan.

He also emphasised that President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi would attend the final meetings of the National Dialogue.

As promised, President El-Sisi will attend the meetings of the final stages of this dialogue in person, said Rashwan.

Furthermore, he explained that the National Dialogue will kick off only after its timetable of debates is declared to the public.

There will be a schedule of debate for the dialogue, and this is very important to ensure its success, said Rashwan.

According to the coordinator, the dialogues 10-member Council of Trustees will be tasked with drafting the dialogues schedule of debate.

This Council will also run the debate to make sure that the dialogue does not turn into a talking shop.

He added that those who were invited to the dialogue are the ones who only believe in 2013s 30 June Revolution.

Those who agree that Egypt should be a modern and civilian state are the ones who will participate in the dialogue, and not the ones who seek to hijack the state for their own radical religious agenda, he said, emphasising that the main job of the National Dialogue is to resurrect the spirit of the 30 June Revolutions alliance.

Egypts 30 June Revolution erupted in 2013, leading to the removal of the one-year rule of the Muslim Brotherhood and its affiliated former president Mohamed Morsi.

Rashwan also explained that the job of the dialogue is not only to give room for all forces to voice their opinions of Egypts existing political, economic, security, and cultural conditions and problems.

We also want participants to give a recipe for reform and tell us how this recipe should be implemented and in how much time, and at the end we will collect all recipes and recommendations to be submitted to the president, the government, and parliament to be implemented.

On 26 April, during a Ramadan Family Iftar Banquet hosted by the president, El-Sisi revealed that he would call for a national dialogue to chart a new political and economic roadmap for Egypt in the coming years.

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Talaat Khalil, the secretary-general of Egypts Conservatives Party, announced in a statement on Friday that the party supports all Egyptian political factions in rejecting the participation of the terrorist-designated Muslim Brotherhood in the National Dialogue that is expected to kick off this week.

The partys statement comes in response to some press reports that claimed that Chairperson of the Conservatives Party Akmal Qortam requested that the Muslim Brotherhood and Egyptian opposition figures living abroad attend the conference, Khalil added.

This is completely untrue, because the partys ideology is against mixing religion with politics. We support a civil state based on liberalism, constitutional principles, the rule of law, and the multi-party system, said Khalil.

The Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated TV channel 'Mekamleen,' which broadcasts from Turkey, quoted Qortam as saying last week that Egypt needs the efforts of all political forces," and that he does not mind "inviting the Muslim Brotherhood to the dialogue.

Khalil went on to say that the Conservatives Partys Chairperson Akmal Qortam was quite clear during the interview with Mekamleen TV channel in saying that the party does not believe in mixing religion with politics and that the party does not have any agendas for reconciliation with political Islam movements that believe in mixing religion with politics such as the Muslim Brotherhood.

Khalil also quoted Qortam as saying that the Conservatives Party fully supports reconciliation with all forces that have no blood on their hands and opposition forces that work for the supreme interests of Egypt.

The Conservatives Party, which was founded by oil business tycoon and former MP Akmal Qortam in 2006, has six seats in Egypts House of Representatives.

On 26 April, Egypts president Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi called for a national dialogue that should lead to setting the countrys political and economic priorities in the coming few years.

The president said all political and civilian forces should be invited to the dialogue without exclusion or discrimination.

Furthermore, Khalil said: the Conservatives Party believes that President El-Sisis call for national dialogue comes at the time right to mobilise the efforts of all forces to set the countrys priorities for the coming stage.

This dialogue is a very important step, and all should contribute to its debates in order to help the country weather global crises and create a climate of political openness.

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Israeli occupation forces on Friday attacked a Palestinian womans funeral in the town of Beit Ummar, in the southern West Bank province of Al Khalil (Hebron), according to local sources.

Mohammad Awad, a local Palestinian activist, told WAFA that soldiers attacked the coffin of the Palestinian woman, as well as the pallbearers, as the funeral passed through the main entrance to the town.

He also said that the attacking soldiers fired live ammunition into the air, kicked the pallbearers, and fired teargas canisters and stun grenades in an attempt to disperse the funeral.

No injuries were reported.

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The International Criminal Court marked the 20th anniversary of its establishment as its prosecutors probed war crimes in countries around the world, including what one expert called a ``make or break'' investigation in Ukraine.

The court, long criticized for tackling only crimes in Africa and failed prosecutions of senior leaders in Kenya and Ivory Coast, now has investigations underway in 17 countries, from Afghanistan to Ukraine, although the majority of cases are in Africa.

David Crane, the founding chief prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone that convicted former Liberian President Charles Taylor and others as war criminals, said the Hague-based ICC is a crucial legal institution despite some criticism of its work.

``The ICC is the cornerstone now of how we deal with atrocity crimes at the international level,'' Crane told The Associated Press. ``With the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, the ICC must be the lead in holding President Vladimir Putin accountable. This is the ICC's moment. They have to get this right.''

The court has registered only three war crimes convictions and five for interfering with justice in the 20 years since its founding treaty, the Rome Statute, came into force on July, 1, 2002. Without a police force of its own and relying on national authorities to carry out arrests, getting suspects to The Hague has been a problem from the outset and is likely to remain a critical stumbling block to meting out justice.

And that justice does not come cheap. The court's budget for 2022 is nearly 155 million euros ($161 million), and it has spent more than 2.2 billion euros ($2.3 billion) over its two-decade life.

A total of 123 countries are members of the court and accept its jurisdiction, but global powers the United States, Russia and China do not. That means that if Prosecutor Karim Khan's investigations in Ukraine lead to charges against Russian suspects, Moscow is not likely to willingly make them available for trial in The Hague.

Friday's anniversary should be a moment to ``reflect and to try to refresh the process of international justice,'' Khan said.

``If we work in a collective manner, I am confident that international justice can accelerate and advance and have the required impact,`` he added.

Human rights organization Amnesty International, however, criticized prosecutors' decisions in recent years including to no investigate alleged crimes by British forces in Iraq and to ``deprioritize'' a probe into allegations of crimes by U.S. personnel in Afghanistan.

Amnesty International's Secretary General Agnes Callamard said that the ``glimmer of hope`` the ICC's establishment had offered for victims of crimes that the perpetrators would be brought to justice has dimmed.

``But it has appeared to veer off course in recent years, with recent decisions by the ICC Prosecutor raising concerns that the court may be heading towards a hierarchical system of international justice,`` she added in a statement that also criticized the prosecution office's move to seek voluntary funding for its Ukraine investigation.

``ICC states parties must ensure that all of the court's investigations and activities are fully funded - they must not use their resources and cooperation as tools to influence which situations and parties are investigated. Meanwhile, all states who have not yet done so, including Ukraine, must ratify the Rome Statute,'' Amnesty said.

In a statement marking the anniversary, the European Union highlighted the ICC's achievements and called on nations that have not yet joined to do so.

``Its landmark decisions have contributed to the fight against impunity and the development of international criminal jurisprudence, for example on sexual and gender-based crimes, the recruitment and use of children in armed conflicts and the destruction of cultural property,'' the EU said.

Crane conceded that the court, which only takes on cases when local authorities cannot or will not act, ``has stumbled from time to time causing a mixed reputation of viability.''

Despite that, ``the ICC is a worthy international effort that must be supported. Frankly, we cannot let it fail,`` he said. ``What the ICC does with its work in Ukraine is a make or break moment.''

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A clash between two groups of migrants near the Serbia-Hungary border left one person dead and seven others injured Saturday, Serbia's state television reported.

The migrants were stranded in northern Serbia while attempting to cross into the European Union when the violence erupted. The injured were taken to a local hospital, including a 16-year-old girl who was seriously injured, Serbian media reports said, quoting doctors.

They said the clash, which included firearms, occurred in a forest near the border with Hungary. Police blocked off the area while conducting the investigation.

The clash also involved migrant smugglers from Afghanistan and Pakistan who take money to get them across the border, according to the media reports, which couldn't be independently verified.

Thousands of migrants fleeing wars and poverty in Africa, Asia and the Middle East are stranded in the Balkans, one of the major European routes for those trying to reach Western Europe.

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June should be a happy month since summer officially starts on the 21st, but most importantly the name June is related to the Latin Iunius, (Iuno), which appears to come from the Latin iuventas, youth, which is related to words like juvenile and rejuvenate. It also refers to Juno, an important and powerful ancient Italian deity who became the protector of Rome, wife of Jupiter, queen of gods, and goddess of marriage, childbirth and fertility.

But reading the month in an Egyptian context, I see it starting with a beginning and ending with another beginning. June starts with a very special event, the entry of the holy family into Egypt; they came from Palestine through the desert and their trail blessed Egypt from North Sinai, through the Delta and Cairo, and across Upper Egypt. They indeed crossed the whole country from east to west, from north to south, leaving their indelible prints in numerous spots as well as many stories that the tradition  backed by historical manuscripts and documents  records regarding their trip and the places they stopped at.

They had to flee Judea because King Herod the Great was disturbed to learn of the birth of Christ, who would be King of the Jews. To protect his throne, he ordered the killings of all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. (Matthew 2: 16) To save the young child, Joseph was divinely warned in a dream by the angel who ordered him to flee to Egypt with Jesus and his mother, the Virgin Mary. They were told to stay there until it was safe for the child to return to Palestine, which happened after the death of Herod, making them stay in Egypt for about three years and a half. The flight to Egypt fulfils the words of the prophets Hosea, Out of Egypt I called My Son;" and Isiahs Blessed is Egypt my people (Hosea 11:1 & Isiah 19:24).

It is believed that the holy familys journey to and from Egypt extends over 3,500km, and includes 31 sites, eight caves or grottos, 18 water springs or wells, and 13 trees. The trail of this journey would later on sprout with churches and monasteries, many of which have been places of touristic attraction as well as pilgrimage sites and sources of blessings visited by many Egyptians, whether Christians or Muslims. Landmarks include Gabal Al-Teir, or Bird Mountain and Al-Muharraq Monastery; both are in Upper Egypt and the latter is where the holy family unquestionably stayed the longest and is often regarded as a second Jerusalem by many Christian pilgrims, particularly in Egypt and Ethiopia. Another place that attracts visitors from inside and outside Egypt is a sycamore tree, now known as the Virgin Mary Tree, located in Al-Mataraya district near Ein Shams (Old Heliopolis). Many of the locals believe that going round the tree helps women get pregnant, as the tree has a reputation among visitors to bless women with children.

One more landmark stop, this time in the Delta region, is Wadi Al-Natroun, which was inaugurated on 28 May 2022 by Dr. Khaled El-Enany and General Mahmoud Shaarawi, the ministers of tourism and antiquities and local development as well as General Hisham Amna, the governor of Behira, and his deputy Dr. Nehal Balbaa. The official opening of this stop marks another milestone in the development of the Holy Family Trail in Egypt. There are still further plans for promoting the area and building ecological lodges for those seeking spiritual retreat and tranquillity in this unique area. The significance of Wadi Al-Natroun goes back to the Pharaonic era since the area was known for the salt used in mummification; "natrun" is the Arabic word for sodium carbonate salt. Besides, the Romans used to extract the silica they used in making glass from there. A must see landmark in this seemingly parched desert is a spring of water known as St Marys Springor Bir Mariam, which miraculously exits in Lake al-Hamra ("the Red lake"). Speaking of this Lake, historian Ayman Abul-Maati remarks: Its salinity is eight times the normal salinity of the sea. In this it is second only to the Dead Sea in Jordan. However, amid the extremely salty waters of the lake, flows a spring of fresh and sweet water! Tradition has it that passing by this area, the Holy Family were thirsty but could not drink from this salty water; hence, a sweet water spring welled for them to drink. The well still exists and there is no scientific explanation for it, which makes the locals regard it as a miracle. And this is what has been mentioned in the presentation given about the area on the day of its inauguration.

Wadi Al-Natroun is one of the 25-stop-trail that the Egyptian government, in collaboration with the Coptic Orthodox Church, has been working on developing and promoting. This will definitely be an asset to Egypt, marketing it as an important country for spiritual tourism throughout the year. Dr. El-Enany remarked: The holy familys visit to Egypt bestowed on the country a unique honour and blessing and made Egypt one of the most sacred Christian centres in the world.

Indeed, many Egyptians believe that this journey and many other things make their country a privileged and a blessed place. They sense a special divine protection of their country, which I believe was well phrased by the Egyptian President El-Sisi in a speech given on 23 March 2022 in celebration of the Egyptian womans day. He noted and even swore to God that Egypt was one day going downhill, but with the help of the mighty hand God, it was miraculously saved and brought back on the right track. It is obvious that he was mainly referring to the Muslim Brotherhood era and its aftermath. Restoring Egypt started on the 30th of June 2013, which makes the end of the month mark a new beginning, the dawn of an era of light dispersing the darkness Egypt lived in for a whole year. Thus it is no exaggeration to say that the end of June represents a new beginning, which can be related to the special beginning of its first day and the entry of the holy family into Egypt.

A great deal has been written about the 30th of June 2013 and the three days following it, days that will always be remembered in the history of modern Egypt. I was with family and friends among the millions who stayed for four days in the streets of Alexandria asking the former ruler to depart. I was like many a witness to what they call the will of the people who, realising that their social contract with the ruler was violated, decided to overthrow him. John Locke and other enlightenment thinkers such as Thomas Hobbes and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, tell us of a hypothetical social contract between the ruler and the ruled, the governor and the governed by which he should respect and protect their natural rights, especially those related to liberty and property. Failing to secure these rights legitimises the peoples revolt against their sovereign, and hence they can justifiably overthrow him. This principle is one of the elements that instigated the American Declaration of Independence, leading finally to the American Revolution against the British rule.

And this is simply what the Egyptians did when they could intuitively discern the destructive effect of this regime on their identity and whatever they believed in. They realised that the regime did not only fail to protect their security and rights, but also distorted the countrys identity and culture, and sold its land. So they took to the streets until the regime collapsed, which was indeed miraculous. History never tells us of a fascist religious regime that was toppled down in a year. Yes, there has been careful planning for the countrys revolt and a great deal of effort was put to instigate the deep state. Rebel, the movement which collected signatures of millions of Egyptians asking the former ruler to step down,was a major element. Yet, the hand of God was definitely behind it; and I would add the unique mental map of the Egyptians, something which the Egyptian thinker Dr. Abdel-Moneim Said spoke about a few days ago in a seminar organised by the Ministry of Youth in collaboration with the Egyptian Centre for Strategic Studies, SCSS. Dr. Said briefly talked about this mental map, its components and the elements shaping it including history, religion, science, our upbringing, etc.

His talk intrigued me to learn more about this mental or cognitive map, which should help us make some sort of personal sense of the world, and our perceptions of it; as it reflects how humans look at the world around them and process that information, internally and externally. Hence our experiences as well as other elements including what we read, hear, see or learn, shape and create our mental maps on daily basis. Looking deeper into the human and behavioural aspects of mental maps should help us to track fear, stress, and excitement regarding different places worldwide and I would add, regarding certain issues and incidents. What happened in 2012-2013 deserves a great deal of study; but definitely the majority of the Egyptians felt threatened and insecure. They were exposed to a different discourse, different behavioural attitude and mode of life. They could not relate to any of these. They have been since the dawn of history spiritual in their own moderate and peaceful way. The love of art in its different forms  music, painting, acting, etc  is engraved in their characters and obvious on the walls of their temples. Hence it was not difficult to instigate the deep state and the majority of the Egyptians when they were threatened with the distortion and loss of all that they believed in. They felt that they had to act and bring things to order. It was no wonder that with the fall of the Muslim Brotherhood regime, many felt like a horrible nightmare and a huge burden were taken off their chests. This fresh breath of freedom and life will always make the 30th of June a day of rebirth for Egypt and its people.The road is still long and the challenges are not over yet. Albeit that, June will always remain a special month for Egypt with its blessed beginning and end.

* Heba Sharobeem is a senator and university professor

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The latest in a litany of horrors in Ukraine came this week as Russian firepower rained down on civilians in a busy shopping mall far from the front lines of a war in its fifth month.

The timing was not likely a coincidence.

While much of the attritional war in Ukraines east is hidden from sight, the brutality of Russian missile strikes on a mall in the central city of Kremenchuk and on residential buildings in the capital, Kyiv, unfolded in full view of the world and especially of Western leaders gathered for a trio of summits in Europe.

Were the attacks a message from Russian President Vladimir Putin as the West sought to arm Ukraine with more effective weapons to bolster its resistance, and to set Ukraine on the path to joining the European Union?

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko suggested as much when missiles struck the capital on June 26, three days after EU leaders unanimously agreed to make Ukraine a candidate for membership.

It was maybe a symbolic attack as the Group of Seven leading economic powers and then NATO leaders prepared to meet and apply further pressure on Moscow, he said. At least six people were killed in the Kyiv strike, which pummeled an apartment building.

The former commanding general of U.S. Army forces in Europe, retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, went further in connecting the attack and the meetings. The Russians are humiliating the leaders of the West, he said.

A day after the Kyiv attack, as G-7 leaders met in Germany to discuss further support for Ukraine during their annual summit, Russia fired missiles at a crowded shopping mall in the central Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk, killing at least 19 people.

The timing of both attacks appeared to be juxtaposed with the European meetings of U.S. President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron, all supporters of Ukraine.

Defying the evidence, Putin and his officials deny that Russia hit residential areas. Putin has denied that Russian forces targeted the Kremenchuk mall, saying it was directed at a nearby weapons depot. But Ukrainian officials and witnesses said a missile directly hit the mall.

It was hardly the first time that bursts of violence were widely seen as signals of Moscows displeasure. In late April, Russian missiles struck Kyiv barely an hour after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a news conference with visiting U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

This says a lot about Russias true attitude toward global institutions, Zelenskyy said at the time. Kyivs mayor called the attack Putins way of giving the middle finger.

The Russian president recently warned that Moscow would strike targets it had so far spared if the West supplied Ukraine with weapons that could reach Russia. If Kyiv gets long-range rockets, Russia will draw appropriate conclusions and use our means of destruction, which we have plenty of, Putin said.

On Friday, a day after Russian forces made a high-profile retreat from Snake Island near the Black Sea port city of Odesa following what Ukraine called a barrage of artillery and missile strikes, Russia bombarded residential areas in a coastal town near Odesa and killed at least 21 people, including two children.

While Russias messaging can be blunt and devastating, Ukraines signals under Zelenskyy have focused daily on seeking to amplify Moscows cruelty to a world that day by day risks becoming weary of the war.

If interest fades, the concerted support seen at global summits could fade, too. and with it the urgency to deliver the heavier weapons that Ukraine craves.

Zelenskyy tends to pair pleas for more help with reminders that all of Europe ultimately is at stake.

He described the mall attack as one of the most daring terrorist attacks in European history.

For all of Ukraines indisputable suffering, it was a bold statement of some hyperbole in the context of extremist attacks with mass deaths in Paris, Nice, Brussels, Madrid and London in this century alone.

For Zelenskyy and Ukraine, the underlying demand cannot be reiterated enough: provide more heavy weapons, and faster, before Russia perhaps makes irreversible gains in the eastern industrial region of the Donbas, where street-by-street fighting grinds on.

In his nightly public addresses, Zelenskyy also makes sure to capture the traumatic toll on everyday life in Ukraine, appealing well beyond global leaders to the wider world.

This week, he accused Russia of sabotaging peoples attempts to live a normal life.

Images of the shopping malls smoking debris said the rest.

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Hong Kong lies now "at a crucial stage of advancing toward further prosperity," China's official Xinhua News Agency said Thursday after Xi arrived.

That process could increase the wealth flowing into Hong Kong, the Council on Foreign Relations said in a May 19 analysis. "This dramatic transformation will not be the end of Hong Kong as a global financial hub, as it has already begun to boost economic integration with mainland China," the think tank's East Asia legal expert, Jerome A. Cohen, said in the analysis.

Economically, Beijing is working to link Hong Kong more closely with the Chinese mainland, especially the technology-driven, factory-intensive neighboring Guangdong province. The Hong Kong-Guangdong-Macao region has more than 86 million people and a $1.67 trillion gross domestic product.

Hong Kong should expect economic stability over the next 25 years, analysts say, along with increasingly tight control by China, which began to rule the international finance center 25 years ago this week.

China has administered Hong Kong, a former British colony, since 1997. The U.K. managed it for about 150 years and made a declaration with China for the 1997 handover. China at that point agreed to run Hong Kong for 50 years, through 2047, under a "one country, two systems" model that would give the territory a measure of local autonomy.

Xi is making his first trip outside mainland China since before the pandemic and his first to Hong Kong since 2017. The visit is likely to be "smooth" and "successful" as a confirmation of Beijing's policies toward Hong Kong, said Yun Sun, director of the China program at the Stimson Center in Washington.

"Looking into the next 25 years, I think we're likely to see Hong Kong becoming more and more like a mainland city, like a regular city under mainland control, and operating according to the will and policy of Beijing," Sun said.

 Political Freedoms Seen Declining

Chinese leaders pushed back against Hong Kong's autonomy and other political freedoms in 2020 after months of mass anti-China protests and rioting a year earlier. To stop future protest waves, China approved a Hong Kong-focused national security law in June 2020. Journalists and hundreds of former demonstrators have been arrested on suspicion of anti-government activity.

Hong Kong's libraries have pulled politically sensitive books, and universities are hiring top faculty members who support Beijing, said Wang Yaqiu, New York-based senior China researcher with Human Rights Watch. It is harder now to stand up for labor rights, Wang added. She said posting anti-government material online runs the risk of arrest, even though foreign social media channels are open in Hong Kong, unlike the case in mainland China.

"There's no technical obstacles like in the mainland, but when you know if you can post things but you can be punished for posting contents that are critical of the government -- you can be arrested, you can go to prison for years -- then of course you wouldn't do it," Wang said.

Beijing's increased leverage in Hong Kong's legislature and the security law have thrown particular doubt onto how much autonomy China will allow through 2047.

"It will be just another Chinese city, in political terms, long before 2047 and may one day be competing for its economic life against the likes of Shanghai and Shenzhen," said Sean King, vice president of the Park Strategies political consultancy in New York. "Either way, Hong Kong's days as Asia's World City, as it's been marketed to the world, are long since gone."

"Remaining freedoms" will disappear entirely over the next 25 years, said Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watch's Asia Division.

Protests were not expected during Xi's visit to Hong Kong this week due to heightened security. But some people have draped black cloth over the Chinese flags on display for the festivities, Wang said.
It was her passion for the original that inspired actress Kim Yun-jin to choose a Korean remake of Netflix's Spanish hit series "Money Heist" for her latest project.

"I was in Los Angeles when I first saw the original series," she told reporters earlier this week. "Initially, I was only going to watch the first two episodes, but I got hooked and ended up binge-watching seasons 1 and 2 in just three days. I was filming another project at that time, so I avoided watching the rest, because once you start you can't stop. And then I heard about the Korean remake."

"When I got the script I thought it could be either a total success or failure since it's difficult to satisfy fans when the original was already a big hit. I felt like I was holding a two-edged knife with my bare hands," she said.

But she decided to take the plunge "because I believed in the power of the original series and was interested in the Netflix platform," she added.

"One of my previous projects, 'Lost,' aired in about 100 countries, so I know an opportunity like that is really valuable," she said. "I felt the project was such an opportunity. The idea of being able to be part of a Korean show that can be watched by people around the world was really awesome to me."

The remake, set in a near future where the two Koreas are about to reunify, depicts a hostage situation in the Korea Mint, involving a genius strategist and a motley group of thieves.
Saudi authorities have signed up Al Sharif Holding to set up charging platforms for electric cars at 12 major sites and axial roads in Madinah region. This comes as part of the kingdom's ambitious goals to cut carbon emissions under Vision 2030.

Madinah Municipality has signed an agreement with Al Sharif Holding Group to set up charging platforms for electric cars at 12 major sites and axial roads in the region as part of the project's first phase, reported SPA.

This comes as part of the municipality's plans to establish more such electric charging stations for the benefit of electric car owners and encourage more nationals to support its environmental sustainability programmes.

The contract was signed by Madinah Mayor Engineer Fahd bin Muhammad Al Balishi and Sharif X Company for Electric Vehicle Charging Solutions CEO Dr Ahmed Sindi.

These charging stations will provide fast and medium charging devices (AC-DC) through power supply sockets with a power ranging from (22-200) kilowatts, in a model that conforms to the approved specifications and standards, stated the report.

In addition to this, Sharif X will build distinctive models of freight pallets with a visual identity in line with the directions of the Municipality in improving the urban landscape at the level of Madinah, said the SPA report.

This project comes within the list of projects and investment opportunities that the municipality intends to offer to the private sector in light of the continuous endeavour to launch new activities in the local market, and to enable companies and businessmen to seize new opportunities that contribute to advancing the development and economic diversification system, it added.
KYODO NEWS - Jul 2, 2022 - 19:57 | World, Japan, All

Three Russian naval vessels passed between Japan's two westernmost islands of Yonaguni and Iriomote, the Defense Ministry said Saturday, as tensions between Tokyo and Moscow continue to intensify over the Ukraine crisis.

The destroyer, frigate and supply ships sailed between the islands near Taiwan from Friday through Saturday and moved into the East China Sea, said the ministry, which, for the first time, disclosed Russia's naval passage in the area.

The ministry, which is analyzing the ships' actions and motives, presumed that they were on their way to return to Russia. The passage came amid an increased Russian and Chinese naval presence in waters around Japan.

Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said last month that five Russian naval ships "almost encircled Japan," and three Chinese vessels followed a similar path.

The Russian destroyer and frigate had accompanied those five warships for part of their journey, sailing with them southward off Hokkaido and passing the Izu Islands south of Tokyo on June 16.

Intensified Russian military activity near Japan has also involved a joint flight of bombers with China over the Sea of Japan, the East China Sea and the Pacific in late May.
KYODO NEWS - Jul 2, 2022 - 10:22 | All, Japan

British advertising giant WPP Plc sees potential in Japan's shrinking market, with elderly consumers a segment to tap into, the head of its Japanese operations has said.

Japan's population is expected to continue to decline and age, reflecting its falling birthrate, but there is a chance to "further unlock opportunities," said Kyoko Matsushita, who took the newly established post of CEO of WPP in Japan in April.

"The good news is that older or aging, doesn't mean you don't consume things," Matsushita said in a recent interview with Kyodo News. "You actually have more disposable income or savings."

For an advertising company, Japan is an important market with the world's third-largest revenue after the United States and China, according to WPP. The market size totaled 5.71 trillion yen ($42 billion) in 2021, Japanese government data show.

The industry is facing a dramatic change with online ads making up 23.9 percent and the four traditional media platforms of newspapers, magazines, television and radio accounting for a combined 29.1 percent.

The British ad agency believes it can help its clients in Japan such as Toyota Motor Corp. and Sony Group Corp. to achieve better access by communicating the right marketing messages, she said.

"I think what you communicate is actually very important for more of the older generation because it has to be something they need," said Matsushita who leads about 1,000 employees at WPP group companies in Japan.

"It doesn't mean (seniors) are not spending, but they're more selective about what they spend on," she added.

Japan's population is expected to fall below 100 million in 2053, compared with about 125 million in 2021, while the elderly will account for 30.0 percent of the overall population in 2025 and 35.3 percent in 2040, according to the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research.

Mizuho Bank estimates the market for products and services aimed at people aged 65 or older will grow to 101.3 trillion yen by 2025, up 61 percent from 62.9 trillion yen in 2007.

Speaking as a female business leader in Japan, Matsushita said diversity is crucial in the workplace as a source of innovation and top executives need to push for change in the country's male-dominated corporate culture.

The Japan Business Federation, the country's most influential business lobby known as Keidanren, said in 2020 that it is aiming for women to occupy more than 30 percent of executive positions at major companies by 2030.

The world's third-largest economy ranked 120th overall out of 156 countries, and 117th in terms of economic participation and opportunity in the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report for 2021. The report noted women only occupied 14.7 percent of senior and management positions in Japan.

"You need to bring diversity -- diversity of skill sets, diversity of background, diversity of gender, diversity of ethnicity," Matsushita said.

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KYODO NEWS - Jul 2, 2022 - 12:44 | Arts, All

Canadian musician Randy Bachman, a former member of rock band The Guess Who, was recently reunited with his beloved guitar in Tokyo some 45 years after it was stolen.

The instrument was found to have made its way into the hands of a professional musician in Japan, who agreed to return it to the Canadian rocker. Speaking during the Friday handover at the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo, Bachman held the guitar reverently and said he felt like an abandoned wish had come true.

Bachman was in his late teens when he bought the guitar, a Gretsch made in 1957, while out with music legend and longtime friend Neil Young. Bachman cherished the instrument, whose sound can be heard on The Guess Who hit "American Woman," until 1977 when it was stolen from a Toronto hotel.

An extensive search for the guitar brought up nothing, and its whereabouts had long been a mystery, until Bachman one day uploaded a video to YouTube telling its story. A fan in Canada then began using its distinctive woodgrain pattern to search online.

Eventually, he tracked the Gretsch to Japanese musician Takeshi, a songwriter for idol groups including Kanjani Eight, who it transpired had bought the guitar at a secondhand instrument store in Tokyo.

On the day of the handover, Bachman expressed his gratitude to Takeshi by presenting him with a guitar of the same brand and model. The two then played together.

Bachman also described how being separated from the guitar was like losing a part of himself, and of how he went on buying Gretsch guitars whenever he found them, to the point of owning 350 in total.

Reflecting on giving up the instrument, Takeshi said, "There is a sadness to it, but when I saw Randy smile, I felt glad I'd returned the guitar to him."

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FEATURE: Ukrainian musician appeals for peace from Japan
By Eduardo Martinez, KYODO NEWS - Jul 2, 2022 - 09:16 | Feature, All, Japan

From ingestible oils and gummies to skin lotions and makeup, products made from cannabidiol, an extract of the cannabis plant devoid of its psychoactive properties, are rapidly gaining popularity in Japan.

CBD, as cannabidiol is commonly known, is touted to have numerous health benefits, such as helping treat stress and anxiety and possessing anti-inflammatory properties. CBD items are now readily available in shops in cities around the country, while trials for a British-manufactured CBD drug have also started this year.

Kazuma Uehara, 31, runs a trendy cafe in western Tokyo that sells CBD products. Named Hammock, several of the woven sling beds hang from the cafe's ceiling, while the timber walls and rustic decor contribute to a relaxed atmosphere.

Uehara first learned about CBD in early 2020 after it was recommended to him by the supplier who provided the cafe with its namesake hammocks. "I was struggling with insomnia at the time," Uehara said.

He started eating CBD gummies, and after just a few days Uehara said he found himself sleeping better. "I wasn't able to sleep for more than two or three hours, but then it went up to six or seven."

Uehara now sells CBD oils and gummies at the cafe, and says some customers come in specifically to buy the products. "We have been asked if it's really legal before," he said. "But other customers are at ease and trust that it's okay as it's just another product being sold at the cafe."

But while the CBD industry grows, possession of the plant it is derived from remains highly illegal in Japan, stemming from a law enacted in 1948 criminalizing cannabis following the end of World War II and subsequent U.S. occupation.

In reality, hemp has been used from ancient times for items such as "shimenawa" sacred Japanese rope at shrines, with some farmers still licensed to cultivate the plant.

Despite recreational cannabis use being far from widespread in Japan, a record 5,783 offenses involving the drug were documented last year. Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Shigeyuki Goto has said the government will "strengthen crackdowns and promote comprehensive measures" against drug abuse.

On the other hand, a CBD medication called Epidiolex has become the first of its kind to be trialed in the country for patients with rare and severe forms of epilepsy, and amid strong support from patient associations, the health ministry is looking to revise the Cannabis Control Act to make way for the drug.

Some are also calling for CBD products and potential medications that contain tetrahydrocannabinol, also known as THC, to be made available in Japan. The constituent is responsible for cannabis' psychoactive properties that make people feel "high."

CBD is allowed in Japan as products derived from the stalks and seeds of cannabis are not criminalized, according to the law, unlike those made from extracts concentrated in other parts of the plant, such as THC.

"The issue is figuring out up to what amount of THC (in a product) is acceptable," said Tomohiko Mizuno, representative director of the Association of Japan Cannabinoid, which supports revision of the cannabis act, in a recent interview with Kyodo News.

A former lawmaker, the 66-year-old Mizuno says that Japan "does not allow values other than zero," and thinks that it should set legal standards for THC content from a "rational point of view, as other countries have set."

Mizuno, a member of Japan's House of Representatives until 2012, first learned about CBD in 2014. Also a qualified dentist, he took interest in CBD's medicinal properties, and the benefits they could have for people in Japan's aging society.

In addition to campaigning for revision of the cannabis act, the association offers consulting services for new companies learning to navigate the industry and conducts inspections on imported products while providing certifications that they can be traded legally.

Hirotsugu Suzuki, 49, knows from experience how tricky it can be running such a business, after he founded his company Organy Inc. in 2015 and created the first CBD skincare line in Japan.

"There were many difficulties like liaising with the health ministry and customs," Suzuki said of starting his business. "There was nowhere to manufacture the products as well. I really started from zero."

But Suzuki believes CBD has vast potential. He has since expanded to items such as tinctures and even pet treats, and recently collaborated with a flower shop in Tokyo's upscale Aoyama district to put his products on display in its storefront window.

While Suzuki says the industry is still small, it is definitely growing, with U.S. company Medical Marijuana Inc. saying the Japan division of its CBD-selling subsidiary had its best-ever month of revenue in May.

According to data provider Statista, Japan is projected to become the second largest CBD market in Asia by 2024, behind only China.

With the widespread stigma surrounding anything cannabis-related in Japan, a person interviewed by Kyodo News who asked to be only known by their initials Y.I., said CBD had really helped with the anxiety triggered by their bipolar disorder.

"A lot of people think that cannabis equates to hard drugs. But I think that they would accept it if it were promoted for medical purposes," the person said.

Mizuki Ishii, 33, agrees. Cannabis, she says, is generally demonized in Japan, although those with experience living overseas tend to think differently. Ishii proclaims to be a regular user of CBD, which she initially bought to help with her premenstrual syndrome.

Although it did not alleviate the immediate symptoms, Ishii said CBD helped her sleep better and she now shares a tincture bottle with her boyfriend.

"There are a lot of shops geared toward young people selling CBD recently, mainly toward women and coming in fashionable packaging," she said.

"Compared to the older generation, I think a lot of young people have a better impression of it."

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Photo taken on June 22, 2021 shows an exterior view of the Museum of the Communist Party of China in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The Communist Party of China (CPC), the world's largest governing party with over 96 million members, has discovered another key to breaking the historical cycle of "rise and fall" and ensuring its long-term governance.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, has identified that key as self-reform, a judgment he made in November last year in light of the endeavors of the Party over the past century, and its practice since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012 in particular.

Rewind the clock to the eve of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in 1945. In a cave home on the Loess Plateau, a historic conversation took place between late Chairman Mao Zedong and Huang Yanpei, a democratic personage, on how to maintain the long-lasting success of political power. Mao gave an answer: supervision by the people and the due diligence of people working in public positions.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at the core has led the Party in constant revolutionary tempering, lifting the Party to a new level of self-reform.

COURAGE IN UNDERTAKING SELF-REFORM

In September 2021, the year the CPC marked its centenary, Xi visited the Loess Plateau in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, part of which was the former revolutionary base of the Party.

During the tour, Xi mentioned the historical cycle, and "going in for a big exam in the capital city," an expression proposed by Chairman Mao.

The mindset of always taking "a big exam" and the courage to carry out self-reform are the most prominent qualities of the CPC.

Xi once pointed out that the fundamental reason for the fall of ancient and modern countries lies in their failure to solve their own problems.

To ensure its long-term governance, the CPC has taken Party building as a great project and has constantly carried out self-reform.

In the face of changes in the world unseen in a century and various severe tests, Chinese communists in the new era have rooted out serious potential dangers in the Party, the country and the military by taking resolute actions, thus securing close ties with the people, the wholehearted support of the people, and the Party's solidarity.

When meeting with Xi in Beijing in February this year, Argentine President Alberto Fernandez spoke of the achievements the CPC had made.

"We have no special interests of our own in serving the people," Xi told Fernandez.

Over the past century, the CPC has realized its enduring prosperity and continuous growth by developing people's democracy, accepting people's oversight, and advancing the full and rigorous governance over the Party.

COORDINATED EFFORTS AGAINST CORRUPTION

In improving Party conduct, Xi has urged a top-down approach to address pronounced problems. The country has targeted "trivial" matters such as gifts of mooncakes and the like, violations in the use of public cars and unhealthy tendencies at luxurious venues, among others.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the anti-corruption campaign has been taken to an unprecedented level. With firm action to "take out tigers" and "swat flies," an overwhelming victory has been achieved in the fight against corruption.

The fight against corruption is a major political struggle that the Party cannot and must not lose.

Xi has reiterated imposing stringent and harsh standards, rather than loose, lax and soft ones, when it comes to governing the Party.

Xi has served as the head of a series of top-level institutions of the central authorities and has comprehensively strengthened the Party's leadership on major tasks such as deepening overall reform, law-based governance, and economic work.

A power supervision network has been gradually formed, reform of the Party's discipline inspection and the national supervision system has been extended, and the system of Party regulations has been improved.

The CPC has also carried out multiple themed education programs for Party members, strengthening the ideological support for the Party to conduct self-reform.

WINNING PEOPLE'S SUPPORT

A report done by Harvard University, based on its 13-year survey in China, showed that the Chinese people's overall satisfaction with the central government exceeded 93 percent. Many similar surveys have also found high approval ratings of the Chinese government.

Cui Ronghai, an octogenarian from Jiangsu Province, asked a local deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC) to relay his gratitude to Xi when the deputy was attending the annual NPC session in Beijing in March 2022.

Cui had met Xi in person before. In late 2014, when Xi inspected the city of Zhenjiang, Cui came up to him and grabbed his hand, commending the general secretary's anti-graft achievements.

"Corrupt officials are all afraid of you," Cui said. "You bring good fortune to the people."

The old man has spoken the mind of many people in China. The nature of the CPC's long-lasting commitment to self-reform is persisting in doing what is right and correcting what is wrong in the interests of the people. Such is the secret behind the CPC's ability to achieve one triumph after another.

Just as Xi stated, the Party will remain invincible as long as it stands at the forefront of the times, leads the charge in overcoming difficulties and challenges, and takes root among the people.

Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at the core, the Party continues to advance self-reform for the people's sake. With self-reform, the Party is certain to secure even greater victories on the journey toward national rejuvenation. 
File photo taken on Oct. 11, 2021 shows Ma Quanlin, deputy head of the Gansu Desert Control Research Institute in northwest China's Gansu Province, getting soil sample in Tengger desert. (Xinhua)

LANZHOU, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Whenever a sandstorm strikes, people go out less to avoid the dust. But for Ma Quanlin, the bigger the dust is, the more he has to rush to the source of the sandstorm.

Ma, deputy head of the Gansu Desert Control Research Institute in northwest China's Gansu Province, has been engaged in sand control for more than 20 years. Now, he conducts scientific research mainly in Minqin County, an artificial oasis between Badain Jaran and Tengger, two large deserts in China covering 85,000 square km.

In the past decade, based on the long-term observation and research results of wind-sand flow, Ma's team successfully restored the degraded artificial Haloxylon forest while applying wind-proof and sand-fixing functions in Minqin.

A large-scale Haloxylon afforestation project started in the 1960s in arid desert areas of China, including Minqin, which has brought great environmental benefits to promote ecological restoration and reconstruction in arid regions. However, due to the high afforestation density and the decline of groundwater levels, the artificial Haloxylon forest built on the edge of the oasis was once degraded, and its windbreak and sand fixation functions were reduced.

Ma's team did restoration experiments and studies on different degraded artificial Haloxylon forests.

They found that precise drip irrigation and re-laying sand barriers in Haloxylon forests can massively increase the soil moisture content of the forest land and enhance its photosynthesis process, thus increasing the number of community species and coverage.

After three years of drip irrigation in spring, the degraded forest in Minqin resumed regular growth. The species composition number and coverage of the forest species also increased. It effectively enhanced its wind-proof and sand-fixing ability.

File photo taken on July 25, 2021 shows the restored forestation on Tengger desert, result of the work of a team led by Ma Quanlin, deputy head of the Gansu Desert Control Research Institute in northwest China's Gansu Province. (Xinhua/Zhang Wenjing)

After guarding green barriers on the edge of the desert, the team is exploring a path for locals to increase income.

They chose Agriophyllum quarrosum, known as "sand rice," to conduct the breeding, cultivation, and product research and development of the economic plant in deserts.

They established a 1.3-hectare demonstration base in Minqin in 2021 and successfully screened four excellent sand rice strains. The team developed nine kinds of sand rice products and promoted the deep processing of the products. They also developed the sand rice planter and threshing and cleaning machine, which solved the problems during the planting, harvesting, and cleaning process.

"There's a long way to go for us to protect ecology in desert areas of western China, and we need to make persistent efforts to construct the ecological barriers," said Ma. 
BEIJING, July 2 (Xinhua) -- "I would like to borrow a pair of wings from the crane to soar up to the sky," Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday quoted the poem by Meng Jiao in Tang Dynasty (618-907) when delivering a speech during a trip to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Xi cited the line when addressing the meeting celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to encourage Hong Kong to create a splendid feat.

In the speech, Xi said that China's national rejuvenation has become a historical inevitability, and the successful practice of "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong is an important part of this historic process.

Xi said that with the strong backing of the motherland and the solid guarantee provided by "one country, two systems," Hong Kong will surely create a splendid feat on the journey ahead toward the second centenary goal of building China into a modern socialist country in all respects, and will share the glory of the Chinese nation's rejuvenation together with people in the rest of the country. 
PARIS, July 1 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron received on Friday Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to discuss the future ties between the two countries after the submarine row.

The French presidential palace, the Elysee, said Macron and Albanese reaffirmed their commitment to build a "closer and stronger bilateral relationship based on mutual trust and respect."

"The new Australia position, proactive, ambitious, offers us an opportunity to move forward together on new projects within the framework of initiatives launched these recent years," Macron said.

For his part, Albanese noted that his visit "represents a new start for our countries' relationship."

"Australia's relationship with France matters. Trust, respect and honesty matter. This is how I will approach my relations," he said.

In response, Macron said to the press that "we will speak about the future, not the past."

The relationship between Australia and France deteriorated when Australia last year canceled a multi-billion-dollar order for submarines with French-owned shipbuilder Naval Group. 
HONG KONG, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, on Friday made an address at the meeting celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

The following is the full text of the address.

Address at the meeting celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

Xi Jinping

(July 1, 2022)

Fellow Compatriots,

Dear Friends,

Today we are gathered here to celebrate this grand occasion marking the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, and to hold the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

First of all, I would like to extend sincere greetings to all the people of Hong Kong. I also extend warm congratulations to the newly inaugurated sixth-term HKSAR Chief Executive Mr. John Lee, principal officials of the sixth-term HKSAR government, and members of the Executive Council. And let me express heartfelt appreciation to all our compatriots both at home and abroad, and international friends for their support for the cause of "one country, two systems" and for Hong Kong's prosperity and stability.

In the over 5,000-year history of Chinese civilization, our ancestors working hard on the land south of the Five Ridges is an important chapter. In the history of modern China after the Opium War in 1840, the humiliation of ceding Hong Kong is a page of pain, and also included is the Chinese people's fight for the survival of our country. The past century has witnessed how the Communist Party of China has united and led the Chinese people in its magnificent endeavors for a better future, to which fellow Chinese in Hong Kong have made unique and significant contributions. Throughout history, people in Hong Kong have always maintained a close bond with the motherland in weal and woe.

Hong Kong's return to the motherland marked the beginning of a new era for the region. Over the past 25 years, with the full support of the country and the joint efforts of the HKSAR government and people from all walks of life in Hong Kong, the success of "one country, two systems" has won recognition throughout the world.

Since its return, Hong Kong, amid China's monumental reform and opening-up efforts, has been breaking new ground, functioning as an important bridge between the Chinese mainland and the rest of the world. As a result, it has made irreplaceable contributions to our country's economic miracle marked by long-term, stable, and rapid growth. Proactively integrating itself into the country's overall development and carving out its role in national strategies, Hong Kong has maintained its strengths in its high degree of openness and in aligning with international rules. In doing so, the region has been playing an important role in raising China's opening up to a higher level with wider coverage and scope. With continuously expanding areas and enabling mechanisms for Hong Kong's cooperation and exchanges with the mainland, people in Hong Kong now have better opportunities to start their own businesses and make achievements.

Since its return, Hong Kong has overcome various hardships and challenges and advanced steadily forward. Be it the global financial crisis, the COVID-19 epidemic, or social unrest, none of them have stopped Hong Kong from marching forward. Over the past 25 years, Hong Kong's economy has been thriving, its status as an international financial, shipping, and trading center has been maintained, and its innovative science and technology industries have been booming. Hong Kong has remained one of the most liberal and open economies in the world, it has also maintained a world-class business environment, its previous laws including the practice of the common law have been maintained and developed, various social programs have made all-around progress, and overall social stability has been ensured. As a cosmopolis, Hong Kong's vitality has impressed the world.

Since its return, Hong Kong has ensured its people enjoy their status as masters of the region. With the policy of the people of Hong Kong administering Hong Kong and a high degree of autonomy in practice, the region has truly entered an era of democracy. Over the past 25 years, Hong Kong's constitutional order based on the Constitution of the People's Republic of China and the Basic Law of the HKSAR has been maintained in a steady and sound manner. The central government's overall jurisdiction over Hong Kong has been well implemented, and a high degree of autonomy in the region has been exercised as it should. The Hong Kong National Security Law was adopted, which has established the legal system to safeguard national security in the region. The electoral system of Hong Kong has been modified and improved, thereby materializing the principle that Hong Kong should be administered by patriots. The democratic system of the special administrative region (SAR) conforms to both the "one country, two systems" principle and the region's constitutional status. It is in the interest of Hong Kong residents' democratic rights and the region's prosperity and stability, securing a bright future for the region.

Fellow Compatriots,

Dear Friends,

"One country, two systems" is an unprecedented innovation. Its fundamental purpose is to safeguard China's sovereignty, security, and development interests and to maintain long-term prosperity and stability in Hong Kong and Macao. All that the central government has done are for the benefits of Hong Kong and Macao, for the well-being of all residents of the two regions, and for the future of the whole country. At the meeting celebrating the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland in 2017, I stated that the central government, in implementing the principle of "one country, two systems," will maintain two key points: first, the central government will remain resolute in implementing the principle, and will not change or vacillate in this stand; and second, the principle will be implemented as what it is originally intended precisely. Today, I would like to stress again that "one country, two systems" has been tested repeatedly in practice. It serves the fundamental interests of not only Hong Kong and Macao, but also the whole country and the nation. It has gained wide support from the 1.4 billion-plus Chinese people including the residents of Hong Kong and Macao. It is also widely accepted by the international community. There is no reason for us to change such a good policy, and we must adhere to it in the long run.

Fellow Compatriots,

Dear Friends,

A review of the past can light the way forward. The practice of "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong has left us both valuable experience and profound inspiration. What has been done over the past 25 years tells us that only if we have a profound and accurate understanding of the laws guiding the practice of "one country, two systems," can we make sure our cause advances in the right direction in a sound and sustained manner.

First, we must fully and faithfully implement the principle of "one country, two systems." This principle embodies a complete system. Its top priority is to safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests. With this as a prerequisite, Hong Kong and Macao can keep the previous capitalist systems unchanged for a long time and enjoy a high degree of autonomy. Since the socialist system is the fundamental system of the People's Republic of China and leadership by the Communist Party of China is the defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics, all residents in the special administrative regions should willingly respect and uphold the country's fundamental system. The thorough and precise implementation of the "one country, two systems" principle will open up broader prospects for the development of Hong Kong and Macao. The more firmly the "one country" principle is upheld, the greater strength the "two systems" will be unleashed for the development of the SARs.

Second, we must uphold the central government's overall jurisdiction while securing the SARs' high degree of autonomy. Since Hong Kong's return to the motherland, it has been re-integrated into China's governance system, and a constitutional order was established with the "one country, two systems" principle as its fundamental guideline. The central government's overall jurisdiction over the SARs underpins their high degree of autonomy, and such autonomy bestowed by the law is fully respected and resolutely safeguarded by the central government. Only when the enforcement of the central government's overall jurisdiction dovetails with the fulfillment of a high degree of autonomy in the SARs, can the SARs be well governed. The SARs uphold the executive-led system. The executive, legislative, and judicial branches perform their duties in accordance with the basic laws and other relevant laws. The executive and legislative branches check and balance and cooperate with each other while the judiciary exercises its power independently.

Third, we must ensure that Hong Kong is administered by patriots. It is a universal political rule that a government must be in the hands of patriots. There is no country or region in the world where its people will allow an unpatriotic or even treasonous force or figure to take power. The government of the HKSAR must be safely kept in the hands of those who love the country. This is an essential requirement for Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability and must not be compromised under any circumstances. To put the governing power in the right hands is to safeguard Hong Kong's prosperity and stability as well as the immediate interests of more than 7 million people in the region.

Fourth, we must maintain Hong Kong's distinctive status and advantages. The central government has always handled Hong Kong affairs from a strategic and overall perspective, taking into consideration the fundamental and long-term interests of Hong Kong and the country as a whole. The fundamental interests of Hong Kong are in line with those of the country, and the central government and Hong Kong compatriots share the same aspirations. Hong Kong's close connection with the world market and strong support from the motherland are its distinctive advantages. Such favorable conditions are cherished by the people of Hong Kong and by the central government as well. The central government fully supports Hong Kong in its effort to maintain its distinctive status and edges, to improve its presence as an international financial, shipping, and trading center, to keep its business environment free, open, and regulated, and to maintain the common law, so as to expand and facilitate its exchanges with the world. On the country's journey toward building a modern socialist country in all respects and realizing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, the central government believes that Hong Kong will make great contributions.

Fellow Compatriots,

Dear Friends,

Hong Kong compatriots have never been absent in the process, in which the Chinese people and the Chinese nation have realized the great transformation from standing up to growing prosperous and finally to becoming strong. From disarray to good governance, Hong Kong is entering a new phase of becoming more prosperous. The next five years are important for Hong Kong to break new ground and achieve another leap forward. While there are both opportunities and challenges, opportunities outnumber challenges. The central government and people from all sectors of Hong Kong society expect much of the newly inaugurated HKSAR government. People of all ethnic groups across the country wish Hong Kong have promising prospects. For Hong Kong, I have four proposals.

First, Hong Kong should further improve its governance. To promote the development of the HKSAR, it is of urgency to improve Hong Kong's governance system, governance capacity, and governance efficacy. The chief executive and the government of the HKSAR in the driver's seat are the first to be held accountable for the governance of the region. Administrators of Hong Kong should fulfill their commitments, materialize the "one country, two systems" principle with concrete actions, uphold the authority of the Basic Law of the HKSAR and devote themselves to the development of the region. Personnel for public offices should be assessed on both ability and political integrity before they are recruited. Professionals who love both the motherland and Hong Kong with strong governance capabilities and passion for serving the public should be recruited as government staff. Administrators of Hong Kong need to have a new outlook on the motherland and have an international vision in order to make better development plans for the region from an overall and long-term perspective. They need to transform their concepts of governance to balance the relationship between the government and the market so that a capable government serves an efficient market. The HKSAR government needs to strengthen self-governance and improve its conduct to better take on its responsibilities and deliver better performance in ensuring stability and prosperity in Hong Kong.

Second, Hong Kong should continue to create strong impetus for growth. With its special status, Hong Kong enjoys good conditions and broad space for development. The central government fully supports Hong Kong in its effort to seize historic opportunities offered by China's development and actively dovetail itself with the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) and other national strategies such as the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. The central government fully supports Hong Kong in carrying out more extensive exchanges and close cooperation with the rest of the world and in attracting entrepreneurs with dreams to realize their ambitions in Hong Kong. The central government also fully supports Hong Kong in taking active yet prudent steps to advance reforms and dismantle the barriers of vested interests in order to unlock enormous creativity and development potential of Hong Kong society.

Third, Hong Kong should earnestly address people's concerns and difficulties in daily life. "Those enjoying benefits and joy of all people should also share their burdens and concerns." As I once said, the people's aspiration for a better life is what we are striving for. Currently, the biggest aspiration of Hong Kong people is to lead a better life, in which they will have more decent housing, more opportunities for starting their own businesses, better education for their children, and better care in their twilight years. We should actively respond to such aspirations. The newly inaugurated HKSAR government should be pragmatic, live up to what the people expect of it, and consider the expectations of the whole society, particularly ordinary citizens, as what it should accomplish foremost. It should be more courageous and adopt more efficient measures to overcome difficulties and forge ahead. It should make sure that all citizens in Hong Kong share more fully and fairly in the fruits of development so that every resident will be convinced that if you work hard, you can improve the life of your own and that of your family.

Fourth, the people of Hong Kong should work together to safeguard harmony and stability. Hong Kong is the home of all its people, and harmony in a family brings success in everything. Through trials and tribulations, now we keenly feel that Hong Kong cannot withstand chaos and will not afford to have any, and we also deeply feel that the development of Hong Kong allows no delay. We must get rid of whatever interference there may be to concentrate our attention on the development of the region. Everyone in Hong Kong, regardless of profession and belief, can be a positive force and do his or her bit for the region's development as long as he or she genuinely supports the principle of "one country, two systems," loves Hong Kong, and abides by the Basic Law and the laws of the special administrative region.

It is my hope that all fellow compatriots in Hong Kong will carry on the mainstream values, which are characterized by the love of both the motherland and Hong Kong as the core and are in conformity with the principle of "one country, two systems," and that they will continue to follow the fine traditions of inclusiveness, seeking common ground while reserving differences, and keeping an unyielding spirit and the courage to strive for success with a view to creating a better future.

We must give special love and care to young people. Hong Kong will prosper only when its young people thrive; Hong Kong will develop only when its young people achieve well-rounded development; and Hong Kong will have a bright future only when its young people have good career prospects. We must guide young people to be keenly aware of the trends in both China and the world and help them cultivate a sense of national pride and enhance their awareness of their status as masters of the country. We must help young people with their difficulties in studies, employment, entrepreneurship, and purchasing of housing, so that more opportunities will be created for their development and accomplishment. We sincerely hope that all of Hong Kong's young people will devote themselves to building Hong Kong into a better home, writing a rewarding chapter of their life with impassioned youth.

Fellow Compatriots,

Dear Friends,

As a Chinese poem goes, "I would like to borrow a pair of wings from the crane to soar up to the sky." China's national rejuvenation has become a historical inevitability, and the successful practice of "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong is an important part of this historic process. We firmly believe that, with the strong backing of the motherland and the solid guarantee provided by "one country, two systems," Hong Kong will surely create a splendid feat on the journey ahead toward the second centenary goal of building China into a modern socialist country in all respects, and will share the glory of the Chinese nation's rejuvenation together with people in the rest of the country. 
Photo taken on June 20, 2022 shows a wide view of the Security Council meeting on Syria's humanitarian situation at UN Headquarters in New York. (Manuel Elias/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)

During July, Brazil would aim to foster greater cooperation between the Security Council and other UN bodies, especially the Peacebuilding Commission, as it can make a comprehensive contribution to discussions on renewal of peacekeeping and political missions.

UNITED NATIONS, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Brazil on Friday assumed the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council for July.

During the month, Brazil would aim to foster greater cooperation between the Security Council and other UN bodies, especially the Peacebuilding Commission, as it can make a comprehensive contribution to discussions on renewal of peacekeeping and political missions, Ronaldo Costa Filho, Brazil's permanent representative to the UN and president of the Security Council for July, told a press briefing Friday.

In July, the Security Council will focus on issues including the crises in Ukraine and Syria with meeting on food security and consultations on the chemical weapons file on Syria, as well as renewals of a raft of peacekeeping or special political missions and sanctions regimes, Filho said.

The signature events include the adoption of a presidential statement, the renewal of four peacekeeping or special political missions, renewal of two sanctions regimes and one authorization of humanitarian assistance.

Meanwhile, the 15-nation council is scheduled to hold meetings on Colombia, children and armed conflict, Libya and Sudan.

Brazil's priorities also include incorporating a gender perspective as a cross-cutting issue throughout Brazil's presidency and inviting civil society briefers into meetings whenever possible, Filho said.

The Security Council has 15 members and its primary responsibility is the maintenance of international peace and security. The presidency of the council is held by each member state for one month. 
UAE national carrier Etihad Airways celebrated the launch of its new 'Sustainable 50' Airbus A350-1000 service to the US following the inaugural commercial flight from its hub Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on June 30.

Formed as a partnership between Etihad, Airbus and Rolls Royce in 2021, the Sustainable50 programme will use Etihad's A350s as flying testbeds for new initiatives, procedures and technologies to reduce carbon emissions.

The programme drives operational efficiencies and supports Etihads decarbonisation efforts and builds on the learnings derived from Etihad's similar Greenliner programme for the Boeing 787 aircraft type.

The aircraft, which accommodates 371 passengers, is one of five new Airbus A350s to join Etihad's fleet this year.

Following this, Etihad said all its flights servicing New York and Chicago O'Hare International Airport will be operated by the A350, joining Mumbai and Delhi routes that began flying in April this year.

"We are proud to bring the Airbus A350 into service in the US. This is an incredible aircraft with highly efficient fuel consumption and CO2 savings, enabling us to support our goals to reduce carbon emissions and deliver an unmatched flight experience for our guests," remarked Martin Drew, Senior Vice President of Global Sales and Cargo, Etihad Airways.

The Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-powered Airbus A350 is one of the most efficient aircraft types in the world, with 25% less fuel burn and CO2 emissions than previous-generation twin aisle aircraft.

Etihad, he stated, had recently established a formal framework with Airbus to collaborate on sustainability across a number of areas, including the promotion and commercialisation of sustainable aviation fuel, waste and weight management, and the development of data-driven analysis.

"By introducing the A350, we have almost doubled premium capacity on our New York and Chicago routes to 44 seats in the Business cabin, which provides a luxurious experience comparable to First Class on other international airlines," said Drew.

An added advantage for the Etihad passengers is that those travelling to the US have access to Etihad's US pre-clearance, the only United States Customs and Border Protection facility in the Middle East, he noted.

This allows passengers bound for the US to process all immigration, customs and agriculture inspections in Abu Dhabi before they board their flight, avoiding immigration and queues on arrival, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Zhao Leji, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, talks with representatives of CPC members to learn about grassroots efforts to improve Party conduct and combat corruption at the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region June 28, 2022. Zhao made an inspection tour in Xinjiang from Tuesday to Friday. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)

URUMQI, July 1 (Xinhua) -- A senior Communist Party of China (CPC) official has stressed the need to fully and faithfully implement the Party's Xinjiang policies in the new era to make due contributions to maintaining a stable and healthy economic environment, a peaceful social environment and a sound political environment.

Zhao Leji, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, made the remarks during an inspection tour of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from Tuesday to Friday.

Zhao visited villages, enterprises and farms of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps to learn about grassroots efforts to improve Party conduct and combat corruption.

Highlighting supervision at the grassroots level, he urged efforts to promote the effective implementation of the CPC Central Committee's Xinjiang policies, so that the people can benefit from the policies.

Zhao also called for investigating and dealing with prominent problems that infringe on the interests of the people, and urged efforts to properly manage and use the aid funds for Xinjiang.

Presiding over a symposium, Zhao called on local discipline inspection and supervision organs to conscientiously perform political oversight to promote the implementation of policies, and to promote anti-corruption governance in areas including state-owned enterprises, finance and development zone construction. 
Yuan Jian sorts out finished pens at his studio in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, July 1, 2022. The 27-year-old Yuan Jian is this year's graduate of the Key Laboratory of Advanced Manufacturing Technology of the Ministry of Education at Guizhou University. Yuan founded his own pen brand in 2020. After years of development, the team of Yuan has developed over 20 types of pens. Yuan hopes that he and his team would build an international pen brand in the future. (Xinhua/Ou Dongqu)

Yuan Jian draws out the sketch design of a pen at his studio in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, July 1, 2022. The 27-year-old Yuan Jian is this year's graduate of the Key Laboratory of Advanced Manufacturing Technology of the Ministry of Education at Guizhou University. Yuan founded his own pen brand in 2020. After years of development, the team of Yuan has developed over 20 types of pens. Yuan hopes that he and his team would build an international pen brand in the future. (Xinhua/Ou Dongqu)

Yuan Jian assembles a pen at his studio in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, July 1, 2022. The 27-year-old Yuan Jian is this year's graduate of the Key Laboratory of Advanced Manufacturing Technology of the Ministry of Education at Guizhou University. Yuan founded his own pen brand in 2020. After years of development, the team of Yuan has developed over 20 types of pens. Yuan hopes that he and his team would build an international pen brand in the future. (Xinhua/Ou Dongqu)

Yuan Jian checks on a finished pen nib with a magnifying lens at his studio in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, July 1, 2022. The 27-year-old Yuan Jian is this year's graduate of the Key Laboratory of Advanced Manufacturing Technology of the Ministry of Education at Guizhou University. Yuan founded his own pen brand in 2020. After years of development, the team of Yuan has developed over 20 types of pens. Yuan hopes that he and his team would build an international pen brand in the future. (Xinhua/Ou Dongqu)

Yuan Jian (L) works at his studio in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, July 1, 2022. The 27-year-old Yuan Jian is this year's graduate of the Key Laboratory of Advanced Manufacturing Technology of the Ministry of Education at Guizhou University. Yuan founded his own pen brand in 2020. After years of development, the team of Yuan has developed over 20 types of pens. Yuan hopes that he and his team would build an international pen brand in the future. (Xinhua/Ou Dongqu)

Yuan Jian checks on finished pen nibs at his studio in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, July 1, 2022. The 27-year-old Yuan Jian is this year's graduate of the Key Laboratory of Advanced Manufacturing Technology of the Ministry of Education at Guizhou University. Yuan founded his own pen brand in 2020. After years of development, the team of Yuan has developed over 20 types of pens. Yuan hopes that he and his team would build an international pen brand in the future. (Xinhua/Ou Dongqu)

Yuan Jian (R) talks with his colleague on details of pen-making at his studio in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, July 1, 2022. The 27-year-old Yuan Jian is this year's graduate of the Key Laboratory of Advanced Manufacturing Technology of the Ministry of Education at Guizhou University. Yuan founded his own pen brand in 2020. After years of development, the team of Yuan has developed over 20 types of pens. Yuan hopes that he and his team would build an international pen brand in the future. (Xinhua/Ou Dongqu)

Yuan Jian checks on a finished pen body with a magnifying lens at his studio in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, July 1, 2022. The 27-year-old Yuan Jian is this year's graduate of the Key Laboratory of Advanced Manufacturing Technology of the Ministry of Education at Guizhou University. Yuan founded his own pen brand in 2020. After years of development, the team of Yuan has developed over 20 types of pens. Yuan hopes that he and his team would build an international pen brand in the future. (Xinhua/Ou Dongqu)

Yuan Jian assembles a pen at his studio in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, July 1, 2022. The 27-year-old Yuan Jian is this year's graduate of the Key Laboratory of Advanced Manufacturing Technology of the Ministry of Education at Guizhou University. Yuan founded his own pen brand in 2020. After years of development, the team of Yuan has developed over 20 types of pens. Yuan hopes that he and his team would build an international pen brand in the future. (Xinhua/Ou Dongqu)

Yuan Jian assembles a pen at his studio in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, July 1, 2022. The 27-year-old Yuan Jian is this year's graduate of the Key Laboratory of Advanced Manufacturing Technology of the Ministry of Education at Guizhou University. Yuan founded his own pen brand in 2020. After years of development, the team of Yuan has developed over 20 types of pens. Yuan hopes that he and his team would build an international pen brand in the future. (Xinhua/Ou Dongqu)

Yuan Jian walks in a science park of Guizhou University in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, July 1, 2022. The 27-year-old Yuan Jian is this year's graduate of the Key Laboratory of Advanced Manufacturing Technology of the Ministry of Education at Guizhou University. Yuan founded his own pen brand in 2020. After years of development, the team of Yuan has developed over 20 types of pens. Yuan hopes that he and his team would build an international pen brand in the future. (Xinhua/Ou Dongqu)

Yuan Jian walks out a science park of Guizhou University in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, July 1, 2022. The 27-year-old Yuan Jian is this year's graduate of the Key Laboratory of Advanced Manufacturing Technology of the Ministry of Education at Guizhou University. Yuan founded his own pen brand in 2020. After years of development, the team of Yuan has developed over 20 types of pens. Yuan hopes that he and his team would build an international pen brand in the future. (Xinhua/Ou Dongqu)

Yuan Jian checks on the humidity indicator for the storage of semi-manufactured pen parts at his studio in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, July 1, 2022. The 27-year-old Yuan Jian is this year's graduate of the Key Laboratory of Advanced Manufacturing Technology of the Ministry of Education at Guizhou University. Yuan founded his own pen brand in 2020. After years of development, the team of Yuan has developed over 20 types of pens. Yuan hopes that he and his team would build an international pen brand in the future. (Xinhua/Ou Dongqu)

Yuan Jian sorts out finished pens at his studio in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, July 1, 2022. The 27-year-old Yuan Jian is this year's graduate of the Key Laboratory of Advanced Manufacturing Technology of the Ministry of Education at Guizhou University. Yuan founded his own pen brand in 2020. After years of development, the team of Yuan has developed over 20 types of pens. Yuan hopes that he and his team would build an international pen brand in the future. (Xinhua/Ou Dongqu)

Yuan Jian sorts out finished pens at his studio in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, July 1, 2022. The 27-year-old Yuan Jian is this year's graduate of the Key Laboratory of Advanced Manufacturing Technology of the Ministry of Education at Guizhou University. Yuan founded his own pen brand in 2020. After years of development, the team of Yuan has developed over 20 types of pens. Yuan hopes that he and his team would build an international pen brand in the future. (Xinhua/Ou Dongqu)
Cross-border goods are reloaded at a freight transit yard of China-Laos Railway's Vientiane South Station on July 1, 2022. A freight transit yard of China-Laos Railway was officially put into operation on Friday with the first railway containers heading to Thailand's Laem Chabang port. (Photo by Kaikeo Saiyasane/Xinhua)

VIENTIANE, July 1 (Xinhua) -- A freight transit yard of China-Laos Railway was officially put into operation on Friday with the first railway containers heading to Thailand's Laem Chabang port.

This makes the international logistics channel of land-sea intermodal transport more convenient.

The China-Laos Railway adopts international standards while the Thai railway currently uses 1-meter gauge system. Railway freight transport between Laos and Thailand requires reloading operations.

The freight transit yard of China-Laos Railway's Vientiane South Station is expected to work to improve the efficiency of freight transport between China and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries.

The freight transit yard will greatly benefit Laos given its significant role in bolstering the transport of goods, Lao Deputy Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone said during a speech delivered at the opening ceremony held on Friday.

Laos always attaches great importance to and supports the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), said the deputy prime minister, adding that the initiative is in line with Laos' strategy to transform the country from being landlocked to a land-linked hub in the region.

"I believed that the railway would create more business opportunities and bring great benefit to Laos. The railway is significantly cutting the time and logistics costs for cargo transportation," said Sonexay. "The railway will result in the growth of many industries like trade and investment."

"From now on, the cross-border freight train operated by the China-Laos Railway can, to the north, reach China's Chengdu, Chongqing, Wuhan, Xi'an and other logistics distribution centers, and be connected to the China-Europe Railway Express network, and, to the south, reach port cities such as Laem Chabang of Thailand and Singapore," Yuan Minghao, general manager of the Laos-China Railway Co., Ltd. (LCRC), a joint venture based in Vientiane responsible for operating the Railway's Lao section.

The LCRC is also investor of the transit yard located in Thanaleng Dry Port on the outskirts of the Lao capital Vientiane.

"Gradually, a new international land-sea logistics corridor will take shape, which will further enhance the status and role of the China-Laos Railway, and reduce cross-border logistics costs. It will provide reliable transportation support to Lao and ASEAN people and enterprises," Yuan said.

Chanthone Sitthixay, chairman of Vientiane Logistics Park Co. Ltd., a local company running the Thanaleng Dry Port where the transit yard is located, said the freight transit yard will create more favorable conditions for expanding economic and trade cooperation.

He added it will provide cost-effective services for the shipment of products to regional markets and beyond.

So far by June 30, the China-Laos Railway has carried 3.36 million passengers with the railway's Lao section carrying 0.48 million passengers, 4.69 million tons of freight and 0.77 million tons China-Laos cross-border goods.

The China-Laos Railway is a docking project between the China-proposed BRI and Laos' strategy to convert itself from a landlocked country to a land-linked hub. 

Cross-border goods are reloaded at a freight transit yard of China-Laos Railway's Vientiane South Station on July 1, 2022. A freight transit yard of China-Laos Railway was officially put into operation on Friday with the first railway containers heading to Thailand's Laem Chabang port. (Photo by Kaikeo Saiyasane/Xinhua)

Cross-border goods are reloaded at a freight transit yard of China-Laos Railway's Vientiane South Station on July 1, 2022. A freight transit yard of China-Laos Railway was officially put into operation on Friday with the first railway containers heading to Thailand's Laem Chabang port. (Photo by Kaikeo Saiyasane/Xinhua)

Cross-border goods are reloaded at a freight transit yard of China-Laos Railway's Vientiane South Station on July 1, 2022. A freight transit yard of China-Laos Railway was officially put into operation on Friday with the first railway containers heading to Thailand's Laem Chabang port. (Photo by Kaikeo Saiyasane/Xinhua)

Cross-border goods are reloaded at a freight transit yard of China-Laos Railway's Vientiane South Station on July 1, 2022. A freight transit yard of China-Laos Railway was officially put into operation on Friday with the first railway containers heading to Thailand's Laem Chabang port. (Photo by Kaikeo Saiyasane/Xinhua)
TEHRAN, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said Friday that the negotiations to revive the Iranian nuclear deal can succeed if the United States provides durable guarantees for Tehran's economic benefits.

"America's realism and obtaining stable guarantees for Iran's full economic benefit from the agreement can make the outcome of the negotiations fruitful," he tweeted.

Amir-Abdollahian said that Ali Bagheri Kani, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, in full coordination with him, "seriously continues to negotiate logically, reasonably and actively for the lifting of sanctions."

"We continue our efforts with strength and logic," he added.

The remarks by Amir-Abdollahian followed the two-day indirect talks between Iran and the United States in Qatari capital Doha earlier this week, which resulted in no agreement to settle the remaining differences amid the international efforts to restore the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Iran signed the nuclear deal with the world powers in July 2015, agreeing to curb its nuclear program in return for the removal of sanctions on the country. However, former U.S. President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the JCPOA in May 2018 and reimposed unilateral sanctions on Iran, prompting the latter to drop some of its commitments under the pact.

The Iranian nuclear talks began in April 2021 in Vienna, but were suspended in March this year because of political differences between Tehran and Washington. 
ISLAMABAD, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Three terrorists were killed as the Pakistani military conducted a clearance operation in the country's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military said on Saturday.

The security forces conducted the intelligence-based operation on reported presence of terrorists in North Waziristan district of the province, the army's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

During an exchange of fire, three terrorists got killed, the ISPR statement said.

Weapons and ammunition were seized from the killed terrorists, according to the statement. 
NEW DELHI, July 2 (Xinhua) -- A SpiceJet aircraft returned to the airport in the Indian capital following the detection of smoke on Saturday, with all passengers safely disembarked, officials said.

The aircraft was flying to Jabalpur in India's central state of Madhya Pradesh.

Officials said smoke was detected in the cabin by crew and passengers when the plane was at an altitude of 5,000 feet.

This is the second emergency landing for a SpiceJet flight in 15 days.

On June 19, an aircraft carrying 185 passengers suffered a bird strike and made an emergency landing in the eastern state of Bihar immediately after takeoff. 
BEIJING, July 2 (Xinhua) -- The following are the latest developments in the Ukraine crisis:

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Russia will no longer trust the United States and the European Union (EU).

Lavrov made the remarks at a meeting on Thursday with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei in Minsk, noting that Russia has been taking all measures to reduce its dependence on the West in key areas.

Russia does not close the door to the resumption of relations with the West forever, Lavrov said, adding that if dialogue is resumed, it will be held on the basis of equality and the balance of interests of all participants.

- - - -

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with visiting Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store on Friday to discuss further support for Kiev, the presidential press service said.

During the talks, Zelensky thanked Store for the defense, political and humanitarian support and for the decision to allocate 1 billion euros for Ukraine.

- - - -

Ukraine's bid to join the EU is "within reach" but requires "hard work, determination and above all unity of purpose," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday.

Addressing the Ukrainian parliament via video link, she said the path towards EU membership required reforms in many areas including tackling corruption. She also took note of the steps Ukraine had already taken in this direction.

"You have created an impressive anti-corruption machine. But now these institutions need teeth, and the right people in senior posts," she said.

- - - -

Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the Ukrainian crisis, the global food market and bilateral economic ties with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the phone on Friday.

Putin said Kiev and its "Western patrons" were escalating the Ukrainian crisis and disrupting efforts to resolve it diplomatically, the Kremlin said in a statement.

Modi "reiterated India's long-standing position in favor of dialogue and diplomacy" regarding the crisis, according to a statement by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. 
MADRID, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Featuring anti-China rhetoric, NATO's new strategic concept laid bare the intentions of the United States, the military alliance's de facto leader, to incite bloc confrontation by demonizing other countries and exploit the organization to maintain its hegemony worldwide.

NATO leaders on Wednesday approved the 2022 Strategic Concept, a blueprint laying out top imperatives and challenges for the next decade. It sets the alliance's joint position on emerging challenges, calling Russia the "most significant and direct threat" to NATO's security and accusing China of posing "systemic challenges" for the first time.

As a relic of the Cold War, NATO, which should have disbanded long ago, has become a handy tool for the United States to contain other countries, in particular, China and Russia. It is clear that the new document, covering the alliance's priorities and goals for the next 10 years, was actually designed to guide NATO on how to serve to maintain American hegemony in the future.

Such self-serving intentions deserve high alert of both Europe and the Asia-Pacific. Through the updated NATO document, the United States has tried to realize three strategic goals -- fomenting confrontation between Europe and Russia to continuously cripple Russia; urging Europe to strengthen its defense and using European resources to ease the pressure on American defense in Europe, and forcing the U.S. allies to join hands in suppressing China.

This exposes America's established Cold War mentality, in which Asia and Europe are the country's geopolitical cards, and only by sabotaging the relations between the two continents, can the world's sole superpower hold up its hegemony.

Unfortunately, although NATO has repeatedly claimed that its positioning as a regional alliance remains unchanged, it, in fact, has done quite the opposite. In the Asia-Pacific, the alliance has joined the United States in implementing the latter's divisive strategy and anti-China agenda for the sake of the Western dominance in the region.

In recent years, some NATO members have also worked with the United States to send planes and warships to China's adjacent waters for military operations, in a bid to stoke tension and provoke conflicts.

Yet the malicious intentions of the United States and NATO's erroneous words and actions have aroused the vigilance of people of insight all over the world, who have publicly opposed the U.S.-led NATO expansion to the Asia-Pacific region and called for strengthening cooperation with China.

Former NATO Secretary General Javier Solana said NATO's expansion and its pursuit of a stronger presence in Asia will make it more difficult for NATO members to interact with other countries that do not see China or Russia as enemies or rivals, who do not want to take sides between China, Russia and the West. Solana warned that a "global NATO" or "NATO plus" could divide the world into adversarial blocs.

Before the new Strategic Concept was released, NATO members carefully negotiated "language that describes the security issues China presents for the Euro-Atlantic area while avoiding rhetoric that some allies would deem to be too inflammatory," according to U.S. media outlet Politico on Tuesday.

"We don't have a border with China, so it's a completely different context," Portuguese Minister of Foreign Affairs Joao Gomes Cravinho was quoted as saying.

History has proved that only mutually-beneficial cooperation, rather than playing bloc politics, can win over regional countries. Thus, Washington's self-serving geopolitical intentions and vicious attempts to drive wedges across the world are doomed to fail.

China is always a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development and a guardian of international order. China does not stir up trouble, but it is not afraid when others do. China will firmly and forcefully respond to any act that infringes upon China's interests. 
PRAGUE: France's six-month rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) has been passed to the Czech Republic.

According to reports, the Czech Republic's presidency began with a joint meeting of the Czech government and the European Commission, presided over by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in the eastern Czech town of Litomysl.

Following the meeting, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala tweeted that his country's leaders had discussed with the European Commission the current issues that affect both EU residents and people in the Czech Republic.

"The EU's energy independence is one of the major challenges that still has to be accomplished. We have an opportunity to resolve the current crisis if we work collectively "the Minister said.

For the Czech president, there is a lot of work to be done in the areas of energy security, climate protection, economic recovery, and digitization, von der Leyen said. "I'm confident we will make good progress on enhancing our energy security while achieving our climate goals; combining investment and reforms for a strong economy; and increasing our global partnerships, she said.

The Czech Republic joined the EU in 2004 and took over the presidency of the EU Council for the first time in 2009.

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BERLIN: The German government has adopted the country's 2023 national budget, which projects revenues and expenses of about 445 billion euros (USD463 billion), or 10% less than in 2022.

The largest economy in Europe is attempting to balance its books for the first time since the Covid-19 outbreak began, thus the new budget must adhere to the nation's so-called debt brake, as per reports..

Germany's national budget for 2023 only allocates 17 billion euros for additional debt after taking on nearly 140 billion euros in new debt this year.

Adhering to the debt brake, which demands a balanced budget and was initially implemented under former Chancellor Angela Merkel back in 2009, is of "great importance," said the Minister of Finance Christian Lindner.

In the upcoming years, Germany wants to substantially cut its new borrowing. The government only intends to incur debt from 2024 to 2026 in the range of 12.3 and 13.8 billion euros annually.

According to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), Germany's public debt decreased by 992 million euros in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the prior quarter.

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New Delhi: Delhi's Patiala court has turned down the bail plea of controversial website AltNews co-founder Mohammed Zubair. At the same time, on the demand of the Delhi Police, the court has sent the Indianphobia accused Mohammed Zubair to 14-day judicial custody. The court dismissed Zubair's plea saying there was no ground for granting bail to Zubair during the course of the investigation.

Police say Zubair is not cooperating with the investigation. At the same time, during the social media analysis, the police found that most of the Twitter account supporting Zubair after his arrest were from Pakistan. There have also been a large number of posts from the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait in support of Zubair. AltNews' parent company 'Pravda Media' has received Rs 2,31,933 from abroad.

The public prosecutor has informed the court that when Zubair's phone was reviewed, it was found that he was using Redmi's phone. At the same time, when his phone was seized, Zubair took out the SIM and put another mobile phone. An examination of his call records revealed that he has received funding from several countries, including the UAE.

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Renault SA said that it will invest $377.12 million in Brazil for the production of a new SUV, and a new 1.0 turbo engine, according to a statement by the company, which was released this Thursday.

The production of the new car was announced later this year, but the group was waiting for approval from its parent company for the new investment plan.

The company announced in March 2021 that the company said it would make five product launches by mid-2022, including two electronic vehicles in Brazil.

Executive vice president at Result Group Jose Vicente de Los Mozos said, Latin America is of great importance to the Renault Group and we are investing to offer products in the countries of the continent in line with our global strategy,

The French Carmaker said that the investment is part of the companys strategic plan in Brazil. Renault has operated in Brazil for over 23 years.

The company further added that the investment will be for production at the company's Sao Jose dos Pinhais factory, located in Brazil's southern state of Parana, which will get a new Common Module Family-B platform allowing a "potential electrification" in the future.

Renault Latin America president Luiz Fernando Petrucci said that This is an important phase for Renault in Latin America, as we are preparing to launch new products and engines for our customers with the best Renault Group technology in the world.

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KIEV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with visiting Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store to explore additional support for Kiev, the presidential press service said.

Zelensky thanked Store for the defence, political and humanitarian solidarity and for the decision to allocate 1 billion euros for Ukraine.

The Norwegian Prime Minister stated that Norway will continue to help Ukraine despite the confrontation between Russia and Ukraine. The two presidents also discussed increased defence assistance for Kiev and the post-conflict reconstruction of Ukraine during their talks.

Meanwhile, the U.S has announced USD 820 million in additional support for Ukraine, including advanced anti-aircraft and aerial defence systems and more ammo for sophisticated rocket systems, Department of Defence said in a statement.

Ukraine claims Russian Missiles Kill 21 in Residential Area in Odessa

Zelensky urges more defence, financial aid at NATO summit

Presidents of Ukraine, Moldova discuss EU integration
The growth of China's blockchain market has accelerated in 2022, with the total number of services registered with the country's internet regulator reaching 1,821, according to a review of government documents and interviews with industry insiders.

The pace of certification for new blockchain services sped up at the end of last year, with the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) releasing new lists of recent ventures every two to four months, up from six to eight months from March 2019 through 2021.

The agency has released 197 lists in three years, with blockchain projects encompassing legal, financial, agricultural and intellectual property protection services.

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 accelerated release schedule illustrates Beijing's determination to develop blockchain applications that align with the country's economic and technological goals, while maintaining tight control over the more decentralised applications for which the technology is known.

The country has banned the trading of cryptocurrencies, blockchain's original use case with bitcoin, which also effectively prohibits the trading of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on public blockchains like Ethereum.

However, an increasing number of Chinese companies are looking for new applications for blockchain, potentially opening up a huge market for services run on the technology, which is a type of immutable distributed ledger maintained by different computer nodes on a network. Market research firm IDC estimates that China's blockchain market could be worth over US$3.2 billion by 2025, with an annual compound growth rate of 47 per cent from 2020 to 2025.

"It is not hard to be registered [with the government], and it is a way to stay close to regulators," said Jiang Lifeng, the vice-president of Hangzhou-based blockchain service provider DataQin, which has three legal and financial services registered with the CAC.

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Since starting in 2016, DataQin has made law one of the key areas for its consortium blockchain called Baoquan Chain, which Jiang said can turn "data into evidence and make evidence transmissible" by digitising secured notary services. Consortium blockchains limit who can participate in the network, allowing them to operate in mainland China's tight regulatory environment.

DataQin's focus on law paid off in 2018, when the Hangzhou Internet Court allowed evidence collected using Baoquan, marking the first case in China to use blockchain-based evidence.

The promising sector has even received the blessing of China's Supreme People's Court, which said in May that it aims to "build a blockchain alliance between the court and all trades of the society by 2025".

Many of China's biggest tech firms and some of their subsidiaries also have blockchain services registered with the CAC. Tencent Holdings, JD.com, Xiaomi, NetEase and Baidu all appear on the lists. Alibaba Group Holding, owner of South China Morning Post, and its fintech affiliate Ant Group, owner of Alipay, are also there.

The majority of registered services are for legal and financial applications and Blockchain-as-a-Service (BaaS), which allows customers to apply pre-existing blockchain technologies like smart contracts to their own businesses.

"It makes sense for China's blockchain development and the investment road map in new technology for companies to come up with general BaaS platforms as opposed to vertical blockchain applications," said Catherine Hong, a senior market analyst who monitors the BaaS market at research firm IDC.

Market revenue has maintained growth of about 90 per cent over the past two years, she added.

By trying to dissociate the technology from its most well-known use cases overseas, Beijing has fuelled a race to develop blockchain with "Chinese characteristics".

"Most of China's blockchain applications will be in the form of BaaS, as the country has already ruled out other mainstream ways tied to blockchain," said Bo Zhengyuan, a partner with research firm Plenum.

A number of companies in China are looking into various financial services that can be provided using blockchain. Photo: Shutterstock alt=A number of companies in China are looking into various financial services that can be provided using blockchain. Photo: Shutterstock>

While cryptocurrencies are banned, banks have been exploring other financial use cases for blockchain. China Zheshang Bank, for example, has five services registered with the CAC, according to a list from 2019. These include services for personal financial transfers, receivables and supply chain management.

Some of the registered services have ventured into unexpected fields. One company named Blockchain Technology Shenzhen Research Institute developed a service to record family trees, catering to a growing demand among Chinese families to trace their roots.

Chongqing, a city in southwestern China, has a blockchain system to protect the branding of Fuling pickled vegetables, a local speciality, and at least five services across China are related to the Communist Party's management and propaganda. One of the applications is for "sending greetings to the Party at its 100th year anniversary".

A plurality of the registered services come from Beijing and southern Guangdong province, home to Shenzhen and Guangzhou. The regions have 477 and 352 registered blockchain services, respectively. Plenum's Bo said this reflects the demographics of China's tech capitals.

"The market is entering a new phase, from building underlying technologies to standardising applications and tools," IDC's Hong said. "With the rise of metaverse and Web3, both traditional and innovative scenarios have great potential."

Web3 is the term used to refer to a decentralised World Wide Web based around blockchain technologies. Projects related to the metaverse, conceived as a next-generation version of the internet where people interact in shared 3D virtual worlds, also often involves selling virtual goods in the form of NFTs.

Beijing has been bullish about blockchain as a means of digitising the country's traditional industries and helping them innovate. In a guideline released in June 2021, the CAC and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology called for "fastening the development of blockchain technological applications and industrial development", as well as the merging of blockchain and other buzzy technologies including the industrial internet, big data, cloud computing and artificial intelligence.

However, DataQin's Jiang said that the blockchain sector still expects more practical support such as industry-specific policies and subsidies. There is "loud thunder but small raindrops" for now, he said, using a Chinese proverb that describes vocal support but little action.

At the same time, the requirement that blockchain-related projects be registered with the CAC has allowed the authority to gradually increase its supervision of related applications.

Tencent-owned WeChat recently said that accounts that display digital collectibles - the term used in mainland China to refer to NFTs on domestic blockchains - need to have contracts with blockchain companies certified by the CAC. Likewise, Alipay also only services certified digital collectible businesses.

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.
GALESBURG  Approximately 200 people gathered Saturday afternoon In front of the Knox County Courthouse to protest the June 24 Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade and declared that the Constitution does not confer a right to an abortion.

As a result of the decision, the legality of abortion in the United States is left to individual states to decide, with many already making abortion illegal.

The crowd was in part, a sea of signs, and was made up of women and men of all ages. Some spoke about why they were there.

We were talking about this 50 years ago, explained Sharon Gilbert of Galesburg, and we are doing it again.

Its like the vote being taken away after 50 years. Our rights are being eroded away. Im fed up.

It was so important, remembered the 77-year-old of the fight for the 1973 Supreme Court ruling, to women my age and younger. We knew what was happening.

I think now someone needs to wake up congress and (the right to abortion) should be codified into law. Roe v. Wade was taken for granted and it should have been codified a long time ago.

SCOTUS overturned Roe v Wade: What happens to abortion access in Illinois and the Midwest?

About 200 people gathered Saturday, July 2, 2022, at the Knox County Courthouse in Galesburg, Ill., for an abortion-rights and women's lives rally.

Amanda Cleland of Galesburg, holding her 1-year-old daughter, said what is happening is scary.

Im thankful I live in Illinois but who knows how long it will stay legal here?" Cleland said. "Its scary that six conservative judges, five of whom are men and one who is a religious fundamentalist woman, can throw out 50 years of precedent. I cant sit back and do nothing.

Sponsored by PFLAG, the Galesburg Chapter of the NAACP, and United Against Hate, the rally featured six official speakers, with many others taking the time to opportunity to use the microphone.

The Register-Mail Community Roundtable: What's your response to Supreme Court eliminating abortion protection?

A recurring theme was politics, and the strong urging to vote. Not just in national elections, but small and local ones as well, and to support those candidates who support not just womens rights and the right to abortion, but LGBTQ+ rights, Black rights, and of the rights of everyone.

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Ashley German, executive director of Family Planning Service of Western Illinois, told the history of the organization and its purpose. She explained how for 46-year-old organization does not provide abortions, but does provide all option counseling so a pregnant woman can make the decision for herself for whatever option she chooses.

Womens rights are civil rights, declared Pam Davidson, Knox County Democratic chairperson.

She encouraged people to vote, and a table to register to vote was there on the courthouse lawn.

We are going to fight back at the ballot box. No one has a right to say about mine or your body.

About 200 people gathered Saturday, July 2, 2022, at the Knox County Courthouse in Galesburg, Ill., for an abortion-rights and women's lives rally.

Galesburg Mayor Peter Schwartzman spoke briefly, but firmly.

No man should dictate how a womans body should be treated. Period. Not enough men are saying it.

He also spoke of the need for more women to have a role in government, pointing out the disproportionate number of men in all levels in the United States, and declared himself an ally not just in womens rights, but of the rights of LGBTQ+ people, for Black rights, and the rights of the environment.

Local guest columnist Sallee Wade: Womens bodies, womens wisdom

Knox County States Attorney Jeremy Karlin also declared he will seek justice for all members of our community.

Rev. Dr. Monica Corsaro spoke of frustration and anger with those she feels twist theology into hate, stating we love Jesus but dont hate women.

Emotions were high and evident among those who spoke either to the crowd or The Register-Mail. Tianna Cervantez had not planned on speaking, but finally took a microphone. Her words gained some of the loudest applause of the afternoon.

Abortion is healthcare. Full stop. Our rights are not debatable. Womens rights, Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ+ rights We should have been pissed (all along.)

You need to vote. You need to knock on doors. Put your feet on the ground. Have those conversations with family members who agree to disagree that you cannot disagree about human rights. Its not coffee vs. tea. This is human rights.

Run for elected office. Advocate for people whose lives don't look like yours.

Forcefully she said it again, you cannot disagree about human rights.

This article originally appeared on Galesburg Register-Mail: Abortion: Hundreds rally in Galesburg IL against Roe v. Wade ruling
Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP; SEBASTIEN BOZON/AFP via Getty Images

The shipbuilder behind Jeff Bezos' megayacht has scrapped plans to dismantle a historic bridge.

Bezos' yacht was too tall to pass underneath the bridge, but public outcry halted the plans.

The company worried locals would vandalize the ship as it passed by, Dutch newspaper Trouw reported.

The Dutch shipbuilder constructing Jeff Bezos' megayacht scrapped its request that a historic bridge be dismantled to accommodate the Amazon founder's vessel.

Oceanco, a Netherlands-based custom yacht builder, informed the city of Rotterdam that it would no longer be requesting a permit to remove the center portion of the Koningshaven Bridge, known locally as De Hef, to allow Bezos' yacht to reach the North Sea. That is according to a letter written by a city official and translated from Dutch to English using Google Translate.

While the city didn't rule out the possibility of a future permit to dismantle the bridge, Oceanco isn't going forward with the plan for the time being, the letter says.

It seems that Oceanco may have abandoned its plans to take apart the bridge following public outcry earlier this year. Dutch newspaper Trouw obtained documents from the city through a freedom of information request that showed the shipbuilder was taken aback by the uproar and had opted to drop its plans.

"As a result of the reports, shipyard employees feel threatened and the company fears vandalism," Trouw reported, according to a translation.

It's unclear how the yacht will now be transported if it doesn't fit under the bridge, though Trouw reports that Oceanco could choose to finish it at a shipyard closer to the sea.

The company did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

A $500 million megayacht

View of a yacht, reportedly being built for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, on the wharf near Rotterdam, Netherlands, in October 2021. Guy Fleury/AP

Bezos' yacht saga began back in February, when Dutch broadcaster Rijnmond reported that the 417-foot vessel would need to pass through Rotterdam  and underneath De Hef  on its way out to sea.

But Bezos' ship appears to be sail-assisted, which means it has three large masts, masts that are too tall to pass underneath the bridge despite its clearance of over 131 feet. The shipbuilder's solution was to temporarily remove the center portion of the bridge, then replace it once the vessel passed through.

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Frances van Heijst, a spokesperson for the municipality of Rotterdam, confirmed to Insider at the time that the city is able to grant permission to the maritime sector to take a ship to sea. But van Heijst told the Washington Post that the city would not pay to dismantle the bridge and reassemble it  that cost would fall to Oceanco.

Objections to the plan were swift. Locals began organizing an event on Facebook to throw rotten eggs at the yacht when it passed by, describing Bezos as a "megalomaniac billionaire."

The existence of Bezos' megayacht was first reported in Brad Stone's book, "Amazon Unbound," in May 2021. Photos and videos published last October showed the yacht in a shipyard in Zwijndrecht, Netherlands  though the vessel was clearly unfinished, it appeared to have a black hull and multiple, massive decks.

Currently known only as Y721, the yacht is predicted to cost $500 million and is expected to be "one of the finest sailing yachts in existence," Stone reported.

Read the original article on Business Insider
(Bloomberg) -- Germany should prepare for deeper cuts in Russian gas supplies because President Vladimir Putin is pursuing a conscious strategy of driving up prices to undermine European unity, Economy Minister Robert Habeck said.

Most Read from Bloomberg

We arent dealing with erratic decisions but with economic warfare, completely rational and very clear, Habeck, the deputy chancellor in Olaf Scholzs government, said Saturday on a panel. After a 60% reduction, the next one logically follows.

German leaders are stepping up warnings of impending turmoil and natural-gas shortages in Europes biggest economy, which relies on Russia for about one-third of its energy. Putin has gradually reduced supplies after European countries imposed sanctions in response to Russias invasion of Ukraine.

German utilities are at risk of cascading failures that might require activating a legal clause that would allow them to pass on price increases outside of contract commitments, Habeck said.

Germany has refrained from activating the measure for now because it would lead to an immediate price explosion for consumers, he said at an event sponsored by the Die Zeit weekly. The government is working on an alternative, he said, without elaborating.

If one company were to fail, or other companies were to fail, its like a domino effect that would very quickly lead into a deep recession, he said.

European energy companies are facing a squeeze after Russia curbed flows on a key gas link earlier this month, forcing utilities to buy fuel on the spot market at elevated prices. High power prices are increasingly prompting German factories and businesses to curb demand and the government has activated the second stage of a three-stage gas emergency plan.

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Russia has reduced shipments through Nord Stream by 60% and the pipeline is scheduled for a full shutdown this month for maintenance. Germany has raised doubts that Nord Stream will resume supply after that.

Russias goal is to keep energy prices high and destroy the unity and solidarity of the country, Habeck said.

Germanys government and energy giant Uniper SE are discussing stabilization measures. Finance Minister Christian Lindner said any additional government assistance would be in the form of a loan guarantee.

Gas rationing -- if it came to that -- presents challenges because the grid often isnt separated between residential and commercial customers, Habeck said.

If a factory is connected to the gas network and a whole part of the city is connected to it, then this factory cant be taken out of the network.

That will probably then be regulated at the expense of the factories that are not connected to a mixed network, Habeck said.

Household customers in Germany are protected by law from gas shutoffs.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

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Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard defamation trial continues in Fairfax, Virginia

What role can the media play in courtroom strategy? Or, to put it differently, how best can counsel advocate outside of the courtroom, particularly in publicly prominent trials?

Having had the good fortune of acting as counsel on many high-profile Canadian cases during my career, starting conspicuously with acting for the chief prosecution witness before the Patti Starr Commission of Inquiry, a.k.a. the Houlden Commission, in 1989, I have had a front-row seat to the interplay between media and counsel in such disputes.

Ignoring the media is not an option. Not a good one anyway. Choosing to not respond to media inquiries should be a deliberate decision rather than one of invariable policy. Otherwise, the media will define your case and your client to the public. That other court  the court of public opinion  must always be kept in mind.

Dan Abrams, the chief legal analyst for ABC News, once told a story about a friend working on a high-profile case who was concerned about being seen as a media whore. Abrams joked in response that, Theres got to be something between whoring and abstinence.

Judges, however skilled and neutral, are not immune to arguments that are made about a case outside of the courtroom, particularly when public policy is a factor in determining the law itself. That occurs more often than most realize and plays a particular role in employment law, where courts have enunciated that the law should be interpreted to redress the imbalance of power between employees and employers, particularly at the time of dismissal when employees are at their most vulnerable. Courts have explicitly said that, including the Supreme Court of Canada in Machtinger vs. HOJ, which I successfully argued relatively early in my career (1992).

In cases that are going to attract public interest  or if my client wants that attention  I draft my pleadings and other public filings so as to be accessible to journalists. My goal is to essentially write the journalists stories for them, with clear themes, headlines and catchy phrases so that it is easy to grasp why that story is of broad interest and why my client is the aggrieved and righteous party.

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Particularly if a case is technically complicated, it is important to make it easily ascertainable to members of the media covering the case. Otherwise, buffeted daily with different pitches, the medias interest will drift elsewhere. Such pleadings will not be drafted precisely as I was instructed to in law school and early practise. But what is sacrificed in legal rigour is far more than made up for in protecting the clients brand.

And that is what it is fundamentally about. A case will attract media attention either because it is inherently newsworthy, in which case the media will come on their own in search of comment, or because there is an advantage to your client in the case receiving wider coverage, in which case the media must be courted. That may be to satisfy a clients need for public vindication, to rehabilitate their reputation or, if their story is truly righteous and the employer a moral reprobate, to put pressure on the company to settle to reduce the damage its brand will otherwise suffer.

The same applies when acting for employers besmirched with allegations of public calumny such that the damage of the allegations exceeds the damages being sought in the lawsuit. The natural temptation, in such circumstances, is to settle. But the better option may be to expose the plaintiffs comparative villainy so that the reputational damage to them dramatically exceeds that of your client and your client is seen as the victim. Just look at how counsel for Johnny Depp turned that case around so that, not only did he recover large amounts of money but he went from being a largely forgotten actor to a sort of public hero in the eyes of many.

If you have a client in public trouble for some wrongdoing, one tactic might be to find others more culpable and attempt to make those companies the subject of the story, diverting public attention from your own.

You should understand that the media do not take kindly to being attacked. After all, look what happened to Americas two Michaels, Cohen and Avenatti. Their downfalls may not have been caused by their attacking the media covering them, but the press certainly took up their wrongdoings with particular enthusiasm and ensured their plight was splashed everywhere.

Lawyers and clients have become interchangeable in the public mind so any lawyer should think carefully before taking on unpopular causes/cases.

Just last week, Paul Clement and Erin Murphy, two partners at the prominent Wall Street firm Kirkland and Ellis, said that the law firm offered them a stark choice: Drop their gun clients or withdraw from the firm after winning their U.S. Supreme Court case permitting people to carry guns outside of their homes. As they put it in a Wall Street Journal op ed, There was only one choice: We couldnt abandon our clients simply because their positions are unpopular in some circles.

Of course, they will likely now make more money at their new firm after that win than they would have if they had remained. It is almost certain that Kirkland and Ellis required this choice because of pressure on them from other clients.

When I veered from my normal lane in 1990 and assisted Yolanda Ballard in her fight involving the Harold Ballard estate, I had more than one corporate labour client lean on me hard to drop it because of their view of my client. The concept that lawyers should take up any cause however unpopular has become an almost historic relic. Besides, I enjoyed Yolanda and my father socialized with her and Harold.

Lawyers should also remember that they are agents of their clients. Depp was successfully sued for $2 million in his case against Amber Heard as a result of comments made by his lawyer, who told the Daily Mail in 2020 that her claims were a hoax. If he had not succeeded in recovering $15 million in his own libel case against Heard, that judgement would have received considerable play as well as affecting him financially. He might have a claim against his lawyer for that amount if that lawyer did not provide an appropriate warning.

Should your client sue the media if they provide it with legal cause to do so? That, too, is a strategic decision. If they are not harming your client, such a suit could be an unfortunate distraction. But, if they are, it might make sense to do so, so as to concretely demonstrate your clients outrage and to inform the public that the libel is false. But if you are going to, you should proceed with the claim vigorously so it is not seen by the public as an empty gesture meant to intimidate rather than having an honest belief in your rectitude.

Near the beginning of the Patti Starr case, a lawyer for one of the opposing parties threatened my very credible 65-year-old client as she was returning from the washroom about why it would be in her interest to drop the whole thing. I had a decision to make. I could have raised it immediately before Justice Houlden in open court with all the media present and obtained some strategic advantage but it would have inevitably derailed the entire proceeding for some time. I chose to do nothing with the information. Similar judgments arise often in such cases.

Got a question about employment law? Write to Howard at levitt@levittllp.com.

Howard Levitt is senior partner of Levitt Sheikh, employment and labour lawyers with offices in Toronto and Hamilton. He practices employment law in eight provinces. He is the author of six books including the Law of Dismissal in Canada.

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Pitch Perfect actress Rebel Wilson is definitely enjoying the beginning of summer. From traveling through Iceland to enjoying the sights in Italy, the Australian comedian is taking fans on ultimate getaway ... and showing off beautiful outfits while doing so.

In a recent Instagram video posted on June 26, the Senior Year star posed in front of the blue waters of Corsica, France. Wearing a black one-piece bathing suit, a black see-through cover-up, gold tinted shades and a floppy hat, Rebel appeared carefree while appreciating the stunning views of the European coastal city.

"Corsica ," she captioned the three-second-long clip.

Unsurprisingly, Rebel's fans had many thoughts about her latest summertime look, and weren't afraid to share them with her. "Beautiful times a trillion. ," one person wrote in her Instagram comments section. "Just love this  pure beautiful ," another added. "Living your best life! So happy for you ," a different said.

But it wasn't just her followers who supported Rebel's latest moment of joy  her celebrity friends let her know as well. " " Broadway actress Orfeh wrote. "Hottie alert. ," longtime friend and Australian actor Hugh Sheridan commented. And her Senior Year costar Joshua Colley just used emojis to evoke his happiness for her: "."

Let's not forget  this isn't the first time this month Rebel's been showing off her beach ensembles. A few days prior, on June 16, she showed off a retro three-piece bikini while on a yacht. What's more, she later updated folks that she was in Cappadocia, Turkey, where she woke up early to see hot air balloons and took a luxurious bath. She documented the latter with a NSFW pic that had her fans buzzing. "Absolutely glowing! So happy to see you happy ," someone commented.

Now, if you've been following her as of late, Rebel has had her work calendar quite packed the past several months with a slew of exciting projects. In early May, her newest film Senior Year debuted on Netflix. Shortly after, she made a sweet announcement about her personal life: She's dating fashion designer Ramona Agruma. A quick browse of Rebel's Instagram even shows Ramona by her side on these different trips.

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We absolutely love seeing this side of Rebel, and we look forward to getting more glimpses from her summer vacay soon! Read more about her previous Instagram swimsuit moment here:

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Disney will work with Howard University on a multi-year program to help advance opportunities in media and entertainment for underrepresented students.

BURBANK, Calif., July 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, at ESSENCE Festival of Culture, The Walt Disney Company announced the creation of the Disney Storytellers Fund at Howard University, which will create opportunities for historically underrepresented students to have future careers as storytellers and innovators in media and entertainment.

The Disney Storytellers Fund at Howard University will provide stipends over a five-year period for student projects focused on storytelling across a variety of media including animation, digital design, gaming, journalism, live action, performing arts, product design, visual design, virtual reality and more. Disney will also provide access to speakers, mentors and internships to students in the program to spark interest in these fields and help them build the skills necessary for a future career in entertainment.

"Across Disney's brands, we are working to amplify underrepresented voices and untold stories. The Disney Storytellers Fund at Howard will help us support students and the innovation and creativity that the university has cultivated for more than 150 years. We are excited to help the next generation of Black storytellers bring their ideas to life," said Jennifer Cohen, executive vice president, Corporate Social Responsibility, The Walt Disney Company.

"Our students at the College of Fine Arts find their creative expression in many ways  in the performing arts, in animation, in the design of the products that we use in life. The Disney Storytellers Fund is a great support for our emerging artists as they explore and develop their potential within and across disciplines," said Phylicia Rashad, dean of the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts.

In addition to the Disney Storytellers Fund, Disney will fund the development of a creative collaborative space that will be housed inside the new Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts and the Cathy Hughes School of Communication at Howard University.

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Through social investments and collaborations like these, Disney is increasing access to careers in storytelling and innovation for those who have been historically underrepresented. From arts and STEM programs for school-age children to scholarships, storytelling and technical skills-building programs for teens and young adults, Disney is helping today's youth to pursue their dreams, build their talents and skills, and become who they imagine they can be.

Contacts:

Bruce Lam

Corporate Communications

(818) 560-6420

bruce.lam@disney.com

Cision

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-walt-disney-company-announces-the-disney-storytellers-fund-at-howard-university-to-support-the-next-generation-of-black-storytellers-301580010.html

SOURCE Walt Disney Company
Elected officials, conservationists, historians and business boosters are pleased by this months approval of the Culpeper Battlefields State Park, expected to open in 2024.

Virginia historian Clark Hall, who has worked to preserve Culpepers Civil War sites since the 1980s, is perhaps the person most delighted by the accomplishment.

Hall, who lives in Culpeper, gave credit for Virginia leaders approval of the park to the American Battlefield Trust, which he noted began life years ago in Fredericksburg. The nonprofit will turn over 1,700 acres it saved at the countys Brandy Station and Cedar Mountain battlefields, plus a Union encampment near Stevensburg, for the state preserve.

Thanks to the leadership of the trust, its distinguished board members, the president and staffin particular its director of policy and communications, Jim Campiwe will now have a state park, Hall said in an interview.

As one who has been involved in the fray from the beginning, I could not be more happy, gratified and appreciative of the thousands of people who have supported this preservation effort, he said. Now, thanks to their efforts, theyll have a Virginia state park.

State Sen. Emmett Hanger, RMount Solon, said he hopes the park will include bridle trails for horse riders, depending on the outcome of the master planning process to be undertaken by state agencies and the local community.

Im hopeful we can showcase some equine activities there at the park, in addition to Civil War heritage, Hanger said in an interview. It was, of course, a cavalry engagement that was fought there.

Where its situated, closer to Northern Virginia and with that U.S. 29 corridor, I really feel like its going to become an extremely popular park for us, the senator said.

Hanger said the COVID-19 pandemic greatly increased peoples interest in outdoor recreation and the state park system.

Many of our parks now are oversubscribed, he said. Its hard to get a campsite, its hard to get a cabin.

Bill Sellers, president and CEO of the Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area, said the multi-state heritage-tourism consortium is excited that Gov. Glenn Youngkin authorized the creation of Culpeper Battlefields State Park.

The battlefields within Culpeper County are part of a much larger story, and the creation of this park helps fill in a missing chapter of that story for people wanting to learn about the Civil War, a time when we were divided like no other, Sellers said. We look forward to bringing students and visitors to Culpeper on equal footing with our partner parks at Gettysburg, Antietam, Monocacy, Harpers Ferry, Manassas and other places that help define who we are as Americans.

Historian Greg Mertz, a board member of the Brandy Station Foundation in Culpeper County, said people are absolutely thrilled by the actions of Youngkin and the Virginia General Assembly.

From the very start, thats been our hope and dream, Mertz said. Having the state park means we now will have the means to better preserve and historically interpret this land that has been saved.

The American Battlefield Trust has never been in the business of giving tours or making land like this ready for visitors, he added. Their whole goal is to hand over the land to another entity to manage and do something with it. So now the state will take over, and thats just fantastic.

Del. Alfonso Lopez, DArlington, thanked those who made the park a reality.

As a strong and longtime supporter of battlefield preservation, I am very excited about the prospect of finally making Brandy Station and Cedar Mountain Virginia state parks, Lopez said. This is significant not only in terms of preserving the sites of two important Civil War battlesincluding the site of the largest cavalry battle ever fought in North Americabut also for land conservation, recreational options, clean air and water protection, and increasing economic development from tourism.

State Sen. Bryce Reeves, RSpotsylvania, said Virginians will benefit from any chance we have to save some green space, especially space that has such historical significance as the Culpeper Battlefields State Park.

A Republican who represents Culpeper County, he has championed the park since it was first proposed years ago.

Reeves said he envisions the park will be a relatively low-cost project for the state to plan and develop.

This isnt going to be where they built a bunch of yurts and swimming pools and all those things, he said. There will be trails and markers depicting significant historical events. It will provide a good opportunity for people to get outdoors. I think Virginians, and Americans, will like that.

Reeves said preserving Civil War sites in Culpeper also holds other meanings for him, as a former U.S. Army officer.

I think Americans have a healthy respect for those individuals who have fallen, and want to honor them, he said, referring to the Union and Confederate dead. Not all the (soldiers) remains have been recovered from these places, and I deem it hallowed ground. ... We owe them a measure of respect.

It also gives us a reference point during a very tumultuous time in our nations history where we had Americans fighting Americans and the country was divided, Reeves added. These sites can help teach us how we returned to civility and came back together, stronger than ever.

Paige Read, the town of Culpepers director of economic development and tourism, said the park will present an opportunity to have a new starting line as state officials labor to design and build it.

In a couple years, Culpeper will have this state park, Read told a gathering of Culpeper residents. It promises to bring more access to recreational assets to our citizens. It will tell stories of the American Civil War, the Cedar Mountain and Brandy Station battlefields, and soldiers devotion to service.

Read met recently with Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears and state-agency leaders and said they are very excited about creating the park, in concert with the American Battlefield Trust.cschemmer@starexponent.com
IN A 63 RULING handed down on Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed what a draft opinion leaked in May suggested it would do: overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v Wade decision which effectively protected a womans right to an abortion.

This is a dark day for the nation, and countless women will die as a result of this decision. While Virginians can be thankful the commonwealth does not have severe abortion restrictions that would today imperil the lives of women here, they must fiercely defend against further infringement on reproductive freedom.

Some 61% of Americans support a legal right to abortion, but the Supreme Court effectively returned decisions about abortion regulations to the states. This means Americans living in different parts of the country will now face vastly different obstacles to receive the reproductive care that was once their constitutional right.

Twenty-six states have trigger laws or other statutes set to take effect in the absence of the legal protections established under Roe. That means millions of women no longer have access to safe and legal abortion procedures or will lose that access in the coming days.

Nine states have adopted constitutional measures or other laws that protect the right to elective abortion, and 12 states allow women to choose that medical procedure with some restrictions. Expect to see women who need abortions and have the means to travel to these states for care, as their mothers and grandmothers did in a pre-Roe world.

And then theres Virginia. The commonwealth exists in a sort-of limbo with New Hampshire and New Mexico in having no constitutional right to abortion, but no restrictions which take effect now that the court has overturned Roe.

That means abortion remains legal and accessible herefor nowdue to determined activism that blocked severe restrictions intended to punish women who seek reproductive care and the medical professionals who provide it.

In 2011, the legislature approved a bill empowering the state Board of Health to regulate abortion clinics as hospitals rather than doctors offices, something known as a Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers, or TRAP, law. It was an attempt to force clinics to close and make it near impossible to obtain an abortion.

Only national ridicule in 2012 caused Republican lawmakers to modify a bill that would have required women to endure an invasive transvaginal ultrasound in order to access abortion services. A revised measure passed the legislature and was signed by Gov. Robert McDonnell.

And there have been efforts over the yearsand as recently as Februaryto pass laws that would restrict abortion in most cases to 20 weeks after pregnancy. The most recent attempt was thwarted by the slim Democratic majority in the Senate.

The courts ruling in Dobbs will serve to embolden antiabortion advocates in the commonwealth. Shortly after the ruling, Gov. Glenn Youngkin called for a Mississippi-style, 15-week ban and tasked four Republican lawmakers with drawing up restrictive legislation.

That makes clear Virginians must mount a vigorous defense to protect the right of women here to access safe reproductive care as they and their doctors see fit. Given a Senate majority in the next election, Republicans will add the commonwealth to the list of states where it is difficult or impossible to obtain abortion services.

The Supreme Court will no longer protect those rights. Virginians must do it themselves.

Adapted from the VirginianPilot
BOISE, IdahoA U.S. agency responsible for killing wolves and other predators to prevent attacks on livestock has agreed to settle a lawsuit by completing an extensive environmental study on its methods in Idaho.

The U.S. Department of Agricultures Wildlife Services also agreed last week not to use poison gas cartridges or fire to kill wolf pups in dens in Idaho until the study is finished at the end of 2024.

Wildlife Services last week filed a joint motion with Western Watersheds Project, WildEarth Guardians and Predator Defense in U.S. District Court to settle the May 2020 lawsuit. The environmental groups contend Wildlife Services predator control activities violate environmental laws.

The settlement follows a separate 2020 settlement from a different 2016 lawsuit specifically involving wolves in Idaho and also filed by the three environmental groups and two others. That settlement also requires Wildlife Services to complete an environmental impact study on killing wolves in the state with a 2023 deadline.

Environmental impact studies are time-consuming and expensive, and its possible, though not guaranteed, that Wildlife Services will combine the two settlement agreements into one environmental impact statement, or EIS. That would have the effect of extending wolf protections made in the 2020 settlement for an extra year. The creation of impact statements include comments from the public.

Erik Molvar, Western Watersheds Projects executive director said . We got some of what we wanted (in the agreement). But, quite frankly, wed like Wildlife Services to get out of the business of killing native wildlife entirely.

Wildlife Services on Wednesday didnt immediately respond to questions from The Associated Press sent by email, the agencys preferred communication method.

The agency in 2021 killed 39 wolves in Idaho. Fourteen were killed using a helicopter, five with a fixed-wing aircraft, 10 with firearms, nine with foothold traps and one with night vision equipment. The agency also killed about 1,700 coyotes in Idaho in 2021 using various methods.

Our goal is to have in the final EIS a thorough analysis of the impact of killing native carnivores, said Lindsay Larris, wildlife program director for WildEarth Guardians. She said prohibitions contained in the settlement should give Wildlife Services time to evaluate the results of killing restrictions.The agreements each have two parts. The first part details what Wildlife Services will consider in the impact statement. The second part restricts agency actions on predator control until the impact statement and whats called a record of decision are finalized. The record of decision will be the agencys plan for moving forward with predator control in Idaho. It could, for example, leave wilderness areas off limits or give the OK for killing predators in them.

Notably, the settlements prevent the agency from using cyanide-spraying devices, known as M-44s but called cyanide bombs by opponents, in Idaho at least until the impact statement is completed. The devices look like lawn sprinklers but spray cyanide when triggered by animals attracted by bait. The devices are intended to kill mainly coyotes but have harmed humans and pets, including injuring a 14-year-old eastern Idaho boy and killing his 3-year-old yellow lab in March 2017 near Pocatello.

For wolves, the most recent settlement prevents using poison gas or fire to kill wolf pups in dens. The 2020 settlement has additional restrictions, including a prohibition on Wildlife Services killing wolves in wilderness areas.The most recent settlement extends the prohibition on Wildlife Services killing in wilderness areas and wilderness study areas in most cases to other predators. Wolves, it is thought, use wilderness areas as bases from which they expand their population. But environmental groups find the killing of wildlife in areas designated as wild places abhorrent.

Its particularly egregious to have our government killing wildlife for simply existing in the wild, Larris said.

The agreements also preclude Wildlife Services from killing predators to bolster deer and elk populations.

The most recent settlement states that the agreement is not an admission of guilt by Wildlife Services or two other agencies named in the lawsuitthe U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Bureau of Land Managementwhere Wildlife Services has carried out predator control actions.
Thornton joins Scooters Coffee leadership team

Joe Thornton has joined the Scooters Coffee leadership team as president, a new role at the rapidly growing drive-thru coffee chain.

With more than 38 years of experience in operations, new store expansion, marketing/branding, employee development, franchising, and store optimization, Thornton has led some of the fastest growth companies over the years, including Starbucks, Jamba Juice, Blockbuster and, most recently, HMSHost.

As a senior vice president at Starbucks with responsibility of well over 2,000 stores, he led the drive-thru team at Starbucks with a focus on speed. As executive vice president and chief operating officer for HMSHost, Thornton led more than 1,500 food and beverage locations in North America, partnered with more than 300 brands and engaged more than 30,000 associates across HMSHost restaurants. At Jamba Juice, Thornton was senior vice president, chief operating officer where he led strong business optimization and sales based on speed, taste and friendliness.

As founder of Vizzionnary Brands, Thornton consulted with businesses and authored two books: The Power of Or: Choosing and Doing What Matters Most, released in 2020, and The Hostility of Change: Breaking Through Deep-Seated Barriers, published in 2021.

Founded in 1998 by Don and Linda Eckles in Bellevue, Scooters Coffee has its headquarters in Omaha. Scooters Coffee has two locations in Fremont at 610 E. 23rd St. and 2620 E. 23rd Ave. N.
The Nebraska Women of Today had their annual convention April 22-23 at Mahoney State Park meeting rooms. Eighteen women representing four chapters attended.

Cindy Urlacher, state president, presided. Scheduled events included business meetings and training seminars.

The luncheon guest speaker was from WCA in Omaha. The banquet guest speaker was Cindy Umland, United States Women of Today president. Several national officers were present: Lisa Hahn, presidential assistant; Laura Morris, treasurer; Deb McDonald, domestic violence awareness program manager; Tracey Pierson, programming vice president.

Chapters and members were recognized for their accomplishments throughout second and third trimester which included September-March.

Awards received by the Fremont Area chapter included: Early bird renewals for second and third trimesters; Maxine Turner  recruiter, third trimester secretary contact, presidential medallion, outstanding state board member; Judy Ross  new member.

Fremont Area sponsors Fremont Youth Power which includes youth ages from 3 through 16 years old. They were recognized for the following projects: Habitat for Humanity  coffee/lunch; FAAA Gala; Valentine cards for nursing home; Easter cards for nursing home; Thanksgiving and Christmas cards for nursing home; Salvation Army bell ringing. Ellie Connelly was recognized as Outstanding Todays Youth.

Elections for 2022-2023 Nebraska State Board was held with the following serving on this board: Turner, president; Julie Fogleman, programming vice president; Cindy Urlacher, chairman of the board; and Joyce Harpster, parliamentarian.

Attending the state convention from Fremont Area were Turner, Fogleman, Urlacher and Harpster.

The Fremont Area Women of Today and Fremont Youth Power organizations provide leadership training, personal enrichment, and community service opportunities. For more information, contact Turner at 402-719-8332.
Main Street.

Those two words evoke images of a towns business district. Mom-and-Pop establishments that kids grew up with. Cafes, taverns, offices and little shops.

On its website, the Fremont Area Chamber of Commerce describes Fremont as a place to grow up, a place to raise a family, and a place to come home to.

They call Fremont a place where a good idea can take flight and a place where entrepreneurs stand out. A place where small business makes a big impact.

One of Mainstreet Fremonts small businesses that has made an impact is Nancys Boutique, owned by Nancy Hoshor.

Hoshor opened her shop in 2003 and will be retiring this summer.

I like the size of Fremont, said Hoshor, who had returned to Fremont after living in Denver because she felt it was a nice place to raise her daughter.

Hoshor spent the first 15 years of her life in Minot, North Dakota, where she began modeling for a clothing store on Saturday afternoons.

That was the beginning of my career in fashion, she said.

When her fathers work in insurance brought the family to Fremont, Hoshor was hired at Schwesers Department Store as an elevator operator.

They moved me to the mens department, then to accessories and cosmetics, and ultimately, I became a buyer, she said.

During a buying trip to New York, Hoshor became more familiar with the clothing business.

After 20 years with Schwesers, she went to work for the Spence Shoppe. Five years later, Hoshor was presented with the opportunity to start her own business.

My friend Lela Thompson and I opened LoveNue at 529 N. Main St.

The partnership ended with Thompsons retirement in 2003. In September of that year, Hoshor and her husband, Jim, opened Nancys Boutique at the same location.

I attended markets in Atlanta, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Dallas, Hoshor said, and I took pride in specialty buying for individual customers.

Hoshor devoted the next 19 years to filling Nancys Boutique with upscale, casual clothing and accessories personally selected with her customers in mind.

Being the owner, manager, and buyer has had its challenges, Hoshor said. But seeing my customers delight over what I chose for them is rewarding for me. I have made it my primary goal to get to know my customers.

Developing a strong relationship with customers is something Hoshor considers key to the success of any business.

You have to find out what they like, whats right for each of them, she said.

Rather than selecting a dozen identical items of inferior quality, Hoshor said she chose to buy up to three, making sure they were high-quality products that reflected each customers individuality.

My customers are important to me, Hoshor said. I enjoy giving them personal service.

Unlike many clothing merchants, Hoshor often keeps the shop open beyond regular hours to accommodate customers with busy schedules. She has also been known to turn down a sale if the product is not right for the customer.

Its gratifying to see a customer love what she has purchased, she said. New customers would come in because they loved what someone was wearing and found out where they bought it.

For those who dont like to shop or simply dont have the time, Nancys Boutique also has a personal shopper. Shelley Greteman Ijem selects items and delivers them to a customers home for fittings.

Even the elegant wrapping paper is high quality, she said. Hoshor has always insisted on the best, right down to the handmade bows.

Careful attention to detail is one of the things that has made Nancys Boutique such a successful business.

My customers have told me they really appreciate the personal touch, she said.

In addition to the excellent service provided by Hoshors staff (Shelley, Cookie, Jackie, Sue, and Deb), Nancys Boutique has also been the workplace for Toby, Hoshors 7-year-old Coton de Tulear, who enjoys greeting customers.

My husband wanted a puppy, Hoshor said, but (Jim) passed away soon after we got him. Toby will miss coming here.

Nancys Boutique will close following this years Sidewalk Sale on Saturday, July 23.

Im ready, Hoshor said, but Ill miss it.

When asked what shes looking forward to doing once the boutique closes, Hoshor mentioned clearing out the garage, spending time in the yard, and visiting her daughter in Kansas. She also has a couple of trips planned.

Im going to Ireland and will also be going to Cabo, she said

Fremonts historic downtown district has attracted many patrons from other cities and towns, and Nancys Boutique is one of the reasons.

My customer base has been mostly from other cities such as Grand Island, York, Lincoln, and Omaha, Hoshor said. They are friends of mine, and I will miss them.

Nancys Boutique, at 423 N. Main St. in Fremont is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.
The front page of the July 8, 1947 Roswell (New Mexico) Daily Record seized the American imagination with the headline RAAF (Roswell Army Air Field) Captures Flying Saucer.

That announcement added fuel to the saucer craze of summer 1947 (Keep your raccoon coats, grandpa  weve got Martians!). But to the disappointment of believers in extraterrestrial visitors, the military issued a retraction the very next day, asserting that the debris found by rancher W.W. Mac Brazel was merely a run-of-the-mill weather balloon. (Nothing to see here. Move alongbut not like those slimy littlenever mind!)

Im not implying anything, but Uncle Sam has historically displayed a penchant for playing the weather balloon gambit when handling unpleasantries. (You claim we signed a treaty, Sitting Bull? No, no, that was a weather balloon we signed, silly!)

Most people have forgotten, but the military also demanded several other Daily Record retractions that week, thus explaining the newspapers abrupt discovery that Wimpy was really a vegetarian and Joltin Joe DiMaggio was in fact Americas premier ballerina.

Despite some initial objections from area residents, the Roswell incident was mostly ignored until the late 1970s, when UFO researchers thrust the clarification-slash-coverup back into the public consciousness.

Even with all the paranormal books and podcasts on the market, the average citizen is fuzzy concerning exactly what conspiracy theorists claim happened near Roswell. People often mention child-size corpses, Area 51 and Men in Black when pressed to venture an opinion about Roswell, but those elements were not part of the original report. Lots of different things get mixed up in our memories over the span of more than seven decades.

Dont believe me? One enthusiast was getting all worked up over an alleged Roswell crash survivor who  over the course of years of staying undercover  heroically saved Timmy from the well, tracked down the one-armed man, became stepfather of three very lovely girls and enjoyed some degree of dignity until one Cosmo Kramer dropped a Junior Mint into his body cavity during his alien autopsy.

In the 1990s, the Pentagon tried to drive a stake through the heart of the controversy by changing its story again, to confess that what crashed was really a Cold War device used to spy on potential Soviet nuclear tests. Oh, scampish Pentagon  where greetings of Workin hard or hardly workin? get met with Ill have that declassified for you in 50 years.

But the matter refuses to die, because of the steady drip of unearthed documents, deathbed confessions, Magic 8-Ball revelations, etc.

Proper vetting is still needed for some of the more sensational bombshells. Like the purported contraband singed license plate that declares, I brake for freakishly tall, pink-skinned oxygen-breathers. Or the diary with an entry about a rancher listening to his shortwave radio one night in July 1947 and hearing a garbled message that sounded something like Hold on to your tentacles! Mom and dad are going to be so (perturbed)!

I realize Im abdicating my role as an influencer by not digging more deeply into this mystery myself. It fascinates me, but I leave it to you to draw your own conclusions and to decide how to commemorate the 75th anniversary ofwhatever.

Yeah, I know the truth is out there; but my lovely wife, the air conditioner and episodes of the CWs Roswell, New Mexico are in here!
The grand meeting in Kabul of more than 4,000 male clerics and tribal leaders ended on July 2 with a declaration of support for Afghanistans Taliban rulers and calls on the international community to recognize the country's as-of-yet unrecognized government.

The three-day "grand assembly of ulema," or religious scholars, was a tightly controlled event where women were banned and delegates were hand-picked by the Taliban. Ethnic and religious minorities were excluded.

The religious scholars ended the meeting with a pledge of allegiance to the hard-line fundamentalist group's reclusive supreme leader, Mawlawi Haibuatullah Akhundzada.

Akhundzada, who addressed the gathering on July 1 in a surprise appearance, heads the Taliban government that took control of Afghanistan after U.S.-led international troops withdrew in August 2021.

Cleric Mujib-ul Rahman Ansari said an 11-point declaration released at the end of the gathering calls on countries around the world, the United Nations, Islamic organizations, and others to recognize a Taliban-led Afghanistan.

It urged the removal of all sanctions imposed since the Taliban takeover and the freeing up of Afghan assets that have been frozen abroad.

"Interact positively, lift all sanctions on Afghanistan, unfreeze the assets of the Afghan people, and support our nation," the declaration stated.

The United States and most of the international community have shunned the Taliban and its unrecognized government, demanding greater inclusivity and respect for minority and womens rights.

Under the Taliban, girls have been barred from secondary schools while women have been fired from government jobs, prevented from traveling alone, and ordered to wear clothing that covers everything but their faces.

The final declaration did not address the issue of schooling for girls. However, it did call on the government to pay "special attention" to religious and modern education, as well as the rights of minorities, children, women, and the entire nation, according to Islamic holy law.

At the end of the gathering, Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, a Taliban co-founder, insisted on the mandatory wearing of full hijabs by women in the country and said laws regarding it would be implemented throughout the country.



The international isolation of the Taliban has contributed to the collapse of the Afghan economy and a massive humanitarian crises, with food shortages being reported throughout the country.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP
One of seven specimens of yellowfin cutthroat trout collected by David S. Jordan and Barton W. Evermann from Twin Lakes near Leadville in 1889, some of which are preserved at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.
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Independent Westside motels in possible flux

 Amarillo Motel, 2801 W. Colorado Ave., and associated bungalows totaling 40 units of housing, has a sales contract pending, with mixed-use retail and luxury residential units planned if deal goes through.

 Ridgeview Motel, 3501 W. Colorado Ave., condemned and sold at auction, with reconstruction work occurring.

 Mecca Motel, 3518 W. Colorado Ave., 21 rooms, fenced off and for sale for $3 million.

 Park Row Lodge, 54 Manitou Ave., 21 rooms, operational and for sale for $2.65 million.

 La Fun, 123 Manitou Ave., 53 rooms, closed last September after the city of Manitou Springs pulled its business license for code violations. Its for sale with a contract pending and redevelopment proposed, according to Manitou Springs Urban Renewal Authority.

 El Colorado Lodge, 23 Manitou Ave., was for sale but hasnt sold and has been pulled from the market, according to real estate agent Brandon Langiewicz with Hoff & Leigh. The 1926 property is located within Manitou Springs historic district, meaning future owners would have to have any exterior modifications approved.

 Timber Lodge, 3627 W. Colorado Ave., for sale for $2.75 million, 18 cabins, 24 units built from 1930s to 1950s, open to redevelopment, according to an online flyer.

 The Maverick Motel, 3612 W. Colorado Ave., 19 rooms and three apartments, had been on the market but is no longer listed.

 The Dillon Motel, 134 Manitou Ave., sold in 2019 and has had interest from an outside buyer again but is not listed on the market, records show.
Colorado Springs police announced Friday the arrests of the parents of 15-month-old Cairo Astacio, who police say died of a fentanyl overdose in their presence.

Police allege that in November 2021, Joenny Manuel Astacio, 36, and Kira Lee Villalba, 29, were under the influence of fentanyl and allowed their infant child, Cairo Astacio, to die of an overdose.

Police investigated the scene at the time and found both drug paraphernalia and illegal narcotics in the home, they said.

On June 10, police issued a warrant for the arrest of both Villalba and Joenny Astacio in the death of their child. Both are facing charges of child abuse resulting in death, a class two felony, and multiple charges of drug possession.

I am saddened by the tragic loss of one of the youngest members of our community to the fentanyl epidemic," Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez said in a news release. "The loss of Cairo Astacio is exactly why we continue to do our part in fighting this devastating drug, despite legislative efforts that reduce our ability to hold accountable those who possess and sell fentanyl within our community."

A spokesperson with Colorado Springs police said in an email that the nearly eight-month delay in the arrest of the couple was to ensure the prosecution had a strong case.

"In circumstances such as this in which a child died, the investigators and the District Attorneys Office want to be sure they have a very strong case," Robert Tornabene, the senior public communications supervisor with Colorado Springs police, said by email.

Villalba and Joenny Astacio were both held on a $500,000 bond, but had their bonds reduced Wednesday according to court records. Joenny Astacio had his reduced to $202,700 while Villalba's was reduced to $100,000.

The El Paso County Sheriff's Office confirmed to The Gazette that both remain in custody at El Paso County jail.

In Villalba's hearing on Wednesday morning, prosecutors briefly alluded to a second incident in which a teenage girl overdosed while in the presence of Villalba. The girl was taken to a hospital and survived.

Neither Colorado Springs police nor the El Paso County Sheriff's Office was able to provide additional details on the incident mentioned in court.

Joenny Astacio and Villalba will both next appear in Colorado's 4th Judicial District Court on July 20 for their preliminary hearings.
With an influx of a billion dollars from the federal government and a new state behavioral health administration, Colorado's mental health advocates are looking forward to a brighter future.
Workers sand away joint compound on the drywall of a room that will eventually be a large walk-in fridge to store food from the adjacent greenhouse being built by Denver Public Schools on Wednesday, March 9, 2022, in Denver, Colo. (Timothy Hurst/The Denver Gazette)
A bear involved in a suspected poaching incident last July has been euthanized after it entered a home in Teller County recently, officials with Colorado Parks and Wildlife announced Thursday.

The bear was one of two cubs Parks and Wildlife officers rescued in Woodland Park last year after their mother was shot and killed. Officers fed them natural foods and taught them to avoid humans, officials said. In January, officers placed the bears in an artificial den on the slopes of Pikes Peak. The bears were tranquilized and fitted with GPS ear tag transmitters supplied by the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

"One bear has roamed more than 60 miles around the Pike National Forest, reaching Tarryall, some 30 miles away, before circling back to the area of its den on Pikes Peak," officials said in a release.

The bear's sibling, however, entered a Teller County home through an unlocked door. When homeowners returned to their home and found the bear in their kitchen, it left on its own.

Wild bears are naturally afraid of people and avoid them, Area Wildlife Manager for the Pikes Peak Region Tim Kroening said in a release. When a bear learns that human homes are a source of food, they become dangerous to people.

"Imagine encountering a bear in your kitchen. If there is no clear exit available, a tragic confrontation could occur. We cant risk that happening.

Relocation wasn't an option for the bear because it will inevitably find a human home due to how densely populated Colorado has become, Kroening said.

Ongoing drought conditions and a late spring freeze have been detrimental to the bears' food supply of acorns and berries.
A view of Downtown Colorado Springs in front of Pikes Peak in the winter.
Dennis Maes served for 24 years as a judge in Colorados 10th Judicial District in Pueblo  and as the districts chief judge for 17 of those years  before retiring from the bench in 2012. He also served on the states Judicial Discipline Commission. Frances Koncilja is an attorney who served on the Colorado Supreme Court and Court of Appeals Nominating Commission and was the Tenth Circuits representative on the American Bar Association Judicial Review Committee. She also served on the judicial advisory committees recommending federal judge candidates for U.S. Sens. Ken Salazar, Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper. Koncilja also is a former commissioner on Colorados Public Utilities Commission.
Last May, the state's Court of Appeals decided by 2-1 the evidence was sufficient to find that Enrique Gorostieta was the same defendant in both cases. But the Colorado Supreme Court agreed to hear the case, based on the dissenting judge's belief that more information was required to say, beyond a reasonable doubt, the same man was involved in both crimes.
Xi confident in Hong Kong's future of feats and glory

Xinhua) 09:07, July 02, 2022

*President Xi Jinping on Friday expressed confidence in Hong Kong's take-off toward "a splendid feat" with the solid implementation of "one country, two systems."

*"There is no reason for us to change such a good policy, and we must adhere to it in the long run," said Xi, whose Hong Kong trip has gained widespread international attention.

*The next five years will be crucial for Hong Kong to break new ground and achieve another leap forward, said Xi.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, administers oath of office to the sixth-term Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) John Lee at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, south China's Hong Kong, July 1, 2022. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

HONG KONG, July 1 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping on Friday expressed confidence in Hong Kong's take-off toward "a splendid feat" with the solid implementation of "one country, two systems."

Hong Kong will share the glory of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with the rest of the country, Xi said when attending a meeting celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

The president extended cordial greetings to all Hong Kong residents when addressing the events.

Recalling history, throughout which Hong Kong compatriots have always stood together with the motherland, Xi praised the new era of Hong Kong since its return to the motherland in 1997 and the resounding success of "one country, two systems."

The practice of "one country, two systems" has achieved success in Hong Kong recognized by all, Xi said.

"There is no reason for us to change such a good policy, and we must adhere to it in the long run," said Xi, whose Hong Kong trip has gained widespread international attention.

Hong Kong is in a new stage of transitioning from chaos to order and then to greater prosperity.

The next five years will be crucial for Hong Kong to break new ground and achieve another leap forward, said Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission.

A bus painted with posters marking the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland runs in Hong Kong, south China, June 30, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Shen)

A NEW ERA

Hong Kong is in a festive mood. Flags adorn avenues and alleys, red lanterns line the overpass to the main pier of the Hong Kong Island, and neon-lit celebratory messages can be seen on the facades of skyscrapers against the night sky.

Hong Kong people have every reason to be joyous on the celebratory occasion and proud of their achievements over the past quarter of a century.

Since its return to the motherland, Hong Kong has overcome various difficulties and challenges and forged ahead with steady steps, Xi said, lauding Hong Kong's "irreplaceable contributions" to the development of the motherland.

Over the years, Hong Kong has become an integral part of the country's overall development and actively aligned with national development strategies.

The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, a significant national project, for example, has brought about new opportunities for Hong Kong.

From 1997 to 2021, Hong Kong's GDP more than doubled from 1.37 trillion Hong Kong dollars (174.59 billion U.S. dollars) to 2.86 trillion Hong Kong dollars. Its economy remains one of the freest and most open in the world. While boasting a world-class business environment, Hong Kong has maintained its status as an international financial, shipping and trade center.

Xi hailed the true democracy Hong Kong has enjoyed after its return to the motherland, which ensures the democratic rights of Hong Kong residents and helps maintain Hong Kong's prosperity and stability.

Recent years have seen such efforts as the implementation of the national security law in Hong Kong, improvements to the region's electoral system, and the implementation of the "patriots administering Hong Kong" principle.

These have provided Hong Kong with a solid institutional guarantee to overcome immediate difficulties, achieve good governance, and ensure lasting security and stability.

A GOOD POLICY

Xi's Friday address reiterated implementing the principle of "one country, two systems" in both letter and spirit without deviation or wavering.

Upholding national sovereignty, security and development interests is the policy's paramount principle. On the basis of this prerequisite, Hong Kong and Macao maintain their capitalist systems in the long run and enjoy a high degree of autonomy, he said.

The more firmly the principle of "one country" is upheld, the greater the advantages the "two systems" will demonstrate in practice, Xi said.

He emphasized both enforcing the central authorities' overall jurisdiction and upholding the special administrative regions' high degree of autonomy.

The president voiced firm stance of keeping the power to administer the HKSAR "in the hands of patriots," which is essential to safeguarding the long-term stability and security of Hong Kong.

"There is no country or region in the world where its people will allow an unpatriotic or even treasonous force or figure to take power," he said.

A flag-raising ceremony is held by the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, at the Golden Bauhinia Square in Hong Kong, south China, July 1, 2022. (Xinhua)

HIGH HOPES FOR NEW GOV'T

On Friday, John Lee was sworn in as the sixth-term Chief Executive of the HKSAR, and the inauguration of the sixth-term HKSAR government followed.

Xi expects the new government to take on a new look in good governance.

Hong Kong faces both opportunities and challenges, but there are more opportunities than challenges, Xi said.

The president's hopes for the new government involve improving governance, strengthening the city's growth momentum and addressing difficulties in people's lives. Harmony and stability are also high on the agenda.

There is an extensive consensus that no time should be lost in Hong Kong's development and that all interference should be removed so that Hong Kong can stay focused on development, according to Xi.

Xi pledged the central government's support for Hong Kong' development, including the maintenance of its "free, open and sound business environment."

Xi met with Lee after his inauguration.

"We have full confidence in you and the new-term HKSAR government, and we have full confidence in Hong Kong's future," Xi told the chief executive, who won the election on May 8 by an overwhelming majority.

Being aware of the immense responsibility on his shoulder, Lee pledged to lead the HKSAR government in improving governance and making new advances in Hong Kong's development.

HEART "ALWAYS WITH THE HONG KONG PEOPLE"

"Over the past five years, I have always been concerned about and caring toward Hong Kong, and my heart and the heart of the central government are always with our Hong Kong compatriots," Xi said upon his arrival in Hong Kong on Thursday.

These words echoed a well-known soundbite from his trip to Hong Kong five years ago, during which he said, "Hong Kong's development has always pulled at my heartstrings."

Over the years, Xi has interacted with young Hong Kong people on many occasions, offering encouragement, addressing their needs and helping them improve their lives.

Friday's address once again demonstrated Xi's care for the people of Hong Kong.

Currently, what the people of Hong Kong desire most are better lives, bigger homes, more business start-up opportunities, better education for their children and better elderly care, Xi said. Expressing hope for the new HKSAR government, he said, "What the people call for, we must strive to deliver."

Xi's trip to Hong Kong included meetings with senior officials and dignitaries, and warm exchanges with researchers and entrepreneurs in the Hong Kong Science Park. He also inspected the Hong Kong Garrison of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.

After attending ceremony celebrations, Xi left Hong Kong by train.

At the West Kowloon high-speed rail station, people from all walks of life bid the president a warm farewell, waving flags and flowers and singing songs.

Among the crowd were many young people, upon whom Xi has pinned high hopes for the future of Hong Kong. They will, as the president said, have more opportunities to "grow and shine."

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Bianji)
Email special events to news@registerbee.com. The deadline is noon Wednesday.

YOUTH REVIVAL & YOUTH SUNDAY

New Ephesus Missionary Baptist Church, 375 Ephesus Church Road, Semora, North Carolina, will conduct youth revival beginning at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday. Guest preacher on Thursday will be the Rev. Danielle Stone, associate minister at Mill Hill Baptist Church in Roxboro, North Carolina, and on Friday, the Rev. Kevin Alston Jr., associate minister at St. Mark United Holy Church in Greensboro, North Carolina. On July 10, Youth Day will be celebrated beginning at 11 a.m. with sermon by sister Deelynn Leigh, youth minister advisor of the Sunnyside Association in South Boston. Face mask, social distancing and other COVID safety precautions are required to worship inside the sanctuary. Attendees may also park and praise in the church parking lot tuned in to radio FM 107.3, stream on Facebook Live or dial on telephone to conference call 1-978-990-5000 access code 197724.

FOOD & CLOTHING MINISTRY

Union Hall Baptist Church Food & Clothing Ministry, 6861 Strawberry Road, will be open from 9 a.m. to noon today with food and clothing. For questions, call 434-724-4354 or 434-250-8964.

SERVICE CHANGE

Bennett Memorial Missionary Baptist Church will not hold parking lot services until further notice. Services can be heard by via conference call at 10 a.m. on Sundays and 6 p.m. Wednesdays. Phone number is 1-774-220-4000, ID number 608-2009.

IN PERSON/ONLINE SERVICES

Ascension Lutheran Church, 314 West Main St., worships Sundays at 11 a.m. in the sanctuary and Live on Facebook, www.facebook/ascensionlutherandanville.

Mount Vernon United Methodist Church now offers in-person services at 10 a.m. each Sunday as well as online worship services every Sunday at mtvernonumc.org or www.facebook.com/MountVernonUMC. These will be held until further notice.

IN-PERSON SERVICES

Christ the King Lutheran Church, 1172 Franklin Turnpike, will have in-house worship services on Sundays at 11 a.m. Masking requested if not immunized. Social distancing except for family members.

Saint Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church, 406 Gay St., has in-person services at 10 a.m. for their hour of power on the first and third Sundays.

North New Hope Baptist Church, 123 Old Piney Forest Road, has resumed in church worship services at 11 a.m. and Sunday school at 9:30 p.m.

Mount Sinai Glorious Church of God, 716 Jefferson St., will hold services in the sanctuary with Sunday school at 10 a.m. and morning worship at 10:30 a.m. Participants are asked to wear a mask and to practice social distancing. The service also will be streamed on Facebook.

Mount Freeman Baptist Church, 2100 Laniers Mill Road, will resume in-person service at 11 a.m. Sunday. There will be no Sunday school.

ONLINE WORSHIP SERVICES

Sacred Heart Catholic Church will livestream worship service at 9 a.m. Sundays in English and noon in Spanish at www.facebook.com/sheartchurch.

DRIVE-IN SERVICES

Staunton River Baptist Church, Long Island, will hold drive-in services at 10 a.m. each Sunday.

ONGOING SERVICES

Sacred Heart Catholic Church celebrates Mass every weekend with a vigil Mass at 5 p.m. Saturday and at 9 p.m. Sunday in English and noon in Spanish.

Watson Level Missionary Baptist Church holds Sunday worship services each week at 11 a.m. Because of COVID-19, a face mask is required for all attendees and social distancing is mandatory.

Calvary Church of the Nazarene, 2450 Franklin Turnpike, from 6 to 7 p.m. every Sunday, will hold Ladies Need Encouragement, an hour of worship and prayer. Participants are asked to bring a Bible and practice social distancing. The event is for ages 10 and up with adult supervision. For more information, call 540-907-8836.

Mount Zion Temple, now located at 503 Hughes St., presents The Word Homelitic Institute at 10 a.m. every Sunday. Transportation is provided by calling Bishop David K. Fuller at 434-429-8960.
UNC-Chapel Hill has appointed Nancy Messonnier, a former senior official with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who outraged President Donald Trump when she publicly raised alarms of the unprecedented health crisis from coronavirus, as the new dean of the Gillings School of Global Public Health.

Messonniers leadership and education in health were pivotal in the COVID-19 vaccine rollout despite differences with top White House officials who were still downplaying the severity of the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020.

She had worked with the CDC from 1995 until 2021, when she resigned as director of the National Center of Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

At the forefront of the then-unknown respiratory disease in late 2019, Messonnier was among the first U.S. officials to warn of coronavirus danger.

While we realize this is an unprecedented action, this is an unprecedented threat, Messonnier said in January 2020.

In February, she said the disruption to everyday life could be severe, which triggered a stock market drop as pandemic fears grew.

Messonniers projection also brought her to Trumps attention. He tried to have her fired and, the next day, put Vice President Mike Pence in charge of the White Houses response to the pandemic.

Though she had appeared in several White House briefings on the pandemic in 2019 and early 2020, Messonnier was sidelined and she appeared only intermittently.

But she remained the head of the CDCs vaccine task force and continued to make the agencys public briefings. In late 2020, she oversaw and implemented the first shipment of authorized vaccines throughout the country.

Messonnier eventually resigned from the CDC and joined the Skoll Foundation, a California private foundation that invests in entrepreneurs and inventors to advance pandemic and public health systems.

Messonniers appointment at UNC will begin on Sept. 1 and bring to Carolina more than 25 years of experience as a leader in public health, according to a school news release.

Messonnier joins the Gillings School during an exciting time of success, the university said in the release.

Since 2016, the school has received more than $1 billion in funding, making it the top public school of public health in the country.

This funding supports groundbreaking research, education and practice in all 100 North Carolina counties, 47 countries and five continents, the university said in the release.

According to UNCs announcement, Messonnier previously led the development of several vaccines, including those to prevent a meningitis epidemic in Africa and to defend against anthrax attacks. She is also dedicated to educating vaccine usage and addressing disparities in vaccination rates.

Messonniers expertise aligns with the Gillings Schools public health research, including health equity, vaccine development and chronic diseases, according to the UNC website.
Colonial Pipeline will pay almost $5 million in penalties and take extensive steps to assess and repair the damage under a settlement of a state lawsuit over the massive 2020 gasoline spill in Mecklenburg County  the largest in North Carolina history.

The proposed consent order, filed Thursday, would end the court fight over the August 2020 spill in the Oehler Nature Preserve near Huntersville, about 14 miles from Charlotte.

The amount of gasoline that spewed out of the countrys largest petroleum pipeline is still being determined. Up to now, 1.4 million gallons have been recovered  far exceeding the original estimate released by the company.

The state sued in November.

This release is on track to be the largest onshore spill in our nations history, and the order holds Colonial accountable for the necessary cleanup to restore the environment, said Elizabeth Biser, secretary of the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, which filed the consent order in Mecklenburg County Superior Court.

If approved by a judge, the settlement would require the Atlanta-based Colonial to pay a $4.5 million civil penalty plus $250,000 in investigative costs and other fines.

The company also would be required to provide an accurate assessment of the size of the spill and the level of soil contamination while doing regular testing of bedrock and surface water. It also must submit a corrective action plan and a proposed schedule for the cleanup, among other stipulations.

The pipeline, the largest system of its kind in the United States, stretches 5,500 miles from Texas to New York and can carry up to 3 million barrels of fuel each day. It supplies almost half the gasoline consumed on the East Coast.

In a statement after the filing of the proposed settlement, Colonial said it will take every appropriate step to repair the site. So far, testing has indicated no impact to drinking water wells, the company said.

We remain committed to keeping all stakeholders informed throughout this process and being in the Huntersville community for as long as it takes to restore the natural environment to acceptable regulatory standards, Colonial said, adding that it intends to earn back the trust of the community through our actions on the ground in Mecklenburg County.

The spill, which was discovered and reported by two teenage ATV riders, was caused by a crack in the underground pipeline.

The company originally said that 63,000 gallons of gasoline escaped into the nature preserve. The total recovered so far is more than 22 times that amount.

In May 2021, the pipelines computers were attacked by hackers who demanded a ransom to release them. Colonials decision to shut down the pipeline led to long lines and panic buying that sapped gas supplies at thousands of stations.
After being pulled over for speeding in North Carolina in March, Ashlye Wilkerson was not expecting a mundane traffic stop to lead to a moment of prayer with a lawman.

As they were returning to Columbia, S.C., from her dads cancer treatment at the Duke University medical center, Wilkerson and her father, Anthony Tony Geddis, noticed blue flashing lights behind them as they traveled down Interstate 85. Those lights were from the car of state Trooper Jared Doty.

What happened after would be something special that none of them will ever forget.

Its not every day that youre stopped by a trooper or police officer for an infraction and they are concerned, and they care enough to ask you how youre doing, Wilkerson said.

When Doty approached the vehicle, Geddis came to Wilkersons defense, telling the officer she didnt notice the speed limit change while they were on their way back from his cancer treatment.

He said no, I wouldnt want you to get in trouble because of me, I wouldnt want that on my conscience, so I said OK, Wilkerson said.

Looking into the car, Doty could tell that Geddis had been suffering, and the trooper felt a sense of compassion. He knew he had to do something more than issue a regular speeding citation.

He looked tired and weak. My heart just went out to him at that time, but there was something that I just felt, like I just related to him on a different level, Doty said.

I went back to my vehicle, and I wrote a warning ticket to her. I dont know what it was, I felt like it was the Holy Spirit telling me to do more than just handing her a warning ticket and telling her to be careful, Doty said.

He returned to Wilkersons car with a small metal cross in hand. Doty approached the car and had an interaction with Geddis where he learned the type of cancer he had. When learning that, all he could do was ask him if he would join in prayer. The moment was shared between the three of them.

I had some crosses in my car. I just felt led to take one back up on the second approach. I had it in my right hand, Doty said.

I asked if I could pray with him, and he welcomed the prayers. We just joined hands; I had the cross in my hand, and I put it in his, Doty said.

After the prayer, Wilkerson and her father went on their way and Doty went about his.

Tony Geddis passed away two months later from his complications with colon cancer. As a part of her mourning process, Wilkerson posted a photo her father and Doty engaged in prayer. In the caption, she spoke about the love for her father and the scene that they shared with Doty.

That post went viral on social media with more than five million views, more than seven thousand comments, and 100,000 reactions on LinkedIn.

Some people resonated with it because of their faith, because of the grief, because of their connection to cancer, whether it was a survivor story or a family member who passed from cancer, some resonated with it because of the example of the officer, Wilkerson said.

Because of what happened, a relationship began between Wilkersons family and Doty. They formed a friendship and still keep in contact.

She (Ashlye) sent me a text to wish my daughter happy birthday and to wish me a happy Fathers Day. I know were going to keep in contact as the future goes and its just been a good thing for us to communicate with each other, Doty said.

In honor of her father, Wilkerson has started to raise awareness for colon cancer. She has started scholarship funds in her fathers honor at his alma mater, Keenan High School, and at Heyward Career and Technology Center in Richland District One. Earlier this year, a group of students at Keenan and Heyward received the inaugural Anthony Tony Geddis scholarships.

She has also begun a colon cancer awareness project.
A 12-year-old boy working on a science experiment was severely burned over half of his body when there was an explosion that also ignited his clothes, his father told McClatchy News.

On Thursday, Barrett McKim was at the JMS Burn Center in Augusta, Georgia, recovering from two surgeries.

Today was a pretty rough day, his father, Kyle McKim, told McClatchy.

A week prior, Barrett was in his home in Highlands, North Carolina, experimenting with different rocks and fools gold, trying to change their color by heating them up on a Bunsen burner, his father said. Highlands is in the southwest part of the state, near the borders with Georgia and South Carolina.

Hes big into any kind of science experiment, his father said. Its something that hes always loved.

Barrett has conducted similar experiments in the past and is always responsible, his dad said.

It was just kind of a freak accident, he said. It wasnt like he was doing anything stupid.

Suddenly, the alcohol he was using to heat the Bunsen burner caused an explosion, throwing flames onto Barrett and igniting a synthetic shirt he was wearing, Kyle McKim said.

His mother, Caroline, sprang into action and tried to tear his shirt off as it was burning. She has second- and third-degree burns on her hands and was also treated at the burn center.

She was more concerned about her son than anything else, Kyle McKim said.

When firefighters responded to the home, the boys parents had wrapped him in a cold, wet towel, Robbie Forrester, assistant chief of the Highlands Fire and Rescue, told McClatchy News.

He was panicked and he was scared, Forrester said. But he was being brave.

First responders put Barrett into an ambulance with his mother and brought them to a helicopter, which flew them to the burn center, Forrester said.

Doctors initially told the boys parents that he would be in the hospital for about a month, Kyle McKim said.

He is in intense pain, his father said. Doctors had to insert a feeding tube on Thursday because he wasnt getting enough calories, and he was scheduled for a third surgery the next day.

Its scary, and you want nothing more than to come up with a solution so that your child doesnt have to go through a pain like that, his father said.

But he was thankful to the community, which has come out in support of the family. Barretts uncle started a GoFundMe to collect donations to help the family through their sons recovery.

Though it will be a long road, he said he expects his son, who is one of five children, to recover. And he hopes that his passion for science will endure.

I think he will continue to have a love for that, and we will certainly encourage it, he said.
" " Dr. John Elliott of Sydney, Australia, holds the hand of his wife, Anjelika, as he attempts to rise from his hotel room bed in Zurich, 26 hours before he ended his life through physician-assisted suicide, in 2007. Fairfax Media/Fairfax Media via Getty Images

In 2014, Brittany Maynard was a vibrant 29-year-old trying to start a family with her new husband when debilitating pain began gripping her head like a vise. The diagnosis: brain cancer. Despite two surgeries to stop the tumor's growth, it roared back more aggressively than ever, and she was soon given a mere six months to live. Faced with a treatment plan of full-brain radiation, which wouldn't cure her yet would burn her scalp, and possibly developing morphine-resistant pain, personality changes and cognitive losses, she opted for medically assisted suicide.

To achieve the death she wanted, Maynard had to relocate from California to Oregon, one of the few states that allows medically assisted suicide. During her final weeks of life, Maynard created a six-minute video about dying with dignity that ignited passions in the U.S. She died as she wished, after taking a lethal dose of sedatives and respiratory system depressants provided by her physician, on Nov. 1, 2014. Less than a year later, thanks to her video and activism, her home state of California passed aid-in-dying legislation. In addition, death-with-dignity legislation was rapidly introduced in half of the states [source: The Brittany Maynard Fund].

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Medically assisted suicide generally means a physician prescribes lethal medication to a patient, who ingests the medicine herself. Euthanasia, in contrast, typically refers to a physician administering the lethal medication to the patient.

The notion of medically assisted death is hardly a new one. It's been around since ancient times, and goes by various names  medically assisted suicide, physician-assisted dying and euthanasia, although as just noted, the latter is not an accurate term.

Yet despite its longevity, it's been largely spurned around the globe in the modern era. It wasn't until 1940 that Switzerland approved the practice, and nothing much happened after that for decades. More recently, the practice got some traction when Colombia approved physician-assisted death in 1997, followed by the Netherlands and Belgium in 2002, Luxembourg in 2009, England and Wales in 2010 (via a prosecution policy statement) and Canada in 2016 [sources: Assisted Suicide, BBC].

Thanks partly to Maynard, a 2015 Gallup poll showed 68 percent of Americans support the practice, a 10 percent increase from the prior year [source: Dugan]. Yet there's always a bit of unease around legalization  the percentage of Americans who support actual legalization dips to about 50  as some fear the practice could be abused [source: Quill and Greenlaw].

Let's look at what, exactly, is involved in physician-assisted death.
" " Robert Burns and this lady are NOT fans of toothaches. Hemera/ Thinkstock

Once among the world's most vexing health problems, a toothache hardly even bears mentioning these days. However, that wasn't always the case. In the early 1600s, "teeth" were often cited as a leading cause of death [source: Clarke]. Catholic toothache-sufferers prayed to St. Apollonia, the patron saint of dentists, for intercession on behalf of their aching mouths. In fact, dental problems were so common among our forbearers that in 1786, Scottish poet Robert Burns immortalized the condition in his "Address to the Toothache" [source: Burns]:

Where'er that place be priests ca' hell, Where a' the tones o' misery yell, An' ranked plagues their numbers tell, In dreadfu' raw, Thou, Toothache, sure bear'st the bell, Amang them a'!...

Thanks to polices like widespread water fluoridation in the U.S., educational cartoons like 1974's "The Toothbrush Family," oral hygiene programs in public schools and easy access to dental products, overall dental health in the United States has vastly improved. Nevertheless, tooth decay is still cited as the most common childhood disease; 50 percent of children aged 12-15 are affected by cavities. The problem is often worse for certain racial and ethnic groups and lower-income families, who are less likely to have affordable access to dental care [source: CDC].

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People today tend to be cavalier about tooth decay, dismissing cavities and minor toothaches as insignificant. However, even with modern improvements in dentistry, cavities can still lead to oral infections and more serious complications, including death. In 1979, John Glascock, bassist for the rock band Jethro Tull, died of endocarditis, a heart infection his doctors believe originated from an abscessed tooth. Recent studies have also linked oral infections to other serious medical conditions like diabetes, heart disease and stroke [source: CDC].

So, what exactly is an abscessed tooth, and how can you avoid getting one? Find out on the next page!
The first church I pastored was in Laurel, Montana. It is a small town of 7,000 whose highlight of the year was the Fourth of July fireworks. The volunteer fire department would collect money through the year for this Shock and Awe fireworks show where sometimes 50,000 people would come to watch.

When I came to the VA as a chaplain in 2018, I discovered that the holidays we celebrate to honor the sacrifice and service of our veterans where not celebrated but avoided by many vets.

The fireworks triggered memories of the sounds of war. Memorial Day or Veterans Day when a nation thanks veterans for their service remind them of the acts they did or witnessed that they are working hard to forget.

As I listen to the stories of veterans in the hospital or going to counselling, I discovered that we are sending our young people, usually 17-18 years old, to go fight for our freedom, only to come home to an internal war for personal freedom.

I visited a Vietnam veteran in the hospital who had just received the news from the doctor that his condition was terminal, they could not heal his body. I asked him how he was reacting to the news, he said, Chaplain, maybe now I will find peace!

Many veterans tell me they wish their internal wounds were physical, then people would understand their suffering. When they seek treatment from PTSD, this is a wound from exposure to a world that sees the worst of humanity, now their world seems unsafe.

Moral injury is a wounded conscience that did things in war they thought they could or would never do. They are unsafe, evil, unlovable, unforgivable.

A veteran illustrated this wound in his story of combat. He was part of a team that interrogated high profile Iraqi insurgents. His team would investigate these targets and their families and contacts, then they would move in as a team to illuminate them. Instead of a random kill in combat, they knew their targets intimately. In Iraq, I felt I was surrounded by evil.

His team then came home to train for a different warfare in Afghanistan where the enemy targets were more sinister. These targets were planning or had planned attacks on American soil, or ruthless attacks on the international forces fighting in their country. In this country the rules for interrogation were different, whatever it took, officially we were following the rules of a civil combat. In Iraq I felt I was surrounded by evil, but in Afghanistan I felt evil. Iraq was his PTSD wound; Afghanistan was his moral injury.

We send our young men and women off to combat to kill the enemy (a wounding experience for anyone) in order to protect our freedom. What is this freedom they are fighting for that makes war just?

One young vet I visited in the hospital was surrounded by his family. He told of his frustration coming home from combat where he was wounded, but he watched his friends next to him have their limbs blown off or fall down dead before they hit the ground.

He came home and stood in line in a coffee shop where the person in front of him was yelling at the barista for putting whole milk in his latte instead of soy. I wanted to grab his cup and pour it over his head, order my drip coffee and go hide out in the mountains. Is this what we put our lives at risk to protect?

How do we honor the sacrifice and service of our veterans? Exodus tells the story of God getting Israel out of slavery in Egypt, but it took 40 years wandering around in the wilderness to get the slavery out of Israel. Freedom is an internal act of war. The Apostle Paul calls us to this battle to pursue freedom in Galatians 5:1 For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, (a military term meaning, hold your ground!) and do not be subject again to the yoke of slavery. Freedom, then, is not just something our military fights for, it is a battle by every citizen as well.

When our young people take up arms and go into a school or church or shopping center to slaughter others, we are losing the war for freedom. When we see others of another political party as the enemies of freedom, we have lost the value unity in diversity.

When we over-simplify moral issues like abortion or health and science around COVID or education approaches or immigration, social justice in uncivil wars, we have lost the reason we send our young people off to war.

What is the attitude of a person who is fighting for freedom at home? This is the apostle Pauls I Have a Dream speech.

It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you dont use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; thats how freedom grows.

For everything we know about Gods Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. Thats an act of true freedom. If you bite and ravage each other, watch out  in no time at all you will be annihilating each other, and where will your precious freedom be then? Galatians 5:1315 (The Message).

Everyone is responsible for the fight for freedom to serve others in love. I do that by refraining from judging others in their struggle, but rather to unconditionally love and forgive.

When I was figuring out how to roof my garage, my neighbor told me he couldnt watch me struggle through that and served me with his expertise.

Some are reaching out to the flood victims in their rebuilding; others go after the homeless crisis in our cities. Some are seeking to provide healing for veterans with wounds of war.

What is your role in the fight for freedom to lovingly serve one another?
Crab Lobster coming to Forsyth

Forsyth is set to reel in a new restaurant.

Its a cajun style seafood restaurant, said Jerry Li, who has been working with his cousin and restaurant owner Alex Li, to bring Crab Lobster to the former O'Charley's location.

The Li family has other restaurants located in Indianapolis, Indiana. So he just wanted to expand out in the Illinois area, Jerry Li said about the Forsyth restaurant.

With plans to open within the next month, the building continues to undergo renovations.

It just depends on how quick they move on the details, said Dustin Pruitt, Forsyth building inspector.

According to Pruitt, the layout of the restaurant is similar to OCharleys. Theyve decorated it differently and with new booths, he said.

Forsyth continues to support the addition of other restaurants, including the new Panda Express restaurant, currently under construction near the entrance to the Hickory Point Mall. Further north of Route 51, near Menards, will be the coffee shop, Ziggys.

Well start to see some progress soon, said Jill Applebee, Forsyth village administrator.

'Real Estate Alley' taking shape

The former Herald & Review building, located at 601 E. William St., Decatur, continues its transformation after being purchased by real estate developer Tim Vieweg.

As Vieweg Real Estate employees continue to put their own finishing touches on their portion of the building and warehouse, another business is settling in.

Heavner, Beyers and Mihlar, LLC, have taken residence in a portion of the building. The company has law firms in Chicago and St. Louis as well as Decatur, working for major banks and lenders.

According to Faiq Mihlar, the move from 111 W. East Main St. has been a positive outcome. The lawyers are still close to the Macon County Courthouse and Macon County Office Building. The parking for the lawyers and staff from both companies is readily available.

Heavner, Beyers and Mihlar owns and operates Central Illinois Title, now located next door at the former William Street Press building, at 602 E. William St. The new facility is separate from the firm, but has all of the needed conference rooms and space for clients and employees.

Tim Vieweg and his employees often work with the staff at Heavner, Beyers and Mihlar.

Its becoming Real Estate Alley right here, Vieweg said. Were going to be great neighbors.

On a side note, the Herald & Review continues to settle into its new office at 225 S. Main St.
URBANA  A Springfield woman was sentenced to federal prison Monday for laundering proceeds used to expand her sons drug distribution operation in the Decatur area.

Jennifer Fisher, 50, pleaded guilty in federal court in Urbana to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana and conspiracy to commit money laundering. She was sentenced to 14 month in prison and fined $10,000.

According to a news release, the government presented evidence during the sentencing hearing establishing that Fisher aided her son, Courtney Johnson, 32, of Decatur, in the conspiracy, which involved hundreds of pounds of marijuana. Fisher assisted her son in laundering drug proceeds to expand the drug operation and fund his travel.

The laundering included expanding operations within the Decatur area through the maintenance of several storage areas for the marijuana. Through subsequent investigation, law enforcement agents also discovered that Johnson had multiple pounds of cocaine that he intended to sell as well.

A federal grand jury returned a second superseding indictment against Fisher and Johnson in March 2020. Fisher pleaded guilty to the charges in February 2022.

Johnson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana, possession with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of a mixture and substance containing cocaine, and maintaining a drug-involved premises (two counts). He was sentenced in May to an aggregate seven-and-a-half years federal prison.

Various items derived from proceeds of the offense or items used to commit or facilitate the offense are subject to criminal forfeiture. Those included four motor vehicles, $27,598 in cash, gold and diamond jewelry, and several precious wristwatches.

The outcome of this case is another example of cooperation between federal and local law enforcement agencies not only to disrupt an illegal drug conspiracy but also to seize and forfeit the ill-gotten gains produced from the drug conspiracy, said U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris. Federal prosecutors will continue to seek the forfeiture of assets obtained or used in criminal activity.

The Decatur Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Internal Revenue Service  Criminal Investigation investigated the case.

This investigation grew into a multi-jurisdictional effort involving the Illinois State Police, the Nevada Highway Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force operation.
DECATUR  When Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, twins Lexi and Laney Jones followed the news and wanted to do something to help the waves of refugees fleeing the conflict.

But that wasn't enough, and the twins decided they wanted to visit Poland, where many refugees are staying, and offer hands-on help. They have since turned 18 and could travel on their own.

The town where they went is about 30 minutes from the Poland/Ukraine border and they served in the Tesco Humanitarian Aid Center. When they left, they didn't have an exact destination in mind nor a contact in Poland, but a chance meeting with another volunteer led them to Tesco, where they worked 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. in the nursery with mothers and children.

That basically just consisted of helping the moms care for their kids and helping them figure out what their next steps were, Lexi said.

It's hard to make a plan (ahead of time) because it changes so fast, Laney said. What would have been a good plan one week is totally not valid the next week. The Polish government has made a lot of changes. When we got there, we were staying at a hostel and there were a lot of other volunteers there and one of them said 'I work at Tesco and they'd have stuff for you to do there and I'll take you there and help you get started.'

Enough people spoke a little English, and the sisters picked up a few Russian phrases, that language wasn't an issue, and the first time they greeted their new friends with dubroye utro (good morning), smiles and encouraging laughter surrounded them. Laney said she learned enough Russian to understand the words for clothing and food and other common requests from refugees, though she can't say or spell the words, and thinks if they'd been able to stay a month or two, she might have learned to say some basic things in Russian.

And Google Translate proved highly useful. Like a Star Trek Universal Translator, Google can translate speech from one language to another so that communication was much easier than it would have been without it, she added.

The trip was helpful to the sisters in another way, too, Lexi said. They were able to see with their own eyes which organizations are the boots-on-the-ground best for direct aid to refugees, so when they raise money to send, they know it's being used wisely. And money is what they need, Lexi said. People want to buy blankets and clothes and supplies and mail them to Poland, but it's most efficient to send money, so the workers there, who know what is needed from day to day, can buy it locally and distribute it quickly.

Now that they're home, the sisters plan to continue to raise funds to help refugees, and remind people that the war in still underway even if it's not the top of the news any longer.

It's one thing to sit here (at home), Lexi said. We were doing the cookies and bread. We were doing the (Facebook page) North America for Ukraine thing and that's great, but it's an entirely different experience to see it and talk to those people. You can't replicate that here and there was a need for us, which I was glad about. I didn't want to just go there and be there taking up space. And it really puts it into perspective that this is going on, still. It makes it different. I have names. I have faces. I have stories. It just changes things.
"His final unselfish act of life will be to donate his organs and help save the lives of nine other people," the boy's family said in a statement.
Twenty years ago, Comal County started to experience its second major flood event in less than four years.

It started with a storm system that lingered over Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana for more than a week. A local meteorologist called it a good weather maker, but just to the west, Kerrville and Comfort became submerged by heavy rains that swelled the Guadalupe River to bursting as its waters flowed downstream.

We really didnt have a whole bunch of rain in Comal County, County Engineer Tom Hornseth remembered. We had a whole bunch of rain upstream, where they got more than 30 inches in less than a week. That water made its way into Canyon Lake.

On Tuesday, July 2, 2002, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which manages the lake, began crunching numbers that indicated the rising waters would indeed pose problems. On Wednesday, July 3, Canyon Lake Manager Jerry Brite predicted waters might breach Canyon Dams spillway, possibly flowing up to 2,500 cubic feet per second (cfs), by 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 6.

That prediction was met with disbelief. It would be the first time in its 38-year history that flood waters would breach Canyon Reservoirs emergency release valve situated next to the dam. But Brites bold prediction carried a caveat  any additional rains upstream could fuel raging waters impossible to control further downstream.

And thats exactly what happened.

The first trickle of water went over the apron of the 1,260-foot-long spillway at 4:29 p.m. Thursday, July 4, launching a three-day event that would see a peak flow over the spillway that reached 69,300 cfs by 10 a.m. July 6. The rush of water trashed residential and undeveloped natural areas below, and carved out a miniature Grand Canyon that extended nearly two miles.

No one predicted the sheer force of the water that broke open the spillway and took just three days to carve out whats now Canyon Lake Gorge. Amazingly, no one locally died in that event, which caused nearly $1 billion in actual damages to public and private properties, and resulted in $5.648 million in immediate local, state and federal spending.

The 2002 flood affected areas in and beyond New Braunfels again since the 1998 flood of record, and rekindled flood mitigation efforts and plans that this time turned into reality.

It was when, as then-Herald-Zeitung publisher Doug Toney said, Comal County and the city of New Braunfels finally got serious about flood control.

The history

The Guadalupe Blanco River Authority owns the water rights to Canyon Dam and Reservoir, which were completed in 1964 and dedicated after the reservoir was filled in 1966. Today, the lakes normal pool is 903.9 feet above mean sea level. On July 6, 2002 it reached 950.32 msl, a record that hopefully wont ever be broken.

Once the lake reached 943 feet (mean sea level) it starts going over the emergency spillway, Hornseth said. (The dam) was built to do this. We havent had anything near that since then.

Among the devastation, the fact that no one drowned in Comal County is not only a blessing, but a testament to exceptional planning, preparation, perseverance and once thats all been taken care of, then, and only then, the power of prayer, penned Toney on the flood.

The Krueger Canyon structure was built 11 years later and Hornseth said building a similar structure in the same watershed narrowly missed federal funding years later. Although the city and county had updated flood plain maps since then, both are due for another update to address the rapid and explosive development the region has seen since 2002.

The county received awards and recognition for its response to the 2002 flood, and one federal official praised Comal County for being better organized to manage such a disaster.

The flood of 1998 really prepared us for this, Hornseth said a year after the event. In this case, a lot of the people who had been involved in 1998 were still there. We had been through all of this before, and we knew what had to be done.

The event

We have all prayed for rain, but maybe we have prayed too much, said Potters Creek Park gate attendant Mary Roberts as the waters began to rise on Wednesday, July 3. At 1 a.m. July 4, Comal County Emergency Management Coordinator Carol Edgett woke up city and county officials, warning them to begin evacuating River Road and low-lying areas of New Braunfels.

Two hours after that, County Judge Danny Scheel woke up David Ferguson, then the news director at KGNB-AM radio.

It was around 3 a.m., and he was saying weve got to tell people to get out, said Ferguson, now the city of New Braunfels communications manager, of upcoming evacuation orders.

Potters Creek Park had only recently expanded to add 10 new RV sites with electricity and seven screened shelters. It and five other parks operated by the Corps of Engineers were closed after some were already seeing rising floodwaters  and the water kept rising.

Hornseth said by then, the county emergency operations center was up and running and would stay that way for several days. There was a rumor that the Corps would evacuate Sattler. Another rumor circulated in New Braunfels that the spillway would see a flow of 80,000 cfs later in the week. Brite, calling both airings absolutely false, expressed indignation with rumor mongers.

Brite said by the time floodwaters reached Canyon Lake the water would spread out into deep canyons. He used a bathtub analogy to explain how the spillway would work.

Put a cup of water into a full bathtub, and a cup of water will spill out. If you put a gallon in, a gallon would spill out, he said, describing the spillway as a relief feature for the dam.

The Guadalupe River channel capacity below the dam is 12,000 cfs. There would have to be a lot of feet of water for it to go (over the spillway).

The water force reached more than five times that. Horseshoe Falls, about a mile downstream from Canyon Dam and the site of 19 deaths in the decades prior to 2002, was wiped out.

Water covered the whole subdivision, Hornseth said.

Though no lives were lost here, people upstream and downstream werent as lucky during the week-long event, which claimed nine lives, damaged 50,000 structures and left 5,000 homeless.

It took until Aug. 10 for the Corps to reopen the gates to Canyon Dam, and more than a year before South Access Road and its bridge were rebuilt.

The flood would lead to buyouts of hundreds of homes in New Braunfels and surrounding communities that soon fell out of 100- and 500-year-floodplain boundaries used to insure them.

****

Coming next week: More about the flood of 2002 and what has happened in New Braunfels and Comal County since.
New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

Mainly sunny. Hot. High 103F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Mostly clear. Low 74F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.
New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

Sunny to partly cloudy. Hot. High 103F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 73F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.
As outraged Democrats jumped on social media after the fall of Roe v. Wade, some symbolic voices in the party offered careful words of celebration.

Lets Stand Together and Support Women and Children!!!, tweeted state Sen. Katrina Jackson, the Democrat who sponsored Louisianas trigger bill that includes potential 10-year prison sentences for those who perform abortions.

Jacksons added calls for womb to tomb legislation includes raising wages for childcare workers, funds to fight human trafficking and establishing new state programs helping families.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, also a Democrat, posted several tweets, including: My position on abortion has been unwavering. I am pro-life and have never hidden from that fact. He stressed that this Louisiana bill included clauses protecting procedures in cases of medical futility and ectopic pregnancies and added that he believes it needed an exception to the prohibition on abortion for victims of rape and incest.

The Democratic Party, in its 2020 platform, remained committed to protecting and advancing reproductive health, rights and justice, while promising to fight and overturn federal and state laws limiting or opposing abortion rights.

But in the wake of the Supreme Courts recent Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization decision, crucial debates about abortion laws will move to state governments. Some have already passed bills protecting unborn children and others have taken equally strong stands defending abortion rights.

Many states are located somewhere in between, noted Kristen Day, leader of Democrats for Life of America. In these states, there will be tense negotiations over legislation such as heartbeat bills  usually defined as abortion bans after six weeks of gestation  that were impossible under court actions linked to Roe v. Wade.

While pro-life Democrats are an endangered species inside the D.C. Beltway, there are hundreds of us active in state governments, said Day, reached by telephone. Many of these Democrats are linked to Black and Latino churches  grassroots workers that national party leaders may not want to attack or alienate.

This is where we can help bridge some divides by working with people who want to increase aid for women and families, while also doing everything possible to protect the unborn, she said. If there are problems in some of these state bills, then pro-life Democrats are the kinds of people who can get in the middle of things and help fix them.

Frequently, these clashes will  like it or not  involve religion.

Truth is, its almost impossible to debate legalized abortion without mentioning centuries of beliefs in major faith groups, noted a recent study from Pew Research Center. This is true when discussing debates inside both political parties.

Who are the Republicans who support legal abortion and the Democrats who oppose it, and how else do they differ from their fellow partisans?, asked a recent Pew summary of research on this topic. Republicans who favor legal abortion are far less religious than abortion opponents in the GOP, while Democrats who say abortion should be illegal in all or most cases are much MORE religious than Democrats who say it should be legal.

In the supercharged atmosphere after the fall of Roe, with threats rising against some churches, its important for angry activists not to ignore the role religious believers have played in helping needy women and children, noted Michael Wear of Public Square Strategies. He served as faith-outreach director for Barack Obamas 2012 campaign and joined the presidents White House staff.

Im all for responsible, honest critiques of Christians, but Im seeing folks on [Twitter] literally claim no Christians personally care for an unwanted child, he tweeted. About half of the refugee resettlement agencies are Christian. Christians essentially invented the idea of a hospital. Look into what percentage of hospital beds are faith-based in your state. Check out who volunteers in this country. ... Why the need to tell a demonstrably false story about the church?

When trying to build coalitions on these issues, he added, its much more common for those of minority faiths to feel isolated and marginalized by an imposed secularism than an expressed, positive Christianity. ... Hungry kids arent getting fed by your tweets. Theyre getting fed by a Summer Food program that is largely administered by the government via partnerships with churches and faith-based institutions.
NEWTON  At its May meeting the Hickory Tavern Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, presented the Bronze Medal to cadets at four high schools.

The Bronze Medal is presented to the high school senior or junior who has demonstrated loyalty and patriotism and earned a record of military and scholastic achievement during their participation in ROTC. They must have shown qualities of dependability and good character, adherence to military discipline, leadership ability and a fundamental and patriotic understanding of the importance of ROTC training.

Bandys High School recipient is Army Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Franco, senior, the son of Daniel and Kathy Franco. He has been a member of the JROTC drill team, commander of armed Platoon & Exhibition and the armed color guard. He has also been a member of Beta Club and Science Olympiad. He volunteers with Purple Hearts Homes and Hearts and Hope. He is interested in engineering and plans to attend UNC Charlotte.

Bunker Hill High School recipient is Navy Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Ty Wilkie, a junior, the son of Jennifer Stinemire and Aaron Wilkie. He is a member of the marching band and weight training group. He volunteers with his church as a Sunday school teacher, assists with roadside clean-up and is a reading buddy to elementary school children.

Maiden High School recipient is Air Force Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Catherine Hentschel, junior, the daughter of Christina Jones and Tyler Hentschel. She is a member of the JROTC Varsity Marksmanship Team and Drill Team, the Beta Club and National Honors Society. She volunteers at Conover Nursing and Rehab, with Adopt-A-Highway, and with the Sheriffs Department as a Cadet.

Newton-Conover recipient is Navy Cadet Lieutenant Junior Grade Arely Estrella-Alonso, senior, daughter of Juan Estrella and Rosaura Alonso. She is the marksmanship captain with her unit and a member of the National Technical Honor Society. She volunteers with Safe Harbor Resource Warehouse and with Sunday school at her church.

DAR is a nonprofit non-political volunteer womens service organization dedicated to promoting patriotism, historical preservation, and securing Americas future through education and community service. Membership is through proven lineal decent from a patriot who helped secure liberty during the American Revolution. For more information see DAR.com .
Movie sequels are almost always worse than the original films. Notable exceptions, such as this summers Top Gun: Maverick, merely prove the rule. For every Empire Strikes Back, theres a Highlander 2: The Quickening, Halloween Kills, and Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol.

If efforts to enact a voter-identification requirement in North Carolina were a motion-picture franchise, the current box-office bomb would be titled something like Carolina ID 5: Voters Against Democracy. Its baldly implausible plot is that self-styled defenders of democracy have gone to court to overturn a voter-ID requirement added to the state constitution by a voter referendum. Let the will of the majority prevail, warns one of the supposed protagonists, and that will destroy democracy!

As I have argued many times, an overwhelming preponderance of evidence shows little-to-no effect of ID requirements on voter turnout. In other words, progressives are mistaken when they claim such rules constitute voter suppression. By the same token, conservatives are mistaken when they claim voter fraud would be rampant without ID requirements. (If true, imposing such a requirement should significantly reduce the number of ballots cast. But thats never happened.)

In reality, the types of misbehavior to which voter IDs pose a barrier or deterrent  impersonation fraud, most obviously, but also residency fraud  are rare but hardly nonexistent. Although nearly all electoral outcomes involve margins far too large to be determined by fraud, a handful of illegal votes could be decisive in some local races or extreme circumstances. As long as requirements are clearly stated and citizens without an ID receive state assistance to get one, the policy is reasonable. Its modest benefits, in the form of public confidence in elections and greater convenience for those previously lacking IDs, easily surpass its modest costs.

Such arguments should have settled the matter years ago. In 2013, the General Assembly enacted an election-law bill that included voter ID among its provisions. Republican Pat McCrory, then governor, signed it into law.

Progressive plaintiffs sued in federal court. They lost at the trial court. U.S. District Judge Thomas Schroeder concluded that however debatable the bills merits might be, there was no evidence of discriminatory intent or other violations of federal laws or constitutional provisions.

The plaintiffs appealed. In 2016, a three-judge panel of the Fourth Court of Appeals tossed aside Schroeders findings of fact  itself a rare and questionable act  and famously proclaimed that the bills provisions target African Americans with almost surgical precision.

I bet youve heard that phrase many times since. But it never had any basis in fact. And it should never have been the last word.

McCrory, House Speaker Tim Moore, and Senate leader Phil Berger assumed that the state would appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. They had every reason to expect  and subsequent decisions in other cases have buttressed their expectation  that the Supreme Court would have overturned the Fourth Circuit and allowed North Carolinas voter-ID rule to take effect.

Roy Cooper defeated McCrory to become governor. He and his Democratic replacement as attorney general, Josh Stein, surely agreed with the Republicans that the state would likely prevail on appeal. So they sabotaged North Carolinas case. They refused to appeal. Moore and Berger tried to do it themselves, using their own counsel, but the justices were apparently unsure who was representing whom and declined to accept it.

Cooper and Stein have never received the scorn they deserve for their misbehavior. Nevertheless, I also hold the U.S. Supreme Court responsible for failing to sort the matter out properly back in 2017. Fortunately, theyve now done so in yet another installment in the franchise  perhaps Carolina ID 6: Disorder in the Court  by issuing this month an 8-1 decision affirming Moore and Bergers right to hire legal representation on the states behalf in yet another voter ID case.

The justices should have accepted that argument back in 2017. It would have saved us from some truly dreadful sequels.
" " In this Henry Mosler painting, Betsy Ross and her sewing circle piece together the first American flag in Philadelphia. Harold M. Lambert/Getty Images

If you grew up in the United States, chances are you've heard the story of Betsy Ross and the first American flag. It's a charming tale that's won its place in many hearts and imaginations, just like other stories about the nation's founding. However, much as we might want to believe it, some historians have come to question the historical accuracy of the Betsy Ross flag story. Before we discuss the controversy, let's go over the famous yarn for those who haven't heard it or who are a little fuzzy on their grade-school history.

Legend has it that one day in 1776, George Washington, Robert Morris and George Ross (a relative of Betsy's) called on Mrs. Ross, an upholsterer and seamstress. The men identified themselves as a congressional committee and asked for her help sewing a flag. Washington reached into his coat pocket and took out a folded paper with a crude sketch of his vision for the flag. The design had 13 red and white stripes as well as 13 stars (each representing the 13 colonies and soon-to-be states). When asked if she could do it, Ross famously replied, "I do not know, but I will try" [source: Betsy Ross House]. Supposedly, Ross suggested one important alteration to Washington's design: Instead of six-pointed stars, she recommended five-pointed ones. The men agreed, and she set to work sewing the first American flag.

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An easily recognizable flag was a practical necessity for the new nation -- especially in battle when communication was slow and difficult. At the outset of the conflict with Britain, the colonies had been using the Union Jack (the British flag) within the design of their own flag. This prompted confusion among British troops when colonists flew their flag outside Boston [source: Crews]. Beyond these practicalities, colonists fighting for independence were ready to distance themselves from their British oppressors. So did Betsy Ross, the humble seamstress from Philadelphia, have a hand in sewing and designing the all-important flag and symbol for the fledgling United States?
" " Paul Revere has long been lauded for his role in the American Revolution, but is he worthy? Ed Vebell/Getty Images

"The British are coming! The British are coming!"

If not for the shouts of Paul Revere coming from atop galloping horse tearing through the streets of Concord, Massachusetts, unsuspecting colonists may never have been warned of the British army's impending attack. Thanks to Revere's courageous midnight ride from Lexington to Concord in April 1775, he thwarted a certain thrashing of Colonial forces and became a pivotal figure in the American Revolution. A retelling of his hair-raising journey in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere," cemented his place in history. It's a tale most Americans know.

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Except we don't, because Paul Revere's ride never actually happened -- at least not the way we think it did. Paul Revere didn't ride through the streets of Concord hollering a warning. He didn't even make it to Concord at all.

Paul Revere, an activist in the Patriot movement, rode that night with two other men, Samuel Prescott and William Dawes. Only one of them succeeded in reaching Concord to warn of the British invasion. After they left Lexington, Revere, Prescott and Dawes were arrested and detained by a British patrol. Prescott was the first to escape and set off for Concord, where he warned its residents to protect the ammunition and weapons stored in a hidden depot near the town. Dawes later escaped as well, although by some accounts he became lost in the dark and never made it to Concord.

Revere was eventually set free, but without the horse he'd borrowed for the journey. Rather than setting out for Concord, he walked back to Lexington, only to discover the city ensconced in the battle on Lexington Green. He'd still been in captivity when the first shots were fired [sources: Wolverton, The Paul Revere House].

Although he didn't yell, "The British are coming!" Revere did manage to warn all of Lexington about the British invasion in the hours before he spurred a horse toward Concord.

After the American Revolution, Revere -- an accomplished goldsmith and silversmith -- expanded his business to include a foundry from which he produced cannons and cast bells. He later opened the first copper rolling mill in North America, which at one time produced "Revereware" cookware with copper bottoms. Revere died in 1811 at age 76, and become posthumously famous for his supposed role in the Revolutionary War when Wadsworth penned the popular "Midnight Ride" poem in 1860 [source: The Paul Revere House].

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Originally Published: Mar 30, 2015
" " Paul Revere's engraving, which was used as propaganda after the Boston Massacre, shows a line of red-coated soldiers firing on a contingent of unarmed colonists. Library of Congress

In the cold, early weeks of 1770, the city of Boston was an absolute tinderbox. British soldiers and others loyal to the crown jockeyed with angry colonists who chafed under the taxes levied by England and talked openly of starting a new nation. Tensions escalated. Sides were chosen. Soldiers sent word home that the entire thing could blow at any minute.

And on a wintry night in March of that year, it did.

The Boston Massacre didn't, in the strictest of terms, start the American Revolution. That was still a few years and one Tea Party away. But the tragic events of March 5, 1770, cemented the notion that the relationship between England and its colonies was irretrievably broken, convincing many colonists that freedom from English rule was the only way forward.

You can still visit the site of the Boston Massacre today, at the intersection of Devonshire and State (formerly King) streets in downtown Boston, at the foot of the Old State House. New England schoolkids take regular pilgrimages to the area as part of their curriculum. Tourists stream by on their walks down the Freedom Trail.

But the story of the Boston Massacre  what rabble-rouser Paul Revere called the "Bloody Massacre perpetrated in King Street" in an engraving made just weeks after the event  is not as simple as it's often told.

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Boston Was a Powder Keg

"The Boston Massacre," says Katie Drescher, the gallery supervisor and senior educator at the Bostonian Society and the Old State House, "was something like 10 years in the making. This didn't happen out of nowhere. There was so much happening."

To understand that night, you have to get a feel for the tensions between those loyal to England and those who were tired of it. You have to understand what the residents of Boston and their families, some of them going back more than 100 years to the city's founding, had been through; smallpox outbreaks, a huge earthquake in 1755, a "great fire" in 1760.

Shopkeepers were refusing to pay taxes imposed under the Stamp Act in 1765 and the Townshend Acts two years later. The whole idea of "no taxation without representation" was taking hold. Colonists were not represented in England's Parliament, and many felt their rights as Englishmen were being stripped away. Throughout the colonies, a resistance grew.

The British sent more soldiers to Boston  redcoats, "lobster backs"  to restore order and enforce the law. Scuffles ensued. Protests broke out. And then, 11 days before the incident in front of the Old State House (the seat of Royal Government and the Massachusetts Assembly), an 11-year-old boy was killed by a British customs service employee who fired into an unruly crowd on the North End of Boston.

Hundreds of people, maybe more than 1,000, attended the boy's funeral. An angry Boston was ripe for something bad to happen. And that's how things stood on the night of March 5.

"It wasn't a surprising event," Drescher says of the Boston Massacre. "I think it was a pretty inevitable thing."

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What Happened That Night

For one of the most well-known, well-researched incidents of Boston's pre-Revolutionary War Era, it's still unclear as to exactly what triggered the Boston Massacre.

"One of the big things about the Boston Massacre is that we still don't really know why those soldiers fired into the crowd, what really happened to cause that first shot to be fired," Drescher says. "We have an understanding that a soldier fired into the crowd, and it kind of causes a chain reaction, the other soldiers fired. But what was his motive? Was it accidental? Of course, the soldiers all said they were defending themselves against the crowd. But what was that moment that causes this man to fire? Was he hit with something? Does he trip and fall  someone said he slips on ice and falls down and his musket fires? There are trial records, but there isn't one, general consensus."

This much we do know: An angry mob, hundreds strong, faced off against some soldiers in front of the Custom House, near the Old State House on State Street. From Capt. Thomas Preston's deposition at the ensuing trial:

I saw the people in great commotion, and heard them use the most cruel and horrid threats against the troops. In a few minutes after I reached the guard, about 100 people passed it and went toward the custom house where the king's money is lodged. They immediately surrounded the sentry posted there, and with clubs and other weapons threatened to execute their vengeance on him.

Preston ordered several men and an officer to back up the sentry, but things only got worse. Some in the crowd had clubs, including fugitive slave-turned sailor Crispus Attucks, who is said to have been leading the angry mob. Others reportedly threw snowballs, rocks, chunks of coal or shells. In the confusion, a soldier  often identified as private Hugh Montgomery  was struck by someone in the mob (some say it was Attucks who struck him). Montgomery reportedly rose from the blow and fired, killing Attucks. Others followed. More from Preston:

On my asking the soldiers why they fired without orders, they said they heard the word fire and supposed it came from me. This might be the case as many of the mob called out fire, fire, but I assured the men that I gave no such order; that my words were, don't fire, stop your firing. In short, it was scarcely possible for the soldiers to know who said fire, or don't fire, or stop your firing.

This, too, we know for sure: Five men in the crowd died, including Attucks, who eventually became known as the first martyr of the American Revolution. Preston, eight British soldiers and four civilians were arrested and charged with the deaths. In October 1770, they faced trial. Preston was acquitted, as were six of his soldiers and the four civilians. Two soldiers were convicted of involuntary manslaughter.

The defense team was led by John Adams  who eventually became the second president of the United States  in an effort that he later described as "one of the most gallant, generous, manly and disinterested Actions of my whole Life, and one of the best Pieces of Service I ever rendered my Country."

Still, the "Bloody Massacre" proved to be a rallying point for those looking for independence from Britain, made so in large part by Revere's propagandist engraving that shows a tightly formed line of red-coated soldiers firing on a well-dressed contingent of unarmed colonists.

"Most of the misconceptions about the Boston Massacre come from Paul Revere's image, which I think was the intent of the image in the 1770s," Drescher says. "He wanted people to think that's what happened. And it has hung around for hundreds of years. People still see it and say, 'Oh, yeah, I know what happened.'"

" " In a separate engraving of the Boston Massacre, Crispus Attucks is shown being fired upon and killed. He is remembered in history as the first martyr of the American Revolution. U.S. National Archives and Records Administration

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The Boston Massacre Today

At least once a year, a re-enactment of the night of March 5, 1770, takes place on the spot of the Boston Massacre. A six-minute multimedia exhibit in one of the Old State House's second-floor antechambers is held six times a day. A marker, made of 13 sections of cobblestone, with a cobblestone in the center emblazoned with a star, is laid in the street near the site where the five men were shot.

Local students, beginning around the third grade, are told a watered-down version of the Boston Massacre. Tour guides regularly regale tourists with stories of one of the most infamous events in the history of the history-rich city.

"It's snowing pretty good outside right now, and there's people out there, so ...," Drescher, a native of the Boston area, says on a recent early December afternoon. "It doesn't matter what kind of weather. Every single day people are out there taking a picture."

Now That's Interesting Paul Revere wasn't the only colonist who used the "Bloody Massacre" to rally people against the Crown. Samuel Adams argued that Bostonians should arm themselves against the British. And John Hancock, in an oration four years after the Massacre, stirred the crowd with this: "Some boast of being friends to government; I am a friend to righteous government, to a government founded upon the principles of reason and justice; but I glory in publicly avowing my eternal enmity to tyranny. Is the present system, which the British administration have adopted for the government of the Colonies, a righteous government  or is it tyranny?"

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Originally Published: Jan 6, 2020
Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam

Ethiopians have been in shock since hundreds, possibly thousands of innocent civilians were massacred in Wellega, an Amhara populated area of Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia, on June 18. Like much of the recent violence in Ethiopia, this took place in the West, not far from the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which is the cause of tension over Nile waters between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan.

In an August 2020 Brookings Institute essay, The controversy over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, John Mukum Mbaku wrote:



Over the years, Egypt has used its extensive diplomatic connections and the colonial-era 1929 and 1959 agreements to successfully prevent the construction of any major infrastructure projects on the tributaries of the Nile. As a consequence, Ethiopia has not been able to make significant use of the rivers waters. However, as a result of the ability and willingness of Ethiopians at home and abroad to invest in the dam project, the government was able to raise a significant portion of the money needed to start the construction of the GERD. Chinese banks provided financing for the purchase of the turbines and electrical equipment for the hydroelectric plants.

I spoke to Nebiyu Asfaw, an activist with the Ethiopian diaspora in Denver, Colorado, who organized a Denver vigil for the victims of the Wallega massacres, one of many held in cities around the world.

ANN GARRISON: Nebiyu, first Id like to review the opening of a program that I was a guest on yesterday on Hello Ethiopia TV:

NEBIYU ASFAW: OK.

HELLO ETHIOPIA: Welcome to Hello Ethiopia TV Friday. It is with a profound regret that we report that the death toll continues to rise in the Wellega, Ethiopia massacre. Some sources report that more than 1500 people lost their lives. The majority of the victims are Amhara. Most of them were women and children. On Saturday, June 18, the TPLF brutally massacred hundreds, possibly 1000s. The senseless killings were executed by the TPLFs Oromo Liberation Front, also known as Shene, in the Wellega region of Oromia.

AG: I wanted to review that because Ive been reporting here on the war that the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) has waged against Ethiopia in the Amhara and Afar Regions bordering Tigray, but this is the first time weve reported on the Oromo Liberation Front. Would you agree with this Hello Ethiopia anchors description of the OLF as the TPLFs Oromo Liberation Front, and if so, why?

NA: Yes. The Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) is a militant group that is undertaking an armed insurrection in Ethiopia. It was designated as a terrorist organization alongside the TPLF by the Ethiopian Parliament last year.

In August of 2021, the OLF said it had struck a military and political alliance with the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) forces and that their aim was/is regime change by overthrowing the Ethiopian government militarily, by taking over Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.

While neither group was successful in reaching Addis Ababa last year and neither sustained military victories against the government forces, the OLF has been alleged to be responsible for a series of genocidal attacks against civilians, particularly targeting Amhara communities that live in the Oromia region of Ethiopia. These include the gruesome massacre that tragically took the lives of over 1,000 innocent ethnic Amhara civilians on June 18th. We dont know of any religious element to this, but it should be noted that most of those killed were Amhara Muslims.

AG: Some people at the diaspora vigils for the dead have demanded that Abiy step down, but I was just in Ethiopia for two months and I cant say thats a demand I heard then or that Im hearing now, in conversation with people I met there, although their confidence in him is clearly shaken. What do you think of this demand?

NA: We have been noticing such demands emerging on social media, particularly in the diaspora. There have also been reports of sporadic protests in Addis Ababa and Amhara region. I believe this is a reflection of the publics growing frustration with the governments lack of accountability and lack of acknowledgment of the ethnic-cleansing campaigns in Western Oromia. Not only the Abiy government, but also the regional government in the Oromia region is being criticized for its failure to secure the safety of ethnic minorities within its jurisdiction, particularly the Amhara civilians who have been targets of genocidal attacks.

There has also been an allegation that OLF militants are infiltrating the regional government and security forces, and actively participating in the massacres or standing back and thereby becoming complicit.

Prime Minister Abiy confirmed the infiltration of the regional government by OLF militants in one of his recent speeches. The big question emerging is, Why is the government not able to clean its rank and file, and execute its #1 responsibility of ensuring the safety of citizens?

There was also an expectation that a state of emergency would be declared in Western Oromia, and that the federal military would then intervene to secure the safety of the public. While the government is currently on a counteroffensive against the OLF militants, the Prime Minister has not declared a state of emergency.

AG: Do you see a way forward?

NA: Yes, I think a lot is expected from the Ethiopian government to secure the safety of citizens, halting these targeted attacks against ethnic Amharas and other minorities in Oromia. That includes declaring a state of emergency and having the federal army take over the area and temporarily administer it with a central military command. Because at this point theres no telling whether the worst may be yet to come. The safety of innocent citizens must be the federal government's most urgent priority.

While the federal army is conducting a counteroffensive against the rebels, people expect more from the government than business-as-usual.

A long-term solution that is not being talked about is the abolition of the ethnic federal system and ethnic politics in Ethiopia. The root cause of all this chaos in Ethiopia is the ethnic federal system and the politicization of peoples ethnicity and tribe. This system of ethnic states and ethnic identity cards is the only such system left in the world.

It's an apartheid-like winner-takes-all system that gives all the rights to the majority ethnic group of any given region without civil rights or protection for minorities. Until this system is removed and replaced with a civil system, these kinds of things are likely to continue to happen.

AG: Violence often springs up around the discovery of immense resource wealth, even if its not obviously caused by resource extraction interests. For example, fishing communities around Lake Albert, on both the Ugandan and Congolese sides, began to experience violence after the discovery of oil there.

And here, in 1975, at the time of the violence on the Pine Ridge Reservation that left Leonard Peltier in prison, there were mining corporations moving into the Black Hills, as described in the documentary Incident at Oglala: The Leonard Peltier Story.

It's usually difficult to identify or prove a connection, but it's still worth noting. It seems that much of the recent violence in Ethiopia has taken place near Ethiopias central-western borders, near the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, a huge hydropower resource with the potential to transform Ethiopia. Do you agree?

NA: Yes, absolutely. Water is the new oil and Ethiopia has it. The massive Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) will produce enough clean energy to provide power to over 200 million people in Ethiopia and beyond throughout East Africa. The GERD will quadruple the amount of electricity produced in the country. Millions of Ethiopians will have access to electricity for the first time. Currently, over 66% of Ethiopias 115 million citizens lack power. Once operational, the dam will provide electricity to over 76 million Ethiopians.

The surplus electricity produced by the GERD, will be exported to neighboring countries, generating billions of dollars in income for Ethiopia.

Water is the new oil that will lift Ethiopia out of poverty to become a middle-income country. This will enable the transformation of the entire region and accelerate industrialization and commerce.

There have been disputes with Egypt and Sudan over water rights to the Nile. That has highlighted concerns over individual nations rights to water, and it points to a shift in political power on the continent. Egypt and Sudan have openly campaigned to stop the filling of the dam and even made military threats.

The fact that these unprecedented conflicts and ethnic massacres are happening in Western Ethiopia, in proximity to the GERD, is fueling speculation that the conflicts in Ethiopia are geopolitical conflicts or water wars by proxy. That is why its absolutely important for Ethiopians to work out political differences and stay united through this very difficult and tragic time in the nations history.




I found this fun article written by Extension Educator Emily Schoenfelder and wanted to share it in this column.

Emily says: Happy birthday, America! On July 4, we recognize Americas Independence Day. Here are a few fun facts to help you and your family celebrate.

1. The Second Continental Congress voted to declare independence on July 2, 1776  not July 4. It ratified the text of the Declaration of Independence on the fourth.

2. There were 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence.

3. Most of the signatures werent added to the Declaration until Aug. 2, 1776.

4. The youngest signer of the Declaration of independence was Edward Rutledge of South Carolina. He was 26 at the time.

5. The oldest signer was Ben Franklin of Pennsylvania, who was 70.

6. Two signers of the Declaration, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson (both of whom were later President), died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration.

7. Independence Day wasnt made a federal holiday until June 28, 1870.

8. In 1777, fireworks were set off in Philadelphia to celebrate Americas first birthday. According to the American Pyrotechnics Association, 2021 firework revenues topped $2.5 billion throughout the year, and have doubled since 2019.

9. As new states are admitted to the union, their representative stars are added to the flag on July 4.

10. Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president of the United States, was born on July 4, 1872.

11. According to the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council, Americans will enjoy 150 million hot dogs on Independence Day. Thats enough to stretch from Los Angeles to Washington D.C. more than 5 times.

12. Every July 4, descendants of the original Declaration signers tap on the liberty bell 13 times in recognition of the 13 original colonies.

13. The first public readings of the Declaration of Independence were held on July 8, 1776 in Philadelphias Independence Square, accompanied by bell ringing and band music.

14. In July of 1776, there were an estimated 2.5 million people living in our newly independent nation. Now, in 2022, there are over 332 million.

15. This year, 2022, will be Americas 246th birthday.
CHARLESTON  On Saturday, a growing car and motorcycle show kicked off three straight days of planned Red, White & Blue Days festivities.

Cars and trucks filled Morton Park's southeast parking lot and motorcycles lined parking spaces along Second Street for the Fourth of July celebration's second annual show. Organizers Bucky and Kally Redish, who are both longtime car and motorcycle enthusiasts, said they were glad to see show grow to 65 entrants this year after drawing 54 in its debut.

"All those people with their cars, that's their prized possession. The show gives them a chance to show them off," Kally Radish said.

Scott Hood of Ashmore, with his 1923 Ford T Bucket, was among those displaying their vehicles at the show. Hood said he purchased this hot rod last spring from Arizona and has already entered it in multiple shows.

Hood said the T Bucket originally had a 4-cylinder motor but now has a 350 Chevy engine that is 400 horsepower. He said this crimson car, nicknamed "Red Dragon," rumbles like a dragon.

"It's loud. You can tell it's a hot rod," Hood said.

Joe and Denise Wilson of Charleston stopped to admire the "Red Dragon" and visit with Hood. Joe Wilson also displayed his 1996 Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 Sport at the show. He said Harley-Davidson only made this bike for four years.

"I have a little rarity there," Wilson said.

The spectators at the show included Andy Bays of Charleston and his 6-year-old son, Trey. The youth said he really wanted to go to the car show and had already picked out a blue Camaro and a red Mustang as his favorites there.

Trey Bays said he and his family have been Red, White & Blue Days fans for many years and plan to return to Morton Park for the other festivities this week. He said their favorite activities include the free concerts on Sunday and the Charleston Fire Department's foam pit for children on Monday, plus the all-you-can-eat ice cream on both days.

"It's too good for us to pass up," Bays said.

Sunday's headlining event will be the concert by Bruce Springsteen tribute act Bruce in the USA at 8 p.m., following classic rock opening music by Rick K & The Road Trip at 6 p.m. The Coles County Farmer of the Year Award recipient will be announced at 7:30 p.m.

Festivities on Monday will include the Charleston American Legion pancake breakfast, 7-11 a.m.; Coles County Habitat for Humanity 4 on the 4th foot race, 7:30 a.m.; Coles County Arts Council's Chalk-in chalk art contest, 9 a.m.-noon; and Coles County 4-H Dog Spin Club Pet Parade, 9:30 a.m.

The festivities will culminate with the parade from the courthouse square to the park, 1 p.m.; followed by the bell ringing ceremony at the park's Liberty Bell replica, 2:15 p.m.

Red, White & Blue Days will conclude with the Charleston-Mattoon fireworks at dusk at the Coles County Memorial Airport. Shuttles to the airport will start running at 5 p.m. at Eastern Illinois University's O'Brien Field and the Cross County Mall.
WINDSOR  U.S. Army veteran John W. Thompson will get a burial with military honors on Wednesday more than seven years after his death from cancer.

The remains of the Windsor man, 81, were among many caught up in the legal troubles of a Chicago-area business that had been handling the remains of those who had donated their bodies to science.

CBS News Chicago reported on Sept. 21, 2021, that the former owner, Donald Greene Sr., of the shuttered Biological Resource Center in Rosemont, was sentenced to two years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, on charges of knowingly selling contaminated, diseased human remains.

Janet Thompson of Windsor said she received the now cremated remains of her late husband in early June after they were released by the U.S. Department of Justice's Michigan Eastern District office in Detroit following its investigation and court case. John Thompson died Oct. 11, 2014.

"We at the U.S. Attorney's Office offer our sincere condolences that you and your family suffered effects of the actions of (the) defendants," wrote victim witness coordinator Sandra Palazzolo in a letter to Janet Thompson. "May the return of the enclosed remains of your loved one find you comfort and peace."

Thompson said being able to get her late husband's remains in her possession and to move forward with a burial service has been a tremendous relief to her after the protracted case. She had first received a letter in spring 2015 notifying her that the remains were among those recovered by the FBI during the execution of a search warrant at the Biological Resource Center.

"It's been one of the most stressful things I have ever been through," Thompson said.

That stress has been relieved further by Windsor-area community members pulling together to help organize a burial service at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Ash Grove Cemetery, Thompson said. Those community members have included Tim Bennett from Bennett Grain in Windsor, where truck driver John Thompson delivered grain from local farms for several years before retiring.

Thompson said their extended family of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren plan to attend the burial service.

John Thompson, who served from 1952 to 1955 in the Army as a military police officer and in bomb defusal, was a member of the Windsor American Legion and the Neoga VFW. Thompson said her husband will receive military honors at the burial, which will be followed by a gathering hosted by the Windsor American Legion. Memorials may be made to the Windsor American Legion.

"Everything has been taken care of. Everything has been finalized. It's the good thing about a small town. Everybody knows everybody," Thompson said of this community support.
CHICAGO - Chicago enters the July Fourth weekend with some encouraging news: The unrelenting gun violence that the city has experienced over the previous two years continues to decline, with a double-digit decline in homicides, officials reported Friday.

With a number of factors in play, including that the city is rebounding from a deadly pandemic that coincided with increased violence, it would be hard to pinpoint just what is driving the reductions, or even celebrate them just yet, especially with most of the summer ahead, experts said.

The news is also tempered by the fact that gun violence here remains historically and unacceptably high, as evidenced by two shootings early Friday: The wounding of a Chicago police officer just hours after an overnight shooting outside a downtown business that wounded three people and left two dead.

Although gun violence across Chicago declined in the past six months, issues downtown, a place where people from all over the city gather, have been higher than usual this year, leaving many in Chicago on edge. That dynamic was punctuated by the killing of a teen in Millennium Park earlier this year.

At a news conference Friday afternoon to announce safety measures in advance of the holiday weekend, Mayor Lori Lightfoot acknowledged the tension between the real declines and the perceptions of safety in the city.

We are making progress on both homicides and shootings, Lightfoot said. Nobody is taking their foot off the gas. There is a lot more work that we need to do to build the confidence in the public that our city is safe. But it is also important to mark the milestone of progress.

Meanwhile, experts also urged caution about the numbers, saying critical months remain.

Its too soon to tell. We are just creeping into the summer. Its always June, July, August that adds the biggest count to the total. said Northwestern professor Wesley Skogan, of the Institute for Policy Research, who added at least one note of hope.

The really bad years are the ones that start off badly, Skogan said, nodding to the declines in the statistics.

Numbers show a decrease

Through June 26 there had been 304 homicides in Chicago, approximately a 10% decrease from the 336 recorded during the same time frame last year.

There were 1,220 shootings incidents in the first half of the year, a decline of 17% from last year, according to Chicago Police Department statistics.

The overall drop comes after a significant two-year spike in gun violence, including a 60% increase in homicides during 2020 and 2021, a time when the pandemic struck and the country faced a national reckoning over police abuse in America that included sustained criticism of especially big-city departments.

The six-month numbers also show a roughly 25% increase in robbery victimizations, according to city of Chicago data portal. And carjackings, a crime that has received widespread attention, remain higher this year, with a 7% increase, according to the portal.

The gun violence also is trending down in some of the citys less-safe neighborhoods. But the figures remain elevated in unexpected places, including downtown, which presented a challenge for the department at the start of summer.

Officers were forced to contain large groups of teenagers who gathered in the center of the city and caused unrest but also violence, including the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old Seandell Holliday near The Bean in May. A city curfew was enacted for Millennium Park, forbidding unaccompanied minors from being there after 6 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.

But despite the perception reinforced by high-profile incidents, the number of shootings downtown is well below levels of violence that continue to occur in historically less-safe communities, where the continued use of firearms in street conflicts is the overriding factor.

Last weekend, 5-month Cecilia Thomasbecame the citys youngest victim killed by gunfire in years when she was struck by a bullet while riding in the back seat of her familys vehicle as it traveled on the 7700 block of South South Shore Drive.

The need to both secure downtown and protect neighborhoods presents a massive task for the city, which Lightfoot and police Superintendent David Brown addressed at the Friday news conference.

Weve ensured we have enough officers where we need them most, Brown pledged, though he declined to provide any specific numbers regarding police presence over the holiday weekend.

Brown acknowledged that long weekends, such as the July Fourth holiday, are difficult for CPD, and are one of the periods when leadership cancels days off.

Only a first step

For sure, signs that homicides and gun-involved injuries could be reversing is meaningful and important. But Skogan and other experts noted that making gains against the two-year spike is only a first step.

For one, the homicide and shooting numbers are still up when compared to 2019, before the pandemic and the unrest of 2020. And even if the city does return to pre-pandemic levels, the challenge will be to achieve even greater declines.

Five to six years ago, the city had much lower gun crime numbers, compared with previous years, said Roseanna Ander, director of the University of Chicago Crime Lab. But the figures were still significantly higher than Los Angeles and New York City, and the impact of all of it was being felt most in the same places it always has been  in Chicagos Black and Latino communities that have been starved of resources for decades.

Even the 2015 levels were unconscionably high, particularly in a country with the kind of resources this country has, Ander said. We were, even in 2015, a tale of two cities. Depending on what neighborhood you lived in, your exposure to violence and sense of safety and security varied greatly.

More boots on the ground

The challenges ahead in 2022 for Chicago are significant  and the summer months will certainly determine if the short-term gains hold.

Some noted that Chicago Public Schools closed just two weeks ago, which means there are more youth in need of programming now, at a time that agencies are facing staffing shortages. The Chicago Park District announced Tuesday that fewer than half its pools would open Tuesday, amid a lifeguard shortage that had already delayed public pool openings.

And Chicago police are facing significant personnel shortages, putting a strain on officers who are facing long work weeks.

But this summer also marks a new, and significant, commitment by the city to support a more diverse and community-driven strategy for public safety.

The Community Safety Coordination Center is operating for the first summer season. The center aims to harness resources from all city offices  from sanitation to Park District  to combat violence. It is also trying to fast-track support and money to a strength Chicago always had, namely local organizations and neighbors trying to address the violence in their own corner of the city.

Meanwhile, street outreach efforts to those most at-risk of violence are now coordinated citywide across dozens of groups, bringing immediate interventions on street conflicts and victim services.

There is a lot of strategy this summer including more boots on the grounds with outreach and more summer programs, Skogan said.

In the Back of Yards neighborhood Thursday, Oscar Contreras, who has been doing outreach on violence for more than 20 years, was working two phones in his office as he tried to coordinate three events for the community.

Contreras, a program manager for the Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council, said he believes the pressure has eased a little, and people are slowly feeling more safe.

He sees more coordination too. A recent spate of shootings in the Back of the Yards was immediately addressed, he said, with cooperation from a few groups.

But Contreras cautioned this type of work is not easy or fast, and that the commitments this summer need to hold. And when there are shootings downtown, there is a different kind of pressure from people who want quick answers, he said.

People dont understand this doesnt happen overnight, he said.

At the news conference, Lightfoot stuck to often repeated themes, highlighting the coordination of city agencies and criticizing the amount of illegal guns on the street. Then she also made a call for peace on a holiday that celebrates freedoms that are not available to people throughout the world.

Its important for us to highlight those moments of joy, Lightfoot said. But we have a responsibility and an opportunity in this democracy to not forget that we are each others neighbors, and that weve got to find common ground to be able to move forward.

Chicago Tribunes Gregory Pratt contributed.
Two Forsyth County women pleaded guilty Friday in unrelated embezzlement cases involving two local churches, authorities said.

Leah Whitehart Dunbar, a former records secretary and business manager associated with Gospel Light Baptist Church, pleaded guilty to two counts of obtaining property by false pretense, the Forsyth County District Attorneys Office said.

Under a plea arrangement, Judge Lawrence Fine of Forsyth District Court placed Dunbar on supervised probation for one year, and ordered her to complete 20 hours of community service, the district attorneys office said.

Dunbar has paid $120,000 in restitution to Gospel Light, and she agreed to turn over her retirement account with the church as a part of her restitution, the office said.

The church is located 890 Walkertown Guthrie Road in northeastern Forsyth County.

On Dec. 10, 2020, Gospel Light officials contacted the Forsyth County Sheriffs Office regarding potential embezzlement, the district attorneys office said.

An audit of the church schools American Express credit-card accounts showed that Dunbar had used the credit cards for personal charges from Nov. 3, 2017 to Sept. 30, 2020, the district attorneys office said.

Detective Karen Lang interviewed Dunbar who made statements regarding the use of the cards, the district attorneys office said. Lang also learned that the many of Dunbars personal expenses were paid with the churchs credit cards.

In the other, unrelated case, Marilyn Veronica Bertelsen, a former finance director at St. Leo the Great Catholic Church, pleaded guilty to three counts of obtaining property by false pretenses, the district attorneys office said in the news release.

Under a plea arrangement, Fine placed Bertelsen on unsupervised probation for one year and ordered her to complete 24 hours of community service, the district attorneys office said.

Bertelsen, 61, was charged June 10 on accusations of fraudulently obtaining $27,930 from St. Leo while she worked there between 2018 and 2020, Winston-Salem police said.

The church is located at 335 Springdale Ave. in Winston-Salem.

Bertelsen is accused of obtaining the money as a reimbursement for tuition  and, on one count, materials  for classes at Johnson & Wales University that she never took, police said.

She took money on three occasions: the first on Feb. 15, 2018, when she obtained $4,568, then from Aug. 20 to Dec. 13, 2019, when she obtained $19,800.27, and the third time on March 17, 2020 when she obtained $3,561.76, according to warrants.

Bertelsen resigned in November 2020, according to a spokeswoman for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte.

Detective Mark Barker of the Winston-Salem Police Department testified Friday at Bertelsens court hearing that bank records show no payments by Bertelsen to Johnson & Wales University, the district attorneys office said.

Bertelsen has repaid the money that she is accused of taking, the district attorneys office said.
A Winston-Salem man was shot and wounded Saturday while two juveniles were inside of his vehicle, authorities said. The juveniles werent injured.

Winston-Salem police responded to a reported shooting at 2:15 p.m. in the 1900 block of Francis Street, police said.

When officers arrived, they found Alex Vicente Anorve-Lopez, 20, of Emerson Street, with a superficial graze wound to the side of his head, police said. Anorve-Lopez was taken to a local hospital for treatment of a non-life threatening injury.

Anorve-Lopez told officers that he was driving in the area of Sprague and Vargrave streets when someone in another vehicle fired a gun at the vehicle he was operating, police said.

Anorve-Lopez then drove to the 1900 block of Francis Street where someone called 911, police said.

When the shooting happened, two juveniles were passengers in the Anorve-Lopezs vehicle, police said.

James Campbell was driving in the same area of Vargrave and Sprague streets when the shooting happened, and his vehicle also was struck by gunfire, police said. Campbell wasnt injured.

Anyone with information regarding this incident can call Winston-Salem police at 336-773-7700, Crime Stoppers at 336-727-2800 or its Spanish line at 336-728-3904. Crime Stoppers of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County is on Facebook.

The Text-A-Tip program at 336-276-1717 allows people to text tip, photos and videos to the police.
The state legislature cleared Friday a N.C. Senate bill that removes the Davidson County Airport from the corporate limits of Lexington.

The 330-acre, one-runway airport is at 1673 Aviation Way and is owned by the county Airport Authority.

The House voted 94-13 to approve the bill. SB908 cleared the Senate by a 44-0 vote Wednesday.

Because it is a local bill, it cannot be vetoed by the governor.

Sen. Steve Jarvis, R-Davidson, has said the impetus behind the airport de-annexation bill is economic development.

I have been in contact with different companies that are looking to move to our area, as well as considering surrounding areas, Jarvis said. They can go one county south, to Greensboro, in other directions, and not have double (city and county) taxation.

Jarvis said the airport authority supports the de-annexation.

On Wednesday, two more Davidson-focused bills cleared the General Assembly, though with opposition citing concerns about the usurping of local government authority by the legislature.

Senate Bill 907 would require municipalities within Davidson to gain county approval from the county Board of Commissioners to annex any area where the board has jurisdiction. The bill would apply to properties wholly or partially in the county.

The bill was cleared by voice vote.

Jarvis has said SB907 does not apply to any single- or multi-family residential property or dwellings.

This allows Davidson County and the municipality to be at the table together to understand better growth of how they are moving forward with sewer and water, Jarvis said.

Senate Bill 909 would exempt any county-owned property from county zoning and planning ordinances. The bill was approved by a 43-0 vote.

For SB909, Jarvis said the purpose is to allow for a jail to be built within a municipality on county-owned property.

The current Lexington unified development ordinance does not permit a jail on the prospective property.

This will correct that (zoning and planning ordinance) problem for the property at hand, Jarvis said.
Everybody loves a good story, and Americas origin story is one of the best, especially when we keep discovering new parts that help us better understand the we we celebrate on the Fourth of July. We can add to Our Story the perhaps unexpected events of 1622 around Jamestown, Va., exactly 400 years ago, which remind us that all our histories can teach us something useful about our countrys collective beginnings and who we are today.

By spring 1622, tensions between the Powhatan chiefdom and expanding English settlements around Jamestown had become so problematic that Opechancanough, the Powhatan war chief, an older man, organized a treacherous, broad, simultaneous attack on March 22. Warriors both infiltrated and descended upon dozens of plantations along the Powhatan (James) River, killing some 350 men, women and children, burning farms and manufactories. Indentured servants were killed, but at some plantations, at least, enslaved Africans were spared. Between a quarter and a third of all English settlers were killed. Opechancanough understood that the English never intended to live in harmony with and respect his people but wanted to dominate or eliminate them.

With their own intention, Pamunkey warriors destroyed the Indian college intended to school native youth in the Christian faith. The attackers left a clear message to other missionaries not to take their children away to convert them into other religions.

With the arrival of English colonists at Chesapeake Bay 15 years earlier in 1607, Indigenous tribes along the Powhatan (James) and Pamunkey (York) rivers had suspected what was coming. They were not pleased. The initial Jamestown settlement almost failed during the first few years, the Starving Time, as they had arrived during a severe, extended regional drought. The tribes of the Powhatan chiefdom could not give the English food they needed for themselves. Captain John Smith and the colonists got aggressive. Tensions rose. The first Powhatan War continued into 1614.

Opechancanough had good reason to be suspicious of English intentions. He had seen such aggression before and was determined to prevent it from destroying his people and culture.

Six decades before the 1622 massacre, a northbound Spanish caravel was tossed by a storm into Chesapeake Bay in 1561. Exploring the interior coastline, Captain Velazquez enticed two young teen indios, one the son of a chief and named Paquiquineo, to board the ship. Velazquez kidnapped the pair and sailed for Spain to show them off to King Phillip II to gain royal favor.

In Seville and again in Madrid, Paquiquineo observed this foreign land, learned the language some and experienced new customs and religion. Impressed with Paquiquineos cleverness, Phillip named him Don Luis and asked that he return to his homeland to help convert others to Christianity. Pedro de Aviles Menendez, governor of La Florida and Cuba, flattered the Jesuits to school Don Luis for that purpose. Detoured from his return trip to Chesapeake Bay, Don Luis was sent to New Spain instead, where he spent several years in Mexico City, observing there a subjugated people, conquered before they converted to Christianity. He realized he was being trained to help convert his people to Christianity to then help conquer them.

Eventually, in 1571, Don Luis sailed into Chesapeake Bay with a party of Jesuit priests with plans to establish a mission to save the souls of the Powhatan people. Going ashore after entering the Chickahominy River, Paquiquineo/Don Luis was greeted as if returning from the dead following a decades absence. After the temporary mission was built well inland by the ships carpenters and the ship had long departed, Paquiquineo convinced the Jesuits that he should visit his home village alone. Paquiquineo soon returned to the remote, isolated mission with a party of warriors and brutally slaughtered the Jesuits. In August 1572  450 years ago  Gov. Menendez arrived on the Powhatan (James) River looking for the Jesuits. He captured some indios, hanging them aboard ship when they could not tell him about the Jesuits. He fired into a horrified crowd watching from shore, killing many, then sailed away.

Scholar James Horn convincingly argues in A Brave and Cunning Prince (2021) that Paquiquineo/Don Luis is Opechancanough.

This Indigenous leaders story reveals another part of Americas origin story, another history of Americans fiercely protecting their liberty over 450 years ago, resisting the incursions of arrogance and presumptive superiority experienced in early encounters with white evangelical Christian nationalists.

The elderly Opechancanough was murdered in Jamestown in 1646 after his capture during the Third Powhatan War.
As we approach the Fourth of July  Independence Day  we celebrate the most significantly patriotic of our nine national holidays that relate, in one way or another, to that concept. Everyone is for patriotism; nobody is against it. But what does it mean?

Patriotism is personal. For me, where does it rank in my priorities, my perspective?

My highest priorities in life are:

1. To contribute to human progress.

2. Family. I think that may be very high with most other people, too.

3. Im a Christian. Im not a Bible-thumper, but a follower of Jesus teachings. If I said I try to be faithful or moral, many more people might have this on their list of priorities as well.

4. Im patriotic  to the United States, it so happens, because thats where I was born, grew up, have lived all my life and worked for. But lurking within those reasons is the most notable perspective about patriotism: Other people born and raised in other countries are also patriotic, but to different countries. Of course! We have no monopoly on patriotism.

If Ive succeeded in putting patriotism in personal context, let me discuss perspectives within patriotism itself, because there can be priorities there, also.

What is patriotism? One dictionary definition is devoted love, support, and defense of ones country; national loyalty.

Thank God, for example, for Ukrainian citizens patriotism toward Ukraine! But thats only one side.

Most of the Russian invaders believe they are patriotic toward Russia. Yet other Russians believe they also are patriotic  from those who have fled Russia because of Putins war; to those who have remained behind in a media-restricted environment and are loyal to Putin; to Russian soldiers who have refused to fight in Ukraine. All may believe they are Russian patriots.

Patriotism here is often rendered as respect for, pride in or devotion to our flag, our national anthem, our forefathers, our servicemen and servicewomen, and our presidents. But there are other elements of patriotism that are less tangible:

Pride that we are a democracy and not a theocracy or autocracy. Weve been learning since Jan. 6, 2021, that this can be far more precarious than we thought.

Pride in our Constitution and our Declaration of Independence.

Pride that we have free elections. It took a while to get there, and for our elections to be inclusive.

Black Americans were not allowed to vote until the 15th Amendment was passed in 1870. Jim Crow laws and poll taxes, however, greatly reduced that right, and it was not until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that voting by all approached meaningfulness. It is currently under attack in many state legislatures. Women were not allowed to vote until 1920  131 years beyond our 1789 Constitution.

Pride that we have constitutional rights. The greatest among them may be the guarantee of a free press, for by that means we are most able to uncover deficiencies and imperfections in government requiring attention.

Pride that we have  something dear to my own heart  an independent judiciary that can enforce those constitutional rights and resolve conflicts among them.

How about some aspects that may be more controversial, about which people could differ? Some may or may not be patriotically proud of them:

Pride that we are a nation of immigrants? Does it, should it matter where your ancestors emigrated from, how far back, why they came, whether they came voluntarily?

Pride that we are primarily a Christian nation? What brand of Christian?

Pride in the struggle of our Civil War? Which side?

Pride that we tried, then repealed, prohibition?

Pride that we have reduced Jim Crow?

Pride that some women have a right to abortion? Are we about to enter an era of Jane Crow?

Pride that, since the Supreme Courts decision in D.C. v. Heller in 2008, we now have an individual, though troublesome, right to bear arms?

Pride in some presidents, but not others?

Patriotism is fine, but its not simple. Our nation is not perfect. It takes work, it takes tolerance, it takes compromise. George Washington described our nation as a great experiment for promoting human happiness.

Some of these qualities may be in short supply right now. We have penalized people for exercising their constitutional right of free speech to protest some of our shortcomings. Ask Colin Kaepernick; think of Muhammad Ali.

We must be careful not to be narrow  or even idolaters  in the name of patriotism about things like flags, national anthems and putative leaders.

So, patriotism, yes, but keep it in perspective. And the best perspective is to work  tirelessly, compassionately, tolerantly  to improve the experiment were justly patriotic about.
A 5-year-old German Shepherd is dead and another dog was treated at Nebraska Animal Medical Center after they were intentionally poisoned in west Lincoln, according to police.

Vici, the German Shepherd, died after a poisoning reported to the city's Animal Control Division on May 19, Lincoln Police Sgt. Chris Vollmer said.

City employees installed a trail camera to monitor the property near West B and South Folsom streets, where an unknown male inserted a can of food into a dog kennel in a second attempted poisoning May 31, Vollmer said.

The food contained unknown orange pellets that police sent to the Iowa State Veterinary Laboratory for testing.

The second dog, a 3-year-old lab named Lyla, was inside at the time of the second incident and did not consume additional poison, Vollmer said.
Nearly 50 times a year between 2014 and 2017, motorists on Nebraskas Interstate 80 couldnt stay in their lanes.

They crossed the median and crashed into oncoming traffic 247 times, according to the most recent data from the state Department of Transportation.

Its not a problem in Lincoln and Omaha, where concrete barriers separate the lanes. And its less of a problem between the two cities, where the medians are 88 feet wide.

But just west of Lincoln, the median narrows to 64 feet, and the hits keep coming.

Its tough to say why people are crossing over; we dont really know, spokeswoman Jeni Campana said. But what we can do is look at things to prevent that from happening.

So for the first time on the interstate in Nebraska, the state is installing roughly 22 miles of steel-cable barriers, designed to stop vehicles from crossing the median, or at least slow them down.

The $9.5 million project, between the Pleasant Dale and Utica exits, is expected to be finished by December.

Contractors have already poured the ribbon of pavement to serve as the anchor for the three-cable system, which will essentially serve as a long, low fence between the two directions of travel.

The state chose that section after analyzing crash data, Campana said. Theres been instances of crossover crashes there, and we really need to take some steps to address it.

Cable barriers have held tight in other states. The University of Dayton Transportation Engineering Lab recently studied more than 2,200 highway crashes in Ohio, and determined just 1.7% of vehicles involved broke through the barriers and collided with oncoming traffic.

Specifically, the barriers stopped 100% of motorcycles, 96.5% of passenger cars and nearly 86% of heavy trucks.

The state hasnt yet identified any other stretches of I-80 as candidates for cable barriers, though it did previously install them on U.S. 75 near Omaha.

Its not installing them along I-80 closer to Lincoln, because the 7.5-mile stretch between Northwest 56th Street and the Pleasant Dale exit is scheduled to be widened to six lanes starting next year, and that includes the wider, 88-foot median.
It doesn't appear COVID-19 is going to put a damper on anyone's Fourth of July.

AAA estimates that nearly 48 million people will travel at least 50 miles this weekend, including potentially 42 million by car, which would be a record.

27 places to watch fireworks in and around Lincoln this weekend Need plans for the Fourth of July? Check out what's happening in the Lincoln area.

That's despite gas prices that are at the highest level ever for the holiday.

As of Friday morning, the price of a gallon of unleaded gas was $4.73 in Lincoln, according to AAA, $1.74 higher than it was a year ago.

The volume of travelers we expect to see over Independence Day is a definite sign that summer travel is kicking into high gear, said Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel. Earlier this year, we started seeing the demand for travel increase and its not tapering off. People are ready for a break and despite things costing more, they are finding ways to still take that much-needed vacation.

The top destinations for the holiday weekend in Nebraska are expected to be Lake McConaughy, Ponca State Park, Mahoney State Park and Fort Robinson State Park, Nebraska Game and Parks spokeswoman Shawna Richter-Ryerson told the Omaha World-Herald.

The Fourth of July celebration in Seward, including a parade and fireworks, is one of many community festivals expected to draw large crowds.

Uncle Sam Jam Lincoln's annual Uncle Sam Jam is set for Sunday at Oak Lake Park. Food vendors open at 4 p.m., with live music from Soul Dawg at 6:15 p.m. before fireworks cap the event. Free parking is available at lots adjacent to Haymarket Park. StarTran will provide free shuttles from 5-11 p.m. between Oak Lake Park and the Haymarket Garage, the Gold's Building and County-City Building in downtown Lincoln.

If you are planning a cookout, it's going to cost you about $10 more this year.

The American Farm Bureau says the average cost of a cookout is $69.68 this year, up 17% compared with a year ago. That's based on a full spread for 10 people.

Five state recreation areas  Branched Oak (Liebers Point only), Fort Kearny, Memphis, Pawnee and Wagon Train  permit the use of fireworks Monday from 8 a.m. to midnight.

If you prefer to light your own fireworks, Lincoln allows the sale and discharge of fireworks Sunday from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Monday from 8 a.m. to midnight.

Lincoln also has its public fireworks display at 10 p.m. Sunday at Oak Lake Park, as part of Uncle Sam Jam, which starts at 4 p.m. and includes food vendors and live music.

In recognition that Lincoln residents enjoy their fireworks (maybe a little too much), the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department on Friday issued a preemptive air-quality advisory.

The department said that it usually sees periodic high levels of particulate air pollution from the evening of July 3 through the morning of July 5.

During those times, Lincolns Air Quality Index often reaches levels that are unhealthy for everyone, but especially for people with heart disease, asthma or other respiratory conditions such as COPD.

One thing that could put a damper on July 4 festivities is the weather. The forecast in Lincoln calls for a chance of storms this weekend, with below-average temperatures in the low 80s on Saturday and a high in the upper 80s on Sunday. However, things will change Monday, with clear conditions and a high of 98 degrees in the forecast.

That could make conditions perfect for a trip to the pool. All city pools are open on the Fourth of July from 1-5 p.m.
A young great horned owl seems to be recovering after becoming entangled in a fence a few miles north of Lincoln.

Mark Rezac discovered the fledgling as he was raking a field of hay, and thought it was dead until it swiveled its head. He called the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, and Conservation Officer Dina Barta arrived within the hour.

He (owl) just looked at us. Like 'arent you going to help or what?' Rezac said.

Veterinarian David Gordon examined the bird at the Bellevue Animal Hospital on Thursday and said one wing had some puncture wounds and was very bruised. The other wing had some mild bruising.

The goal is to allow time to heal the wounds, allow the skin to heal and monitor for any skin necrosis, he said.

Rezac thinks the young bird was either chasing a rabbit or snake hed dislodged as he raked the field or fell out of the nest and landed on a strand of the fence. It fell over as it lost its balance, becoming tangled with its wings spread wide.

Rezac and Barta struggled to free it from the tangled fencing.

We pretty quickly realized we werent going to get its wings off that fence, Barta said. Mark worked pretty quickly to cut that fence.

Rezac cut the wire at the end of both wings and then behind the shoulder blades to relieve the pressure on the youngsters wings.

At one point, the owl went Ow. Im not kidding you, Rezac said.

It rode in the cab of Bartas truck to the Raptor Conservation Alliance rehabilitation center in Elmwood, where Betsy Finch and husband, Doug, removed the barbed wire and administered antibiotics and pain medicine.

The owl was given a few mice for dinner.

Gordon said the bird will stay at the rehabilitation center until its next examination in a week. The hope is that it will be released as soon as it recovers.

"I'm optimistic," the vet said, "but soft-tissue wounds are unpredictable."

It's just another day in the life of a farmer, Rezac said. He joked that  finally  his skills as an EMT and volunteer fireman paid off.

Im glad I was able to help. I think all farmers are probably conservationists in one way or another, he said. Ive seen many a deer. Many a turkey. I surely would have felt bad if it had struggled and died in that fence.
What is it that drives people to take action to help another in need? Is it love, empathy, sadness, tragedy or anger? Or, is it all of the above?

Whatever motivated Lincoln business owner Steve Glenn, who took a profound action to help right a wrong he watched unfold in February in Ukraine, it became a good thing.

I dont know if youre like me, but when I saw (Vladimir) Putin invade Ukraine, I got mad. I just thought, that jerk, to invade a country like that, said the former Husker and founder/chairman of the board of Executive Travel. So, after a couple of weeks, I kind of hemmed and hawed, and said to myself, You know, I dont want to give money to the Red Cross, and I dont really want to give it to this or that organization, because I never really know where that money is going 

So, he started his own organization in March, Operation Safe Harbor-Ukraine (OSHU), which contributes all received donations directly to the Ukrainian immigrants seeking safe haven in Poland. And, Glenns company has offered to match 100% of all donations up to $25,000 to help Ukrainians displaced by the war.

Glenn spoke this past Monday to Executive Club members at their weekly luncheon at the Graduate Hotel in downtown Lincoln. Its a club near and dear to his heart, as he is a proud past president from 1999.

He introduced to club members his marketing director at Executive Travel, Brian Wallingford, who doubles as a general-manager-of-sorts heading up the efforts of OSHU in Warsaw, Poland. Glenn said Wallingford was instrumental in lining up the hotel in Warsaw through their partnership and relationship with Best Western Hotels, and a rate of $50 per night was arranged along with meals and what OSHU determined as basic necessities, including medical help.

There have been 60-70 volunteers from Lincoln who have made the journey to Poland to help in the OSHU effort, according to Wallingford, and some have made more than one trip over the past three months. Glenn said theyve asked the volunteers to give one to two weeks of their time overseas before they come back, and to tell their stories of whats happening to help spread the goodwill to others.

Meanwhile, the funding for the cause based out of Lincoln is reaching toward half a million dollars.

Its just been amazing, the outpouring of funds. We just went over $450,000, primarily donated from Lincoln, and for sure most of its coming from Nebraska, said Glenn, who was able to establish 501(c)(3) status with a local church for donation purposes. Weve had contributions from $10 to $60,000. I think the people donating are aligned with the idea that they want to make sure their money goes to the right people and is used the right way. I can tell them if you donate, well make sure every nickel goes to those families.

Glenn said the Ukrainian people are amazing, the kind of people youd like to have for neighbors. He also praised the people of Poland, including their government.

The Polish government has offered free train and free bus service to the Ukrainian people. Theyve also allowed for the Ukrainians to apply for a PESEL number, he said about the Polish abbreviation of the Universal Electronic System for Registration of the Population. With the PESEL number, the Ukrainians can get a monthly stipend. So, the Polish government goes out of their way to help.

Part of the problem facing Glenn, and anyone else helping the Ukrainian cause, is figuring out a longer-term plan. Glenns plans were originally designed for the month of April.

Going on to the next chapter, now what do we do? We expected to be there for 30 days, said Glenn, who is a native of Pawnee City, Nebraska. Now, I just got back on Friday from there (Warsaw), and every week something changes. The interesting thing there is that all the government funding is ending after this month.

So, Glenn and everybody else will have to figure what to do moving forward as the Ukrainian front continues to hold out against the Russians, who dont appear to be letting up with plans of aggression.

Glenn said part of the OSHU plans are to help some Ukrainians find a permanent place to live. He said theyve already helped some get placed in the U.S. and Canada, and also in the United Kingdom and Spain.

Toward the beginning of the presentation, Wallingford played a heart-wrenching video from the OSHU website (operationsafeharborukraine.com) showing anguished families, mothers and daughters, expressing the turmoil experienced after being bombed out of their homes by Russian missile strikes and tremendous explosions.

Despite their horror, they were extremely grateful for the kindness shared by OSHU.

The author, Tim Brusnahan, is program chair for Lincoln Executive Club and employed by Marco.
The Nebraska Children and Families Foundation, located at 215 Centennial Mall South in Lincoln, has received a $60,000 Primary Prevention grant awarded by Prevent Child Abuse America (PCA America) with funding from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.

The grant supports the foundation's work to transform child welfare policy and systems focused on building sustainable, long-term partnerships and pathways between primary and downstream child abuse and neglect prevention efforts.

Nebraska is on its way toward building a statewide community well-being system, but we have a lot of work left to do," said Kathy Stokes, associate vice president of Child Abuse Prevention at Nebraska Children and staff lead of Prevent Child Abuse Nebraska. Grants like this, and the entire Thriving Families, Safer Children effort, help Nebraska build capacity for community-based prevention. We believe that all individuals and families face challenges and that providing support early, before challenges turn to crises, improves outcomes for children, adults and communities.

Thriving Families, Safer Children is a first-of-its-kind effort of the U.S. Childrens Bureau, Casey Family Programs, the Casey Foundation, and Prevent Child Abuse America. The partnership is working in 22 sites from coast to coast and a sovereign tribal nation. The Thriving Families effort seeks to demonstrate that intentional, coordinated investments in a full continuum of prevention, along with community-based networks of support, will promote overall child and family well-being, equity and other positive outcomes for children and families.

Goals of the Primary Prevention grant include:

 Expand the capacity of the Thriving Families movement to develop and maintain more equitable working relationships and authentic partnerships between the child protection and family serving systems and communities.

 Develop intentional cross-systems partnerships and integrate the core components of public health approaches to preventing child abuse and neglect.

 Strengthen, support and connect youth, parents and community members with real life experiences as they emerge in leadership roles within the Thriving Families movement.

Preventing childhood adversity is critical to building more healthy and prosperous communities  and prevention can only happen in partnership," said Dr. Melissa Merrick, president and CEO of PCA America. "The chapters that were selected for this Thriving Families, Safer Children grant are committed to working across sectors to develop equitable systems that benefit all children and families and break harmful intergenerational cycles of trauma and poverty. At a time when all families and systems are experiencing some level of strain, these grantees are working to reframe the approach to family support away from reactive child welfare systems to a proactive, holistic method that emphasizes cross-sectoral collaboration to support the well-being of children and families.

Nebraska Children and its Bring Up Nebraska partners will conduct a participatory action research study focusing on people with lived experience from groups overrepresented in the child welfare system. These lived experience experts will help inform root causes of inequity and how prevention systems can be improved to meet all families' critical needs. They will be engaged in an interactive process with researchers in collecting and reviewing data and co-creating answers to research questions. They will have a core role in developing shared findings and recommendations and will become active leaders in their local prevention collaboratives.

Nebraska Children and Families Foundation partners with communities to create a well-being system that strengthens families, supports unconnected young people, creates learning opportunities for Nebraskas future workforce, and empowers parents to raise healthy children. To learn more, visit www.NebraskaChildren.org.
Lux Center for the Arts is one of 27 communities across Nebraska to receive a grant from the Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation (NSHSF).

Many thanks to you and NSHSF for the grant in support of the Luxs 45th anniversary display about Gladys Lux, said Katie A. Joseph, Lux Center for the Arts board member. Her approach to arts education remains as relevant today as it was in 1977  maybe even more so. Thanks for your help in spreading that message.

NSHSF received 88 grant applications requesting $147,000 to fulfill needs such as conserving collections, public programming, outreach, exhibits, promoting facilities and services, promoting tourism and visitation, school programs and resources for the classroom, and managing collections.

The Statewide Grants Program was developed in July 2020 with the guidance of Michael J. Smith, former CEO of the Nebraska State Historical Society, now called History Nebraska, to fulfill a funding need for local historical and educational organizations in Nebraska. Thanks to an initial donation from the D F Dillon Foundation as well as donations from numerous individuals, NSHSF was able to award a total of $25,000 for these second-year grants. Grants from this program help organizations such as museums, historical societies and libraries with core education, preservation and interpretive programs about community history. The goal for 2023 is to award $50,000 in grants.

We continue to strengthen our relationship with local historical organizations through our WanderNebraska and Statewide Grants Program, said Leslie Fattig, executive director at the Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation. Many of these organizations do not receive government support from counties or municipalities, so they are left searching locally for funds to serve school classes, prepare exhibits, process and preserve artifacts, and undertake activities such as lectures and museum festivals. Were thrilled to be able to help these invaluable organizations achieve their goals, and we are excited to continue the Statewide Grants Program into the future.

To donate or to learn more about the NSHSF Statewide Grants Program, visit www.nshsf.org/statewide-grants-program/
Many air travelers this summer have already run into delays and cancellations. Here are some tips to up your chances of getting where you want to go.
RACINE PUBLIC LIBRARY

RACINE  The Racine Public Library, 75 Seventh St., offers these events:

The 2022 Summer Reading program is under way. This years theme is Oceans of Possibilities. Participants log their reading throughout the summer to earn badges and prizes. Get started at RacineLibrary.BeanStack.org.

Camp National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), through July 31. Patrons of all ages are invited to set up camp and work on any type of creative project, not just a novel. First drafts or revisions, scripts, stories, poems or essays are welcome.

Lunch Break at the Library, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday, July 6, with Pina Mexican Eats. Every Wednesday, the library will host food trucks in the circle of Library Drive.

Career Development Services with Job Center of Wisconsin, 9-11:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 5. The Job Center of Wisconsin is hosting pop-up services on the second floor. People can get help with resume writing, interview preparation, strengthening their job search, applying for unemployment and registering on the Job Center of Wisconsin website. They also offer virtual workshops.

3D Printing Basics, for grades four to eight, 5 p.m. Wednesday, July 6. Participants will learn how to create or find their own 3D print model and set the 3D printer up for success.

Summer Scares: Stone-Wire Craft, 2 p.m. Thursday, July 7. Participants will learn how to work with stone art to make jewelry, a mini sculpture and more. Inspired by Beetle and the Hollowbones.

Create a Mini Aquarium, 1 p.m. Friday, July 8. No real animals will be in attendance, but participants use their imagination to bring new habitat to life.

Summer Scares: Horror Podcast Showdown, July 4-31. People can listen to horror podcasts and vote for their favorites. Each week, the winning podcasts will move on to the next round to determine Racines favorite horror podcast.

Registration is required; call 262-636-9217 or go to racinelibrary.info. Visit the website for storytimes and other ongoing library events.
Dear Mr. Dad: My wife and I are having trouble conceiving. After putting us through months of testing, the fertility doctor we're seeing says that the problem is on my end. I'm devastated. I just assumed that women were the ones who had fertility problems, and I feel like a complete failure, as if I'm not a man anymore. What can I do? Are there vitamins or supplements I can take or behaviors I can do (or stop doing)?
BURLINGTON  The Burlington Police Department has slowed its practice of withholding public information on calls for service after experts questioned whether doing so violated the state's open records law.

A new disclosure of daily police calls in Burlington shows just 20 instances in which information is being withheld, out of a total of 1,800 calls for service in the 49 days from May 10 and June 28.

The department previously was withholding reports from public access at a much higher rate, surpassing an average of one every day at one point.

In addition, where the department now continues withholding information about sexual assaults and other possible criminal matters, officials are disclosing the general nature of the incidents while still withholding the exact locations.

Police had previously withheld all information on certain types of calls, to the point where the general public was being kept in the dark about serious criminal activity taking place in the community.

In a report last month in The Journal Times, open records experts questioned the police department's practice of concealing all information about any police call that had resulted  or could result  in the ongoing investigation or prosecution of a suspect.

Although state law allows police records to be withheld from the public in limited instances where ongoing investigations could be compromised, experts say the law does not permit an across-the-board policy of concealment without equal regard for the importance of public transparency.

Burlington Police Sgt. Robert Jones said the new disclosures on police calls in May and June were subjected to careful consideration on an individualized basis.

"A balancing test was applied to each of the redacted calls for service," Jones wrote in an email. "And in applying the balancing test, it was determined redaction of the call outweighed the need for public disclosure."

The 20 incidents where police redacted certain information, usually just the locations, included three sexual assaults reported on June 25, June 20 and June 3.

Other incidents where police withheld the locations included  as described in police terminology  family trouble, bail jumping, a mental subject, domestic abuse, a suspicious person, and several welfare checks.

In citing a legal basis for redacting the information, Jones invoked laws that provide for discretion to protect the rights of victims and those under treatment for mental health problems.

The police department previously had invoked only an open records exception that applies to ongoing investigations and prosecutions.

The Journal Times report last month showed that Racine County District Attorney Tricia Hanson has urged police in Burlington and elsewhere to withhold public records in any case that remains unresolved in court  a process that can last months or even years.

Hanson has since defended the practice, saying that releasing police reports could endanger the lives of police officers, could expose law enforcement strategies, could prompt suspects or witnesses to flee or cause other issues.

She also invoked "Marsy's Law," a victim-rights law added to Wisconsin's state constitution by voters in 2020 that critics say undermines the rights of the accused and causes undue secrecy in police records.

"The Racine County District Attorneys Office and all law enforcement agencies within Racine County work very hard to be as open and transparent with the public as we are able to," Hanson wrote in response to The Journal Times report. "The work we all do, however, requires that the timing of releasing information is done with great caution and care."
A second Racine man faces an attempted homicide charge for allegedly shooting a 16-year-old on March 20 on Racine's north side in what authorities are calling "an attempted execution" that was captured on video.

The Racine Police Department believes the shooting is a case of mistaken identity, with the shooters believing the teenager was a Northside For Life gang member even though he is not actually affiliated with any gang.

Police also have asserted that the March 20 shooting was intended to be in retribution for the March 13 killing of 14-year-old Eugene Henderson. According to court documents, both of the men charged in the March 20 shooting were wearing clothing in tribute to Henderson when they were arrested and police asserted that those charged believe the NFL gang was responsible for Henderson's death.
MUSKEGO  A novel about a Japanese-American familys experience in a World War II internment camp in the American West, inspired by the authors own ancestors, will likely not be taught to Racine County and Waukesha County high school sophomores because of actions by a school board.

Last month, the Muskego-Norway School Board Curriculum Educational Services Committee sent back When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka to the school district Curriculum Planning Committee, which had recommended the board buy 60 book copies for an accelerated 10th grade English class.

Some board members said the novel is not appropriate for an English course. They also said the book is one-sided, diverse and was selected from a list of potential titles that was too short.

The internment of more than 120,000 people of Japanese descent in the U.S., two-thirds of whom were U.S. citizens, marks one of the few times the U.S. government has paid reparations to those it has admitted to have wronged. An estimated $400 million worth of property was forcibly lost by those incarcerated for nothing more than their ethnicity.

Community members opposed to the committees decision have written a petition with more than 200 signatures. They also sent a letter to the school board asking for the committee to explain its reasoning for not approving Emperor, listen to community concerns and learn from subject matter experts.

The books editor wrote a letter asking the school board to reconsider its action, and so did the Japanese American Citizen League. A national museum that tells the story of one internment camp has invited board members to tour its site.

The school board has made no indication that it will be shifting course.

Quote I dont know what the other side is of innocent people being locked up without trial because they look like the enemy. Julie Otsuka, author of When the Emperor Was Divine

Otsuka was shocked that the school board didnt approve her novel and believes it is the first time that has happened in the two decades since its publication.

Ive never encountered any opposition at all to teaching this book, Otsuka said in an interview with a reporter.

Otsuka was disappointed with the committees decision but also encouraged by the local response.

I was incredibly heartened by all the parents and students in Muskego who came out in opposition, Otsuka said. To see this community rally around the book because they believe that the truth should be told  it gives me a lot of hope.

Not banned, but not approved

According to Ann Zielke, a school district parent, the three-person Curriculum Educational Services Committee sent back Emperor without comment during its June 13 meeting. Community members in attendance asked questions about why the book was not moved forward.

The school district has not posted minutes from the June 13 meeting, and there does not appear to be a recording of the public meeting.

According to Zielkes notes, committee member Laurie Kontney said during the meeting that the book was recommended because it was diverse.

Zielke asked why that was an issue, and Kontney responded by saying it cant only be about oppression, according to Zielke.

Kontney was elected to the school board in April. One of the tenets of her campaign was Critical thinking, not critical race theory.

According to Zielke, committee member Tracy Blair said during the meeting that she read the book but didnt like it, in part because the characters didnt have names; it was a literary choice of the author to not name the characters, instead referring to them as the woman, the girl, the father, etc.

In an email to The Journal Times, committee member Terri Boyer said the novel did not move forward due to concerns about following board policy, not because of the books material.

The process was the issue, not the content of the book, Boyer wrote. There were many personal book opinions shared by several people, but that was not the reason the book was not selected. Our policy states selection of instructional materials shall not discriminate on the basis of any characteristics protected under state or federal law. Concerns were raised about whether this policy was followed. To ensure the policy is followed, staff pulled the book from being recommended and will start the process over to ensure a fair and non-discriminatory process will be used to select a book for this class.

Boyer said Emperor can still be considered in the new process.

No books were banned, Boyer wrote.

In an email, Kontney declined to be interviewed and said she did not want to be misquoted and have what (she) said cut up and spun to meet a narrative.

Kontney offered a brief explanation for why she did not support When the Emperor Was Divine. She believes more books should have been considered and that Otsukas novel is more suitable for a history course.

I would like to see the pool of books opened up to assure that the book selected is the best fit to meet the literary needs and learning objectives of the English class, Kontney wrote.

However, Zielke emphasized that the book is not intended to be an informational text. Rather, it was recommended by the planning committee because of its writing style.

These kids are reading a piece of literature, Zielke said. You will always discuss what it contains, but it was chosen for its style.

Otsuka did extensive research for the book but is not a historian.

Im a literary writer, Otsuka said. Thats how I see myself, and I think thats how the book has been received.

Jordan Pavlin, editor-in-chief of Alfred A. Knopf, which published Emperor, wrote a letter to the school board asking that it approve the book. Pavlin is Otsukas editor and believes the novels style and subject matter make it deserving of inclusion in a high school English course.

Blair did not respond to a request for comment.

Claims of balance concerns, one-sidedness

Zielke said that in conversations she had with Boyer and Chris Buckmaster, the school board president, Boyer and Buckmaster expressed concerns about balance issues with the book, saying students should also hear the U.S. governments perspective about Japanese American incarceration.

Boyer said she could not confirm expressing that opinion. Buckmaster did not respond to a request for comment; neither did Superintendent Kelly Thompson, who oversees the school district that served about 4,800 students in 2020-21.

Board member Brett Hyde, who is not on the committee, told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that from what he heard at the June 13 meeting, committee members felt the book was too similar in terms of the viewpoint and the timeframe to an excerpt from Farewell to Manzanar, another book taught in the 10th grade English class.

Hyde told the Journal-Sentinel there could be reading material from another angle that would provide some history as to why the citizens of Japanese descent were viewed as a threat and what was the reasoning to have them put into the internment camps.

Otsuka does not believe that perspective is required, noting that the U.S. government formally apologized for incarcerating Japanese Americans.

As far as Im concerned, there are no two sides, Otsuka said. I dont know what the other side is of innocent people being locked up without trial because they look like the enemy.

President Ronald Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 that apologized and paid $20,000 each to surviving Japanese Americans incarcerated at internment camps. A Congressional commission that investigated the impact of the camps called them a grave injustice motivated by racial prejudice, war hysteria and the failure of political leadership.

David Inoue, executive director of the Japanese American Citizens League, concurred with Otsuka.

The call for a balanced viewpoint in the context of the incarceration of Japanese Americans is deeply problematic and racist, and plays into the same fallacies the United States Army used to justify the incarceration, Inoue wrote in a letter to the school board. While not every book and story can be told, to deny the use of one such as this under the pretenses youve given is wrong. The story of what happened to the Japanese American community is an American story, one that balances the challenges of injustice, but also the patriotic stories of service and resistance. If anything, these are stories that need to be told more in our schools.

Aura Sunada Newlin, Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation interim executive director, invited the school board to visit the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center in northwest Wyoming. The interpretive center tells the story of 14,000 Japanese Americans who were incarcerated at the Heart Mountain Relocation Center during WWII.

We are confident in our mutual desire to sincerely educate the American public about the incarceration of Japanese Americans in order to prevent a similar injustice occurring in our shared present or future, Newlin, a descendant of Heart Mountain incarcerees, wrote in a letter to Buckmaster.
After many years, the cleanup of toxic chemicals in a little town in northern Wisconsin can finally continue.

As part of President Joe Bidens 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, $3.5 billion was allotted for the cleanup of backlogged contamination sites. In the first wave of funding, a site in Daniels, Wisconsin  an unincorporated town near the Minnesota border  was chosen to receive financial support, the Environmental Protection Agency announced in December.

The Wisconsin Department of Resources announced in May it had received $1.4 million in federal funds. Work is scheduled to start this summer and continue into the winter.

For more than 100 years, the upper Midwest was the nations industrial center, Debra Shore, an EPA Regional Administrator, said in a release. But when factories and mills closed they left behind a legacy of toxic sites that are challenging to clean up.

The Daniels site once housed Penta Wood Products, a wood treatment facility that operated from 1953 to 1992, according to the EPA. The business used a chemical called pentachlorophenol, an industrial wood preservative, to treat posts and telephone poles by dipping them in an open tank. The chemical must now be removed or neutralized, the EPA said.

Penta Wood dumped wastewater into a gully, resulting in soil and groundwater contaminated with pentachlorophenol and arsenic, the EPA said. The DNR first investigated Penta Wood in 1986 and found the contamination.

Excavation of soil near the wetlands is scheduled for late summer or early fall, said Celine Wysgalla, a project manager for the EPA.

High doses of those chemicals can be deadly in groundwater in the short term, and long-term effects include various cancers and skin discoloration or soreness, according to the World Health Organization.

Penta Wood voluntarily closed in 1992 after the Wisconsin Department of Justice filed an injunction due to the contamination, and a court ruled that Penta Wood had to pay to remove contaminated soil, according to the EPA. Penta Wood said it could not afford the price of removal, leading to a fine of $37,400 for damages.

In 1996, the EPA designated the property a Superfund site, which allows the federal agency to clean it up.

The EPA removed approximately 28 storage tanks filled with liquid and sludge, plus thousands of gallons of a mixture of chemicals and oil, the agency said. It also removed some soil and wood chips, and stabilized more with a concrete mixture. It built a water treatment system alongside groundwater extraction wells.

Since then, the site has seen only slight changes, as the EPA  and starting in 2014, the DNR  monitored the progress made by those cleanup structures.

This is work weve been trying to do for a while, Wysgalla said. Addressing the backlog of sites that we have that need work done in of itself is a success.

The EPA has conducted a review every five years since construction of the cleanup structures was completed, with the most recent in 2020. That report found that PCP and arsenic levels in the ground surrounding the area are still high, which could pose a threat in the long term.

This is a great opportunity to address some of these sites that have been waiting for a little while, Tim Fischer, an EPA Remedial Branch Manager said. Through the infrastructure law, we have enough funding to start on all of those sites.

The DNR says it plans to excavate more soil near wetlands around the 80-acre property with the federal money.

The EPA has identified 56 chemical spill sites in Wisconsin, and more than 1,800 across the country. Many of these sites in Wisconsin are near Madison or Milwaukee. Racial minorities and those below the poverty level are more likely to live within a mile of a chemical spill, according to a 2020 EPA study.

The Badger Project (thebadgerproject.org) is a nonpartisan, citizen-supported journalism nonprofit in Wisconsin. This article first appeared on The Badger Project and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
1. Yes. After what happened in Uvalde, its important to have that level of security.

2. Yes. The district should start a program to recruit and train qualified officers for the job.

3. No. With 50 KISD campuses, the additional cost to taxpayers would be unacceptable.

4. No. It would be too hard to achieve. Just keep the current practice of rotating officers.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say without knowing how such a program would be instituted..

Vote

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When Ryan Long arrived at the Lancaster County Courthouse from the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution for his latest sentencing hearing Thursday morning, the 32-year-old Lincoln man was already serving a 27-year sentence for a fatal shooting.

Now, Long will tack close to another decade onto his stint in Tecumseh after Judge Jodi Nelson sentenced him to 18 to 50 years in prison for shooting his then-girlfriend during a Halloween-night fight in 2019 near 21st and Garfield streets.

A jury in April found Long guilty of second-degree assault, use of a firearm to commit a felony and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person for his role in the shooting, which transpired about 4 a.m. Nov. 1, 2019, when Long got into an argument with his then-girlfriend Champaynne King, now 23, according to prosecutors.

Long was standing near the driver's side of a Nissan Pathfinder parked near 21st and Garfield when he fired a gun into the car as King sat in the front passenger seat.

The bullet pierced through King's right thigh and exited the passenger side door, according to police. The woman didn't report the shooting for six weeks.

At trial, Long's attorney Nancy Peterson cast King as unreliable after she admitted in testimony she tried to bribe Long after, telling him for $10,000 she could "make it go away."

"This is a woman you would not trust to walk your dog," Peterson said at the April trial. "How can you trust this woman with the verdict?"

Long denied shooting King and told the court he had "no idea" how she suffered in the injures. But jurors rejected that defense, finding Long guilty beyond a reasonable doubt on all three counts.

On Thursday, Nelson sentenced Long to 10 to 20 years for the second-degree assault and a combined eight to 30 years for the two firearms charges. He received credit for serving four days in jail.

Long would be parole eligible in as few as nine years if not for his previous conviction. A jury in October found the 32-year-old guilty of manslaughter for the fatal 2020 shooting of Michael Whitemagpie in an alley near 33rd and T streets. He will serve at least 27 years in that shooting.

Both sentences will run consecutively, Nelson ruled Thursday. Long won't be parole eligible for nearly 38 years.
Under the new CDC guidelines, COVID levels in La Crosse County seem to be in frequent fluctuation, bouncing from high to low as frequently as week to week.

The fluctuations, however, are not necessarily indicative of rising or falling infection rates, says infectious disease expert Megan Meller of Gundersen Health System, and shouldnt be cause for anxiety.

One of the things we see a lot is of confusion between the different measurements. ... (CDC) community levels are different than community transmission, says Meller. Community level data itself also takes into account not just COVID-19 transmission, but also burden on the health care systems, like how many people are getting hospitalized with COVID, and then what the staffing look like for inpatient beds. Whereas when you just look at the transmission level, its just looking at the number of cases occurring within the population.

Continues Meller, And so those numbers could fluctuate wildly and thats thats what were seeing at play, depending on whats happening within the community, like if people are traveling, if school is not in session, youre youre going to see the kind of these fluctuations, along with the fact that testing is also going very well.

The CDCs COVID-19 Community Level metric factors in the number of hospital beds being used, hospital admissions, and the total number of new cases in an area. A single measurement may not change much in a weeks time, but one or two of the others could fluctuate, affecting the level determination.

Per DHS data, seven day averages for the Wisconsin have ranged from the 1,400s to 1,900s over the past month, a significant increase from three digit figures  as low as the 200s  in early spring, but still a drastic decrease from early 2022, when averages were as high as 15,500.

La Crosse County over the past four weeks has maintained a daily average in the 30s, and in May daily cases ranged from 40 to 60, per the Mayo Clinic data tracker.

The CDC put the COVID level in La Crosse County at high the week of Feb. 24, dropping to low the following week. The decline in cases per 100,000 only declined by around 25, from 174 to 150, but the hospitalization admissions per 100,000 had a large drop, from 21.8 to 9.3 per 100,000. Inpatient bed utilization went from 6.3 to 3.8 per 100,000.

La Crosse County was most recently high level on June 9, with cases at 219.46, hospital admissions at 10.5 and inpatient beds at 3.2. The county dropped to medium the following week and was low the past two weeks. For the week of June 30, cases were 177.94 per 100,000, hospital admissions 7 per 100,000 and inpatient beds at 2.5 per 100,000.

With overall case rates far lower than during the peak of omicron, Meller says, levels are more of a concern on the hospitalization part.

One of the things that were very strong advocates for is, of course, getting vaccinated, says Meller, which not only lowers risk of infection but significantly reduces chances of severe disease, hospitalization and death. The recent CDC approval of vaccination for youth six months to four, the last age group to be authorized, is really big, Meller says, as COVID seems to be here to stay.

I think were still learning what that baseline looks like. The more that we can get people vaccinated and the more that people understand what their own risk is, like we do with influenza, (the better off well be),Meller says.

CDC community level ratings come with guidelines for masking, with face coverings considered optional at low and medium levels but recommended for all, regardless of vaccination status, at high level. At present, Meller says, it is largely an individual judgement of whether you feel comfortable being unmasked in public. Considerations may include whether a person has been vaccinated, and boosted if eligible, and if they have health conditions that make them more susceptible to severe illness.

Even when the county is at high level, Meller says, residents in most circumstances shouldnt be overly worried about others being unmasked.

I dont think its a huge concern at this point because we know that the vast amount of population is either vaccinated or they were exposed at one point. So they already have some immunity from COVID-19, Meller says. However, she notes, I think its really important for people to respect (the health of others) and mindful of their actions, and knowing who theyre around, in terms of masking.

Though low levels dont require masking in most settings, health care settings, including Gundersen and Mayo Clinic Health System, continue to require face coverings in their buildings.

Thats something that the CDC is very clear on, Meller says. We we have to go by actual transmission levels (rather than a hybrid of measurements).

In addition to vaccination, and masking when appropriate, Meller emphasizes hand washing, staying home if feeling ill, being tested for COVID, and not touching your face without cleaning or disinfecting your hands first. With at-home COVID testing kits readily available, people will be better able to determine if they have a common cold or COVID, and isolate if necessary.

Since omicrons rapid circulation, no other variants have caused mass spikes in case rates, and while future mutations of the virus are inevitable they hopefully wont prove as dangerous.

I think we are approaching this new phase of the pandemic, Meller says. Were getting there. Were about two and a half years in at this point, and it seems like a long slog. But we know were getting there and were working on trying to figure out how to how to live with this.
Tom had some help. Although historians credit Thomas Jefferson and the Committee of Five for the Declaration of Independence, most of the ideas  and even many of the words themselves  were hammered out in another committee miles away.

Just weeks before the meeting of the Continental Congress in 1776, George Mason and members of the Virginia House of Burgesses were locked in their own debate over the British crisis. Mason, deeply touched by the notions of freedom and God-given rights expressed by political philosopher John Locke urged the Virginians to draft a bold proposal.

So on June 12, 1776, in Williamsburg, the Virginia House of Burgesses passed a resolution instructing their delegates to the Continental Congress to present a document that would include a section declaring the United Colonies free and Independent States.

When the document, known as the Virginia Declaration of Rights, reached Congress in Philadelphia, however, the delegates doubted they had support for the whole draft. Jefferson and the Committee of Five were then asked to rewrite the Declaration section and prepare it for a vote. Despite the drama, Congress passed the Declaration of Independence on July 2, 1776.

Meanwhile, in the years leading up to the Declaration, God formed another committee. A group of three English clergymen who would steele the souls of the Colonials against the dark days of war. The Wesley brothers, John and Charles, along with the indominable George Whitfield, sparked whats known as the Great Awakening, a time when Americans turned to faith in droves.

Even old Ben Franklin, not exactly a paradigm of religiosity noticed a difference. It was wonderful to see the changes, he noted in his autobiography. It seemed as if all the world were growing religious.

Writing in the Journal of the American Revolution, Kenneth Lawson recently observed that, Whitfield was a unifying factor in a colonies-wide awakening that helped the Colonies come together as one nation.

Perhaps its time to take a breath a learn from history. Polarization is nothing new to our nation. And often during those times God sent people, or groups of them, to urge Americans to faith in God and turn to Him for help. Today, instead of listening, we see overt opposition to Gods ways. Church services are even interrupted and their buildings desecrated.

One of historys most successful rulers wrote, Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord, (Psalm 144:15).
For now, wary US treads water with transformed COVID-19

The fast-changing coronavirus has kicked off summer in the U.S. with lots of infections but relatively few deaths compared to its prior incarnations. COVID-19 is still killing hundreds of Americans each day, but for many people the virus is not nearly as dangerous as it was. Its easy to feel confused by the mixed picture: Repeat infections are increasingly likely, and a sizeable share of those infected will face the lingering symptoms of long COVID-19. Yet, the stark danger of death has diminished for many people. How long the interlude will last is impossible to know. A new more dangerous variant could be around the corner.

'Revolutionary' high court term on abortion, guns and more

WASHINGTON (AP)  Abortion, guns, religion. A major change in the law in any one of these areas would have made for a fateful Supreme Court term. But in its first full term together, the courts conservative majority ruled in all three and issued other significant decisions limiting the governments regulatory powers. And that majority has signaled it has no plans to slow down. With former President Donald Trump's three appointees in their 50s, the six-justice conservative majority seems poised to keep control of the court for years to come, if not decades. Its remaining opinions issued, the court began its summer recess Thursday, and the justices will next return to the courtroom in October.

From AM to PM, the fickle force of government is with you

WASHINGTON (AP)  The Supreme Court's ruling on carbon emission controls on power plants this past week has cast light on the world of federal regulation. The ruling is seen as a potential blow to the fight against global warming, and it may have broader implications, too. Federal regulations run through American life, touching on everything we consume, the air we breathe, the water we drink. Regulation has become the go-to way for presidents to make policy when they cant get Congress to pass a law, as on climate change. Barack Obama and Donald Trump did it, and so does Joe Biden. But the courts conservative majority said not so fast to Biden.

Russia's messages with missiles tell West to back off

KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  The latest in a litany of horrors in Ukraine came this week as Russian firepower rained down on civilians in a busy shopping mall far from the front lines of a war in its fifth month. The timing of the attack was not likely a coincidence. While much of the attritional war in Ukraines east is hidden from sight, the brutality of Russian missile strikes on a mall in the central city of Kremenchuk and on residential buildings in the capital of Kyiv unfolded in full view of the world. The timing of both attacks appeared to be juxtaposed with three summits in Europe where Western leaders emphasized their support for Ukraine.

Texas clinics halt abortions after state high court ruling

AUSTIN, Texas (AP)  Clinics are shutting down abortion services in Texas after the Supreme Court in the nation's second-largest state blocked an order that briefly allowed the procedure to resume in some cases. It's the latest development in legal scrambles taking place across the country following the reversal of reversal of Roe v. Wade. The Friday night ruling stopped a three-day-old order allowing abortions to resume up to six weeks into pregnancy. On Saturday, the American Civil Liberties Union said it doubted that any abortions were now being provided in the state. One provider, Whole Womans Health, says the ruling forced it to stop offering the procedure in its four Texas clinics.

Bodies of 3 missing kids, woman found in Minnesota lake

VADNAIS HEIGHTS, Minn. (AP)  The bodies of three young children and a woman believed to be their mother have been recovered from a Minnesota lake. Authorities say the deaths are being investigated as a triple murder-suicide. The chain of events began Friday morning when the father was found dead at a mobile home park in the town of Maplewood, near Minneapolis. Police determined that the woman had left with the children, and a search began. The womans car was found near Vadnais Lake. One child's body was found in the lake Friday night, another shortly after midnight, and the bodies of the third child and the mother were found late Saturday morning. All of the children were under age 5.

Uvalde schools' police chief resigns from City Council

The Uvalde school districts police chief has stepped down from his position in the City Council just weeks after being sworn in following allegations that he erred in his response to the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School that left 19 students and two teachers dead. Chief Pete Arredondo told the Uvalde Leader-News Friday that his resignation is the best decision for Uvalde. He was elected to the District 3 council position on May 7 and sworn in on May 31. The director of the Texas Department of Public Safety told a Senate hearing last month that Arredondo made terrible decisions as the massacre unfolded on May 24 , and that the police response was an abject failure.

Palestinians give bullet that killed journalist to US team

JERUSALEM (AP)  The Palestinian Authority says it has given the bullet that killed Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh to American forensic experts. The move takes a step toward resolving a standoff with Israel over the investigation into her death. Abu Akleh, a veteran correspondent who was well known throughout the Arab world, was fatally shot while covering an Israeli military raid on May 11 in the occupied West Bank. The Palestinians, along with colleagues who were with her, say she was killed by Israeli fire. Israel says its troops were in a battle with Palestinian gunmen, and it's unclear who fired the fatal shot. It says the bullet must be inspected to understand what happened.

Google to erase more location info as abortion bans expand

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (AP)  Google will automatically purge information about users who visit abortion clinics and other places that could trigger legal problems now that the U.S. Supreme Court has opened the door for states to ban the termination of pregnancies. The company behind the internets dominant internet search engine and Android phone software outlined the new privacy protections in a Friday blog post. Other places Google plans to erase from location histories include counseling centers and fertility centers. The move is made as Google and other Big Tech companies face escalating pressure to safeguard the sensitive personal information collected through their products.

High court marshal seeks enforcement of anti-picketing laws

RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  The marshal of the U.S. Supreme Court has asked Maryland and Virginia officials to enforce laws she says prohibit picketing outside the homes of the justices who live in the two states. Marshal Gail Curley took up the issue Friday with Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and two local elected officials. A Hogan spokesman said Saturday that the Republican governor had directed state police to further review enforcement options that respect the First Amendment and the Constitution. But he also noted that the constitutionality of the Maryland statute Curley cited has been questioned by the Maryland Attorney Generals Office.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Russian forces pounded the city of Lysychansk and its surroundings in an all-out attempt to seize the last stronghold of resistance in eastern Ukraine's Luhansk province, the governor said Saturday. A presidential adviser said its fate would be decided within the next two days.

Ukrainian fighters have spent weeks trying to defend the city and to keep it from falling to Russia, as neighboring Sievierodonetsk did a week ago.

Over the last day, the occupiers opened fire from all available kinds of weapons, Luhansk Gov. Serhiy Haidai said Saturday on the Telegram messaging app.

A river separates Lysychansk from Sievierodonetsk, and Oleksiy Arestovych, an adviser to the Ukrainian president, said during an online interview late Saturday that Russian forces had managed for the first time to cross the river from the north, creating a threatening situation. He said they had not reached the center of the city, but control over Lysychansk would be decided by Monday.

Volodymyr Nazarenko, the second in command of the Svoboda battalion who was part of the June 24 retreat from Sievierodonetsk, said the Russians had methodically leveled the city. He described how Russian tanks targeted one building after another, moving on after each one was destroyed.

So they use these tactics where barrages of ammunition are used to destroy the city and turn it into a burnt-down desert, Nazarenko said from the relative safety of Bakhmut, a city to the southwest.

He also said Russian troops obliterated any potential defensive positions with constant artillery and burned down forests to prevent trench warfare."

Luhansk and neighboring Donetsk are the two provinces that make up the Donbas, where Russia has focused its offensive since pulling back from northern Ukraine and the capital, Kyiv, in the spring.

Pro-Russia separatists have held portions of both eastern provinces since 2014, and Moscow recognizes all of Luhansk and Donetsk as sovereign republics. Syria's government said Wednesday that it would also recognize the independence and sovereignty of the two areas and work to establish diplomatic relations with the separatists.

In Slovyansk, a major Donetsk city still under Ukrainian control, four people died when Russian forces fired cluster munitions late Friday, Mayor Vadym Lyakh said on Facebook. He said the neighborhoods that were hit didn't contain any potential military targets.

The leader of neighboring Belarus, a Russian ally, claimed Saturday that Ukraine fired missiles at military targets on Belarusian territory several days ago but all were intercepted by the air defense system. President Alexander Lukashenko described it as a provocation and noted that no Belarusian soldiers are fighting in Ukraine. There was no immediate response from the Ukrainian military.

Belarus hosts Russian military units and was used as a staging ground for Russia's invasion. Last week, just hours before Lukashenko was to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian long-range bombers fired missiles on Ukraine from Belarusian airspace for the first time.

Lukashenko has so far resisted efforts to draw his army into the war. But during their meeting, Putin announced that Russia planned to supply Belarus with the Iskander-M missile system and reminded Lukashenko of how dependent his government is on economic support from Russia.

Lukashenko on Saturday also claimed that two Belarusian truck drivers were killed in Ukraine. Ukraine said the truckers were at a gas station when it was hit by a Russian airstrike in March, but Lukashenko claimed the organs were cut out of their bodies to hide evidence that they were shot.

Elsewhere in Ukraine, investigators combed through the wreckage from a Russian airstrike early Friday on residential areas near the Ukrainian port of Odesa that killed 21 people.

Ukrainian Prosecutor-General Iryna Venediktova said the investigators were recovering fragments from missiles that struck an apartment building in the small coastal town of Serhiivka. They also were taking measurements to determine the trajectory of the weapons and "the specific people guilty of this terrible war crime, she said.

Larissa Andruchenko said she was in the kitchen making tea at about 1 a.m. when a blast blew the doors open. At first she thought the propane gas tank had exploded, and called her husband to the kitchen.

And right then the lights went off and it was nightmare. The two of us are in the kitchen with glass flying, everything was flying," she said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said three anti-ship missiles struck an ordinary residential building, a nine-story building housing about 160 people. The victims of Friday's attack also included four members of a family staying at a seaside campsite, he said.

'I emphasize: This is deliberate direct Russian terror, and not some mistake or an accidental missile strike," Zelenskyy said.

The British Defense Ministry said Saturday that air-launched anti-ship missiles generally don't have precision accuracy against ground targets. It said Russia likely was using such missiles because of a shortage of more accurate weapons.

The Kremlin has repeatedly claimed that the Russian military is targeting fuel storage sites and military facilities, not residential areas, although missiles also recently hit an apartment building in Kyiv and a shopping mall in the central city of Kremenchuk.

On Saturday, Kremenchuk Mayor Vitaliy Maletskyy said the death toll in the mall attack had risen to 21 and one person was still missing.

Ukrainian authorities interpreted the missile attack in Odesa as payback for the withdrawal of Russian troops from a nearby Black Sea island with both symbolic and strategic significance in the war that started with Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine.

Moscow portrayed their departure from Snake Island as a goodwill gesture to help unblock exports of grain.

In other developments:

 The director of a charity helping the family of a British man captured in eastern Ukraine said Dylan Healy was detained on April 25 at a Russian checkpoint in the south of the Zaporizhzhia region. Dominik Byrne, director of operations at Presidium Network, told The Associated Press that Healy is an aid worker and has no connection either to the Ukrainian or the British military.

Healy is among at least five foreigners, including four Britons, being held by separatists, who accuse them of being mercenaries fighting for Ukraine. Three have been sentenced to death. The charges against Healy were announced Friday.

Follow AP's coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
A Dane County resident has been infected with monkeypox, the first known case in Wisconsin as cases continue to rise nationwide, the state Department of Health Services reported Friday.

DHS officials said in a statement the adult is currently isolating, and the overall risk to the general public remains low. There have been about 400 confirmed monkeypox and orthopoxvirus cases in the U.S. as of Thursday. No deaths have been reported in the country.

We have an opportunity to prevent it from spreading widely, but were only going to do it if people think to test for it, Dr. Ryan Westergaard, chief medical officer with the DHS, said Friday. Its not a trivial virus  people have died from monkeypox. You dont want it, for sure, but its not something that should cause undue alarm for the general public.

Most monkeypox patients experience fever, body aches, chills and fatigue, though more serious illness  including a rash and lesions on the face and body  can develop in some individuals. Westergaard said monkeypox vaccines are available to doctors and clinicians through the federal government.

The disease is transmitted through respiratory droplets, sustained skin-to-skin contact and contact with items that have been contaminated with fluids or sores of a person with monkeypox.

Westergaard said one potential reason for the rising number of cases of monkeypox in the U.S. may be related to lowering levels of overall immunity in the general population to smallpox, a disease quite similar to monkeypox.

Prior generations were vaccinated for smallpox. Since we eradicated smallpox and since we no longer give smallpox vaccines to the general population, the number of people who are susceptible to monkeypox has increased dramatically, Westergaard said.

The conditions were right for this virus, which is endemic in animals, rodents, to jump over and in the right environment it can cause a cluster or a network, and what were seeing now is transmission aided by international travel among other things.

The disease is endemic in parts of Africa, where people have been infected through bites from rodents or small animals. It does not usually spread easily among people.

Last month, cases began emerging in Europe and the United States. Many  but not all  of those who contracted the virus had traveled internationally. Most were men who have sex with men, but health officials stress that anyone can get monkeypox.

Its an important conversation because we want people to know who is at risk and that information is important to share but we also want to make sure that people understand this is not a disease that affects only people who identify as LGTBQ, anyone can get it, and its important when we communicate about it to avoid language that can shame or marginalize, Westergaard said.

To prevent spread of the disease, DHS officials encourage residents to avoid skin-to-skin contact with people showing a rash or skin sores and activities or gatherings where close contact is likely in areas with known monkeypox spread.

Individuals exposed to the virus should contact their health care provider, monitor their health for symptoms and avoid contact with others until they receive treatment.

We can prevent and treat people with monkeypox infection and we can potentially prevent it from spreading and taking hold so it becomes an endemic virus, but were only going to do that if we catch as many cases as we can, Westergaard said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Why are so many people surprised at the reversal of the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision? Even the darling of the left, Ruth Ginsburg, said the old decision was faulty. Abortion is not mentioned as a right granted in the Constitution. The 10th Amendment clearly states, "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states."

The court's decision has more to do with our bloating federal government eroding powers of the states (the state is the basic unit of government in our republic). As we should have learned in civics class, we are a republic of 50 states, not a democracy of one state.

The media has given us very limited information concerning the Mississippi abortion law triggering the decision. The Mississippi law limits "elective abortion" to the first 15 weeks of gestation. The media tells us that the majority did not want Roe vs Wade overturned. However 65% do not support abortion after the first trimester (12 weeks). Therefore, the majority of Americans would support the Mississippi law that prompted the Supreme Court hearing.

The pro-abortion movement wants you to think that the Mississippi law is extreme; however, of 50 European countries, only Iceland, Sweden and Netherlands have more liberal abortion laws. None allow elective abortion in the 3rd trimester. What is extreme is the California pro-abortion AB2223 allowing abortion up to birth.

The court's decision protects us from woke California politics.

Thomas Schank
Scientists have identified a star that, they say, survived a massive explosion and ended up being brighter than before.

The star is a kind known as a white dwarf. These are very dense objects that have a mass about equal to the sun. But they can be as large as planets like Earth. A white dwarf is formed when the star burns off all its central nuclear fuel and loses its outer layers.

Astronomers observed the white dwarf star with the Hubble Space Telescope. The telescope is operated by the American Space Agency NASA.

The Hubble has discovered the oldest burned-out stars in our Milky Way Galaxy," NASA reported. Some ancient white dwarf stars seen by Hubble are estimated to be 12 to 13 billion years old. That is nearly as old as the universe itself.

The observed star is in a galaxy called NGC 1309. It is about three quarters the size of our Milky Way. The white dwarf is about 108 million light years from Earth. A light year is the distance light travels in a year.

The observation team said that at some point, the white dwarf reached a mass that was 1.4 times the suns mass. This led to thermonuclear reactions in the stars center that caused a supernova event.

NASA describes a supernova as an extremely bright, super-powerful explosion of a star. A supernova takes place at the end of a stars life. The scientists say the supernova should have killed off the white dwarf star but did not.

The research was led by a team at the Las Cumbres Observatory in California. The lead writer of a study describing the finding was astronomer Curtis McCully.

He told Reuters news agency, "During the explosion, radioactive material was produced. This is what powers the brightness of the supernova. He added that some of the material was left over in the surviving remnant star and acted as fuel to heat it.

"We were quite surprised that the star itself had not been destroyed but had actually survived and is brighter than before it exploded," McCully said.

There are different kinds of supernova events. Each depends on the size and chemical makeup of the star and the power of the explosion.

This observed white dwarf produced an uncommon kind of supernova called Type Iax, the Las Cumbres Observatory said in a statement. The team said this kind is less bright and weaker than traditional Type Ia supernovas.

Scientists believe this kind of supernova does not destroy the white dwarf. Instead, it leaves behind an "undead" remnant. This theory is confirmed by the new observations, the research team said.

"We have called these objects 'zombie stars' for this very reason. They died, but not quite, McCully said. Earlier experiments involving supernova activity had suggested that in some cases, white dwarf stars were able to survive these kinds of events. It's exciting to think that was telling us something about the actual physics of these supernovas," McCully added.

Scientists have discovered about 50 supernovas of this kind. But until now, they had not been able to identify the surviving white dwarf star.

Scientists believe that our sun is also likely to become a white dwarf one day. This happens to about 97 percent of stars. But the event involving our sun is not expected to happen until at least 5 billion years from now.

Im Bryan Lynn.

Reuters and the Las Cumbres Observatory reported on this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the report for VOA Learning English.

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Words in This Story

galaxy  n. one of the independent groups of stars in the universe

remnant  n. a piece of something that continues to exist when the rest of that thing goes away

zombie  n. a dead body that walks around, as portrayed in fictional stories
Hello! This week on Ask a Teacher, we will answer a question from Maria, a teacher from Brazil, about the difference between to me and for me.

Question:

Hello,

If I am asking a student to read in class, should I say to me or for me? I would to know which one is correct.

Could you read it to me? or

Could you read it for me?

Thanks a lot,

Maria

Answer:

Dear Maria,

Thank you for writing to us. Both of these questions can be correct. The choice of to me or for me depends on the meaning you would like to express.

In the examples you sent us, to and for are both used as prepositions. Prepositions are a word or group of words that is used with a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase to show physical direction, location, time, or to introduce an object.

To and for in the examples you sent are used to introduce an object, but the meanings are different.

We will take a closer look at these differences.

To me

To is used to show the physical direction of an action. But in your example, the use slightly changes.

Could you read it to me?

In your example, to is used to show who the action of reading is directed towards.

The object of the preposition is me, receiving the action of reading.

It is like asking:

Could you direct your reading towards me?

You could have also said:

Could you read it to us?

In this example us would be the whole class.

For me

The preposition of for can have many meanings.

Could you read it for me?

The preposition of for in this example means in place of, to help, or on behalf of.

Me is again the object of the preposition.

So, instead of you reading a story, you are asking the student to read a story in place of you or to help you by reading it.

Summary

If something is directed towards you and you are receiving the action, use to me.

Another example is:

Could you bring my science book to me?

Here you are asking someone to bring your book to you. You will receive it and take it with you.

But if you ask,

Could you bring my science book for me?

you are requesting that someone brings your book in place of you bringing it. They will take it with them to class, instead of you taking it.

For me is used if you are asking someone to do something on behalf of you, in place of you doing it, or to help you.

Please let us know if these example s and explanations have helped you, Maria!

What question do you have about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com

And thats Ask a Teacher.

Im Faith Pirlo.

Faith Pirlo wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English.

Do you have a question for the teacher? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.
I have no choice about whether or not I have Parkinsons. I have nothing but choices about how I react to it. In those choices, theres freedom to do a lot of things in areas that I wouldnt have otherwise found myself in. Michael J. Fox on living with Parkinsons disease

It started in 2003 with tremors in her right hand. By 2004 Lexington resident Sally Leu couldnt get her shirts buttoned because the shaking was so bad. The diagnosis? Leu had Parkinsons disease.

Parkinsons disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease in the world. In fact, every nine minutes another person is diagnosed with Parkinsons. Scientists believe a combination of genetic and environmental factors are the cause. Motor symptoms of Parkinsons, such as bradykinesia (slowness of movement), fatigue, tremor and rigidity, may be accompanied by non-motor symptoms such as loss of smell, constipation, sexual dysfunction and mood changes.

According to a recent Parkinsons Report, there is no one way to diagnose Parkinsons. Various symptoms and diagnostic tests, including a neurological exam, are used in combination to help medical professionals confirm a PD diagnosis.

Movement problems associated with PD are primarily caused by inadequate levels of dopamine, a chemical that transmits messages from an area of the brain called the substantia nigra to other parts of the brain that control muscles throughout the body.

People with PD have substantially less dopamine than normal. Exactly why some people produce less dopamine than normal isnt know, however, age may play a role.

Although symptoms may begin before age 40, most people with the condition begin to experience symptoms later in life. In addition to the slowness of movement, tremors and rigidity, PD sufferers may have impaired posture and balance, and experience speech problems such as loss of voice volume, speed and clarity.

Mood changes could include anxiety and depression and about one quarter of people with Parkinsons eventually develop dementia.

Not everyone responds the same way to medications and noted Leu, We worked the next eight years on medication adjustments to keep symptoms in check.

As the years wore on, the symptoms became more disruptive and disabling. Leu, as do many PD sufferers, scoured literature for options and answers. In 2012 she broached trying deep brain stimulation or DBS with her doctors.

DBS is a surgical procedure that involves implanting electrodes in the brain, which deliver electrical impulses that block or change the abnormal activity that causes symptoms.

The deep brain stimulation system consists of four parts: 1) Leads (thin insulated wires) that end in electrodes that are implanted in the brain; 2) a small pacemaker-like device, called a pulse generator, that creates the electrical pulses; 3) extension leads that carry electrical pulses from the device and are attached to the leads implanted in the brain, and 4) a hand-held programmer device that adjusts the devices signals and can turn the device off and on.

In deep brain stimulation, electrodes are placed in the targeted areas of the brain. The electrodes are connected by wires to a type of pacemaker device (called an implantable pulse generator) placed under the skin of the chest below the collarbone.

Once activated, the pulse generator sends continuous electrical pulses to the target areas in the brain, modifying the brain circuits in that area of the brain. The deep brain stimulation system operates much the same way as a pacemaker for the heart. In fact, deep brain stimulation is referred to as the pacemaker for the brain.

I had known two people who had had the surgery with great success and was ready to consider the procedure, said Leu.

DBS is not for the faint of heart, she noted. I had a DBS consultation in Omaha. I had to visit with a psychologist, and a whole host of professionals from those who would do the procedure to those who would be associated with the follow-up.

After the visit the doctor asked, How soon would you like the procedure?

I said I have my suitcase packed and with me, noted Leu of her decision.

Although they couldnt perform the surgery that day, it was scheduled for April of 2012. Those considering DBS should note they are not put under for the surgery, said Leu. You receive a local anesthetic only as you have to be able to hear the doctors instructions as they operate so they place the electrodes in the proper area of the brain.

That said, its been 10 years since the DBS surgery, and it has allowed Leu to maintain a nearly normal routine. She enthusiastically notes, It was the best thing ever!

Following her initial DBS surgery Leu had to go home for six weeks to allow the incision to heal and then returned for a second surgery to hook up the pacemaker. It was one of the greatest blessings and life-changing, she said.

That said, while the tremors are fairly well controlled, there are still annoyances. My legs and mobility are still impacted and because of my lack of balance I use a walker. Elevators and doorways are always a challenge. Some days are good, some days not so much, she said of the ebb and flow of her symptoms.

As she has gotten older, she has noted a change in her voice and is looking at speech therapy to help increase her volume and clarity. Her penmanship is also a challenge, although she is able to work on a computer to compensate for the writing.

Among pieces of advice, she has for those who receive a PD diagnosis are to first find a neurologist they like. Always remember this disease differs from person to person. What medications work for one person, may not work for you. Some people benefit from occupational and physical therapy, and most people receive relief from regular exercise, which helps promote natural dopamine production.

Leu and her husband, Darrel, are regulars at the Lexington YMCA, as the goal is to exercise 30-60 minutes five days a week. They also keep socially active in their community and church, which is important to stay connected and keep depression at bay.

Her final words of wisdom ring true for a woman of great faith, Pray and enjoy whatever has made you happy before, with PD you may just have to find a new way to do it.

Resources for Parkinsons patients include:

Creighton University (APDA and I&R Center)  1-866-626-7347 or 402-449-4535

Michael J. Fox Foundation  www.michaeljfox.org  1-800-708-7644

American Parkinson Disease Association (ADPA)  www.apdaparinson.org  1-800-223-2732

There is also a local Parkinsons Disease Support Group that meets on the second Thursday each month at 2 p.m. in the education room at the Community Health and Fitness Center, 1600 W. 13th St., in Lexington.
Theres another handheld gaming PC on the way. The upcoming AOKZOE A1 handheld is powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 6800U processor with Radeon 680M graphics based on AMDs RDNA 2 architecture. It run Windows 11 software, although it should also support the Linux-based Steam OS. And it features what appears to be a rather large display surrounded by game controllers.

But who exactly is AOKZOE? It appears to be a sub-brand of a Chinese company One Netbook, which has been making handheld PCs for the past few years.

According to a press release, AOKZOE started an an independent group before partnering with One Netbook, which is responsible for manufacturing the hardware while AOKZOE handles market development and product design. But Shenzhen One Netbook Technology Co, Ltd. has applied for a trademark for the AOKZOE brand, suggesting theyre basically the same company.

Its unclear why the company, which already sells a number of handheld gaming PCs with Intel or AMD processor options, needs another brand to sell systems under. While One Netbook has confirmed it is working on handhelds with AMDs new Ryzen 7 6800U processor, I guess the company never said it would be sold under the usual ONEXPLAYER brand.

The companies havent revealed pricing information for the handheld yet, but according to a spec sheet it will feature an 8 inch, 1920 x 1200 pixel IPS LCD display, AMDs 8-core, 16-thread processor with 12 RDNA 2 GPU cores.

AOKZOE has also suggested that the system will be able to run at 15 or 28 watt TDPs, meaning that users should be able to configure the power levels to prioritized battery life or performance, depending on your needs.

The handheld will be available with a choice of 16GB or 32GB of LPDDR5X-6400 RAM, and it has an M.2 2280 slot for a PCIe SSD.

There will be two versions of the AOKZOE A1: Standard and Ultimate. But the only real difference seems to be that the AOKZOE standard edition weighs 689 grams and comes with a 48 Wh battery while the Ultimate version is 729 grams and has a 65 Wh battery.

Both models are said to measure 285 x 125 x 21mm, support 100W fast charging (allowing you to fully charge the battery in 1.5 hours), and feature microSD card readers, stereo speakers, support for WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 and support for optional docking station and/or keyboard accessories.

Theres also a kickstand built into the back of the device, allowing you to easily stand it up on a flat surface.

There are RGB lighting effects built into the design of the handheld, and AOKZOE says the display supports up to 380 nits brightness and 100% sRGB color gamut. In addition to built-in game controllers, theres a gyroscope for motion controls and a vibration motor for haptic feedback.

Update: YouTuber ETA Prime has a first-look video that provides some real-world usage notes for the AOKZOE A1. Performance looks good. The D-Pad, not so much.

AOKZOE says the handheld is expected to go up for pre-order in July, 2022 through a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign, and the AOKZOE A1 should begin shipping in September. It will join an increasingly crowded handheld gaming PC market, where it faces competition from Valve, GPD, AYA, AYN, Anbernic, and other companies.



via AOKZOE (YouTube), /r/SBCGaming, TechPowerUp, and @carygolomb

This article was first published June 24, 2022 and most recently updated July 2, 2022.
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Heightened alert: Local leaders share thoughts on school shooting precautions

JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News Lufkin Police SWAT team members brace as a remotely detonated explosive breaches a deadbolt locked door in fifth wing of the former Lufkin Middle School. JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News Lufkin Police SWAT team members use some of the remaining hallways and doors in the old Lufkin Middle School fifth wing to practice and be prepared as possible for any emergency situation. JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News Lufkin Police SWAT team leader Brad Davis demonstrates breaching a locked door using a Remington 870 12-gauge shotgun. Five or more rounds are sometimes needed to do enough damage to allow the door to be opened with a pry bar and sledge hammer. JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News A remotely detonated explosive allows law enforcement to breach a lock with out harming anyone behind the door. JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News Lufkin Police SWAT team members prepare to breach a deadbolt locked door using a remotely detonated explosive. JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News Lufkin Police SWAT team leader Brad Davis explains the need for constant practice in order to be as prepared as possible for any emergency situation. LESLIE NEMEC/The Lufkin Daily News Diboll police Sgt. Felix Estrada and detective Mark Fulcher rush into an active shooting training exercises at Hexion Inc. Wednesday morning. Diboll police officers Sterling Linebaugh and Antonio Vantoja take down Lufkin police officer Cody Deal during an active shooting training exercise at Hexion Inc. Wednesday.

EDITORS NOTE: This is part one of a two-part series addressing local school and safety officials thoughts regarding the issues surrounding mass shootings.

San Antonio, Texas. One dead, three injured.

Houston, Texas. Two dead, two injured.

Uvalde, Texas. 22 dead, 17 injured.

When looking at headlines across the United States, it seems that a day rarely goes by without a mass shooting. In some instances, there are multiple shootings in one day, including Tuesday, during which seven mass shootings took place.

As of July 1, there have been 297 mass shootings in the United States in 2022, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive. The organization defines a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more people are shot or killed, not including the shooter.

There have been at least 13 mass shootings in the U.S. with a death count of four or more this year.

In light of this, superintendents and school leaders across East Texas are looking at measures they can take to make their schools safer. Many have participated in response drills, and others have increased security on their campuses.

Officers from multiple Angelina County school districts practiced breaking through barricades June 18 in a drill led by the Lufkin Police Department. The LPD Swat Team has experience with breaching doors, so they just wanted to ensure that other local agencies had that knowledge, as well, SWAT Commander Corporal Brad Davis said.

This isnt a reaction to Uvalde but it is maybe somewhat conveniently timed because it reprioritizes things, he said. One of the things thats being said  of course theres still a lot of preliminary information thats come out about Uvalde  it sounds like the officers didnt make entry into the room when they probably should have.

Whether that was due to a lack of training, knowledge or resources, Davis wants to make sure local school districts do not end up in the same situation.

It sounds like they were waiting on breaching tools to arrive at the location before they made entry into that room, he said. We want to make sure that our local school district police have the tools and the training that they need so that that doesnt happen here.

In addition to the drill, Huntington ISD superintendent David Flowers said the district is reviewing all safety procedures, as well as anything that pertains to student/staff safety.

HISD will do everything we can to provide the safest school possible, he said. Everything is on the table.

In regard to who checks each campus doors to ensure that they are working properly, Flowers said student/staff safety is everyones job.

We must all be diligent in monitoring anything that is not working properly, he said.

Hudson ISD superintendent Donny Webb said school safety is always at the forefront of the districts mission.

Our prayers continue to be for those affected by the tragic event in Uvalde, he said. Such a horrific event should be a good cause to further examine the safety measures in place at all public entities.

As such, Hudson ISDs safety team regularly meets to assess current protocol and additional needs of the district, Webb said. Currently, they have four district police officers stationed at each campus, he said. Additionally, they have a retired officer who serves in the security center at the middle school/high school campus, he said.

Over the last few years, we have implemented many strategies and physical changes to harden our district for breach by any intruder, he said. Likewise, we have made additional changes to address the social and emotional needs of students. We continue to address changes/needs that balance school safety with efficient school operations.

Sheila Adams, LISD executive director of communications and public relations, said the assistant principals and school police officers are in charge of checking campus doors to make sure they are working properly.

As required by law, we have a school safety committee, she said.

Central ISD superintendent Justin Risner said the district is currently meeting and developing plans to continue providing the safest school possible. Every option is a possibility at this point, he said.

We will increase law enforcement presences throughout the district and continue our training and drills, he said. All students grades five to 12 and all staff will wear ID badges.

Risner also said all Central ISD staff members check doors regularly throughout the day.

School officers ensure doors remain closed and operational, he said.

Diboll ISD superintendent Vicki Thomas said the districts thoughts and prayers remain with all the recent victims of mass shootings. Additionally, they know their highest priority is the safety and security of all students and staff, and they take that responsibility very seriously, she said.

We constantly assess our protocols we have in place and our facilities to see how we can improve, she said. We conduct safety drills so that staff and students know what to do in case there is an active shooter. We have spent money to ensure that every classroom has additional locking mechanisms. Currently, we are constructing safety vestibules in the front portion of the high school.

Diboll ISDs maintenance department, campus police officers and school administrators regularly check doors and immediately report if a door is not working, Thomas said. They have assessed all doors in the district, she said.

Students are trained not to prop doors open or to open doors, she said. We will strongly emphasize this at the start of school, and it has been strongly emphasized during summer school.

Wells ISD partnered with the Cherokee County Sheriffs Department to run emergency response drills June 1. Wells superintendent Jill Gaston said they are currently working with local law enforcement to help them become familiar with the district.

We are also in the process of refining our district response protocols, she said. We would love to have a school resource officer who could be solely committed to Wells ISD.

Gaston also said the Wells ISD administrative team and maintenance department work together to check the doors at each campus and provide maintenance to ensure their functionality. They are in the process of updating some of their systems to utilize fewer of the external doors throughout the district and have fewer points of entry, she said.

We are constantly checking to make sure external doors are properly locked during the school day, she said. This is something that we have stressed to our staff, and very rarely is a door found unlocked.

Pineywoods Community Academy approved a resolution to establish a police department at its February board meeting. PCA hired retired Texas Ranger Steven Rayburn to head up the future police department at its April board meeting.

Local safety officials  including officers from the Diboll Police Department  also are taking measures to ensure they are prepared for any situation. This past Wednesday, officers participated in an active shooter drill at Hexion Inc.

Diboll police chief Michael Skillern said the drill was beneficial to both parties, as Hexion employees were educated on how to act during a shooting, and the Diboll officers received proactive training.

If you dont ever do anything you dont know how to react, he said. For the employees here, having an opportunity to witness this and see how theyre going to exit the building and prepare for it  if that event ever happens  you can reach back in your mind, hopefully remember something of what you did before and exit the building in a safe manner, appropriately.

Attempts to receive comments from PCA, Zavalla ISD, St. Cyprians Episcopal School and St. Patrick Catholic School were not successful.
The NBA has completed the process of changing the transition take foul rule, ending years of discussion about what to do with the long-maligned tactic. And the play-in tournament is going to be around for the foreseeable future. The leagues board of governors finalized those two matters Tuesday by approving a plan to award one free throw when teams are disadvantaged by the take foul. They also removed the experimental designation from the play-in element to the postseason. The NBA is coming off a massive financial year, with revenue topping $10 billion for the first time. Basketball-related income reached $8.9 billion, another record. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called it remarkable," given concerns about the coronavirus pandemic two years ago.
Oh, you want a beer? OK, a lager, good. A pilsner, I see!

Now, will that be a German, Czech, Italian or  am I reading this right?  Polish pilsner?

With the American craft beer drinkers rediscovery of lagers the past few years, this beloved style is unquestionably back in vogue. And because that drinker still mostly refuses to drink something that doesnt seem new and different, weve seen a lot of iterations of pilsner run through the beer shelves lately.

It can be confusing, even to  you know, a beer writer. So lets figure this all out.

The basics

Lets start with the similarities that these beers all share.

First, all pilsners are lagers. Generally, this means theyre brewed with a strain of yeast that does its business of converting sugars from the beers malt into alcohol slowly  fermentation over several weeks is common  and typically at cooler temperatures than ales.

Pilsners are also by definition light in color, a characteristic that was inherent to its inception in mid-19th century Europe. The pale malt variety that provides the bulk of the beers grain bill is so distinctive that it carries the styles name: pilsner malt. Its also usually clear, often strikingly so.

Also notable is what cannot be in a pilsners grist: corn or rice, common adjuncts in otherwise somewhat similar pale lagers that make such a beer an American lager instead of a pilsner. Looking at you, Miller Lite. You may be fine but you are not, as your label claims, a fine pilsner beer. To be a true pilsner is to have only malted barley in the grain bill.

But pilsner does tend to be light in other ways, too, nearly always under 5.5% ABV (and frequently under 5%) and light in body, too.

OK, now lets get into the variants.

Czech/Bohemian

The first iteration of what we now know as pilsner was poured in the Czech (Bohemian) town of Pilsen in 1842, though the man hired to create it was Josef Groll, a renowned brewer from the neighboring German region of Bavaria.

The bright-gold pilsner caused quite a stir upon its debut, according to The Oxford Companion to Beer, the reference book providing many historical facts in this story (and a great gift for a beer lover in your life). The brewery that created it, Burger Brauerei (Citizens Brewery), intended to stand apart from the brown Bavarian lagers that paced the beer market of the time. It was made with pale, sweet malt and local Saaz hops, with their low bitterness and high aroma.

Knockoffs of the beer proliferated quickly across Bohemia and eventually Germany, too, and eventually their forebear would come to be known as Pilsner Urquell (the original pilsner). That beer, of course, still exists today, as a brand owned by Molson Coors.

In todays universe of pilsners, the Czech or Bohemian style is defined more than anything by its malt character  robust and rich, though balanced by ample additions of hops. Saaz, perhaps the noblest of the noble hops, is the most traditional in Czech pilsner. The beer is a deep gold and fuller-bodied than its descendants.

An American visiting Czechia today would unflinchingly refer to many pale lagers produced there as pilsners, but according to the Beer Judge Certification Program style guidelines, Czechs only deem two worthy of the term: Pilsner Urquell and Gambrinus.

Some good ones to try: Pilsner Urquell (if you havent, you gotta), Dovetail Pilsner (Chicago), Potosi Czech-Style Pilsner (Potosi), Bells Lager of the Lakes (Michigan), Summit Pilsener (Minnesota).

German

The Germans quickly jumped on the pilsner bandwagon, The Oxford Companion notes, and quickly began making the style their own.

The German take on the style that emerged during the 19th century further amplified the differences between the Urquell and Bavarian dunkels from which it set out to stand apart. That meant an even lighter malt bill, paler color and somewhat lighter body.

It would make sense that more local hops were used, too, so German-grown Tettnang and later Hallertau hops became common, though Czech Saaz ended up in plenty of them, too. These German hops tend to be somewhat more bitter and less aromatic than Saaz.

While German-brewed examples were not uncommon for the first century of pilsner history, they did not take on the ubiquity that led the rest of the world to associate pilsner and Germany until after World War II, when many more German brewers adopted the style.

The German pilsners popularity around the world led to its adoption as the blueprint for the adjunct lagers that became the very definition of beer during the postwar industrial beer era. Rejection of that standardization birthed the craft beer sector, which in recent years has embraced the pale yellow lagers that it was once running from. Im sure Im not the only one appreciating the irony of pilsner itself being borne of rejection of a beer status quo.

Today, when you see the German label on an American-brewed pilsner, you should expect less malt character, as well as a drier and lighter body, and more bitterness  sometimes significantly so. All of that adds up to more crisp character; many younger or younger-at-heart breweries refer to their pils as crispy bois.

Id argue that the German take has become the pilsners default setting for American brewers serving hop-forward American drinkers.

Some good ones to try: Company Brewing Poor Farm Pils (Milwaukee), Working Draft Hindsight (Madison), Crooked Stave Von Pilsner (Colorado), Half Acre Pony (Chicago), New Glarus Pils 22 (only available at the brewery and select New Glarus establishments), Victory Prima Pils (Pennsylvania).

Italian

Beer is constantly evolving, and the Italian pils was the first pils variant to emerge during the craft beer era. The brewery Birrificio Italiano in Como, Italy, put its own stamp on a northern German pils in 1996 by dry-hopping a beer it called Tipopils. This technique, long used by English brewers for cask ales but rarely deployed on the continent, was just beginning to gain favor among American craft brewers at the time.

Dry-hopping  it means simply adding dried hops to the beer while it ferments, as opposed to during the earlier boil  greatly increases hop flavors and aromas without imparting much of their bitterness. Its now front and center in the production of modern IPAs and nearly every other hop-forward style.

But it wasnt until 2013 that Birrificos little oddity became the foundation of a new style variant. Thats when Matt Brynildson, brewmaster of Californias influential Firestone Walker Brewing, was inspired by Tipopils and introduced Pivo Pils to the American West.

The marriage of the easy-drinking German pilsner with extra hop character was an immediate hit. Pivo is not labeled as an Italian pils, but its the American archetype of the style.

Italian pilsners mostly follow the German parameters of the style  light, pale and dry, with more apparent bitterness than the Bohemian originals. But the key is the aroma, with even modest dry-hopping going a long way on such a minimalist beer. German hops are most common, but some American brewers use domestic varieties to further globalize this style.

Some good ones to try: Pivo Pils (grab a sixer when you visit Illinois or Iowa), Third Space The Maestro (Milwaukee), Eagle Park Vivo Pils (Muskego).

Everyones got one

Because pilsner is a great beer and our thirst for something different is downright insatiable, all kinds of mostly unrecognized variations on the style pop up.

Some beer experts consider some of the pale lagers from Northern Europe or elsewhere international pilsners  beers like Heineken or Stella Artois.

But the truth is theres nobody to tell any brewer they cant call their beer a pilsner, and most of these less frequently used modifiers owe to the origin of the hops used. French pils may use the Aramis variety; New Zealand pils like Working Drafts recent Foursight uses that countrys varieties with their distinctive grassy, vinous and lemony notes; American pilsners use the citrus-pine varieties most drinkers would recognize from IPAs.

And, yes, in this semantically loose universe, theres even Polish pilsner. Phase Three Brewing of Lake Zurich, Illinois, has released several pilsners in its P3 series of lagers, including a Polish version using Lubelski hops sourced from that country. Na zdrowie!
St. Bernard Catholic Church on the East Side was vandalized with graffiti criticizing police and anti-abortion politics on Saturday, Madison police said.

The vandal wrote "pro-life my f------ a--" and "ACAB" in blue spray paint on the door and sign of the church, located at 2450 Atwood Avenue.

"Let's talk about all the native kids you've killed!" was also written on the church door, seemingly referring to the Catholic Church's role in the colonization of indigenous people.

The graffiti comes over a week after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark abortion rights case Roe v. Wade.

In early May, someone set fires and attempted to throw a Molotov cocktail into the office of anti-abortion group Wisconsin Family Action in the days after a leaked draft opinion of the Supreme Court's ruling on abortion rights. No one has been arrested for the arson.

Police asked anyone with information to contact police at 608-255-2345, or Madison Area Crime Stoppers at 608-266-6014 or P3Tips.com.
As they launch a new legal challenge, environmental groups are panning a federal review that says a planned natural gas power plant in Superior would reduce greenhouse gas emissions despite pumping millions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year.

La Crosse-based Dairyland Power Cooperative and two Minnesota utilities are seeking a loan from the U.S. Department of Agricultures Rural Utilities Service to finance the $700 million Nemadji Trail Energy Center, which they say will help them transition away from coal-fired power.

Wisconsin regulator downplays blackout risk, calls for continued use of fossil fuels While pointing out that there is always a risk of blackouts, Nowak said it would take a perfect storm to trigger forced outages.

Environmental and consumer groups, along with Native American tribal governments, have challenged the plant in both Minnesota and Wisconsin, and on Thursday the Sierra Club and Clean Wisconsin appealed a Dane County judges ruling that state regulators followed state law in approving construction of the plant, which they call an environmental and economic disaster.

Constructing NTEC would saddle Wisconsinites with decades of paying for this plant and set back home-grown renewable development in Northern Wisconsin for years to come, said Elizabeth Ward, director of the Sierra Clubs Wisconsin chapter.

In a new draft environmental review, Dairyland said the 625-megawatt plant would produce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to more than 2.7 million tons of carbon dioxide each year.

But because the plant would likely displace electricity from less efficient gas and coal plants, the review determined it would actually reduce net carbon emissions in the region by about 964,000 tons per year.

Wisconsin coal plants to keep running amid reliability, supply chain concerns Alliant Energy and the WEC Energy Group announced plans Thursday to delay previously announced retirements of three coal-fired power plants amid reliability concerns and supply-chain issues.

Stephanie Fitzgerald, staff attorney for Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, said the review fails to look at the lifetime emissions of the plant and contains unrealistic assumptions about coal plants running until 2050 when most utilities are already shutting them down for economic reasons.

Katie Nekola, general counsel for Clean Wisconsin said a plant that will produce billions of tons of carbon dioxide over its lifetime cannot be considered a climate change solution.

Its too late to use coal emissions as a baseline, Nekola said. Its urgent we do far better than just cut carbon emissions in half with gas plants; we have plenty of clean, low-cost technology that emits no carbon at all, and the ability to conserve far more energy than we do.

When burned to generate electricity, natural gas produces only about half as much carbon dioxide per megawatt as coal, but the primary component of that gas is methane, a far more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. The environmental review did not account for methane released during extraction and transport, saying uncertainty about the source makes it impossible to quantify leaks.

Those upstream emissions largely negate any climate benefit, said Morgan Edwards, an assistant professor of public affairs at UW-Madison who studies the impacts of energy use.

We need to dramatically reduce our use of fossil fuels across the board to address the scale of the climate crisis, Edwards said.

Despite Biden order, solar supply chain problems stall Wisconsin's energy transition Three utility projects with a combined capacity of 574 megawatts have been delayed and face potential cost overruns largely stemming from difficulty securing solar panels and other key parts.

The new environmental assessment was prepared in response to requests from environmental groups including the Minnesota environmental center, the Sierra Club and Clean Wisconsin to evaluate the impact the plant would have on the climate.

Those groups have also called on the government to deny funding for the plant, saying its incompatible with the Biden administrations stated position on fossil fuels.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has said investments in fossil fuel infrastructure are incompatible with pathways to head off the most disastrous impacts of climate change.

Fitzgerald questioned why the Rural Utilities Service has not done a more thorough review  known as an Environmental Impact Statement  required for projects that will have a significant impact.

Clearly a gas plant that emits 2.2 million tons of carbon dioxide every year is a significant impact, Fitzgerald said. If building a big gas plant wont have a significant impact, what will?

Dairyland spokesperson Katie Thomson said the utilities have complied with state and federal permitting requirements and extensive environmental reviews since proposing the plant in 2017.

Current challenges to the project only serve to compromise progress towards the lower-carbon goals shared by consumers and utilities alike, Thomson said. In addition to grid stability risks and reducing access to renewable energy generation, the unnecessary delays will result in cost increases to the project, negatively impacting regional energy consumers.

The plant has been the subject of court challenges in both Minnesota and Wisconsin.

The Sierra Club and Clean Wisconsin on Thursday appealed a May ruling by Circuit Judge Jacob Frost, who rejected arguments that the PSC failed to consider the full environmental impact of the plant.

The NTEC project should never have been approved in the first place, and we will continue to fight it, Nekola said.

The groups have also challenged the construction permit over perceived bias by former Commissioner Mike Huebsch, one of two commissioners who voted to approve the plant shortly before leaving the PSC in early 2020. Huebsch later applied to lead Dairyland, though he did not get the job.

Frost has delayed ruling on the conflict of interest charge pending a state Supreme Court ruling in a similar case involving Huebsch.

Last year the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that state utility regulators do not have the authority to consider the environmental impact of a plant built in another state, though the plant faces ongoing regulatory scrutiny as part of Minnesota Powers long-term resource plan.
A worker at an Amazon warehouse in the Staten Island borough of New York on March 2, 2021. Amazon has said it would cover out-of-state abortion travel for its employees, most of whom are hourly workers. (Chang W. Lee/The New York Times)

Amazon employees are calling on the company to get more involved in protecting abortion access, including by ending political donations to groups that oppose abortion, organizing its own protests against the Supreme Courts ruling and helping all employees pay for travel in order to get safe abortion care.

Nearly 2,000 employees have signed an open letter to Amazon leadership, calling on the company to use Amazons voice to publicly and unequivocally denounce the high courts decision. On Friday, some workers called out sick in protest, hoping to pressure the company.

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Amazon, like many of the nations largest employers, has said it will cover travel expenses for medical procedures, including abortion care, that arent available in an employees home state.

But in the week since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, removing constitutional protections for abortion access that had been in place for nearly half a century, some workers and activists point out that those funds wont extend to every Amazon worker.

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Its common-sense policy for companies to ensure workers wont have a huge disruption in their life following the overturn of Roe v. Wade, said Liza Fuentes, a senior research scientist at the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that promotes sexual and reproductive rights.

Thats a huge benefit for those workers, she said. However, what we know is that many people who may need abortion care dont work for those companies.

In Washington, many of the states largest employers  Amazon, Microsoft, Boeing, Alaska, T-Mobile, Zillow, Redfin, Starbucks and others  committed to covering travel costs for employees who live in places where abortion services arent available. Walmart, the nations largest employer, said Friday it is weighing potential actions and figuring out the best path forward, according to Bloomberg. Starbucks said it could not make promises of guarantees about any benefits for workers at unionized stores.

Amazon announced in May it would offer up to $4,000 for travel if care is not available virtually or within 100 miles of an employees home. The Supreme Courts ruling is expected to lead to abortion bans in nearly half the states. For a company like Amazon, which has corporate offices and warehouses across the country, the funds are meant to help workers who may need to travel to access care.

Amazons policy, which is retroactive to Jan. 1, is available for employees and their dependents covered by two company-offered health plans. The funds are available to both corporate and warehouse workers, but not independent contractors.

Workers are asking the company to broaden the scope of the benefit to encompass all Amazon employees, including contractors. Amazon has a network of delivery service partners, who help drop off packages to customers doorsteps and operate as independent contractors, as well as Flex drivers  gig workers who use their own vehicle to make deliveries for the company.

Amazon is not the only company that is facing pressure to expand its benefits. The Alphabet Workers Union, which represents some workers at Googles parent company Alphabet, said this week Google is offering support for corporate employees but not the 100,000+ contractors who are the backbone of Googles trillion-dollar empire. Workers need true support, not performative headlines and fine legal print telling them why they arent eligible for benefits, the California Labor Federation, a network of labor unions, tweeted this week.

Google did not respond to requests for comment. Amazon declined to answer questions on the specifics of its policy, including who would have access to the benefit and whether warehouse associates would be given paid time off to travel for medical procedures.

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In the open letter, employees also asked Amazon to expand access to services that would safeguard and empower abortion seekers, including abortion pills and abortion-related care. The workers also pushed back on Amazons political donations, calling on it to audit all political donations and cease any contributions to committees that oppose abortion.

A shareholder proposal asking for a report on Amazons lobbying activities and expenditures did not pass the companys annual meeting in May. The company spent $18.7 million on federal lobbying in 2020 and was the largest corporate spender for the first half of 2021, according to the proposal.

Amazons board of directors recommended shareholders vote against the proposal, saying Amazon has processes in place to provide oversight of its public policy activities. While we may not agree with every position of every organization that we support, we believe that our support will help advance those policy objectives that are aligned with our interests, the board of directors wrote.

The proposal narrowly failed with 47% of shareholders voting in support.

In the open letter this week, employees also called on Amazon to donate to organizations that are working to expand abortion access, expand remote work and options for employees to relocate from states with new abortion restrictions, and cease expansion plans in states that are threatening to ban abortion.

The workers are also asking Amazon to remove any product offerings that could encourage hate speech or violence toward abortion seekers.

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The call to action comes at the same time corporate employees are ramping up efforts to pressure Amazon to stop selling books that activists say are transphobic, including titles like Desist, Detrans & Detox: Getting Your Child Out of the Gender Cult and Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters.

A worker-led group, called No Hate At Amazon, organized a die-in in June, where employees disrupted a company-sponsored Pride event to call for the removal of the books. Wrapped in pink, blue and white flags, a group of people lay down on the ground in front of a stage where representatives from Glamazon, an Amazon affinity group for members of the LGBTQIA+ community, were delivering speeches under a Pride flag.

This week, in an internal messaging board, an employee again asked Amazon to review Irreversible Damage for removal and to look into why the book was approved in the first place. Like it has said in the past, Amazon responded that the book does not violate its guidelines.

On Friday, workers fighting to remove the books and for reproductive rights put up out-of-office messages and sent emails to team members explaining why they took the day off.

2022 The Seattle Times. Visit seattletimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The people, its mission of community service, and the vibrant art and murals inside and out give Centro Hispano of Dane County's modest home its soul.

But Centro's building at 810 W. Badger Road on the South Side, once a printing company, is inadequate to meet the needs of the region's fast-growing Hispanic population.

Which is why, after nearly 40 years serving the community including the past 22 at the same location, Centro has launched a $15 million fundraising campaign to build a new facility and provide seed money for programming that will make the nonprofit a more inviting, larger hub for culture, education, training and celebrations.

Preliminary concepts depict a colorful, two-story, 25,000-square foot building and large indoor/outdoor plaza with exterior water feature and underground parking on an acre of land currently owned by the city at the corner of Hughes Place and Cypress Way  kitty-corner from its current facility on the same block.

"The symbol for campaign Centro is Calli, a symbol in the Aztec calendar that is reflective of home," executive director Karen Menendez Coller said. "Home to me is a place that protects and guards but also a place of purpose. That is what the new building will feel like."

Centro hopes to complete the design and fundraising and start construction by the end of the year, and open the building in late 2023 when the nonprofit will celebrate its 40th anniversary.

The campaign for a new home is the next step in a journey that began four decades ago.

Centro was founded in 1983 by Ilda Thomas and others to provide assistance to Cuban refugees settling in the Dane County area. These refugees, known as the Marielitos, had been relocated to the area with virtually no support for their transition and adjustment to a new country.

Over time, Centro has become integral to the lives of many among the area's Hispanic population.

"Centro is a crucial and essential home for the Latinx community and is essential for driving a vision in Dane County that ensures a thriving Latinx community," Menendez Coller said.

"It is a place where we connect with over 100 partners in the community, dream of a vision that is inclusive of all immigrants and implement programs that support young people's resilience and identity, while focusing on strategies meant to strengthen assets in our families," she said.

The nonprofit provides one-on-one case management with bilingual/bicultural staff, often during times of crisis, Menendez Coller said. It is a home for young people to grow and learn new skills. It provides training crafted in partnership with Madison Area Technical College, the county and statewide partners.

"Centro is a place I come to learn  every day," said Benji Ramirez, who was part of Centro's youth program and is now a staff member.

Currently, Centro serves about 7,000 individuals and 2,500-plus families annually. In the past decade, it has tripled the number of staff, doubled the size of its budget and tripled the number of programs. The agency now has more than 20 full-time staff members and an annual budget of $2.5 million.

Staying in the neighborhood

But growth has strained the organization's facilities. Centro's educational and workforce programs have waitlists due to limitations of the current building, and Centro is no longer able to expand programs to keep pace with the growing Hispanic population.

The current, 18,193-square-foot facility, built in 1970, lacks sunlight, and more than half the space was designed for storage. After extensive study, organizers found it would be too costly and complicated to expand. Accessibility and parking problems also argue against staying in the same building.

"When the building was purchased, it was a significant step forward for Centro," Menendez Coller said. "Unfortunately, the layout does not allow for appropriate office space to sustain the growth of our organization .... That means more people working in a space that is not properly ventilated or with a layout that supports programming and meetings.

"With COVID it has become quite apparent that we need to have the right kind of facility for programming and community," she said. "For example, while we do work after school in the schools, with COVID this became more complicated and the need to be at Centro proved to be more essential. We pivoted with creative virtual and hybrid work, but we want to have a facility and, as an agency, a structure, that can react to the circumstance during normal times and more urgent times."

"A new facility would mean space to stretch, breathe and dream together in community, and room for our youth and families to feel at home," staff member Rachel Rosin said.

Staff want to stay in the Burr Oaks neighborhood, home to the highest concentration of Hispanic residents and low-income Hispanic residents in the city.

"Centro Hispano has been an anchor and a lifeline for the Latinx community, and a strong advocate for South Madison," said Ald. Sheri Carter, 14th District, who represents the area. "We are fortunate that Centro wanted to continue their journey in South Madison where their roots are deep."

The new building will provide better spaces for meeting and gathering, said Colleen O'Meara, senior project manager for EUA architecture and design.

"We are planning an indoor/outdoor plaza space to host a variety of community events, activities and celebrations," O'Meara said. "We were most inspired by the legacy of craft in Latino cultures. Vibrant colors are to be used highlighting diverse crafts and artforms. To balance the vibrancy we will incorporate connections to nature through warm neutrals and natural textures."

The building will include a level of underground parking and surface parking spaces.

Over the next five years, in its new home, Centro hopes to see twice the number of youth it does now, grow the number of families it works with and expand its workforce programs, Menendez Coller said.

"We have been planning and dreaming for several years, and introducing this vision to our community and knowing it will soon be a reality feels tremendous," Centro board chair Nancy Francisco-Welke said. "This will be a wonderful place and an important addition to Madison and the South Side."

Getting it built

Centro is raising money and getting significant support from the city of Madison and Dane County.

The city intends to transfer to the organization parcels at 833 and 837 Hughes Place and 2405 Cypress Way at little to no cost, city planning, community and economic development director Matt Wachter said. The city will also purchase Centro's current property, which is next to the Metro Transit South Transfer Point, 2430 Park St., at a market-rate price, he said.

The arrangement gives Centro space to build on a 1.1-acre site plus revenue from the sale of its land, and gives the city space to more conveniently provide parking for the Police Department's South District, 825 Hughes Place, and a large redevelopment site that includes Centro's current property and the Metro Transfer Point fronting South Park Street, Wachter said.

"The partnership with the city is incredibly important," Menendez Coller said. "Creating this would not have been possible without their support.

For the city, "Centros current lot is ideal for city acquisition in several respects," Wachter said. "There would be approximately two acres of rectangular, developable land directly on the corner of Park and Badger that would be well suited for a fairly dense mixed-use development consistent with the recommendations of the recently adopted South Madison Plan."

"This land transaction is an example of the citys investment in South Madison and provide an opportunity for the reality of a new home for Centro," Carter said. "We want South Madison to continue to thrive both culturally and economically."

In February, Gov. Tony Evers announced Centro would get $4.8 million as part of $21 million given to Madison and the county to invest in local initiatives to boost disadvantaged communities. The money is part of federal COVID-19 relief funds.

All told, Centro has nearly reached 75% of its $15 million fundraising goal, Menendez Coller said.

To learn more about the campaign or to get involved, email campaign@micentro.org or visit micentro.org/our-new-home.

"As with everything at Centro, we want for this campaign to be owned by the community," she said. "I want to see this building as the continuation of a movement that encourages us all to become engaged with the future of the city, county, and Wisconsin that celebrates all of us."
Bishop Tharakan at Ascension

Sunday worship at the Episcopal Church of the Ascension will be Holy Eucharist celebrated by the Rt. Reverend Jos Tharakan, XIV Bishop of Idaho, at 9 a.m. Sunday. Childcare may be available, though children are welcome in the worship service. A fellowship potluck will follow the service.

The service will be online as well as in person. To view, click on the link at episcopaltwinfalls.org or go to Ascensions YouTube channel The Episcopal Church of the AscensionTwin Falls.

Ascension Episcopal Church is handicapped accessible and is located at 371 Eastland Drive N. More information about Ascension can be found at ascension.episcopalidaho.org or 208-733-1248.

A Discussion Service at UU

We welcome back the Summer Salon, a casual discussion on selected readings and how they affect our lives. Salons are a happy blend of worship gatherings and religious exploration sessions. Our topic Sunday will be the poem First they came  by the German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemoller (18921984).

First they came for the Socialists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Socialist

Then they came for the trade unionists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a trade unionist

Then they came for the Jews

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Jew

Then they came for me

And there was no one left

To speak out for me

Our service Sunday will be both in person at our location 160 Ninth Ave. E. in in Twin Falls and on Zoom. To access Zoom, please email mvuuf83301@yahoo.com for sign-in information. In the subject line write Zoom Service July 3.

Newcomers of all religious paths or none at all are always welcome. Unitarian Universalists believe in the dignity of every person regardless of race, creed or none at all, immigrant status or sexual orientation.

Everyone is welcome, no exceptions. We believe in justice, equality and compassion in human relations; and acceptance of one another. We are handicapped accessible in rear.

Please park in the rear of the building or on the street in front or the side of the building. Child care is available.

Join us at 10:30 a.m. Sunday.

For further information, please call 208-410-8904, email us at mvuuf83301@yahoo.com or visit magicvalleyUU.org. When calling, please state your name in order to be connected.
On the Fourth of July, we celebrate our nations independence as a unique countrybuilt on a bedrock of individual liberties and self-governance that we continue to refine.

Our country is vast and home to people with infinitely different viewpoints, which contributes to our strength and challenges. However, we are all inheritors of this extraordinary legacy: our United States of America is a shining light and draw for our world not only for the freedoms empowered here, but also for our countrys natural wonders we greatly value.

A prime example is Yellowstone National Park that bridges Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. This special place has drawn record numbers of visitors in the last few years, with 4.86 million visitors in 2021 alone. This and other facts about the Park are included in a resolution the Senate unanimously passed earlier this year celebrating the 150th Anniversary of Yellowstone National Park. Along with fellow U.S. Senator for Idaho Jim Risch, I co-sponsored the resolution introduced by Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyoming). The resolution highlights the amazing attributes of Yellowstone that include:

Human history in the Yellowstone area dates back more than 11,000 years;

Many Native American Tribes are associated with Yellowstone National Park;

The Park is 3,472 square miles and more than 2 million acres;

The Park contains half of the worlds hydrothermal features, with more than 10,000 in total and more than 500 active geysers, including the Old Faithful Geyser;

Yellowstone has the most active, diverse and intact collections of combined geothermal, geologic and hydrologic features and systems on Earth, including the Grand Prismatic Spring;

Yellowstone is home to 67 species of mammals, 285 species of birds, 6 species of reptiles, 5 species of amphibians and the largest free-ranging bison herd in North America;

More than 1,000 native flowering species and 9 conifer species are found in Yellowstone;

In 2020, visitors spent more than $444 million in gateway communities and supported 6,110 jobs in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming with a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $560 million.

Yellowstone is just one example of the enormous beauty and depth of our great state. Idahos abundant wildlife, forests, rivers and lakes provide unparalleled recreational opportunities. While the pandemic upended many of our normal work and leisure routines, there was a large uptick in outdoor recreation, which carries both psychological and physiological benefits. Idahoans are fortunate in that we do not have to go far from any of our communities to benefit from the outdoors. Families enjoying the outdoors together help instill recognition of the important role of our natural resources, environment and wildlife to our quality of life. The recent flooding in Yellowstone and surrounding areas reminds us just how fragile these natural wonders are and of the importance of protecting and preserving public lands. Ensuring access to recreational opportunities enables these resources to continue to benefit local economies and quality of life for future generations.

As families and friends gather this Independence Day and throughout the summer, we often spend time in our great outdoors. I grew up camping, hunting and fishinga tradition I shared with my children and continue to enjoy. In experiencing the outdoors, we gain a better understanding of the complexities of our beautiful world. Spending time enjoying the outdoors also provides an opportunity to reset from the jumble of everyday life. I hope all Idahoans have opportunities to spend time in our states and countrys beautiful places, whether it is a national or state park, fishing stream, trail, forest, local community park or our own backyards. The wonder of America is all around us.
The irony is thick: A Republican president took office despite getting fewer votes than his opponent, then installed three conservative Supreme Court justices  and now that court majority has ignored America's majority, not to mention its own precedent, to impose its ideological will on society. The fall of Roe v. Wade is the result of a series of minoritarian quirks in the nation's political structure and the GOP's single-minded exploitation of those quirks. With Republicans posed to retake Congress thanks to factors unrelated to actual merit, anti-choice extremism could ultimately be forced upon even those states that still support abortion rights.

There's nothing Democrats can immediately do about the court's brazenly politicized majority, the byzantine Electoral College, gerrymandering or the inherent red-state advantage in the Senate. But it could end or alter the filibuster immediately to protect abortion rights across America, now, before the GOP has the chance to eliminate those rights nationally.

The filibuster, of course, is the Senate rule that requires an extraordinary majority of 60 votes (instead of a simple majority of 51) to pass most legislation. A previously reluctant President Joe Biden on Thursday called for making an exception to the filibuster in order to codify abortion rights. That's the minimum that should happen  though a better approach would be to eliminate the filibuster altogether.

The Constitution's framers set up the Senate as a majoritarian body and had no notion of this odd rule that lets a minority of the chamber hold everything up. The filibuster arose later, an unintended consequence of Senate rule-making. But it has been around long enough to develop the patina of institutionalism. Filibuster defenders like Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, wax on about how it promotes bipartisanship.

And how has that been going lately?

Senate Republicans were able to seat the Supreme Court majority currently overruling Americans' policy preferences with the zeal of zealots because the GOP in 2017 carved out an exception to the filibuster for Supreme Court nominees. Just as Democrats did earlier for other presidential appointments. Now Biden wants an abortion-rights exception. When a rule requires escalating exceptions to the rule in order for a lawmaking body to function, perhaps it's time to rethink the rule.

But if an abortion carve-out is all that's politically possible, Senate Democrats should do it. Many Republicans are already salivating to eliminate abortion rights nationally when they next hold Congress. Anyone who thinks Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell won't ditch his supposed reverence for the filibuster and scrap it the second it obstructs that goal hasn't watched his multiple chameleon-like transformations when it comes to power politics.

Manchin and any other Democratic holdouts against scrapping or limiting the filibuster aren't fostering bipartisanship  they're just blowing what is probably their final chance in the foreseeable future to protect America's women while they still can.
A 12-year-old boy working on a science experiment was severely burned over half of his body when there was an explosion that also ignited his clothes, his father told McClatchy News.

On June 30, Barrett McKim was at the JMS Burn Center in Augusta, Georgia, recovering from two surgeries.

Today was a pretty rough day, his father, Kyle McKim, told McClatchy.

A week prior , Barrett was in his home in Highlands, North Carolina, experimenting with different rocks and fools gold, trying to change their color by heating them up on a Bunsen burner, his father said. Highlands is about 330 miles west of Raleigh.

Hes big into any kind of science experiment, his father said. Its something that hes always loved.

Barrett has conducted similar experiments in the past and is always responsible, his dad said.

It was just kind of a freak accident, he said. It wasnt like he was doing anything stupid.

Suddenly, the alcohol he was using to heat the Bunsen burner caused an explosion, throwing flames onto Barrett and igniting a synthetic shirt he was wearing, Kyle McKim said.

His mother, Caroline, sprang into action and tried to tear his shirt off as it was burning. She has second- and third-degree burns on her hands and was also treated at the burn center.

She was more concerned about her son than anything else, Kyle McKim said.

When firefighters responded to the home, the boys parents had wrapped him in a cold, wet towel, Robbie Forrester, assistant chief of the Highlands Fire and Rescue, told McClatchy News.

He was panicked and he was scared, Forrester said. But he was being brave.

First responders put Barrett into an ambulance with his mother and brought them to a helicopter, which flew them to the burn center, Forrester said.

Doctors initially told the boys parents that he would be in the hospital for about a month, Kyle McKim said.

He is in intense pain, his father said. Doctors had to insert a feeding tube on June 30 because he wasnt getting enough calories, and he was scheduled for a third surgery on July 1.

Its scary, and you want nothing more than to come up with a solution so that your child doesnt have to go through a pain like that, his father said.

But he was thankful to the community, which has come out in support of the family. Barretts uncle started a GoFundMe to collect donations to help the family through their sons recovery.

Though it will be a long road, he said he expects his son, who is one of five children, to recover. And he hopes that his passion for science will endure.

I think he will continue to have a love for that, and we will certainly encourage it, he said.
Chrisley Carpio and Victoria Hinckley, 20 speak to protesters during an abortion rights rally on Saturday, June 25, 2022 in Temple Terrace, Fla. A Florida judge on Thursday, June 30, said he would temporarily block a 15-week abortion ban from taking effect, following a court challenge by reproductive health providers who say the state constitution guarantees a right to the procedure. Credit: Jefferee Woo/Tampa Bay Times via AP

Abortion providers and patients were struggling Friday to navigate the evolving legal landscape around abortion laws and access across the country since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last week.

In Florida, a law banning abortions after 15 weeks went into effect Friday, the day after a judge called it a violation of the state constitution and said he would sign an order temporarily blocking the law next week. The ban could have broader implications in the South, where the state has wider access to the procedure than its neighbors.

Abortion rights have been lost and regained in the span of a few days in Kentucky. A so-called trigger law imposing a near-total ban on the procedure took effect last Friday, but a judge blocked the law Thursday, meaning the state's only two abortion providers can resume seeing patientsfor now.

In Texas, abortions up to six weeks resumed at some clinics after a Houston judge said patients still had that right, at least until a new ban on virtually all abortions takes effect in the coming weeks. But the state has asked the Texas Supreme Court to block that order and allow prosecutors to enforce a ban on abortion now, adding to the uncertainty.

The legal wrangling is almost certain to continue to cause chaos for Americans seeking abortions in the near future, with court rulings able to upend access at a moment's notice and an influx of new patients from out of state overwhelming providers.

Mahayana Landowne, of Brooklyn, N.Y., wears a "Lady Justice" costume as she marches past the Supreme Court during a protest for abortion-rights, Thursday, June 30, 2022, in Washington. Credit: AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

Even when women travel outside states with abortion bans in place, they may have fewer options to end their pregnancies as the prospect of prosecution follows them.

Planned Parenthood of Montana this week stopped providing medication abortions to patients who live in states with bans "to minimize potential risk for providers, health center staff, and patients in the face of a rapidly changing landscape."

Planned Parenthood North Central States, which offers the procedure in Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska, is telling its patients that they must take both pills in the regimen in a state that allows abortions.

"There's a lot of confusion and concern that the providers may be at risk, and they are trying to limit their liability so they can provide care to people who need it," said Dr. Daniel Grossman, who directs the research group Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health at the University of California San Francisco.

Community members gather to protest the U.S. Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade and Kentucky's trigger law to ban abortion, at Circus Square Park in Bowling Green, Ky., on Saturday, June 25, 2022. A judge cleared the way Thursday, June 30, for abortions to resume in Kentucky, temporarily blocking the states near-total ban on the procedure that was triggered by the Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade. Credit: Grace Ramey/Daily News via AP, File

Emily Bisek, a spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood North Central States, said that in an "unknown and murky" legal environment, they decided to tell patients they must be in a state where it is legal to complete the medication abortionwhich requires taking two drugs 24 to 48 hours apart. She said most patients from states with bans are expected to opt for surgical abortions.

The use of abortion pills has been the most common method to end a pregnancy since 2000, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved mifepristonethe main drug used in medication abortions. Taken with misoprostol, a drug that causes cramping that empties the womb, it constitutes the abortion pill.

Access to the pills has become a key battle in abortion rights, with the Biden administration preparing to argue states can't ban a medication that has received FDA approval.

Kim Floren, who operates an abortion fund in South Dakota called Justice Empowerment Network, said the development would further limit the choices women have and likely mean more will travel to Colorado for an abortion.

Abortion-rights advocates gather outside the Tarrant County Courthouse during the Bans Off Our Bodies protest in Fort Worth, Texas, on Saturday, June 25, 2022. Alternating between chants of "My body, my choice!" and "Reproductive rights are human rights!" the crowd marched downtown. Credit: Madeleine Cook/Star-Telegram via AP

"The purpose of these laws anyways is to scare people," Floren said of states' bans on abortions and telemedicine consultations for medication abortions. "The logistics to actually enforcing these is a nightmare, but they rely on the fact that people are going to be scared."

A South Dakota law took effect Friday that threatens a felony punishment for anyone who prescribes medication for an abortion without a license from the South Dakota Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners.

Republican Gov. Kristi Noem, an ardent opponent of abortion, said in a statement that "doctors who knowingly break the law and prescribe these medications to end a human life will be prosecuted."

In Alabama, Attorney General Steve Marshall's office said it is reviewing whether people or groups could face prosecution for helping women fund and travel to out-of-state abortion appointments.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Feb. 25, 2022, in Orlando, Fla. Former South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravsborg has asked a state ethics board to press for an investigation Monday, June 27, 2022, of Noem. Ravnsborg blames the governor for his impeachment and removal from office last week for his conduct surrounding a fatal crash in 2020. Credit: AP Photo/John Raoux, File

Casper Byrd, right, of Bowling Green, sits with friends as they listen to various speakers share their experiences with abortion and women's rights at the BG Freedom Walkers' protest against the overturning of Roe v. Wade and Kentucky's trigger law to ban abortion, at Circus Square Park in Bowling Green, Ky., Saturday, June 25, 2022. Credit: Grace Ramey/Daily News via AP

Yellowhammer Fund, an Alabama-based group that helps low-income women cover abortion and travel costs, said it is pausing operation for two weeks because of the lack of clarity under state law.

"This is a temporary pause, and we're going to figure out how we can legally get you money and resources and what that looks like," said Kelsea McLain, Yellowhammer's health care access director.

Laura Goodhue, executive director of the Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates, said staff members at its clinics have seen women driving from as far as Texas without stopping or making an appointment. Women who are past 15 weeks are being asked to leave their information and promised a call back when a judge signs the order temporarily blocking the restriction, she said.

Still, there is concern that the order may be only temporary and the law may again go into effect later, creating additional confusion.

"It's terrible for patients," she said. "We are really nervous about what is going to happen."

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
VIRGINIA CITY  Since taking the directors post at the U.S. Bureau of Land Management last October, Tracy Stone-Manning hasnt had too many chances to visit her longtime home state of Montana. Last week, she made time to speak at the Footsteps of Norman Maclean Literary Festival in Missoula and inspect a weed-control project in BLMs Dillon Field District.

While meeting with weed teams around Axolotl Lake Wilderness Study Area near Virginia City, Stone-Manning also took time to discuss BLMs grazing policies, abandoned mine cleanup, wilderness study areas, energy development, recreation management and the scope of BLMs future mission.

This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.

What are you out here doing today?

So I'm out in the field looking at the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) in action. Here we are at a wilderness study area on the Dillon Field District. This land is in really good shape, so they're nipping the weeds in the bud here and preventing weed infestation on a picture-perfect day  I mean, my God.

And (I'm) also hearing about (how) Dillon does remarkable work around watershed assessments. They're on top of their watershed assessments, and that makes them on top of their grazing permits and the timelines on their grazing permits. And since 2001 when they started this, they've watched the condition of the watersheds get better.

So it's really important for me to see that work on the ground to help inform things like the grazing rule that we're looking at to update. One of my big priorities is ensuring that we are managing for outcomes on the ground, managing for landscape health, managing for resilience in landscape to be able to weather  no pun intended  the climate change that is among us and on us. And I always, always learn more on the ground.

Along the lines of what BIL money is accomplishing: There's also lots of money for public lands from the Great American Outdoors Act, lots of money from the American Rescue Plan Act. What kinds of major projects are you seeing from that huge tranche of public money coming in?

There's $900 million coming to the Department of Interior for ecosystem restoration nationwide. BLM got $28 million in fiscal year '22. In Montana, it's everything from this $30,000 weed project to a $500,000 restoration project up at Zortman-Landusky (abandoned gold mine). Thats putting people on the ground in good-paying jobs to leave this land better off than we found it. And Zortman, that's just a great partnership with the state. The Department of Environmental Quality is in charge of that site and now we're to the place that we can go beyond reclamation and to restoration. And that kind of investment really, really matters, and is kind of once in a generation.

Are there any other big-ticket items like Zortman-Landusky that come to mind?

In Montana that's probably the biggest, but this $30,000 is repeated around the state for getting a handle on weeds. It's hugely important to maintain the biodiversity that we have out here to make sure that we don't get a monoculture of cheatgrass.

Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) introduced a bill last Thursday to remove protections from three wilderness study areas in Montana, two of which are on BLM lands. As agency director, what's your role when something like that happens and what's your response to that bill specifically?

When any bill comes before the Congress that affects BLM lands, we are asked for our technical take on it. And so we see the language and we make sure that it is technically accurate. And then we don't typically, until there's a hearing, say whether we support or oppose or why. We just do the technical work to make sure it's technically sound. And that's where we are with this project.

I think that Montana has a really long and important history of people working together to come up with collaborative solutions. That's just happened time and time again. I mean, Sen. (Jon) Tester's been doing that for years, like with the Blackfoot-Clearwater Stewardship Act, which is before the Congress now. What I've learned as a Montanan to help inform being director of the bureau, is always when there's collaboration on the ground across multiple stakeholders, the product is better  always.

There's usually public and stakeholder involvement in making an area a wilderness study area. How does a bill that would remove that protection compare with the process of creating a wilderness study area?

I just can't stress enough how important it is to have collaborate solutions  we just learned all about that this morning with these watershed assessments, and permittees and the county and the state and the BLM working together on these watershed assessments. That's what makes for durable conservation on the ground. And, surely, the one thing I think everyone can agree on around wilderness study areas is that many of them have been in that status for decades and the status was meant for Congress to decide one way or another. We've got to designate them into wilderness or not. So Congress probably should step up to the plate and do that work, but it has to be informed on the ground.

Some members of our delegation have tried hard over the years, and where it has come to a halt has been in the Congress. But the really good byproduct of that work is the collaboration you heard about. A bill might not pass, but people have worked together, so that they're ready to work together on other projects on the ground, which is pretty cool.

There's been talk of a Badger-Two Medicine National Monument on the edge of the Blackfeet Reservation. The BLM made headlines recently for enacting co-management of Bears Ears National Monument in Utah with local tribes. If Badger-Two Medicine became a monument, would you consider co-management with the Blackfeet Nation?

Most of that ground is Forest Service, not BLM, but I can say, generally speaking, this administration has been abundantly clear on our commitment to our nation-to-nation (relationships) with tribes, which is why you saw what you saw in Bears Ears a few weeks ago, where I signed a cooperative agreement with five tribes that's going to figure out how to co-manage that place together. And the reason that we did it is because the tribes asked us to. Anytime that there's a potential there, our response comes to a request from tribal nations.

The Biden administration originally pledged to stop oil and gas drilling on federal lands, but that moratorium is tied up in court. The administration recently announced plans to lease 144,000 acres of Department of Interior-managed lands, a fraction of the area originally considered. How do you balance the administration's goals with an opposing mandate to allow drilling?

In the Louisiana v. Biden case, the judge said to the Department of Interior, you've got to do this leasing. We appealed that decision. We believe we have more discretion than that. But while the appeal is going on we are nonetheless adhering to the judge and moving forward with the lease sale. I think people saw that we started with expressions of interest on over 700,000 acres of land, and then we began to put screens on what would get us to balanced, responsible development that also is fair to the taxpayer. And I think that's what you'll see in the final lease sale here in the coming days.

There's been in recent years an explosion of outdoor recreation and land users. That can sometimes be in tension with preserving the environment. What's your perspective on that, and how do you manage that?

The good news that came out of the pandemic was that Americans fell in love again all over with our public lands. And they're not going back. We've got a responsibility to make sure that  I mean, look, we're out here in the WSA (and) we're the only ones in the trailhead. Thirty years from now that's not going to be the case. And so we have to make sure that we are planning for the future so that everyone has equitable access. It doesn't matter how big your bank account is, you still get to come to this trailhead and hike on this trail, and have an experience you want to have. And that might look a little different in the future than it does today. In some places it's permitted (recreation managed through a permit system). Luckily in most places in Montana it's not, unless it's the Smith River. But that's coming, and we've got to get smart about it and fair about it.

That's just good planning. The planning that you heard about today around watershed assessments and health, we need to bring that kind of rigor to the boom that we're in with recreation so that people still get to play with their families, and find solace, and hunt and fish, and run around on ATVs, and everybody has space for those separate uses.

A common theme in a lot of what you've said is getting everybody on the ground actually involved.

Government from the top doesn't work. Government is of the people, for the people, by the people, right? So, by the people, on the ground. That is what makes good governing and that's what makes for durable conservation and sustainability.

You've been in Montana since you moved to Missoula in 1988. You've worked with the Clark Fork Coalition, for Sen. Tester, and running the state DEQ. Now you're running a sprawling federal agency for the Biden administration. Making the shift from working in Montana to inside the D.C. beltway, how's that transition been professionally and personally?

I had a great place to build a foundational understanding of how governing should work, and I had incredible teachers in Sen. Tester and Gov. (Steve) Bullock where I learned you have to bring people together to find common ground, and that is what makes good governing and durable solutions. So I learned from the best, and I also learned in a place where people still put their differences aside. Were Montanans still, even in our really, really really political times. Montanans still will roll up their sleeves and come to the table and put their differences aside and work together. And I learned over three decades from people doing that, and that's what I'm bringing to D.C. everyday. It's quite an honor to bring that sort of Montana ethic to the work.

On the personal side, the work is kind of all in, so it doesn't matter where I am. Looking out my window at Ponderosa pine is way better than looking out my window at sidewalks. But, the work is all in, and there are still pockets of places where you can get outside pretty quickly in the D.C. area. Rock Creek Park is beautiful, it's three blocks from where I live, and so having a trail under my feet on the weekends helps ground me.

How do you split your time between D.C. and being in the West where BLM-managed lands are?

I'm traveling at least two weeks out of the month, especially in this season when getting around is really easy. There's less of that in the winter. I try to split it 50-50. It's not always that way, sometimes it's more 60-40 or 70-30. But 97% of our employees are in the West, here, doing good work. And so that's why I need to keep getting back, so I can learn the lessons from individual places and try to imbue them across the bureau, and also let folks in D.C. know what's happening out here on the ground.
" " Umbrella insurance provides additional coverage for your home, auto and boat. iStockphoto.com /JulNichols

As critical as it is to carry adequate liability auto insurance, it's not some magic cure-all. Don't forget that it doesn't cover any damage to your vehicle or property, or any bodily injuries you suffer. It's strictly for damage and injuries to others and their property. That's why most drivers also purchase additional auto insurance coverage such as collision, which does cover damage to your own vehicle, and personal injury protection, or PIP, which covers your own injuries, lost wages and other associated costs.

PIP is required in Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Utah; in Arkansas and Maryland it's not mandatory, but you have to reject it in writing if you don't want it. If you live in a state where PIP isn't mandatory, remember to check over your health insurance before you purchase PIP (or a similar insurance called medical payments). If you've got great health coverage, you may be able to either skip PIP/medical payments, or just purchase the minimum amount available [source: Reed].

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The other caveat when it comes to liability auto insurance is that even if you purchase the most that's available (generally $250,000 per person, $500,000 for all), you can still come up short if you're in a serious accident. That's why it's a good idea to also carry umbrella insurance if you're able to swing it. Also called excess liability insurance, umbrella insurance provides additional general liability coverage to your home, auto and boat. Because of this, it's only available to people who have their homeowners, auto and boat coverage with the same insurer [source: Travelers].

Here's how it works: Let's say you cause a serious auto accident, and the resulting bills are $300,000 more than your auto liability insurance can pay. No worries; simply tap into your umbrella insurance, which covers the rest. (That's how it gets its name, incidentally -- you're supposed to think of this coverage as a giant umbrella opened up over your car, home and boat, shielding them from harm.) Umbrella coverage is generally available in increments of $1 million, up to $5 million.

The bottom line is, nobody really likes to pay for insurance. It's expensive, and you may never get a penny back from what you pay in. But when you start grumbling the next time you read your bill, just remember this: Nobody struck by disaster ever regrets being prepared.
In October 1882, the up-and-coming community in Silver Bow County was Stuart, 18 miles west of Butte near Gregson (Fairmont) hot springs. Multi-column announcements of the Saturday auctions for town lots appeared weekly in the New North-West in Deer Lodge and in the Butte Miner, touting the new and promising suburban town, beautifully located in the midst of a thickly settled and productive farming region in upper Deer Lodge Valley.

Fred J. Taylor, the Butte agent for Stuart real estate, was a well-known organizer of theatrical events at the Renshaw Hall. He was also the foreman of Butte Fire Brigade #1, a violinist, and ran for City Marshal in 1883.

Stuart, named for prominent pioneers Granville and James Stuart, was a station on the Utah and Northern Railway from Salt Lake City. The junction for the spur line to Butte was a few miles south at Silver Bow, and Stuart was to serve as the intersection with Northern Pacific lines north to Garrison (and the NP transcontinental line that was completed at Gold Creek in 1883) and an 8-mile spur into Anaconda, where Marcus Dalys smelter complex was under construction.

Before the Stuart line was completed, transportation from Anaconda to Stuart was provided by carriage at a fare of $2 to connect to the trains to north, south, and from Silver Bow into Butte. At times as many as 500 men worked on building the grade and laying ties and track, so that the line opened October 1, 1884. By 1889, there were three regular 50-minute runs daily from Anaconda to Stuart, connecting for Silver Bow and Butte.

The line from Stuart to Anaconda was constructed by the Montana Railway, a subsidiary of the Union Pacific, but the monopoly and high rates led Marcus Daly to construct his own Butte, Anaconda & Pacific railroad in 1894, which effectively put the Montana Railway out of business. It was sold to the Northern Pacific in 1897, leased to the BA&P in 1898, and eventually sold to the BA&P, whose rails also ran near Stuart.

One of the first buildings erected at Stuart was a Methodist church, organized by Rev. F. A. Riggin, a circuit rider who also started churches at Anaconda, Philipsburg, New Chicago, and Drummond. Stuart had a post office intermittently from 1882 to 1914. In 1887 Otto Wommelsdorf managed the passenger depot which included separate waiting rooms for ladies. At the bar, the finest brands of wines, liquors, and cigars are kept constantly on hand.

For several of the October 1882 town lot auctions special excursion train rates were given from Butte for tourists, speculators, and sight-seers, who were promised a sort of picnic. But although it became a small community, the growth touted by Stuarts promoters never really took off even though in later years it was on the main highway from Butte to Anaconda (Highway 10A). Today all that is left are a few buildings marking the old Northern Pacific depot at the intersection of the Crackerville Road and the road to Fairmont.
Arrested on Harrison

Ryan Christopher McConnell, 37, of Butte was booked into the jail just before 10 p.m. Wednesday for the misdemeanor offense of partner or family member assault with minor injuries.

Police responded to the Town Pump at 2711 Harrison Ave. to investigate a disturbance between a man and a woman. According to the 39-year-old victim, McConnell grabbed her pack of cigarettes, pushed his thumbs into her mouth and threw a beer can at her, striking her in the chin and lip.

McConnell was walking northbound on Harrison Avenue when he was arrested.

Under 21

Shortly before 1 a.m. Friday, Colton Matthew McGinnis, 20, of Butte was booked into the jail for the misdemeanor offense of being under the age of 21 and driving under the influence.

Prior to his arrest, it was reported that while driving in the 3000 block of White Boulevard, McGinnis struck a fence and then hit a shed.

MHP arrest

Colton Christopher Neff, 20, of Helena was arrested just before 5 p.m. Thursday by a Montana Highway Patrol trooper.

He was jailed for the misdemeanor offenses of driving under the influence, driving with a suspended or revoked sentence, failure to show proof of insurance, and failure to wear a seatbelt.

Additional crimes

It was reported Thursday morning that a stainless steel storage box was taken off a trailer parked at the Copper King, 4655 Harrison Ave.

Also reported Thursday morning was the theft of a cell phone from a car parked in the 900 block of Zarelda Street.

A car window was broken out late Thursday night in the 900 block of South Utah. Several items are missing.

It was discovered Friday morning that three double-headed parking meters were taken at the Broadway and Main parking lot. It is believed a saw was used to remove them.
Xi inspects PLA garrison in Hong Kong

Xinhua) 09:11, July 02, 2022

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, inspects the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Garrison in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, south China, July 1, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

HONG KONG, July 1 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping on Friday inspected the Hong Kong Garrison of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), ordering the troops to raise its capabilities in performing duties and contribute more to the enduring success of "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), came to the Central Barracks on Friday morning, and met with representatives of the army officers and soldiers.

Over the past 25 years since Hong Kong returned to the motherland, the Hong Kong Garrison has steadfastly carried out decisions and instructions of the CPC Central Committee and the CMC and fulfilled defense-centered tasks under the guidance of "one country, two systems" principle as well as the Basic Law of the HKSAR and the Law of the People's Republic of China on Garrisoning the HKSAR, Xi said.

Particularly in recent years, the garrison, while facing a complicated and evolving situation in Hong Kong, has played an important role in Hong Kong's transition from chaos to order by dutifully serving the CPC Central Committee's work on Hong Kong affairs, he noted.

With Hong Kong now at a crucial stage of advancing to further prosperity, the Hong Kong Garrison must strengthen self-building in all respects and raise its capabilities in performing duties, so as to contribute more to safeguarding national security and Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability as well as the enduring success of "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong, Xi said.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Bianji)
A Chicago man pleaded guilty Friday to a misdemeanor for his role in the U.S. Capitol riot, court records show.

Athanasios Zoyganeles entered the plea to a charge of parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. He could receive a prison term of up to six months when he is sentenced, which is scheduled for Sept. 30.

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Zoyganeles had planned on traveling to Washington for weeks before the attack, messaging one friend in December 2020 he was down for whatever, charging documents said.

Its time we take this country back, Zoyganeles wrote, according to the complaint.

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At least three people, including a former high school classmate, provided information about Zoyganeles role in the breach to the FBI, records show.

Federal authorities searched video of the breach and said they spotted Zoyganeles standing outside the Parliamentarian doors while holding a piece of wood and smoking.

Last October, a close family member identified Zoyganeles in photos that depicted him in and around the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, court records show.

Zoyganeles is one of 30 known Illinois residents who have been charged as a result of the Capitol riot investigation, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
MISSOULA  In a Missoula federal court Thursday, two Butte men appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto, both pleading not guilty to separate charges.

Mark Ernest Spani, 64, of Butte, was in court to hear charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, distribution of controlled substances, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, prohibited person in possession of a firearm and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

If convicted of the most serious crimes, Spani faces a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release on the conspiracy crime and a mandatory minimum five years to life in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release on possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

Bernard Roy McKinney, 43, of Butte, faced Judge DeSoto with charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and distribution of controlled substances. If convicted of the most serious crime, McKinney faces a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release.

Both men were detained pending further proceedings. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Montana Division of Criminal Investigation investigated both cases.
Saturday, July 2

VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS

The original members of BrooM (Big rain over old Montana) and the Veterans of Foreign Wars will host a patriotic family event with a beef brisket potluck Saturday in the VFW hall in Maxville. Learn more about BrooM at Booking@DMCMusic.US

LEWIS & CLARK CAVERNS

Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park Ranger Ramona Radonich presents a closer look at the skulls of several animals that live in the park at 8 p.m. Saturday, July 2. This presentation will be in the campground amphitheater. The park is 15 miles southeast of Whitehall, along Highway 2. For details, visit stateparks.mt.gov/lewis-and-clark-caverns or call 406-287-3541.

BOOK SIGNING

Isle of Books hosts Joe Wegley for the signing of Made to Move: Nine Simple Steps to Active Aging from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, July 2 at 43 East Broadway St. in Butte. For details, call the book store at 406-782-9520.

FARMERS MARKET

The Butte Farmers Market will be in full bloom in Uptown from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. through Oct. 8, offering fresh produce, other foods, a variety of plants and a wide range of arts and crafts.

CLUBS AND MEETINGS

The Butte Public Library will offer our bargain basement books free for the entire month of July. The room is overflowing with great, slightly worn books. They still have lots of life in them. Visit any day the library is open. For details, call 406-723-3361.

Butte Public Library hosts its Cleaning Crew from 2 to 4 p.m. The Cleaning Crew focuses on areas of Butte that need attention. Follow the event on Facebook for details on where to be. Bring gloves and walking shoes. For details, call the library at 406-723-3361.
For the first time in 20 years, the euro is hovering near parity with the dollar. Here's why the euro's slide is happening and what impact it 
The timeline for updating standards for Montana schools extended into July after a committee spent 10 hours on Thursday struggling with rules related to counselors and library staff.

The committee had 50 rules to finish, but spent all last week on four rules, reaching consensus on two.

Initially, the negotiation process was expected to wrap up by the end of June to transmit the new rules for the consideration of Montanas Board of Public Education at a July meeting. However, a stalemate surrounding a handful of rules pushed that timeline back.

The Negotiated Rulemaking Committee has reached consensus on many meaningful changes to our state school accreditation standards, said Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen. The remaining rules focus on enhancing literacy, student wellness and career development through program services that deliver measurable outcomes for our Montana students. Our child and our families deserve standards that open the door to their future.

The committee has met 17 times since its Feb. 24 orientation and reached consensus on 48 individual rules. Since Arntzens first wave of recommendations in mid-May the committee has met for nearly 30 hours over eight meetings to wrap up their work. Arntzen issued additional recommendations in early June.

This week, the group met twice to wrap up discussions on four rules related to superintendents, administrators, library media services and counseling staff. After about 12 hours of discussion, the committee finally reached consensus on two rules regarding superintendents and administrators.

The two remaining rules concerning school counseling and library staff have been highly contentious topics among committee members and in public comment throughout the process.

Arntzens recommendations would allow Montana schools to have fewer librarians and counselors by eliminating ratios that previously existed in the respective rules. She explained to the group that her recommendations are aimed at emphasizing local control at a May meeting.

I firmly believe that mental health is in a crisis and we must come out of it and give an opportunity, but a ratio is not the manner of doing it, Arntzen said in May. It is local control so that students needs and families can be met where they are needed and not at a check-the-box opportunity.

Committee members attempted to find a middle ground on the rules over two meetings during the last week of June. Some in the group were unwavering in their support of ratios in those positions to maintain a set standard for all schools.

Renee Schoening, the executive director of the Montana School Counselor Association and member of the rulemaking committee, said that she would prefer that the counselor-to-student ratio be closer to 1:50, but would settle for a ratio closer to 1:300 for the sake of compromise.

Committee member Stephen Schreibeis, the superintendent of Glendive Public Schools, agreed with Schoening about the importance of maintaining a set ratio for all schools, especially for school counselors.

We keep having conversations and I think every single one of us can agree that we have a problem with mental health and we have a problem with a lot of different pieces and the thing that I havent heard is what we replace it with, Schreibeis said.

He clarified that no one  including Arntzen  is arguing that school counselors should be eliminated entirely.

Schreibeis compared school counselors to lifeboats on the Titanic, noting that when the ocean liner first launched the standard was set to have 16 lifeboats on board, but the ship set sail with 20 although it was large enough to hold 32.

Im not saying that a counselor is a lifeboat, but if anybody in the school is considered a lifeboat  its a counselor, he said. Looking back at the Titanic, if they wouldnt even have the standard of 16 would they have even dropped (the number of lifeboats on board) down even more?

There are two economic impact surveys open now to determine if there are any substantial cost implications associated with proposed rule changes. One survey will close on July 5. The second related to superintendents, administrators and principals will close on July 8.

The group will meet again on July 15 in another attempt to wrap up the rulemaking process. When all rules have reached consensus they will be transmitted to the Board of Public Education for final approval.
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP)  The Sorensen Banned Book Library is open for business at 58 Cottner Drive.

A surprise 50th birthday gift for Chris Sorensen, the chartered Little Free Library and the books inside are available to the public at no cost.

The idea of it is amazing, Sorensen told the Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil. There really is no greater gift you can give somebody, especially if its a book youve read and loved. Theres really something special about that.

All books in the library are selected from lists that various groups have attempted to ban from other libraries, Sorensen said.

He loves to read and is passionate about sharing books, particularly those stories people have tried to silence in the past.

Its important to show people that there is another side of the story, there are people that dont believe these books are banned, Sorensen said. And, in some small way, its a little bit of a push back against those that would want to ban books or ask for books to be banned from public or school libraries.

Sorensens favorite title, Fahrenheit 451, is one thats often popping up on banned book lists. The storys main character is a fireman, like Sorensen, except Ray Bradburys dystopian future depicts firemen as the ones who are starting fires, not extinguishing them.

Thats alarming when your favorite book is on there, he said. I was really excited when that was one of the first books to disappear from the library.

Sorensen is headstrong in his belief that no book should be banned. He doesnt believe that any book is bad, or necessarily all good.

I think its important to have them available to share, he said. Oftentimes, theyre being banned in groups of people just because they showed up on a list that somebody thought didnt meet their political agenda. To ban a book without having read it and knowing whats available in there  I think there are thoughts that can be used from any book to develop your own thoughts and your own growth.

Sorensen called the unique gift a complete surprise, presented to him during a celebration of his daughter Alysons law school graduation.

Several of my friends and family gave me presents that were books, he said.

A website had been set up with a list of suggested titles, and many selected their favorites to mail to the Sorensen household.

To get a whole bunch of books all at once from friends and family  knowing those books they donated had some meaning to them  that was really special, Sorensen said.

Alyson said the idea stemmed from a running family joke. They often laughed that anytime someone gifted Chris a book, his wife and the childrens mother, Megan, grumbled about the growing library in the basement.

We were thinking a lot about the news over the last year or so, the censorship in public and private schools across the country, Alyson said. Thinking about dad, his love for reading and love for ideas, it seemed pretty natural that finding some way to push back against that trend would be a good gift for him. Dad loves nothing more than connecting with people through books and getting people out in his community.

The family ordered a Little Free Library kit online and Megan created a private Facebook event, inviting friends and family to get in on the gift with book donations.

We linked to a couple of our favorite stores and encouraged people to write a note in those books so that dad could leaf through all of these people who share his love of reading, Alyson said.

It was a fun thing to do, Megan said. People came up with some really good ideas that werent on the list.

Sorensen was also gifted a custom stamp, so that each book that circulates through the Sorensen Banned Book Library carries a piece of that with it.

Ideas are important and it only takes on person to protect ideas, Alyson said. In my life, if theres going to be one person to protect ideas, its going to be dad. The library is in the front yard where dad can help make sure kids in the neighborhood, or people who happen to stop by, have access to books.

Since the Banned Book Librarys opening last month, Sorensen said he has seen some books come and go. He has noticed new books have also been added.

Its here, and please use it, Sorensen said. If you find something you like, please take it and read it. You can even leave me a note in the library and tell me what you thought, if you want to.

Books can be picked up or dropped off at readers leisure. They can be returned, but it is not required.

Id rather they keep it or share it with somebody else that they think would enjoy reading that book, he said.
Regener8 Group is the company behind electronics trade-in services offered through retailers like Cellucity, Incredible Connection, iStore, and Digicape.

Our business model is to source devices from multiple channels at a competitive trade-in price and sell them through various channels, Regener8 group chief executive officer Colin Williamson told MyBroadband.

Regener8 accepts trade-ins on cellphones, tablets, laptops, most Apple devices, smartwatches, and other wearable tech.

We add value to these devices by data wiping them, and where possible, cleaning them, fixing them up, and loading the latest software before selling them.

Regener8s clients are iStore, Incredible Connection, Cellucity, Vodacom, Digicape, Samsung, and MTN.

Regener8 provides their clients, whether retail stores or online services, with their device trade-in portal.

The web-based trade-in portal lets businesses view market buy-back pricing and grading reports.

We make sure all our partners have competitive pricing and give them access to our database of product catalogues.

Retailers that offer trade-ins via Regener8s services determine whether they sell the devices to Regener8 or if they sell them in-store.

Some partners decide to keep some of the traded-in devices and send us the balance, Williamson said.

Cellucity owner Sean Joffe previously told MyBroadband that most devices that are traded in get exported, while a minority classified as grade-A get resold locally.

Williamson explained that any devices sent to Regener8s international partners undergo a thorough data wiping process.

Our international partners are fully GDPR-compliant, so we need to ensure that no amount of personal data is left on the devices, he said.

At store-level, Regener8 insists that its partners factory reset the devices and remove SIM and memory cards.

He said that once the devices reach Regener8s facility, they are subjected to an industry-standard complete data wipe.

Any SIM or SD cards still in the device get destroyed, he said.

We then re-grade the devices, after which they get wiped again, Williamson said.

The executive said that South Africa still has some catching up to do with developed countries regarding trade-in and refurbishment services.

We are still in the early days of formalising refurbishment services in South Africa, but there is certainly a lot more growth to come, Regener8s Williamson said.

A while ago, you had to do a lot of work to convince people refurbished devices werent dodgy, he said.

For example, it took Cellucity three years before consumers engaged with its trade-in programme in a meaningful way.

However, recent campaigns like Samsungs S22 device trade-in promotion have significantly boosted consumer interest.

In European markets, trade-in has been around for so long that customers consider it part of their normal transaction if they are going to renew their contracts, said Williamson.

In Sweden, it has come to the point where consumers who regularly buy new devices are looked down upon because they are not supporting the circular economy.

Williamson said its important to educate South African consumers about the value of trade-in services.

Our golden rule is to try and get as many lifecycles out of a device as possible, he said.

If we can give a device another life, consumers do not have to continually buy new devices, which saves them money and is better for the environment in the long run.

The UNs 2019 report on electronic waste estimates that 50 million tonnes of e-waste are produced each year and that this will double by 2050 if nothing changes.

Considering the pace at which electronics are improving and the rise in consumer demand, devices are reaching their end of life sooner than before.

Williamson said that many developed countries simply dispose of their electronic waste by shipping it to Africa.

For example, Ghanas Agbogbloshie district has one of the worlds largest electronic landfills.

By getting more people to engage in the circular economy via trade-ins, we can keep older devices out of landfills, Williamson said.

He added that Regener8s services enable less affluent consumers to afford higher-end LTE devices, which opens up business opportunities for them.

We need to get people to stop holding onto their old tech they dont need anymore so they can pass it on to others who will benefit more from it.

As consumers, we should be taking a step back and asking ourselves if it is really necessary to buy a new device every two years, Williamson said.
South Africas Constitutional Court has decided to strike down the governments plans to end old-style analogue television broadcasting at the end of June.

The decision upholds the right to information, which poor South Africans would have been denied as government has been slow to roll out the devices they need to access the new digital signal.

But the decision further delays migration to digital broadcasting and will leave South Africa struggling longer with a lack of urgently needed bandwidth. The migration would free up space on the frequency spectrum for mobile data and other uses.

The government had many years to ensure a smooth transition and ensure that poor households would continue to have access to television services. But it failed to do so.

A last minute rush and hasty deadlines could not obscure the fact that perhaps a third of South Africans would have been left without access.

The courts ruling, handed down just two days before the deadline, said the government neglected to establish how many people would be left without access to television when the analogue signal was switched off. The decision was, therefore, unconstitutional and was set aside.

The court challenge to the 30 June date for analogue switch-off came from free-to-air private broadcaster E-tv, supported by civil society groups SOS Support Public Broadcasting and Media Monitoring Africa.

They argued that the date was too early, as there were still too many people who wouldnt have access to the new digital signal.

The process of digital migration has dragged on for many years: South Africa first planned to switch off analogue in 2011, well ahead of a deadline set by the International Telecommunications Union for 2015.

But these and further deadlines and ministers came and went, while the process was dogged by claims of corruption, operational delays and accusations that South African satellite TV giant Multichoice tried to shape the process to its own agenda.

The administration of President Cyril Ramaphosa has identified the reshaping of the digital landscape as a policy priority. The government is pushing hard to finalise digital migration  moving analogue television broadcasts to a new digital platform, digital terrestrial television.

The current minister of communications, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, recently railed against opponents of digital migration, saying the country needed to

bridge the digital divide, especially on a continent where the majority of our people remain unconnected and without access to technology. We cannot afford to be left behind, irrespective of any other agendas. Our people are going to be connected.

Need for change

After so many years of delay, however, the landscape has changed dramatically.

Digital terrestrial television has largely been overtaken by Internet-based services like Netflix and satellite services like DStv, at least for the middle classes.

Poorer South Africans still rely heavily on the analogue system.

Around 36% of the countrys population might have been left in television darkness at the end of June if the switch-off had gone ahead, according to submissions to the Constitutional Court.

According to Justine Limpitlaw and Azola Dayile of the SOS Support Public Broadcast Coalition:

That the 36% are the most marginalised and have least access should be of particular concern to the government.

At the heart of the problem is the fact that the frequency spectrum has limited space for the radio, television, cellphone and other signals it carries.

Newer digital technologies dramatically increase carrying capacity, and the ballooning demand for digital services has created massive demand for additional spectrum to be released.

The lack of bandwidth has been identified as a major obstacle to lowering data costs and hence promoting economic growth.

However, the traditional broadcasters are in the way. They are occupying the frequency bands between 700 MHz and 800 MHz and need to be migrated to digital to free up those bands for mobile data.

The government has had some success on the other end of the digital migration problem. After long and complex court battles, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa successfully held an auction of frequency space in March this year, realising R14.4 billion (about US$900 million) from six mobile companies.

The amount far exceeded expectations and reflects how valuable frequency space is. Treasury will be glad of the tidy windfall, too.

The hurdle

The problem is that the real estate has been sold while its old occupants are still in possession and fighting attempts to move them off.

Some transmitters in five provinces have already been switched off, but switch-offs in the most populous areas of the country still lie ahead.

The government has been rolling out the free set-top boxes that will allow people with old television sets to receive the new digital signal. But the process is far behind schedule.

By late last year, just over 500,000 households had been issued with set-top boxes, according to government figures submitted in court, out of a qualifying total of 3.75 million.

The ministry argued that most of those left out had not registered for support. The government could only take responsibility for those who had, the minister said in court papers. But the Constitutional Court said this was not good enough, and that the 31 October 2021 deadline to register was irrational.

Though E-tv has emphasised the loss of information rights of millions for purposes of its application to the court, the broadcaster also fears a massive loss of business. With such a huge drop in audience numbers, advertisers will simply go elsewhere.

The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), the national public broadcaster, too, would lose money and initially expressed concern about switching off analogue too quickly.

It later apologised to the minister for an alleged breach of protocol, after apparent pressure from the ministry. But, the statement has not been retracted and remains on the corporations website.

A question of timing and rights

All sides agree that the analogue switch-off needs to happen  it is only the timing that is at issue.

Though the process has been running for many years, progress has been painfully slow while pressure for more bandwidth has grown exponentially.

It seems less than fair to expect millions of the most disadvantaged to do without television as a result of the states difficulties with delivery  in this case, of set-top boxes. After all, information is a basic right and necessity.

The Constitutional Court ruling means that until the government can roll out set-top boxes to those who need them, mobile data will remain scarce and expensive.

Franz Kruger, Adjunct Professor of Journalism and Director of the Wits Radio Academy, University of the Witwatersrand

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Now read: Mobile operators on track to migrate out of emergency spectrum
The Napa County Office of Education (NCOE) announced that it has received two grants totaling over $3 million from AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism.

The grants will support the continuation and expansion of the Volunteer Infrastructure Project (VIP) and Expanded Learning (EXL) programs at NCOE, which has been operating AmeriCorps programs since 1997.

With this funding, NCOE will support over 100 AmeriCorps VIP members to help develop, implement and strengthen volunteer programs throughout the state.

The 2022-2023 program year will be the 13th year that NCOE has operated the VIP program in more than 19 counties in California.

This funding also supports the placement of 41 AmeriCorps EXL members who will serve as tutors or mentors in schools in Napa and Santa Rosa.
The Napa Valley College website and network systems have been coming back online this week after being shut down by a ransomware attack in early June.

NVC spokesperson Holly Dawson said the website was internally accessible using on-campus Wi-Fi starting on Monday this week. It was also intermittently accessible externally on Monday and became fully accessible via off-campus internet by Thursday, she said.

The site previously vanished from the internet on or before June 10, when NVC officials first announced the disruption to online and phone services on the school's social media accounts. The schools phone systems are also working again, Dawson confirmed, and employee email accounts are back online.

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Some systems  such as the schools Self Service portal, which allows students to register for classes or make changes to their schedule, and some areas of the website  arent entirely back yet, but they should be returning soon, Dawson added.

With the system shutdown, the schools been carrying out some workaround efforts to serve students in the ways it usually would. NVC held an in-person event to help students register for classes on Thursday, for example  which also included counselors and help completing orientation and assessments  and an in-person enrollment open house event on Wednesday to help people with applications. The schools also been holding Zoom Q&A sessions to discuss enrollment and financial aid and on-campus offices are open to help students in person.

Weve just been really focused on how do we support our students, Dawson said.

The cyberattack delayed the colleges ability to send out transcripts, but physical copies were mailed to those that ordered them this week and digital copies are being sent out to four-year colleges where NVC students are transferring. A financial aid payment to students scheduled for June 16 was also delayed because of the attack, but NVC has been sending out those payments in the past few days.

Our number one priority was to get those financial aid disbursements out, Dawson said.

NVC has continued to teach online and in-person summer session classes during the disruption. Students didnt lose access to their email account or the student portal Canvas, where class materials are found.

An investigation into the attack is ongoing. NVC previously said it was working with the U.S. Secret Service and Homeland Security department to look into the incident. Dawson said the school administration has been and will continue holding internal meetings about the attack as the new superintendent and president of the college, Torence Powell, takes on leading the school. She said she didnt currently have anything else she could share about the attack itself.

Dawson has previously noted that other community colleges have suffered similar attacks in the past year. Interim superintendent and president Robert Frost  whos now come to the end of his six month stint leading the college  also previously said the college doesnt expect there will be a drop off in fall registrations as a result of the attack.
Carmen Contreras works on setting the base for a new plaque honoring Jim Gray, a fugitive slave who escaped with the help of Ottawa's abolitionists, at the courthouse in Ottawa, June 30, 2022. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

The tale of how residents of Ottawa, Illinois, helped a fugitive slave escape to freedom marks a transitional phase in the states history, experts say, but has been largely forgotten.

Historians hope that changes Monday  the Fourth of July  when they will explain the story during the dedication of a historical marker outside the Ottawa courthouse.

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According to Illinois State Historical Society research, Jim Gray was one of three enslaved people who escaped in 1859 from owner Richard Phillips near New Madrid, Missouri.

Gray was arrested in Union County, Illinois, and taken to Ottawa for trial. He arrived at the train station with his arms and legs shackled and a rope around his neck. A crowd gathered at the station, where Scottish immigrant and grain merchant John Hossack asked, What crime has he committed? Has he done anything but want to be free?

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At the courthouse the next day, hundreds of onlookers gathered. Gray was ordered to appear before a U.S. commissioner for a hearing under the Fugitive Slave Law, which likely would have meant his return to enslavement.

According to a plan hatched by local abolitionists and led in part by Hossack, several men restrained the U.S. marshal holding the prisoner, and Gray broke free. Hassock brought Gray out of the building, while the crowd blocked the marshal from pursuing.

Outside, Gray jumped the fence and leaped into an awaiting carriage. Despite an attempt to stop the team of horses, the carriage raced out of town, to Canada and freedom under British law.

Residents of Ottawa play in a splash park near where abolitionists transported slaves to freedom, June 30, 2022. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

Hossack and several others were arrested and taken to Chicago for trial. They were held in jail, where crowds of supporters visited them. Hossack was found guilty and sentenced to 10 days in jail and a $10 fine, but his speech in court was published as an anti-slavery tract. Upon his release, he and his fellow conspirators were escorted around the city and treated like celebrities.

At the time, the Illinois Constitution excluded Blacks from moving to the state without a certificate of freedom, and its Black Laws prevented them from voting or having other basic rights.

After passage of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, slave catchers abducted Black people even if they had certificates of freedom.

Hossacks mansion, which still stands on a bluff in Ottawa, was a stop on the Underground Railroad for escaped slaves, and Chicago was a terminus, where Blacks could open a business or find work, according to the Chicago History Museum.

Local historian Chuck Stanley stands outside the Hossack House in Ottawa on June 30, 2022. The home, which belonged to John Hossack, who led the abolition movement in Ottawa, was a stop on the Underground Railroad. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

The Illinois State Historical Society offers grants to help pay for such markers, which cost about $5,000 and are made of cast aluminum. Board member Chuck Stanley, who lives in Ottawa and helped lead the effort, said few people know the story of Jim Gray, which means the marker will enlighten visitors about what happened.

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It was a dramatic event, for abolitionists to take a prisoner from a U.S. marshal in a courthouse and get him to freedom, he said.

The incident stood in sharp contrast to the vigilante lynchings of Blacks at the time.

According to the court transcript, Gray was born to enslaved parents in Missouri, but sold at age 5. What happened to Gray after his escape to Canada remains a mystery.

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While Grays thoughts remain a secret, We only know that when he had a chance to run, he did, wrote Christopher Schnell, director of manuscripts at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield,.

Grays escape came at a turning point in American history, when pro- and anti-slavery views clashed in Illinois and across the nation, Schnell said. In general, Schnell said, Illinois was not a friendly place for enslaved people or freed Black people.

Abolitionists like Hossack were considered extremists, but his support in Chicago indicates he was not alone.

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To put the times in context, the escape came two years after the U.S. Supreme Court, in the Dred Scott case, denied citizenship to all Black people.

It came just a year after the first debate, held in Ottawa, between future President Abraham Lincoln and Sen. Stephen Douglas, over the issue of slavery, and less than two years before the beginning of the Civil War.

Despite popular support for exclusionary laws, Stanley said, the Jim Gray escape shows how strong the sentiment was for the abolitionist cause in northern Illinois.

Illinois Supreme Court Justice Robert Carter, who lives in Ottawa, will dedicate the memorial, and former Mayor Robert Eschbach will speak. The Ottawa Historic Preservation Commission, the La Salle County Bar Association and the William G. Pomeroy Foundation also sponsored the effort.
When Hansika Daggolus junior year of high school starts in the fall, shell be watching to see if a later first bell under a new California law means fewer classmates are heads-down on their desks for afternoon naps.

The overall mood, she suspects, will lift as well if her classmates at Mission San Jose High School in Fremont aren't quite so sleepy.

Im really excited and I am so happy this is happening, said Hansika, 15, who said she will no longer have to get out of bed before 7 a.m. to get to school by 8 a.m.

Beginning this fall high schools in the nations most populous state cant start before 8:30 a.m. and middle schools cant start before 8 a.m. under a 2019 first-in-the-nation law forbidding earlier start times. Similar proposals are before lawmakers in New Jersey and Massachusetts.

Advocates say teens do better on school work when they're more alert, and predict even broader effects: a reduction in suicides and teen car accidents and improved physical and mental health.

We know that teenagers are the most sleep-deprived age group, and the cause is our own public policy, said Joy Wake, who helped lead the efforts of the Start School Later group in California.

The average start time for the nation's high schools was 8 a.m. in 2017-18 but about 42% started before then, including 10% that began classes before 7:30 a.m., according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Middle school start times in 2011-12, the most recent available from NCES, were similar.

That's too early for adolescents whose bodies are wired to stay up later than at other ages because of a later release of the sleep hormone melatonin, scientists say. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that middle and high schools start at 8:30 a.m. or later. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends eight10 hours of sleep per night for 13- to 18-year-olds.

After finishing eighth grade and doing all of ninth grade remotely because of COVID-19 closures, Hansika said it was hard enough to transition from the shortened, less structured days to more challenging courses in a new school without also battling to stay alert. Remote learning allowed her to sleep until signing in for school in her robe and to take naps after classes ended around 12:30 p.m. That changed when schools reopened this past year.

Being sleep deprived in some parts of the year was also a problem for me so theres a lot of factors that come together, she said. She doesn't anticipate staying up any later because of the shift next year.

Opponents of changing start times often bring up logistical challenges like shifting bus routes and afterschool schedules and disrupting family routines built around existing school and work schedules.

As California debated the change, Orange County Superintendent of Schools Al Mijares worried it would disproportionally hurt students from working class families and single-parent households.

While it may be easy enough for some families with flexible schedules to adjust, in some communities, parents who are working just to make ends meet dont have the luxury of delaying the start of their workday, he wrote in a 2019 opinion piece for the nonprofit Cal Matters.

Wake responds that it's impossible to start school at a time that fits everyone's work schedules, but you can pick a time that doctors say is healthier and safer for teenage kids.

Bills related to school start times have been introduced in at least 22 U.S. states in recent years, according to Start School Later, though with limited success.

Adolescents who do not get enough sleep are faced with several health risks including being overweight, drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco, and using drugs, as well as poor academic performance, according to New Jersey legislation introduced in April by Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin and Sen. Vin Gopal, chair of the Education Committee.

It calls for start times of 8:30 a.m. or later statewide.

The New Jersey School Boards Association has opposed the effort in favor of letting local districts set their own schedules.
After the recent mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, New York, Congress enacted the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the most important gun violence prevention law in three decades. But days earlier, on June 23, the U.S. Supreme Courts decision in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen marked a major step backward.

Guns, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are the most common cause of death among Americans under the age of 25. The Supreme Court, in ruling that it is unconstitutional for the state of New York to require gun owners to obtain a permit to carry a concealed handgun in public places, made it much more likely that this trend will continue.

Justice Clarence Thomass majority opinion  signed by six of the nine justices  relies on the incorrect interpretation in the 2008 District of Columbia v. Heller ruling by Justice Antonin Scalia, which ignored the Second Amendments history and its preamble.

In the late 18th century, Americans feared standing armies and centralized government. [O]n both counts they wanted to make sure that the states would be allowed to have armed militias, wrote legal scholar Richard Posner.

The Heller decision reinterpreted the Second Amendment as an individual right to keep a handgun for defense of home and hearth. Scalia claimed to be an originalist, but as Posner explained, The irony is that the originalist method would have yielded the opposite result. That is, Scalia should have recognized that the amendment provided a collective right to gun ownership in connection with service in a militia.

The context and language of the Second Amendment are militaristic, including the much-repeated phrase bear arms. In a Washington Post article, Dennis Baron cites two large English databases from the founding era that confirm that Non-military uses of bear arms are not just rarethey are almost nonexistent.

Nothing in the Second Amendment makes it unconstitutional for states to regulate the carrying of guns in public places.

In a scathing critique of the courts New York state decision, Ohio State University historian Saul Cornell complained about its intellectual dishonesty and ignorance of basic legal historical method and well established facts. The conservative justices on the bench, he said, appear most of the time to be making history by inventing it.

The Bruen decision affects similar concealed-carry laws in five other states (California, Maryland, Hawaii, Massachusetts and New Jersey), impacting approximately a quarter of the U.S. population. In response, some of these states are rushing to pass new gun laws they hope the Supreme Court will accept.

But the courts ruling is unclear. For example, the decision says that any new gun law must be like ones enacted historically. But how similar they need to be, and how many similar ones must have been enacted? Sorting this out will take expensive litigation for years.

Currently, the outlook for public safety is bleak. Apparently no amount of evidence, Cornell wrote, is enough for (this Supreme Court) to support gun control. As a result, deaths, serious injuries and violent crimes are likely to increase in states that, until now, have had laws that regulate the carrying of guns in public.

Theres already a precedent for this scenario: Research by Stanford University law professor John Donohue, for example, found that, within 10 years after states relaxed concealed-carry laws, violent crime rates increased by up to 15%.

It stands to reason that, as more people are able to freely carry handguns, more people will believe that they need guns for protection and, in turn, there will be more gun violence and deaths. Meanwhile, the gun industry will keep profiting off of the chaos, and will use that money to line the pockets of the politicians it wants to influence.

The only way out of this vicious cycle is for Americans to vote for candidates who understand and advocate for stricter federal, state and local gun laws, which are what actually make us safe, whether at home or in public places.
Meteorology official: Armenia heatwave will gradually recede as of Friday

World oil prices on the rise

State of emergency formally declared in Sri Lanka

US hopes oil production will increase after Biden's Middle East visit

792 children born in Artsakh in first half of 2022

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No bomb found in Armenia First President's house

Mars sued over 'unsafe' Skittles

Unknown person reports bomb threat in Armenia's First President house

Armenia FM and US Assistant Secretary of State discuss regional security issues

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Indian authorities announce they made 2 billion vaccines against COVID-19

Israel to increase flights to Asia after Saudi Arabia opens airspace

IMF to 'substantially' lower global economic growth forecasts

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Japan to refuse to set a ceiling on defense spending

Negotiations on resumption of Iran nuclear deal coming to end

UAE allocates more than $800 million for space program

State Department approves $1.5 Billion arms sale

Extreme heat wave hits Europe

US needs another $3 billion to remove Huawei and ZTE from networks

Germany to resume requirement to wear masks in closed public places

Air temperature in Armenia to reach 42 degrees

Ankara rejects Liz Truss

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Mouflons spotted again at Zangezur State Sanctuary of Armenia

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On July 1, a rally of the Resistance Movement started in France Square in the very center of Yerevan.

Today at an extraordinary meeting of the National Assembly, the results of the secret ballot on depriving Ishkhan Saghatelyan of the post of vice-speaker of the parliament, as well as on terminating the powers of Vahe Hakobyan as chairman of the standing parliamentary commission on economic issues, were announced.

The corresponding initiative belonged to the parliamentary faction of the ruling party. 66 deputies voted unanimously for the deprivation of Ishkhan Saghatelyan of the post of NA Vice Speaker and the termination of Vahe Hakobyan's powers as chairman of the standing parliamentary commission.

The ruling power is also considering the possibility of depriving 10 deputies of their mandates for permanent absences. The parliamentary opposition itself did not appear at the meeting.
Bulgarias president on Friday handed the mandate to try and form a new government to the countrys finance minister, four days after pro-Western reformist Kiril Petkov resigned following a no-confidence vote in Parliament, AP reported.

Asen Vassilev, from Petkovs We Continue the Change party, now has seven days to try to end the European Union and NATO members latest political crisis amid soaring tensions with Russia.

Before handing over the mandate Friday, President Roumen Radev warned that Bulgaria is in a political, economic, and social crisis.

I expect adequate solutions and the defense of the national interest to build a free, democratic and prosperous European Bulgaria, he added.

Vassilev was given the mandate instead of Petkov, whose party had won the most votes in last Decembers elections, because another of Petkovs former junior partners ruled out backing him due to a dispute with Russia.

This week, Bulgaria ordered the expulsion of 70 Russian diplomatic staff from Bulgaria, exacerbating tensions between the two historically close nations.

In 2021, Bulgaria held three separate general elections, lurching from one political crisis to another.

More than three decades after communism ended in Bulgaria, it is ranked the most corrupt country in Europe, and is the EUs poorest member.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot, left, and Chicago police Superintendent David Brown, center, hold a news conference outside Stroger Hospital where a Chicago police officer is being treated after the officer was shot July 1, 2022. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

A man was charged with attempted first-degree murder in connection to a shooting Friday morning that left an officer seriously injured.

Jalen Vales, 27, was charged with two felony counts of attempted murder and one felony count of aggravated battery to an officer. He was also charged as an armed habitual criminal, according to a news release from the Chicago Police Department.

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Vales is believed to be the man that opened fire on officers who were responding to a domestic disturbance call in the 1300 block of West Taylor Street Friday morning, police said.

One officer, a 15-year veteran of the department, suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was taken to the University of Illinois Medical Center.

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Vales will appear in bond court on Saturday.
The top economic policymakers of South Korea and the United States have discussed a Washington-led proposal to impose a price cap on Russian oil as part of sanctions against Moscow, Seoul's finance ministry said Saturday, Yonhap reported.

Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho and US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen held a conference call on Friday to discuss the issue, ahead of her planned travel to South Korea on July 19-20, according to the ministry.

Yellen raised the need to introduce a price cap on Russian oil in a bid to help stabilize high energy prices and reduce Russia's revenue from oil exports, the ministry said.

The Group of Seven (G7) have recently agreed to explore options to impose price caps on Russian oil in an effort to reduce Russia's funding for its war in Ukraine from oil revenue.

Brian Nelson, the US Treasury Department's undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, reportedly asked South Korea to join the move during his recent visit to Seoul.
After the formation of the new parliament in 2021, National Assembly (NA) MP Tigran Abrahamyan twice sent a question to the government regarding six settlements of Kashatagh region of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh)including Berdzor town and Aghavno village which means that the topic was raised. He was told that everything would be discussed with the public; nothing would be done in secret. Former MP, political scientist Tevan Poghosyan stated about this in an interview with Armenian News-NEWS.am.

"[But] now it turns out that these issues were discussed, they have done some things. Did they inform the public? Unfortunately, it turns out [that] the policy is the same, they keep everything secret, then say We will be held accountable. And maybe you should be held accountable for not being able to show a creative approach as to what you should have done to use the issues of interpreting the text of the November 9 [2020 trilateral] statement in the right way because an alternative road is written, it is not written [that] an alternative Lachin corridor will be opened, which means that the Lachine corridor should remain as it is; several corners, maybe bridges, tunnels can be built inside it. That is, if you set a goal for Berdzor [(Lachin)] to remain, then I'm sure they would have found a way to keep it," said Poghosyan, again expressing his conviction that it was possible to keep Berdzor under Armenian control.

"I'm not even saying that there should have been a project within three years. Three years have passed, but we see that they are building a road from the side, and they are trying to sell us that the quality is better. I have spoken with specialists; they say that in the case of this new road, the main heights will remain with Azerbaijan in terms of control of that road. What is safe about it? There was no intention to keep Berdzor, the goal was to hand [it] over; for that, everything was done this way. Now, whether they had agreed or did it out of fear, what difference does it make to us at this point? Only new defeats should be expected from the defeated [Armenian] authorities," he emphasized.

Tevan Poghosyan is convinced that there will be no peace, as it has not happened in the last thousand years.

"The peace agreement is a piece of paper. Syria and Turkey have also signed agreements, as have Russia and Ukraine. Be more afraid of that era of peace; and the example is Nakhichevan, which was completely de-Armenianized in 50 years."

He emphasized that a statesman who is concerned about the interests of Armenia should have realized that he should step down in order not to allow others to advance their interests as they wishbecause they do it through him.

"The best example of that was given by [First President] Levon Ter-Petrosyan in 1998. That person opened the door so that we could advance our interests in the international arena for 20 years."

And when asked about the probability of a new war at this moment, Tevan Poghosyan responded: "It can start at any moment. The law, "If you want peace, prepare for war" is a law of nature. Now we [i.e., Armenians] have decided to go against the laws of nature and wonder if it will work. It won't work!"
The last leader of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), Mikhail Gorbachev, was hospitalized, Russian and social media reported on Friday, according to Poland Posts English.

The 91-year-old politician, according to these reports, suffers from diabetes and has kidney problems.

The photo of the last leader of the USSR in a hospital bed with a drip connected on Thursday was posted on Facebook by Russian scientist Nikolai Podosokorski.

The photo also shows economist Ruslan Grinberg, who was then told to one of the Russian TV stations that Gorbachev had diabetes and kidney problems, and his condition was worsening. This information was disseminated by Russian and social media.

The representative of the Gorbachev Foundation, Vladimir Polakov, quoted on Friday by the Russian agency RIA Novosti, denied reports of a serious deterioration in the health of the former and only president of the USSR.

We never comment on the health of Mikhail Sergeyevich. In this case, however, I can say that what appears in these channels [on Telegram] is not true, said Polakov.
Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan attended the first discussion of the "GREEN Armenia" platform held at the governmentand chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Hambardzum Matevosyan, the Ministry of Economy informed.

The Armenian governmenttogether with the World Bank, the European Union, and the United Nations Development Programmehas launched the "Growth and Recovery for the Strengthening, Upgrading and Prosperity of Armenia" platform in support of the country's promising sustainable development, green recovery, and growth.

The goal of the GREEN Armenia platform is to combine and optimize policies and investment initiatives for the sake of the country's transition to green economy.

And the Ministry of Economy aims to combine the establishment of a stable economy in Armenia with the building of a green economy in the country.
Russia lifted the restriction on the entry of about 47,000 Kyrgyz citizens. They were forbidden to come to Russia due to the fact that they had committed minor administrative offenses on its territory, Kommersant reports reeferring to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan.

This decision was made following high-level talks between Russia and Kyrgyzstan held in May, the Foreign Ministry said. About 35,000 citizens of Kyrgyzstan remain on the list of persons who are banned from entering Russia.

In 2021, several citizens of Kyrgyzstan participated in mass fights of migrants in Moscow. The Ministry of Internal Affairs promised to expel foreigners participating in mass brawls from Russia, and Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that such visitors were not welcome. The State Duma proposed to ban entry to Russia attacking Russian speakers.
A private Robinson helicopter that went missing on Saturday morning in the Republic of Khakassia, Russia, was found, The Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergency Situations in the region.

The helicopter was found, the pilot is alive and well, the helicopter is half in the water, the source said.

Information about what exactly happened to the helicopter is not yet available.

A source told Interfax that "the helicopter was found in the floodplain of the Bolshoy Abakan River.

It's destroyed. From the air, two people are visible next to the helicopter, he said.

On Saturday, the Robinson 44 helicopter took off from the territory of the ski base in the area of Lake Teletskoye, after which it made a hard landing in the area of the Bolshoy Abakan River in the Republic of Khakassia. The aircraft was found by rescuers in a position on its side, while the tail section was in the river. Information about the number of people on board and the injured is being specified.

An investigation team has now left for the scene. A complex of investigative and procedural actions aimed at establishing all the circumstances of the incident is being carried out. The investigation is ongoing.

The fact that the Robinson helicopter disappeared in Khakassia was reported earlier to the agency in the unified duty dispatch service.
The first of more than 200 firefighters from six European countries who will help their Greek counterparts fight wildfires have arrived in Athens, AP reported.

On Saturday, 28 Romanian firefighters were greeted by Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Christos Stylianides and the leadership of Greeces Fire Service.

The Romanians, along with other countries, including Russia and Turkey, helped Greece fight the August 2021 large-scale forest fires that engulfed the entire country and devastated the northern part of Evia, Greece's second largest island, as well as the southern part of the Peloponnese peninsula.

This year, the EU created a "pilot pre-positioning project" that should lead to a permanent pan-European cooperation program.

Romanian firefighters, who brought five fire trucks with them, will work in the Attica region, which includes the country's capital, Athens, until July 31.

Those who arrived on Friday will be replaced by an equal number of Romanian firefighters on July 15th. In August, their place will be taken by a French contingent of 25 people.

A team of 16 Bulgarian firefighters with four fire engines also arrived on Friday in the city of Larisa in central Greece, where they were greeted by local authorities and fire officials. The Bulgarians will be in the area during July.

On July 15, 16 German firefighters will start working in the Peloponnese; in early August they will be relieved by 14 Norwegian and 24 Finnish firefighters, who will be replaced by the same number of their compatriots in mid-August.

Forest fires often occur in Greece, which is facilitated by hot and dry weather and frequent strong winds. Climate change also means wildfire seasons are getting longer.

Greek authorities say rising fuel costs have exacerbated the problems of the fire service, which relies heavily on aircraft to fight fires in the mountainous country.
Sevada Ghukasyan, who organized the rally with a donkey in front of the building of the National Assembly of Armenia, was released on bail of 2.5 million drams, Lawyer Sergei Harutyunyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The first court session is scheduled for July 8. Sevada confessed, stating that he had given false evidence. I think that either in the police department he was forced to give such a testimony, or from impotence he made a false denunciation. In both cases, the problem comes from the work of law enforcement officers, Harutyunyan said.

Sevada Ghukasyan was arrested on June 1, on charges of false denunciation. On May 1, he left a message that at the moment when the police apprehended him, they used violence, because of which his tooth broke. On this fact, the National Security Service initiated a criminal case, which was discontinued. And then, on the basis of a false denunciation, a new case was initiated.
U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul participate in a roundtable discussion about the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and severely restricting abortion rights across the country on June 30 in Chicago. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

With Roe v. Wade overturned, Illinois abortion providers are trying to shore up enough medical staff to handle the anticipated influx of patients traveling for the procedure from other states  without disrupting or delaying care for Illinois residents.

Some solutions that reproductive rights advocates have raised include allowing advanced practice clinicians to perform abortions, as well as bringing physicians and medical providers from other states to practice in Illinois.

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A new abortion clinic in Carbondale expected to open later this summer could also help offset the predicted spike in demand.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker has called for lawmakers to return to Springfield for a special legislative session on reproductive rights this summer, though a start date hasnt been set.

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Ameri Klafeta of the ACLU of Illinois, left, and Brigid Leahy of Planned Parenthood of Illinois participate in a roundtable discussion about the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and severely restricting abortion rights across the country on June 30, 2022, in Chicago. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

If there isnt capacity, we could see Illinois patients have longer wait times to get the care they need, said Brigid Leahy, vice president of public policy at Planned Parenthood of Illinois, during a phone interview. And abortion is a timely health care procedure you cant delay. Were doing our best to avoid that, but that is a possibility.

The U.S. Supreme Courts June 24 decision to rescind federal abortion protections had immediate repercussions in the Midwest, with several states immediately ceasing to offer abortion services; other states nearby are expected to either ban the procedure or significantly curtail access in the coming weeks.

An additional 20,000 to 30,000 patients are expected to cross state lines to have an abortion annually in Illinois  a state long considered a haven for those seeking to terminate a pregnancy in the Midwest.

Abortion providers have urged the state to allow nurse practitioners and physician assistants to perform abortion procedures, in part to help serve the predicted wave of additional patients. Illinois law now permits these medical providers to prescribe and administer medication abortions, but they cant perform procedures.

Southern Illinois abortion providers and advocates are working with the Pritzker administration to ensure nurse practitioners and physician assistants can practice to the full extent of their training including providing aspiration abortions, commonly known as in-clinic abortions, said Yamelsie Rodriguez, president and CEO of Reproductive Health Services of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region, in a news conference just after the Supreme Court ruling came down.

Alicia Hurtado of the Chicago Abortion Fund, left, and Molly Tobin participate in a roundtable about the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and severely restricting abortion rights across the country on June 30, 2022, in Chicago. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

Roughly a dozen states already allow advance practice clinicians to provide procedural abortions, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights.

Dr. Nisha Verma of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said strong data shows that patient satisfaction is just as high when advanced practice clinicians provide first trimester aspiration abortion, as well as medication abortion.

Allowing advanced practice clinicians to provide abortion care will help increase access to safe, effective abortions, Verma said in an email. People are already having to leave their communities to access care, because access is already limited for many people, and we expect that this is going to get worse. Overturning Roe will even more heavily restrict abortion for people across the country, especially our most marginalized populations, so it will be critical that we expand the group of clinicians who provide safe and effective abortion care.

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Abortion opponents denounced the prospect of expanding the role of advanced practice clinicians, questioning the safety of doing so.

Now Pritzker is considering allowing non-physicians to perform surgical abortions, at the bidding of abortion providers, said Eric Scheidler, executive director of the Pro-Life Action League, in an email. These policies have nothing to do with keeping Illinois women safe, and everything to do with maximizing abortion provider profits.  Allowing non-physicians to perform abortions is dangerous for women and serves only the interests of the Illinois abortion industry.

During a Friday meeting on abortion rights with President Joe Biden and other Democratic governors, Pritzker urged the federal government to support physicians in every state who provide telehealth and mail services. He also called for more federal funding for reproductive health care in Illinois and other states with strong abortion rights protections.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said hes been working with Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, who faces an uphill battle challenging an 1849 law that almost entirely bans abortion in Wisconsin but had been unenforceable under Roe.

He and I also spoke about beefing up capacity to deal with the flow of patients who will be coming into the state, Raoul said Thursday at a roundtable session on reproductive rights held at the Center on Halsted.

This could include streamlining the process of bringing Wisconsin abortion providers to Illinois so they can quickly help handle the increased demand here, Raoul added.

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Abortion providers throughout Illinois have been planning for Roes demise for years. Planned Parenthood of Illinois recently began offering abortion pills by mail to state residents who qualify, potentially eliminating the need for some patients to ever leave home to terminate a pregnancy.

Since 2018, several new Planned Parenthood clinics have opened near state boundary lines, including one in south suburban Flossmoor near Indiana and one in north suburban Waukegan close to Wisconsin. The Planned Parenthood affiliate in southern Illinois also opened an abortion clinic in late 2019 in Fairview Heights, just a few miles from the Missouri border.

A new abortion clinic is expected to open around mid-August in Carbondale, which currently has no abortion provider.

While Illinois has strong reproductive rights protections, many parts of the state  particularly in the west and south  lack easy or close access to an abortion clinic. There are about two dozen abortion clinics statewide, but the vast majority are north of Springfield.

Eleven of 102 counties in Illinois have at least one abortion provider, according to Planned Parenthood of Illinois. In five of those counties, only medication abortions are available, which is restricted up to 11 weeks in pregnancy.

Choices Memphis Center for Reproductive Health recently announced plans to establish the Carbondale clinic, facing the decimation of abortion rights in Tennessee, where a six-week ban went into effect a few days ago. The Carbondale location was chosen in part to provide abortion access to Tennessee patients who can no longer find care in their state. The clinic will be about three hours from Memphis and Nashville, and accessible by train or bus.

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We expect a total ban to go into effect early to mid-August, where there will be no abortion allowed in the state of Tennessee except for a very narrow exemption for the life of the pregnant person, said Jennifer Pepper, president and CEO of Choices. Its pretty heartbreaking.

Pepper said Choices provided 3,800 abortions last year. The Carbondale clinic is expected to initially offer medication abortions and a second phase will add procedures once staffing and property upgrades are in place; in a third phase, the clinic plans to include midwifery services and potentially building a birthing center so that it is a full-spectrum sexual and reproductive health care center, she said.

Illinois Rep. Kelly Cassidy participates in a roundtable discussion about the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade on June 30, 2022, in Chicago. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

After the fall of Roe, the matter of abortion rights is now determined by individual states. Terminating a pregnancy is legal in Illinois, where the 2019 Reproductive Health Act established abortion as a fundamental right statewide. But roughly half the states in the nation, including nearly every state in the Midwest, is expected to ban or nearly outlaw abortion in the coming weeks.

Even under the federal protections of Roe, many Midwest states restricted access to abortion with waiting periods, gestational limits and strict regulations on clinics and providers.

In 2020, nearly 10,000 out-of-state patients traveled to Illinois to terminate a pregnancy, according to the latest data available from the Illinois Department of Public Health. The number of patients crossing state lines to come here for an abortion has risen every year since 2014.

Lives are now at stake, said Illinois U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky at Thursdays roundtable session, arguing that access to abortion should be considered potentially lifesaving care. This is 2022 in the United States of America and we are not going back.

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Russia's redistribution of ownership of the Sakhalin-2 gas project could further narrow global markets, pushing Japan to compete with Europe for alternative sources of supplies, writes Bloomberg.

The decree of President Vladimir Putin on the transfer of rights to the plant to a new Russian company does not have a direct impact on the project's largest customer, said Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also said there is currently no threat to LNG supplies from the plant. Japanese trading houses Mitsubishi Corp. and Mitsui & Co. own a total of 22.5% of the shares of the project.

Despite this, the world's second-largest LNG buyer is considering replacing Russian supplies by increasing purchases on the spot market or elsewhere, Trade Minister Koichi Hagiuda said. Japan has already asked US and Australian government officials to increase supplies to reduce dependence on Russia, he said.

This echoes the European Union's efforts to cut Russian supplies, including agreeing to additional purchases from the US this year. Russia sharply cut pipeline imports to Europe last month, sparking new price shocks ahead of peak winter demand.

If the Sakhalin project, which supplied gas to Japan at competitive prices, is in such a state of uncertainty, spot prices are at risk of rising even more, which may even cause a panic in the market, said Hiroshi Hashimoto, an analyst at the Institute of Energy Economics in Japan.

Since the beginning of the year, gas prices in Europe have more than doubled, and in Asia - by about a third.

According to BloombergNEF forecasts, the global LNG market will remain tight until 2026. Additional deliveries from new factories in Qatar and the US will take several years, which could lead to constant competition and shortages in those countries that cannot pay higher prices.
Police look for evidence at the intersection of South Springfield Avenue and West Monroe Street near the scene of a multiple shooting on July 1, 2022, in Chicago's West Garfield Park neighborhood. A man walked up to several people and shot two women and two men, who were all transported to hospitals, according to police. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

A 24-year-old woman was fatally wounded, and two men were injured in shooting in Chinatown, marking just one of three fatal attacks in Chicago as the July 4th holiday weekend began.

The Chinatown fatal shooting happened shortly before 11 p.m. Friday in the 2200 block of South Wentworth Avenue, Chicago police said.

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Officers responded to a call of shots fired and found a woman shot to the torso. She was taken to Stroger Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

A 42-year-old man suffered a wound to the hand and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition. Another man, 38, was shot in the buttocks and was taken in critical condition to Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

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One person was in police custody for exchanging gunfire with a second person who fled. A weapon was recovered at the scene, police said.

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Shortly after 12:15 a.m. Saturday, a 30-year-old man was shot in the head in the South Chicago neighborhood in the. 9000 block of South Escanaba Avenue, police said.

According to police, he was shot in the head by someone who fled the scene on foot. He was taken to U of C Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

Two Chicago police sergeants work the intersection of South Springfield Avenue and West Monroe Street near the scene of a multiple shooting, July 1, 2022, (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

Shortly before 5:45 p.m. Friday, a 26-year-old man was fatally shot in the West Englewood neighborhood in the 6500 block of South Wolcott Avenue.

He was near the sidewalk when someone approached and opened fire, striking him to the arm and head. He was taken to U of C Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

A 17-year-old girl was killed shortly after 3 p.m. Friday around the start of the holiday weekend in the Lawndale neighborhood in the 2500 block of South Kolin Avenue, police said.

The girl was in a parking lot of a McDonalds restaurant when she was approached by someone on a bicycle who opened fire, striking her to the torso. She got herself to St. Anthonys Hospital where she was pronounced dead. A person of interest was being questioned by police.

She was identified as Tierra Franklin of the 3700 block of West Cermak Road, according to the Cook County medical examiners office.
Chicago enters the July Fourth weekend with some encouraging news: The unrelenting gun violence that the city has experienced over the previous two years continues to decline, with a double-digit decline in homicides, officials reported Friday.

With a number of factors in play, including that the city is rebounding from a deadly pandemic that coincided with increased violence, it would be hard to pinpoint just what is driving the reductions, or even celebrate them just yet, especially with most of the summer ahead, experts said.

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The news is also tempered by the fact that gun violence here remains historically and unacceptably high, as evidenced by two shootings early Friday: The wounding of a Chicago police officer just hours after an overnight shooting outside a downtown business that wounded three people and left two dead.

Although gun violence across Chicago declined in the past six months, issues downtown, a place where people from all over the city gather, have been higher than usual this year, leaving many in Chicago on edge. That dynamic was punctuated by the killing of a teen in Millennium Park earlier this year.

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At a news conference Friday afternoon to announce safety measures in advance of the holiday weekend, Mayor Lori Lightfoot acknowledged the tension between the real declines and the perceptions of safety in the city.

We are making progress on both homicides and shootings, Lightfoot said. Nobody is taking their foot off the gas. There is a lot more work that we need to do to build the confidence in the public that our city is safe. But it is also important to mark the milestone of progress.

Meanwhile experts also urged caution about the numbers, saying critical months remain.

Its too soon to tell. We are just creeping into the summer. Its always June, July, August that adds the biggest count to the total. said Northwestern professor Wesley Skogan, of the Institute for Policy Research, who added at least one note of hope.

The really bad years are the ones that start off badly, Skogan said, nodding to the declines in the statistics.

Numbers show a decrease

Through June 26 there had been 304 homicides in Chicago, approximately a 10% decrease from the 336 recorded during the same time frame last year.

There were 1,220 shootings incidents in the first half of the year, a decline of 17% from last year, according to Chicago Police Department statistics.

[ Chicago homicides tracker ]

The overall drop comes after a significant two-year spike in gun violence, including a 60% increase in homicides during 2020 and 2021, a time when the pandemic struck and the country faced a national reckoning over police abuse in America that included sustained criticism of especially big-city departments.

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The six-month numbers also show a roughly 25% increase in robbery victimizations, according to city of Chicago data portal. And carjackings, a crime that has received widespread attention, remain higher this year, with a 7% increase, according to the portal.

The gun violence also is trending down in some of the citys less-safe neighborhoods. But the figures remain elevated in unexpected places, including downtown, which presented a challenge for the department at the start of summer.

Officers were forced to contain large groups of teenagers who gathered in the center of the city and caused unrest but also violence, including the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old Seandell Holliday near The Bean in May. A city curfew was enacted for Millennium Park, forbidding unaccompanied minors from being there after 6 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.

A person walks past a bullet hole in a parking garage window near the 800 block of North Sedgwick Street on May 19, 2022, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

But despite the perception reinforced by high-profile incidents, the number of shootings downtown is well below levels of violence that continue to occur in historically less-safe communities, where the continued use of firearms in street conflicts is the overriding factor.

Last weekend, 5-month Cecilia Thomasbecame the citys youngest victim killed by gunfire in years when she was struck by a bullet while riding in the back seat of her familys vehicle as it traveled on the 7700 block of South South Shore Drive.

Officers detain a person at North Avenue Beach as a group of young people gather during the Memorial Day holiday weekend, May 30, 2022. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)

The need to both secure downtown and protect neighborhoods presents a massive task for the city, which Lightfoot and police Superintendent David Brown addressed at the Friday news conference.

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Weve ensured we have enough officers where we need them most, Brown pledged, though he declined to provide any specific numbers regarding police presence over the holiday weekend.

Brown acknowledged that long weekends, such as the July Fourth holiday, are difficult for CPD, and are one of the periods when leadership cancels days off.

Only a first step

For sure, signs that homicides and gun-involved injuries could be reversing is meaningful and important. But Skogan and other experts noted that making gains against the two-year spike is only a first step.

For one, the homicide and shooting numbers are still up when compared to 2019, before the pandemic and the unrest of 2020. And even if the city does return to pre-pandemic levels, the challenge will be to achieve even greater declines.

Five to six years ago, the city had much lower gun crime numbers, compared with previous years, said Roseanna Ander, director of the University of Chicago Crime Lab. But the figures were still significantly higher than Los Angeles and New York City, and the impact of all of it was being felt most in the same places it always has been  in Chicagos Black and Latino communities that have been starved of resources for decades.

Even the 2015 levels were unconscionably high, particularly in a country with the kind of resources this country has, Ander said. We were, even in 2015, a tale of two cities. Depending on what neighborhood you lived in, your exposure to violence and sense of safety and security varied greatly.

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More boots on the ground

The challenges ahead in 2022 for Chicago are significant  and the summer months will certainly determine if the short-term gains hold.

Some noted that Chicago Public Schools closed just two weeks ago, which means there are more youth in need of programming now, at a time that agencies are facing staffing shortages. The Chicago Park District announced Tuesday that fewer than half its pools would open Tuesday, amid a lifeguard shortage that had already delayed public pool openings.

Recruits receive their certificates during the Chicago Police Department's recruit class graduation and promotion ceremony at Navy Pier's Aon Grand Ballroom on March 29, 2022. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

And Chicago police are facing significant personnel shortages, putting a strain on officers who are facing long work weeks.

But this summer also marks a new, and significant, commitment by the city to support a more diverse and community-driven strategy for public safety.

The Community Safety Coordination Center is operating for the first summer season. The center aims to harness resources from all city offices  from sanitation to Park District  to combat violence. It is also trying to fast-track support and money to a strength Chicago always had, namely local organizations and neighbors trying to address the violence in their own corner of the city.

Meanwhile, street outreach efforts to those most at-risk of violence are now coordinated citywide across dozens of groups, bringing immediate interventions on street conflicts and victim services.

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There is a lot of strategy this summer including more boots on the grounds with outreach and more summer programs, Skogan said.

Rob Castaneda of the Community Safety Coordination Center, right, watches children play at an activities event for children and families in the parking lot at McCormick Elementary School in the Little Village neighborhood on May 27, 2022. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

In the Back of Yards neighborhood Thursday, Oscar Contreras, who has been doing outreach on violence for more than 20 years, was working two phones in his office as he tried to coordinate three events for the community.

Contreras, a program manager for the Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council, said he believes the pressure has eased a little, and people are slowly feeling more safe.

He sees more coordination too. A recent spate of shootings in the Back of the Yards was immediately addressed, he said, with cooperation from a few groups.

But Contreras cautioned this type of work is not easy or fast, and that the commitments this summer need to hold. And when there are shootings downtown, there is a different kind of pressure from people who want quick answers, he said.

People dont understand this doesnt happen overnight, he said.

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At the news conference, Lightfoot stuck to often repeated themes, highlighting the coordination of city agencies and criticizing the amount of illegal guns on the street. Then she also made a call for peace on a holiday that celebrates freedoms that are not available to people throughout the world.

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Its important for us to highlight those moments of joy, Lightfoot said. But we have a responsibility and an opportunity in this democracy to not forget that we are each others neighbors, and that weve got to find common ground to be able to move forward.

Chicago Tribunes Gregory Pratt contributed.

asweeney@chicagotribune.com

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President Joe Biden hosts a virtual meeting with Democratic governors on the issue of abortion rights, at the South Court Auditorium on the White House campus in Washington, on July 1, 2022. (Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times)

Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday urged President Joe Biden to boost federal funding to Illinois and other states where abortion remains legal and to support doctors across the country who provide telehealth services as more states begin restricting access to reproductive health services.

The requests came during a White House call between Biden and Democratic governors one week after the conservative majority of the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark decision in Roe v. Wade that protected access to abortion services for nearly half a century.

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In Illinois, lawmakers are preparing to return to Springfield, possibly as soon as next week, for a special legislative session aimed at strengthening the states already formidable protections for abortion access.

Pritzker, who has made abortion a central issue of his reelection bid against ultraconservative Republican state Sen. Darren Bailey of Xenia, also called for a federal reproductive health care strike force to review federal rules with an eye toward improving access.

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Gov. J.B. Pritzker joins others during a rally in Chicago's Federal Plaza on June 24, 2022, in reaction to the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, allowing states to ban abortions. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

Pritzker did not speak during the portion of the call that was carried on a public livestream, but the governors office provided a summary of his remarks.

In a statement after the call, Pritzker spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh said the governor is gratified that President Biden embraced his suggestions, particularly moving forward with a concrete strike force that includes Democratic governors and federal leaders to protect access to safe, legal abortion and reproductive care.

In his remarks to Pritzker and eight other Democratic governors, Biden said his administration, through the Justice Department and the Food and Drug Administration, will take steps to ensure that people are able to travel across state lines to receive services and will be able to receive abortion medications by mail.

But he also acknowledged limits on his ability to protect access to abortion services given the current composition of Congress, where Democrats hold a slim majority in the House and rely on Vice President Kamala Harris as the deciding vote in an evenly divided Senate.

Biden has called for ending the Senate filibuster to approve a federal law enshrining the protections afforded by Roe, but that move lacks enough support to be carried out. Like Pritzker, he connected the future of abortion access to the outcome of the November election.

The choice is clear: Either elect federal senators and representatives who will codify Roe, or Republicans who will elect the House and Senate will try to ban abortions nationwide. Nationwide, Biden said. This is going to go one way or the other after November.

Illinois uses state money to pay for abortions for Medicaid patients under a law signed by Pritzkers predecessor, Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, because federal law prohibits federal funds from being used.

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Pritzker, in the call with Biden, asked for additional federal funding for clinic upkeep, medical transportation and other expenses that are allowed under federal law. The governor noted that Illinois may soon be the main place to access abortion services for residents in a wide swath of the Midwest and South.

He joined other governors, including New Yorks Kathy Hochul, who also is on the ballot this year, in calling for federal facilities on federal land, such as Veterans Affairs hospitals or military bases, to be made available for abortion providers in states where the procedure is banned.

Hochul called the New York legislature into session Thursday, and lawmakers were expected to take the first step toward amending the states constitution to protect abortion rights, a process that couldnt be completed until the 2024 election.

Its too late for Illinois lawmakers to put a constitutional amendment before voters this fall, so the Democratic-controlled legislature is expected to take more immediate steps when it reconvenes in Springfield this month.

Near the top of the list is expanding the ranks of medical professionals who are able to perform abortions in Illinois.

President Joe Biden hosts a virtual meeting with Democratic governors on the issue of abortion rights on July 1, 2022. (Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times)

Pritzkers recent trip to New Hampshire added fuel to speculation about a potential presidential bid. The governor, who called for the special session, has positioned himself as a national leader on abortion rights.

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In 2019, he signed a measure that enshrined into law abortions as a fundamental right for women. The governor last year signed into law a measure that repealed a requirement for abortion providers to notify the parents of minors seeking to terminate a pregnancy.

The measures passed along party lines and Democrats have made clear they will try to leverage the abortion issue going into the November election. Earlier this week, one of the top-ranking House Republicans, Rep. Avery Bourne of Morrisonville, argued that Pritzker and the Democratic legislative majority should move on.

Weve got a really broken state government and the fact that this is all they want to focus on shows me this is all theyre going to talk about going into November, said Bourne, who was the lieutenant governor candidate in Richard Irvins unsuccessful bid for governor.

Bailey has said hed work to remove taxpayer-funded abortion and restore parental notification and work with the legislature, civic groups, and nonprofits to support women during and after their pregnancy and make adoption an easy option. Bailey has said hes against abortion except in conditions where the life of the mother is in jeopardy.

dpetrella@chicagotribune.com

jgorner@chicagotribune.com
The China-Vietnam freight train service operated 173 trips in the first half of 2022, up 19.3 percent year on year, according to China Railway Nanning Group Co., Ltd.

Over the period, 5,196 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers were transported by the freight trains, marking a year-on-year rise of 26.3 percent.

The China-Vietnam freight train goods collection and distribution sites cover more than 20 cities in and outside of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, with over 240 types of commodities transported, according to the China Railway Nanning Group.

As fruit from Southeast Asian countries enjoys widespread popularity in the Chinese market, more and more have arrived in China by China-Vietnam freight trains via Guangxi's Pingxiang port.

Statistics show that in the first half of 2022, some 38,000 tonnes of fruit was transported through the Pingxiang port by freight trains, up 164.95 percent year on year.

Huang Shuwei, manager of a cross-border fruit trading company based in Guangxi, said that the company chose to use China-Vietnam freight trains after the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership took effect on Jan. 1, 2022.

"The railway department made tailored transportation plans for us, and the customs clearance time has been continuously shortening, which provides convenience for our company to expand its import scale," Huang said.
Application scenarios for the e-CNY, China's digital currency, will increase further as two-way e-cash flows will be made more accessible with the expected introduction of novel automated teller machines.

Information from the China National Intellectual Property Administration showed the patent for the e-CNY ATM was announced on June 28. When such ATMs become ubiquitous, users can complete making deposits and withdrawals of the digital yuan under better security conditions, experts said.

According to the Digital Currency Research Institute, which operates under the aegis of the People's Bank of China, the country's central bank, trials of e-CNY deposits and withdrawals through the special ATMs had already started at certain branches of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and Agricultural Bank of China in Beijing in June 2021.

The institute's experts said the digital yuan will assume the same functions as that of the renminbi in circulation. Two-way cash flows of the e-CNY at commercial banks' ATMs can better suit people's habits, indicating the digital yuan's further penetration into people's daily life.

Yu Baicheng, head of Nanjing-based Prime Research Institute, said there is also demand for digital currency deposits and even wealth management products related to the e-CNY. Small and medium-sized commercial banks should improve such services and make more attempts to serve new clients in the emerging areas, he said.

Kong Wenbin, senior analyst for the computer industry at Huaxi Securities, said this year will mark the beginning of large-scale commercialization of the e-CNY. The valuations of the A-share companies engaged in various businesses related to the e-CNY are quite reasonable at present and more investment opportunities may arise in the long run.

On Friday, shares of such companies declined marginally on average, in line with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index that closed 0.32 percent lower.

Analysts from Ping An Securities said hardware companies listed in the A-share market, including those providing smartphones' near field communication or NFC feature and wearables, may benefit in the long term as more devices will be connected to the e-CNY wallets.

Software companies will also ride more business opportunities as financial systems should be upgraded to adapt to the proliferation of the e-CNY, they said.

Yang Zeyuan, chief analyst for the computer industry at CITIC Securities, said the e-CNY is likely to breed more innovative application scenarios as there is no preset technology route for the design of the digital currency. This will likely translate into new business models and market opportunities in the digital yuan sector.

The expected boom will bear testimony to the sustained efforts that have been made in recent times to facilitate the proliferation of the e-CNY, experts said.

The first auto insurance policy paid in the e-CNY was sold on June 10 under the cooperation of China UnionPay Merchant Services, China Construction Bank and Sunshine Insurance Group.

A freight agency in Dalian of Northeast China's Liaoning province paid tariffs with the e-CNY on June 6, the first attempt of its kind in the country.

In late June, China Minsheng Banking Corp became the first commercial bank in the country to allow its corporate customers to pay wages in the e-CNY.

On April 2, the PBOC announced the third group of regions selected to conduct e-CNY trials. These included Tianjin, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Fuzhou, Xiamen, and the six cities related to the 19th Asia Games.

The e-CNY application is now promoted in 23 Chinese cities, which represents substantial progress since the low-key launch of trials in April 2020.
President Xi Jinping on Friday expressed confidence in Hong Kong's take-off toward "a splendid feat" with the solid implementation of "one country, two systems."



Hong Kong will share the glory of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with the rest of the country, Xi said when attending a meeting celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

The president extended cordial greetings to all Hong Kong residents when addressing the events.

Recalling history, throughout which Hong Kong compatriots have always stood together with the motherland, Xi praised the new era of Hong Kong since its return to the motherland in 1997 and the resounding success of "one country, two systems."

The practice of "one country, two systems" has achieved success in Hong Kong recognized by all, Xi said.

"There is no reason for us to change such a good policy, and we must adhere to it in the long run," said Xi, whose Hong Kong trip has gained widespread international attention.

Hong Kong is in a new stage of transitioning from chaos to order and then to greater prosperity.

The next five years will be crucial for Hong Kong to break new ground and achieve another leap forward, said Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission.

A new era



Hong Kong is in a festive mood. Flags adorn avenues and alleys, red lanterns line the overpass to the main pier of the Hong Kong Island, and neon-lit celebratory messages can be seen on the facades of skyscrapers against the night sky.

Hong Kong people have every reason to be joyous on the celebratory occasion and proud of their achievements over the past quarter of a century.

Since its return to the motherland, Hong Kong has overcome various difficulties and challenges and forged ahead with steady steps, Xi said, lauding Hong Kong's "irreplaceable contributions" to the development of the motherland.

Over the years, Hong Kong has become an integral part of the country's overall development and actively aligned with national development strategies.

The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, a significant national project, for example, has brought about new opportunities for Hong Kong.

From 1997 to 2021, Hong Kong's GDP more than doubled from 1.37 trillion Hong Kong dollars (174.59 billion U.S. dollars) to 2.86 trillion Hong Kong dollars. Its economy remains one of the freest and most open in the world. While boasting a world-class business environment, Hong Kong has maintained its status as an international financial, shipping and trade center.

Xi hailed the true democracy Hong Kong has enjoyed after its return to the motherland, which ensures the democratic rights of Hong Kong residents and helps maintain Hong Kong's prosperity and stability.

Recent years have seen such efforts as the implementation of the national security law in Hong Kong, improvements to the region's electoral system, and the implementation of the "patriots administering Hong Kong" principle.

These have provided Hong Kong with a solid institutional guarantee to overcome immediate difficulties, achieve good governance, and ensure lasting security and stability.

A good policy

Xi's Friday address reiterated implementing the principle of "one country, two systems" in both letter and spirit without deviation or wavering.

Upholding national sovereignty, security and development interests is the policy's paramount principle. On the basis of this prerequisite, Hong Kong and Macao maintain their capitalist systems in the long run and enjoy a high degree of autonomy, he said.

The more firmly the principle of "one country" is upheld, the greater the advantages the "two systems" will demonstrate in practice, Xi said.

He emphasized both enforcing the central authorities' overall jurisdiction and upholding the special administrative regions' high degree of autonomy.

The president voiced firm stance of keeping the power to administer the HKSAR "in the hands of patriots," which is essential to safeguarding the long-term stability and security of Hong Kong.

"There is no country or region in the world where its people will allow an unpatriotic or even treasonous force or figure to take power," he said.

High hopes for new gov't



On Friday, John Lee was sworn in as the sixth-term Chief Executive of the HKSAR, and the inauguration of the sixth-term HKSAR government followed.

Xi expects the new government to take on a new look in good governance.

Hong Kong faces both opportunities and challenges, but there are more opportunities than challenges, Xi said.

The president's hopes for the new government involve improving governance, strengthening the city's growth momentum and addressing difficulties in people's lives. Harmony and stability are also high on the agenda.

There is an extensive consensus that no time should be lost in Hong Kong's development and that all interference should be removed so that Hong Kong can stay focused on development, according to Xi.

Xi pledged the central government's support for Hong Kong' development, including the maintenance of its "free, open and sound business environment."

Xi met with Lee after his inauguration.

"We have full confidence in you and the new-term HKSAR government, and we have full confidence in Hong Kong's future," Xi told the chief executive, who won the election on May 8 by an overwhelming majority.

Being aware of the immense responsibility on his shoulder, Lee pledged to lead the HKSAR government in improving governance and making new advances in Hong Kong's development.

Heart 'always with the Hong Kong people'

"Over the past five years, I have always been concerned about and caring toward Hong Kong, and my heart and the heart of the central government are always with our Hong Kong compatriots," Xi said upon his arrival in Hong Kong on Thursday.

These words echoed a well-known soundbite from his trip to Hong Kong five years ago, during which he said, "Hong Kong's development has always pulled at my heartstrings."

Over the years, Xi has interacted with young Hong Kong people on many occasions, offering encouragement, addressing their needs and helping them improve their lives.

Friday's address once again demonstrated Xi's care for the people of Hong Kong.

Currently, what the people of Hong Kong desire most are better lives, bigger homes, more business start-up opportunities, better education for their children and better elderly care, Xi said. Expressing hope for the new HKSAR government, he said, "What the people call for, we must strive to deliver."

Xi's trip to Hong Kong included meetings with senior officials and dignitaries, and warm exchanges with researchers and entrepreneurs in the Hong Kong Science Park. He also inspected the Hong Kong Garrison of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.

After attending ceremony celebrations, Xi left Hong Kong by train.

At the West Kowloon high-speed rail station, people from all walks of life bid the president a warm farewell, waving flags and flowers and singing songs.

Among the crowd were many young people, upon whom Xi has pinned high hopes for the future of Hong Kong. They will, as the president said, have more opportunities to "grow and shine."
President Xi meets HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee

Xinhua) 09:17, July 02, 2022

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with newly inaugurated Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) John Lee in Hong Kong, south China, July 1, 2022. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

HONG KONG, July 1 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping met with newly inaugurated Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) John Lee here on Friday morning, expressing full support for the chief executive and confidence in Hong Kong's future.

The central authorities will fully support Lee and the sixth-term HKSAR government in law-based governance, Xi said while meeting with the chief executive who was sworn in on Friday morning.

"We have full confidence in you and the new-term HKSAR government, and we have full confidence in Hong Kong's future," Xi said.

The president expressed his hope that Lee will faithfully fulfill his constitutional responsibilities as the chief executive and lead the HKSAR government in fully and faithfully implementing the principle of "one country, two systems" and the Basic Law of the HKSAR.

Xi called on Lee to unite people from all walks of life in advancing Hong Kong's prosperity and writing new chapters of the practice of "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong.

Expressing his gratitude for the trust of Xi and the central government, Lee pledged to lead the HKSAR government in improving governance and making new advances in Hong Kong's development.

Accompanied by Lee, Xi also met with senior figures of the HKSAR's executive, legislative and judicial bodies.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Bianji)
You are here: China

A Chinese spokesperson on Friday voiced firm opposition to false remarks on Taiwan made by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

"Taiwan is part of China, and Taiwan compatriots are our brothers and sisters," said Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office.

"We have taken actions in accordance with the law to punish separatist forces seeking 'Taiwan independence' and counter external forces' interference, which is a just move to safeguard China's sovereignty and territorial integrity," she said.

She made the statement when asked to comment on Stoltenberg's erroneous remarks that "China is threatening Taiwan."

Those who spread such false remarks are intended to use the Taiwan question to interfere in China's internal affairs, the spokesperson said.

Zhu urged relevant organizations and individuals to redress mistakes, firmly uphold the one-China principle and the basic norm of international relations, and stop sending wrong signals to forces seeking "Taiwan independence."
Suzhou of Anhui province and Wuxi of Jiangsu province have implemented effective measures to control the spread of COVID-19 after more than 100 infections were reported on Friday.

Anhui reported nine local confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 98 asymptomatic carriers on Thursday, with Sixian county in Suzhou registering the most infections, including the nine confirmed cases and 95 asymptomatic carriers, the provincial health commission said on Friday.

Now Suzhou has 40 areas classified as high-risk and eight as medium-risk. Sixian county has implemented mass nucleic acid testing and restrictive measures in all the residential communities and villages to contain the spread of the virus.

As of Thursday, Anhui has 135 asymptomatic carriers under observation in designated hospitals.

The current outbreak emerged on Sunday when three cases were detected in Sixian county during regular nucleic acid testing for groups of people at high risk of infection.

The current infection has spread to some neighboring cities, such as Hefei in Anhui, and Nanjing, Wuxi and Huai'an in Jiangsu.

Jiangsu provincial capital Nanjing reported one confirmed case and one asymptomatic case among people who had been quarantined as close contacts of the infected from Sixian, according to the Nanjing Health Commission.

Wuxi reported 10 positive infections on Friday morning. It has sent all the infected cases to designated hospitals while workers disinfect their homes, workplaces and some areas that they had visited.

Zhong Chao, who lives in Wuxi's Liangxi district, said that he was asked to go back home for quarantine on Thursday.

"Workers of the neighborhood committee delivered chicken wings, eggs, rice, vegetables and cooking oil," he said. "Medical workers provided door-to-door service to give me a PCR test around midnight.

"The residential building I live in has 49 floors," said Zhong. "I cannot imagine how exhausted those medical workers must be. Many people really have sacrificed a lot to contain the virus."

As of Friday morning, the city traced and put under quarantine more than 3,200 contacts of the infected cases. Of the 1,745 samples collected from their living environment, 58 turned out to be positive for COVID-19.

As of 2 am Friday, Wuxi had finished nucleic acid testing of 4.69 million people.
One person was hurt after a car crashed into a north Charlotte home on Saturday, MEDIC says.

The crash happened around 1 p.m. on Esmeralda Drive, near Statesville Road.

MEDIC said one person was treated for serious injuries and transported to Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center.

ALSO READ: Second person dies in crash that left 9 hurt, including 7 children, CMPD says

Channel 9 crews at the scene spoke to officials who said two cars were involved but only one crashed into the house.

It is unclear how both cars were involved and what exactly led to the crash.

We are asking authorities if the person transported was in the house at the time or one of the people in the cars.

Check back on wsoctv.com for updates.

(WATCH BELOW:CMPD investigating homicide at apartment complex in north Charlotte)
A federal jury on Friday convicted five MS-13 gang members for their roles in kidnapping and brutally murdering two teenage Virginia boys whom they "erroneously" suspected of being a rival gang member and police informant.

Elmer Zelaya Martinez, 31; Ronald Herrera Contreras, 24; Henry Zelaya Martinez, 28; Pablo Velasco Barrera, 24; and Duglas Ramirez Ferrera, 25, of El Salvador plotted to kidnap and kill both a 17-year-old boy from Falls Church whom they wrongly suspected of being in a rival gang and 14-year-old boy from Alexandria whom they wrongly suspected of being a police informant in August 2016, according to court records.

The gang members lured both boys into Holmes Run Stream Valley Park on August 28 of that year under the pretense that they would be attending a gang meeting in the woods.

BORDER PATROL IN RIO GRANDE VALLEY NAB 2 SEX OFFENDERS, 9 MS-13 GANG MEMBERS

They restrained, attacked and killed the 17-year-old by stabbing him multiple times and "chopping" his body more than 100 times "with knives, machetes, and a pickaxe" before stuffing him into a pre-dug hole  breaking one of the boy's legs in the process to fit his remains inside, according to the Justice Department.

The gang members also restrained, attacked and killed the 14-year-old boy by stabbing and chopping his body with the same weapons. Once the 14-year-old was dead, they broke both his legs and tied him with his own pajamas so he would fit into a pre-dug hole  all of which they filmed and sent to gang leaders in both the U.S. and El Salvador to prove their rank, the DOJ said.

HONDURAN MS-13 GANG MEMBER WITH PRIOR DEPORTATIONS SENTENCED FOR DRUG, GUN CRIMES

The boys had been reported missing until their remains were found in March 2017 and identified in December 2017.

A total of 17 defendants have been charged in the nearly six-year-old case.

MS-13 is a transnational gang made up mostly of individuals of Salvadoran or other Central American descent, according to the DOJ. YURI CORTEZ/AFP

All five of the defendants found guilty on Friday in a Virginia federal court were charged with conspiracy to commit kidnapping and murder in aid of racketeering activity; conspiracy to kidnap; murder in aid of racketeering activity; kidnapping resulting in death. They also all face mandatory life sentences.

MS-13 is a transnational gang made up mostly of individuals of Salvadoran or other Central American descent, according to the DOJ.

The gang has more than 10,000 members conducting regular activities across at least 10 states and Washington, D.C., "with thousands more conducting gang activities in Central America and Mexico," the department noted in a 2021 press release.
ISLAMABAD (AP)  A three-day assembly of Islamic clerics and tribal elders in the Afghan capital concluded Saturday with pledges of support for the Taliban and calls on the international community to recognize the country's Taliban-led government.

The meeting in Kabul was tailored along the lines of Afghanistans traditional Loya Jirgas  regular councils of elders, leaders and prominent figures meant to deliberate Afghan policy issues.

But the overwhelming majority of attendees were Taliban officials and supporters, mostly Islamic clerics. Women were not allowed to attend, unlike the last Loya Jirga that was held under the previous, U.S.-backed government.

The former insurgents, who have kept a complete lock on decision-making since taking over the country last August, touted the gathering as a forum on issues facing Afghanistan.

According to Mujib-ul Rahman Ansari, a cleric who attended the gathering, an 11-point statement released at the end urges countries in the region and the world, the United Nations, Islamic organizations and others to recognize a Taliban-led Afghanistan, remove all sanctions imposed since the Taliban takeover and unfreeze Afghan assets abroad.

Ansari said that more than 4,500 Islamic clerics and elders who attended renewed their allegiance and loyalty to the Talibans supreme leader and spiritual chief, Haibatullah Akhundzada.

In a surprise development, the reclusive Akhundzada came to Kabul from his base in southern Kandahar province and addressed the gathering on Friday. It was believed to be his first visit to the Afghan capital since the Taliban seized power.

In his hour-long speech carried by state radio, Akhundzada called the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan a victory for the Muslim world.

His appearance added symbolic heft to the gathering. The Taliban are under international pressure to be more inclusive as they struggle with Afghanistans humanitarian crises.

The international community has been wary of any recognition or cooperation with the Taliban, especially after they restricted the rights of women and minorities  measures that hark back to their harsh rule when they were last in power in the late 1990s.

Story continues

Saturday's 11-point resolution called on the Taliban government to pay special attention and to ensure justice, religious and modern education, health, agriculture, industry, the rights of minorities, children, women and the entire nation, according to Islamic holy law." The Taliban adhere to their own strict interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia.

On Friday, Akhundzada, who rose from a low-profile member of the Islamic insurgent movement to the leader of the Taliban in a swift transition of power after a 2016 U.S. drone strike killed his predecessor, Mullah Akhtar Mansour, also offered prayers for Afghanistan's earthquake victims.

The powerful quake in June killed more than 1,000 people in eastern Afghanistan, igniting yet another crisis for the struggling country. Overstretched aid groups already keeping millions of Afghans alive rushed supplies to the quake victims, but most countries responded tepidly to Taliban calls for international help.

The gathering in Kabul also touched on the Taliban's chief rivals, the militant Islamic State group, and appealed on Afghans across the country, saying that any kind of cooperation" with IS was prohibited.

On Thursday, at the start of the gathering, gunfire was heard near the heavily guarded assembly venue, the Loya Jirga Hall of Kabuls Polytechnic University. Later, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told reporters that security forces fired on someone suspected to have a hand grenade, but that there is nothing of concern.

However, IS claimed responsibility for the attack. It said in a statement that three of its fighters climbed onto the roof of a building near the gathering and posted a video showing a group of heavily armed men, their faces masked, who say they have taken positions very close to the gathering and are awaiting orders to attack.

The IS affiliate in Afghanistan, known as Islamic State in Khorasan Province or IS-K, has been operating since 2014. Since the Taliban takeover, IS militants have staged numerous assaults on Afghanistan's new rulers and the Taliban have launched a sweeping crackdown against IS in the country's stronghold in eastern Afghanistan.

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Associated Press writer Maamoun Youssef in Cairo contributed to this report.
Thursday marked the opening of four new highways in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, bringing the total length of expressways in the region to over 10,000 km, according to the regional transport department.

The newly constructed highways are in Hotan Prefecture, Aksu Prefecture, Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, and Hui Autonomous Prefecture of Changji.

The opening of the highways in the first three locations is particularly of great significance to improving the investment and development environment in southern Xinjiang and smoothing the traffic in the Tarim Basin.

Xinjiang plans a fixed-asset investment of 80 billion yuan (about 11.9 billion U.S. dollars) in highway transportation this year. In 2021, the region's fixed-asset investment in highway transportation came in at 69.05 billion yuan.
Swoop is a low-cost airline owned by WestJet. Swoop

A passenger meant to fly home from Phoenix to Edmonton on Swoop had her flight canceled.

Jody Caskey says she spent more than 11 hours on calls trying to reach a customer service agent.

She finally resorted to booking a new flight at a cost of $800 that will add 7 hours to her journey.

An airline passenger spent a total of 11 hours trying to get through to a customer service agent after her flight was cancelled.

Jody Caskey had flown on Swoop Airlines to Phoenix, Arizona from Edmonton in Canada but her return flight was canceled by the Canadian airline on June 28.

After being told by email that she could either obtain a refund or book new flights with Swoop's owner WestJet, she emailed to opt for rebooking.

However, two emails went unanswered so Caskey decided to ring the airline. "I called six times  four times on hold for at least two hours. Every time the phone disconnected right over the two-hour mark," she told Insider.

After spending more than 11 hours trying to get through, she gave up and booked a new flight on WestJet on July 8 for herself and her family at a cost of $800.

The Phoenix to Edmonton flight normally takes three and a half hours, but her return journey now includes a connection in Calgary, adding seven hours to the trip.

Caskey has been forced to cut her vacation a day short as well and said her break had been "upended" by the disruption.

She hoped Swoop will give her a refund and pay for the new flights due to the inconvenience. "I am willing to take Swoop to court  $800 is not a huge sum but the principle of it is that they are doing it on purpose."



Caskey had used Swoop three times previously but vowed never to fly with them again as it had been a "terrible experience."

It comes after an American Airlines passenger drove to Denver airport to rebook his tickets after its customer service center left him on hold for nearly four hours.

US airlines have canceled at least 35,000 flights since June 16, leaving passengers frustrated amid rising travel disruption due to lack of staff and high demand.

Swoop was contacted for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Alex De Minaur is through to the second week of Wimbledon for the first time (AFP via Getty Images)

After reaching new ground at Wimbledon, Liam Broady could not find a way past Alex De Minaur but with that there is no disgrace. There are few players harder to put away than the Australian and in rattling off a 6-3 6-4 7-5 win on Court No 1, De Minaur produced a series of stunning chase downs and recoveries to leave the British wildcard with no answers. Backed by a deceptively powerful and overwhelmingly efficient serve, De Minaur put away a spirited late rally from Broady to get over the line in two hours and 24 minutes.

It remains a landmark week for Broady, whose five-set victory over Diego Schwartzman secured his passage to the third round of a grand slam for the first time in his career. The 28-year-old was unable to join Cameron Norrie and Heather Watson in progressing to the last 16 and although he showed plenty of fight he faced an unbreachable wall on the other side of the court in De Minaur.

The 23-year-old was a tenacious and irritating pest to the Broady game throughout, his performance engaging and full of its roadrunner-like qualities. De Minaur flings himself across the court and the number of balls he was able to chase down reduced Broadys weapons and added significant pressure on his service game. De Minaur was always going to be a tough task for Broady. The 19th seed dug deep to outlast Jack Draper in an absorbing late-night battle on Court No 1 on Thursday and he returned to face another left-handed British opponent here.

The graft of De Minaur took away Broadys left-handed forehand and left the 28-year-old with just the single winner in the opener. De Minaur may have got a fortunate net cord to help him to the decisive break but he landed six aces and won every point on his first serve. That streak did not end until it reached 21 points midway through the second, at which stage De Minaur had broken again. After scrambling back to reach the Broady pass at the net he produced a wonderful lob to continue what was turning out to be a sparkling performance.

Story continues

De Minaur skipped after slicing an audacious drop shot but Broady rallied by saving three break points, as he was finally able to drive past the Australian with an excellent hold. It earned him applause and recognition from the Court One crowd and afterwards the Briton had a glimpse of a chance on 0-30. From there, Broady clipped the net cord but a thrilling dash from De Minaur saw him flip the pick-up over the net and then put away the backhand volley in the point of the match.

It was followed by an ace and when Broady framed the forehand it looked the closest he would get to De Minaurs serve. The Australian was relentless and Broady was immediately faced with break points on his opening service game of the third. A double fault looked to be a fatal blow but Broady responded to set up his first opportunity of the match in the following game. Another net cord from Broady was again met by De Minaur, who revived another dead ball and would not go down.

Broady showed impressive resolve and Court 1 rose as he broke De Minaurs serve when the Australian served for the match. For the first time, errors creeped into De Minaurs game on the forehand side and Broady nodded as the home crowd recognised his fight to extend the contest. But as the unlikely prospect of a comeback took shape, De Minaur broke straight back when a misguided challenge from Broady on 15-30 was followed by a volley into the net.

Closing it out proved arduous for De Minaur, who tightened again when serving for the match rand faced four more break points. De Minaur replied with winners at every turn and while Broady saved three match points in a gripping final deuce game, the puff of the cheeks from the Australian as he eventually found his first serve showed his relief at seeing off the surging Broady.
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A week of temperatures in the mid-20s doesnt sound too bad for the beginning of July, but its another story entirely when this streak of early-summer warmth is relentlessly shining down on the Arctic Circle.

Forecasters have spent more than a week watching a significant ridge of high pressure build over Northern Canada, bringing an extended period of uncharacteristic heat to communities north of the Arctic Circle.

READ MORE: Records may fall as impressive heat wave roasts the Arctic Circle

Inuvik, N.W.T., has a serious shot at notching the distinction of Canadas hot spot within the next couple of days, eking out typically toasty communities in southwestern Ontario for the days hottest high temperature.

DepFromNormal

Inuviks typical high temperature sits around the mid-teens for the start of July. Were going to see a streak of high temperatures over the next seven days that could come in more than 10 degrees above normal -- making for one of the most extreme temperature anomalies in the entire Northern Hemisphere this week.

Inuvik 7day

Compare Inuviks seven-day forecast with conditions over the same stretch down in Montreal, several thousand kilometres and nearly 20 of latitude to the south.

Montreal 7day

Folks up north are dealing with the heat because of an upper-level blocking pattern over Western Canada called a rex block.

A rex block occurs when an upper-level low gets caught beneath an upper-level ridge, essentially acting like a logjam in the jet stream.

rex blockk

This pattern leads to abnormally warm temperatures for communities beneath the ridge, while anyone caught under the upper-level low can experience a long spell of rainfall.

Its this same pattern thats bringing unseasonably cool weather to parts of British Columbia and the Prairies, and its also why the South Coast is about to see an unusual stretch of rain during whats typically its driest month of the year.

WATCH: POLAR BEARS FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL AS ICE DISAPPEARS

Click here to view the video

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Don Noble

Studies of popular culture in America  books, movies, TV sitcoms, and even comic strips  can vary from the absurd to the truly insightful.

Some theorists will tell you that a romance novel is as important and beautiful as King Lear. Who are you to judge?

On the other hand, pop culture can tell us about ourselves in ways that serious drama, film, literary fiction and so on may not, or at least not in so easily accessible a fashion. Pop culture usually mirrors the general culture, but it can definitely reinforce certain cultural givens and, if it is bold or provocative, work to shape cultural mores.

The Western, for example, demonstrates the American myth of rugged self-reliance and, sadly, shows the Native American as savage.

MORE FROM DON NOBLE: Mental illness meets manipulation, ends in murder in true crime book

The Horatio Alger novels illustrate the rags to riches theme in American life, what we often call the American Dream, but close examination shows us that persistent hard work alone is not enough to generate a rise from poverty.

The poor boy in Ragged Dick or Mark, the Match Boy, must demonstrate real virtue under pressure: return a found wallet, or save the girl child from the wheels of a runaway carriage. Then, because the girls father owns the bank, little Mark or Dick gets an opportunity to work hard and rise.

Blake Scott Ball, educated at the University of Alabama and now an assistant professor of history at Huntingdon College, has done a thorough and graceful job of showing how the comic strip Peanuts generally reflected the shifting issues and concerns in American society and only on rare occasions got ever so slightly out in front.

Peanuts was Americas favorite comic strip. At its peak, there were 100 million readers each day.

Charles Schulz drew it for almost 50 years, through the relatively complacent but anxious Cold War 1950s, the tumultuous 1960s, the Vietnam War, the civil rights movement and the rise of feminism.

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Ball begins by establishing Schulzs own baseline. Shultz, we learn, served in World War II and became a staff sergeant in charge of a machine gun squad.

Charles Schulz drew the "Peanuts" comic strip it for almost 50 years, through the relatively complacent but anxious Cold War 1950s, the tumultuous 1960s, the Vietnam War, the civil rights movement and the rise of feminism. AP photo

He saw some combat and returned realizing there was nothing glorious about war. Always a believer, after the war he was born again and became a member of the Church of God.

Patriotism and faith would be at his core and Peanuts would never be avant garde, radical, or progressive.

It was not Shultzs way or Charlie Browns way. The strip would be purposely middle-of-the-road, ambiguous, like Charlie Brown himself, wishy-washy, but still open to some interpretation.

In the early days, for example, Linus security blanket and Charlies worried outlook were understood by some to be manifestations of existential alienation and cultural angst.

Later Peanuts would become more Christian, with Linus quoting the Bible and some discussion/debate over the Great Pumpkin and even Santa Claus.

In 1968, Shulz integrated Peanuts with young Franklin, although he was worried about offending African-Americans with that portrayal and it remained unclear exactly what role Franklin was to serve.

During the Vietnam War, Snoopy, flying his doghouse repeatedly into combat against the Red Baron, frustrated, never achieving success, became a kind of mascot in Vietnam. U.S. aircraft bore Snoopys image.

Schulz, like many in his generation, was conflicted about the war, but could never condemn it and remained determined to support the troops who were sent by the government to fight it.

Feminism likewise was a two-edged sword for Schulz. Abortion rights and even birth control were problematic for him. Obviously they were not treated directly in Peanuts.

FILE--Cartoonist Charles Schulz displays a sketch of his beloved character "Snoopy" in his office in Santa Rosa, Calif., in this 1997 file photo. (AP Photo/Ben Margot, File)

He endorsed traditional gender roles and but also wished to promote gender equality. Lucy was tough and forceful, but finally girls were portrayed with some stereotyped female characteristics, nagging and not skillful enough at some games, and rightly unhappy that society valued prettiness over capability.

I was particularly interested in Schulzs maneuverings around environmental issues. Yes, he agreed, our air and water and soil were being degraded, but in Peanuts he seemed to exonerate capitalism and promote individual responsibility: We should turn off the lights and recycle bottles, reject plastic straws, and ignore the gigantic smokestacks filling the sky with poison.

Over time, as America became more divided, Schulz came to seem too conservative and Peanuts lost popularity to strips like Doonesbury.

The middle shrank, Americans took sides, and left ambivalent Charles Schulz and wishy-washy Charlie Brown with nowhere to stand.

Don Nobles newest book is Alabama Noir, a collection of original stories by Winston Groom, Ace Atkins, Carolyn Haines, Brad Watson, and eleven other Alabama authors.

Charlie Browns America: The Popular Politics of Peanuts

Author: Blake Scott Ball

Publisher: Oxford University Press, New York, 2021

Price: $34.95 (Hardcover)

Pages: 239

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Author observes Charlie Brown through the decades | DON NOBLE
A South Korean drama with actor Bae Suzy has angered Chinese social media users with a scene that features a counterfeit luxury watch with Chinese parts.

Anna, a new series on South Korean streaming service Coupang Play, premiered on June 24 and tells the story of a young woman who ends up living with another identity after telling several lies.

In the second episode of Anna, Baes character Yumi tries to resell what she believes is an expensive Swiss watch that was a gift from her boss Hyunjoo.

More from NextShark: Vietnamese Man Needs Staples in Head After Gunmen Beat Him, Steal Truck in New Orleans

"That watch is a brand that was involved in a famous scam 4 or 5 years ago. Didn't you know? the store clerk tells Yumi. The parts are from China but the screws were put in Switzerland so the watches can have that branding 'made in Switzerland/Swiss Made.' It's only worth 100,000 KRW at most but they got caught selling it for 8 million KRW to 10 million KRW."

The scene drew immediate outrage in China, with online users condemning the show for portraying their country in a negative light.

"Suzy's new drama 'Anna' controversy" became the No. 1 trending topic on Weibo on June 30. Some users even went so far as to accuse South Korea of spreading false information and slandering China.

More from NextShark: First-ever 'Desi Barbie' released for Women's History Month

In response, South Korean fans mentioned that Chinese viewers may have been watching the show illegally since it is exclusively streamed on Coupang Play and not officially distributed or licensed to China.

The controversial scene, however, is reportedly based on the Vincent & Co. incident that made headlines in South Korea in 2006.

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The brand was discovered to be creating watches that used cheap parts from China. The watches were marketed as high-end luxury items worn only by royal families in Europe. Such an image allowed the brand to quickly gain popularity with wealthy Koreans. It was eventually reported on several news outlets that the company had its watches Chinese parts assembled in Switzerland so that they could be labeled Swiss Made.

More from NextShark: Missing San Francisco college student found dead inside rental car after going on 'erratic' road trip

According to Coupang Play, it will not respond to the controversy since the show is only available to stream in South Korea.

Featured Image via  Coupang Play
By Jonathan Stempel and Akriti Sharma

(Reuters) - Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc said it has bought another 9.9 million shares of Occidental Petroleum Corp, giving it a 17.4% stake in the oil company.

Berkshire paid about $582 million for the shares, which it bought between Wednesday and Friday, according to a Friday night filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Buffett's company is Occidental's largest shareholder, now owning 163.4 million shares worth about $9.9 billion.

Its stake is about 60% larger than that of Vanguard, the next largest shareholder, according to Refinitiv data.

Berkshire also owns warrants to buy another 83.9 million Occidental shares for $5 billion.

Occidental's share price has more than doubled this year, benefiting from Berkshire's purchases as well as rising oil prices following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The Berkshire investment has prompted market speculation that Buffett's Omaha, Nebraska-based conglomerate might eventually buy all of Occidental.

In a June 23 research report, Truist Securities analyst Neal Dingmann saw a "good chance" of a Berkshire takeover once Occidental became an investment-grade credit, saying a purchase would help diversify Berkshire's energy portfolio.

Occidental has been reducing debt, which swelled when it bought Anadarko Petroleum Corp for $35.7 billion in 2019.

Berkshire bought $10 billion of Occidental preferred stock to help finance that purchase, and obtained the warrants at that time.

It also had a $25.9 billion stake in oil company Chevron Corp at the end of March.

Berkshire's share price has fallen 8% this year, compared with a 20% decline in the Standard & Poor's 500.

Buffett's company owns dozens of businesses, including the BNSF railroad, Geico car insurer and its namesake energy business, as well as stocks including Apple Inc and Bank of America Corp.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York and Akriti Sharma in Bengaluru; Editing by William Mallard)
Reactions continue to pour in from all across the college football world after the shocking announcement that the Big Ten conference will be adding the USC Trojans and UCLA Bruins to the league beginning in 2024. It was less than ten months ago that Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff convinced Big Ten head Kevin Warren and ACC leader Jim Phillips to form an alliance. It was a gentlemens agreement not to poach one anothers, league members. This pact was made in the wake of Oklahoma and Texas announcing they would be joining the SEC. Less than ten months later and the alliance has already fallen apart.

If you remember, we had previously discussed the Big Tens new media rights deal, which could fetch the conference up to $1 billion a year. That deal was supposed to be completed by Memorial Day but was delayed. New reports from Sports Illustrated state that conversations between the two schools and the Big Ten began several weeks ago, right around when the new TV deals negotiations were delayed.

This is the third time the conference has expanded since 2010. That year the league added Nebraska. In 2014 Maryland and Rutgers joined, and now heading into 2024, it will add USC and UCLA. So the Big Ten, a midwest conference, will stretch from one coast to another. Take a look below and see how each Big Ten school welcomed the two newest members to the conference.

Big Ten Conference

The Big Ten announced today that the University of Southern California and the University of California, Los Angeles will become conference members effective August 2, 2024, with competition to begin in all sports the 2024-25 academic year. https://t.co/DnwNMJSEe7  Big Ten Conference (@bigten) July 1, 2022

Michigan State

Rutgers

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California love! Wed like to welcome UCLA and USC to the @bigten! pic.twitter.com/1Pz9XrfRpc  Rutgers Scarlet Knights (@RUAthletics) July 1, 2022

Michigan

Statement: UCLA and USC to Join Big Ten Conference at Start of 2024-25 Season https://t.co/OquhhsLcmO  Michigan Athletics  (@UMichAthletics) July 1, 2022

Penn State

Statements from Penn State administrators and select coaches regarding USC and UCLA joining the Big Ten.https://t.co/TZ0qTg6ups pic.twitter.com/MzOWZoOqnv  Penn State Athletics (@GoPSUsports) July 1, 2022

Maryland

CALIFORNIAAAAA HERE WE COOOOOOOOOOME pic.twitter.com/QMExJMgE0s  Maryland Terrapins (@umterps) July 1, 2022

Indiana

Purdue

Ohio State

.@OSU_AD following the recent Big Ten Conference expansion announcement.  Full video available at https://t.co/He7w8az9Zo.#GoBucks  Ohio State Buckeyes  (@OhioStAthletics) July 1, 2022

Northwestern

Illinois

Wisconsin

Minnesota

Extending a B1G Minnesota welcome to our new friends on the west coast! We look forward to competing against @USC_Athletics and @UCLAAthletics in the @bigten! pic.twitter.com/tr7luIkb7b  Minnesota Gophers (@GopherSports) July 1, 2022

Nebraska

Iowa

The Big Ten announced today that the University of Southern California and the University of California, Los Angeles will become conference members effective August 2, 2024, with competition to begin in all sports the 2024-25 academic year. https://t.co/DnwNMJSEe7  Big Ten Conference (@bigten) July 1, 2022

USC

OFFICIAL: USC will join the Big Ten Conference in 2024.  USC Trojans (@USC_Athletics) June 30, 2022

UCLA

ICYMI  UCLA is joining the Big Ten Conference at the start of the 2024-25 season! Read more  pic.twitter.com/GiPrgXXnP7  UCLA Athletics (@UCLAAthletics) July 1, 2022

Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes and opinion.

Let us know your thoughts, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today!

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By Pavel Polityuk and Simon Lewis

KYIV/KONSTYANTYNIVKA, Ukraine (Reuters) -Fighting intensified on Saturday for Lysychansk, Ukraine's last bastion in the strategic eastern province of Luhansk, while blasts shook a southern city after the civilian toll from Russian strikes climbed in towns well behind the front lines.

Rodion Miroshnik, ambassador to Russia of the pro-Moscow self-styled Luhansk People's Republic, told Russian television that "Lysychansk has been brought under control," but added: "Unfortunately, it is not yet liberated."

Russian media showed videos of Luhansk militia parading in Lysychansk streets waving flags and cheering, but Ukraine National Guard spokesman Ruslan Muzychuk told Ukrainian national television the city remained in Ukrainian hands.

"Now there are fierce battles near Lysychansk, however, fortunately, the city is not surrounded and is under the control of the Ukrainian army," Muzychuk said.

He said the situations in the Lysychansk and Bakhmut areas, as well as in Kharkiv region, were the most difficult on the entire front line.

"The goal of the enemy here remains access to the administrative border of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Also, in the Sloviansk direction, the enemy is attempting assault actions," he said.

Oleksandr Senkevych, mayor of the southern region of Mykolaiv, which borders the vital Black Sea port of Odesa, reported powerful explosions in the city.

"Stay in shelters!" he wrote on the Telegram messaging app as air raid sirens sounded.

The cause of the blasts was not immediately clear, although Russia later said it had hit army command posts in the area.

Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield reports.

Authorities said a missile slammed into an apartment block near Odesa on Friday, killing at least 21 people. A shopping mall was hit on Monday in the central city of Kremenchuk, leaving at least 19 dead.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy denounced the strikes on Friday as "conscious, deliberately targeted Russian terror and not some sort of error or a coincidental missile strike."

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In his nightly television address on Saturday, he said it would be a "very difficult path" to victory but it was necessary for Ukrainians to maintain their resolve and inflict losses on the "aggressor ... so that every Russian remembers that Ukraine cannot be broken."

"In many areas from the front, there is a sense of easing up, but the war is not over," he said. "Unfortunately, it is intensifying in different places and we musn't forget that. We must help the army, the volunteers, help those who are left on their own at this time."

Kyiv says Moscow has intensified missile attacks on cities far from the main eastern battlefields and that it deliberately hit civilian sites. Ukrainian troops on the eastern front lines meanwhile describe intense artillery barrages that have pummelled residential areas.

Thousands of civilians have been killed and cities levelled since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov repeated Russian denials that its forces targeted civilians.

The Chief of General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimov, inspected Russian troops involved in what Moscow calls its "special military operation," Russia's defence ministry said, although it was not clear if he was in Ukraine.

The inspection followed slow but steady gains by Russian forces with the help of relentless artillery in east Ukraine, a focus for Moscow after it narrowed its broader war goals of toppling the government following fierce Ukrainian resistance.

Russia is seeking to drive Ukrainian forces out of Luhansk and Donetsk provinces in the industrialised eastern Donbas region where Moscow-backed separatists have been fighting Kyiv since Russia's first military intervention in Ukraine in 2014.

"Definitely they are trying to demoralise us. Maybe some people are affected by that, but for us it only brings more hatred and determination," said a Ukrainian soldier returning from Lysychansk.

HOUSES 'BURNING DOWN'

Russian forces seized Lysychansk's sister city Sievierodonetsk last month, after some of the heaviest fighting of the war that pounded whole districts into rubble. Other settlements now face similar bombardment.

Luhansk Governor Serhiy Gaidai said on Telegram shelling had stopped Lysychansk residents dousing fires and added: "Private houses in attacked villages are burning down one by one."

Ukraine has appealed for more weapons from the West, saying its forces are heavily outgunned by the Russian military.

Troops on a break from the fighting and speaking in Konstyantynivka, a market town about 115 km (72 miles) west of Lysychansk, said they had managed to keep the supply road to the embattled city open, for now, despite Russian bombardment.

"We still use the road because we have to, but it's within artillery range of the Russians," said one soldier, who usually lives in Kyiv and asked not to be named, as comrades relaxed nearby, munching on sandwiches or eating ice cream.

"The Russian tactic right now is to just shell any building we could locate ourselves at. When they've destroyed it, they move on to the next one," the soldier said.

Reuters reporters saw an unexploded missile lodged into the ground in a residential neighbourhood on the outskirts of the Donbas city of Kramatorsk on Saturday evening.

The missile fell in a wooded area between residential tower blocks. Police and military cordoned off an area a few meters around the missile and told onlookers to stand back. Outgoing artillery fire and several large explosions were heard in central Kramatorsk earlier in the evening.

Despite being battered in the east, Ukrainian forces have made some advances elsewhere, including forcing Russia to withdraw from Snake Island, a Black Sea outcrop southeast of Odesa that Moscow captured at the start of the war.

Russia had used Snake Island to impose a blockade on Ukraine, one of the world's biggest grain exporters and a major producer of seed for vegetable oils. The disruptions have helped fuel a surge in global grain and food prices.

Russia, also a big grain producer, denies it has caused the food crisis, blaming Western sanctions for hurting its exports.

(Reporting by Reuters bureaux; Writing by Lincoln Feast, Edmund Blair, Ron Popeski and David Brunnstrom; Editing by William Mallard, Catherine Evans, Matthew Lewis and Jonathan Oatis)
Taylor Rains/Insider

Boeing just celebrated 55 years of its 737 program, which is produced at its Renton, Washington factory.

The facility has been building planes for 80 years, starting with tankers and bombers but now produces the 737 MAX.

Insider toured the factory to learn more about the production and history of the best-selling 737.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of Boeing's Renton factory in Washington state and 55 years of the planemaker's 737 program.

Boeing 737 factory in Renton, Washington. JASON REDMOND/AFP via Getty Images

Source: Boeing

Production at the 1.1 million-square-foot factory started with tankers and bombers during World War II. The first-ever aircraft produced at Renton was the XPBB-1, and only one was built, giving it the nickname the "Lone Ranger."

Boeing XPBB-1 Sea Ranger Patrol Bomber. US Navy

Source: Boeing

Other famous military planes built at Renton include the Boeing B-29 Superfortress and the Boeing 367-80, nicknamed the "Dash 80."

A B-29 Superfortress. US Defense Department

The Dash 80 led to the production of the first jet-powered tanker, the KC-135 Stratotanker...

KC-135 Stratotanker. Jon Hobley/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images

...and the Boeing 707 commercial airliner, which ushered in a new era of international travel.

The first 707 rolled off the assembly line at Renton in May 1954. Boeing

About 30% of the world's commercial jetliners, including the Boeing 707, 727, 737, and 757, were built at Renton  which is about 14,500 airplanes.

Boeing 727 (left) and 737 (right) being built at Renton in 1977. -/AFP via Getty Images

Source: Boeing

In 1967, the production of Boeing's best-selling 737 began. The company built two "original" 737 models, including the -100 and -200

Lufthansa Boeing 737-100 in 1968. Museum of Flight/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images

Source: Boeing

and three "classic" variants, including the -300, -400, and -500.

Boeing 737-400. Fabrizio Gandolfo/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Source: Boeing

From 1997 to 2019, Renton built Boeing's Next Generation 737 aircraft: the -600, -700, -800, and -900.

Jonathan Weiss/Shutterstock

Source: Boeing

Boeing's fourth-generation plane, the 737 MAX passenger jet, began production in 2015 at Renton. Three models  the MAX 8, MAX 9, and MAX 8200  are currently in service with airlines around the world.

A lineup of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft (Alaska -9, Ryanair -8200, and Southwest -8). Taylor Rains/Insider

Source: Boeing

However, the MAX program proved to have problems, with two planes crashing due to a software design flaw that led to a worldwide grounding of the jet.

An Ethiopian Airlines' 737 MAX crashed in 2019. Indonesian carrier Lion Air's MAX crashed in 2018. Skycolors/Shutterstock

Source: Insider

The fallout of the tragedies, which killed 346 people, forced Boeing to reengineer its stall prevention system.

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China Southern Boeing 737 MAX 8. aapsky/Shutterstock

Since the Federal Aviation Administration signed off on the plane's airworthiness in November 2020, airlines have started flying them again.

WestJet Boeing 737 MAX 8 Joel Serre/Shutterstock

Boeing is also continuing the development of the 737 MAX 7 and 10, which are awaiting certification.

Boeing 737 MAX 10. Taylor Rains/Insider

Source: Boeing

Insider toured the factory to see the 737 MAX final assembly line and learn about the process  take a look.

Taylor Rains/Insider

The tour was led by Dennis Eng, Boeing's director of 737 program business operations. He explained the factory is split into three assembly lines  east, west, and center.

Taylor Rains/Insider

Currently, the west and center lines are active, and Boeing plans to activate the east side once it has enough personnel.

Taylor Rains/Insider

While Eng did not specify what the current monthly MAX output is, he said Boeing's goal is to produce 31 planes per month.

Taylor Rains/Insider

Walking through the factory, Eng said the planes go through 10 different flow days during final assembly, which includes things like hydraulic, wiring, and systems installation, joining the wings to the fuselage, installing the interior, and testing.

Taylor Rains/Insider

The fuselage comes complete from Wichita, Kansas, and is built by Spirit AeroSystems. It is then transported via rail to Renton where it is joined to the wings.

Seattle Times

To join the body is a complicated process, according to Eng, who said workers use cranes and other tools to move parts around the massive building.

Cranes on the ceiling of the Renton factory. Taylor Rains/Insider

Because of the complexities, the movements are done during one of the three shifts employees work.

Seattle Times

When installing economy class seats, Boeing uses a modified hay bail. This process is done during the first shift and completed while the fuselage is still open in the back to make it easier.

Taylor Rains/Insider

The planes had their engines and landing gear by the last flow.

Taylor Rains/Insider

After final assembly, the jets will complete flight testing out of Boeing Field, be painted in their respective livery, and delivered to their final owner.

Taylor Rains/Insider

Eng explained Boeing has reimagined its Renton factory over the years to create more efficient processes. Specifically, the planemaker has developed a system that better stages parts to ensure employees have the exact tools they need for each flow.

Some of the tool kits. Taylor Rains/Insider

This is done by assembling flow-specific kits that are positioned at each station. This eliminates the need for workers to walk back and forth between the plane and the tool room during shifts.

Some of the tool kits. Taylor Rains/Insider

The system improves quality and safety and decreases plane damage, according to Boeing.

Taylor Rains/Insider

We saw a few completed 737 planes at the factory, including Southwest Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and a United MAX 10, which Eng said is a test aircraft. It is rare to see the -10 in a completed livery.

The United-painted 737 MAX 10. Taylor Rains/Insider

During our grand tour of Boeing factories, Insider also spent time in Everett where the manufacturer is building cargo planes and other passenger jets, like the 777 and 787.

Boeing 777 aircraft. Taylor Rains/Insider

There were several seemingly complete 787 aircraft in the factory, but Boeing has been unable to deliver the jet since May 2021 due to safety concerns from the Federal Aviation Administration regarding gaps between fuselage sections.

Boeing 787 aircraft. Taylor Rains/Insider

Boeing submitted incomplete documents for its grounded $12.5 billion 787 Dreamliner jets, authorities say

As a special treat, we also saw one of the last 747 planes ever to be built, which is a 747-8F going to cargo carrier Atlas Air. The airline has three on order, which will all be delivered by the end of 2022.

Boeing 747 Factory Tour. Seattle Times

Boeing's iconic 747 will leave the assembly line for the last time this year. See one of last jumbo jets the planemaker will ever build.

The completion of the final three jets will mark the end of a 54-year era that revolutionized air travel by making international flights affordable for the first time.

Boeing 747 Factory Tour. Taylor Rains/Insider

More airlines are choosing single-aisle jets for flights from North America to Europe  see the full evolution of jet-powered transatlantic flying

Read the original article on Business Insider
How the brain relates to political views

Read also: A psychiatrist explains why Putin hates Ukraine and Ukrainians

The study analyzed MRI data at the Ohio Supercomputer Center, using advanced machine learning algorithms.

Read also: Most Ukrainians support full return of occupied territories with Donbas and Crimea

Participants were then graded on a six-point scale, based on their political leanings, from very liberal to very conservative.

The results suggest that the biological and neurological roots of political behavior run much deeper than we previously thought, said study co-author Skyler Cranmer, the Phillips and Henry Professor of Political Science at Ohio State University.

174 adults were asked to perform various tasks while their brain activity was being MRI scanned  none of them related to political matters. Even when the participants were told to avoid thinking about anything at all, analysis of their brains betrayed their political views.

Even without any stimulus at all, functional connectivity in the brain can help us predict a person's political orientation, commented co-author James Wilson, assistant professor of psychiatry and biostatistics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Read also: Russian man threatens Ukrainian TV presenter and her son in Germany

Three out of eight different tasks performed by the participants demonstrated a very strong correlation with political ideology: an empathy test, an episodic memory test, and a reward task, where participants could win or lose money based on how quickly they pushed a button.

The empathy test results correlated strongly with moderate ideology, while the reward-based task predicted very liberal and very conservative views.

The results with the empathy task suggest that political thought may be closely tied to emotion and emotional response, said Wilson.

What we don't know is whether that brain signature is there because of the ideology that people choose, or whether people's ideology is caused by the signatures we found.

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Read also: The Azov Regiment has been called Neo-Nazi. Is it?

Recorded brain activity patterns were then tied to demographic and socio-economic factors (age, sex, income, and education), allowing the model to accurately predict the political ideology of the participants.

Activity in specific regions of the brain  the amygdala, inferior frontal gyrus and the hippocampus  was most strongly associated with participants political leanings.

The study results were published in the PNAS Nexus journal, in late May 2022.
 Flash

A total of 410 peacekeepers of the 20th Chinese peacekeeping contingent to Lebanon were awarded UN medals of peace on Friday.

As part of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), the Chinese peacekeepers were hailed as "great ambassadors" of China and Chinese armed forces by Aroldo Lazaro Saenz, UNIFIL's head of Mission and Force Commander, at a medal parade ceremony.

The commander expressed his sincere gratitude to the Chinese government for its continuous support and contribution to UNIFIL.

The ceremony, held at the Chinese peacekeepers' camp in Hanniyah village in southern Lebanon, was also attended by Chinese Ambassador to Lebanon Qian Minjian, representatives of the Lebanese armed forces, local officials and fellow peacekeepers.

Saenz told the Chinese peacekeepers that "the well-deserved medal is a token of appreciation in recognition of your hard work, as well as the significant contribution and commitment you gave" to this peace mission in southern Lebanon in the past months.

Saenz highly praised the Chinese peacekeepers for their work, including clearing dangerous minefields, developing construction works and providing medical assistance.

The Chinese peacekeepers "have assisted many local communities here, improving their living conditions, providing medical care and strengthening the bonds with them," he said, adding that this is "a symbol of your active role in maintaining peace and stability in southern Lebanon and the people who live here."

The 20th Chinese peacekeeping contingent, which includes a multi-functional engineer detachment, a construction engineer detachment and a medical detachment, has been serving the UN Mission since August 2021.

More than 7,000 Chinese peacekeepers have been dispatched to Lebanon since 2006.

The UN Security Council established the UNIFIL on March 19, 1978 to monitor the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon. Its mandate was expanded following the 2006 Lebanon War.
SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is leading in the polls for Brazil's October presidential election, said on Saturday he will not tolerate threats against institutions, and that the armed forces need to commit to democracy.

"It is necessary to overcome authoritarianism and anti-democratic threats. We will not tolerate any kind of threat on the institutions that represent the popular vote," Lula said in a speech in the northeastern city of Salvador.

Three other presidential candidates also attended the event to celebrate the independence of the State of Bahia, including right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro, who is running for re-election.

Lula was president of Brazil from 2003 to 2011.

Military leaders have repeatedly said Brazil's armed forces will respect any result of the election, but military officials have made headlines by echoing comments by Bolsonaro about potential weaknesses in Brazil's voting system.

A former Army captain, Bolsonaro has placed several military personnel in key positions traditionally held by civilians in the government. In May, he suggested the military should conduct its own parallel ballot count alongside the court.

Bolsonaro has threatened since last year not to accept the results of the October presidential election, and unsuccessfully tried to make a constitutional amendment to Brazil's voting method, advocating a return to a paper ballot system. His reasons for these actions are based on continual and unproven claims of fraud in the country's electronic voting system.

Lula said at Saturday's event: "It is necessary to re-establish an environment of political, economic and institutional stability that provides confidence and security to investments that are of interest to the country's development."

He defended the importance of the military for the country, while emphasizing they must have a commitment to democracy.

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"The independent and sovereign Brazil that we want cannot give up its armed forces. Not only well-trained and equipped, but, above all, committed to democracy," Lula said.

Lula drew 47% support against Bolsonaro's 28% in a Datafolha opinion poll at the end of June.

(Reporting by Camila Moreira in Sao Paulo; Additional reporting, writing by Steven Grattan; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
Hirings

Ed OMalley

Ed OMalley has been named president and CEO of the Kansas Health Foundation, a statewide philanthropy based in Wichita. His appointment is effective Aug. 10. OMalley currently serves as president and CEO of the Kansas Leadership Center, a nonprofit organization committed to fostering leadership for stronger, healthier and more prosperous Kansas communities. OMalley joined KLC, which is primarily funded by KHF, in 2007 as its founding president and CEO  taking the organization from a new startup to an internationally recognized leadership training hub. Under his leadership, KLC has played a significant role increasing the number of diverse and underrepresented groups in civic leadership throughout Kansas. Throughout my career, Ive always focused first and foremost on being a servant leader who is in tune with the needs of others, OMalley said. While it will be bittersweet to leave the KLC family Ive grown to love, it is an honor, and the fulfillment of a dream, to step into the president and CEO position at KHF, and follow in the footsteps of some men and women I greatly admire. Prior to his time at KLC, OMalley served two terms as a state representative in the Kansas Legislature, gained experience in the private sector and worked on the staff of Gov. Bill Graves. OMalley holds a bachelors degree in history from Kansas State University. He has also completed the Emerging Leaders Streetwise MBA program offered by the U.S. Small Business Administration and received executive training from the Harvard Business School and the Harvard John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Campaign

United Way of Greater Topeka Leadership CEO Jessica Lehnherr introduced board member Trey George as the organization's next campaign chair. George is the president and CEO of the Topeka Housing Authority. My friends and colleagues at United Way know how passionate I am about helping people and how strongly I believe in our community," George said. I am honored to be able to share with the community all the wonderful initiatives the United Way of Greater Topeka supports to help make our community amazing! George has been with THA for 11 years and leads a staff of 57 dedicated housing professionals. THA provides safe, decent, affordable housing for more than 5,000 low-income people. Before joining THA, George worked in the financial services industry as branch manager and vice president. He earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Washburn University. Lindsay Freeman will be vice-chair for a year before serving as campaign chair for the 2023-24 campaign. Freeman currently serves on UWGTs Resource Development Committee and is the United Way campaign coordinator for her employer, Kansas Gas Service.

Topeka-area hirings, promotions, retirements and other announcements can be emailed to iyb@cjonline.com.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: It's Your Business includes Kansas Health Foundation and United Way
Jul. 1CANTON  Firework fun doesn't have to end on July 4. Here in Haywood, the town of Canton hosts a special event called the Fourth of July Plus One at Sorrells Park for an additional day of celebration.

"I'm excited the event is happening and once again bringing people together as Americans especially in these divisive times," Mayor Zeb Smathers said.

The town of Canton tries to set their event apart from the others by hosting its event on July 5, so as not to compete with the other shows going on in the area.

Lisa Stinnett, assistant manager and town clerk said several thousand people usually go to the event, which has been going on for the last ten years.

Stinnett said the event is free to the public, and it is sponsored by Champion Credit Union. "Dutch Cove sponsors the inflatables. There is no cost to the town other than personnel," she added.

Entertainment

July Fourth Plus One starts at 6 p.m. and the fireworks start at dusk. Available food includes free watermelon and options from six food trucks.

Parking will also be available adjacent to the park in the gravel lot.

"The most exciting thing this year is the opening of our splash pad at Sorrells Park," Smathers said.

The splash pad opening had previously been delayed because of a hold up on parts.

"It is important for me as mayor and our board to put smiles back on faces, especially the faces of children," he added.

Stinnett said the town's favorite part of the event is watching families enjoying the event and celebrating independence.

"The town of Canton is happy to have partners such as Champion Credit Union, Crawford Ray Funeral Home, Dutch Cove Baptist as well as the mayor and board that are happy to give the citizens and visitors alike an opportunity to celebrate our independence in a safe family atmosphere at no cost to them," Stinnett said.

The Kiwanis is putting on a Lucky Draw at Canton's July Fourth Plus One. Ticket holders have the opportunity to win a $1,000 cash prize. The Lucky Draw was launched to jump start the fundraising for an all abilities playground and repairs to the playground damaged by flooding.

"As we showed during the floods, people can come together when the times are tough and make our home a better place," Smathers said. "For me, America is not what we have been or what we are, but what we can be."
The Telegraph

Dustin Johnson held off a final-day charge from fellow American Bryson DeChambeau to claim the spoils and secure his first win of the season, emerging triumphant from a dramatic final round as the worlds best went toe-to-toe on the grandest course of all. As we know, this is not what happened at the 150th Open Championship. This is what happened at the LIV Golf Open Championship.
The body of one child was recovered from a Minnesota lake Friday as officials continued to search the area for two more children and their mother, officials said.

The rescue and recovery operation continued into the night at a lake outside the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, where multiple agencies were searching after first responding to a call of a suicide earlier in the day, Maplewood police said.

A man, thought to be the father of the children, was found dead at a home about 10:30 a.m. when Maplewood police and fire responded there to a report of a suicide, Lt. Joe Steiner said.

As they investigated the man's death, information from family members led police to Vadnais Lake around 4 p.m. for a potential murder-suicide, Steiner said.

Authorities found a vehicle and other items connected to the family at the lake, leading authorities to believe they are still in the area, he said.

Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher said they were treating the case at the lake as a "potential triple-homicide." He called it a tragedy and a travesty.

"Obviously, a horrible set of facts appears to be developing," Fletcher told reporters Friday night.

The three children are all thought to be under 5, and the mother's location is not known, he said.

A dive team, fire and EMS, cadaver dogs as well as other resources were on scene to assist with the search.

Vadnais Lake is located in Vadnais Heights, about 7 miles north of St. Paul and 9 miles northwest of Maplewood.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.
The Pentagon on Friday unveiled an $820 million weapons package for Ukraine, including several more advanced air defense systems.

Well detail whats in the latest package, plus the new Navy probe into the fuel leak at a storage facility in Hawaii last year and whats happening now that the COVID-19 vaccine deadline has passed for Army National Guard and Reserve troops.

This is Defense & National Security, your nightly guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. For The Hill, Im Ellen Mitchell. Subscribe here.





Pentagon unveils $820M Ukraine security package

The Department of Defense on Friday unveiled an $820 million weapons package for Ukraine, which includes advanced air defense systems.

Acting Pentagon press secretary Todd Breasseale said in a statement that $770 million of the assistance will be provided under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which allows the agency to procure the weapons from defense contractors.



The remaining $50 million in security aid will come from presidential drawdown authority, which allows the Pentagon to send Ukraine weapons from its own stockpiles. This will be the fourteenth drawdown of equipment under that authority since August 2021.

Earlier: President Biden hinted at the security aid during a press conference on Thursday following a NATO summit in Madrid.

During the press conference, Biden said that the U.S. would support Ukraine as long as it takes to make sure that it is not defeated by Russia.

More rocket systems: The aid also follows a separate $450 million shipment of military aid to Ukraine announced last week, which included four High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and patrol boats, among other equipment.

With Fridays announcement, the U.S. has committed $7.6 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden administration, including $6.9 billion since Russias invasion of Ukraine began on Feb. 24.

Story continues

Under the USAI, the Pentagon will procure two National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, also known as Norwegian Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems.

Read more here





Navy: Leadership failure worsened Hawaii fuel leaks

Service officials failure to take charge in the days and months after two major fuel leaks last year at a Navy storage facility in Hawaii led to thousands of residents drinking water becoming contaminated, a newly released investigation found.

The response from on-site leadership at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility in Oahu fell unacceptably short of the Navy standards for leadership, ownership, and the safeguarding of our communities, Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. William Lescher wrote in an endorsement of the report.

The investigation centers around the May 6, 2021, and Nov. 20, 2021, fuel spills at Red Hill that contaminated a nearby well used by 93,000 people including Hawaii military families, sickening nearly 6,000.



The leak and the environmental damage it caused prompted the Pentagon to order the facilitys closure in March with the goal of fully defueling and shuttering Red Hill in the next year.

Accepting responsibility: In a call with reporters ahead of the reports release, U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Adm. Samuel Paparo said the Navy accepts responsibility for what happened, noting that it was the combined result of multiple human errors over a period of several months.





WHAT HAPPENED EXACTLY?

The spills in question include an initial release of some 20,000 gallons of fuel on May 6, after facility operators improperly began a transfer that spilled into a fuel suppression system.

At the time, the facility and its commanders didnt realize the extent of the mishap, incorrectly believing only about 1,580 gallons had spilled.



The fuel suppression system retention lines then held the bulk of the 20,000 gallons, the weight of which caused the PVC pipes to sag.



On Nov. 20, 2021, an operator hit the line with a small underground passenger train cart, causing the fuel to pour out.

Why the delay?: Navy officials did not immediately act as they first believed the liquid was a mixture of fuel and water and there was no threat to the environment or to groundwater.

Service officials, not understanding all the paths to the well, insisted that fuel could not seep through concrete, according to the investigation.

Paparo said that leaders on the scene in November were slow to correct initial reports that the November spill was water and made overly optimistic assessments that the fuel leak was contained.

Disciplinary actions coming?: The probe does not make any recommendations on disciplinary or administrative actions for individuals involved, though Paparo noted that a number of people are no longer in their assigned duties.

Read the full story here





Army: Guard, Reserve forces need vaccine for drills

The Army announced Friday that members of its National Guard and Reserve components must be in compliance with its COVID-19 vaccine mandate to participate in drills.

In a statement, the service said members who have refused to be vaccinated without an approved or pending exemption cannot participate in federally funded training and will not receive pay or retirement credit.



The deadline for members of the Army National Guard or Reserve to be vaccinated passed on Thursday. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin mandated vaccinations for the military in August 2021 but allowed each service to implement its own deadlines.



The deadline for active-component Army personnel to be in compliance was Dec. 15, but reservists and Army National Guard members had until June 30 to be vaccinated.

Current figures: Eighty-nine percent of the Army National Guard has received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Armys statement, while 87 percent are fully inoculated.

Similarly, 89 percent of the Army Reserve has received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 88 percent are fully vaccinated.

Repercussions: In its statement, the Army said soldiers who refuse the order without an approved or pending exemption are subject to adverse administrative actions, like bars to service and official reprimands.

Moving forward, soldiers who continue to refuse vaccination without an exemption may face additional adverse action, including separation.

Read more here





WHAT WERE READING

Thats it for today. Check out The Hills Defense and National Security pages for the latest coverage. Were off Monday for the Fourth of July holiday. See you next week!





VIEW THE FULL EDITION HERE

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A Los Angeles Dodgers peanut vendor known for pitching peanuts to fans at games is barred from making his iconic throws this season.

Roger Owens, who began pitching peanuts at Dodger Stadium in 1962, told the Los Angeles Times that the stadiums concessions company Levy Restaurants cited fan safety as a reason for the ban.

Owens, whose skills once earned him an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, said he didnt want to pick a fight with the company but is puzzled by the decision, according to the newspaper.

They have time to see it coming, Owens told the LA Times.

Its not some bullet that goes straight through. Im always wanting to make sure that whoever I am throwing to will catch the bag of peanuts. I want them to catch it, because they feel a sense of accomplishment.

Roger Owens can toss a bag of peanuts behind his back.



Or between his legs.



He's been doing it at Dodger Stadium for 60 years.



But not anymore.



The @Dodgers celebrity peanut vender now simply hands over the product.@BillShaikin tried to find out why.https://t.co/RKF0XWHe8L  L.A. Times Sports (@latimessports) July 1, 2022

Owens began his peanut pitching out of necessity when a fan yelled for him to toss a bag roughly 60 years ago, according to a SportsCenter profile in 2005.

I went behind the back, it wrapped around all these people in the aisle and came right into his hand and everybody started clapping, Owens told SportsCenter.

And I was kind of surprised so I went home and started practicing to an invisible man on the couch.

HuffPost has reached out to Levy spokesman Kevin Memolo with questions regarding the reason for the ban.

Story continues

Peanut pitching bans are no stranger to the stadium as bans occurred in both 1976 and 1985, the LA Times reported.

The stadium, however, later took those bans away.

Owens told the newspaper he is heartbroken over the latest ban.

Pitching peanuts to the fans brings a lot of joy and happiness, Owens said.

This joy and happiness hasnt been there.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
Police say they suspect mass abduction (file image)

Police in Nigeria have rescued 77 people, including children, from a church where they were confined in the south-western state of Ondo.

Some of them are believed to have been there for months.

A police spokesperson said many of them had been told to expect the Second Coming of Jesus Christ in April and had abandoned school to witness the event.

The raid came after a mother complained her children were missing and she thought they were in the church.

Police say they are investigating suspected mass abduction after the raid on the Whole Bible Believers Church in the Valentino area of Ondo Town.

The pastor of the Pentecostal church, David Anifowoshe, and his deputy have been arrested, while the victims have been taken into the care of the authorities.

"Preliminary investigation revealed that one Pastor Josiah Peter Asumosa, an assistant pastor in the church, was the one who told the members that Rapture will take place in April, but later said it has been changed to September 2022 and told the young members to obey only their parents in the Lord," said police press officer Funmilayo Odunlami.

In all, police rescued 26 children, eight teenagers and 43 adults, she added.

The Second Coming is a Christian belief in the return of Jesus Christ after his Biblical ascension to Heaven. Rapture is the idea that Christian believers will be taken to Heaven at the Second Coming.

Anxiety has been high among Christians in the state since a deadly attack on another church.

At least 50 people were killed in a mass shooting and bomb attack at St Francis Catholic church in the town of Owo on 6 June.

Federal authorities suspect the Islamic State West Africa Province of carrying out the massacre.
Darcy Swain is shown a red card by referee James Doleman (Gary Day/AP) (AP)

England collapsed to a fourth successive defeat as their magic touch against Australia finally deserted them in a 30-28 loss in the series opener at Optus Stadium.

The Wallabies had second row Darcy Swain sent off for a headbutt in the 34th minute but Eddie Jones tourists were still unable to secure a ninth successive victory in the fixture.

It is the second match in a row that they have been unable to finish off 14-man opposition after being routed by the Barbarians at Twickenham in their most recent outing.

The story of the first half was the Wallabies dwindling body count as they lost Quade Cooper, Tom Banks and Allan Alaalatoa to injury before Swain was sent off for his strike on Jonny Hill.

Losing veteran fly-half Cooper to a calf injury during the warm-up was unfortunate, but Swains removal from play was entirely self-inflicted as he clearly struck Hill off the ball in the 34th minute, forcing referee James Doleman to act.

Hill was sin-binned for provoking his fellow lock, mainly by pulling his hair as the two tussled during and after a maul, and the Exeter man had been lucky to escape punishment for a shove in his rivals face earlier in the half.

Story continues

Perth was hosting the worlds fifth and sixth-ranked nations and both performed like the middling teams their positions suggested in a scrappy and chaotic match played out in front of a crowd of 47,668.

Tom Banks was taken from the field with a broken arm (Gary Day/AP) (AP)

Ellis Genge crossed for England in the third quarter but Australia hit back through Jordan Petaia and when Coopers replacement Noah Lolesio nailed a tricky conversion, the hosts were in front.

Prop Folau Faingaa delivered the fatal blow in the 69th minute and there was no way back for England who by now were coming apart at the seams, at least until London Irishs teenage sensation Henry Arundell came on to tear the home defence to pieces.

In a worrying pattern, Jones men grew worse as the match went on because they started by showing several pleasing flourishes in attack with Joe Cokanasiga prominent.

Tom Curry  who failed to reappear for the second half because of a failed HIA  was sent charging into space and his long pass found Joe Marchant but the centre was brilliantly tackled by Marika Koroibete, whose defence had saved a certain try.

Henry Arundell runs in to score a try (Gary Day/AP) (AP)

Englands lead built through Owen Farrells boot and while still reeling from the loss of Cooper, Australia saw Banks leave the field on the medical cart after breaking his arm when falling awkwardly.

Alaalatoa was the next to exit as he rose unsteadily from the bottom of a ruck and the penalty count continued to rise, enabling Lolesio to land three points.

And in the most dramatic departure yet, Swain was sent off after losing his cool amid ongoing provocation by Hill.

For all the setbacks, the Wallabies were clinging on and they entered half-time level through a second Lolesio penalty before taking the lead for the first time shortly after the interval.

Shout out to @PoortvlietJack, who made a try-scoring England debut today in Perth #AUSvENG pic.twitter.com/iNHpsfAKkr  England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) July 2, 2022

It did not last long as Genge finished a line-out maul in the right corner and England pressed again in the same area of the field, but the Wallabies were rescued close to their line by the breakdown excellence of captain Michael Hooper.

Farrell had missed his last two shots at goal but he was on target in the 61st minute, although the Wallabies were back in front when Petaia dived over in the left corner to round off some smart build-up, with Samu Kerevi heavily involved.

Billy Vunipola was shown a yellow card for a dangerous tackle on Hooper and Australias tails were up as prop Faingaa found a path through the middle of a maul.

Pete Samu completed the Wallabies scoring before replacements Arundell and Jack van Poortvliet touched down in the closing stages to give England something to celebrate.
(Reuters) - New York lawmakers revamped the state's gun laws after a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision established an individual right to carry handguns in public for self-defense.

The court ruled New York's restrictive gun-license system was unconstitutional, as were similar regimes in California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey and the District of Columbia.

Here are some key provisions in New York's proposed gun-license law https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/s51001:

* NO MORE NEED TO PROVE "PROPER CAUSE" TO HAVE A GUN

The Supreme Court said it was unconstitutional to give government officials the discretion to deny a law-abiding person a permit to carry a concealed handgun in self-defense if they could not show "proper cause," or cite some special reason. The bill removes the "proper cause" requirement, although it still requires an applicant show they are of "good moral character."

* 'SENSITIVE PLACES' WHERE GUNS ARE BANNED

The court said lawmakers could restrict guns from "sensitive places," giving as examples courthouses, schools and government buildings, but warned lawmakers against applying the label too broadly.

New York's proposed list of such places includes: government buildings, medical facilities, places of worship, libraries, playgrounds, parks, zoos, schools, summer camps, addiction-support centers, homeless shelters, nursing homes, public transit including the New York City subway, places where alcohol or marijuana is consumed, museums, theaters, stadiums, polling places and New York City's Times Square.

Private businesses will be presumed to be gun-free zones unless their owners say otherwise.

* SOCIAL MEDIA REVIEW

The bill would require applicants for concealed-carry permits to submit their current and former social media accounts from the last three years to review by the licensing officer, usually a judge or police official, to weigh the applicant's "character and conduct."

Story continues

* INCREASED TRAINING

Applicants must complete at least 16 hours of in-person firearms safety training, and at least two hours of training at a firing range, where they must prove their shooting proficiency according to standards to be developed by state police.

* INCREASED SCRUTINY OF APPLICANTS

Applicants must meet for an in-person interview with the licensing officer and provide the names and contact information of their spouse or domestic partner, any other adults they live with and say whether children are in their home. They must provide four character references.

* REVIVING AMMUNITION SALES DATABASE

The bill revives a dormant effort to create a state database tracking ammunition sales to license-holders buying certain kinds of ammunition.

(Reporting by Jonathan Allen; Editing by Donna Bryson and William Mallard)
 Flash

The United States on Friday announced a new round of security assistance to Ukraine that included advanced anti-aircraft and aerial defense systems as well as additional ammunition for advanced rocket systems.



Totaling 820 million U.S. dollars, the new weapons came in two parts, according to an announcement from the Department of Defense. Fifty million dollars' worth of aid, of which additional ammunition for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems is a part, will be drawn from the presidential drawdown authority that authorizes President Joe Biden to directly tap into existing U.S. weapons inventories.

The remaining 770 million dollars falls under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, through which the U.S. government contracts with arms manufacturers to make weapons for Ukraine. In this part, the United States will provide Ukraine with two National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, 150,000 rounds of 155mm artillery ammunition for the howitzers and four counter-artillery radars, the Pentagon said.

The United States has now committed 6.9 billion dollars of security assistance to Ukraine since Russia launched the special military operation on Feb. 24 and a total of 7.6 billion dollars since the start of the Biden administration.
Alexis Brewer and her husband flew from their new home in Dallas this Fourth of July weekend hoping to find a Floatopia event like ones they attended while living here.

They were disappointed Saturday afternoon to find only a few floats and boats on Chics Beach.

Honestly, this year sucked, Brewer said. Floatopia is supposed to be like one big party, and its really not.

It was largely just a regular Saturday in July at Chics Beach, with families and kids in attendance. Many were not even there for Floatopia  just enjoying a day at their neighborhood beach.

A Facebook post organizing the Floatopia event led Virginia Beach city officials to a deny a permit for the event while taking precautions prior to Saturday.

All of our beaches are public property, said the citys letter. We cant stop people from coming to the beach, but we do have laws and ordinances in place to address any behavior that presents a risk to other individuals or private property.

The city placed additional trash barrels and portable restrooms at the beach in anticipation of problems. Three years ago, partiers left 10 tons of trash on the shoreline of Ocean Park during a Memorial Day Floatopia.

It was literally insane, Brewer said. You couldnt even see the ocean basically, it was just floats everywhere.

Brewer and her husband said they picked up all their trash while attending the 2019 event. Brewer said big parties on the beach should be expected at this time of year  and its unfair for city officials to prevent an event that only takes place once or twice a year.

Some residents, however, are grateful for the calm.

The local community does not want to be trashing their own beach, said Perry Buckley, a Chics Beach resident. Ive seen people, myself included, picking up trash that wasnt even ours.

Virginia Beach police did not respond to a request for comment on whether any incidents were reported during the event Saturday.
ATHENS (Reuters) - Several dozen Romanian and Bulgarian firefighters took up their posts in Greece on Saturday, the first members of a European force being deployed to the country to provide backup in case of major wildfires during the summer.

More than 200 firefighters and equipment from Bulgaria, France, Germany, Romania, Norway and Finland will be on standby during the hottest months of July and August in Greece, where a spate of wildfires caused devastation last summer.

A group of 28 Romanian firefighters with eight vehicles, and 16 firefighters from Bulgaria with four vehicles, were the first to arrive for the two-month mission, financed and coordinated under the European Union's civil protection mechanism.

"We thank you very much for coming to help us during a difficult summer for our country, and for proving that European solidarity is not just theoretical, it's real," Greek Civil Protection Minister Christos Stylianides said on Saturday as he welcomed the members of the Romanian mission in Athens.

"When things get tough, you will be side by side with our Greek firefighters so we can save lives and property."

The Bulgarian firefighters have been stationed in Larissa, in central Greece.

Last summer's wildfires ravaged about 300,000 acres (121,000 hectares) of forest and bushland in different parts of Greece as the country experienced its worst heatwave in 30 years.

Following sharp criticism of its response to the fires, the Greek government set up a new civil protection ministry and promised to boost firefighting capacities.

In Greece's worst wildfire disaster, 102 people were killed when a blaze tore through the seaside town of Mati and nearby areas close to Athens during the summer of 2018.

(Reporting by Phoebe Fronista; Writing by Angeliki Koutantou; Editing by Helen Popper)
Former Maryland mens basketball and Mount Saint Joseph standout Jalen Smith agreed to re-sign with the Indiana Pacers on a two-year deal worth $9.6 million on Friday, according to ESPN.

After the Phoenix Suns drafted Smith 10th overall in 2020, he played 56 games (five starts) before getting traded to the Pacers at the trade deadline for forward Torrey Craig. Smith blossomed in Indiana, averaging 13.4 points and 7.6 rebounds on 53.1% shooting from the floor in 22 games.

Smith played two seasons with the Terps, averaging 13.5 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. He began catching the attention of NBA scouts during his sophomore season when he averaged a double-double (15.7 points and 10.5 rebounds) while knocking down 36.8% of his 3-point attempts.

Smith was a McDonalds All-American at Mount Saint Joseph in Baltimore and was one of the top recruits in the country. He was The Baltimore Suns All-Metro Player of the Year as a senior after averaging 23 points, 12.5 rebounds and three blocks per game in leading the No. 4 Gaels to a 31-8 mark.

He finished his high school career with 2,122 points, helping Mount Saint Joseph win 120 games and claim four Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association regular-season and tournament titles. Smith was also named the Baltimore Catholic League Player of the Year and Gatorade Maryland Player of the Year in 2018.

Kevin Huerter headed to Sacramento

While Smith has found a home in Indiana, former Terps guard Kevin Huerter is on the move.

The Atlanta Hawks traded Huerter to the Sacramento Kings for Justin Holiday, Mo Harkless and a 2024 lottery-protected first-round pick, according to ESPN.

In 2018, Huerter was drafted by the Hawks 19th overall after two solid seasons at Maryland where he averaged 12 points per game and shot 39% from the 3-point line.

Huerter developed into a solid wing player in Atlanta, averaging 11.4 points on 37.9% shooting from deep in four seasons. Last season, he averaged 12.1 points and 3.4 rebounds per contest, helping the Hawks reach the playoffs with a 43-39 record.
Jul. 2SUPERIOR  Four fire departments in Douglas County  the towns of Superior, Gordon and Oakland as well as the village of Lake Nebagamon  have a new tool for knocking down fires.

Local freemasons from the Acacia-Itasca and Superior masonic lodges presented each of the departments with a Fire Suppression Tool (FST) aerosol fire extinguisher Wednesday, July 29.

"These are actually a gift from the Freemasons of Wisconsin, and we're providing them all over the state. There are small departments all over the place, first responders that are receiving this as a gift so that we can actually help these small departments do their job," said Darrell Kyle, past master of the Acacia-Itasca lodge. "It's really important to us, as a fraternity, to do good things in our communities and this is just one of the ways that we do that."

The 11-pound devices, roughly the size of a handbag, generate an aerosol mist that fills a space of up to 5,300 cubic feet with a powder that suppresses flames. Fire Suppression Solutions LLC, which manufactures the FST, states

on its website

that the units can reduce temperatures up to 1,000 degrees within 35 seconds and prevent flash-over without removing oxygen. They are also operational to 55 degrees below zero and have a 15-year shelf life.

Town of Superior Fire Chief Darryl Fiegle said the new devices are similar to a handheld fire extinguisher or a water can, which are meant to limit the growth of a fire. Unlike fire extinguishers or water cans, the new devices work automatically with no need for a firefighter to hold them.

"This actually will help because we don't actually have to go in somewhere. We don't have an air pack on," Fiegle said. "We can pull a pin and launch the device into the building and then we're not actually inside the building. So that's a benefit."

The devices would be helpful for smaller, single-room fires and for the initial response to a blaze.

Story continues

"This will be a big help so if we were called to a fire and one of our smaller trucks is on scene, they can deploy that device. It's meant to limit the growth of the fire so we can get our hose line and attack lines into position and make an advance on the fire," Fiegle said.

Ray Dolsen, master of the Acacia-Itasca lodge, said a number of fire departments in Bayfield County have also received FST units from the Masons, including Iron River and Barnes.

"It's a new capability," said Pete Warner, assistant chief with the Oakland Volunteer Fire Department.

Valued at $1,000, the Wisconsin-made fire suppression tools are single-use, but Fiegle said insurance companies often reimburse fire departments if one is deployed.

Ron Pete, a member of the Acacia-Itasca lodge as well as chairman for the town of Superior, said they specifically gifted the devices to fire departments in different areas of the county to increase their reach. Two additional units have been ordered and will be distributed to other first responder units in the county, according to Kyle. Much of the funding for the FST units was made possible through the Wisconsin Masonic Foundation.
The Moscow Kremlin. Mordolff/Getty Images

A Russian company accessed user data via Google for months after it was sanctioned, a report found.

RuTarget, owned by Sberbank, Russia's largest state-owned bank, accessed the data until June 23.

The report's author said there is a "huge danger" if RuTarget shared data with the Kremlin.

Google let a sanctioned Russian company access data belonging to Americans and Europeans, including user activity on websites based in Ukraine, according to a new report.

The report was compiled by Adalytics, a digital ad analysis company, and first reported by ProPublica. It found that the Russian digital advertising company RuTarget was still accessing user data through Google months after it was sanctioned as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

RuTarget is owned by Sberbank, Russia's largest state-owned bank that the US first sanctioned in February and imposed full blocking sanctions on in April.

Adalytics found hundreds of examples of RuTarget accessing user data through Google between February 24, when it was sanctioned, and June 23, when ProPublica contacted Google about it.

The report also said some of the data shared with RuTarget included details on users browsing Ukraine-based websites. The data access potentially includes IP addresses, location information, and mobile phone IDs.

"For all we know they are taking that data and combining it with 20 other data sources they got from God knows where," Krzysztof Franaszek, the author of the report, told ProPublica. "If RuTarget's other data partners included the Russian government or intelligence or cybercriminals, there is a huge danger."

Google did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. When reached by ProPublica, Google said it had blocked RuTarget from using or buying its ad products in March, but acknowledged the company was still receiving user and ad buying data from Google before June 23.

"Google is committed to complying with all applicable sanctions and trade compliance laws," Google spokesperson Michael Aciman said. "We've reviewed the entities in question and have taken appropriate enforcement action beyond the measures we took earlier this year to block them from directly using Google advertising products."

Story continues

A group of US senators expressed concern in April over the potential for Americans' data to be sold to foreign companies through online ad exchanges. The senators said in a statement that the auction process common in online ad sales means hundreds of firms might receive information about the person who is the target of the ad.

They said the firms could be collecting "device identifiers and cookies, web browsing and location data, IP addresses, and age and gender" to "compile exhaustive dossiers" about individual users.

"This information would be a goldmine for foreign intelligence services that could exploit it to inform and supercharge hacking, blackmail, and influence campaigns," they said.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Community members are expressing concerns after more people without homes have been moving into the wooded areas of Fort Mill.

Experts said inflation and a lack of affordable housing are behind the camps that have been popping up.

Channel 9 reporter Tina Terry delved into how severe the problem is and what agencies are reaching out to help.

Victor Wilson said he has lived in the area for 25 years and just noticed people without homes moving into the nearby woods over the past few months.

This is a new problem, Wilson said. Not only are they out here, but theyre also on Cherry Road camped out under the bridges as well.

Alexandra Greenawalt, executive director of Pathways Community Center, said many factors have led to the spike in homeless camps in Rock Hill, Lake Wylie and Fort Mill.

Wages, the cost of inflation, and the cost of homes, Greenawalt said. Its playing a big role in why were seeing more encampments popping up in the community.

ALSO READ: Sad situation: Homeless encampment near NoDa grows, along with residents concerns

This month, Greenawalt said she and other advocates for people without homes will be starting a special outreach program for people living in the camps.

Well have coordinated efforts of teams going to encampments, connecting to build rapport and give them hygiene. And also connect them to resources, Greenawalt said.

Greenawalt said many shelters in the area are at capacity, so non-profits are working with city and county leaders to push for more affordable housing.

We know that building more emergency shelters is not the solution, Greenawalt said. What were doing is advocating with city and county and folks that have available land and empty lots to allow us to do more affordable housing units. That is the solution for both our community and Charlotte as well.

Greenawalt said officials are still working on a specific plan to address affordable housing issues.

The time frame of those plans has yet to be announced.

Story continues

(WATCH BELOW: Sad situation: Homeless encampment near NoDa grows, along with residents concerns)
















In this article:

Halsey responded to fans who walked out of her concert after she made comments condemning the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Daniele Venturelli

LACK THE CRITICAL THINKING- Halsey responds to fans who left Arizona concert following her speech supporting abortion rights. Continue reading

PURELY PUNITIVE- R. Kelly placed on suicide watch in prison despite not being suicidal, attorney says. Continue reading

I'M EMBARRASSED'- 'Friends' creator apologizes for having no Black actors in sitcom, pledges $4M to Brandeis University. Continue reading

FANTASTIC VISIT- Prince Charles had emotional visit with Meghan Markle, Prince Harrys daughter Lilibet, source claims. Continue reading

Machine Gun Kelly explained his decision to smash a glass on his own head. Getty Images

JUST CLINKED IT- Machine Gun Kelly explains why he smashed a glass against his head. Continue reading

WHOLE NEW TEAM- Tim Allen reacts to Lightyear starring Chris Evans: Nothing to do with the first movies. Continue reading

REST IN PEACE- Hells Angels founder Sonny Barger dead: Motorcycle club leader 'passed peacefully' from cancer at 83. Continue reading

BABY NEWS- Sharna Burgess, Brian Austin Green welcome first child together. Continue reading

Bret Michaels of Poison was hospitalized after a "bad reaction" to his medication. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Live Nation

CONCERT CANCELLATION- Bret Michaels hospitalized after 'bad reaction' to medication; Poison show in Nashville canceled. Continue reading

TROUBLED NATION- Jon Voight calls for Biden to be impeached. Continue reading

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Uber released its latest safety report revealing thousands of sexual assault claims, though the report emphasized that the overall rate has declined from previous years.

Meanwhile, more former Tesla employees sued the company over allegations of racial abuse.

This is Hillicon Valley, detailing all you need to know about tech and cyber news from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. Send tips to The Hills Rebecca Klar, Chris Mills Rodrigo and Ines Kagubare. Subscribe here.





Assault claims still in thousands, but dropping: report

Uber received more than 3,800 sexual assault reports from U.S. rides between 2019-2020, a decline of 38 percent from the previous two years, according to a safety report the company released Thursday.

The company said the decline could be in part related to the impacts of the pandemic, citing a drop from 2.3 billion rides in 2017-18 to 2.1 billion rides in 2019-20, but it also hailed recent safety investments and strengthened background check requirements.

Were constantly innovating and investing in the safety of our platform, the company said in the report. Weve prioritized robust screening processes and technology, built new safety features and invested in providing riders and drivers with support in times of need.

Uber said riders were the accused party in 43 percent of sexual assault reports in 2019-20, which it noted was on par with previous years.



The report further broke down five categories of sexual assault, saying a majority of the reports involved nonconsensual touching of a sexual body part.

Read more here.





More Tesla employees allege racial abuse

A group of 15 Black current and former employees of tech giant Tesla sued the company on Thursday over accusations of racial abuse.

Plaintiffs claimed that they were harassed based on their race, with colleagues and managers using the N-word and other racially charged terms, including slavery and plantation, in daily interactions, according to Reuters.



Teslas standard operating procedures include blatant, open and unmitigated race discrimination, the lawsuit reads, particularly at its Fremont, Calif., factory where the abuse is said to have occurred.

Story continues

It is rare for Blacks to work here. I dont know how long you will be able to stay here, one plaintiff recalled hearing alongside racial slurs.

Read more about the suit.





LAWMAKERS PUSH FOR DIVERSITY IN FINANCE SECTOR

House lawmakers are looking to hold venture capital firms accountable for fostering tech bro culture in financial technology services, with data showing that the vast majority of companies the firms invest in are owned by white men.

Lawmakers at a House Financial Services subpanel Thursday blasted private equity firms for leaving minority and women-founded businesses behind, and discussed ways to turn the tide as capital injections into the sector continue to surge.

Venture capital investments into financial technology companies nearly doubled last year, reaching $35 billion, according to House figures.



But only 1.8 percent of venture capital-backed owners were Latino, and 1 percent were Black. And just 2 percent of venture funding went to companies founded solely by women.

Read more here.





TROUBLE FOR TRUTH

A federal grand jury in Manhattan and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have both subpoenaed former President Trumps media company, according to an SEC filing dated Friday.

Digital World Acquisition Corp, which is seeking to merge with Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG), disclosed in its filing that the blank-check company had been informed that TMTG had been given a subpoena from the SEC on Monday and a separate subpoena from a federal grand jury in Southern District of New York on Thursday.



The SECs subpoena is seeking documents relating to, among other things, Digital World and other potential counterparties for a business transaction involving TMTG, according to the SEC filing.

The subpoena from the federal grand jury in Manhattan is seeking a subset of the same or similar documents demanded in subpoenas to Digital World and its directors, the filing notes.

Read more.





BITS & PIECES

An op-ed to chew on: This crypto winter is warm compared to the next one

Notable links from around the web:

AI made these stunning images. Heres why experts are worried (CNN / Rachel Metz)

TikTok tells Republican senators how it plans to keep American data away from China (The New York Times / David McCabe)

Google will delete user location history for abortion clinic visits (The Washington Post / Gerrit De Vynck)





One more thing: Robot workplace woes

American workers who work alongside robots are more likely to suffer negative mental health effects, despite being less prone to physical injury, according to a recent study.

For the study, researchers analyzed data on workplace injuries in the U.S., finding that injuries were reduced by 1.2 cases per 100 workers in regions with one standard deviation increase in robot exposure.



But in regions where there were significant numbers working with robots, there was an increase of 37.8 cases per 100,000 workers in drug or alcohol related deaths.

Osea Giuntella, an expert in labor economics and economic demography and an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh, said in a news release that although theres evidence how robots affect workers employment and wages, researchers still know very little about the effects on physical and mental health.

Read more here.





Thats it for today, thanks for reading. Check out The Hills Technology and Cybersecurity pages for the latest news and coverage. Well see you next week





VIEW THE FULL EDITION HERE

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Mary Wang inside her store, Jadetime E-gifts, in the Chinatown area of downtown Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Shortly after I met Mary Wang, 71, in Chinatown a few years ago, I was drafted to provide tech support for her gift shop business, Jadetime E-gifts.

I set up an Instagram business account for her store, and tried to explain, poorly, how Instagram viral marketing worked.

Rather than being overwhelmed, Mary, who has run the store for two decades, was endlessly curious and eager to learn. She wanted to know how all those new, hip businesses in Chinatown were drawing so many customers.

Soon she was creating her own posts highlighting her inventory of traditional Chinese paper lanterns, bamboo fans and kimonos. Readers who learned about Mary in my column have stopped by to help write captions, take photos and offer other tips.

These days she has almost 200 followers and has connected with hundreds of new customers over the app. Every time Im in Chinatown, I try to stop by for an update.

Our conversations have become a window into the life of an immigrant senior trying to run a business in an economy increasingly driven by apps, algorithms and search engines.

Newer, hipper businesses have flocked to Chinatown over the last decade and turned it into a viral dining destination. Mary was always curious and eager to participate in the new Chinatown, but a lot of things stood in her way.

She grew up in Beijing and came to America in the 1980s. After a year working a sewing machine at a garment factory in New York City (too crowded, too loud, Mary says), she came to Los Angeles.

She started out supplying other gift shops with inventory, manufactured in China at her brothers factory. When import costs got too high, she opened her own storefront in 2000.

Well, technically, it was Marys daughter Jia who did all the paperwork.

Jia, 43, has been helping run the business behind the scenes ever since she was old enough. Her parents never asked her and her sister to work at the store, but as an adult she decided to take on some responsibility. In addition to a day job as a president of a logistics company, she handles Jadetime's paperwork, accounting and anything else that might require English. She also created their website, which launched in 2009.

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Jia said their family has always tried to stay with the times. Jadetime has a Facebook page and was one of the first, if not the first, Chinatown gift shops to start selling online, Jia said. They filled orders from as far away as Australia, and even supplied other Chinatowns in New York, Texas and Portland, Ore.

They expanded to four gift shops around the downtown area. Television shows and weddings became a big source of business.

But Jia could only run the website in her spare time, and her full-time job didn't leave much. When she had her first child in 2014, she stepped back from the business.

"I still do all the paperwork, though, just late at night after the kids go to sleep," Jia said.

It's hard to see what the future of the business will be, Jia said. Her parents are retired, and primarily run the stores to stay active. But she's concerned the neighborhood won't support businesses like her parents'.

If these big companies keep buying out these smaller mom-and-pop commercial buildings, its not going to be Chinatown any more, Jia said. And theres still a need for a Chinatown. Its a tourist draw, and brings in a lot of money when people are traveling.

Mary Wang inside her store, Jadetime E-gifts, in the Chinatown area of downtown Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

When I caught up with Mary a few afternoons ago, she was dealing with another technical issue that day: Someone had edited their Google business page to show the business as temporarily closed.

Mary couldn't remember her Google password, so I let Jia know and she took care of it.

She had made $57 so far  a good day.

She usually gets a trickle of customers around noon, and another in the evening. Some days there are no customers. The closure of Ai Hoa Market two years ago has caused a sharp downturn in foot traffic.

But on that day, some combination of algorithmic luck and the internet's whims had brought her a customer looking to buy paper fans in bulk.

Stella Zarati, 29, of Upland runs a small business on Instagram decorating the fans as accessories for raves, parties and music festivals. She found Jadetime by typing "traditional Asian fans" into the Apple Maps app  it was one of the only results.

The store's most recent and reliable customers have been people like Zarati, who want affordable ways to create looks for social media posts, cosplaying, weddings, television shows and other events.

It shows that there's good and bad in all this new technology that increasingly and invisibly drives our economy.

Social media rendered Jadetime E-gifts invisible, but it also created a new kind of demand for Mary's products that might not have existed without influencer culture.

I'm not here to ask you to smash your smartphone, quit social media and turn back the clock.

I just want to point out that the ultra-maximized future, where every property is developed to the most profitable use, every product perfectly marketed, probably won't have room for people like Mary.

Unless we make room.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A man was arrested Friday morning in Fresno County, accused of trying to install a device used to steal bank card information on an ATM.

Mario Bertoni, 55, of Italy, was arrested after police were called to the Bank of the West in Parlier at 6:40 a.m. for a report of a man trying to install a skimmer.

Skimming devices are designed to gather bank card information and the PIN customers type in to ATMs or payment devices at stores or gas pumps. Thieves then sell the information or use it to make fraudulent purchases.

While some skimming devices are simple, others have Bluetooth technology allowing thieves to download the information remotely from the parking lot.

Skimming has been in the public eye recently, especially since a TikTok video went viral showing what appeared to be a skimming device being used at a Fresno 7-Eleven.

Earlier this year, Clovis Police told The Bee that the ATM at Bank of America at Peach and Shaw avenues has been the target of skimmers eight times. The free-standing ATM does not have employees on site at all times.

Reedley police said they have received many complaints this year related to fraudulent purchases, and the drive-thru Bank of America ATM on G Street is a common target of skimmers.

In Parlier, Bertoni was found to be in possession of devices used in skimming. He was arrested and booked into the Fresno County Jail and later released.

The Fresno County Sheriffs Office recommends downloading skimmer scanner apps for a smartphone, which can warn users about gas pumps if they have been tampered.
 Flash

Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the Ukrainian crisis, the global food market and bilateral economic ties with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the phone on Friday.

Putin said Kiev and its "Western patrons" were escalating the Ukrainian crisis and disrupting efforts to resolve it diplomatically, the Kremlin said in a statement.

Modi "reiterated India's long-standing position in favor of dialogue and diplomacy" regarding the crisis, according to a statement by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs.

Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening "the specially privileged strategic partnership between Russia and India," and discussed the development of bilateral trade and economic ties, the Kremlin statement said.

Putin said the current situation of the global food market was the result of "systemic mistakes by a number of countries," which have disrupted the free trade of food products and provoked price increases.

Despite the difficult situation, which has been further complicated by "the illegitimate anti-Russia sanctions," Russia has been and remains "a reliable producer and supplier of grain crops, fertilizer and energy carriers to Indian partners, among others," said Putin, according to the statement.
(AP)

Disturbing police body camera video shows officers in Akron, Ohio, fire more than 90 shots towards the back of Jayland Walker, a 25-year-old Black motorist who fled a minor traffic stop on foot earlier this week. More than 60 of the bullets hit Mr Walker.

Attorney Bobby DiCello, who is representing Mr Walkers family, viewed the footage ahead of its expected released Sunday afternoon by Akron authorities at a planned news conference.

In my 22 years of doing trial work, both as a former prosecutor for Cuyahoga County and as a civil rights attorney on many serious cases of lethal use of force, I have never in my life seen anything like this, ever. It is very, very disturbing, Mr DiCello told the Akron Beacon Journal. He added that Mr Walker appeared to suffer between 60 and 80 wounds.

The lawyer said the video was unbelievable and brutal, but called on community members to honour requests from Mr Walker to keep ongoing protests peaceful.

Were all bracing for the communitys response and the one message that we have is the family does not need any more violence, he said. ... It needs peace, and it wants peace, and it wants the process to play out.

Officer encountered Jayland Walker in the early hours of Monday morning, stopping him for a minor equipment violent.

When he encountered police, the 25-year-old took off on foot, the body camera footage shows, according to the attorney.

Akron police have said they saw a flash of gunfire, captured on a state transit camera, from Mr Walkers car before he fled, though Mr DiCello said he has seen no evidence of this. He noted that all the windows in Mr Walkers car were intact when it was found.

Community members have been protesting the shooting for days.

When some people dont follow directions, they wind up in handcuffs, Hamza Khabir, of activist group Law Enforcement Equality Reform, told The New York Times. When Black people do so, they wind up being shot and killed.

The city canceled a planned 4 July celebration in light of the shooting.

Story continues

He was my skinny little nephew, Mr Walkers aunt Lajuana Walker Dawkins said at a news conference on Thursday. And we miss him. We just want some answers.

An unspecified number of Akron police officers have been placed on administrative leave after the shooting.

The Akron Police Department and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation are probing the shooting, and will turn their findings over to the Ohio Attorney Generals Office.
A Fulton County Superior Court judge ruled Georgia lawmakers will have to testify before a special purpose grand jury investigating potential criminal interference in the 2020 elections, but he limited how much testimony they have to give.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Former state Sen. William Ligon, along with Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan and other lawmakers, asked Judge Robert McBurney to throw out their grand jury subpoenas, invoking what is known as legislative immunity or legislative privilege. They contended the Georgia Constitution states that under that privilege, legislators do not have to testify or answer certain legal questions pertaining to their motivations or their communications with staff or other lawmakers.

All this revolves around the now-controversial December 2020 state Senate subcommittee hearing in which committee members recommended overturning the Georgia presidential election. Ligon chaired that subcommittee. Its the hearing that featured Rudy Guiliani presenting the now debunked conspiracy theory surrounding the State Farm Arena video.

Attorney Don Samuels represented Duncan, Ligon and other lawmakers who remain unnamed. He insisted the privilege exists and that lawmakers cannot be compelled to testify because of it.

TRENDING STORIES:

You are breaching a privilege by compelling, and theyre going to be compelling the legislators to answer the question: What did Guiliani tell you? Samuels said.

The Fulton County district attorneys office agreed that such a privilege does exist, but that legislators shouldnt be allowed to invoke it in this instance and in this investigation. They dont think that subcommittee hearing could necessarily be described as a legitimate legislative activity.

Story continues

If the important word is legitimacy, we felt like a comment had to be made about whether that is a legitimate legislative act, said Assistant District Attorney Donald Wakeford.

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In the end, Judge Robert McBurney split the difference. He ruled the lawmakers, including Ligon and Duncan do have to answer the subpoenas and testify, but he limited the questions they can be asked. He said they can testify with whom they had conversations with outside of staff and other lawmakers but cannot be compelled to say what the conversations were about. For that, the grand jurors will have to subpoena the other parties.

Those lawmakers could start testifying before the special grand jury in two weeks.

IN OTHER NEWS:
A kangaroo hopped free from an enclosure thanks to one smart animal friend who set him loose in Louisiana.

Baxter, a joey at a Baton Rouge enclosure, escaped with the help of a parrot named Thor, who learned to open a door, his owners told WBRZ-TV.

Thor is one of a number of birds in the owners nonprofit Bird Recovery International.

The nonprofits ultimate goal, according to its website, is to help wild parrot species and improve ways to release them into the wild.

The joeys stint out in the open surprised Braden and Ethan Nelson as they were driving down the road.

[Braden] said, Theres a kangaroo on the side of the road! I was like what are you talking about? I turn around, and sure enough, there was a kangaroo, Ethan Nelson told WBRZ-TV.

As a result of the escape, the kangaroos owners  who previously owned a zoo  now have to give up Baxter due to a local law, according to WBRZ-TV.

The owners told the news station they hope to continue to house Baxter and aim to get a permit for him.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
The City of Kettering is asking for community volunteers to help clean the parks maintenance team clean up Delco Park after their celebrations on July 4.

The city said they will provide all materials needed for clean-up as well as water and snacks.

>> LIST: Find local fireworks displays in the Miami Valley

The clean-up will begin at the park at 7:30 a.m. on July 5 and go on until the task is complete, the city said.

Delco park is located at 1700 Delco Park Drive in Kettering.








After months of effort that included a last-minute push by volunteers to ensure accuracy, Arabic-language ballots for Dearborn and Hamtramck voters appear to be finally ready in time for the August primary, officials announced Friday.

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said in a news release that for the first time in Michigan's history, there will be ballots and election instructions available in the Arabic language. The names of the candidates will remain in English, but other parts of the ballot will be in Arabic.

The move comes after Dearborn City Councilman Mustapha Hammoud introduced a resolution in March calling for Arabic ballots in a city that has the highest percentage of Arab Americans among cities in the U.S. Hamtramck followed suit with a similar resolution in April, but it was unclear at the time whether the cities and Wayne County could create them before the printing deadlines for the Aug. 2 election.

Adding to the problem was a poorly-done Arabic translation by an outside company contracted with the city of Dearborn, said Arab American leaders.

Arabic-language ballot in a Dearborn precinct for the Aug. 2, 2022, primary.

"It's important that our democracy continue to be accessible and secure for every Michigan voter," Benson said in a statement Friday. "In a moment where there are so many efforts to divide and deter citizen engagement, it's inspiring to see Dearborn, Hamtramck and Wayne County leadership come together to show government can be responsive to citizens' needs and deliver results."

Compared to other large states and metro areas, Michigan and metro Detroit has few municipalities with non-English ballots. In addition to the Arabic ballots for two cities, Michigan offers Bengali ballots in Hamtramck and Spanish ballots in two small municipalities: Colfax Township and Fennville, said Benson spokesperson Tracy Wimmer. In contrast, many cities and entire counties in states like Illinois and Texas offer non-English ballots in various languages.

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The news release from Benson contained quotes of approval from the clerks of Dearborn and Wayne County. Both of them were initially critical and hesitant to have Arabic-language ballots, but Friday, they were all on board.

I celebrate the achievement of Arabic ballots in Dearborn and Hamtramck for the August 2 primary, and all future elections, said Wayne County Clerk Cathy Garrett in a statement in Benson's release.

In March, Garrett had written a letter blasting the city of Dearborn and the Secretary of State's office for being "beyond negligible" in how they were planning to have Arabic ballots. Garrett even questioned whether Arabic qualified since the federal government doesn't classify it as a minority language deserving protection under the federal Voting Rights Act.

But in her statement Friday, Garrett said her office and the county's elections division "worked extensively to help facilitate this landmark accomplishment and assure a positive outcome for greater ballot access."

Dearborn City Clerk George Darany, who also was initially cautious and resistant of Arabic ballots, said in Benson's release that "the Arabic ballot is yet another tool to help non-English speaking voters cast their vote and make their voice heard."

Darany added that Arabic sample ballots have been around since 2019 and that Arabic-speaking poll workers have helped voters for the past 20 years in Dearborn.

He estimated that providing Arabic ballots in the city will cost at least $45,000, which includes translation, printing and testing costs.

About 47% of Dearborn's residents have Arab ancestry and about 46% of the city's residents ages 5 and over speak Arabic at home, according to 2020 census data. There are 16,600 Arabic-speaking residents in Dearborn who did not speak English very well.

Dearborn City Councilman Mustapha Hammoud introduced a resolution in March to have Arabic-language ballots in Dearborn.

"I'm happy to see that we were able to get this done and appreciative of the support from the state and county level to assist our city in trailblazing this additional voter accessibility and security," Hammoud, the councilman who introduced the measure, told the Free Press. "Allowing residents to read ballots on their own will reassure them that their votes are being cast in the manner in which they intend."

More: Push for non-English language ballots in Michigan finds obstacles, challenges

The Dearborn council had to pass three resolutions in support of the Arabic ballots to help specify how it would be done.

The city contracted with Global Interpreting Services in Clinton Township to translate thousands of regular and absentee ballots.

After the city received the translations from the company last month, it shared them with some Arabic speakers to see if they were OK.

But the quality was at the level of "maybe Google translation," said Osama Siblani, publisher of the Arab American News, which publishes in English and Arabic. "It just did not make any sense. Some of the translations I saw, they were just horrible. And they needed to be fixed. ... They have absolutely no idea what they're doing as far as Arabic is concerned."

Global Interpreting Services did not comment Friday on the concerns raised by Siblani and others.

Dearborn City Clerk George Darany speaks during a city council meeting July 13, 2021

The city appointed a three-member volunteer committee that included Siblani, Kassem Doghman and Ali Ajami to fix the translation in less than two days. The committee scrambled, putting in long hours to rectify the mistakes.

The committee and city decided not to translate the names of the candidates into Arabic because it was difficult to make sure they would be accurate in the translation process, Siblani said.

"That reduced the risk of having many problems on the ballots," Siblani said.

They also initially faced some technical issues with the Dominion machines in Wayne County initially not being able to read the translated ballots, but the committee helped solve that, Siblani said.

Darany told the Free Pres the city, committee and the translation company "worked hard to provide the best translation possible despite very tight timelines."

Darany said "the requirements of the ballot layout, ballot language, and the voting equipment added to the complexity. In the end, we are proud of the final translation that all those involved worked hard to create."

In Hamtramck, where there is a large Yemeni American population, 38% of residents ages 5 and older speak Arabic, according to the 2020 census.

Hamtramck mayoral candidate Amer Ghalib delivers a victory speech during a campaign party on Nov. 2, 2021, at the Yemani American Leadership Association in Hamtramck.

Hamtramck City Clerk Rana Faraj said in the release from Benson she hopes the Arabic ballots will offer voters "the tools they need to vote confidently.

Hamtramck Mayor Amar Ghalib, who was elected last year as the city's first Arab American mayor, said "this is a historic moment for the Arab community, especially in Hamtramck and Dearborn, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact it brings to our community."

Hammoud said the next step for the city is to pass an ordinance that would establish a more permanent procedure to offer Arabic ballots for future elections.

Contact Niraj Warikoo:nwarikoo@freepress.com or Twitter @nwarikoo

Below is a copy of an Arabic-language ballot in Dearborn's 40th precinct.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Arabic-language ballots may soon be available in Dearborn, Hamtramck
KATERYNA TYSHCHENKO  SATURDAY, 2 JULY 2022, 19:46

Oleksandr Lukashenko, the self-proclaimed president of Belarus, accused Ukraine of launching missiles on the territory of Belarus and ordered his military to "put" the capitals decision-making centres of Minsk's opponents "at gunpoint".

Source: Lukashenko on 2 July at a meeting on the occasion of Independence Day, reports the Belarusian state agency BelTA

Quote from Lukashenko: "We are being provoked. I have to tell you: three days ago, maybe a little more, they tried to attack military facilities on the territory of Belarus from the territory of Ukraine. But, thank God, the Pantsir anti-aircraft systems managed to intercept all the missiles launched by the Armed Forces of Ukraine".

Details: Lukashenko also said that he ordered the military to put the decision-making centres in the capitals of Minsk's opponents at gunpoint.

"I want to warn the "hawks" and tell you sincerely: a little less than a month ago, I gave the order to the units of the armed forces [of Belarus] to put, as it is now trendy to say, decision-making centres in your capitals at gunpoint with all the consequences that follow," he said.

Lukashenko warned that if only the opponents of Minsk dare to "strike, as they plan, on Gomel, in the south, on the Mozyr refinery, on the airfield in Luninets or Brest, the response will be instantaneous, just in one second."

"Weve got the means to answer. And not only the ones we have talked about recently with the President of Russia (about nuclear weapons - BELTA). I have been preparing for this for a long time. Remember, I talked about missile production, Polonez [multiple rocket launcher] - you are completely under the attack of these missiles. I dont care whether youre sitting in the offices or palaces. We will respond harshly and decisively," Lukashenko threatens.

Story continues

More details: At the same time, the self-proclaimed president assures that Belarus has no desire to fight in Ukraine, and the republic "absolutely does not need" this war.

"I assure you under oath: not a single soldier of Belarus is fighting on the territory of Ukraine," he said.

"I want to say to those who are worried whether Lukashenko will fight there or not: listen, we will fight - I repeat again - only in one case - if you cross the last metre of our land and invade our land. If you kill our people, we will respond", Lukashenko said.

At the same time, the self-proclaimed president believes that the Ukrainian authorities would be glad if Belarus invaded Ukraine.

"They would be happy, I know that for sure, if we entered there. They need it, because they were ordered from there, and they dont care about the deaths of civilians. Ukrainian politicians and the president have one policy: the more Ukrainians die, the more he will shout to the whole world about the atrocities of fascists from Russia and Belarus," Lukashenko said.

Reference: Russia, then Belarus, does not recognize the atrocities of the Russian military in Ukraine, despite numerous evidence. The Russian Federation and Belarus call the killings of civilians by the Russian military in Bucha "provocation".
BuzzFeed

"I had surgery on my wrist two days prior, and I was still in the post-op splint, not a full hard cast yet. A TSA agent pulled us aside and said she has to check INSIDE my splint for explosive residue or something else, and she attempted to shove a thingie they use into my splint."View Entire Post 
Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Getty

The radical Supreme Courts overruling of Roe v. Wade allowed numerous conservative states to ban abortion and strip women of their freedom. Right-wingers are already discussing plans to try to ban abortion in more statesand male porn stars arent taking any chances.

All across porn valley, male adult performers are considering getting vasectomies to ensure they dont get co-stars pregnant on porn sets if anti-abortion legislation reaches California. When you work as a porn star, you have non-condom sex with numerous co-workers, so you run the risk of getting a scene partner pregnant. Adult performers work hard to avoid this scenariomany women take birth control or opt out of scenes that end with internal cum shots, but if you have ever had sex, you know accidents happen. Birth control occasionally fails. Ive never heard of a male performer impregnating his female co-star on set. We all know, though, those female performers could have abortions in emergencies. Now, theres a risk to all our worst-case-scenario plans. Some porn men dont want to run the risk of a pregnant colleague, so theyre snipping their baby-makers to make sure thats no longer a possibility.

How Anti-Porn Evangelicals Hoodwinked The New Yorker

I never viewed abortion as birth control but as something to be used in a last-ditch if something went completely wronga break-in-case-of-emergency situation, says porn star Matt Slayer. The Supreme Court taking away the right to choose made me give a long hard look at my role in any potential situation. I realized I should just take my baby batter out of the mix.

Slayer isnt being dramatic. Anti-abortion activists are already voicing their plans to target blue states like California. The Los Angeles Times reports that Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser aims to get abortion outlawed in the Golden State. Dannenfelser knows how to get the job done. The Catholic fanatic famously ignored President Donald Trumps philandering and supported him, encouraging him to nominate anti-abortion justices to the Supreme Court. Dannenfelser does whatever it takes to bar women from their rights in all 50 states, and she has her eyes set on every inch of the USA. Its the death of a human being, she told the Washington Post. I will do all I can.

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Male porn performers care about their female colleagues, and theyre doing more to help women than Dannenfelser ever has. Adult star Xander Corvus says he chose to get a vasectomy because its what he can do to help women avoid pregnancies during these scary times.

I figured the most direct form of solidarity a cis man can give in this situation is to get snipped, so I am, Corvus says. After all, its not like Dannenfelser and company will support every unwanted baby after its born? Slayer agrees: Why traumatize a partner with having to make that hard decision when I can be in and out of a doctors office in less time than it takes to record a podcast?

Of course, men have their own interest in getting vasectomies. For decades, abortion was the last measure that could prevent a dude from paying 18 years of child support. Male performers are financially incentivized to avoid getting women pregnant.

The net savings on not having to buy condoms should have this little operation turning a profit by the end of the fiscal year 2023, Slayer admits.

For him, though, the financial additive of a vasectomy is just a bonus. The reason so many porn starscis, trans, gay, straight, male, female, non-binaryare concerned about anti-abortion activists is because theyre restricting our sexual freedom. When politicians outlaw abortion, they are curbing peoples ability to have sex and they are legislating what the outcome of sex should be. As Slayer says, I believe freedom is the right to have unprotected sex in red or blue states.

It is time our politicians spend less time listening to people like Dannenfelser and more time speaking to freedom-loving American porn stars like Matt Slayer.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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CANTON  Charges have been dismissed against a man who was accused in 2021 in a city shooting. The next day, a Stark County grand jury issued a secret indictment against another suspect.

Christopher Cortez Lucius was taken into custody Wednesday by Canton Police and officials with the U.S. Marshals Office.

Prosecutors on June 8 dismissed charges against Daniel Pride, whom the Northern Ohio Fugitive Task Force had identified in a March 2021 shooting of a man during a custody dispute at a city home.

On March 22, 2021, an alert was released that designated Pride as their Fugitive of the Week and offering a cash reward for information leading to his arrest.

Pride was taken into custody at the Canton Police Department the next day. Canton Police said Pride had claimed he wasn't at the home at the time of the incident, instead saying he was at Walther's Cafe in Canton.

Canton Police obtained a search warrant in April 2021 to seize a digital video recorder at Walther's, 1836 Maple St. NE in Canton. Police filed documents with the court in late February that said they had obtained the DVR.

Pride later was cleared based on evidence submitted to Canton Police.

Lucius was arrested at 11:20 a.m. Wednesday at his grandmother's house on Maryland Avenue SW. Lucius faces several charges, including attempted aggravated murder with a firearm, according to the arrest report. The report says Lucius did not resist arrest.

Lucius, 33, whose alias is listed as "Punkin Punkin," is being held at the Stark County Jail on bond of $1 million. He is scheduled to be arraigned July 8 in Stark County Common Pleas Court.

Manranzano Grimes also is charged in the shooting.

More: Fourth suspect in Canton homicide investigation arrested

More: Authorities arrested a 19-year-old man wanted in connection with an Alliance shooting

Serious charges

The indictment charges Lucius with attempted aggravated murder with a firearm specification and a repeat violent offender specification; attempted murder with the same two specifications; felonious assault with the specifications; and two counts of having weapons while under disability.

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Grimes is the co-defendant in the case and was indicted last year. Prosecutors say Grimes took part in the attack on a man who had showed up to pick up his daughter. Grimes, 32, of Canton, lived with the girl's mother.

A grand jury in May 2021 indicted Grimes for felonious assault with a firearm specification and two counts of having weapons while under disability. He was released on a bond of $250,000 with the help of a bail bondsman.

Grimes has pleaded not guilty.

Due to an apparent conflict with the Stark County Prosecutor's office with one of the involved parties that's not clear, the Ohio Attorney General's office has been acting as a special prosecutor in the case.

Dispute over picking up child escalated

In July 2021, the attorney general's office filed a bill of particulars on what prosecutors believed took place:

On March 5, 2021, a man went to Heritage Christian School to pick up his daughter, which he had done in the past around noon. But school personnel would not permit him to pick her up because the mother's child had instructed them not to release the girl to her father.

The mother was driving home from work in New Philadelphia. After speaking with the mother on the phone, the father drove to the mother's home on Fairmount Boulevard NE, where Grimes also lived.

The mother and father arrived at the same time.

Grimes had a gun, which he wasn't allowed to possess due to prior criminal convictions. The report says Grimes dropped the gun and began to fight with the father.

Another man then arrived at the home as the pair were fighting, and shot the father three times in the chest. The report says the shooter then drove away.

It says the mother then handed Grimes' gun back to Grimes. The report says Grimes then pistol-whipped the father three times in the head as he lay on the ground. The mother then told Grimes to leave, which he reportedly did.

The father was brought to Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital. He survived the shooting.

Prosecutors said Grimes was arrested in a local hotel on March 23, 2021. He was with the girl's mother.

Grimes was indicted for the March 5, 2021 attack.

On June 8, Senior Ohio Attorney General Daniel Kasaris filed a motion to dismiss the charge of felonious assault against Pride.

The motion, without revealing details, cited further investigation by the Canton Police, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the special prosecution unit of the Ohio Attorney General's office. It also cited "the discovery of previously unreviewed evidence, some of which was submitted by Mr. Pride himself and/or people representing Mr. Pride."

Motion to dismiss charge of... by Robert Wang

Stark County Common Pleas Judge Frank Forchione approved dismissal of the charge. Pride's attorney Eugene O'Byrne could not be reached for comment Friday.

It's not clear if Lucius has an attorney.

Kasaris referred questions to the Ohio Attorney General's Office. And a spokeswoman said they would need time to gather more specifics of what happened.

Reach Robert at robert.wang@cantonrep.com. On Twitter: @rwangREP.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Police, U.S. marshals arrest suspect in March 2021 shooting
Capt. Hallie Babin, left, and Gabrielle Boyer, who are both from Ashland, met up in Soto Cano Air Base in Honduras.

When her Army Reserve team arrived for its deployment at Soto Cano Air Base in Honduras, 1st Lt. Gabrielle Boyer ran into someone she never expected to see there  an Ashlandler.

"I was doing a left seat right seat with the team we were replacing, and realized our team was replacing Capt. Hallie Babin, who is also an Ashland native," Boyer wrote in an email from Honduras she sent to the T-G on June 20. "She is back in Ashland now, and Ill be here till next year.

"We always say its a small Army and this was one of those moments," Boyer added.

Soldier ID'd: 77 years later: U.S. military identifies Ashland County soldier who died in World War II

The two teams overlapped for about three weeks planning medical outreach to villages throughout Central America.

Boyer wrote in another email that she will always remember when she first met Babin.

"We were sitting at lunch together after a site survey and I asked her where she was from and she said Ashland and I said, 'No way, ' " Boyer said. "We found out she grew up in the house next to my sisters best friend, and she knew my sisters."

"We found out we both went to Ashland High School and the layers of how we knew each other," Babin said.

With the differences in their ages  Boyer is 28 and Babin 40  it's not surprising the two never met in Ashland

How the two found their way to Honduras at the same time, starting with Boyer:

Boyer was born Gabrielle Hitchcock in Ashland on Nov. 19, 1993. After attending St. Edward School and Ashland High School, she went to college in Cincinnati to study health services administration at Xavier University, where she met her husband, Thomas Ace Boyer of DuBois, Pennsylvania, and also became interested in the military.

"I played sports throughout elementary and into college, until I had a few TBIs (traumatic brain injuries) and I had to stop playing," Boyer said. "My spring semester freshman year I was truly missing being a part of a team, and one day I walked into the ROTC building and the rest is history.

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"Actually on my preview day before I started at Xavier, my parents and I walked by all the booths for clubs you can be a part of and I saw the ROTC booth and chatted with them," she added.

Boyer was commissioned as a second lieutenant during a ceremony in Ashland at the Holiday Inn so her late grandfather, James Baker, could render her first salute.

After graduating college in 2017, Boyer was commissioned as a second lieutenant during a ceremony in Ashland at the Holiday Inn so her late grandfather, James Baker, could render her first salute, she said.

She is an Army reservist who was serving for the 307th Medical Brigade as its executive officer in Blacklick until she was selected for the deployment to Central America with the 256th Field Hospital out of Twinsburg.

Boyer also worked as the chief scribe in the emergency room at Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati until COVID-19 hit, then worked as a unit administrator at a military police unit in Cincinnati prior to her deployment.

1st Lt. Gabrielle Boyer with her son, Baker Augustus Boyer, who was born In November 2020.

With a 19-month-old son, Boyer said she looks forward to returning after her yearlong deployment to her home in Pittsburgh, where she has been accepted at the University of Pittsburgh to pursue her Masters of Prosthetics and Orthotics.

"I am looking forward to getting back to my baby boy, husband, three dogs, and family and friends," she wrote.

And she looks forward to visiting her hometown.

"Ashland is very near and dear to my heart still, as the majority of my family still lives there," said Boyer, who added that she enjoys seeing all the recent changes and updates to the city.

1st Lt. Gabrielle Boyer shoots at a range in Texas for a weapons qualification during a basic officer leadership course in 2018

Deployment to Honduras was fourth one for Babin

For Babin, a nine-month deployment in Honduras with the 256th Field Hospital out of Twinsburg was nothing new since the 20-year Army Reservist veteran had already been deployed to Egypt, Kuwait and Iraq.

Other than those deployments, Babin, whose maiden name is Whitmore, has lived most of her life in Ashland, where she graduated from AHS in 2000.

While attending Ashland University from 2000 to 2002, Babin enlisted in the Army Reserves in 2001 as a combat medic and was commissioned as an officer in 2011.

Babin started at AU on a cross country and track scholarship, but said that didn't work out for her and she left and eventually received a bachelors degree in history from Ohio State.

For the past two years, the divorced mother of 9-year-old Annabelle has been an operations manager for Amazon in Twinsburg.

Capt. Hallie Babin meets the first lady of Panama in March in Panama during her recent ninth-month deployment in Central America.

While she was in Honduras, Babin said her parents and ex-husband shared the responsibility of taking care of her daughter.

She won't be home long as she got invited to attend a weeklong NATO conference in Athens, Greece the first week of August for a junior medical reserve officer workshop.

"This was the first time I applied for it," Babin said. "I was told not many get accepted to it."

Just as she said she will enjoy networking with other medical reserve officers around the world next month in Greece, Babin said she looks forward to staying in contact with her fellow officer with Ashland ties in Boyer and serving as a mentor for her.

Likewise, Boyer is excited about getting to know Babin better and learning from her as her Army Reserve career progresses.

"We are friends on Facebook now," Boyer said. "I will definitely try to catch up once I get back for sure."

This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Army Reservists with Ashland ties have deployments overlap in Honduras
A 71-year-old Sumter man pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court to wire fraud charges for defrauding his employer, an addiction services nonprofit, of more than $800,000.

Between 2013 and 2020, Rodney Ellis used his position as financial officer to embezzle money from Sumter Behavioral Health Services, the Sumter County Sheriffs Office said.

According to documents filed in federal court, Ellis job gave him access to the nonprofits Wells Fargo account. On at least three occasions, he wired money from his employer to his own account at the South State Bank, investigators found.

Ellis faces up to 20 years and prison and may have to pay restitution up to $250,000.

Formerly known as the Sumter Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Sumter Behavioral Health Services is a 501c3 nonprofit. The organization is contracted by Sumter County to provide services for individuals who struggle with substance abuse.

Behavioral health organizations depend on every dollar allocated to treat those seeking help for their substance abuse challenges, FBI Columbia Special Agent in Charge, Susan Ferensic, said in a statement. It is inexcusable for someone with a high-ranking position, like Ellis, to steal the organizations funds for personal benefit.

Ellis is currently released on $25,000 bond pending sentencing.
ADRIAN  A Morenci man was sentenced to life in prison without parole Friday after a jury found him guilty in May of molesting a girl.

Lenawee County Circuit Judge Michael R. Olsaver issued the unusual sentence after Ernest William Blacks attorney, Brian Frey of Adrian, argued that the conviction should be set aside because Black was not told by himself, the courts or the prosecution that he could be sentenced to life without parole, which may have changed the outcome of plea negotiations. Black had been told he faced a minimum of 25 years in prison, up to life with the possibility of parole.

He is entitled to being informed of the penalties against him, Frey said.

Black originally was scheduled to be sentenced June 23, but it was delayed a week while the provision in Michigans criminal sexual conduct statute that allowed the life without parole sentence was studied.

Michigan law allows for the sentence if the offense was committed by a person older than 18 and the victim was younger than 13 and the defendant had a previous criminal sexual conduct conviction against a person younger than 13.

Black pleaded no contest in 2003 in Washtenaw County Circuit Court to a charge of first-degree criminal sexual conduct against a person younger than 13, according to online Washtenaw County court records. The Lenawee County Circuit Court jury convicted him of two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of accosting children for immoral purposes.

Black was arrested in July 2021. Morenci police said in an affidavit of probable cause filed in Lenawee County District Court that the offenses took place in February 2020.

Frey said the prosecution offered a plea deal to third-degree criminal sexual conduct, but Black rejected it against his advice.

Lenawee County Assistant Prosecutor Douglas Hartung said the offer was to plea to second-degree criminal sexual conduct, but it was contingent upon Black testifying against another person. When Black said he did not know that person, Hartung said, the plea offer was withdrawn because the prosecutors office couldnt use him to try the other case.

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Olsaver called the case an odd situation. He said a case cited by the attorneys as being instructive on how to handle the situation involved a defendant who was sentenced and then appealed. He said in this case, there wasnt enough of a problem to set aside the conviction.

I dont think there was a procedural flaw in what led up to the conviction, he said.

Frey argued for leniency in the sentence, saying that forensic evaluations of Blacks criminal responsibility and mental competency identified significant mental health issues.

Im not a monster, your honor, Black said, adding there was no way I could hurt another human being after being molested himself as a child.

The girl told the court she sometimes wakes up in a panic and described becoming anxious when walking to a friends house and a man was walking behind her.

I know he had a rough childhood, but thats no excuse for what hes done, she said.

Hartung said the girl buried Black with her brave and courageous testimony in court.

That little girl is something else, he said.

He also advocated for following another provision in the law that allows for consecutive sentences, saying that happens in first-degree murder cases where a defendant is also convicted of felony firearm.

Olsaver acknowledged Hartungs argument but declined to make the sentences consecutive because of the mandatory life without parole sentence.

I dont think it would accomplish more than what the mandatory sentence would do, he said.

Along with the life sentence, Olsaver ordered Black to serve 30 months to six years in prison on the accosting charge, to pay court costs, to not have contact with the victim or another woman, to register as a sex offender for life and to be monitored electronically for life. He also granted Black 362 days credit for time already served in jail.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Molestation sends Morenci man to prison for life
More than 700,000 people have signed a petition calling for Justice Clarence Thomas to be impeached following the Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

The petition, made by the liberal advocacy group MoveOn, was created after the Supreme Court overturned Roe in its Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, and while controversy swirls around his wife, Ginni Thomass, political activism.

It has more than 786,000 signatures as of Friday evening.

The petition noted that Thomas was among the majority of justices who ruled that there was not a constitutional right to an abortion and alluded to his concurring opinion in that case, in which he suggested the Supreme Court should revisit cases that established the right to contraceptive access and same-sex marriage.

The petition also blasted Thomas for not recusing himself in cases relating to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot after news reports surfaced that Ginni Thomas had reached out to Arizona state lawmakers urging them to reject the 2020 election results and had contacted former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows over rejecting the last elections outcome.

Thomas failure to recuse himself warrants immediate investigation and heightened alarm. And its only the latest in a long history of conflicts of interest in the service of a right-wing agenda and mixing his powerful role with his conservative political activism, a statement on the petition page reads.

He has shown he cannot be an impartial justice and is more concerned with covering up his wifes coup attempts than the health of the Supreme Court. He must resignor Congress must immediately investigate and impeach.

Some lawmakers, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), have said that Supreme Court justices should be impeached if they were misleading on their answers on Roe v. Wade during their confirmation hearings.

If we allow Supreme Court nominees to lie under oath and secure lifetime appointments to the highest court of the land and then issue  without basis, if you read these opinions  rulings that deeply undermine the human civil rights of the majority of Americans, we must see that through, Ocasio-Cortez said on NBCs Meet the Press last month.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Attention surrounding the fatal shooting of Jayland Walker by Akron police is growing.

Walker, 25, was killed by Akron police on Monday following a brief car chase that began in the city's North Hill neighborhood and ended in Firestone Park. Attorneys for Walker's family say the police shot Walker at least 60 times.

More: What we know about the fatal Akron police shooting of Jayland Walker

As news of Walker's death spread across the city, national organizations like Black Lives Matter took note.

#JaylandWalker should be here. His life mattered to his family and to his community. We mourn, as the Walker family mourns, and support their efforts to find accountability and transparency for the extrajudicial murder of their loved one.  Black Lives Matter (@Blklivesmatter) July 2, 2022

NAACP President Derrick Johnson called for the officers involved to "be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law" in what he referred to as a "murder."

"We are just trying to live our lives, and we are tired of being hunted like prey. We know that pulling over for the police is often a death sentence," he wrote in a statement. "The Akron Police Department has so much blood on their hands, and placing the officers who killed Jayland Walker on paid administrative leave won't wash that blood away. Their response to this murder is disgusting. We demand justice for Jayland Walker now."

The news also spread to major national outlets as well as international outlets in Russia, Germany and France.

"After a Black man is killed by police, a city cancels its July Fourth celebration," read the headline of a Washington Post story.

More: Local officials flood social media after Jayland Walker shot and killed by Akron police

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National figures joined local elected officials in expressing their condolences to Walker's family and called for transparency during the investigation.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump called the incident horrifying in a Facebook post Friday.

"NOTHING can justify this police response!" he wrote. "The officers who ended this young mans life need to held accountable IMMEDIATELY!"

Crump is notable as the attorney who represented the families of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.

Actor Mark Hamill called for accountability in a reply to a tweet about Walker's death.

Appalling. We need accountability ASAP #JusticeForJaylandWalker  Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill) July 1, 2022

Former presidential candidate Marianne Williamson also responded on Twitter.

How can we continue to act like we do not have a problem?? How can we continue to act like we do not have a problem?? How can we continue to act like we do not have a problem?? https://t.co/5C1UX1PQcy  Marianne Williamson (@marwilliamson) July 1, 2022

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: National attention grows after Akron police shooting of Jayland Walker
NBA free agency continues into the weekend. And if Saturday is anything like the first 48 hours of free agency, we are in for another whirlwind of moves. As Philadelphia 76ers' Tyrese Maxey put it, "The NBA has to be the most entertaining league.. correct?" Correct.

The free agency moratorium opened Thursday at 6 p.m. ET, the negotiating period during which free agents and teams can begin discussing and agreeing on contracts. While teams cannot officially sign players to new deals until 12:01 p.m. ET on July 6, that hasn't stopped them from agreeing to shell out several hundred million dollars.

Many of the biggest deals on Day 1 were for players returning to their original teams: Bradley Beal to Washington (five years, $251 million), Anfernee Simons to Portland (four years, $100 million), Lu Dort to Oklahoma City (five years, $87.5 million), Bobby Portis to Milwaukee (four years, $49 million).

Day 2 was highlighted by Minnesota's big move to acquire Rudy Gobert from Utah. Zach LaVine agreed to a five-year, $215.2 million deal to stay in Chicago, while Boston acquired Malcolm Brogdon from Indiana.

RUDY GOBERT: Timberwolves make big move to acquire star from Jazz

NBA FREE AGENT TRACKER, DAY 1-2: T'Wolves trade for Gobert; Warriors keep Looney; LaVine stays with Bulls

MORE: NBA free agency money flies quickly as seven players total $1.5 billion

Play-in tournament: Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) drives for a layup past Hawks defender Clint Capela (15) during the first half.

As the calendar flips to July 2 on Saturday, several notable names are still available, James Harden, Deandre Ayton, Miles Bridges and Collin Sexton among them.

There's also the big question looming after Kevin Durant requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets just hours before free agency opened. Where will Durant land?

If you missed any moves, USA TODAY Sports' NBA crew recaps the weekend of free agency with notes on all the contracts agreed to:

Zion agrees with Pelicans on max deal

Zion Williamson, who missed all of last season with a foot injury, has come to terms with the New Orleans Pelicans on a rookie maximum extension of five years and $193 million. With escalators, the deal could be worth up to $231 million. Williamson has played in just 85 games in three seasons since being draft first overall in 2019. However, when he's been on the court, Williamson has played well, averaging 25.7 points and 7.0 rebounds on 60.4% shooting from the field.

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Garland reaches max extension with Cavs

Cleveland guard Darius Garland, coming off a fantastic season, agreed to a designated rookie extension for five years and $193 million, his agency, Klutch Sports, said. The amount could reach $232 million if Garland meets certain incentives. Garland averaged career-highs in points (21.7 per game), assists (8.6 per game) and field-goal percentage (46.2%) in his third season in 2021-22. The Cavs are set up for the present and the future and will be a key factor in the Eastern Conference.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA free agent tracker: Darius Garland signs max extension with Cavs
Justice Clarence Thomas in his dissenting opinion to Supreme Court decision on Thursday repeated a misleading claim about COVID-19 vaccines. Erin Schaff/Associated Press

Thousands of people have signed a petition to impeach Justice Clarence Thomas.

About 841,016 people have signed the Move On petition as of Saturday.

The calls to remove Thomas were heightened after SCOTUS overturned Roe v. Wade.

Hundreds of thousands of people have signed a petition demanding the removal of Justice Clarence Thomas from the Supreme Court following the reversal of Roe v. Wade, The Hill reported.

Last week, the highest court's conservative justices repealed the landmark ruling that legalized abortion across the United States, prompting protests nationwide. Now the petition created by Move On, an advocacy group, has nearly 850,000 signatures calling for Thomas to be impeached.

"The right-wing rigged Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last week, effectively taking away the right to privacy and bodily autonomy that's been considered legal precedent for the past 50 years," the petition said.

"Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomaswho sided with the majority on overturning Roemade it clear what's next: to overturn high court rulings that establish gay rights and contraception rights."

Following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, Thomas said that the court should also "reconsider" rulings that protect contraception access, same-sex relationships, and same-sex marriage, Insider previously reported. Democrats, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have also advocated for Thomas to be booted from his seat.

The petition also called out Thomas' wife, Ginni Thomas, who was accused of being involved in challenging the 2020 presidential election results.

"Thomas' failure to recuse himself warrants immediate investigation and heightened alarm. And it's only the latest in a long history of conflicts of interest in the service of a right-wing agenda and mixing his powerful role with his conservative political activism," the petition continued. "He has shown he cannot be an impartial justice and is more concerned with covering up his wife's coup attempts than the health of the Supreme Court."

Read the original article on Insider
Netflix coCEO Reed Hastings Getty Images Latam

Netflix grew into a Hollywood disruptor and amassed over 200 million subscribers worldwide.

But it's now facing slowing growth amid economic strains and streaming competition.

Here's a look at Netflix's rise, its recent turmoil, and what's next.

1997: Netflix is founded by Reed Hastings, who is currently the co-CEO, and Marc Randolph, its first CEO.

Reed Hastings attends the Netflix & Mediaset Partnership Announcement, Rome, 8th October 2019 Ernesto S. Ruscio/Getty Images/Netflix

1998: Netflix launches a DVD-by-mail rental service. That same year, Amazon founder and former CEO Jeff Bezos offers to buy the company.

Charles Krupa/AP

In his book "That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea," Randolph wrote that he and Hastings met with Bezos in 1998, who offered them "probably something between $14 million and $16 million," Randolph wrote. But they turned down the offer.

1999: Netflix begins offering a subscription-based model, in which customers could choose movies to rent-by-mail for a monthly fee.

Netflix DVDs return mailers are shown in a mail box in Encinitas, California Oct. 21, 2013. Reuters/Mike Blake

Netflix gained 239,000 subscribers in its first year, according to Inc. It still offers a DVD service.

2002: Netflix goes public. Randolph exits the company soon after.

Randolph. Marc Randolph

"As you get older, if you're lucky, you realize two things: what you like, but also what you're good at," Randolph told Forbes in 2019 on why he left Netflix. "The answer to both of them [for me] is early-stage companies. I like the chaos. I like the fact that you're working on hundreds of things at once."

2007: Netflix launches a video streaming service, free for its already-existing DVD-rental subscribers.

Ore Huiying/Getty Images for Netflix

Netflix ended 2006 with over 6 million subscribers for its DVD-rental service. But A New York Times story at the time highlighted how the company still faced doubts about its streaming plans, noting that it would cost Netflix $40 million to implement and its stock dropped 6 percent with the announcement. Hastings said at the time that he had "gotten used to it," regarding reservations.

2012: Netflix debuts "Lilyhammer," its first original series. The show was originally broadcast in Norway, but Netflix acquired the rights. It laid the foundation for Netflix's binge-release model and its surge in original programming, including expanding into international markets.

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"Lilyhammer." Netflix

"This was the first time we streamed a show across multiple countries and languages  and it worked," Netflix's current coCEO Ted Sarandos wrote in a blog post in February.

"It worked because it was a deeply local story that we could share with the world," Sarandos added.

2013: Netflix ramps up its original programming with "House of Cards" and "Orange Is the New Black," which gain critical acclaim and Emmys recognition (the former is the first streaming original to win an Emmy).

Laverne Cox on "Orange is the New Black." Paul Schiraldi/Netflix

2015: Netflix releases its first original feature film, "Beasts of No Nation."

Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga. Bleecker Street/Netflix

2017: Netflix surpasses 100 million subscribers, a crucial milestone, 10 years after it launched its streaming option.

Netflix. Photo by Britta Pedersen/picture alliance via Getty Images

2018: Netflix wins its first feature-film Oscar, for best documentary feature for "Icarus." Later this year, it releases "Roma," which becomes Netflix's first best-picture nominee the following year.

Netflix

Netflix has yet to nab the Oscars' top prize, though, despite elaborate campaign spending. Apple TV+ won best picture this year for "CODA," becoming the first streaming platform to do so.

2020: Netflix names Ted Sarandos, its creative chief, as co-CEO with Hastings. The two have known each other since 1999.

Netflix's Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos speaks onstage during the Netflix portion of the 2015 Summer TCA Tour. Getty

January, 2021: Netflix announces that it surpassed 200 million subscribers, another milestone.

Netflix. SOPA Images/Getty Images.

September, 2021: Netflix wins the most Emmys for the first time, and nabs best-series wins for the first time with "The Crown" (drama) and "The Queen's Gambit" (limited).

Netflix

October, 2021: Netflix faces its most public controversy yet, after some employees speak out against Dave Chappelle's Netflix special, "The Closer," in which he makes comments many criticized as transphobic.

Chappelle in "The Closer." Netflix

Chappelle said in the special that "gender is a fact" and defended "Harry Potter" author JK Rowling, who came under fire for past transphobic comments.

Sarandos defended Chappelle in a memo to employees, saying in part: "Chappelle is one of the most popular stand-up comedians today, and we have a long standing deal with him. His last special, 'Sticks & Stones,' also controversial, is our most watched, stickiest, and most award winning stand-up special to date."

Netflix trans employees planned a walkout in response to the special and Sarandos' comments.

November, 2021: Netflix launches its first video games around the world, free as part of a user's subscription.

Netflix

April, 2022: Netflix reports that it lost subscribers for the first time in a decade in the first quarter of 2022. It lost 200,000 subscribers, and said it was expecting to lose 2 million more in Q2.

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings Getty Images for The New Yorker

Aside from the economic strains of the coronavirus pandemic, Netflix blamed the subscriber loss partly on password sharing. It said that it estimated that an additional 100 million people on top of its 220 million subscribers use Netflix with a shared password.

It also acknowledged increased competition. Over the last few years, new streaming services like Disney+, HBO Max, Paramount+, and more entered the space on top of already existing rivals like Hulu and Prime Video.

April, 2022: Hastings confirms that an ad-supported tier is coming to Netflix.

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings Ernesto S. Ruscio/Getty Images for Netflix

Hastings confirmed during Netflix's April earnings call that the company plans to roll out an ad-supported plan, something it has pushed back against in the past, as the company faces slowing revenue growth and loses subscribers. It's something that other streamers have embraced, like HBO Max and Paramount+. Disney+, its biggest rival, is also planning to launch an ad-supported option.

Sarandos talked further about ads on Netflix at Cannes Lions this month

"We've left a big customer segment off the table, which is people who say: 'Hey, Netflix is too expensive for me and I don't mind advertising,'" Sarandos said.

Netflix's standard HD plan (its most popular plan) is $15.49 per month after the company recently raised prices. It makes it the most expensive streaming service, topping HBO Max's $14.99 ad-free plan.

The New York Times reported last month that the ad-supported plan could roll out as early as the end of this year.

May and June, 2022: Netflix conducts layoffs amid slowing revenue growth.

AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/Getty Images

Netflix laid off 150 staffers in May, and then 300 more this month.

"While we continue to invest significantly in the business, we made these adjustments so that our costs are growing in line with our slower revenue growth," a Netflix spokesperson said of the most recent round of layoffs.

Despite recent turmoil, Netflix still intends to spend $17 billion on content this year, according to The New York Times.

Hastings. REUTERS/ Mike Cassese

Read the original article on Business Insider
The Colony Police Department arrested a man for making threats against the Supreme Court.

The man, who police did not publicly identify, used Twitter to make online threats toward the court. Local law enforcement was notified about the posts last Friday.

Officers from The Colony Police Department searched the residence that the subject was believed to reside in, but the subject was not initially located, police said in a news release.

The police department added that with the help of the FBI, detectives were later able to obtain an arrest warrant for the individual.

Officers returned to the mans residence, where they found him and took him into custody. He was charged with a terrorist threat.

No further details were available.
INDIANAPOLIS  On Monday, three days after the Supreme Court issued its groundbreaking decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Dr. Caitlin Bernard, an Indianapolis obstetrician-gynecologist, took a call from a colleague, a child abuse doctor in Ohio.

Hours after the Supreme Court action, Ohio had outlawed any abortion after six weeks. Now, this doctor had a 10-year-old patient in the office who was six weeks and three days pregnant.

Could Bernard help?

Indiana lawmakers are poised to further restrict or ban abortion in mere weeks. The Indiana General Assembly will convene in a special session July 25 when it will discuss restrictions to abortion policy.

But for now, the procedure still is legal in the state. And so the 10-year-old girl was soon on her way to Indiana to Bernard's care.

Dobbs ruling: Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, eliminating constitutional right to abortion

Abortion news: Latest updates on the Roe v. Wade decision

Indiana abortion laws unchanged, but effect still felt across state

The 10-year-old isn't alone. As abortion bans take effect across the country, more and more pregnant people are crossing state lines in hopes of getting the care they need.

But even in some states where abortion remains legal for now, many fear that further restrictions or bans could trickle down in the future.

While Indiana law did not change last week when the Supreme Court issued its groundbreaking Dobbs decision, abortion providers here have felt an effect, experiencing a dramatic increase in the number of patients coming to their clinics from neighboring states with more restrictive policies.

'Set them up for failure': Sex education not required in many states where abortion is or will be banned

Since Friday, the abortion clinics where Dr. Katie McHugh, an independent obstetrician-gynecologists works have seen an insane amount of requests from pregnant people in Kentucky and Ohio, where it is far more difficult to get an abortion.

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A ban on abortions after six weeks took effect on Friday in Ohio. Last Friday the two abortion providers in Kentucky shut their doors after that states trigger law banning abortions went into effect.

Indiana soon could have similar restrictions. That pains doctors like Bernard.

Its hard to imagine that in just a few short weeks we will have no ability to provide that care, Bernard said.

Abortion illegal in Texas again: Texas Supreme Court blocks order that allowed abortions to resume

For now, Indiana abortion providers have been fielding more calls from neighboring states. Typically about five to eight patients a day might have hailed from out of state, said McHugh, who works at multiple clinics in central and southern Indiana. Now, the clinics are seeing about 20 such patients a day.

Kentucky patients have been coming to Indiana in higher numbers since earlier this spring when more restrictive laws took effect there, McHugh said.

What's everyone talking about?: Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day

Indianapolis abortion clinics seeing surge in patients from Ohio, Kentucky

A similar dynamic is at play at Womens Med, a medical center that performs abortions in Indianapolis that has a sister center in Dayton, Ohio. In the past week, they have doubled the number of patients they treat for a complete procedure, accepting many referrals from their Ohio counterpart.

More than 100 patients in Dayton had to be scheduled at the Indianapolis facility, a representative for Womens Med, wrote in an email to IndyStar.

Women and pregnant people are crying, distraught, desperate, thankful and appreciative, the representative wrote.

Tech safety and abortion: How to block  or blur  your location from your smartphones apps

The two centers are working together to route patients to Indianapolis for a termination after a pre-op appointment in Dayton. In recent months, they have also had people from southern states, like Texas, come north for a procedure.

Many patients, particularly from Ohio and Kentucky, are seeking care through Womens Med while also making multiple appointments in other states so if one state closes down, they will still have some options, the representative wrote.

The center is advising pregnant people with a positive pregnancy test to book an appointment even though prior to the Supreme Court ruling they asked people to wait until their six-week mark to do so.

People have traversed state lines for abortions for years, particularly if a clinic across the border is closer to their home than the nearest in-state facility.

'It will not happen overnight': Can abortion rights drive voters to turn purple states blue?

In 2021, 465, or about 5.5%, of the more than 8,400 abortions performed in Indiana were done on out-of-state residents, according to the Indiana Department of Health's most recent terminated pregnancy report. More than half, 264, lived in Kentucky and 4 in Ohio.

Midwestern residents can also travel to Illinois, where abortion is likely to remain legal even in the wake of the recent Supreme Court ruling. But for many, Indiana is closer  and until the lawmakers pass any measure to the contrary, abortion will be legal in the state.

Still, it remains murky what the future holds.

A lower court ruled on Thursday that abortions could resume, at least for now, in Kentucky. On Wednesday abortion clinics in Ohio filed suit, saying that states new ban was unconstitutional.

State by state: 'Trigger' laws that ban abortion are being challenged in court

In Indiana, lawmakers have declined to provide specifics of what measures any abortion legislation considered here might contain.

For now, abortion providers are doing their best to accommodate all patients  including those from neighboring states.

We are doing the best we can to increase availability and access as long as we can, knowing that this will be a temporary time frame that we can offer that assistance, McHugh said.

Follow Shari Rudavsky on Twitter: @srudavsky.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Ohio girl, 10, among abortion patients in Indiana amid state bans
(This July 2 story corrects spelling of Roderick in paragraph)

By Jason Lange and Jonathan Landay

(Reuters) - Police killed Jayland Walker, a Black man in Ohio, by shooting him dozens of times as he ran from officers following a traffic stop, a lawyer for his family said, citing a review of police body-worn camera footage due to be made public on Sunday.

In comments published on Saturday by the Akron Beacon Journal, attorney Bobby DiCello described the video as "brutal," and said Walker's relatives worried that protests this weekend could turn violent.

The shooting was the latest in a spate of killings of Black men by law enforcement in the United States that critics say are unjustified, including the 2020 murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis that ignited global protests against police brutality and racial injustice.

"We're all bracing for the community's response, and the one message that we have is the family does not need any more violence," DiCello said.

Akron police have said Walker, 25, fired a gun at officers who were pursuing him. They plan to release their body camera footage following a news conference on Sunday, hours before a protest march is scheduled.

"Protest is a way of crying," Roderick Pounds Sr., pastor of the Second Baptist Church in Akron, said during a prayer rally there on Saturday after he was permitted to see the video prior to its being made public.

Pounds declined to describe in detail "the graphic video the world is about to see," but he called the footage "shocking," saying it showed Walker posed no threat when he was shot down in a manner the pastor likened to a "massacre."

"It's barbaric," Pounds said in an interview with local television station WEWS-TV. "You'll see tomorrow."

Officials have said the deadly confrontation began when officers tried to stop Walker for a traffic violation while he was driving early Monday morning. Walker fled, according to the Akron Police Department, which said officers reported a gun being fired from Walker's vehicle.

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After several minutes Walker exited his vehicle and ran, while officers chased him on foot and fired at him, saying he presented a "deadly threat," the police department said in a statement on Tuesday.

Walker was pronounced dead in the parking lot where he fell. Police representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Saturday.

DiCello said his team has not seen any evidence Walker fired a weapon and that police body-camera footage showed him running with his back to officers when they gunned him down.

"He is just in a down sprint when he is dropped by I think the count is more than 90 shots," DiCello told the Beacon Journal. "Now how many of those land, according to our investigation right now, we're getting details that suggest 60 to 80 wounds."

It was not clear how many bullets struck Walker because bullets can cause wounds both entering and exiting the body, DiCello said.

Television station WJW-TV said a preliminary report from the medical examiner's office found Walker sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his head, torso and legs, and that a weapon was recovered from a car by Ohio's Bureau of Criminal Investigation, though it did not specify which car.

Pounds told WEWS that Walker "did not have a weapon when he was shot. It was in his car."

Compounding the tragedy, according to the Beacon Journal, Walker's fiance had died in a car accident last month, though WJW cited attorneys for his family as saying Walker had no intention of harming himself or others when he was killed.

The officers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave during an investigation, the department's statement said.

(Reporting by Jason Lange and Jonathan Landay in Washington; Additional reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
Over the past two weeks, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that distinctions between state and religious institutions are increasingly obsolete. Last Tuesday, the Court held in Carson v. Makin that states using taxpayer funds to offset private school tuition may not exclude religious schools from participating in such programs. Less than a week later, the Court ruled in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District that a high school football coach was within his First Amendment rights to hold prayers on the school football field with his players.

Although these cases have little immediate implications for Michigan schools beyond assurance that public employees could conceivably begin to hold prayers on school grounds, theyre important nonetheless to debates about how to move Michigan education forward. For example, last weeks decision on religious schools paved the way for Michigans Let MI Kids Learn proposal, the voucher-like plan by former Education Secretary and Michigander Betsy DeVos, to eventually use state tax dollars to fund religious education, among other expenses.

Even after missing a key May filing deadline, supporters of the DeVos plan are still gathering signatures. Advocates for that proposal and others like it all over the country are fond of saying theyre part of a movement toward educational freedom, fighting for families trapped in community schools because of where they live. DeVos even has a new book out called Hostages No More.

Im a researcher who has spent 17 years studying vouchers across the country in official evaluations and in an advisory capacity, and I serve on the board of the US governments new evaluation of Washington DCs voucher program. I have been critical both in print and on social media of the DeVos plan in our state, because after nearly two decades of studying these programs I know on balance they dont work very well.

What does work? Well, money for one thing. The evidence overwhelmingly shows surprise!  money matters. In fact the latest study comes from right here in Michigan: after Proposal A equalized resources in the 1990s, and after districts passed bonds to further fund their schools, not only did academics increase but outcomes like reductions in crime followed as well!

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Josh Cowen, professor of education policy at Michigan State University.

Beyond resources, though, there are some effective school choice programs. Even if the DeVos scheme never takes hold most Michiganders still have choices. Today, about 1 in 4 Michigan kids learn in a public school outside their resident district either in a charter school or through our Schools of Choice system that lets students learn in other districts. In Detroit alone, more than 20% of kids leave the city each day to attend schools in neighboring districts, and the vast majority of students who stay attend schools outside their home neighborhoods.

The good news, too, is that charter schools have a much better track record than tax-funded private schools. My view is that Michigan charters need more oversight  we need to know a lot more about how these schools staff, fund, and teach our kids  but theres some recent data to show that at least kids are learning in them, which is more than we can say for voucher systems in other states right now.

What if the DeVos plan passed? Here are some things Id want to see in the final law. Most important are tough anti-discrimination rules. In Maine, whose voucher program was at issue before the Court when it ruled last week, the state attorney general responded by requiring any religious schools that participate to follow the same anti-discrimination admissions policies as other private schools. If the DeVos plan passed, I would press for Michigan to treat all kids fairly as well.

What about what gets taught? We know many voucher schools teach creationism for example, but what if they teach bigotry, too? Requiring private schools that took tax-subsidized tuition to meet the same academic standards, take M-STEP, and have the same teacher certification as districts and charter schools would help prevent some of that (though not perfectly). Same with oversight on private school financial records. Our public schools are required to have a parent dashboard to provide lots of information that private schools could have to disclose, too, if they want tax-supported students.

The simple rule could be if you take a public check the public checks on you.

Michigan schools faces enormous challenges and opportunities in the coming years. Any changes we make to our public and private schools  whether with the DeVos plan or others like it  should come with oversight, transparency, and good faith efforts to keep the needs of students ahead of partisans pushing ideological agendas. And we have to pay for what we require our schools to do. Educational freedom is already part of our school landscape, but with freedom comes responsibility.

Josh Cowen is a professor of education policy at Michigan State University.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Opinion: A school voucher plan in Michigan? Here's what it should include
Paralympic gold medallist Oscar Pistorius appearing in Pretorias High Court in 2016 (Reuters/Siphiwe Sibeko/File Photo)

Oscar Pistorius has met the father of his late partner Reeva Steenkamp as the South African athlete seeks parole nine years after killing her.

The Paralympic gold medallist was jailed after shooting at the 29-year-old model four times through a locked bathroom door at his home in Pretoria, in the early hours of Valentines Day in 2013.

He insisted that he had believed her to be an intruder, and was initially found guilty of culpable homicide  a charge similar to manslaughter. But in 2015 the ruling was upgraded to murder by South Africas Supreme Court of Appeal, and his prison sentence was later increased to 13 years and five months.

Now, as part of the process for seeking parole in South Africa  known as victim-offender dialogue  Reevas father Barry Steenkamp is said to have met Pistorius.

The pair met on 22 June, according to a lawyer for the Steenkamp family, Tania Koen.

The dialogue is a private and confidential matter, hence we ask that our clients privacy be respected, Ms Koen told the Associated Press.

Reeva Steenkamp was killed by Oscar Pistorius in February 2013 (Lucky Nxumalo/Citypress via AP/File)

The process is part of South Africas restorative justice system and is aimed at giving the victims of crimes or their relatives a chance to meet perpetrators in a controlled environment before they can be eligible for parole, helping them to achieve closure.

A parole hearing for Pistorius was scheduled for last year but was cancelled because he hadnt yet met Steenkamps parents.

He was moved from the Atteridgeville correctional facility in Pretoria to a facility in the southern city of Gqeberha, the Steenkamps home town, ahead of the meeting. He has now been returned to the low-security prison in the capital, South Africas department of correctional services said.

Confirming that the meeting had taken place, a department spokesperson stressed that Pistorius would continue to serve his sentence, because participating in the process did not equate to an end of his sentence or a parole placement.

There is a need to emphasise that inmates are required to partake in the VOD as part of their rehabilitation path wherein they are able to acknowledge the harm they have caused to their victims and the society at large, he told the TimesLIVE newspaper.

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In a Facebook post, the Reeva Rebecca Steenkamp Foundation extended love and support to Barry and June, who participated in the process in preparing them for a meeting with Oscar Pistorius. It added: Barry ultimately met with Oscar on 22 June 2022 for the victim offender dialogue.

A word of sincere gratitude to the Department of Correctional Services, especially the staff at St Albans Prison, for facilitating the process in a sensitive and professional manner.

During his lengthy televised trial in 2014, Pistorius used his testimony to apologise to Steenkamps family, telling the court: There hasnt been a moment since this tragedy happened that I havent thought about your family.

Additional reporting by AP
School classroom. Anna Nahabed/Shutterstock

A Pennsylvania teacher was fired after placing tape on a student's nose, per multiple reports.

The tape had a message that said: "I have nothing nice to say."

The Coatesville Area School District decided to terminate Audra Ritter on Tuesday.

A Pennsylvania teacher was terminated from her job after she reportedly taped a student's face and was accused by the school district of racially discriminating against the child.

The Coatesville Area School District voted to fire Audra Ritter, who was a special education teacher in the North Brandywine Middle School and president of the district's teachers association, earlier this week, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. The district school board ended up voting 7-1 at Tuesday's meeting resulting in Ritter's dismissal.

Ritter was accused of placing a piece of tape that read, "I have nothing nice to say" on the student's nose in May, Lancaster Online reported citing a statement of charges. Per the report, Ritter said that she placed art tape  not duct  on the child and did so as a joke to alleviate a situation involving the student.

The district said the unidentified student, who is Black, was humiliated as a result of the incident and asked the school principal to be excused from the special education teacher's class, per CBS Philly. The district also accused Ritter, who is white, of "threatening retaliation" against the middle schooler, a claim which she denied, according to Lancaster Online.

In the statement of charges, the school district said Ritter"is in violation of the behavioral management plan and services for this child," adding that the teacher "has violated federal and state law by failing to comply with and properly implement the child's IEP and behavioral plan," Lancaster Online reported.

According to the Inquirer, two individuals spoke on Ritter's behalf at the meeting, pointing to her position in the teacher's association.

"I love the Coatesville Area School District. I love the students here and I have been here for 23 years," Ritter said, per Lancaster Online. "I've taken pride in the district and in the students here, but I do have a family and I will have to move on. I will see how arbitration goes, but I will have to obviously start looking for a job."

Read the original article on Insider
Reuters

The Ukraine war shows that the West's dominance is coming to an end as China rises to superpower status in partnership with Russia at one of the most significant inflection points in centuries, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said. The world, Blair said, was at a turning point in history comparable with the end of World War Two or the collapse of the Soviet Union: but this time the West is clearly not in the ascendant. "We are coming to the end of Western political and economic dominance," Blair said in a lecture entitled "After Ukraine, What Lessons Now for Western Leadership?" according to a text of the speech to a forum supporting the alliance between the United States and Europe at Ditchley Park west of London.
MANILA (Reuters) - In one of his first legislative acts, newly-inaugurated Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has vetoed a bill sponsored by his lawmaker sister that would have created a special economic zone north of the capital, the presidential office said on Saturday.

Marcos, 64, who took office on June 30 after winning the May election by a landslide, has inherited over $200 billion in government debt driven by his predecessor's pandemic response and the impact on the economy.

"Fiscal prudence must be exercised particularly at times when resources are scarce and the needs are abundant," Marcos said in a letter on Friday addressed to Congress.

Creating a new special economic zone, which offers lengthy and wide ranging tax perks to investors, would pose a "substantial financial risks to the country", Marcos said.

In May, the upper chamber of congress passed a bill creating a special economic zone in Bulacan province. It was authored by Senator Imee Marcos, one of the president's many political allies in Congress.

Senator Marcos did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The special economic zone would have included a $15 billion international airport project of conglomerate San Miguel Corp. The international airport will be designed to handle 100 million passengers annually, compared with the 31-million capacity of the existing main gateway in Manila.

Marcos, the son of the Philippine ruler overthrown in a popular uprising 36 years ago, was sworn in as the country's president on Thursday, promising to strive for unity and a better future while praising his late father's legacy.

(Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales; Editing by Mike Harrison)
The Pittsburgh Pirates take on the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday.

Pittsburgh has a 31-46 record overall and an 18-21 record in home games. The Pirates have a 15-8 record in games when they hit at least two home runs.

Milwaukee has a 45-34 record overall and a 26-19 record on the road. The Brewers are 33-8 in games when they have more hits than their opponents.

Saturdays game is the ninth time these teams square off this season. The Brewers are ahead 7-1 in the season series.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

TOP PERFORMERS: Bryan Reynolds leads the Pirates with 26 extra base hits (eight doubles, three triples and 15 home runs). Diego Castillo is 5-for-28 with four home runs and four RBI over the past 10 games.

Rowdy Tellez leads Milwaukee with 16 home runs while slugging .498. Andrew McCutchen is 14-for-39 with three home runs and seven RBI over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Pirates: 3-7, .210 batting average, 7.36 ERA, outscored by 30 runs

Brewers: 6-4, .270 batting average, 4.65 ERA, outscored opponents by 20 runs

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INJURIES: Pirates: Max Kranick: 60-Day IL (elbow), Jake Marisnick: 60-Day IL (thumb), Zach Thompson: 15-Day IL (forearm), Yoshitomo Tsutsugo: 10-Day IL (back), Dillon Peters: 15-Day IL (back), Canaan Smith-Njigba: 60-Day IL (wrist), Duane Underwood Jr.: 15-Day IL (covid-19), Ben Gamel: 10-Day IL (hamstring), Kevin Newman: 60-Day IL (groin), Roberto Perez: 60-Day IL (hamstring), Greg Allen: 60-Day IL (hamstring), Blake Cederlind: 60-Day IL (elbow), Nick Mears: 60-Day IL (elbow)

Brewers: Adrian Houser: 15-Day IL (flexor), Jonathan Davis: day-to-day (back/rib cage), Miguel Sanchez: 15-Day IL (elbow), Hunter Renfroe: 10-Day IL (calf), Aaron Ashby: 15-Day IL (forearm), Freddy Peralta: 60-Day IL (lat), Alex Jackson: 10-Day IL (finger), Jake Cousins: 60-Day IL (elbow), Justin Topa: 60-Day IL (elbow), Luis Perdomo: 15-Day IL (elbow)

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Washington medical examiner report says father, 2 daughters died of starvation in December West Mifflin police investigating armed robbery at BP gas station Swindell Bridge over Parkway North closed indefinitely VIDEO: Zambelli Fireworks preparing for another Fourth of July holiday DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts
The Merced Police Department is seeking help from the public to locate a missing 56-year old man.

The family of Rodney Rodriguez reported him missing on Friday. They are concerned for his well-being, according to police.

Rodriguez was last seen in the 3300 block of Pierre Court in Merced on June 30 at approximately 6 p.m.

Rodriguez is 5-foot, 9-inches tall and weighs about 150 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes. He uses a walker to get around.

Merced police are asking anyone with any information regarding this incident to contact Officer Brandon Holder at 209-388-7786 or by email at holderb@cityofmerced.org.
Handout photo issued by Kensington Palace of the Duke of Cambridge meeting New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at Kensington Palace (PA)

The Duke of Cambridge has welcomed New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern to Kensington Palace for her first UK trip since the pandemic began.

The palace released a picture of the pair sitting on sofas and chatting at Prince Williams London residence.

A spokesperson for the Duke said the meeting took place earlier on Saturday (2 July).

Ardern is in London for talks with prime minister Boris Johnson, with trade and the war in Ukraine dominating the agenda.

On Friday (1 July), Johnson greeted the politician with a handshake outside the door of No 10 and pointed out that it was her first trip since the two countries signed a fresh free trade deal in February.

The two leaders issued a joint statement following their meeting and pledged that the UK and New Zealand would build a more secure, sustainable and prosperous future together.

Together, Johnson and Ardern condemned Russias invasion of Ukraine and called for the formers immediate withdrawal. Both leaders also committed to working harder to support an international [trading] system.

Ardern previously met William in 2019, when the Duke visited New Zealand and joined her on Anzac Day to pay tribute to the victims of the Christchurch mosque attacks.

The terrorist attack took place in March 2019 and saw white supremacist Brenton Tarrant shoot and kill 51 people at two mosques.

The attack, which was livestreamed, led to New Zealand reforming its gun laws less than a month after it took place.

The countrys parliament quickly voted to ban military-style semi-automatic weapons as well as parts that could be used to build prohibited firearms.

During Williams 2019 visit, he was greeted with a traditional Maori nose press, or hongi, and laid a wreath at the Auckland cenotaph on behalf of the Queen.

He also met with survivors of the attack, including then-five-year-old Alen Alsati and her father Wasseim at the Starship Childrens Hospital. Both father and daughter were injured during the shootings.
ALMATY (Reuters) - Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on Saturday dropped plans to curtail the autonomy of the country's Karakalpakstan province following a rare public protest in the northwestern region, his office said.

Friday's rally was called to protest constitutional reform plans that would have changed the status of Karakalpakstan, an autonomous republic home to the Karakalpak people - an ethnic minority group with its own language, Uzbek authorities said.

Police dispersed the protesters after some of them tried to storm local government buildings in the region's capital, Nukus, following a march and a rally at the city's central market, local and government officials said.

Mirziyoyev later issued a decree proclaiming a state of emergency in Karakalpakstan for a month "in order to ensure the security of citizens, defend their rights and freedoms and restore the rule of law and order" in the region.

Under the current Uzbek constitution, Karakalpakstan is described as a sovereign republic within Uzbekistan that has the right to secede by holding a referendum.

The new version of the constitution - on which Uzbekistan plans to hold a referendum in the coming months - would no longer mention Karakalpakstan's sovereignty or right for secession.

But in a swift reaction to the protest, Mirziyoyev said on Saturday during a visit to Karakalpakstan that the changes regarding its status must be dropped from the proposed reform, his office said in a statement.

Karakalpakstan's government said in a statement earlier on Saturday that police had detained the leaders of Friday's protest, and several other protesters who had put up resistance.

The changes concerning Karakalpakstan were part of a broader constitutional reform proposed by Mirziyoyev, which also includes strengthening civil rights and extending the presidential term to seven years from five.

If the reform is endorsed in the planned referendum, it would reset Mirziyoyev's term count and allow him to run for two more terms.

(Reporting by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Gareth Jones, Helen Popper and Daniel Wallis)
(EPA)

Rafael Nadal admits he was wrong and has apologised to Lorenzo Sonego after tempers flared in their third-round match at Wimbledon.

The Spaniard, who prevailed on Centre Court 6-1, 6-2, 7-6, took issue with the Italian at 4-4 in the third set, meeting at the net to voice his anger.

Nadal, who refuted claims of a spicy nature to the match, appeared to be irritated as Sonego grunted during points, while the 27th seed whipped up a feverish crowd after a late rally in the third set.

Nadal initiated a lengthy debate both at 4-4 in the third and then again after winning the match, but the 22-time Grand Slam champion admitted his mistake and revealed the pair thrashed out their disagreement in the lockerroom afterwards.

Well, first of all, I have to say that I was wrong, Nadal said. Probably I will not -- I should not call him on the net. So apologize for that. My mistake in that. No problem. I recognize that.

(PA)

Then after that, all the stuff during the match that I dont want to comment, because is something that I spoke with him in the locker room and it stays there. Only thing I can say is I saw him personally. I apologize for that.

My intention was never to bother him at all. Just to tell one thing that was bothering me that I think he was doing in that moment, but thats it.

I think there is some codes between players. Yeah, we had some issues there. But thats it.
Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) speaks with Cori Coffin about being arrested alongside other activists while attending a civil disobedience rally for abortion rights on Capitol grounds, as well as the actions that Congress plans to take in the coming weeks and months to support women in the wake of the Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. We will fight to maintain our right to make decisions over our bodies and our futures, Rep. Chu says.
Victor Rosenberg, 81, peers out of a broken window of his home, which was damaged Friday by a Russian rocket attack in Bakhmut, Ukraine. (Efrem Lukatsky / Associated Press)

Russian forces pounded the city of Lysychansk and its surroundings in an all-out attempt to seize the last stronghold of resistance in eastern Ukraine's Luhansk province, the governor said Saturday.

Ukrainian fighters have spent weeks trying to defend the city and to keep it from falling to Russia, as neighboring Severodonetsk did a week ago. The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces took control of an oil refinery on Lysychansk's edge in recent days, but Luhansk Gov. Serhiy Haidai reported Friday that fighting for the facility continued.

Over the last day, the occupiers opened fire from all available kinds of weapons, Haidai said Saturday on the Telegram messaging app.

Luhansk and neighboring Donetsk are the two provinces that make up the Donbas region, where Russia has focused its offensive since pulling back from northern Ukraine and the capital, Kyiv, in the spring.

Pro-Russia separatists have held portions of both eastern provinces since 2014, and Moscow recognizes all of Luhansk and Donetsk as sovereign republics. Syria's government said Wednesday that it would also recognize the independence and sovereignty of the two areas and work to establish diplomatic relations with the separatists.

In Slovyansk, a major Donetsk city still under Ukrainian control, four people died when Russian forces fired cluster munitions late Friday, Mayor Vadym Lyakh said on Facebook. He said the neighborhoods that were hit didn't contain any potential military targets.

The leader of neighboring Belarus, a Russian ally, claimed Saturday that Ukraine fired missiles at military targets on Belarusian territory several days ago but all were intercepted by its air defense system. President Alexander Lukashenko described it as a provocation and noted that no Belarusian soldiers are fighting in Ukraine. There was no immediate response from the Ukrainian military.

Belarus does host Russian military units and was used as a staging ground for Russia's invasion. Last week, just hours before Lukashenko was to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian long-range bombers fired missiles on Ukraine from Belarusian airspace for the first time.

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Lukashenko has so far resisted efforts to draw his army into the war. But during their meeting, Putin announced that Russia planned to supply Belarus with the Iskander-M missile system and reminded Lukashenko of how dependent his government is on economic support from Russia.

Elsewhere in Ukraine, investigators combed through the wreckage from a Russian airstrike early Friday on residential areas near the Black Sea port of Odesa that killed 21 people.

Ukrainian Prosecutor-General Iryna Venediktova said investigators were recovering fragments from missiles that struck an apartment building in the small coastal town of Serhiivka. They also were taking measurements to determine the trajectory of the weapons and "the specific people guilty of this terrible war crime, she said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said three anti-ship missiles struck an ordinary residential building, a nine-story building housing about 160 people. The victims of Friday's attack also included four members of a family staying at a seaside campsite, he said.

"I emphasize: This is deliberate. direct Russian terror, and not some mistake or an accidental missile strike," Zelenskyy said.

The British Defense Ministry said Saturday that air-launched anti-ship missiles generally don't have precision accuracy against ground targets. It said Russia likely was using such missiles because of a shortage of more accurate weapons.

The Kremlin has repeatedly claimed that the Russian military is targeting fuel storage sites and military facilities, not residential areas, although missiles also recently hit an apartment building in Kyiv and a shopping mall in the central city of Kremenchuk.

On Saturday, Kremenchuk Mayor Vitaliy Maletskyy said the death toll in the mall attack had risen to 21 and one person was still missing.

Ukrainian authorities interpreted the missile attack in Odesa as payback for the withdrawal of Russian troops from a nearby Black Sea island with both symbolic and strategic significance in the war that started with Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine.

Moscow portrayed their departure from Snake Island as a goodwill gesture to help unblock exports of grain.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
MADRID (Reuters) - Spain-based cabin crew at Ryanair plan to strike for 12 days this month to demand better working conditions, the USO and SICTPLA unions said on Saturday, raising the prospect of travel chaos as the summer tourist season gets under way.

The announcement came on the final day of the crews' current strike, which began on Thursday and forced Ryanair to cancel 10 flights in Spain on Saturday.

Cabin crew will strike on July 12-15, 18-21 and 25-28 across the 10 Spanish airports where Ryanair operates, the unions said in a statement.

"The unions and crew of Ryanair ... demand a change of attitude from the airline," they said in a statement, calling for Ryanair to resume negotiations over issues including payment of the minimum wage.

The unions also urged the government "not to allow Ryanair to violate labour legislation and constitutional rights such as the right to strike".

In a statement on Saturday, Ryanair said it expected "minimal (if any) disruption to its flight schedules in July as a result of minor and poorly supported Spanish labour strikes".

It added that "Air Traffic Control (ATC) strikes and airport staff shortages across Europe (which are beyond Ryanair's control) may however cause some minor disruption and passengers whose flights are disrupted... will be notified by email/SMS."

Ryanair cabin crew unions in Belgium, Spain, Portugal, France and Italy had taken strike action in recent days but the low-cost airline said less than 2% of its flights scheduled over last weekend had been affected.

Airline workers across Europe have been staging walkouts as the sector adapts to a resumption of travel after pandemic lockdowns were lifted. Staff shortages have been blamed for lengthy delays and queues.

Spain-based cabin crew at easyJet are striking for nine days this month for higher pay. The airline cancelled five flights from Spain on Saturday.

Workers at Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport went on strike on Friday and into Saturday, forcing cancellation of about 10% of flights.

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In Portugal, also a top holiday destination, there are no ongoing strikes but 65 flights to and from Lisbon were expected to be cancelled on Saturday due to "a set of constraints at various European airports", said airport management company ANA.

The Portuguese situation has predominantly affected services of airline TAP, which did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Long lines formed at TAP's support desk in Lisbon as frustrated passengers tried to either re-book or get a refund.

(Reporting by Jessica Jones; Additional reporting by Catarina Demony in Lisbon; Editing by Kevin Liffey, David Holmes and David Gregorio)
The man who shot and killed a Boise Marine in December 2020 will spend up to 40 years in prison, an Ada County district judge decided Friday morning, but he could earn parole by the end of 2035.

Fourth District Judge Patrick Miller sentenced 22-year-old Devon Arnold to 15 years fixed and 25 indeterminate, meaning the possibility of parole for Arnold after he serves 15 years. Miller credited Arnold roughly 18 months for time served since the murder.

Arnold pleaded guilty in April to second-degree murder in the death of Lance Cpl. Davis Mosqueda. Stars and Stripes reported that the 20-year-old Marine was home on leave and visiting friends at a Boise apartment on Dec. 30, 2020, when he left to check on a friend in the parking lot. Arnold shot Mosqueda multiple times, and Mosqueda died after being transported to a local hospital.

Mosqueda was quickly climbing the Marine Corps ranks before his death, his father, John Mosqueda, told the Idaho Statesman. Mosqueda enlisted at 17 years old and was stationed at Marine Barracks Washington, D.C., as part of the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon, which performs military drills in complete silence.

In victim impact statements in court Friday, Mosquedas parents told Miller that their sons murder was senseless and ridiculous.

(Arnold) stole his life, he stole his career and he stole from this family, said Mosquedas mother, Monica. The fact that (Arnold) doesnt feel his future should be forever marked by this is unfortunate, because our lives are forever marked. Davis is gone.

In his own statement in court, Arnold expressed his remorse to the Mosqueda family.

Theres not a day that goes by that I dont regret my actions, Arnold said. I couldve done something different. I wish I had.

Addressing Mosquedas parents directly, Arnold again apologized: Im sorry for taking your baby boy from you.

Millers sentence fell between the defenses request for 30 years, with 15 fixed, and the prosecutions request for a fixed life sentence in what the prosecutor called cold-blooded murder of an unarmed stranger.

John Mosqueda told the Statesman that his family felt the sentence was far too lenient.

My son didnt do anything wrong, he said.
As the painful first half of 2022 ends, many income investors are hoping for some sort of relief. Many dividend stocks have seen their yields creep subtly higher in recent months as their share prices slowly trended lower.

For income investors, the current environment has been quite hostile to dip-buyers.

We've suffered quite a few short-lived bear market bounces this year. Many more are sure to follow.

Though the likelihood of a V-shaped recovery is diminishing with every swift move lower, there are still plenty of oversold stocks out there overdue for a relief bounce.

In this piece, we'll use the TipRanks Comparison Tool to evaluate three dividend stocks that Wall Street still views as "Strong Buys."

Broadcom (AVGO)

Broadcom stock is a designer and developer of semis and associated software. The chip stock plunge has been brutal to the $195 billion firm, which is now off 27% year-to-date.

The company recently agreed to acquire virtualization software company VMWare, in a deal worth $61 billion. Such a deal bolsters Broadcom's software presence, and given the timing of the deal (after a sizable decline in tech stocks), there's a good chance that Broadcom walked away with a bargain. Add potential synergies into the equation, and the VMWare deal is one that should be applauded by investors.

Despite Broadcom's diversification into software via M&A, the company is still subject to the ups and downs of the semi space. Though chip demand remains incredibly robust to date, there's no telling what a severe recession could entail for the chip maker.

On the one hand, networking chip demand seems to be on the uptrend, thanks partly to the resilience of the enterprise, who's still more than willing to invest in the digital transformation trend. On the other hand, it's difficult to gauge where demand will be at year-end if further evidence of an economic slowdown materializes.

If demand diminishes rapidly, any supply-chain ramp-up in response to the semi shortage could lead to discounting down the road. Over many quarters, chip demand has been high, but supply is constrained. Once supply is back in order, there's no telling where demand will be. For Broadcom, that's a major near-term risk.

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In any case, I'm a fan of Broadcom's latest acquisition. It demonstrates that management is disciplined regarding prices they'll pay. At writing, AVGO stock trades at 6.7 times sales and 24.3 times trailing earnings. With a 3.38% dividend yield, Broadcom seems like a great value.

Its not often that the analysts all agree on a stock, so when it does happen, take note. AVGOs Strong Buy consensus rating is based on a unanimous 13 Buys. The stocks $700.58 average price target suggests a considerable upside of ~47% from the current share price of $477.84. (See AVGO stock forecast on TipRanks)

Shell (SHEL)

Shell is an oil supermajor that finally slipped into a correction after running with the energy bulls for over a year. Shell is a British firm with a simplified share structure, and a juicy 3.5% dividend yield following the latest pullback.

As oil prices creep higher again, it's tough to count out the energy giant as it looks to make the most of its oil and gas windfall. Over the long run, Shell is ready to transition into renewables, with an energy-as-a-service model that reacts accordingly to the times.

Indeed, renewables are the future, and Shell wants to be relevant in such a future. In the meantime, it's all about the upstream and marketing segments, which are still heavily influenced by the price of oil. As upstream slowly winds down production over the years, Shell may not be the go-to play to play a "higher for longer" type of environment.

In any case, the LNG (liquefied natural gas) business is an excellent transitionary energy that can help Shell slowly reduce its carbon emissions over the decades. With a low 0.7 beta and a modest 9.4 times trailing earnings multiple, Shell is a great stock to hedge your bets.

The 4 recent analyst reviews on this energy company break down 3 to 1 in favor of Buys over Holds, and support the Strong Buy analyst consensus rating. Shares are trading for $51.90 and the average target of $68.43 implies an upside of ~32%. (See SHEL stock forecast on TipRanks)

Hasbro (HAS)

Hasbro is a toy company that's slid about 20% year-to-date. The stock never regained its pre-pandemic highs. Now that we're talking about a recession, the stock has been downtrending again. While it's unlikely that Hasbro will revisit 2020 lows, it seems like a consumer recession could weigh heavily on holiday demand. For such a seasonal stock, recent macro headwinds are not encouraging.

Still, analysts are upbeat, with a "Strong Buy" rating. The stock is holding its own rather well through the recent wave of supply-chain disruptions. Just because the supply side is on the right track does not mean demand will remain robust going into year-end. Further, a continuation of COVID headwinds could also weigh heavily.

Though digital games and other technologies could steer spending away from toys, I do think there's no reason why physical toys and games can't co-exist. They have for years, after all.

For now, the retail stalwart is a low-cost income play. At writing, the stock trades at 1.8 times sales and 28.2 times trailing earnings, with a 3.34% dividend yield.

Overall, HAS stock has picked up 8 recent analyst reviews, which break down to 6 Buys against 2 Holds, for a Strong Buy consensus rating. The shares are trading for $81.35, and their $109 average price target indicates ~34% upside for the next 12 months. (See HAS stock forecast on TipRanks)

Conclusion

Many analysts have been lowering the bar on price targets and ratings on stocks of late. The following three names have retained their "Strong Buy" status and are great long-term plays for yield hunters.

Wall Street expects the most from Broadcom of the three names in this piece, with more than 40% in year-ahead upside.

To find good ideas for dividend stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights.

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Taron Egertons upcoming role in Black Bird, a new Apple TV+ series written by Dennis Lehane, marks his first major onscreen acting part since his star-making turn in 2019s Rocketman. The role as a drug dealer serving prison time is a departure from Egertons previous roles, but the thespian is already looking ahead to his next challenge: playing a Marvel superhero.

In a new interview with The New York Times to promote his role on Black Bird, Egerton revealed that he has met with Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige about potentially joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And while it appears that nothing concrete came out of the meeting, the actor is making it very clear that theres one Marvel hero he would love to play: Wolverine.

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I dont think it would be wrong to say that, Egerton said when asked if he is interested in taking over Hugh Jackmans iconic character. Id be excited but Id be apprehensive as well, because Hugh is so associated with the role that Id wonder if itd be very difficult for someone else to do it.

Egerton was realistic about the fact that Disney does not appear to be in any rush to recast the character, but wants to make sure that his interest in the part is well-documented.

Hopefully if it does come around, theyll give me a shot, he said.

Egerton isnt the only actor to be linked to the clawed superhero in recent weeks. Though Disney has not announced any upcoming projects involving Wolverine, speculation about who could eventually replace Hugh Jackman has begun to swirl in recent weeks. Joe and Anthony Russo recently took a position on the debate, advocating for one of their former Avengers: Endgame stars to take on the role.

[Chris] Evans has incredible range and great physicality, and hes real good at body control, Joe Russo said. Hes an incredible actor. I dont mean this in a bad way, but hes nothing like Captain America. Steve Rogers is very controlled and quiet, understated. Chris is energetic and funny and charismatic, and he brings a lot of energy to set. Id love to see him do something like Wolverine.

Story continues

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Shark fin above water

Getty Images

A teenage girl was seriously injured after being attacked by a shark at a Florida beach shortly before Independence Day weekend.

"As many of you know, our daughter Addison was attacked by a large shark yesterday, June 30th, while scalloping out of Keaton beach," read a family statement, which was shared on social media by the Taylor County Sheriff's Office on Friday.

"The shark bit her once and then attacked her again on her right thigh," wrote dad Shane Bethea.

"She tried poking it in the eyes and punching it but it would not turn loose."

Fortunately, "by the grace of God" Addison was with her brother, a first responder and firefighter.

Jumping into action, her brother "acted quickly to literally fight off the shark and pull her away and into a nearby boat of an unknown person," Bethea wrote. "Rhett put a tourniquet on her leg to minimize blood loss to the massive injury and kept her awake, ultimately saving her life."

RELATED: Penn. Woman Gored by a Bison at Yellowstone National Park in Third Recent Attack

Police said in a news release that the teen sustained "serious injuries" from the attack and was airlifted to a Tallahassee hospital for treatment.

"It's a tragedy, what's happened," Taylor County Sheriff Wayne Padgett said in a video posted by CBS affiliate WCTV.

When reached for comment by PEOPLE on Friday, a Taylor County Sheriff's Office spokesperson said the teen "is currently in serious but stable condition."

Never miss a story  sign up for PEOPLE's free weekly newsletter to get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday.

At the hospital, doctors were able to "remove a vein from her left leg to create an artery in the right to try and get blood flow reestablished to her foot and lower leg," according to Addison's father.

"The nerve on the back of the thigh was damaged severely. There is an unreal amount of damage to her thigh area," Bethea wrote in the public statement. "The doctors are unsure at this point as to the condition of the leg and want to take it day by day to see what will have to be done."

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Her family said that when she woke up on Friday morning, Addison "was in good spirits and cracking jokes about beating up the shark."

"She's been through more than I could ever imagine but she is being a trooper. Please pray for her and the difficulty of her days ahead," added Bethea. "She isn't out of the woods by any stretch, but she is alive and that's what's most important to us."

Keaton Beach

Getty Images

The teen was in about five feet of water when she was bit by the shark at Keaton Beach, the TSCO said in their news release.

Robert Sudusky, who lives near Grassy Island, told WCTV that he witnessed some of the aftermath from the horrific attack.

"Everybody at the beach here ran over to my house  I mean everybody," he told the outlet. "Everybody was shocked."

RELATED: Beloved Florida Teacher Dies Saving Teen from Drowning in Lake Michigan: 'He Cared So Deeply for Others'

It is unclear what kind of shark bit the girl, authorities said. The shark was described as being approximately nine feet in length.

Following Thursday's incident, authorities are urged boaters, swimmers and scallopers to be "alert" and "vigilant" on the water and recommended they "practice shark safety."

"Some rules to follow are: never swim alone, do not enter the water near fishermen, avoid areas such as sandbars (where sharks like to congregate), do not swim near large schools of fish, and avoid erratic movements while in the water," the sheriff's department said in its news release.

Additionally, Padgett asked individuals not to dump scallop waste or fish into the water, which he said can lead a shark to a "feeding frenzy," per WCTV.

RELATED: Colo. Man Was Protecting Child When He Was Gored by Bison at Yellowstone National Park, Video Shows

In 2021 the United States led all countries with 47 confirmed cases of unprovoked shark bites, or 64% of the global total, according to the University of Florida. The number of U.S. shark bites is up 42% from 2020, which saw 33 incidents occur.

Florida leads the U.S. in shark bites, with 28 of the 47 confirmed cases (60%) from 2021, the university reported. The state's unprovoked shark bites make up 38% of the cases worldwide.
The Jan. 6 committee has broadcast more than a dozen hours of hearings in its effort to show that former President Trump played a central role in the effort to keep him in power.

In kicking off with a prime-time hearing, the committee offered a wide-ranging look at the months leading up to Jan. 6, noting that Trump was told there was no voter fraud, yet pushed ahead with various plots to remain in office, only to largely stand by as his supporters attacked the Capitol.

But subsequent hearings have offered up numerous other revelations.

Here are 10 things weve learned from the Jan. 6 hearings.

Trump ignored the advice of aides in prematurely claiming victory

Trump had already spent weeks forecasting that if he suffered a loss on election night it could only be due to fraud in the election.

He jumped into action on election night to claim victory, even as campaign aides warned him against doing so and as projected wins for President Biden in swing states such as Arizona made it almost impossible for him to win the race.

My recommendation was to say that votes are still being counted. Its too early to tell, too early to call the race, Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien told Trump the night of the election, according to video from his deposition with the committees investigators.

I dont recall the particular words. He thought I was wrong. He told me so and, you know, that they were going to, he was going to go in a different direction.

I remember saying that  we should not go and declare victory until we had a better sense of the numbers, Trump campaign spokesman Jason Miller also advised Trump.

A suite of other aides also stepped forward to say the campaign was unable to find any evidence of widespread voter fraud, despite Trumps claims.

Some in Trumps orbit, including Ivanka, accepted there was no voter fraud

Trumps daughter Ivanka Trump was shown saying she knew her father had lost the election and believed Attorney General William Barrs conclusion that there was no widespread voter fraud.

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I respect Attorney General Barr, so I accepted what he was saying, she said of Barrs assertion there was no widespread election fraud.

Trump campaign lawyer Alex Cannon said he had a 15 second conversation with Vice President Mike Pence in which he relayed that the campaign was unable to substantiate Trumps election fraud claims.

He asked me if we were finding anything. And I said that I didnt believe we were finding it or I was not personally finding anything sufficient to alter the results of the election. And he  he thanked me. That was our interaction, Cannon said.

Giuliani acknowledged lack of evidence

Other Trump associates would keep forwarding Trumps baseless claims of election fraud, even after Barr dismissed the idea as bullshit and informed the president he could find such no such evidence.

As the battle moved to the states, Arizona Speaker of the House Rusty Bowers (R) said Rudy Giuliani and other Trump campaign lawyers repeatedly failed to provide the evidence they said they had of widespread voting fraud, with the former mayor eventually acknowledging an underlying issue.

[Giuliani] said, Weve got lots of theories. We just dont have the evidence,  Bowers said. And I dont know if that was a gaffe or maybe he didnt think through what he said.

Legal architect acknowledged basis to unwind election was bankrupt

Trump campaign attorney John Eastman, who crafted a memo encouraging Pence to buck his ceremonial duty to certify the election results, also evidently had doubts about the legality of the plan.

So during that meeting on the fourth, I think I raised the problem that both of Mr. Eastmans proposals would violate several provisions of the Electoral Count Act. Mr. Eastman acknowledged that that was the case, that even what he viewed as the more politically palatable option would violate several provisions, Pence counsel Greg Jacob told the committee, noting Trump may have been present in that meeting.

Eastman was willing to do so, Jacob said, because in his view the Electoral Act was unconstitutional and thought the courts simply wouldnt get involved.

The committee shared a never-before-seen October draft document prepared for Trump that Eastman redlined that refuted his own legal argument that the vice president has the power to single-handedly reject electoral votes.

Nowhere does [the Constitution] suggest that the President of the Senate gets to make the determination on his own, Eastman noted.

At other points leading up to and after the attack he acknowledged how his plan would be a relatively minor violation and said he wouldnt approve of Vice President Harris making such a move.

The Trump team saw a benefit to working with outsiders

Trump weighed installing Jeffrey Clark, a Justice Department lawyer specializing in environmental law, as attorney general because he was willing to send a letter to Georgia and other states asking that they stall certification of their election results so that the Justice Department could investigate baseless claims of voter fraud.

Giuliani said part of why they landed on Clark was because, somebody should be put in charge of the Justice Department who isnt frightened of whats going to be done to their reputation, because Justice Department was filled with people like that.

Trump knew there were weapons in the crowd on Jan. 6

Cassidy Hutchinson, a special assistant to Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows, said White House officials knew as early as 10 a.m. on Jan. 6 that Trump supporters had knives, guns, bear spray, body armor and spears attached to the ends of flagpoles.

Texts show Trump was evidently furious the magnetometers, or mags for short, were evidently limiting his crowd size as many protesters with weapons elected to watch the speech from outside the screened area, so their arms wouldnt be confiscated.

He felt the mags were at fault for not letting everybody in. But another leading reason and likely the primary reason is because he wanted it full and he was angry that we werent letting people through the mags with weapons, Hutchinson said.

Theyre not here to hurt me. Take the effing mags away. Let my people in. They can march to the Capitol from here. Let the people in. Take the effing mags away,  Hutchinson recalled Trump saying.

He would then use his speech to encourage his supporters to march to the Capitol.

White House lawyers worried about legal exposure of Trumps speech, march plans

White House counsel Pat Cipollone told Hutchinson a few days before the attack he was worried if Trump marched to the Capitol it could appear he was trying to incite a riot, obstruct justice, or defraud the electoral count.

Please make sure we dont go up to the Capitol, Cassidy, Hutchinson said, relaying Cipollones message to her that morning. Were going to get charged with every crime imaginable if we make that movement happen.

He and others in the White House counsels office had also raised concerns about the language used in Trumps speech for the morning of the sixth.

In my conversations with Mr. [Eric] Herschmann, he had relayed that we would be foolish to include language that had been included at the Presidents request, she said, which repeatedly would use the word fight and urged marching to the Capitol.

Both Mr. Herschmann and White House counsels office were urging the speechwriters to not include that language for legal concerns, and also for the optics of what it could portray the president wanting to do that day.

Trump thought Pence deserved it, didnt want to take action on Jan. 6

Hutchinson said Cipollone burst into Meadowss office shortly after rioters entered the Capitol, determined to get some kind of response from Trump.

He doesnt want to do anything, Pat, Meadows said in response.

Mark, something needs to be done or people are going to die and the blood is going to be on your effing hands, Cipollone responded.

He approached Meadows again minutes later amid the news of rioters chatting hang Mike Pence, telling the chief of staff they needed to do more.

You heard him, Pat. He thinks Mike deserves it. He doesnt think theyre doing anything wrong, Meadows responded.

Numerous lawmakers and Trump associates asked for pardons in connection with Jan. 6

Taped testimony from Hutchinson named Republican Reps. Matt Gaetz (Fla.), Mo Brooks (Ala.), Louie Gohmert (Texas), Andy Biggs (Ariz.) and Scott Perry (Pa.) as seeking pardons.

She also said that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) contacted the White House counsels office seeking a pardon.

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) talked about congressional pardons, but he never asked me for one, Hutchinson said, noting that he was largely inquiring about whether the White House was going to grant the lawmaker pardons.

A letter from Brooks to the White House references the ask.

I recommend that President give general (all purpose) pardons to the following groups of people, the email adds. Every Congressman and Senator who voted to reject the electoral vote submission of Arizona and Pennsylvania.

Eastman also asked Giuliani about a potential pardon.

Ive decided that I should be on the pardon list if that is still in the works, the email read.

Giuliani himself was seeking a pardon, as was Meadows, according to Hutchinson.

When questioned by Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), Hutchinson affirmed that Giuliani himself and Meadows asked for pardons relating to their involvement in Jan. 6.

Meadows denied the assertion through a spokesman.

Meadows never sought a pardon and never planned to, the spokesman said.

Witnesses received messages apparently seeking to influence their testimony

The committee displayed various intimidating messages sent to those testifying before the committee, including one where a witness was told they would stay in good graces in Trump World if they protect[ed] who I need to protect and stayed on the right team. They were also reminded Trump does read transcripts.

Another received a call the night before their deposition.

He wants me to let you know hes thinking about you. He knows youre loyal and youre going to do the right thing when you go in for your deposition, the committee said a witness was told.

Reports have since indicated Hutchinson was one of the recipients of the messages.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Tesla posted its vehicle production and delivery numbers for the second quarter of 2022 on July 2 with plans to post its financial result on July 20. SUZANNE CORDEIRO / AFP

The electric car producer reports over 254,695 car deliveries in its 2022 second quarter.

Musk refers to new Austin and Berlin factories as "money furnaces," CNBC reports.

Tesla plans to post its financial results for the quarter on July 20.

Tesla produced over 258,000 vehicles and delivered more than 254,000 in a second quarter heavily restricted by Covid and other issues, the company announced on Saturday.

In addition to the pandemic, Tesla's second quarter was affected by supply chain issues, and a shortage of parts. The numbers released reflect a 50,000-plus increase in cars delivered compared to last year's second quarter, CNBC reports.

Despite the increase, Tesla fell short of analysts' delivery expectations of 256,520 units, according to a consensus compiled by FactSet-owned Street Account. Tesla reported over 300,000 deliveries in its first quarter of 2022  over 50,000 more units than its most recent quarter.

In China, Covid-related rules forced Tesla's Shanghai factory to limit operations, and supply chain issues were exacerbated by the Russia's invasion into Ukraine.

The company plans to post the financial results of its second quarter on July 20, but Elon Musk admits production of new factories in Texas, California, and Germany have been costly.

"Berlin and Austin are losing billions of dollars right now because there's a ton of expense and hardly any output," Musk said in a May interview with Tesla Owners Silicon Valley.

"Getting Berlin and Austin functional and getting Shanghai back in the saddle fully are overwhelmingly our concerns. Everything else is a very small thing basically."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Texas safety officials will conduct random intruder drills in public schools this fall as part of the states response plan to the Uvalde massacre that left 19 children and two teachers dead.

Public schools throughout the state will undergo unannounced tests for weak entry points that active shooters could potentially exploit. The Texas School Safety Center plans to subject all school districts and 75 percent of campuses to these random intruder detection audits by the end of the school year, the Texas Tribune reported.

Your team should begin conducting in-person, unannounced, random intruder detection audits on school districts, Governor Greg Abbott wrote in a letter to the center last month ordering the safety checks. Staff should approach campuses to find weak points and how quickly they can penetrate buildings without being stopped.

At a quarterly meeting in June, Kathy Martinez-Prather, the centers executive director, assured a group of school safety officials appointed by Abbott that the tests would not be simulation intruder assessments that would involve creating a potentially traumatic or triggering situation for students and staff.

[It will be like] you and me going out there, just like a normal parent would, and ensuring that school districts keep external threats out, she said, the Texas Tribune noted.

The local police, but not the specific school, will be notified when the test is to be conducted, she added.

Martinez-Prather told the Texas Tribune that the center has secured millions of dollars in funding to train specialists to perform the audits. The center alerted school districts that they will be made aware of any vulnerabilities in the school security and infrastructure to fix following the reviews.



Abbotts administration has spearheaded a number of initiatives to improve school safety after the Uvalde tragedy, in which a gunman stormed an elementary school and killed 19 fourth-graders and two teachers, wounding 17 others as well, with an AR-15-style rifle.

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In early June, Abbott directed the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) Center at Texas State University to provide active-shooter training to all K12 public-school districts in the state.

I direct that you deploy your nationally recognized active shooter training to all Texas school districts, prioritizing school-based law enforcement, Abbott wrote to executive director Pete Blair.

More from National Review
On Tuesday, a state district judge ruled that a pre-Roe law criminalizing abortion would not be enforced.

The Texas Supreme Court blocked the lower court ruling on Friday, creating confusion for clinics.

Attorney General Ken Paxton had said district attorneys could prosecute abortion providers under the pre-Roe statute.

The Texas Supreme Court blocked a lower court order late Friday that said clinics could temporarily continue performing abortions after the Roe v Wade decision.

Abortion clinics in Texas have faced instability this week regarding whether they can continue operations.

Immediately after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade Texas implemented a state trigger law that would ban abortion at the moment of fertilization. According to the Texas Tribune, the trigger law would not take effect until 30 days after the Supreme Court ruling. However, a nearly century-old statute, which was established in 1925 but has not been enforced in Texas under Roe v. Wade, could allow prosecutors to bring criminal charges against abortion providers, Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a memo after last week's ruling.

The Texas Tribune reported that on Monday a handful of abortion providers filed a lawsuit to block the pre-Roe law. The state district judge Christine Weems, sided with providers, stating that the law was invalid. On Tuesday, Weems issued a restraining order temporarily blocking the pre-Roe law and allowing clinics named in the lawsuit to resume providing abortions.

Two days later, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed an "emergency motion for temporary relief" to block the clinics from resuming abortion services. On Friday, the Texas Supreme Court had taken Paxton's motion and overruled the lower court decision, according to the Washington Post.

Many clinics have shut down due to legal uncertainty The Austin American Statesman reported.

"These laws are confusing, unnecessary, and cruel," said Marc Hearron, Senior Counsel at the Center for Reproductive Rights, in a press release. "Texas's trigger ban is not scheduled to take effect for another two months, if not longer. This law from nearly one hundred years ago is banning essential health care prematurely, despite clearly being long repealed."

A hearing is scheduled on July 12 to decide on a more permanent restraining order.

Read the original article on Insider
TUNIS (Reuters) -A proposed constitution that includes broad powers for Tunisia's president and a reduced role for other bodies and institutions could threaten democracy, the head of the powerful UGTT union said on Saturday.

But the union, a major political force with more than 1 million members, said it would allow its members the freedom to vote as they choose on the constitution proposed by President Kais Saied.

Voters will be asked to approve the constitution in a July 25 referendum.

Saied has ruled by decree since last summer, when he brushed aside the parliament and the democratic 2014 constitution in a step his foes called a coup, moving towards one-man rule and vowing to remake the political system.

The UGTT said the proposed constitution preserved chapters related to freedoms and rights, but that some restrictions and the absence of guarantees could threaten these freedoms and rights and offer an opportunity to violate them.

The draft constitution published in the official gazette would bring most political power under Saied, give him ultimate authority over the government and judiciary.

Previously, political power was more directly exercised by parliament, which took the lead role in appointing the government and approving legislation.

Under the proposed new constitution, the government would answer to the president and not to parliament though the chamber could withdraw confidence from the government with a two-thirds majority.

Saied would be allowed to present draft laws, have sole responsibility for proposing treaties and drafting state budgets, appoint or remove government ministers and appoint judges.

(Reporting by Tarek Amara, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
Fierce battles continue for Lysychansk, the city is not surrounded, Ukraine says

Read also: Ukraines air force strikes invaders in Luhansk Oblast, delaying assault on Lysychansk

Muzychuk added that the most difficult situation has been on the Lysychansk and Bakhmut axes, as well as in Kharkiv Oblast, in recent days.

"The enemy's goal here remains to establish access to the administrative border of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, he stated.

Read also: Russians storm Lysychansk, fighting intensifies on Kramatorsk axis  General Staff

Also, on the Slovyansk axis, the enemy is attempting assaults, trying to improve its tactical position.

Muzychuks statement was given in response to comments made by Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov to Russian propagandists on July 2, that allegedly the invaders had surrounded the Ukrainian military in Lysychansk. This is not true.

Read also: Russia attempting to encircle Lysychansk, says Ukraines General Staff

The invaders, supported by artillery, are trying to block Lysychansk and take control of the Lysychansk-Bakhmut highway, which serves as a key supply route for Ukrainian troops in the east.

To accomplish this goal, Russian forces have been using heavy weaponry against the city of Lysychansk itself, as the Ukrainian military lacks long-range artillery in this region.
IRINA BALACHUK - SATURDAY, 2 JULY 2022, 09:14

Ukraine's Armed Forces have killed a total of approximately 35,870 Russian service personnel and have destroyed 1,582 tanks and 800 artillery systems as at 2 July.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook (situation as at 06:00 on Saturday, 2 July)

Details: Total Russian combat losses from 24 February to 2 July are estimated to be [figures in parentheses represent the latest losses - ed.]:

Approximately 35,870 (+120) personnel

1,582 (+5) tanks

3,737 (+1) armoured combat vehicles

800 (+4) artillery systems

246 (+0) multiple-launch rocket systems

105 (+0) air defence systems

217 (+0) aircraft

186 (+0) helicopters

653 (+8) operational-tactical level UAVs

144 (+1) cruise missiles

15 (+0) ships/boats

2,614 (+4) vehicles and tankers

61 (+0) special vehicles

Russian forces sustained their greatest losses on the Bakhmut front.
Christina Mitchell Busbee, 38th Judicial District Attorney, speaks during a press conference about the mass shooting at Uvalde High School on May 27, 2022 in Uvalde, Texas. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Uvalde District Attorney Christina Mitchell Busbee said she is meeting with victims' families.

This comes one day after officials were criticized by family members at a city council meeting.

In an interview, Busbee said the department is "trying to make sure that they're getting the resources that they need."

On Friday, Uvalde District Attorney Christina Mitchell Busbee said she is meeting with victims' families and keeping them updated with information about the school shooting that killed two teachers and 19 students in the Texas town on May 24.

Her statement came after some community members criticized the DA and other public officials at a city council meeting on Thursday night for preventing them from having access to information about the shooting at Robb Elementary School.

According to the Texas Tribune, Irma Garcia, a sister of one of the two teachers who was killed, was in attendance and said, "nobody's giving us any answers, it's been over a month, you have no idea how frustrating that is. We're sitting here, just listening to empty words."

ABC News reported that Tina Quintanilla-Taylor, whose daughter survived the shooting, said families want answers.

"We're not here just to sit around, we are demanding answers. Show your face, answer our questions," Quintanilla-Taylor said.

But in a Friday interview with ABC News, Busbee said the department is "trying to make sure that they're [families] getting the resources that they need."

She also told ABC News conversations with the families have been ongoing and she is updating them about where officials are in the investigation.

This isn't the first time family members have pleaded with officials for information: At a city council meeting last month, families rallied to have the Uvalde School District Police Chief Pete Arrodondo removed from his city council position. Arrodondo stopped cooperating with the state's investigation just days after the massacre occurred.

Many are concerned that authorities will be less forthcoming about releasing information on the shooting due to a Texas law nicknamed the "dead suspect loophole." The loophole gives police discretion when releasing investigative records if the accused was not convicted of a crime.

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Reports show police failed to respond quickly to the shooting, waiting over an hour to stop the rampage while the attack unfolded.

ABC News reported Busbee will be putting out a statement "at some point" in response to accusations from victims' families who say she is covering up the police response to the shooting.

Busbee's office did not immediately return Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A white woman whose accusations led to the kidnapping and murder of Emmett Till could still be arrested 67 years after the brutal killing, according to Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman.

But first she wants to hear from the district attorney in Leflore County, Mississippi.

Since the discovery of an old arrest warrant, activists and Tills family members have been demanding Carolyn Bryant Donham, who reportedly lied about being grabbed by Till, be arrested for her role in his death.

The woman, now 87, lives in Raleigh, according to previous reports by The News & Observer.

In a phone interview, Freeman said she is waiting for direction from the Leflore County District Attorneys office to determine what steps she can take. If the district attorney there plans to move forward, we would certainly see that she is brought to justice, she said.

Ultimately the decision as to what happens in this matter is not one within my discretion or authority, Freeman said. To some extent, obviously, it would be inappropriate for me without actual verification and a request from that jurisdiction for me to take any action.

An undated portrait of Emmett Louis Till, a black 14 year old Chicago boy, whose weighted down body was found in the Tallahatchie River near the Delta community of Money, Mississippi, August 31, 1955.

Arrest warrant found

A search team with the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation found an unserved arrest warrant dated August 28, 1955, charging Carolyn Bryant Donham in Tills kidnapping, according to a report by the Associated Press on June 29.

Donham, then 21, alleged Till whistled at her, made lewd comments and grabbed her waist in a family store in Money, Mississippi.

The warrant was found in a file folder in a box in the Leflore County Circuit courthouse, the same county where Till was murdered. According to reports by the Greenwood Commonwealth newspaper in Greenwood, Mississippi, the then-sheriff of Leflore County would not arrest Donham in 1955, who was married to one of Tills assailants, Roy Bryant, because she was caring for two young children.

Freeman said she has the authority to issue a fugitive warrant, but only when the jurisdiction in which the case exists enters the information into the National Crime Information Center database.

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Part of this process also requires that law enforcement officials in the other state confirm they are moving forward with a case and that they will extradite the individual, Freeman said.

Those are steps that really have to happen prior to our office, or any office, issuing an order for arrest or a fugitive warrant, she said. I can say that if I were in the District Attorneys office there in Mississippi I think the first thing I would be doing as my due diligence is to try and ascertain what exactly happened to that matter back in 1955.

In this Sept. 23, 1955, file photo, J.W. Milam, left, his wife, second from left, Roy Bryant, far right, and his wife, Carolyn Bryant, sit together in a courtroom in Sumner, Miss. Bryant and his half-brother Milam were charged with murder but acquitted in the kidnapping and torture slaying of 14-year-old black teen Emmett Till in 1955 after he allegedly whistled at Carolyn Bryant. A team searching the basement of a Mississippi courthouse for evidence about the lynching of Black teenager Emmett Till has found the unserved warrant in June 2022 charging a white woman in his kidnapping in 1955, and relatives of the victim want authorities to finally arrest her nearly 70 years later.

Freeman questions whether the warrant was really not served or if the records were just incomplete. She said the district attorney in Leflore County would need to build the record on what happened to the warrant.

While it is unclear if Donham still lives in Raleigh, Freeman said it is not uncommon for the DAs office to become involved in cases where charges are pending in other states. She said she has not as a district attorney issued an arrest warrant in a case this old.

In her experience, courtrooms have old warrants in them.

But I think the question then becomes, especially prior to computer records to see what happened with the case, I think what becomes a bigger challenge for the judicial officials and prosecutors in Mississippi is to go back and determine what, if any, agreement was reached at the time, Freeman said. There could have been an agreement about Donhams charge which could explain why she was never arrested.

John Barnett, a civil rights activist, speaks at a press conference outside of the District Attorneys Office in Raleigh, N.C. on Friday July 1, 2022. Barnett called for the arrest of Carolyn Bryant Donham, whose unserved warrant from 1955 for the kidnapping of Emmett Till was recently found in a court basement.

Any type of justice is good

On Friday afternoon, civil rights activist John Barnett held a press conference in front of the Wake County District Attorneys Office in Raleigh to call for the Donhams arrest.

Barnett, founder of the True Healing Under God activist group, said he plans to meet with Freeman to discuss what could be done. He was joined by several Black teenagers at the press conference, who he said he had met just before the conference.

I think any type of justice is good justice, Barnett said. Theres a dark cloud over this country.

He told reporters that he didnt care that Donham would be 87.

(Till) was 14 years old, Barnett said. Even if he did whistle [at her], does a whistling justify death? I dont care if shes 87, I dont care if shes 89 or 97, because at the end of the day I know [Tills mother] died not knowing if her son was ever going to get justice.

Tim Tyson, a senior research scholar at Duke Universitys Center for Documentary Studies, said he is glad for any justice that can be wrung out in Tills case. His murder was one of the most graphic sparks that led to the Civil Rights Movement and the news traveled around the world when Mamie Till demanded to have an open casket for her sons funeral in Chicago.

Tyson is one of the only historians to ever interview Donham about what happened between her and Till. She admitted that she lied about the details of the encounter between her and Till, he said.

Nothing that boy did could ever justify what happened to him, Donham told Tyson in an interview, he wrote in his 2017 book, The Blood of Emmett Till.

Tyson said in his research for his book, he searched through years of documents in Mississippi but did not find an arrest warrant then.

Old Southern courthouses are often a jumble, and things disappear, Tyson said. The transcript of the September 1955 trial of Bryant and his brother-in-law J.W. Milam was also missing for nearly 50 years in Sumner, Mississippi, he said.

He also said the exact timing of Donhams lie is often misunderstood. In his interview with Donham, she was not the person to tell her husband of the encounter with Till and it wasnt until the trial weeks later when she told prosecutors that Till grabbed her waist.

That doesnt make what she did any less despicable, he said.
Woodman's Markets in Waukesha is being sued by owners of some local gas stations for not complying with Wisconsin gas price fixing laws.

At $4.57 a gallon, Waukesha Woodmans gas prices are lower than the metro average by about 20 cents.

But are they illegally so? Three nearby gas stations think so.

The gas stations filed a lawsuit arguing that Woodmans sold gasoline at lower prices than state requirements on at least 40 of the last 180 days. Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge William Domina is reviewing a motion for summary judgement and is expected to issue a decision on the case before it gets to the jury.

Wisconsin law requires that retailers sell fuel at least 6% above original buying price, unless they are matching prices of a competitor or hosting specific sales.

The owners of BP and Shell, both within a mile of Woodman's, sued. Later, a third plaintiff joined, located at another BP station about 1 mile from the others.

New Berlin resident Alice Thanas has sought out Woodmans to fill up her car for years.

The price here is always lower, Thanas said. So thats why I come here.

On Thursday morning, Woodmans price for regular gas was posted at $4.57 a gallon. To compare, BP sold its regular gas at $4.79 a gallon, and Shell and the other BP sold at $4.70. Woodman's had a constant stream of customers, but the nearby BP stood empty.

Woodmans attorneys filed a motion for a summary judgement, arguing that their prices were lawful because they matched the prices of the Pewaukee Costco gas station 5 miles away. On Thursday, that station also had regular gas posted at $4.57 a gallon.

The case is scheduled for jury trial on Oct. 18-20.

Woodmans attorney Eric Meier declined to comment, and plaintiff attorney Brent Nistler did not respond to a request to speak on the case. The Woodmans owner was not interested in speaking, and a clerk on duty also declined to comment,

Thanas said the prices have been lower at Woodmans for years.

So thats why I come here and also at the same time I do my grocery here, Thanas said.

Lydia Morrell can be reached at 320-444-2339 or lmorrell@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @lydia_morrell.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Waukesha-area gas stations sue Woodman's for low prices
More than 20% of Virginians getting tested for coronavirus are receiving positive results ahead of Fourth of July weekend, marking the state's highest positivity rate since February.

The true percentage is likely higher with people using at-home rapid tests and not reporting results to health officials  a trend seen on a national level.

Friday's report from the Virginia Department of Health shows close to 3,400 more COVID infections, which brings the 7-day case average to more than 2,800 after nearly a month of decline.

While this is lower than the brief climb in infections throughout May and June that peaked at more than 3,300 cases per day, Friday's numbers are 16 times higher than this time last year when the state was averaging 176 daily cases.

During Fourth of July weekend in 2021, the delta variant had recently begun tightening its grip in the least-vaccinated states before largely subsiding in late September. Omicron, which fueled an aggressive surge that saw Virginia reporting more than 18,000 new cases per day, has remained the driver behind COVID's ebbs and flows for nearly half a year.

And in the past three months, the most COVID outbreaks in Virginia have been concentrated in K-12 schools. Per VDH data, the least-vaccinated population are 5-to-11-year-olds, a group that did not become eligible to receive a COVID vaccine until late October.

On Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration said the agency is recommending vaccine manufacturers develop a vaccine specifically aimed at fending off omicron.

That same day, the Transportation Security Administration recorded 2.4 million travelers passing through TSA checkpoints. This is the highest figure documented in the past three years and surpasses pre-pandemic numbers.

"As we move into the fall and winter, it is critical that we have safe and effective vaccine boosters that can provide protection against circulating and emerging variants to prevent the most severe consequences of COVID-19," wrote Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, which oversees safety and effectiveness of vaccines for the agency.

This does not mean that the FDA is advising manufacturers to change the original formula, but instead, provide stronger protection targeting circulating omicron subvariants that when combined, have become the primary drivers of new coronavirus cases.

Omicron subvariants have accounted for 47% of all infections statewide. VDH reported the Virginia's first omicron case in early December.

Hospitalizations have stayed largely flat at an average of 558 in the past week, according to the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association, though these figures are higher than July 1 of last year, when there were 179 people hospitalized on a given day.

Deaths are a lagging indicator for a severity of a surge and the VDH site currently shows a spike in deaths due to a two-week "blackout" period where death certificates were not being processed.

That's why on Friday, 32 new deaths were reported, bringing the average to 16 deaths per day, or about 1 person dying of COVID every 90 minutes.

Richmond and Chesterfield, Henrico and Hanover counties are facing high levels of community transmission in addition to 24 other cities and towns in the state. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advise residents in these localities to wear masks in public, indoor settings regardless of vaccination status and to be tested if having symptoms.

Another 75 localities are in medium levels of community transmission, which means 77% of the state is in an area of medium-to-high COVID spread.

But in a weekly update from the University of Virginia's Biocomplexity Institute, which has conducted infectious disease modeling for more than 20 years, researchers found that no health district is experiencing a severe surge in cases.

Most, or 23 of 35, are declining. Five have plateaued and seven are in slow growth. If the state continues on its present course, researchers project "a slow but steady decline in cases," with the state reaching less than 2,000 cases per day by early August. The best-case, and most optimistic, scenario includes increased home testing, masking and isolating when sick and assumes a 25% reduction in transmission.

"This scenario shows the importance of Virginians continuing to practice appropriate prevention and following the prevention guidelines for the CDC community level in their area."

This projection shows cases falling back down to below 1,000 daily cases by mid-September. That hasn't happened since April.
UAE president meets senior Chinese diplomat on bilateral ties, cooperation

Xinhua) 09:23, July 02, 2022

President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (R) meets with Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, on July 1, 2022. (Xinhua)

ABU DHABI, July 1 (Xinhua) -- President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Friday met with visiting senior Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi to discuss bilateral ties and ways to boost cooperation.

Yang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, first conveyed Chinese President Xi Jinping's cordial greetings to the UAE president.

Yang said that China regards the UAE, a comprehensive strategic partner, as the priority in its diplomacy in the Middle East.

He noted that the strategic guidance offered by the two heads of state plays a key role in the development of China-UAE relations. Since the beginning of this year, the two leaders have led the way to boost the bilateral ties in the new era with a successful meeting and a phone call.

Yang reiterated that China firmly supports the UAE in safeguarding its national sovereignty and security, while resolutely opposing any interference in the Gulf country's internal affairs.

China highly appreciates the UAE's support for the China-proposed Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative, and is willing to deepen cooperation with the UAE under the two major initiatives, aiming to make positive contributions to lasting world peace and long-term development, Yang said.

He expressed the hope that the two sides will enhance coordination under China's Belt and Road Initiative and the UAE's Designing the Next 50 development plan, overcome the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and continue to expand collaboration in civil aviation, energy, finance, investment, infrastructure and other traditional sectors while creating more cooperation highlights in new fields.

On global and regional issues, Yang pointed out that China is willing to step up communication and coordination with the UAE and engage in extensive South-South cooperation.

Meanwhile, China stands ready to continuously strengthen its cooperation with all Arab countries, jointly practice true multilateralism, and safeguard international fairness and justice, the Chinese diplomat stressed.

For his part, the UAE leader asked Yang to convey his sincere regards to President Xi, while expressing warm congratulations to the CPC on its 101st anniversary which falls on Friday.

Sheikh Mohamed said that the UAE and China enjoy solid political mutual trust and brotherly friendship, serving as a model of mutual respect and trust between countries.

It's a long-term project to maintain the special comprehensive strategic partnership between the UAE and China, which has extraordinary importance, said the UAE president.

Sheikh Mohamed also pledged to deepen the synergy between the development strategies of the two countries and bilateral cooperation in various fields, actively participate in the joint construction of the Belt and Road, and contribute to the peaceful development of the region and the world as a whole.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Bianji)
Gov. Glenn Youngkins new appointees to the Virginia Board of Education include members whose work focuses on private education, charter schools and opposing admission changes to one of the states most sought-after high schools.

Youngkins appointees are Grace Turner Creasey, executive director of the Virginia Council for Private Education; Suparna Dutta, co-founder of the Coalition for TJ (Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology); William D. Hansen, president and CEO of Building Hope, the nonprofit leader in charter school facilities;" Andrew J. Rotherham, co-founder and partner of Bellwether Education Partners, a research nonprofit rooted in improving learning outcomes for marginalized students; and H. Alan Seibert, the constituent services and government relations officer for Roanoke City Public Schools.

Youngkin appointed the five to four-year terms Thursday. The five fill the spots of two members whose terms expired on Thursday at the close of the fiscal year, and fill three vacancies.

In a statement about his appointees to the Board of Education, State Council for Higher Education and college boards of visitors, Youngkin said they are tasked to bring their expertise as parents, industry leaders, educators and policymakers, to the table and ensure students are prepared for successful lives.

This includes providing equal access to educational opportunities regardless of background or ZIP code, protecting and promoting free speech, restoring the ability to have civil discourse, keeping tuition affordable, and ensuring that all Virginians have access to in-demand career pathways, Youngkin said.

Youngkins picks not only give him the majority on the Board of Education, but signal the governor's education goals of charter schools, parental involvement and eliminating what his administration considers inherently divisive concepts in education.

In an October campaign video for the governor, appointee Dutta said: Im supporting Glenn Youngkin because he stands with parents, students and educators in opposing all the big interests that have taken over education in Virginia.

In the summer of 2020 when the national racial reckoning began following the murder of George Floyd, class of 2024 data was published for the Thomas Jefferson School of Science and Technology in Fairfax County, revealing fewer than 10 Black students had been admitted.

Facing a long history of low acceptance levels for Black and Latino students and a call from alumni to fix the admissions process, the magnet school began its work to create a new admissions policy. A group called Coalition for TJ formed to fight back on the admission changes.

The Washington Post reported that in December 2020, TJ announced a new holistic review policy that eliminated a rigorous two-part entrance exam and the $100 admission fee. Only race-neutral factors would be taken into account during the application process.

The Post reported that while The Coalition for TJ, cofounded by Dutta, initially found legal success when a federal judge in early 2022 ruled TJ's new admissions policy "disproportionately harmed Asian American applicants who made up a majority of the school's student body" and was motivated by the school system's desire for "racial balancing," the Supreme Court upheld the new policies in April.

In response to the Supreme Courts April decision, the coalition said TJ can continue its illegal, unconstitutional and anti-Asian admissions process.

In 2021-22, TJ's student body was 66.6% Asian, down from 71.97% the year before, according to Fairfax County Public Schools. Black students made up 3.29%, up from 1.77% in 2020-21. Latino students made up 5.41% of the student body, up from 3.05% the previous year.

In December, when Youngkin appointed Aimee Guidera as the new Secretary of Education, appointee Andrew Rotherham tweeted: this is a really good choice. @AimeeGuidera is terrific and signals @GlennYoungkin wants to get something done substantively on education.

Rotherham formerly served on the Virginia Board of Education from 2005 to 2009.

Hansen, the CEO of Building Hope, a nonprofit that finances charter schools, served as the secretary of education in President George W. Bush administration from 2001 to 2003.

Gubernatorial appointees to the Board of Education are subject to confirmation by the General Assembly. If the legislature backs the governor's appointees, the Board of Education will have all nine seats filled.

The terms of Arlington County Public Schools Superintendent Francisco Duran and Keisha Anderson, director of learning and development innovation for Newport News Shipbuilding, expired Thursday. Then-Gov. Ralph Northam appointed them in August 2018.
Randy Bachman has performed many times on Canada Day, but the event he played this year is like no other.

The former member of the Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive flew to Japan to reclaim a guitar that he's been hunting for decades.

"I'm really happy. I'm getting my lost Gretsch guitar back," the 78-year-old rocker told CBC News in a meeting room inside the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo.

The guitar is a 1957 Gretsch 6120 Chet Atkins, in orange, which he bought from a Winnipeg music store when he was 19 years old.

Forty-five years after it was stolen in Toronto, it's back in his arms, and he can hardly believe it.

"If you never want to forget your anniversary, you get married on your birthday. You never forget your wedding anniversary. I'll never forget this day," said Bachman.

The Gretsch was his first big purchase as a young adult, and he played it on the recordings of iconic tracks like Takin' Care of Business, American Woman, These Eyes and Undun. But when his band BTO came to Toronto in 1977, it was left in a locked hotel room, where it was somehow snatched.

"It was just terrible," Bachman said in an interview in 2021. "I cried for literally all night.... I loved this guitar so much."

Bachman launched his own search, which lasted decades and turned up nothing.

Japanese media reports suggest the Gretsch was eventually taken across the U.S. border, where it was sold to a guitar trader from Japan. The reports say Takeshi, a musician who writes for Japanese pop bands, purchased it in 2014 from a Tokyo guitar shop, without knowing its history. ...continue reading
The percentage of Council Bluffs Community Schools students scoring in the top three bands on the Measures of Academic Progress assessment dipped slightly from fall 2021 to spring 2022, a school district official said at a Board of Education meeting Tuesday.

The district has tested students in kindergarten through 11th grade with the MAP assessment every fall, winter and spring for five years (except during school closures in spring 2020), Chief Academic Officer Corey Vorthmann said. It was the last of his more than 100 presentations to the Board before leaving his position, effective July 1.

Overall, the percentage of students scoring in the average, high average or high band on the MAP assessment has remained mostly flat since the pandemic started, Vorthmann said. Since winter 2020, the percentage in math has varied from 57% to 59%. In reading, the percentage has fluctuated between 59% and 63%.

Since last fall, the percentage scoring in the average, high average or high band in mathematics slipped 0.3% to about 57%. Kindergarten, fourth and fifth grades made the most progress from fall to spring, while sixth, seventh and ninth through 11th dipped the most  but still only 2 to 5 percentage points.

About 58% of students met their individual growth targets in math, although that percentage varied by grade level. Percentages ranged from 40% to 42% for sixth and seventh grades, respectively, to about 66% for kindergarten. In most grades, the percentage meeting their growth targets was at or above 50%, while grades six, seven and 9-11 were below 50%.

In reading, the percentage scoring in the top three bands dropped 1.7% to just a whisker shy of 60%. Second and eighth grades improved the most, while seventh and ninth through 11th dropped 5 to 8 percentage points.

The most encouraging aspect of the results was the number of students who demonstrated at least some growth. A record 99% of students (in kindergarten through third grade) showed growth in math, Vorthmann said.

Thats remarkable, he said.

The district has set the following goals for 2024:

80% of students will score in the average, high average or high band on MAP math and reading.

60% of students will achieve individual growth targets on MAP math and reading.

100% of students will demonstrate growth in MAP math and reading.

Vorthmann has seen a correlation between regular attendance and student scores, he said. In math, the gap in performance between students who were chronically absent and those who were not chronically absent ranged from about 12% in elementary to more than 25% in high school, a chart showed. In Iowa, missing 10% of school days, or 18 days, is considered chronic absenteeism.

Attendance continues to be the biggest determinant in whether or not students are successful in their testing, he said. Attendance makes a huge difference.

During the last couple years, many students have had to stay home and isolate because of COVID-19 infections or exposure to people with the illness, Vorthmann said. Last year, the district had more than 1,500 cases of COVID-19.

The pandemic is not over, he said.

However, its important for students to attend school as often as possible, Vorthmann said.

We need to redouble our efforts to get kids to school when they are well enough, he said.
COVID had a damaging effect on our community of 600 people. Obviously, loss of life was the hardest to take. But there was also the loss of those things that make life meaningful. Isolation from each other  on top of the isolation we experience as a rural community  was hard on us. It meant limiting our interactions with our loved ones, as well as the loss of access to already limited services.

In limiting our exposure to the virus, we put off proms and graduation celebrations. Weddings and anniversaries were postponed or scaled back to a handful of guests. Group activities such as book clubs, support groups and other meetings went online or went away completely. The effect of these and other missed events took a toll on our mental and emotional states.

These necessary changes also had a very measurable effect on the economy in our community. Catering services lost business. Meeting rooms in the restaurant were unoccupied. The hotel had less guests. The bowling lanes were silent.

The most obvious hit came to our local community center. Maintained by a nonprofit organization, The Community Club, the center has been the hub for local social connection. An empty parking lot and a darkened facility was the stark contrast to the vibrant hub where we once gathered for the Halloween Trunk-or-Treat, the annual Father Daughter Dance, broasted-chicken fundraisers, Minden Fun Day, bingo, the quarter auctions, vendor fairs, arts programs and so much more.

The Club limped along with minimal concessions sold at the little league games when the teams were healthy enough to play. Meanwhile, the refrigerators and hot water heater failed. Stored food aged and had to be discarded. The parking lot lights even gave out, leaving the empty spaces even darker.

Through two years of income loss, the volunteers held out to keep this vital service available. Then came Joe Bidens American Rescue Plan (ARPA). It was supported by only one of Iowas representatives in Congress, Cindy Axne. With it came an infusion of money to almost every municipal entity in the state. Our community was one of them.

ARPA money was meant to help communities recover from the devastation of COVID mitigation actions and to put public health and community growth initiatives back on track. They could be used to support community projects, business recovery and a host of other activities.

As a City Council member, I called for a public hearing in November 2021 on how to use the money. Just a few months later, on the verge of failing, the Minden Community Club brought their needs to the City Council. Their value to the health of our community was unarguable  $10,000 was allocated from ARPA funds to return the facility to a functioning status.

Volunteers replaced light bulbs in the parking lot, the refrigerator and hot water heater were replaced. Just weeks later, the Father Daughter Dance returned to the community center and over 100 young girls and their fathers danced, celebrated and healed together.
Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital will host its first blood drive with Nebraska Community Blood Bank from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, July 6.

Nebraska Community Blood Bank supplies Jennie Edmundson and the entire Methodist Health System with blood products. Units donated at this event may be used for Jennies patients.

The goal of the blood drive is to collect 30 units of blood. If this goal is reached, $500 will be donated to the Methodist Jennie Edmundson Foundation. Donors will receive a free shirt and a Lucky for Life lottery voucher.

Appointments are recommended. Visit ncbb.org/searchdrives and use sponsor code MJE or call 402-486-9414.
Moroccos health ministry and Israels IMS Ovadia Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding to build 5 hospitals in the country for a total cost of 5 billion dirhams ($500 mln).

The deal is part of Moroccos efforts to improve health services and bridge the gap in bed capacity between regions.

The five new hospitals will be built in Fes, Meknes, Draa Tafilalet, Oriental, Marakech Safi and in the Moroccan Sahara region of Dakhla.

In a speech in July 2020 on occasion of Throne Day, King Mohammed VI urged the government to expand social welfare protection to cover all Moroccans within five years, saying the move will help integrate informal production units.

Morocco has already started opening up health insurance to professional categories that had none so far.

It also adopted a law that levels the playing field between national and foreign doctors in the private sector in a bid to foster human resources of the medical sectors.

The law is part of the implementation of the Kings initiative to revamp the health sector which suffers from a shortage of staff.

The same law seeks to encourage foreign investments in the health sector and promote its equipment with latest technologies.

Health sector reform is a major concern for Moroccan policy makers. The recent report on the new human development targets achieving WHO standards in terms of health services and staff by 2035.
Fortress Europe has never been so hypocritical. Commentators in Western media have been competing to blame Morocco for the deadly crossing of Melilla on June 24, which left 23 dead in a stampede and caused 140 injuries within Moroccan security forces.

Morocco has been the first to express condolences and deplore the death of the migrants. It also alerted to an unprecedented violence shown by Sub-Saharan nationals, who attacked security forces with stones, acid, bladed weapons and sticks.

But Western commentators prefer to turn a blind eye to Europes indirect responsibility and Algerias direct involvement in this tragic event by scapegoating Rabat. Speaking from the comfort of his air-conditioned office in a city sealed by three dangerous fences, governor of Melilla criticized the way Moroccan security forces dealt with the assault.

Sensationalism had no limits among many western human rights organizations and regional groupings including the African Union and the UN human rights watchdog, which both deplored excessive force and demanded an investigation.

The videos taken by authorities and leaked by the media have shown how African migrants broke away with their approach to avoid confrontation with Moroccan security forces. This time, the assault was well-prepared for as migrants used unprecedented violence marching like an army.

This violence is also linked to the emergence of a new group among migrants in forests surrounding Nador. These are mainly Arabic speaking migrants from Sudans Darfur, Chad, the Central African Republic and Eritrea, countries ravaged by infighting and all calamities.

Cited by MAP, head of border and migration control at the interior ministry Khalid Zerouali pointed to the military character of the assault involving former militiamen. AFP news agency spoke to some who made it to Melilla. They told the agency they prepared for this crossing like they would prepare for a war.

But, regardless of this horrendous assault on Moroccan security forces, the latter showed professionalism and restraint.

The lack of experience in organizing mass crossing among the Eastern African group, a new comer in the illegal migration scene in northern Morocco, led them to attack the same spot all at once causing a stampede in a tight gateway, as many others fell from a very high fence on each other causing suffocation.

Biased Western commentators have fixated on images shown on civil society platforms showing migrants on the ground surrounded by Moroccan forces. While these images are indeed abhorrent, they only tell half the truth.

Moroccan media is awash with coverage of African migrants being taken care of in Moroccan hospitals following the incident.

Melilla violent crossing and the death that followed it have indeed offered many enemies of Morocco a chance to attack it in a desperate bid to undermine its international role to promote a win-win approach towards migration.

They had better ask themselves: who is imposing and restricting access of Africans to visas and legal migration? Who is returning African asylum seekers at sea? in contrast, European states have opened all doors to 4 million Ukrainian refugees, in a double standard that verges on racism.

Nearly 3000 drown in the Mediterranean sea annually but no one has mentioned those because they were not filmed. Their death is a non-event unfortunately along with those left to their own survival in the desert in Algeria, where no media is allowed to criticize migration management.

The latest irony was South Africas call for an investigation into Melilla crossing! South Africa should have looked itself in the mirror before making such a call. We all remember how poor Africans were killed by South African forces and using firearms in what looked like a civil-war in 2014. Persecutions of Africans continue uncriticized in South Africa to this day.

Morocco has no lesson to receive on migration. It was the first African country to offer legal residency to over 50,000 African migrants, allowing them access to all social services on an equal footing with Moroccans. It has championed a paradigm-change in how the north deals with migration by breaking away with the security approach.

Europe cannot seal itself and ask Morocco to open its arms to people who take arms and hurt its own security forces. The rule of law takes primacy and the violence adopted by migrants will not make Morocco compromise on its human rights commitments regarding migrants. Maintaining order is one of the prime roles of the state along with safeguarding rights.

Many of the 65 people now before justice for organizing this violent crossing are facing charges including kidnapping security forces and setting fire in forests.

Europe has to ask itself who let these migrants change their usual Libya route to the distant and well-patrolled Morocco route? Most of the migrants involved in Melilla incident entered Morocco in recent months via Algeria, a country which often boasts to have one of the most surveilled borders in the world which it has closed since 1994 with Morocco.

EFE news agency leaked reports indicating a key role of migrant trafficking networks operating within Algeria that helped all the poor Sudanese cross.

European commentators who are only good at indignation should first question their own migration policies and blame those who act in connivance with migrant trafficking networks, such as the Algerian regime, to blackmail their neighbors.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rachid Talbi Alami, pleaded Thursday in Baku for the consolidation of cooperation and multilateral partnership between member countries of the parliamentary network of the Non-Aligned Movement while insisting that NAM countries establish solidarity and non-interference in the internal affairs of member countries as a doctrine in their ties.

Alami was at the opening of the inaugural Congress of the Parliamentary Network of the Non-Aligned Movement, held from June 29 to July 02 in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, under the motto Boosting the role of national parliaments in promoting global peace and sustainable development.

He stressed the need to promote the role of parliaments in the defense of peace, democratization of international relations, the fair and equitable distribution of wealth, the independence of non-aligned countries in terms of decision-making and their right to acquire new technologies.

Alami who is leading a delegation of MPs also pleaded for a better exploitation of wealth, the establishment of a climate justice, and the promotion of balanced trade.

He stressed further that respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all member countries of this movement should be at the heart of priorities as for all other countries of the international community, drawing attention to the fact that one of the major challenges posed before this geopolitical grouping is the dislocation of political regimes and separatism that represent a breeding ground for terrorism and fanaticism.

The speaker of the House of Representatives also noted that Many regions in the world are now in the grip of crises, sometimes fueled by countries that claim to defend noble values, he deplored, adding that there can be no development, progress or institutions without peace and security and also without secure borders, which are necessary for the development of trade and the safe movement of people.

The future is ours if we remain united by the bonds of cooperation, solidarity, peace and mutual respect and if we also succeed in preventing and resolving crises, said Talbi Alami.

He stressed, in this context, that Morocco, under the leadership of King Mohammed VI, remains committed to the defense of this doctrine while working to build promising partnerships and share its experiences and best practices with friendly countries, especially since events in the world strengthen more than ever the role of this international movement for peace, democracy and coexistence.

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev underlined in an opening address that although his country is a relatively new member of NAM, it joined in 2011, it tried, from the very first days of its membership to contribute to solidarity, mutual support and promotion of the Bandung Principles.

We fully share the Bandung Principles and we consider these principles as the only basis for cooperation and interaction between countries  territorial integrity, sovereignty, independence, non-interference into each others affairs. If these principles were preserved by all countries, there would have been no wars, no conflicts and no injustice, the President said.

The constitutive meeting of the NAM Parliamentary Network was held in Madrid in November 2021, on the sidelines of the 143rd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

This body aims to enshrine the principles of the Non-Aligned Movement, created at the Bandung Conference in 1955. Morocco was one of the founders of NAM.

The network seeks to be a framework for cooperation and coordination between parliaments of NAM member states, for the promotion of parliamentary diplomacy and inter-parliamentary coordination, particularly in matters of climate change, democracy, human rights, peace, security and sustainable development.
ENGELWOOD, Colo.  An Arapahoe County, Colorado, jury found David Anderson, 62, of Cozad guilty of murdering Sylvia Quayle in her Cherry Hills Village home in 1981. The June 30 verdict brings to a close a cold case that spanned more than four decades.

For more than 40 years the defendant carried with him a dark secret, a secret that was finally revealed during this trial, said Deputy District Attorney Grant Grosgebauer, one of the prosecutors on the case.

According to a district court affidavit, Quayles body was found by her father, William Quayle, in her home at 3800 S. Ogden St. in Cherry Hills Village.

Police responded to his call of a woman down just before 8 a.m. Aug. 4, 1981, and soon found her dead at the scene. Her father told officers he found Quayles body lying on the living room floor, nude with her arms above her head and a white towel covering her face, according to the affidavit.

Police noted Quayles hands were covered in blood and she had red marks on her neck, according to the affidavit. An investigation revealed she had been shot with a .22 caliber bullet in the top of her head, stabbed three times in her upper back and evidence showed strangulation, the affidavit said.

For more on this story, visit the Colorado Community Media website here.
LINCOLN  Authorities have been notified about an inmate missing from the Community Corrections Center in Lincoln.

Seth Straub left his work assignment in the community Friday morning and did not return to the facility.

Straub started his sentence on April 6, 2021. He was sentence to three to five years on a charge of theft by unlawful taking or disposition out of Hitchcock County. Straub has a parole eligibility date of July 28 and a tentative release date of July 19, 2023.

Straub is a 23-year-old white man, 5-foot-10, 210 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. Anyone with knowledge of his whereabouts is asked to contact local authorities or the Nebraska State Patrol.

CCC-L is one of two community custody facilities operated by the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services. Community custody is the lowest custody level and the least restrictive facility. Inmates are allowed to participate in work opportunities and attend school and religious services with prior approval and without direct supervision.
Before the era of satellites, it was next to impossible to know whether a hurricane occurred out in the open ocean unless a ship was unlucky enough to run into it. And scientists for decades have been trying to piece together a historical record to better understand how the climate crisis is changing these storms.

But researchers said Monday they have constructed a clearer picture than ever and found that the frequency of the planet's most devastating storms has decreased over the past century.

The study, published in the journal Nature Climate Change, found that the annual number of global hurricanes, typhoons and tropical storms  or tropical cyclones, more generally  declined by roughly 13% as the planet warmed during the 20th century.

Scientists found that trend in most of the world's oceans, except for the North Atlantic, where the number of storms increased.

The lead researcher on the study told CNN that while his team found a drop in frequency, that doesn't mean storms are becoming less of a threat. In fact, said Savin Chand, a senior lecturer at the Federation University in Australia, while there may be fewer tropical cyclones in the future, it is likely they will be more intense.

"Cyclones are no doubt one of the costliest natural disasters everywhere," Chand told CNN. "What's happening with global warming is that these underlying conditions are getting more unfavorable for cyclones to form in the first place. But even though cyclones are getting fewer, those that do form are now feeding more energy from the warming atmosphere, so that's why they're getting more intense."

Tropical cyclones need a special set of conditions in order to develop from a cluster of thunderstorms into enormous, swirling heat engines. Over the years, scientists have become increasingly confident that human-caused climate change is making those conditions more uncommon, but when they do form, warmer air and ocean temperatures are making them more potent.

Figuring out how the climate crisis is changing tropical cyclones has been a challenge due to limited historical data. Suzana Camargo, co-author of the study and professor at Columbia University, said the goal was to put all the existing evidence together to try to "breach the uncertainty  or make it a little smaller."

"People have been doing different attempts to try to figure out what happened with other datasets, using different methodologies, so I see this paper as another piece of the puzzle," Camargo told CNN. "We do not have data in the past, and we cannot go back and be there now, so this paper is trying to recreate in a different way that has been done so far what has happened in the relation to number of tropical cyclones."

Adding to that uncertainty is a field of developing research on the impact of air pollution. Unlike greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide or methane, this pollution reflects sunlight back to space, which has a cooling effect. While there are natural sources of this air pollution, much of it in the early to mid-20th century came from sources like industrial smokestacks and car exhaust.

"When you just look at the North Atlantic, the study is very consistent with my (previous research)," Hiro Murakami, co-author of the study and a scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told CNN.

Murakami's study published in May found that over the past four decades, a decrease in air pollution over North America and Europe resulted in an increase in the number of hurricanes in the North Atlantic. On the other side of the world, researchers detected a decrease in the number of typhoons in the western North Pacific, sparked by an increase in aerosol pollution in China and India.

Kevin Reed, a climate and hurricane scientist at Stony Brook University, said it's important to understand the differences between frequency changes versus storm characteristics. In April, Reed published a study that found climate change supercharged the rainfall in hurricanes during the record-breaking 2020 season.

"It's always important to look back to the past and use that to better understand how these events might change in the future, but also to acknowledge that it's not just the frequency of the events that matter," Reed, who was not involved with Monday's study, told CNN. "It is also their intensities, other characteristics, likelihood of landfall, and a lot of aspects like that, which the broader scientific community is exploring."

Scientists say that as the planet rapidly warms, extreme weather events will become more disastrous and possibly harder to predict. Chand told CNN that research into tropical cyclones is so important because they can lead to such devastation.

"The climate is changing, and humans are the major cause and contributors toward that change," Chand said. "So understanding all extremes in the context of climate change is very important, and tropical cyclones are one of those extremes that has very severe implications on society."
The Alabama Republican Party announced late Friday morning that it had decided to vacate its earlier decision to grant a previously rejected provisional vote to incumbent Tom Whatley that had made his state senate primary race against Jay Hovey an astounding 8,373-8,373 tie.

The decision meant that there would be no coin toss and that Jay Hovey, who earlier in the week had qualified to defend his Auburn City Council seat, would instead be running as the Republican nominee for Alabama Senate District 27 against Sherri Reese of Opelika on Nov. 8.

In its statement to the media, ALGOP said its decision was based on the new information provided by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency that made it clear that the voter was not registered to vote. It said that the process had revealed several areas of serious concern and vowed to work to solve those problems.

Hovey said he was thankful for the prayers and encouragement hed received since taking a four-vote lead on election night on May 24.

That lead dipped to a one-vote lead when provisional votes were counted on May 31, and then to a deadlock at a hearing on June 23 when ALGOPs Candidate Committee allowed a provisional vote that was later ruled to be illegal.

This has been a potentially divisive experience, Hovey wrote in a text message around noon Friday to the Opelika-Auburn News. But we have maintained that we would be successful by standing with integrity and running a clean campaign about me and my desire to serve.

ALEA statement

ALGOP had scheduled a second hearing by conference call for 10:10 a.m. Friday, in which Hovey and Whatley would have had 10 minutes each to present his case to the candidate committee regarding the statement from ALEA.

At the first hearing on Saturday, the committee had decided to accept the previously rejected provisional vote, which had been cast by a Tallapoosa County woman. That vote was added to Whatleys total, and the race was declared a tie. According to Alabama code, the tie would be broken by lot, such as flipping a coin.

The party felt compelled to go with their feelings instead of the facts, and the facts were substantiated by ALEA a day later, Hovey said on Wednesday.

ALEAs statement, released on Sunday, questioned the validity of that provisional vote.

According to the statement, the voter applied for an Alabama drivers license but did not complete the process, was not issued the license and did not sign the required voter declaration.

Meanwhile, Hovey filed a motion requesting a re-hearing.

Early Wednesday morning, Whatley told the media through a spokesman that the coin toss was scheduled for later that day.

Hovey responded by saying that nobody had told him about a coin toss that day, and that ALGOP Chairman John Wahl had told him that if there was one, it would take place after the Fourth of July weekend.

Whatleys sudden change of schedule is in no doubt directly related to the public unraveling of the legitimacy of his additional provisional vote, Hovey wrote in an email to the O-A News.

On Wednesday afternoon, Hovey said that the Alabama Republican Party had received his request for a re-hearing and that there is certainly no plans for a coin toss anytime soon. The party sent out the order for the re-hearing on Thursday and set the date for Friday.

Friday morning

On Friday morning, several hours before the second hearing was to occur, Whatley issued a statement to the media that he had conceded the race to Hovey.

He called his 12 years in office fantastic and said serving the people of Lee, Tallapoosa and Russell counties was the honor of a lifetime.

When asked for his reaction, Hovey told the Opelika-Auburn News that hed heard the news from the press but not from Whatley himself or the Alabama Republican Party.

Around 11:30 a.m., ALGOP released its statement confirming that Whatley had withdrawn before the re-hearing was scheduled to be held that day and that Hovey will be the Republican Party nominee for Alabama Senate District 27.

In its statement, ALGOP said that the statement from ALEA makes it clear that the provisional vote in question should not have counted because the voter had not registered.

This election cycle has revealed several areas of serious concern in the election process, the statement continued. These issues led to problems that hurt the Alabama Republican Party, our candidates, and our voters. We plan to work with lawmakers, the Secretary of State, Probate Judges, Boards of Registrars, and ALEA to find solutions to these problems, and to make sure they dont happen again.

The ALGOP believes Alabama and our voters deserve better. We invite Councilman Hovey and Senator Whatley  as well as our other candidates  to join us in this effort.
Lee County is taking a wait-and-see approach before making any decisions on how to spend COVID-19 relief money that its earmarked for rural broadbrand.

Thats because the state has already provided funding directly to broadband companies, including Charter Spectrum and Point Broadband.

The Lee County Commission recently voted unanimously to use $4.4 million, equal to 20% of its designated American Rescue Plan Act funds, to help provide better broadband access throughout the county. In the meantime, the county is waiting to see what the companies do before announcing any projects, something Commissioner Robert Ham said the state advised counties to do.

When we were trying to designate that ARPA money, we were told by the state, Before you designate money for broadband, hold up on that till you see what were going to do to help yall, Ham said. The way they decided to do it was just let the contractors make application.

As a result, the county is currently sitting on millions of dollars in broadband funds while both the state and the internet providers figure out where they are going to go first. The logic is to let the broadband companies start laying cable where they feel they need to, and then the county can come in and fill in whatever gaps are left later. Essentially, wherever the most houses are will get service first, and areas with fewer houses will come later.

Lee County Administrator Holly Leverette recently laid out the countys train of thought on this process.

If youve only got one house down the road, it doesnt economically make sense that you would spend all that money to do that infrastructure, Leverette said. But if you see the need and its going to affect the greater majority of people in a certain area and they dont have broadband, then those are the areas that we want to target: the areas where theres not already money, but theres a gap.

Lee County Commissioner Doug Cannon, who ran his campaign on getting better broadband access into the county, also cited costs as the main reason for waiting on the cable companies to go first.

Its going to cost the cable company so much money to do it, so the states going to put up millions of dollars to try to give people access to it, Cannon said. Thats why I wanted to allocate 20% of our ARPA funds toward that. Once we find out what the states going to do, we can go in there and put internet where it needs to go.

Last year, Gov. Kay Ivey awarded $302,245 to Spectrum to expand broadband in Lee County. Its just one of several pockets of cash the state has awarded to broadband companies to help improve infrastructure in Alabama. According to a release from the state last summer, Spectrum Southeast had plans to make broadband services available to more than 430 households and five businesses in western Lee County.

Point Broadband is currently doing work in the northwest part of the county as well. In a June 27 pitch to the county commission, Points vice president of strategic growth, David Ficken, laid out his companys current plans for the area.

Point has begun servicing homes along Highway 280 toward Waverly and down Lee Road 14 to Loachapoka and on to the Macon County line. Ficken said he expects all of those homes to be fully serviced in the next 30-45 days. Point is also doing work in the eastern part of the county around the Spring Villa area.

I think we all recognize that broadband has become pretty much an essential part of our life, Ficken told the commission. We all need more of it than we did last year. And the real acute pain is in the rural areas where its not reached because of the lack of investment usually by the larger providers.

That acute pain is felt by many rural Lee County residents. Over the years, broadband access has become a normal part of everyday life. For those that live in urban areas, internet access is often taken for granted. Its easily accessible from homes to coffee shops. But get just a few miles outside of Auburn or Opelika, and broadband access disappears quickly.

Sandy Pouncey, who lives off Lee Road 11 outside of Beauregard, agrees with her neighbors that a lack of broadband has kept them from being able to reliably work and go to school remotely from home, not to mention being able to stream movies.

Pouncey also brings up another situation where internet access matters: inclement weather. Pouncey is a survivor of the tornado that hit Beauregard in 2019, and she founded a petition last year called We Want Reliable Internet in Beauregard, Alabama. The petition currently has 108 signatures.

We have two options, Pouncey said of the limited internet access in her area. We got HughesNet or ViaSat. Theyre both satellite companies. If you know anything about satellite, you know when it rains, we have no internet.

According to Pouncey, the 2019 tornado took out a Verizon tower not far from her, and that tower was never replaced. Additionally, she says, a tornado siren near Samford Middle School has been broken for some time and not fixed.

When it started raining early that morning, the TVs all went out, the internet all went out and all we had was our phones, she said. We had a Verizon cell tower out here. But everything went out and so all those people that were in church, then they come home and thats why we had so many die out here, because nobody knew it was that bad.

Without a reliable internet connection and no sirens, residents were effectively in a void. The closest internet antenna is several miles away on the Beauregard water tower.

Ham touts that antenna as a proud moment for Beauregard.

When they were asked years ago about that, Beauregard said, Sure, come put antennas on our water tower. Wont hurt a thing. All itll do is help our citizens, Ham said.

Pouncey, however, remains skeptical. Thats eight miles down by the high school, she said. We are actually three miles from Russell County and seven or eight miles from Macon County, and we are almost out of Lee County here. We are The Forgotten Area.

Cannon said he empathizes with the situation in which many rural Lee County residents find themselves.

Broadband is a necessity now just like electricity was 50 years ago with medical devices, and people now working from home, he said. Based on the pandemic, kids couldnt even go to school so they had to go sit on school buses to have access to broadband.

The people in the city have access, but people in rural areas didnt have access to broadband so they couldnt work from home. Thats why its a necessity this day and time to get that.

Cannon says its his goal to get broadband implemented across the county as soon as possible.

With $4.4 million sitting on top of state funds, that shouldnt be an issue.

Meanwhile, development continues out in the county. Two new water towers and a sheriffs tower recently went up in eastern Lee County not far from Beulah. According to Ham, those three towers will eventually have broadband antennas added to them and will help cover the Lake Harding area.

If you look at all three of them, the two water towers and the tower that was put up for the sheriffs department, thats kind of like a triangle which is good for broadband, he said. That will cover all of the Lake Harding areas where we have not had very good broadband as well as not good coverage for our sheriffs department.

Cannon said if Lee County needs even more resources to get broadband coverage throughout the county, hes prepared to go to the mat for it.

Were going to see how far this goes, he said. If its going to cost a lot more, then were going to fight for it because we got to protect the citizens in Lee County.
DEATH!



To all of them.

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Wendy Williams death to all of them free Britney Spears Brittany family pic.twitter.com/syWWv1Giya  rxn vids (@RxnVids) June 28, 2021

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Side note...I cant believe that all of the Wendy Show items (including the chair) were just thrown in the trash.

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Get em, Mathew! 

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I hope everything is revealed and their asses go to jail and get sued to hell and back.

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JesusOn Jan. 30, 2008, Wyle allegedly wrote an email to Taylor, which stated: We have run into a problem with [the] judge selection the only judge who will be able to hear our case on Friday is the one drug [sic] who will not give Jamie the power to administer psychotropic drugs to Britney Spears.



These people are absolutely vile and belong in jail. Jamie is also denying (under penalty of perjury) that he bugged Britneys home. Theyre going to start turning on each other soon. I hope Britney gets the justice she deserves, I fear we dont even know the worst of what they did to her.

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Every judge involved in this should face some kind of review, too.

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There are SO many judges that should be not just reviewed but impeached (if that's the term for it) from their position of power.



Many are not even fit to serve (Trump appointees who are far from qualified) and others that are straight up racist, classist, biased, etc and have no business ruling on some cases.

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On Jan. 30, 2008, Wyle allegedly wrote an email to Taylor, which stated: We have run into a problem with [the] judge selection the only judge who will be able to hear our case on Friday is the one drug [sic] who will not give Jamie the power to administer psychotropic drugs to Britney Spears.



well, as long as it was court-approved for over a decade, we cant question how it came about!



I actually read the source to see if they mentioned the $18 million they made off of someone who had no say in her representation and was forced to work, and weirdly theres no denial about that.

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The way these people stalked and pursued Britney thru 2007 like a horror movie is STILL not discussed as it would be.... this was a divorced single mother being persecuted in the media and she was being hounded daily, of course she was fucking LOSING IT!!! Will forever be gagged that the weird video she made in 07 about the woman telling her "go to the light and see Jesus" was Lou. This exorcist scammed her way into Britney's life and money

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So much of that is sickening but the thing that gets me is the reference to her having been hanging Jamie for three years prior it reeks of her having smelled an opportunity long before Britney really hit the actual crisis point and having cultivated him to get herself in position

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Under the jail!

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Wow this just gets worse.



Thank god Britney has this terrific lawyer.

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Ive been waiting for this Robins nest egg bout to crack and get yolk all over her fucking face. Get her, Jade.

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This is so disgusting, I really hope they get what's coming to them. So much calculated wrongdoing in order to take advantage of a woman and her power/wealth.

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Ohhh yessss. GET ALL THAT MONEY BACK AND MORE.

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Im SO happy she has him as a lawyer now. Its disgusting what these people thought they could get away with (and have for such a long time)

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Dont stop until youve destroyed every fucking last one of them, Matthew.

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theirs is dualstar IIRC

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correct

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A 2018 survey of nearly 1,500 farmers found 69 percent still use non-computerized tools for their day-to-day operations compared to 16.5 percent who chiefly rely on FMS systems.

The SEC has just proposed a new ESG rule that could spell disaster for some American farms and ranches.

As small farming and ranching operations struggle to bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic and supply-chain disruptions, the federal government is preparing to throw another hurdle their way.

In March, the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), a governmental outfit purporting to promote a market environment that is worthy of the public's trust, proposed a new Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) rule. Billed as the Enhanced and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors, it would require registrants who do business with small operators to include certain climate-related disclosures called Scope 3 Emissionsindirect (upstream or downstream) emissions occurring in the value chain of the reporting company.

Farmers and ranchers, however, arent public companies nor registrants reporting to the agency. But the aforementioned provision will adversely affect their operations and impose steep costs and liabilities.

First, the agencys new rule is unenforceable as it cannot regulate non-financial goals like ESGincluding Scope 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions goals. Why? Political goals fall outside their purview.

As spelled out in Section 13(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the SEC can only create rules deemed necessary or appropriate for the proper protection of investors and to insure fair dealing in the security. ESG principles, as understood, dont make businesses more securejust more vulnerable to politicization.

Unelected SEC staff cannot compel registrants to disclose information of their business partners. Only Congress is constitutionally authorized to craft bills relating to climate and environmental regulationsnot the SEC. The Mercatus Center notes, The SEC has therefore concluded that it is generally not authorized to order disclosures relating to environmental, sustainability, or other social goals except in response to a specific congressional mandate.

Small owners and operators are already subjected to onerous regulations by local, state, and federal laws. Why put more strains on struggling businesses that feed and nourish us? It wouldnt be fair.

Demanding these smaller producers adopt more rigorous reporting regimes in this manner would also invite massive privacy concerns.

Unlike corporations, small and medium-sized agribusinesses typically run their operations out of their personal residences. For instance, disclosing data regarding individual operations and day-to-day activitiesif made public could invite threats by agriculture industry opponents and make them the target of radical environmentalists and animal rights activists intent on disrupting and stopping their operations altogether.

Unfortunately for the SEC, the courts have previously ruled against governmental agencies that force disclosure of sensitive personal data. The Eight Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in American Farm Bureau Federation v. EPA (2016) that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) disclosing spreadsheets containing personal information of farmers invites substantial privacy interest of the owners while furthering little in the way of public interest that is cognizable under FOIA and would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.

If the agency goes down this route, registrants working with small companies wont trust them to handle disclosures containing sensitive information going forward. And they shouldnt.

Given constraints already placed on small agribusinesses, disclosing personal data would place an enormous financial strain on them. To meet new demands, farmers and ranchers would have more time dedicated to collecting data and less time on their food products.

Farm management software (FMS), for instance, isnt cheap nor heavily utilized by most farmers and ranchers. Its reported software would cost these small businesses an additional $1,200 annually. Moreover, a 2018 survey of nearly 1,500 farmers found 69 percent still use non-computerized tools for their day-to-day operations compared to 16.5 percent who chiefly rely on FMS systems.

Related: Goldman Sachs: Upside Risk In Oil Is Tremendously High

Ultimately, adopting a rigorous reporting data regime would make it impossible for these small businesses to focus on their bottom line: feeding, fueling, and clothing the U.S. and beyond.

If this rule proceeds, the SEC will betray its mission to protect investors, facilitate capital formation, and foster fair, orderly, and efficient markets. Worse, the Scope 3 considerations would result in the closure of small businesses and force SEC registrants to seek food products from businesses outside the U.Smaking our nation highly vulnerable to food insecurity.

In response, a bipartisan group of 118 House members, including swing district Democrats Reps. Elaine Luria (D-VA) and Elise Stlokin (D-MI), have demanded the agency scrap the rule altogether ahead of its comment period deadline on June 17th, 2022. Trump-appointed SEC Commissioner Hester M. Piece has also voiced her opposition to the proposal because it would undermine the agencys disclosure regime and harm the economy.

Farmers and ranchers are conservationists who are mindful of their environmental footprint. They dont need to heed SEC directives to steward their lands properly.

By Zerohedge.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
What appears to be the most crucial issue for Erdogan is that Finland and Sweden agree to extradite suspected PKK members.

Erdogan said that if the deal isnt followed, Turkeys parliament could block their membership.

Turkey lifted its objection to Sweden and Finland joining NATO after the three countries signed a 10-point agreement on Tuesday.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday that Sweden and Finland could still have their NATO bids blocked by Turkey if the Nordic nations dont follow a memorandum that was signed earlier in the week.

Turkey lifted its objection to Sweden and Finland joining NATO after the three countries signed a 10-point agreement on Tuesday. Under the deal, the Nordic nations agreed to respond to Turkeys extradition requests, lift export controls on Turkey, and not support Kurdish militant groups, including the PKK.

Erdogan said that if the deal isnt followed, Turkeys parliament could block their membership. "This business will not work if we dont pass this in our parliament," Erdogan said at the final day of the NATO summit in Madrid.

"First Sweden and Finland must fulfill their duties and those are already in the text But if they dont fulfill these, then, of course, there is no way we would send it to our parliament," he warned.

What appears to be the most crucial issue for Erdogan is that Finland and Sweden agree to extradite suspected PKK members. He claimed Sweden agreed to extradite 73 people, although a leaked version of the memorandum did not say that.

"Sweden promised to give us these 73 people with this text. They may or they may not, we will follow that through the text and we will make our decision," the Turkish leader said.

Related: Canada May Expand Energy Infrastructure To Help Europe

Concerning extradition, the memorandum said that Sweden and Finland agreed to address Turkeys "pending deportation or extradition requests expeditiously and thoroughly." The Nordic nations also agreed to "establish necessary bilateral legal frameworks to facilitate extradition and security cooperation with Turkey."

The Swedish government could come under intense domestic pressure over the deal with Turkey. The ruling Social Democrats recently survived a no-confidence vote that relied on the support of an independent MP of Kurdish heritage, Amineh Kakabaveh, who said the government agreed not to give in to Turkeys demands for NATO membership.

By Zerohedge.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Nickel prices jumped by 6% following news that the UK government has added Vladimir Potanin, Norisk Nickels president, to its list of sanctioned individuals.

The UK government has added Vladimir Potanin, Norilsk Nickels president and chairman of the management board, to its list of sanctioned individuals. The LME nickel price remains in question. A June 29 update notification from HM Treasurys Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) noted Potanins addition. The stated reason was that he would benefit from or support the Russian government by owning or controlling Rosbank.

Rosbank is carrying on business in the Russian financial services sector, which is a sector of strategic significance to the Government of Russia, OFSI said in its update. Potanin, the board chairman for Moscow-based conglomerate Interros, holds a 35.9% stake in Norilsk Nickel. That holding group acquired Rosbank from French investment bank Societe Generale back in April.

The LME Reacts to Sanction News and Nickel Price

The market quickly voiced concerns over possible supply issues. According to reports, news of the sanctions caused nickel prices on the London Metal Exchange to jump by 6%. The base metals official three-month closing price was $23,158 per metric ton on June 28. According to data from the bourse, this represents a decline of 10.8% from June 21, when prices were $25,949.

The sanctions are part of the Russian Regulations. This information falls under the Sanctions and Money Laundering Act of 2018. According to the OFSI documents, these stipulate freezing funds and economic resources belonging to entities involved in destabilizing Ukraine. It undermines or threatens the territorial integrity, sovereignty, or independence of Ukraine. Its about obtaining a benefit from or supporting the Government of Russia.

The asset freeze also prevents any UK citizen or business from dealing with any funds owned, held, or controlled by the named individual. It also prevents funds or economic resources being provided to or for the benefit of the designated person, a government statement said. Potanin will also not be able to enter the United Kingdom or remain in the country

A Long List of Bans and Sanctions

Norilsk, one of the worlds largest single nickel producers, accounts for approximately 7% of the global supply. Of course, Nickels primary application is the production of austenitic stainless steel. However, the metals application also extends to batteries, including those designed for electric vehicles. Platinum and palladium are also sourced heavily from Norilsks production. Back in May, the UK government imposed a 35% duty on all imports of the rare metals sourced from Russia or Belarus.

Related: Oil Markets Could Face A Doomsday Scenario This Week

That same month, the UK froze the assets of London-headquartered Evraz. As a major steel manufacturer, Evraz has steelmaking and mining assets in Russia. The Financial Conduct Authority had already suspended the groups shares on the London Stock Exchange two months earlier. This was largely due to the governments addition of Roman Abramovich to its list of sanctioned individuals.

In March, steel and iron imports from Russia and Belarus were subjected to a 35% import duty. The move was the result of denying the two countries Most Favored Nation status for hundreds of their exports.

It Remains Unclear How Much Impact the Move Will Have

The LME has still not banned Russian Nickel. Its just that the stocks from Russia are lower due to concerns over supply and logistics. So, while things might seem tight in Europe for now, there are ample opportunities to source Nickel from other places and producers.

Indonesia, for instance, has been ramping up its nickel production exponentially. This will effect its nickel price. In fact, estimates put the countrys primary production forecast for 2022 at 1.3 million metric tonnes. Thats a 52% increase on the year. Currently, primary nickel demand within Europe is forecasted at 310,000 metric tonnes for the year. This is a significant increase from 2021, when demand was 300,000. Fortunately, the LME does not require high-quality nickel for all of the nickel it pushes through.

Despite the sanctions, Norilsk Nickel will likely turn its attention towards China as a primary end-user. If demand holds up in that market, the company will not get too broken up about Potanins inclusion on the U.K.s list.

By AG Metal Miner

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Paul Hartnett is being remembered as a towering civic icon who shaped the life of modern Bellevue and generations of students and Nebraska leaders.

The former member of the Nebraska Legislature and Bellevue Board of Education passed away on Sunday, June 27, at age 94.

Paul Hartnett was a great public servant, educator and civic leader, Douglas County Commissioner Jim Cavanaugh said. He was also a good man. I had the pleasure to know and work with Paul over many years and to see firsthand the good he did for our community, state and nation.

Hartnett served on the school board from 1968 until 1984, when he was elected to the Unicameral. He was re-elected four times in the 45th district and stepped down in 2004.

As a state senator, Hartnett was the driving force behind two major road projects that impacted Bellevue: the extension of the Kennedy Freeway through Bellevue and the construction of the Highway 34 bridge over the Missouri River.

State Sen. Carol Blood, the Democratic nominee for governor, said that Hartnett understood connectivity is key to economic development, and he had a very clear understanding of that.

If we didnt have the Kennedy expressway into Bellevue, our economic activity would have been negatively affected, Blood said. It broadened the ability to have people come in and out of our community and spend dollars. It opened up an area where businesses could align to the expressway and bring more people in to buy cars, to buy products.

Born Sept. 29, 1927, Hartnett was raised in Hubbard, Nebraska. He graduated from Wayne State College with a bachelors and a masters degree, and he earned a doctorate in education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

A lifelong educator, Hartnett began his career as a teacher in Brunswick and Hubbard before moving to Bellevue in 1958, becoming an administrator in the Bellevue Public Schools. He also was a professor of education at Creighton University for 31 years from 1966 to 1997.

Deane Finnegan, former executive director of the Nebraska Democratic Party, was a Bellevue ninth grader when she first met Hartnett. Finnegan recalls the night she and a group of friends returned to school to retrieve an item left behind in a friends locker.

The doors were locked, and no amount of knocking alerted anyone inside to their plight. In a moment of frustration, she kicked and shattered a glass door, setting off alarms. Like any sensible junior high students would do, Finnegan and her friends ran.

But Finnegan summoned her courage and later went to admit her guilt to Hartnett, who was the schools assistant principal. Finnegan said he listened to her, asked a few question, accepted that the kick was not in malice, and sent her back to class.

It sounds so insignificant now, but when you were a ninth grader it was a huge deal, Finnegan said.

When she encountered Hartnett years later as a state senator, Finnegan was chagrined that he remembered the incident.

He was the same kind thoughtful person I had known as my assistant principal, she said. My parents knew him well, and always said what a quality person he was. When I got to see him from an adult viewpoint, I realized how right they were. This man only cared about his students, believed in his students, listened to his students and did the right thing for his students.

Hartnett did the same thing for Nebraska, she said, and especially for the Bellevue area and for youth, working on all manner of education and child welfare issues.

He was authentic and could work well with everybody. He was a servant leader, and that showed whether he was dealing with his students or with his fellow legislators, Finnegan said.

Hartnett also spent a great deal of time recruiting people to run for office.

He knew that good government was about having good candidates, Blood said.

Paul Hammel  a senior reporter for the Nebraska Examiner and former editor of the Papillion Times  covered Hartnetts work at the Unicameral.

Sen. Hartnett was, in my mind, a state senator for all the right reasons  he wanted to help his community and constituents, and help craft better state laws, Hammel said. He wasnt in it for himself or to elevate him into higher office. He really cared about Bellevue, and was always great to deal with.

Following his tenure in the Legislature, Hartnett was elected to the Learning Community of Douglas and Sarpy Counties and served for 10 years. He also became a board member of the Bellevue Housing Agency.

Paul was much more than a Board Member, however, and is the reason we are now in a position to help the hundreds of tenants we serve in Sarpy County, the agency said in a statement. He saw the need and the potential in the area and started the conversations to not only transform BHA, but also to start the Housing Foundation for Sarpy County.

Our gratitude to Paul Hartnett can never be fully put into words, the BHA continued. We will, as an organization, always strive to follow his guidance and continue to serve our community. He will not be forgotten and will forever live in our programs, outreach, and in the changes made to better lives in our County.

Hartnetts philanthropic activity was extensive. He worked with the Eastern Nebraska Community Action Partnership, St. Marys College Mothers Living and Learning Program, St. Augustines in Winnebago, and weekly food deliveries to homeless shelters. Hartnett was a devoted parishioner of Bellevues St. Marys Catholic Church.

My biggest thing is that I like to help people, Hartnett said in a 2018 interview.

He established the D. Paul & Marjorie S. Hartnett Scholarship at Creighton University, which supports Native American students first, and then students from Bellevue high schools.

I cant talk about Paul Hartnett without talking about his wife Marge, because they were peas and carrots, Blood said.

Hartnett met his wife while they both attended Wayne State University. They married in 1951 and had five children. Marge Hartnett passed away in 2018.

They went to more community events than you could ever print in the newspaper, and they were actively involved in causes and events that pertained to Nebraskas children. They were very supportive of our first responders, Blood said.

They were always very concerned that people were able to lift themselves up and have a better life, and so he really to me is what I strive to be, that good governance isnt just about making policy, its about being involved in your community and trying to make the community better with your actions. He and Marge lived that life every day, she added.

Hartnett is survived by children Debbie Burchard, Cindy Spagnola, Marcy Closner (Rick), Joanie Hartnett, Michael Hartnett (Heidi), nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

A visitation will be held at the Bellevue Memorial Funeral Chapel, 2202 Hancock St., on Wednesday, July 6, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., with a vigil service following. The funeral Mass will be Thursday, July 7, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Marys Catholic Church, 2302 Crawford St. in Bellevue.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP)  Clinics were shutting down abortion services in the nation's second-largest state Saturday after the Texas Supreme Court blocked an order briefly allowing the procedure to resume in some cases, the latest in legal scrambles taking place across the U.S. following the reversal of Roe v. Wade.

The Friday night ruling stopped a three-day-old order by a Houston judge who said clinics could resume abortions up to six weeks into pregnancy. The following day, the American Civil Liberties Union said it doubted that any abortions were now being provided in a state of nearly 30 million people.

Amy Hagstrom Miller, president of Whole Womans Health, said the ruling forced an end to abortions in its four Texas clinics, and workers there were winding down abortion operations and having heartbreaking conversations with women whose appointments were canceled.

I ache for us and for the people we have dedicated our lives to serve with the fabulous abortion care we provide, many who will be denied that right in the months and possibly years to come, Hagstrom Miller said in a statement.

Planned Parenthood's multiple affiliates in Texas had not resumed abortion services even after the restraining order was put in place Tuesday.

At issue was a long-dormant 1925 criminal law that targets individuals who perform abortions. Clinics had argued that it was invalid after abortion became a constitutional right across the U.S. in 1973. The U.S. Supreme Court, however, struck down the landmark Roe decision June 24, leaving abortion policy to states.

Pro-life victory! ... Litigation continues, but Ill keep winning for Texass unborn babies, said Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, who had asked the state Supreme Court to intervene.

Separately, Texas has a 2021 law that was designed to ban abortion in the event that Roe were overturned. It takes effect in the weeks ahead.

Extremist politicians are on a crusade to force Texans into pregnancy and childbirth against their will, no matter how devastating the consequences, said Julia Kaye of the ACLU.

Providers and patients across the country have been struggling to navigate the evolving legal landscape around abortion laws and access.

In Florida, a law banning abortions after 15 weeks went into effect Friday, the day after a judge called it a violation of the state constitution and said he would sign an order temporarily blocking it next week. The ban could have broader implications in the South, as Florida currently allows greater access to the procedure than neighboring states.

Even when women travel outside states with abortion bans, they may have fewer options to end their pregnancies as the prospect of prosecution follows them.

Planned Parenthood of Montana this week stopped providing medication abortions to patients who live in states with bans.

Planned Parenthood North Central States, which offers the procedure in Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska, is telling patients they must take both pills in the regimen while in a state that allows abortion.

The use of pills has been the most common method to end a pregnancy since 2000, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved mifepristone, the main drug used in medication abortions. Taken with misoprostol, a drug that causes cramping that empties the womb, it constitutes the abortion pill.

Also Friday, Google, the company behind the internets dominant search engine and the Android software that powers most smartphones, said it would automatically purge information about users who visit abortion clinics or other places that could trigger potential legal problems.

In addition to abortion clinics, Google cited counseling centers, fertility centers, addiction treatment facilities, weight loss clinics and cosmetic surgery clinics as destinations that will be erased from location histories. Users have always had the option to edit their location histories on their own, but now Google will do it for them as an added level of protection.

Were committed to delivering robust privacy protections for people who use our products, and we will continue to look for new ways to strengthen and improve these protections, Jen Fitzpatrick, a Google senior vice president, wrote in a blog post.

White reported from Detroit.
MANILA, Philippines (AP)  Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa said her Rappler news website was operating business as usual Wednesday and would let Philippine courts decide on a government order to close the outlet critical of the outgoing Duterte administration and its deadly drug crackdown.

The Philippines Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday affirmed its revocation of Rapplers license over a breach of the ban on foreign ownership and control of media outlets.

The case is one of several against Ressa and Rappler seen as part of an assault on press freedom under President Rodrigo Duterte, who leaves office Thursday and will be succeeded by Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the namesake son of the late dictator.

Ressa revealed the shutdown order against Rappler while speaking Tuesday at the East-West Center in Honolulu. Part of the reason I didnt have much sleep last night is because we essentially got a shutdown order, Ressa told the audience.

She told reporters later in a Zoom interview that Rappler would continue to stand up for its rights. Youve heard me state repeatedly over the last six years that we have been harassed. This is intimidation. These are political tactics. We refuse to succumb to them," Ressa said.

Rapplers attorney, Francis Lim, said the website had legal remedies available to question the SEC's administrative decision in the courts. "And we are confident that at the end of the day we shall prevail, Lim said Wednesday in Manila.

Rappler is facing government retaliation for its fearless reporting about rights abuses in the drug war,' Duterte and Marcos use of disinformation on social media, and a wide variety of rights abusing actions over the past six years," Phil Robertson, the deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. This is an effort to shut up Nobel laureate Maria Ressa, and shut down Rappler, by hook or by crook.

Ressa and Russian Dmitry Muratov last year became the first working journalists in more than 80 years to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Muratov's newspaper, Novaya Gazeta, suspended operations in March after pressure from Russian authorities. It was the last major independent media outlet critical of President Vladimir Putins government left in Russia after others either closed or were blocked following Russias invasion of Ukraine in February.

Ressa co-founded Rappler in 2012. After Duterte took office in 2016, it increasingly began reporting on the nighttime police raids that left hundreds and then thousands of mostly poor, petty drug suspects dead in overwhelmed morgues. Police said they were acting in self-defense when officers gunned down alleged drug dealers. Few suspects were questioned in what human rights activists soon described as extrajudicial executions.

Duterte and other Philippine officials have said the criminal complaints against Ressa and Rappler were not a press freedom issue but part of normal judicial procedures arising from their alleged violations of the law.

However, Duterte has openly lambasted journalists and news sites who report critically about him, including the countrys largest TV network, ABS-CBN, which was shut down in 2020 after lawmakers refused to renew its 25-year license.

As Rapplers president and CEO, Ressa faces several criminal complaints over the website's news operations. She was convicted of libel in 2020 and sentenced to six years in prison but has remained free on bail while the case is on appeal.

AP journalists Jennifer Sinco Kelleher in Honolulu and Kiko Rosario in Bangkok contributed to this report.
Hy-Vee has issued a voluntary withdrawal for all varieties and sizes of its store-branded potato salad ahead of the Fourth of July holiday weekend, the company announced Friday.

The withdrawal was made due to a presumptive positive microbial test result from the line that the potatoes were processed on, according to the company. Final test results are not expected for 7 to 10 days.

The withdrawal includes all varieties of Hy-Vee- and Mealtime-branded potato salads, in containers or in deli service cases, in all Hy-Vee, Hy-Vee Drugstore, Dollar Fresh Mart and Hy-Vee Fast and Fresh convenience stores across all eight states served by Hy-Vee, including Nebraska. The expiration dates for these withdrawn products are between July 31 and Aug. 4.

Hy-Vee said it decided to withdraw the products out of an abundance of caution due to the holiday weekend. Customers who purchased a withdrawn product should either dispose of it or return it to a Hy-Vee store for a full refund. The company urges customers to avoid eating the withdrawn products.

No other products have been affected, and there have been no reports of illness or complaints regarding the withdrawn products as of Friday, according to Hy-Vee.

The full list of withdrawn products: Hy-Vee Old Fashioned Potato Salad, Hy-Vee Country Style Potato Salad, Hy-Vee Dijon Mustard Potato Salad, Hy-Vee Green Onion & Egg Potato Salad, Hy-Vee Chipotle Ranch Potato Salad, Hy-Vee Diced Red Skin Potato Salad, Hy-Vee Loaded Baked Potato Salad, Mealtime Old Fashioned Potato Salad, Mealtime Country Style Potato Salad and Mealtime Dijon Mustard Potato Salad.
LINCOLN  The Nebraska Supreme Court on Friday rejected a convicted killers latest attempt to challenge the sentence that landed him on death row.

John Lotters attorney had presented a two-pronged argument to the Supreme Court last year, arguing that a District Court judge had ruled improperly in denying the 51-year-old an evidentiary hearing to consider whether his intellectual level should keep him from being executed.

An evidentiary hearing is required in this case, attorney Rebecca Woodman argued last February, railing against the District Courts ruling that Lotters relief claim of intellectual incompetency could not be considered due to time and procedural issues.

Lotter was sentenced to death for his role in the 1993 killings of Brandon Teena and two witnesses, Lisa Lambert and Philip DeVine. Lotter has maintained his innocence in the killings, which took place at a Humboldt farmhouse. His co-defendant, Thomas Nissen, is serving life sentences for the part he played in the crimes.

The case was fictionalized in the film Boys Dont Cry.

In a 41-page ruling issued Friday, the State Supreme Court affirmed the lower courts decision on each of Woodmans arguments.

One portion of Lotters latest motion focused on what the court termed his LB 268 claim, referring to the 2015 bill passed by the Legislature ending the death penalty in Nebraska. That law was later repealed by a statewide ballot referendum in which more than 60% of voters opted to reinstate the death penalty.

Lotters attorney argued that when the Legislature passed LB 268, it effectively vacated his death sentence, so the subsequent repeal of the law amounted to a re-imposition of the sentences and violated his due process rights.

Relying on previous State Supreme Court cases that examined nearly identical arguments, the District Court judge dispatched that claim as meritless, a decision the Supreme Court again upheld Friday.

At the heart of Lotters latest motion, though, was his attorneys argument that he was diagnosed as intellectually disabled in 2018 and therefore is ineligible for imposition of the death penalty under U.S. Supreme Court precedent.

Woodman, a lawyer at the Missouri-based nonprofit law firm Center For Death Penalty Litigation, argued that an expert who evaluated Lotter determined that, in 2018, his full-scale IQ was 67, which the expert said was consistent with mild intellectual disability.

But neither the District Court nor Supreme Court vetted the actual merits of that claim when the courts ruled on Lotters motion, instead finding that the claim was both procedurally barred and time barred under Nebraska postconviction law, according to Fridays order.

The law refenced in the ruling requires defendants to make postconviction relief claims within a year from any of five triggering events.

Lotters attorney pointed to the 2018 evaluation as a triggering event for the appeal, originally filed in March of that year, arguing that Lotter could not have possibly sought relief before that point because the factual predicate for his claim did not exist until he was diagnosed.

But, in its denial of that argument, the Supreme Court noted that evidence of Lotters intellectual disability was mentioned during his trial more than 20 years ago.

The high court also pointed to Woodmans own admission that one of Lotters prior attorneys had made an effort to raise an intellectual disability claim in the early 2000s but abandoned the effort.

As such, we agree with the district court that Lotter could have discovered, through the exercise of due diligence, the factual predicate to support a constitutional claim of intellectual disability ... long before March 2018, the court said.

The ruling clears the latest legal challenge to Lotters death sentence, though his execution is far from guaranteed. The state has executed only one death row inmate in the last 45 years and, like other states, has faced challenges in acquiring the combination of drugs required for lethal injections.

In 2018, the state executed Carey Dean Moore using a four-drug combination that until then hadnt been used for that purpose. After public documents won in a court battle revealed that Community Pharmacy Services in Gretna had obtained the drugs and sold them to the state, the companys owner issued a statement saying it regretted the decision.

The Department of Correctional Services said last year that it was still pursuing the drugs.
A Nebraska man was killed and another was injured in a single-vehicle crash in Mills County, Iowa.

At some point late Friday night or early Saturday morning, a 2002 BMW 325 was traveling east on 221st Street west of 210th Street near Pacific Junction, Iowa, according to a report from the Iowa State Patrol.

The driver, 28-year-old Dane Carlson of Plattsmouth, Nebraska, failed to navigate a curve and drove off the road, according to the patrol. The vehicle rolled multiple times before coming to rest in a ditch.

A passerby saw the vehicle in the ditch shortly after 6 a.m. Saturday and called police.

Carlson was declared dead at the scene, according to the patrol. Passenger Steven Elliot, 33, also of Plattsmouth, was taken to Creighton University Medical Center-Bergan Mercy in Omaha via LifeNet medical helicopter. His condition is unknown.

Both men were wearing seat belts, according to the patrol.

Pacific Junction is located about 23 miles southeast of Omaha and just 6 miles east of Plattsmouth.
PEORIA  A Livingston County man was sentenced Friday to 17 years in prison for child pornography possession.

Dakota Flint, 23, of Campus, was indicted in federal court for child pornography possession in June 2020 and he pleaded guilty to the charge in January.

Prosecutors said he distributed child pornography and that he had possessed more than 4,000 images of child pornography, some of which he created.

The investigation also led to three sexual assault convictions for Flint in Livingston County.
HEYWORTH  Nashville, Tennessee, songwriter Don Goodman said hes truly doing heart-touching work for Freedom Sings USA.

On Friday, Goodman interviewed several Central Illinois veterans who met in Heyworth for a Zoom call, including Heyworths Paul Petry, who served in World War II, and Vietnam War vet David Henard, of Clinton. Through interviews like those, Goodman said hes helped write 200 to 300 songs that share the stories of military service members and their families.

Its so cathartic, said Goodman. A lot of people dont want to talk about their experience. A lot of people are suffering with PTSD and theyre still fighting that war.

Theyll fight it the rest of their lives.

He said the songwriting process enables veterans to say things they havent been able to discuss before, because theyre not just telling a story  theyre caught up in writing a song.

Later on, Goodman said hes been told by wives and children of veterans that they were hearing some things for the first time.

A little kid says to me, wow, I think I know now why my dad cries sometimes, he said.

Goodman added veterans have told him hes saved their lives, or that I had the gun in my hand. I was ready to pull the trigger.

More than once, coming through this program. They just turned it around, said Goodman. Ive seen it absolutely turn them around; they go from being totally reclusive to coming to shows and concerts and were performing their songs for them.

He also said theyve written for a whole class of female veterans.

Goodman said hes been writing veterans' songs for nine years. He first got Operation Song started with Bob Regan, and that sprung into Freedom Sings USA, which is based out of Chattanooga, Tennessee.

He said they have not missed a weekly songwriting session on Wednesdays for seven years.

'Holy Huey' ride

On Friday, Goodman interviewed Henard exactly 45 years after he left the United States and went to war in Vietnam.

"That would be a damn good way to start a song," Goodman noted.

Henard, 78, flew helicopters for the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, and went through flight school at Fort Wolters, Texas. He told Goodman he loved and trusted the Huey helicopter, especially the Charlie model for its wider rotor and blade.

It just fit me like a glove, Henard said.

When graduating from flight school, Henard recalled a speaker who said to take your tense of humor with you (to Vietnam). Youre gonna need it.

Goodman commented thats as true as it gets.

However, there was one Huey run that would change Henard. In March 1968, during the Tet Offensive, the Army pilot took a helicopter out of maintenance. It was the only one available. He said he was flying at 1,000 feet of altitude and was five clicks from the station when the control stick hit him in the stomach.

Henard said the helicopters nose pitched up way too high, and his life flashed through his brain. He envisioned the vehicle would roll over and fall backward, hitting the ground nose first.

Instead, Henard said he felt a bright light behind him and above the helicopter, and then the control stick freed up enough so he could make a gradual descent.

Later on at base, Henard said he was drinking a beer when a maintenance officer told him he was the first crew to land after that kind of mechanical failure.

He explained that the control stick connects to a squash plate that tilts the plane of a rotor. Henard said too small of a bolt was installed in the squash plate, causing it to jam.

If the squash plate did not fail in the position that it did on the rotor, he said the incident would not have been survivable.

I knew that God had intervened in this instance and my guardian angel gave me the external force that was needed to get that helicopter on the ground, said Henard.

The experience later reaffirmed his faith in Christ, and Henard said hes done his best to serve the Lord since.

For more information about Freedom Sings USA, go to www.freedomsingsusa.org.
CHICAGO  A Chicago man pleaded guilty Friday to a misdemeanor for his role in the U.S. Capitol riot, court records show.

Athanasios Zoyganeles entered the plea to a charge of parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. He could receive a prison term of up to six months when he is sentenced, which is scheduled for Sept. 30.

Zoyganeles had planned on traveling to Washington for weeks before the attack, messaging one friend in December 2020 he was "down for whatever," charging documents said.

"It's time we take this country back," Zoyganeles wrote, according to the complaint.

At least three people, including a former high school classmate, provided information about Zoyganeles' role in the breach to the FBI, records show.

Federal authorities searched video of the breach and said they spotted Zoyganeles standing outside the Parliamentarian doors while holding a piece of wood and smoking.

Last October, a close family member identified Zoyganeles in photos that depicted him in and around the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, court records show.

Zoyganeles is one of 30 known Illinois residents who have been charged as a result of the Capitol riot investigation, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday urged President Joe Biden to boost federal funding to Illinois and other states where abortion remains legal and to support doctors across the country who provide telehealth services as more states begin restricting access to reproductive health services.

The requests came during a White House call between Biden and Democratic governors one week after the conservative majority of the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark decision in Roe v. Wade that protected access to abortion services for nearly half a century.

In Illinois, lawmakers are preparing to return to Springfield, possibly as soon as next week, for a special legislative session aimed at strengthening the states already formidable protections for abortion access.

Pritzker, who has made abortion a central issue of his reelection bid against ultraconservative Republican state Sen. Darren Bailey of Xenia, also called for a federal reproductive health care strike force to review federal rules with an eye toward improving access.

Pritzker did not speak during the portion of the call that was carried on a public livestream, but the governors office provided a summary of his remarks.

In a statement after the call, Pritzker spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh said the governor is gratified that President Biden embraced his suggestions, particularly moving forward with a concrete strike force that includes Democratic governors and federal leaders to protect access to safe, legal abortion and reproductive care.

In his remarks to Pritzker and eight other Democratic governors, Biden said his administration, through the Justice Department and the Food and Drug Administration, will take steps to ensure that people are able to travel across state lines to receive services and will be able to receive abortion medications by mail.

But he also acknowledged limits on his ability to protect access to abortion services given the current composition of Congress, where Democrats hold a slim majority in the House and rely on Vice President Kamala Harris as the deciding vote in an evenly divided Senate.

Biden has called for ending the Senate filibuster to approve a federal law enshrining the protections afforded by Roe, but that move lacks enough support to be carried out. Like Pritzker, he connected the future of abortion access to the outcome of the November election.

The choice is clear: Either elect federal senators and representatives who will codify Roe, or Republicans who will elect the House and Senate will try to ban abortions nationwide. Nationwide, Biden said. This is going to go one way or the other after November.

Illinois uses state money to pay for abortions for Medicaid patients under a law signed by Pritzkers predecessor, Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, because federal law prohibits federal funds from being used.

Pritzker, in the call with Biden, asked for additional federal funding for clinic upkeep, medical transportation and other expenses that are allowed under federal law. The governor noted that Illinois may soon be the main place to access abortion services for residents in a wide swath of the Midwest and South.

He joined other governors, including New Yorks Kathy Hochul, who also is on the ballot this year, in calling for federal facilities on federal land, such as Veterans Affairs hospitals or military bases, to be made available for abortion providers in states where the procedure is banned.

Hochul called the New York legislature into session Thursday, and lawmakers were expected to take the first step toward amending the states constitution to protect abortion rights, a process that couldnt be completed until the 2024 election.

Its too late for Illinois lawmakers to put a constitutional amendment before voters this fall, so the Democratic-controlled legislature is expected to take more immediate steps when it reconvenes in Springfield this month.

Near the top of the list is expanding the ranks of medical professionals who are able to perform abortions in Illinois.

Pritzkers recent trip to New Hampshire added fuel to speculation about a potential presidential bid. The governor, who called for the special session, has positioned himself as a national leader on abortion rights.

In 2019, he signed a measure that enshrined into law abortions as a fundamental right for women. The governor last year signed into law a measure that repealed a requirement for abortion providers to notify the parents of minors seeking to terminate a pregnancy.

The measures passed along party lines and Democrats have made clear they will try to leverage the abortion issue going into the November election. Earlier this week, one of the top-ranking House Republicans, Rep. Avery Bourne of Morrisonville, argued that Pritzker and the Democratic legislative majority should move on.

Weve got a really broken state government and the fact that this is all they want to focus on shows me this is all theyre going to talk about going into November, said Bourne, who was the lieutenant governor candidate in Richard Irvins unsuccessful bid for governor.

Bailey has said hed work to remove taxpayer-funded abortion and restore parental notification and work with the legislature, civic groups, and nonprofits to support women during and after their pregnancy and make adoption an easy option. Bailey has said hes against abortion except in conditions where the health of the mother is in jeopardy.
CHICAGO - Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday urged President Joe Biden to boost federal funding to Illinois and other states where abortion remains legal and to support doctors across the country who provide telehealth services as more states begin restricting access to reproductive health services.

The requests came during a White House call between Biden and Democratic governors one week after the conservative majority of the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark decision in Roe v. Wade that protected access to abortion services for nearly half a century.

In Illinois, lawmakers are preparing to return to Springfield, possibly as soon as next week, for a special legislative session aimed at strengthening the states already formidable protections for abortion access.

Pritzker, who has made abortion a central issue of his reelection bid against ultraconservative Republican state Sen. Darren Bailey of Xenia, also called for a federal reproductive health care strike force to review federal rules with an eye toward improving access.

Pritzker did not speak during the portion of the call that was carried on a public livestream, but the governors office provided a summary of his remarks.

In a statement after the call, Pritzker spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh said the governor is gratified that President Biden embraced his suggestions, particularly moving forward with a concrete strike force that includes Democratic governors and federal leaders to protect access to safe, legal abortion and reproductive care.

In his remarks to Pritzker and eight other Democratic governors, Biden said his administration, through the Justice Department and the Food and Drug Administration, will take steps to ensure that people are able to travel across state lines to receive services and will be able to receive abortion medications by mail.

But he also acknowledged limits on his ability to protect access to abortion services given the current composition of Congress, where Democrats hold a slim majority in the House and rely on Vice President Kamala Harris as the deciding vote in an evenly divided Senate.

Biden has called for ending the Senate filibuster to approve a federal law enshrining the protections afforded by Roe, but that move lacks enough support to be carried out. Like Pritzker, he connected the future of abortion access to the outcome of the November election.

The choice is clear: Either elect federal senators and representatives who will codify Roe, or Republicans who will elect the House and Senate will try to ban abortions nationwide. Nationwide, Biden said. This is going to go one way or the other after November.

Illinois uses state money to pay for abortions for Medicaid patients under a law signed by Pritzkers predecessor, Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, because federal law prohibits federal funds from being used.

Pritzker, in the call with Biden, asked for additional federal funding for clinic upkeep, medical transportation and other expenses that are allowed under federal law. The governor noted that Illinois may soon be the main place to access abortion services for residents in a wide swath of the Midwest and South.

He joined other governors, including New Yorks Kathy Hochul, who also is on the ballot this year, in calling for federal facilities on federal land, such as Veterans Affairs hospitals or military bases, to be made available for abortion providers in states where the procedure is banned.

Hochul called the New York legislature into session Thursday, and lawmakers were expected to take the first step toward amending the states constitution to protect abortion rights, a process that couldnt be completed until the 2024 election.

Its too late for Illinois lawmakers to put a constitutional amendment before voters this fall, so the Democratic-controlled legislature is expected to take more immediate steps when it reconvenes in Springfield this month.

Near the top of the list is expanding the ranks of medical professionals who are able to perform abortions in Illinois.

Pritzkers recent trip to New Hampshire added fuel to speculation about a potential presidential bid. The governor, who called for the special session, has positioned himself as a national leader on abortion rights.

In 2019, he signed a measure that enshrined into law abortions as a fundamental right for women. The governor last year signed into law a measure that repealed a requirement for abortion providers to notify the parents of minors seeking to terminate a pregnancy.

The measures passed along party lines and Democrats have made clear they will try to leverage the abortion issue going into the November election. Earlier this week, one of the top-ranking House Republicans, Rep. Avery Bourne of Morrisonville, argued that Pritzker and the Democratic legislative majority should move on.

Weve got a really broken state government and the fact that this is all they want to focus on shows me this is all theyre going to talk about going into November, said Bourne, who was the lieutenant governor candidate in Richard Irvins unsuccessful bid for governor.

Bailey has said hed work to remove taxpayer-funded abortion and restore parental notification and work with the legislature, civic groups, and nonprofits to support women during and after their pregnancy and make adoption an easy option. Bailey has said hes against abortion except in conditions where the life of the mother is in jeopardy.
The Spirit of 76 is alive and well at the Supreme Court. Back then, the colonials rejected the rule of a far-away, unaccountable government. After securing their freedom, they quickly organized a government that gave Congress, the duly elected representatives of the people, responsibility for making national policy decisions.

This week, the Supreme Court acted in accord with that spirit by rejecting a power grab by the Environmental Protection Agency and reserving for Congress the right to set far-reaching climate change policy.

The central question in West Virginia v. EPA came down to this: Who is responsible for determining if carbon emissions are a problem and whether something should be done about it? You may recall that President Barack Obama spent more than a year trying to convince Congress to pass a comprehensive bill to reduce emissions as a way of trying to stem climate change. Ultimately, he even threatened Congress, saying that if lawmakers didnt act to reduce carbon emissions, he would  with his pen and his phone. Yet even though his own party had a House majority and a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, Congress balked at capping carbon emissions.

Obama followed through on his threats in the form of the Clean Power Plan  the EPAs proposal to force whole states and utilities to stop using fossil fuels in favor of less reliable, and often more expensive, sources like wind and solar. Always inventive, Obama asserted that the EPA could stretch the authorities in the Clean Air Act, written in 1970 to deal with toxic pollutants.

Up to that point, the law had been used to reduce toxic emissions source by source, using the best available technology. So, for example, the EPA could require an available scrubber be added to a coal plant to reduce sulfur dioxide. Now, Obama claimed, the EPA could use a systems approach and require states and utilities to switch fuel sources altogether, essentially completely remaking the entire electricity grid.

Several states, led by West Virginia, sued the EPA. They got their hearing before the Supreme Court this February. On Thursday, the court ruled that Congress must specify authority clearly for an agency to be authorized to implement a policy of such vast economic and political significance.

No matter what your view of climate change, we should all agree that Congress is the right venue to have this issue debated and decided. Unlike the EPAs employees, who cant be voted out of office, lawmakers are accountable to We, the People. Representatives and Senators can make compromises that include carefully considered trade-offs, and their work will endure past one administration.

President Joe Biden has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50-52% by 2030. My colleagues at The Heritage Foundation estimate that taking the steps needed to make such drastic reductions would result in nearly 8 million lost jobs in 2026, a 90 percent increase in gasoline prices, and a more than $7 trillion hit to the economy. Thats vast economic significance, indeed.

Thanks to the West Virginia v. EPA decision, Bidens climate plans and the inevitable trade-offs can be examined through hearings and a robust debate by representatives who are accountable to the people.
BEIRUT, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Saturday called on Arab leaders to unite in order to tackle the various challenges now facing the Arab world.

"We must work together to address different challenges, including defending the Palestinian cause and rights of Palestinian people, putting an end to wars in our countries, and not sparing efforts to fight against terrorism in addition to dealing with the biggest waves of displacement in modern history," reported a statement by Lebanon's Presidency quoted Aoun as saying.

Aoun made the remarks during his meeting at Baabda Palace with Arab foreign ministers who had arrived in Beirut for the consultative ministerial meeting of the Arab League (AL).

During the meeting, which was chaired by Lebanon, Aoun called on Arab countries to help his country secure a safe return of Syrian refugees to their homeland as Lebanon is suffering from a number of crises and can no longer support a big number of displaced refugees on its territory.

Lebanon is determined to resolve its multiple crises, said Aoun, adding the country has successfully held parliamentary elections and is now forming a government and seeking to reach an agreement with the International Monetary Fund to prevent the country from collapse.

For his part, AL Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit said the AL would support Lebanon, the Lebanese government and its people.

The AL's Council of Foreign Ministers meets twice a year, in July and September, to discuss issues that concern the Arab nations. 
The four Illinois legislative leaders did not have a spectacular primary day last week. House Speaker Chris Welch lost three incumbents to primary challengers. Senate President Don Harmon lost an appointed incumbent and an open seat race. And House Republican Leader Jim Durkin lost two incumbents and came up short in some other races. Senate GOP Leader Dan McConchie came away with one ding.

On the other hand, it was a pretty darned good day to be a young progressive Democrat or a Trump/Bailey-affiliated Republican. State Rep. Delia Ramirez bested well-funded Chicago Ald. Gil Villegas in the 3rd Congressional District primary by a mind-boggling 42 points  the same margin as Republican Sen. Darren Bailey achieved in the governors primary.

All of Speaker Welchs defeated incumbents were bested by talented challengers from their left. Rep. Mike Zalewski (D-Riverside) helped found a caucus for moderate Democrats and voted against repealing the Parental Notification of Abortion Act. His ties to former Speaker Michael Madigan helped for years, but not this time, when they were effectively used against him. Z is a strong legislator, a friend to most and is actually beloved by many progressive legislators, but the winds and the super hard-charging Abdelnasser Rashid got him.

Rep. Denyse Wang Stoneback (D-Skokie) was elected as a progressive two years ago but alienated the gun law reform lobby as well as many colleagues and others during her tenure. The Gun Violence Prevention PAC went after her with a vengeance because she walked away from a landmark bill that G-PAC had negotiated. Shed also alienated her own state Senator, Ram Villivalam, and he and a host of area politicos pushed hard for Kevin Olickal, who basically ran on Stonebacks 2020 progressive platform.

The Associated Press has declared U.S. Rep. Chuy Garcias ally Norma Hernandez the winner over Rep. Kathy Willis (D-Addison). Hernandez ran a Chuy-style campaign  lots of family and friends networking, non-stop door-knocking and making sure progressive Latinos got to the polls.

The Senate Democrats and their allies spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to back appointed Sen. Eric Mattson (D-Joliet) against progressive Will County Board member Rachel Ventura, but Ventura won by 15 points, even though she raised only $19,000 all year. This is, needless to say, a big loss. After Sen. John Connor decided to run for judge, the Dems and local pols engineered Mattsons candidacy and his eventual appointment to Connors seat, believing that Ventura could put the district on the bubble this November if she won.

The Dems also supported Lamont Williams against Willie Preston in an open-seat race. Preston was up by 8 points when he declared victory. The charter school group INCS spent heavily in the district for Preston, who had a host of endorsements, although his claimed endorsement by Secretary of State Jesse White proved to be false.

House Republican Conference Chair David Welter (R-Morris) and freshman Rep. Mark Luft (R-Pekin) both lost. The Bailey campaign and people like Jeanne Ives put a big target on Welters back. Welters opponent Jed Davis was also a very hard worker and won by 9 points with all votes counted except what was still in the mail.

Durkin also backed Arin Thrower in the primary to take on Rep. Suzanne Ness (D-Crystal Lake). But Thrower is trailing the much more rightward Connie Cain by just 64 votes.

Jennifer Korte, another Bailey/Ives candidate backed to the hilt by Sen. Jason Plummer (R-Edwardsville), is defeating HGOP-supported Joe Hackler by a 34-point margin for the right to take on Rep. Katie Stuart (D-Edwardsville). The Durkin crew thought Korte was too far-right to have a chance against Stuart. Now theyre stuck with her.

Of the five House Republican candidates endorsed by Bailey, four won, with only Kent Gray losing badly to Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield).

Sen. Bailey supported two Senate Republican candidates. One won. Bailey-backed Sen. Win Stoller (R-East Peoria) beat the Jim Durkin-backed Brett Nicklaus by about two points. Durkin jumped into this race for Nicklaus after Travis Weaver announced against Rep. Luft as a way of pushing back against the Senate Republicans and Weavers father, whom he blamed for the younger Weavers candidacy.

The Senate Republicans backed a candidate who ended up with bad opposition research trouble, so they got out of the race.

Also, the ultra-conservative Chicago Fraternal Order of Police endorsed three conservative and not all that talented challengers to sitting Democratic legislators and all three incumbents won by huge margins.
Bank customers who fail or are unable to link their GhanaCard to their bank accounts before the July 1 deadline, will not lose the account but will have their risk profile elevated, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Bankers Association, John Awuah has said.



If they fail to link the Card to the accounts, the banks are going to scale up due diligence when such customers attempt to transact business, Mr Awauh stressed.



The Bank of Ghana (BoG) had earlier directed that starting July 1, the GhanaCard shall be the only identification card to undertake transactions at all BoG licensed and regulated financial institutions.



In furtherance of its objective of ensuring the safety of the financial system, Bank of Ghana pursuant to Regulation 7 of the National Identity Register, 2012 (L.I.2111), hereby directs that with effect from 1st July, 2022, the Ghana Card shall be the only identification card that will be used to undertake transactions at all Bank of Ghana licensed and regulated financial institutions including: i. Banks; ii. Specialised Deposit-Taking Institutions; iii. Non-Deposit-Taking Financial Institutions; iv. Payment Service Providers and Dedicated Electronic Money Issuers; v. Forex Bureaus and Credit Reference Bureaus, the regulator said.



Speaking in interview with TV3, on Thursday June 30, just a day before the deadline, Mr John Awuah said If you dont have it and the deadline comes, yes, your account will not be closed but the risk profile for your account will just be elevated and therefore, there will be extra due diligence that the banks will ask before you can transact.



This is a situation you dont want to put yourself into. So for your own convenience and for your own safety, the GhanaCard also provides extra safety in terms of security features. Some banks have sent links to their customers to update their records.



Meanwhile, the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) has warned that fraudsters are taking undue advantage of the exercise to link the GhanaCard to bank accounts.



EOCO said these fraudsters send messages to suspecting customers demanding their bank account details, Mobile App PIN and Mobile numbers.



A statement by EOCO on Thursday June 30 said it has taken notice with great concerns the rate at which some members of the general public have fallen victims to fraudulent banking transactions.



Fraudsters have taken advantage of the ongoing call on customers of bank to link their accounts to Ghana Card. Regarding the bank fraud, the fraudulent messages are sent to individuals requesting them to click on links in order to update their bank records.



Customers are therefore asked to provide their bank account names, Mobile numbers, Mobile App PIN , One Time Password. Some daring fraudsters even make phone calls to members of the public to request for the aforementioned information.



Do not click on any link purporting to be emanating from your bank unless you have confirmed from your bank, EOCO warned.







Source: 3news









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Two children and an adult have died of starvation in South Sudan as the suspension of food aid begin to hit, aid workers have told the BBC.



The deaths occurred in a displacement camp in the northern Warrap state.



It comes after the UN's World Food Programme (WFP) said it had suspended rationing programmes in parts of the country due to a lack of funding.



In June, the body said it needed $426m (352m) to continue distributing food.



But that aid has not been forthcoming as the international community has focussed on other overlapping crises, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine.



Sami Al Subaihi, a Medecins Sans Frontieres worker at the camp, said that one of the children was just five years old.



"I find the mother of one of the children sitting by her five-year-old son's small, freshly dug grave," he said. "Her three other children, all very thin and weak, sit at the entrance of the family's improvised shelter."



He added that more than 20,000 people living at displacement camps were at risk of starvation.



"In one camp I see people collapsing, physically exhausted. They clearly haven't had enough food for a while. I don't see anyone cooking or any food stored in any of the shelters."



A WFP official told the BBC the body has "suspended assistance to 1.7 million people due to being underfunded, but we continue [to help] 4.5 million people".



They said the suspension was spread out across different regions of the country and added that more than 60% of the population of 11 million now faced "food insecurity".



On 14 June, the body said that it had "exhausted all options before suspending food assistance, including halving rations in 2021, leaving families in need with less food to eat".



South Sudan has been wracked with violence since it achieved independence in 2011 and this has contributed to food insecurity, despite the formation of a unity government in 2020.



The situation has also been worsened by four consecutive seasons of flooding that have destroyed homes and farmlands, and displaced tens of thousands.

Source: BBC









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 employee of an industrial company in Chile has absconded after the company mistakenly paid him 330 times his salary.



The man, who is a staff at the Consorcio Industrial de Alimentos company, was paid around 150,000 for one month of work.



He should only have been paid around 450 for the month of June.



After he received the money, rather than return the excess to the company, he took the money and ran. He hasn't been seen or heard from since then.



According to local news outlet Diario Financiero, he did actually report the overpayment to his manager, who took it to HR.



Initially, when they told him to return the money, he agreed to do so.



He told them that he would go to the bank to start the chargeback the next day.



But when he got to the bank, he took the money and disappeared.



His employers tried to get hold of him over the next three days, but what they got in return was a message from a lawyer offering his resignation.



A complaint has been filed with law officials, charging the man with misappropriation of funds, but no arrests have been made because they can't find the man to do so.



The average take-home pay of people in Chile is around 750 per month









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David Vondee, Member of Parliament (MP) for Twifo Atti-Morkwa, has been acquitted and discharged by an Accra High Court on charges of defrauding by false pretences and money laundering.



The MP, who seems to be surprised by the court's ruling asked his lawyer if he was indeed free.



"Counsel, am I free forever? He asked.



The court presided over by Justice Mary Maame Ekue Yanzuh held that the State could not prove the charges.



The MP on hearing the acquittal shed tears in the dock.



The legislator through his lawyer filed a submission of no case after prosecution had closed its case.



The State had arraigned the MP and charged him for allegedly defrauding a private company of $2.4 million and money laundering between August 2015 and July 2016.



The MP denied the charges and was admitted to bail in the sum of GHC 2 million in May last year.

Source: GNA









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The AMERI Power Plant relocation from Takoradi to Kumasi contract agreement will be brought to Parliament for approval after Cabinet has given its endorsement, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the Minister of Energy, has said.



The Minister made this known on Friday on the floor of Parliament in his response to an urgent question from Dr Kwabena Donkor, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Pru East, who wanted to know from the Minister the total cost of relocation of the AMERI Plant from Takoradi to the Kumasi Area.



Dr Opoku Prempeh said the total cost of relocation of the AMERI Power Plant was not yet known, because no contract had been signed yet, even though he could give a breakdown.



"We are still negotiating at the level of Volta River Authority (VRA), the Minister said.



He reiterated that the contract was an international one and that it would be brought to Parliament for approval before it was even signed off finally.



"I can tell you on authority that what we can do now is to initial the contract as a general agreement and bring it through Cabinet before the House," the Minister said.



He said when the contract agreement was brought to the House, a breakdown of the total cost would be provided.



Mr Edward Abambire Bawa, MP for Bongo, said over the weekend the Parliamentary Committee for Energy, engaged the VRA and that they were informed that the cost of relocating the plant was $34 million, and that he wanted to know from the Minister if it were so.



To this the Minister replied that he was happy that the MP said it was the VRA that gave him the information, declaring that "the truth of the matter is that it is VRA that is doing the negotiations and it is VRA that will sign the contract and the Ministry existed to supply the need."



He said when the AMERI Power Plant gets to Kumasi, the VRA would have 40 personnel out of 42 maintaining and operating the plant.



The Government of Ghana officially handed over the operations of the AMERI Power Plant to the VRA after a transfer of ownership by the AMERI Group, to Government on January 20.



The 250-Megawatt (MW) Africa and Middle East Resource Investment (AMERI) Thermal Power Plant is expected to be transported to Kumasi this year to boost and stabilise the power system in the northern sector of Ghana.





Source: GNA









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The Member of Parliament for Effutu Alexander Afenyo-Markin says that there is a difference between the current government seeking help from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and that of the erstwhile National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration.



He said these after the Minority taunted the government with IMF while the Minister of Food and Agriculture Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto was answering questions in the House.



This candid decision by government through a statement by the Minister of Information, it is as though they dont know about IMF, you have been to IMF when you were not confronted by an international crisis, you went to IMF because of mismanagement. Why are you now telling us that we are going to IMF? he said.



Mr Speaker, when they were in government there were no international crisis yet they went to IMF.



Earlier today, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo instructed the Finance Minister to engage the IMF for a financial bailout.



In a statement signed by Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, President Akufo-Addo had a telephone conversation with the IMF Managing Director, Miss Kristalina Georgieva, conveying Ghanas decision to engage with the Fund.



Ghana runs to IMF seeking for monetary assistance to provide a balance of payment support as part of a broader effort to quicken Ghanas build back in the face of challenges induced by the Covid-19 pandemic and, recently, the Russia-Ukraine crises, according to the statement from the presidency.



This is the second time Ghana is seeking support from the Bretton Wood institution in seven years after the country engaged them in 2015 under the erstwhile John Dramani Mahamas government.



In February 2022, the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta, said Ghana will not return to the IMF for a bailout despite the mounting economic challenges.



According to him, Ghana is a nation of pride and will seek solutions to the current financial challenges it is facing within.



I can say we are not going to the IMF. Whatever we do, we are not. Consequences are dire, we are a proud nation, we have the resources, we have the capacity. We are not people of short sight, but we have to move on.



So lets think of who we are as a strong proud people, the shining star of Africa, and we have the capacity to do whatever we want to do if we speak one language and ensure that we share the burden in the issues ahead, Mr Ofori-Atta told a gathering at the E-Levy town hall meeting in the Northern Regional Capital of Tamale.

Source: Dailymailghana









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" " Andrea Yates being escorted into a police station after the drowning of her five children.  Mike Stewart/Sygma/Corbis

In 2001, Andrea Yates drowned her five young children in the bathtub of her Houston home while experiencing severe postpartum depression. She was found not guilty by reason of insanity. Pleading insanity didn't help Jack Ruby, the man who killed President Kennedy's assassin Lee Harvey Oswald, though -- the jury found him guilty of murder and convicted him. Who's to judge another person's sanity? In the end, it all comes down to how convincing their argument is.

When you use the insanity defense, you're pleading that you are not guilty by reason of insanity or guilty by reason of insanity, or some variation along those lines, depending on the state in which you're charged. If you can prove you were legally insane at the time you committed the crime for which you're on trial, you can expect to be sentenced to psychiatric treatment rather than convicted and imprisoned.

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We have an insanity defense to help protect people with mental illness. As you'll see, though, convincing a jury of your insanity is tricky, and only about 1 percent of cases that use the insanity defense are successful (and of that successful 1 percent, only about 15 to 25 percent of those cases are acquittals) [source: Lilienfeld]. Societies have been using some form of the insanity defense throughout history, and we're going to begin our list with Richard Lawrence, the man who tried to assassinate President Andrew Jackson.
" " A study looks at the impact that validating words can have on the success of female students in STEM courses of study. Hero Images/Getty Images

Feeling isolated is no fun, even when what you're doing is. Maybe that's why more 60-year-old men don't take ballet classes. After all, sometimes that feeling of being an outlier or interloper can keep you from doing things that actually interest you. A study out of Arizona State University found that, at least when it comes to girls and young women, a single letter of encouragement from a female role model can prevent them from dropping out of a science, technology, engineering or math  known collectively as STEM  class.

STEM fields have historically been dominated by men, so it's not uncommon for women in these fields to feel like they don't belong. Sarah Herrmann, a doctoral candidate in social psychology at ASU, knew this feeling from personal experience, and that informed how she structured her investigation into how to help keep girls in STEM classes, when the obstacles to pursuing careers in these areas are more pronounced for them than they are for boys, and young women drop out at a higher rate.

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Herrmann referred to the path of women into STEM careers a "leaky pipeline."

"You have fewer female professors in STEM fields than you do post-docs, than you do graduate students," Herrmann said in a press release. "And that means that, essentially, there are fewer women as you get further up the line to serve as role models for the women in STEM today. So any way we can expose female STEM students to female role models is helpful."

And her study suggests female role models might be just what girls and young women need in order to stick with STEM education.

For her research, Herrmann followed students enrolled in two introductory STEM classes at ASU: a chemistry class and a psychology class. The students took part in the study after finding out the scores of their first exams in each class. They were then randomly assigned either to complete a demographic survey or read a brief, encouraging letter written by a female graduate student that essentially told them: First, you belong in this class; second, science takes work; and third your test scores aren't a quantified reflection of your intelligence.

In the chemistry class, the female students who read the encouraging letter were 77 percent less likely to withdraw from the course or receive a grade of D or below. In the psychology class, the female students who received a letter were 62 percent less likely to withdraw from the course or receive a D or below. In both classes, these students' grades were also higher by the end of the course than those of female students who had not been sent the letter.

"There are two parts of this research I find particularly exciting," Herrmann said. "First, the implications for brief psychological interventions, and secondly, what it says about the effect of role models for women's performance in STEM areas."

Herrmann suggests that interventions like these could take many forms in college classes: a guest lecture by a female scientist, a short video or even a text.

"We're just touching the surface here," she said. "While we've discovered some things that are effective at increasing women's persistence in these fields, there is still more to be done."

Now That's Interesting Although girls might not feel immediately confident in STEM classes, girls generally do better in school than boys. A study suggests this might be because girls work better in the morning, which comprises most of the hours school is in session.

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Originally Published: Oct 24, 2016
"Little Foot" one of several well-known fossils found at Sterkfontein caves in South Africa's Cradle of Humankind.

The fossils of our earliest ancestors found in South Africa are a million years older than previously thought, meaning they walked the Earth around the same time as their East African relatives like the famous "Lucy", according to new research.

The Sterkfontein caves at the Cradle of Humankind world heritage site southwest of Johannesburg have yielded more Australopithecus fossils than any other site in the world.

Among them was "Mrs Ples", the most complete skull of an Australopithecus africanus found in South Africa in 1947.

Based on previous measurements, Mrs Ples and other fossils found at a similar depth of the cave were estimated to be between 2.1 and 2.6 million years old.

But "chronologically that didn't fit," said French scientist Laurent Bruxelles, one of the authors of a study published Monday in the PNAS science journal.

"It was bizarre to see some Australopithecus lasting for such a long time," the geologist told AFP.

Around 2.2 million years ago the Homo habilisthe earliest species of the Homo genus that includes Homo sapienswas already roaming the region.

But there were no signs of Homo habilis at the depth of the cave where Mrs Ples was found.

'Contemporaries'

Also casting doubt on Mrs Ples's age was recent research showing that the almost-complete skeleton of an Australopithecus known as "Little Foot" was 3.67 million years old.

Such a big gap in ages between Mrs Ples and Little Foot seemed unlikely given they were separated by so few sedimentary layers.

Because the fossils are too old and fragile to test, scientists analyse the sediment near where they were found.

The previous dates underestimated the age of the fossils because they measured calcite flowstone mineral deposits, which were younger than the rest of that cave section, the study said.

The Sterkfontein caves southwest of Johannesburg have yielded more Australopithecus fossils than any other site in the world.

For the latest study, the researchers used a technique called cosmogenic nuclide dating, which looked at levels of rare isotopes created when rocks containing quartz were hit by high-speed particles that arrived from outer space.

"Their radioactive decay dates when the rocks were buried in the cave when they fell in the entrance together with the fossils," said the study's lead author, Darryl Granger of Purdue University in the US.

The researchers found that Mrs Ples and other fossils near her were between 3.4 and 3.7 million years old.

This means that members of Australopithecus africanus like Mrs Ples were "contemporaries" of East Africa's Australopithecus afarensis, including 3.2-million-year-old Lucy who was found in Ethiopia, said Dominic Stratford, director of research at the caves and one of study's authors.

Our family tree 'more like a bush'

It could also possibly alter our understanding of our ancestral history.

The South African Australopithecus had previously been considered "too young" to be the ancestor of the Homo genus, Stratford said. That meant that Lucy's home of East Africa was thought to be the more likely place where the Homo genus evolved.

But the new research shows that the South African Australopithecus had almost a million years to evolve into our Homo ancestor.

Or they could have worked on it together.

"Over a timeframe of millions of years, at only 4,000 kilometres (2,500 miles) away, these species had plenty of time to travel, to breed with each other... so we can largely imagine a common evolution across Africa," Bruxelles said.

The research showed that the history of hominids was "more complex than linear evolution", he added.

Our family tree is in fact "more like a bush, to use the words of our late friend Yves Coppens," Bruxelles said, referring to the French palaeontologist credited with co-discovering Lucy. Coppens died last week.

"He had long understood the pan-African nature of evolution," Bruxelles said.

 2022 AFP
Farmers work at a vineyard in Zhari district of Kandahar province, southern Afghanistan, July 2, 2022. According to local officials, about 250,000 tonnes of grapes would be harvested from orchards on 20,500 hectares of land in Kandahar province, Afghanistan. (Photo by Sanaullah Seiam/Xinhua)

A farmer displays grapes at a vineyard in Zhari district of Kandahar province, southern Afghanistan, July 2, 2022. According to local officials, about 250,000 tonnes of grapes would be harvested from orchards on 20,500 hectares of land in Kandahar province, Afghanistan. (Photo by Sanaullah Seiam/Xinhua)

A farmer works at a vineyard in Zhari district of Kandahar province, southern Afghanistan, July 2, 2022. According to local officials, about 250,000 tonnes of grapes would be harvested from orchards on 20,500 hectares of land in Kandahar province, Afghanistan. (Photo by Sanaullah Seiam/Xinhua)

A farmer works at a vineyard in Zhari district of Kandahar province, southern Afghanistan, July 2, 2022. According to local officials, about 250,000 tonnes of grapes would be harvested from orchards on 20,500 hectares of land in Kandahar province, Afghanistan. (Photo by Sanaullah Seiam/Xinhua)

Farmers work at a vineyard in Zhari district of Kandahar province, southern Afghanistan, July 2, 2022. According to local officials, about 250,000 tonnes of grapes would be harvested from orchards on 20,500 hectares of land in Kandahar province, Afghanistan. (Photo by Sanaullah Seiam/Xinhua)

A farmer works at a vineyard in Zhari district of Kandahar province, southern Afghanistan, July 2, 2022. According to local officials, about 250,000 tonnes of grapes would be harvested from orchards on 20,500 hectares of land in Kandahar province, Afghanistan. (Photo by Sanaullah Seiam/Xinhua)

A farmer works at a vineyard in Zhari district of Kandahar province, southern Afghanistan, July 2, 2022. According to local officials, about 250,000 tonnes of grapes would be harvested from orchards on 20,500 hectares of land in Kandahar province, Afghanistan. (Photo by Sanaullah Seiam/Xinhua)
The largest fish in the ocean, the whale shark, is a highly migratory endangered species that may require conservation programs focused on protecting large ocean areas and establishing marine corridors that transcend national borders. Credit: Candy Real, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

The largest fish in the ocean is a globe-trotter that can occasionally be found basking in the coastal waters of the Panamanian Pacific. However, little more is known about the habits of the whale shark (Rhincodon typus) in the region. By satellite-tracking the whereabouts of 30 of them, scientists from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life and the University of Panama explored the factors influencing this endangered species' behavior.

The R. typus, like other large sharks, may take years or even decades to reach maturity and reproduce, making them vulnerable to population declines, especially when combined with human threats. For instance, they may be caught in fishing nets as bycatch or face the risk of vessel strikes when shipping lanes overlap with their feeding sites. Being able to understand and predict whale shark behavior is a necessary step for protecting the species.

The satellite monitoring of this species, led by STRI marine ecologist Hector Guzman, found that whale sharks feed mainly in coastal waters, seamounts and ridges of the Panamanian Pacific, where they can find an abundance of their favorite foods: small fish and plankton. They were also spotted swimming north and southbound along the coast, towards Mexico and Ecuador, and towards the open ocean to feed.

"This species requires clear regional planning," said Guzman. "Once the feeding and breeding aggregation areas are identified, some protection measures should be implemented. The newly announced marine protected area expansions across the region provide an interesting platform for large-scale conservation practices."

Although they used marine protected areas, the whale sharks also spent time in industrial fishing and vessel traffic zones, which could endanger them according to the new article published in Frontiers in Marine Science.

"The study shows how complex it is to protect whale sharks: tagged individuals visited 17 marine protected areas in 5 countries, but more than 77% of their time they were in areas without any protection," said Catalina Gomez, co-author of the study and marine ecologist at the University of Panama.

Thus, for highly migratory and endangered species such as the whale shark, conservation measures should go beyond the establishment of local marine protected areas.

Efforts should focus on protecting large oceanic areas and establishing marine corridors that transcend national borders, for example: the newly expanded Cordillera de Coiba Marine Protected Area in Panama or the Marine Conservation Corridor of the Eastern Tropical Pacific which connects Coiba with Costa Rica's Cocos Islands, the Galapagos in Ecuador and Colombia's Malpelo Island.

"A periodic tagging program should continue for two main reasons: first, we still don't know where the species reproduces and tracking may lead us in the right direction," said Guzman. "Second, we know that they are moving across extensive areas. We have identified potential corridors or seaways, as well as aggregation areas, that require management attention and clear protection rules. Tracking will allow us to better identify those regional routes."

The satellite tracking also revealed a whale shark migratory pattern that seems to be associated with circular ocean currents called eddies.

"Eddies are recognized as potential feeding areas for migratory species or food epicenters in the oceans, so they can swim in those areas for a long time while foraging and feeding," said Guzman. "However, eddies are dynamic systems and change constantly in speed or strength, size and location, even seasonally. These feeding areas are important for conservation, especially considering their dynamics and potential changes associated with climate change."

This research was partially funded by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, MarViva Foundation, the International Community Foundation-CANDEO, the Secretaria Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnologia e Innovacion de Panama (SENACYT) and its Sistema Nacional de Investigacion.

Explore further Ancestors of whale sharks in Panama may come from distant waters

More information: Hector M. Guzman et al, Movement, Behavior, and Habitat Use of Whale Sharks (Rhincodon typus) in the Tropical Eastern Pacific Ocean, Frontiers in Marine Science (2022). Journal information: Frontiers in Marine Science Hector M. Guzman et al, Movement, Behavior, and Habitat Use of Whale Sharks (Rhincodon typus) in the Tropical Eastern Pacific Ocean,(2022). DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2022.793248
GLENS FALLS  The Common Council voted to approve the creation of a social work manager position for the citys Police Department during its meeting on Tuesday evening.

Police Chief Jarred Smith said in April that the department originally had the goal of having someone hired for this position last year, but was unable to make that happen.

The department was to appoint a community liaison officer, which it did in Officer John Norton in March 2021, increase transparency by publishing policies online and hire a social worker, as a result of former Gov. Andrew Cuomos Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative from 2020.

In (the process), the city took inventory and felt that one of the things that they could do to meet the needs of the constituents that have mental health issues was to hire a social worker to work with the Police Department, said Mayor Bill Collins.

Collins said that the goal for the social work manager is to provide a link from the services that are available and exist in the community to those who need them the most.

According to the job description, someone in the position will assist officers in crisis intervention, offering short-term, immediate help to those who have experienced something that brings on mental, physical, behavioral and emotional distress.

They will also provide follow-ups and referrals to appropriate agencies, among other things.

Collins said that many of the calls that the citys police officers handle call for public safety in the form of human services, not law enforcement specifically.

This social worker will be trained in that, and work along with our Police Department to come up with a team effort that can allow our officers to be more available and to understand all of the services that we offer in Glens Falls, he said.

The positions salary will be no greater than $70,000 annually, according to the resolution passed by the council.

Smith said in April that the city will include the positions salary in the citys general budget for the first year before being transitioned into the departments budget moving forward.

Collins said that the city is using its American Rescue Plan Act funding to pay the salary this year.
Missing Fort Edward teen sought

FORT EDWARD  The Washington County Sheriffs Office is assisting the Fort Edward Police Department in its search for a missing teen who was last seen Sunday night in Fort Edward.

Knoa Maynard, 16, was last seen wearing a white sweatshirt and riding a yellow bike, according to his mother, Kara Quarters.

She said that he was supposed to be on his way to a friends house, but the friends mother said that Maynard never arrived.

She said there have been several people messaging her saying that they have seen her son, but no concrete leads. Quarters said that people had spotted him in Middle Grove, Hudson Falls and Fort Edward in the same night.

The Washington County Sheriffs Office posted on Facebook that Maynard may be in Fort Edward or Kingsbury. Anyone with information is asked to call the Fort Edward Police Department at 518-747-6365, or leave a tip on Washington Countys website.
SALEM  Several photos from the Salem Washington Academy graduation ceremony were taken down from Facebook or edited on a photographers website this week, after a hate symbol displayed by a student was recognized.

In each instance of a student of color being photographed, the same fellow graduate flashed an upside-down OK gesture, a symbol of white power and white supremacists.

On Tuesday, Mark Doody, the interim superintendent of the Salem Central School District, issued a statement in response to the photos.

The district is aware of the photos taken at graduation which capture a student making an inappropriate racial hand gesture. I can confidently state, on behalf of the Salem Class of 2022, that such action and meaning does not represent the view of the graduating students. This was the action of one student, and is not shared by the Class of 2022 or the Salem Central School District.

All appropriate responses are being taken, and we apologize to all who recognized this symbol and were as offended, as was the District Administration and Board of Education, the statement read.

Hate symbol database

In 2019, the OK hand gesture was among 36 new entries in the Anti-Defamation Leagues online Hate on Display database of hate symbols used by white supremacists and other far-right extremists.

Oren Segal, director of the ADLs Center on Extremism, said context is key to interpreting whether an OK symbol is hateful or harmless. The ADL had been reluctant to add it to the database because OK has meant just OK for so long.

The fingers form the letters W and P to mean white power, which they said extremists are using as a sincere expression of white supremacy.

However, the ADLs website states the gesture is still most commonly used with the traditional intention, to show a sign of consent or approval.

Someone who uses the symbol cannot be assumed to be using the symbol in either a trolling or, especially, white supremacist context unless other contextual evidence exists to support the contention, the database entry states.
Police say a 20-year-old woman was fatally shot while she pushed her infant daughter in a stroller on the Upper East Side in New York.
ATLANTIC CITY  The Civil Service Commission is expected to issue an announcement Aug. 1 for filling the Atlantic City police chief position, a representative of the Department of Community Affairs said Friday.

Once applications have been received, and the application deadline passes, CSC will review the applications for eligibility and determine if a test is needed, DCA spokesperson Lisa Ryan said in an email response to questions. If a test is necessary, CSC will proceed with setting it up.

Sources familiar with the situation have said for weeks that the state is close to choosing a new chief, and it is expected to be current interim Officer-in-Charge James Sarkos, but have declined to be quoted as they are not authorized to speak publicly.

Civil Service was restored last year in Atlantic City with the new law extending the state takeover of the city another four years.

The states refusal to appoint a permanent police chief has been bothering local officials for almost two years.

Former Chief Henry White retired in September 2020, and the state appointed Sarkos as interim officer-in-charge in October 2020.

Atlantic City police add 22 Class II officers Ten Class II Atlantic City Special Law Enforcement Officers have been elevated to police off

In December 2020, the lack of a permanent chief was one of the topics discussed at a closed-door meeting between city and state officials, designed to clear the air and promote cooperation.

As public safety chairman people keep asking me, Why dont you have a police chief? said Councilman MD Hossain Morshed at a council meeting in May. This is disrespectful to residents. It has been almost two years with no permanent chief, and (interim Officer-in-Charge) Sarkos is doing a wonderful job.

At that meeting in May, Council President George Tibbitt said the council would send a letter to state officials encouraging them to move more quickly to appoint a new chief.

Ryan said Friday that the reinstitution of Civil Service has impacted all positions that fall under it in the city, including that of police chief.

Under Civil Service rules, the city must issue a police chief promotional announcement, Ryan said. Issuing such a promotional announcement is an invitation for eligible applicants to apply in order to determine if a chief-of-police test is necessary.

Ryan said the city has informed the commission of its police chief promotional announcement, and the next announcements from the commission are due Aug. 1.

Atlantic City police are also negotiating a new contract, PBA Local 24 President Jules Schwenger said Friday. They hope to have an agreement soon, she said.

Schwenger said the Civil Service Commission system can be slow.

Results from exams in October were not available until a month ago, she said. Results from a sergeants exam in February are not expected until August.

Government does not move fast, Schwenger said, and the COVID-19 pandemic complicated matters by creating backlogs.

But she said she is hopeful much-needed promotions will come soon for a variety of positions.
EGG HARBOR CITY  The city is one of 46 New Jersey municipalities to be awarded a Community Energy Planning Grant by the state Board of Public Utilities through the Sustainable Jersey program.

The BPU on June 8 awarded $820,000 to municipalities to create plans that combat climate change and save money on the cost of energy. Twenty-four of the 46 municipalities are considered overburdened and received the maximum award of $25,000, including Atlantic City and Pleasantville. The other municipalities received $10,000 awards.

This grant award will help Egg Harbor City create a long-term plan that meets the needs of our unique community, Mayor Lisa Jiampetti said in a news release.

SustainableEHC Chairwoman Nanette LoBiondo Galloway and Chief Financial Officer Jodi Kahn applied for the grant after attending several online training sessions.

Strategies to be investigated in the plan include EV charging stations, greening our municipal fleet, reducing emissions, solar and geothermal installations, green building and zoning, microgrid sharing and, most importantly, helping residents maximize their energy efficiency to reduce their monthly energy bills, Galloway said.

The city will have 18 months to complete the plan. The program was designed to help municipalities align their energy goals with the states Energy Master Plan, which provides a roadmap for New Jersey to achieve 100% clean energy by 2050.

Municipalities have tremendous authority over our energy future, said Randall Solomon of Sustainable Jersey, which provides technical assistance to grant recipients.

The city will contract with an engineering firm to do the investigation and planning document. The process will also include engaging the community through outreach and educational campaigns.

Since its inception in 2009, SustainableEHC has secured nearly $110,000 in outside funding for sustainability projects, including solar, resiliency, stewardship and tree planting grants, and to support green team operations, according to the release from the group.

For more information, visit sustainableehc.org or call 609-457-2514.
OCEAN CITY  Pete Madden will again lead City Council, as decided in a unanimous vote Friday at its annual reorganization meeting at the Music Pier.

The meeting also saw Mayor Jay Gillian take the oath of office for a fourth term and the swearing in of new Council member Tony Polcini.

More than 100 people turned out at the start of the July 4 holiday weekend for the reorganization at the pier, which can seat far more. Outside, thousands strolled or rode on the Boardwalk in the summer sun, and in either direction, colorful umbrellas shaded blankets on the crowded beach.

Polcini ran with Madden and Karen Bergman on a council ticket backing Gillian in the hard-fought May election. While that race may have shown the divisions within Ocean City politics, they were not apparent Friday, in a meeting that also saw Madden and Bergman take their oaths of office.

What was on display at the mostly ceremonial event was faith, with speakers thanking God as well as their family members and praying for guidance for the coming term.

In her invocation, Marcia Stanford, pastor of Macedonia United Methodist Church and chaplain at United Methodist Communities at The Shores, described God as the spirit of unity and justice, and prayed that the governing body would remember that they are servants as well as leaders.

Ocean City adds four-way stops to two intersections OCEAN CITY  New four-way stops should make a pair of intersections safer for cars and pedes

Everyone, regardless of their race, their gender or their religion, they are our neighbors, she said. Help them to always hold in their heart the children, the elderly, the poor, those who are hungry, those who have no homes and those who are ill in body, mind and spirit. Help them not to forget the stranger or the immigrant in our midst, and those who live on the margins.

In his comments, Gillian emphasized the sense of community and called on people to be kinder and more patient with each other. Many of the speakers became emotional at times, as Gillian did when he thanked his father, Roy Gillian, who is 92 and served as mayor in the 1980s and as a Cape May County freeholder.

Roy Gillian sat in the front row and joined his son when he took the oath of office.

There is no way I would be standing here if it wasnt for him, Jay Gillian said of his father. He also spoke of his late mother and other family members.

Richard Russell, Ocean Citys longtime municipal judge, swore in Gillian, while former Ocean City Council member Antwan McClellan, who is now a state assemblyman, swore in Madden and Bergman.

Bergman was set to be sworn in by Superior Court Judge Susan Sheppard, but Sheppard was unable to attend.

Hartzell honored for years on Ocean City Council OCEAN CITY  Residents and City Council members honored Councilman Keith Hartzell on Thursda

Gillian, Bergman and Polcini thanked God at the meeting and spoke of their faith as foundational to their lives and to service to the community. Each of the successful candidates in the spring election promised they would continue to make improvements to the city and would always listen to their constituents.

Theres still a lot of work to do, Gillian said.

Bergman focused her comments on teamwork and community, and praised the current city team as working for the betterment of the community and listening to residents.

She described it as a team that pulls together through the storms, and more recently the pandemic.

That doesnt mean there wont be disagreements or discussions about sensitive topics, said Madden after being sworn in. But I know as an elected official, its about serving the needs and the wants of the community.

This is Polcinis first elected office. He promised to learn quickly and to remain independent on council.

Ocean City kicks off summer of 22 with Business Persons Plunge OCEAN CITY  Memorial Day weekend in this shore town combines the somber and the silly.

I promised on the campaign trail that I would look at all sides of an issue, inform myself of the possible outcomes and decisions and make recommendations based on what is best for the citizens, he said.

Madden has been on council for eight years. He was named council president in 2016, then later Councilman Bob Barr was named to the post.

At the last meeting in June, Barr said he would not seek another year as council president.

This is not an easy job when youre trying to navigate seven personalities, Barr said at that meeting.

Speculation was high that Bergman would take the seat as president this year. She was the highest vote getter in the May election of the six candidates for three seats. But she made a motion nominating Madden. She was unanimously approved as council vice president.

The council president has the same single vote on resolutions and ordinances as other members but leads council meetings and can have a strong impact on the discussions.
MAYS LANDING  Vowing to replace pro-life U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew in November, about 100 pro-choice activists held a rally Friday outside his congressional office to demand reproductive rights be restored to women.

The U.S. Supreme Court voted last month to overturn the nearly 50-year-old Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion in all 50 states, turning the issue back to the states.

I fought for it back when I could be needing an abortion, said Julie Powell, of the Dorothy section of Weymouth Township, who is beyond her childbearing years. Im fighting for girls who might need it now.

Her sign, which she held up at the rally sponsored by CD-2 Progressive Democrats, read Pro Choice, Pro Democracy.

Many cars tooted their horns in support as they passed, while a few people yelled out their opposition to abortion through open windows.

Across Main Street from the demonstration, abortion opponent John Anderson, who declined to say where he lived for fear of retaliation, yelled out Abortion is racism, angering many in the crowd.

Next to Powell, Diane Faherty, of Brigantine held a sign that was a bit more pointed.

Neuter Van Drew, Vote Blue, it read.

Weve had 50 years of free access to reproductive health care, and now we have five Supreme Court justices ... taking rights away from women, Faherty said.

New Jersey state law and the state constitution will continue to allow women to make their own decisions about continuing a pregnancy, but many in the crowd said they were concerned about the rights of women in other states.

What matters is keeping our rights. This is not something that is going to go away. Keep the protests going. Keep the momentum going, said former congressional candidate Carolyn Rush, 60, of Sea Isle City. She encouraged the crowd to vote for her primary opponent, 2nd Congressional District Democratic candidate Tim Alexander, of Galloway Township, in November.

Rushs sign read, Can we talk about the elephant in the womb? with a drawing of a GOP elephant in a womans uterus.

Biden record, abortion rights at center of CD2 battle The two candidates vying to represent the 2nd Congressional District are happy to present vo

The court just got started with abortion. Next they are going to do the same thing with same-sex marriage, then interracial marriage, Alexander said of the court reversing other precedent that relied on the concept of privacy in the Constitution.

In the majority opinion, the justices said there is no privacy guarantee in the U.S. Constitution.

Among others speaking was Juliet Hankerson, who is running for Cape May County commissioner and said she is the first Black woman to run for that position in that county.

This is not a scriptural issue, said Hankerson, who is a reverend. She said many believe we are not living souls until we take our first breath. That is not until delivery.

Zariah Taylor, 24, of Galloway, said she was there to support other women.

I was the victim of rape, and I had an abortion due to that, Taylor said. Its a choice. Its not an easy choice, but as women its important we make the decisions.

There will be another pro-choice rally outside Van Drews office at 5 p.m. Wednesday, sponsored by the Egg Harbor Township Democratic Club.
ATLANTIC CITY  What started as arts-and-crafts projects for children will become a mural in AtlantiCare's new Medical Arts Pavilion opening later this year.

With guidance from local artist Dorrie Papademetriou, kids participating in the AtlantiCare Foundation's Summer Lunch and Learn program last week prepared original illustrations to be featured at the pavilion being built on South Ohio Avenue, across from AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center's City Campus.

The children's illustrations, which are a part of a larger piece Papademetriou is preparing for AtlantiCare, will be among 2,500 pieces predominantly made by other New Jersey artists for the new building, spokesperson Jennifer Tornetta said.

The artwork will live in the new AtlantiCare Health Services Federally Qualified Health Center Pediatric Clinic at the pavilion.

The $38.3 million facility is expected to be finished by September and open in the third quarter of this year, Tornetta said.

The pavilion is being built to increase access to care, address health care disparities and enhance services for women, children and families, AtlantiCare says.

AtlantiCare throws baby shower in Atlantic City ATLANTIC CITY  The AtlantiCare Safe Beginnings program hosted a baby shower for new and exp

The Lunch and Learn program is in its fifth year. Forty families participated in last week's sessions, Tornetta said. The program runs Tuesdays and Thursdays through Aug. 25.

Papademetriou watched as area kids visiting the William L. Gormley AtlantiCare HealthPlex explored their artistic talents, transferring paint from paper plates onto their designs. They focused on warm and cool colors, illustrating themes of summer by the seaside, she said.

Papademetriou is a designer at MudGirls Studio, a nonprofit funded in part by the Atlantic County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs.

"I think the whole process of putting themselves into the project has been really gratifying for me," Papademetriou said of the young participants.

Having painting programs available for young children is especially important because it lets them work from their imaginations, discovering it with each stroke and idea that comes into mind, the Linwood resident said.

"That's why it's important to have this piece (collage) to represent who they are from the inside and have it displayed for everyone to see," Papademetriou said.
Ronaldo Costa Filho, Brazil's permanent representative to the United Nations and president of the UN Security Council for July, holds a press briefing at the UN headquarters in New York July 1, 2022. Brazil on Friday assumed the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council for July. (Xinhua/Xie E)

UNITED NATIONS, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Brazil on Friday assumed the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council for July.

During the month, Brazil would aim to foster greater cooperation between the Security Council and other UN bodies, especially the Peacebuilding Commission, as it can make a comprehensive contribution to discussions on renewal of peacekeeping and political missions, Ronaldo Costa Filho, Brazil's permanent representative to the UN and president of the Security Council for July, told a press briefing Friday.

In July, the Security Council will focus on issues including the crises in Ukraine and Syria with meeting on food security and consultations on the chemical weapons file on Syria, as well as renewals of a raft of peacekeeping or special political missions and sanctions regimes, Filho said.

The signature events include the adoption of a presidential statement, the renewal of four peacekeeping or special political missions, renewal of two sanctions regimes and one authorization of humanitarian assistance.

Meanwhile, the 15-nation council is scheduled to hold meetings on Colombia, children and armed conflict, Libya and Sudan.

Brazil's priorities also include incorporating a gender perspective as a cross-cutting issue throughout Brazil's presidency and inviting civil society briefers into meetings whenever possible, Filho said.

The Security Council has 15 members and its primary responsibility is the maintenance of international peace and security. The presidency of the council is held by each member state for one month. 

Ronaldo Costa Filho, Brazil's permanent representative to the United Nations and president of the UN Security Council for July, holds a press briefing at the UN headquarters in New York July 1, 2022. Brazil on Friday assumed the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council for July. (Xinhua/Xie E)

Ronaldo Costa Filho, Brazil's permanent representative to the United Nations and president of the UN Security Council for July, holds a press briefing at the UN headquarters in New York July 1, 2022. Brazil on Friday assumed the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council for July. (Xinhua/Xie E)
TRENTON  Gov. Phil Murphy signed two bills Friday aiming to protect the right of those from outside the state to get abortion services within its borders and barring extradition of people involved in reproductive health care services should they face charges in another state.

The legislation moved swiftly in the Democrat-led Legislature  within a week of the Supreme Courts decision overturning Roe v. Wade  and comes as some Republican-led states immediately ban or severely limit abortion, with other restrictions taking effect later.

As overwhelmingly angry that I am ... that I even have to sign these bills, Im equally as proud to do so, Murphy said during a signing ceremony in Jersey City, not far from the Statue of Liberty. Murphy explicitly mentioned the statue during his remarks and also alluded to its torch.

These laws will make New Jersey a beacon of freedom for every American woman, he said.

Its unclear whether there have been instances of other states seeking to extradite someone stemming from abortion services or whether those from other states have sought abortions in New Jersey.

New Jersey enshrined a right to abortion into state law in January, preempting the high courts expected decision, which came June 24.

The legislation ensures residents of other states seeking reproductive health care in New Jersey can access confidential abortion services without fear of being prosecuted, Murphy and lawmakers said.

A womans right to choose must not be determined by the misfortune of her geographic location or circumstances, said Assembly member Lisa Swain, a Democrat from Bergen County.

Under the legislation, the disclosure of a patients medical records stemming from abortion services could not be disclosed without their consent in most cases. It also bars public entities and employees in New Jersey from cooperating with interstate investigations aiming to hold someone liable because of abortion services.

The second bill blocks the extradition of someone within New Jersey to another state for receiving, providing, or facilitating reproductive health care services that are legal in New Jersey.

The legislation passed with the support of abortion rights advocates, who rallied Thursday at the Statehouse to seek passage of another, sweeping bill that includes provisions to require insurance coverage of reproductive health care and set aside $20 million for access to abortion and other health services.

The Supreme Courts ruling is expected to lead to abortion bans in roughly half the states, although the timing of those laws taking effect varies.
A man arrested in Arkansas for the May killing of Desavion Foster in Rock Island has been returned to Rock Island County to face the murder charge filed against him.

Terrionce C. Kitchen, 19, Rock Island, was in custody Friday in the Rock Island County Jail, held on a $1 million cash-only bond, according to court records and the jail.

Kitchen faces a charge of first-degree murder in the killing of the 19-year-old Foster on May 22 in the 1000 block of 15th Street, according to the Rock Island Police Department. The Rock Island County States Attorneys Office charged Kitchen in a warrant filed on May 27.

U.S. Marshals arrested Kitchen in June in Stuttgart, Ark., according to the police department.

In the days after the shooting, Rock Island County Coroner Brian Gustafson said preliminary autopsy results showed Foster, of Rock Island, was killed by a gunshot wound to the chest.

Kitchen's first appearance was Friday afternoon, and his next appearance is scheduled for July 19.
Applications are being taken for a controlled deer bow hunt from Oct. 1 through Jan. 10 in Scott County Park.

In a news release issued Friday, the Scott County Conservation Board said the objective of the plan was to maintain a deer population that was in balance with plant life and other animal communities.

The controlled hunt will allow 15 hunters to hunt and remove deer from Scott County Park.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has designated Scott County Park as a special deer management zone and has approved the issuance of 30 special deer licenses for Scott County Park.

The special licenses will be for antlerless deer only for all hunts.

Licenses will be issued only to residents of Iowa and are in addition to any deer license a person may have for the regular deer season.

The special deer license will be issued only to applicants who have passed the shooters proficiency test and attended the hunter safety session conducted by the Scott County Conservation Board.

There will be no refunds for cancellation or failure to meet or follow any deer management requirements.

Applications are available from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Scott County Park at the south entrance station; West Lake Park at the campground office at Gate 5; and online at www.scottcountyiowa.gov/conservation.

Completed applications must be mailed to: Scott County Conservation Board, West Lake Park Gate 3, 14910 110th Avenue, Davenport, IA, 52804; or emailed to: conservation@scottcountyiowa.gov.

During the first week of August, a selection will be conducted to select the 15 people needed for the Scott County Park hunt. Written notifications will be made to all applicants whether they are selected or not.

Preferential consideration will be given to past successful participants, youth and disabled hunters during the selection process.

The hunter safety session and shooting proficiency tests will be required for all of the selected participants.

The sessions will be conducted at 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 17, at the Scott County Park Old Nature Center, 19251 290th St. Long Grove. Attendance is mandatory.

Each hunter will be required to hit a 9-inch diameter circle four times out of five attempts at 20 yards. Hunters must bring their own archery equipment. Off-hand shooting is required. There will be no second chances. Handicap and youth hunters may shoot a modified course of fire.

Those selected for the hunt must purchase the Scott County Park special hunt licenses from K&K Hardware, 1818 Grant St., Bettendorf, after receiving selection and approval documentation from the Conservation Board.

The fee is $28.50 for the first antlerless permit, and $13 for the second or subsequent antlerless permits.

For more information contact the Scott County Conservation Board at 563-328-3280.
Most years, Iowa corn is far taller than knee high by the Fourth of July, but this years crop  set back by late planting and too little rain  fits the adage.

This year its more of an appropriate saying, said Mark Licht, an assistant professor and cropping systems specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. I was just in a couple of cornfields that were at knee height. A couple of other fields Ive driven past, I question whether they were even at that level.

The knee high phrase may be as old as Iowa, founded in 1846.

One of the earliest time the phrase appeared in an Eastern Iowa newspaper was on July 3, 1884, when the Sumner Gazette said It has been considered that if corn was knee high by the Fourth of July that the crop will be sure and safe, The Gazettes Time Machine reported last year.

But with advanced corn breeding and fertilizer, corn today often reaches 8 feet by midsummer. But thats under good growing conditions, the Iowa Corn Growers Association reported.

Iowas cold, wet spring delayed corn planting statewide by two weeks and set soybean planting back 12 days, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship reported in May.

That wait contributed to 4 percent fewer corn acres planted nationwide this year, according to numbers released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Agricultures National Agricultural Statistics Service.

The service estimates nearly 90 million acres of corn were planted nationwide this spring, down 4 percent from 2021. Farmers planted 88.3 million acres of soybeans, up 1 percent from last year.

The data comes from surveys of 9,100 segments of land and more than 64,000 farm operators during the first two weeks of June.

Part of the issue with corn growth is areas where we had too much water, so we had some saturated soil that slowed things down a little bit, Licht said. In areas of the state that are really dry, that is holding back some of that height as well.

He said corn and soybeans plants are not elongating as much as they normally would by early July, which is typical of hotter, dryer conditions.

About half Iowas 99 counties are abnormally dry or worse, with two Western Iowa counties  Plymouth and Woodbury  considered in extreme drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitors June 30 report.

But theres still plenty of potential for Iowas 2022 corn crop.

Other than the northwest quarter of the state, really the rest of the state has some pretty great soil moisture, Licht said. Ive had about 12 inches of rain in June at my house. Thats a lot more than normal. Hopefully, we keep getting the occasional downpours.

In Iowa  the nations No. 1 corn producing state  corn acres are down about 2 percent, Licht said. He sees the late planting season as less of a factor in declining corn acres in Iowa than the price of fertilizer.

The U.S. is importing less nitrogen fertilizer from Russia because of sanctions imposed after Russias attack on Ukraine. Supply chain issues and COVID-19 also have slowed fertilizer production, contributing to prices two to four times higher than they were in September 2020, ISU reported in June.

While the selling price of corn also has increased, some farmers may have decided to switch some corn acres to soybeans, Licht said.
CAMBRIDGE, Ill.  The Granite City, Ill., man charged with murder for the April 29 death of Knox County Deputy Nicholas Weist near Alpha had a pre-trial hearing Friday in Henry County Circuit Court.

Appearing via Zoom before Judge Norma Kauzlarich for the first time, Daylon K. Richardson, 22, made a motion to continue the hearing through his attorney, public defender Lance Camp, because of the amount of discovery Camp needed to review with his client. The next pre-trial hearing date was set for Aug. 19. Kauzlarich, a Rock Island County associate judge, is hearing the case because Richardson on June 16 successfully motioned to pick a substitute for both Circuit Judge Terry Patton and Associate Judge James Cosby.

State's Attorney Catherine Runty said the state was still awaiting an accident reconstruction report and lab reports.

Richardson was charged with murder after striking Weist with his vehicle while the deputy was putting out stop sticks to stop Richardson, who was fleeing police officers from Galesburg.

After Kauzlarich asked Richardson if he had any questions, he asked her why he was charged with murder. She responded that that was a question for his attorney and said her question meant only if he had any questions about Friday's proceedings.

The incident began after Galesburg police were notified of a suspect with a gun at a gas station on East Main Street in Galesburg, according to Special Agent Walt Willis of the Illinois State Police who testified at Richardson's preliminary hearing in May. The suspect vehicle was located on North Henderson Street in Galesburg, and a traffic stop was attempted. The vehicle did not stop, continuing north on U.S. Highway 150 into Henry County. There were reports of shots fired at police on Highway 150 by the intersection east of Rio.

At Highway 150 and 150th Avenue, the stop sticks were successful and Richardson's vehicle crashed into a field. He fled on foot and was overtaken by officers. A search yielded a Smith & Wesson handgun outside the vehicle as well as three shell casings.

According to Willis, it didn't appear that Richardson's vehicle took any evasive maneuvers to avoid striking Weist.

Richardson appeared Friday via Zoom because the Henry County Jail is under quarantine because of positive COVID tests. All other parties, including both attorneys and the judge, were also present via Zoom.

Runty noted prior search warrants in the case had been impounded so that only the attorneys and the judge could read them. She said there were a couple more search warrants that she also wanted to have impounded, and the judge agreed to read them via email and send them back.

In addition to the two counts of murder, Richardson is also charged with Class 2 felony being a felon in possession of a firearm and Class 4 felony aggravated fleeing.

He is being held without bond in the Henry County Jail.
DES MOINES  Iowans who want to use the state website for job search information remain unable to do so, as the iowaworks.gov website remained down Friday, as it has been all week.

The outage is an issue with the sites vendor, Geographic Solutions, which is dealing with a similar challenge in other states the company serves.

A spokesman for the state workforce development department said Friday there is no concrete timeline from the vendor for when the site will be running again.

The outage does not affect jobless claims or benefits in Iowa, the state department spokesman said.

Iowa Workforce

Developments main website continues to operate normally, and both new and continuing unemployment claims can be filed at

The outage prevents Iowans who are receiving unemployment benefits from recording their job search history.

Because of that outage, the state department is not requiring beneficiaries to enter their ongoing job search information until iowaworks.gov again is operational, the spokesman said.

Job seekers can use the National Labor exchange website usnlx.com to conduct job searches, including in Iowa.

Any Iowans receiving unemployment benefits who have questions or concerns about their claims should contact Iowa Workforce Development at uiclaimshelp@iwd.iowa.gov or (866) 239-0843, according to a department news release.
Prolific artist and teacher Pat Bereskin is in the midst of a transitional period as she prepares to move her gallery online and her art classes to the Figge and the Family Museum in early August.

Despite outgrowing the riverside Bereskin Gallery & Art Academy, the teacher  adoringly known by her students as Mrs. B.  maintains the same fervor and humility she has possessed for over three decades.

Im the fairy art godmother, Bereskin said. From Mrs. B.s Art that started 30 plus years ago with two children at the kitchen table, moving to the basement, moving here to have the quality and the extent, including the STEAM Lab, the Clay Lab.  Its a lifetime dream come true.

Bereskins progressive expansion of her craft has yielded an expansion of her staff, as well. Founder and director of nonprofit STEAM on Wheels, Sam McCullum teaches science, technology, art and math (STEAM) at Bereskins studio. Handing out flyers one day in the summer of 2019, McCullum stumbled across Bereskin hanging up art near the Adler Theatre. I gave her a flyer to my class, and she was like, Hey, I need this program on State Street, McCullum said. And we havent looked back.

McCullum teaches everything from cooking camps to drone camps to 3D printing at Bereskins studio. He says it is imperative to teach kids practical skills from a young age, and he makes sure to open students up to the world of opportunities that lies ahead of them  just as Bereskin did for him.

Im a neutral ground for going into college and also going into trades, so I educate them (kids) on both, he shared. What you dont know is what you dont know. We just try to offer so many opportunities to the kids and Mrs. B. has really taken me under her wing and showed me how to really serve the community right at home.

McCullum is especially passionate about serving the Black community in the Quad-Cities. Noting the I-74 bridge as an example, he said that if members of the Quad-Cities are educated in STEAM, external expertise will no longer have to be sought out. He believes it all begins with giving kids the proper resources.

Alongside Bereskin, McCullum has expanded his craft, going from teaching 25 kids a week to 150. McCullum believes the ripple effect of his work with individual students has allowed him to impact the larger community in a positive way. Im adding value to peoples lives. I think thats important, he said. Im trying to build confidence. I wish I had the confidence that I have now at a younger age. And I think thats really key to be able to know that if you break something, you can fix it, rather than just throw it away.

Just as she has impacted her staff, Bereskin has made an immense impact on individual students lives and artistic careers.

Recent Davenport Central graduate and future St. Louis University student Martha Barnds has attended Bereskins art class for 12 years. Though Barnds possesses an innate aptitude to art, Bereskin supplied her with resources and expertise that fostered her growth as an artist  so much so that she will be pursuing studio art and art history in college.

Mrs. B. has taught me almost everything I know about art, she said. Shes given me the opportunity to explore a variety of mediums and techniques to challenge myself and further develop my creative process.

Bereskin believes deeply in her students and their capabilities, but she also believes in the larger Quad-Cities community. Pointing to various artistic periods throughout history, Bereskin noted the Quad-Cities distinct artistic talent.

You look at pockets of areas in countries where there were artists that were developed, that spoke of and painted to the times, the life and the politics, Bereskin said. We have that pocket here, right here in the Quad-Cities, she said.

With such unwavering hope in her community, Bereskin implores community members to support her gallery during its transition  what she deemed her exit strategy.

Im trying to leave it in good shape so that the community can enjoy it for many years after Im gone and when its run its course, Bereskin said. But part of this is any time in history when theres been great suffering or difficult times, post-that is an artistic renaissance, and were there. And this area can be a part of that and support it by buying art.

Support Bereskin and other local artists! During the month of July, all of the art in Bereskins gallery on State St. will be 20% off and 100% of commissions from her own art that is sold will go towards the gallerys scholarship fund. Additionally, on July 15 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., the gallery will host a celebration commemorating Bereskins legacy. Bereskin encourages art lovers and community members alike to come support local artists through July.
The apartment fire already was raging when the Davenport Fire Department's Engine 3 arrived at 12th Street and Pershing Avenue.

Things did not improve from there.

Several people who were at the scene of the June 20 blaze reported hearing firefighters say they could not get water pressure for their hoses. One onlooker, himself a former volunteer firefighter, can be heard on cellphone video he posted online saying, "There's been multiple  and I mean multiple  hydrant issues with pressure."

When asked about problems getting water on the fire at 1125 Pershing, Davenport officials referred all questions to Iowa-American Water.

A spokeswoman for the water company, Lisa Reisen, initially responded in an email two days after the fire that a company official had talked with the Davenport Fire Department, "...and he stated that, as far as the fire department was concerned, everything worked as it should."

One week later, fire department and water-company brass sat at a table at the downtown Central Fire Station, clarifying that, in fact, water pressure had been a problem at the seven-unit apartment house, which was destroyed by the blaze.

First arrival

The fire at the historic, wood frame house on the corner of 12th and Pershing started on the porch.

Davenport Fire Marshal Jim Morris said the likely cause was either a grill or smoking material. Whatever the cause, it spread fast.

"Engine 3 was first on scene, and the fire was fully involved," Morris said. "We were already behind the 8-ball.

"They were having trouble getting pressure from the hydrant at 12th and Pershing. That was kind of our first hiccup. We knew we had some sort of problem."

At about 3 p.m., an emergeny call was made from firefighters at the scene to the Iowa-American Water station at E. River Drive. Workers at the water plant had kicked on a booster pump at Ripley Street, said Brad Nielsen, vice president of operations at Iowa-American.

In response to the call, he said, a second pump was activated.

Firefighters, meanwhile, were running lines to other hydrants. They tried the one at 11th and Pershing and 11th and Perry, but no luck. It would not be unusual for multiple hydrants to be impacted by low pressure, Nielsen said, because they could have been fed by the same water main.

At the hydrant at 12th and Iowa, Morris said, firefighters tapped into good pressure. They're not sure whether the hydrant was running off a different main or whether kicking on the backup pumps did the trick, or maybe some other step that was taken to try to fix the problem.

But the cause of the hydrant issues now are being investigated, along with the cause of the fire.

Radio calls from the scene

Word of problems getting water to the June 20 structure fire weren't instantly conveyed.

That is the reason a water-company spokesperson initially reported there were no issues.

"Once information started coming in, we got together collectively," Fire Marshal Morris said last week.

For at least 10 minutes, with the fire raging, communications between firefighters on the scene and the Scott Emergency Communications Center, SECC, reveal struggles with water. The first 911 call was made at 2:19 p.m.

The following radio traffic is part of SECC's record:

2:24 p.m. "Need water supply to E3 (Engine 3)."

2:36 p.m. "Hydrant E3 at is no good."

2:38 p.m. "T2 (Truck 2) hydrant no intake pressure."

2:39 p.m. "Contact water company to up the pressure on hydrants 11/Pershing (and) 12/Iowa.

2:44 p.m. "T1 (Truck 1) another weak hydrant."

2:45 p.m. "Call water again; need more pressure."

3:31 p.m. "Called IA-American Water about bumping up pressure; they will have to have a supervisor call."

3:34 p.m. "Supervisor for water called; they have all big pumps on and have it at the most pressure they can give for those pumps."

Despite the problems with pressure, Marshal Morris said, firefighters were able to get water on the fire, using the engines that carry 500 gallons in their tanks.

And firefighters carry great lengths of hose for a reason: They sometimes have to lay blocks of line to reach a hydrant. In this case, the one at 12th and Iowa supplied the pressure that was needed.

All eight adults and five children who lived in the home were either away when the fire started or got out of the house without incident.

Finding what happened

The hydrants that failed to supply sufficient water pressure to the Pershing Avenue fire had been inspected in November 2021 and showed no problems, Iowa-American's Brad Nielsen said. All hydrants are inspected annually.

"Now we know," he said of the hydrant problems. "We're taking investigative actions."

The likely culprit is one of the issues that frequently plague water-delivery systems  aging water mains.

"At Iowa-American, one of the challenges we have is our infrastructure is underground," Nielsen said, referring to the difficulty in quickly identifying a problem. "Infrastructure is aging."

He said the company spends about $8 million a year on water main and hydrant replacement, just in Davenport. One employee is devoted full-time, he said, to hydrants, replacing 50 to 80 a year.

In 26 years in the fire service, Morris said, he has come upon an occasional dry hydrant and water-pressure problems like the one at Pershing are "few and far between."

If the issue turns out to be a water main, it could take up to a year to replace because of the related permits that are required. If made a priority, it could be fast-tracked, Nielsen said.

And what would make it a priority?

"If it's jeopardizing public safety," he replied.

In this case, due to the rapid spread of the fire in a 125-year-old wood-frame home, a more immediate supply of sufficient water pressure would not have spared the property, Morris said.

"Everybody was out of the house too," he said. "There were no life-safety issues."
Conspiracy theories are undermining democracy

A lot of wacko, hard-to-believe conspiracy theories are witnessed during ones lifetime. Most thoughts come and go away with no residual effect. But, in todays politically divisive times, many conspiracy theories are causing long-term damaging effects.

Evidence abounds that many people who watched Oliver Stones 1991 movie JFK actually believed there was a government orchestrated conspiracy to assassinate President Kennedy. Research reveals the movies plot was confirmation to those believers who had a predisposed anti-government attitude.

Joseph Uscinski, University of Miamis Professor of Political Science -- considered the foremost expert on conspiracy theories  contends the disinformation (deliberately deceptive) and misinformation (incorrect or misleading) statements spouted gives people exactly what they already believed (Rolling Stone, Oct. 14, 2021).

This means people who deny the Holocaust existed are those who were seeking such a belief. Uscinskis research reveals people who believe in conspiracy theories have high levels of psychopathy and narcissism.

We know 27 psychiatrists and mental health experts assessed former President Donald Trump as having an abnormal personality and chameleon-like behavior. Trumps conspiracy theory that former President Obama wasnt born in the US was deliberately deceptive; Trump recanted his birtherism falsehood in 2016.

On Dec. 23, 2019, Trump claimed the noise of wind turbines causes cancer, believed by followers who detest wind turbines. Trumps notion that global warming was created by the Chinese to make America non-competitive was just the salvo needed by people who dislike China.

It is reported by CAP Action that  as of May, 2020 -- Trump is responsible for 20 conspiracy theories.

QAnon alleged Democrats were Satan-worshipping pedophiles who conspired against Trump during his term of office. Uscinski notes QAnon is driven by people who just hate the entire establishment and these are people who want to tear down the system because they feel alienated from it (ibid).

Tucker Carlson, Fox News, announced critical race theory (CRT) was being taught in public schools, though in Nov. of 2021 admitted he didnt know what CRT was (Washington Post). CRT is not taught in any K-12 public school.

Carlson also touted the great replacement theory, which states Democrats are replacing Americas white population with people of color. As per Uscinskis research, people who are racist, anti-Semitic and white nationalists believe in the replacement theory.

Sadly, over 3 million viewers have become lemmings to Carlsons conspiracy theories.

The Jan. 6 bipartisan congressional public hearings have revealed the insanity of Trumps stolen-election conspiracy, which caused 147 Congressional Republicans  obviously without any inductive or deductive reasoning skills -- to be duped and vote to overturn 2020 federal election results. Trumps malicious false claim has hoodwinked roughly 70% of Republicans (PolitiFact, June 14).

Uscinski notes the belief in conspiracy theories is not just a right-wing phenomenon. A majority of Democrats believe Russian President Vladimir Putin has compromising information about Trump. Why? They dont like Trump.

Uscinski feels conspiracy theories are undermining democracy. His solution: The Republican Party should not be allowing Trump and the Democratic Party should not be allowing Maryanne Williamson . . . those people should be removed from the ballots. Congress also needs to hold their members accountable for engaging in this sort of stuff. (Ted) Cruz and (Josh) Hawley should have been booted from the Senate for their actions. . . . They (political parties) need to hold themselves accountable (ibid).

Candidates for the Tue., Nov. 8 election need to be asked, point-blank, their belief or rejection of multiple conspiracy theories. Voters also need to know if elected will they promise to call out politicians of their own party who make disinformation and/or misinformation statements. Their answers and future actions to these straight-forward inquiries should drive responsible voting, give us honorable legislators and save our democracy.
URUMQI, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Thursday marked the opening of four new highways in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, bringing the total length of expressways in the region to over 10,000 km, according to the regional transport department.

The newly constructed highways are in Hotan Prefecture, Aksu Prefecture, Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, and Hui Autonomous Prefecture of Changji.

The opening of the highways in the first three locations is particularly of great significance to improving the investment and development environment in southern Xinjiang and smoothing the traffic in the Tarim Basin.

Xinjiang plans a fixed-asset investment of 80 billion yuan (about 11.9 billion U.S. dollars) in highway transportation this year. In 2021, the region's fixed-asset investment in highway transportation came in at 69.05 billion yuan. 
As federal oil and gas leases go, the first Montana sale in nearly two years was no firecracker.

Post-sale data for the June 30 event shows 865 federal acres in Montana fetching a combined $68,073. The data is presented by EnergyNet, which manages the Bureau of Land Managements online leasing program. The sale, which included parcels in Montana and North Dakota, produced more than $7.3 million in receipts. North Dakota acres received as much as $52,001 an acre.

This was the Bureau of Land Managements first Montana-Dakota lease sale since Sept. 22, 2020. It was brought about by a court order striking down an onshore-lease suspension made by President Joe Biden days after taking office. As a candidate, Biden had campaigned on ending oil and gas drilling on federal land, a key part of the presidents plan to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

The sale seemed to satisfy neither the petroleum industry nor environmentalists.

The petroleum industry criticized the Biden administration for offering up 140,000 across eight states, a number the industry said was too small. There were also objections to an increase in the publics share of the proceeds from any oil or natural gas extracted. The new royalty rate of 18.75%, up from 12.5%, is more in line with royalties collected by states for mineral leases on state land. Montanas state rate is 16.67%.

The upward federal adjustment would make federal leases less attractive, said Alan Olson, of the Montana Petroleum Association, in part because drilling on federal land costs about $30,000 to $40,000 more and the wells dont always produce.

It is considerably more expensive to drill and produce on federal land because of the survey costs. Its $10,950 for each survey, the archeological survey, the paleontological survey, Olson said. Conversely, when a company secures a lease and permit on state land, the state pays for the survey work. Olson said the federal government is under a similar expectation for pay for survey work, but often companies pick up the tab to avoid delays.

For months congressional oil hawks have criticized Biden for not pulling out all the stops on federal leasing to counter the steady climb of oil and gas prices, driven by a failure of global producers to keep ahead of post-pandemic demand, as well as bans on Russian oil in response to that countrys now 4-month-old war in Ukraine. Among those calling for Biden to "unleash American energy have been Montana Republicans Sen. Steve Daines and Rep. Matt Rosendale.

Bidders passed on more than half the acres available in the Montana-Dakota sale. Originally, BLM posted a combined 8,369 mineral acres for lease in Montana and North Dakota. That number was winnowed down to 3,405 acres, of which 1,517 acres drew bids. There were 42 bidders, according to BLM.

Theyre sitting on so much land right now, it just doesnt pass the smell test for me, said Derf Johnson, of the claim that more leased federal acres are necessary. Johnson is an attorney and a policy advocate for the Montana Environmental Information Center.

Johnson is referring to the 12 million or so leased federal acres that arent being used. BLM reported earlier this year that there are also 9,173 approved drilling permits available since Biden took office, which havent been put to use.

Biden said much the same in February, insisting that oil producers could drill without delay on federal land if they chose.

Earlier this year, Kathleen Sgamma, Western Energy Alliance president told Lee Montana Newspapers that it can be several months between when a permit is issued and when drilling starts. Similarly, years can pass before work begins on a leased parcel. Having a stockpile of both leases and permit applications is part of the business, she argued.

Still, the drilling activity in Montana has been stuck in the single digits for several years, with several months of one rig, or no rigs registering on the Baker Hughes Rig Count. Baker Hughes has been providing the rig count as a service to the industry since 1944. The companys oil tool roots tie back to R.C. Baker and Howard Hughes.

Montanas drilling rig count has been up to 3 for the past two months. The Montana Land Board earlier this year netted $1.1 million in state land oil leases.

Montana produced about 4 million barrels of oil from federal land in 2021, according to the U.S. Department of Interior. Neighboring states Wyoming and North Dakota each produced more than 47 million barrels from federal leases last year.

MEIC and several interest groups sued the Biden administration June 29 over scheduled sales. The gist of the lawsuit was that BLM and The Department of Interior hadnt taken into account the impact that fossil fuels extracted from federal lands would have on the earths climate. The latest lawsuit was preceded by a legal settlement over the same issues concerning leases issued between 2017 and 2020, which under the settlement must be assessed for climate impacts.

A look at state drilling records shows that federal leases identified in the settlement as parcels in Montana havent seen much activity. Many of the lease holders have produced little in Montana in the last five years, although a core group has been consistently productive.
A Chesterfield County special education instructional assistant who was repeatedly groped by an 8-year-old developmentally disabled student failed to show that the invasive touching was based on sex and violated federal workplace harassment law, a federal appeals court ruled this week.

In a unanimous decision, a three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed an earlier dismissal in U.S. District Court in Richmond of plaintiff Regina Websters lawsuit against the Chesterfield School Board. She said she was subjected to a sexually hostile work environment under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The appeals court found that Webster cannot primarily rely on her own statements to argue that the boys conduct surpassed what could be expected of an 8-year-old child with disabilities, after two special education experts testified it was common for a intellectually impaired child of his age. The expert testimony demonstrated that the boy was incapable of distinguishing between sexes and that a reasonable instructional assistant would not view [the boys] conduct as sexual harassment.

Further, the appellate court said Webster is required by law to demonstrate she was sexually harassed, and even if she had been able to establish she was targeted because of her sex, she would still be unable to meet the third required element  that the boys conduct rose to the level of severe or pervasive.

The case brings to light the difficult balance that schools must find between ensuring that all students have access to a public school education while simultaneously maintaining a nonhostile work environment for all employees  the impact of which is felt by special education educators serving at the intersection of these two rights, Chief Circuit Judge Roger L. Gregory wrote in an opinion published Tuesday.

Contacted Friday, Websters attorney, Richard Hawkins III, said, We are deeply disappointed with the courts decision, and we are exploring all legal options available. No decision has been made, but I know that shes very much interested in pursuing [additional] appeals.

Webster, who has been employed as an instructional assistant in special education at Providence Elementary School since 2006, filed a $600,000 lawsuit against the School Board in May 2020. Senior U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson granted the School Boards motion for summary judgment and dismissed the case in April 2021. A summary judgment is a decision based on statements and evidence without going to trial.

Webster quickly appealed the decision, arguing the district court erred in dismissing her hostile work environment claim on summary judgment.

In 2018, Providence Elementary School Principal Sharon Rucker transferred Webster from a class where she instructed emotionally disturbed children to a class where she began working with children with moderate intellectual disabilities. Webster alleged that one of her students sexually harassed her between the fall of 2018 through mid-March 2019.

The student was diagnosed with Down syndrome and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and one of his doctors noted that his mental and emotional capacity was delayed by several years. The boys individualized education program detailed the he has significantly impaired intellectual functioning and significantly impaired adaptive behavior.

Webster alleged she was sexually harassed on an almost daily basis, with the boy putting his hands up her dress and touching her private parts. Webster first responded by scolding the boy and telling the lead classroom teacher that he needed to be told to stop. However, the touching continued.

Although Webster recorded the incidents in her notes, or point sheets, where she detailed each students daily behavior, Webster claimed the classroom teacher was generally dismissive and tried to defend it by saying it was just [the boys] personality. Webster then complained to Rucker and the schools assistant principal, and asked to be transferred back to her previous classroom.

Fireworks at Dogwood Dell; road closures around the Carillon on July 4 The city of Richmond will be hosting a Fourth of July celebration on Monday with fireworks and festivities at Dogwood Dell.

Rucker denied the request, but the classroom teacher sent Webster an email that said another educator would be willing to exchange roles with Webster and work with the boy in question. But Webster did not appear to welcome the change because she believed the classroom teacher felt Webster could not manage her assigned group of students.

Rucker insisted on meeting with Webster but she declined, saying she felt it wouldnt fix the problem.

Following another touching incident with the student in March 2019, Rucker limited Websters exposure to the boy, and then later proposed transferring Webster to a new classroom. After exhausting her remedies with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Webster filed suit against the School Board.
The Richmond Fire Department announced Friday evening that it has classified the fire that gutted William Fox Elementary School as accidental and the cause undetermined.

This means that there is no evidence to support any deliberate or criminal act, the department said in a statement.

The three-alarm fire on the night of Feb. 11 destroyed the roof of the school at 2300 Hanover Ave. in the Fan District, closing it indefinitely. Fox students finished this school year at Clark Springs Elementary.

Though the blaze caused significant damage, the Richmond School Board voted last month to fast-track the repair of the building, which dates to 1911.

Following the completion of preliminary building condition reports earlier this year, Superintendent Jason Kamras recommended that the school building be preserved. He said previously that the divisions insurer would cover the cost of the repair.

Two school division spokespeople did not response to calls and texts after the release of the fire departments statement at 5:45 p.m. Friday.

The fire department would not provide a copy of the report Friday evening. The Richmond Times-Dispatch has filed a Freedom of Information Act request seeking the document.

Fire officials first began their investigation after taking control of the building shortly after the blaze. The department returned custody of the building to Richmond Public Schools on Wednesday.

The school district and fire officials came under scrutiny in the days after the fire.

The Richmond Fire Department first announced the fire in the early hours of Feb. 12 and said crews were called to the school at around 10:35 p.m.

Officials said parts of the roof began to collapse at around 11:09 p.m. and that firefighters started retreating to focus a defensive attack on the blaze.

The department did not disclose that fire crews responded to calls about an alarm going off at the school. Officials noted the alarm system failed to contact 911, and the fire was reported by a passerby.

The Times-Dispatch reported that morning that audio logs from the initial emergency dispatch indicated the responders couldnt reach a school representative to access the building.

The fire department news release on Friday says crews manipulated the lock of a rear door to the building. The release says crews searched the building twice with thermal imaging cameras but spotted nothing out of the ordinary.

They searched all known areas of the exterior and interior of the building for at least 38 minutes without locating any indication of fire, the release says.

The crews left but were called back to the school about 25 minutes later after reports that the school was burning.
Before the pandemic, the Fourth of July celebrations of Niya Bates were downright panoramic, with trips to Albemarle Countys Pantops Mountain for an 180-degree view of nearly a dozen fireworks shows from as far away as Wintergreen and Greene County.

But no one can accuse Bates  former director of the Getting Word oral history project to preserve the histories of Black families at Monticello  of getting swept up in the holiday.

I would say Im always a little ambivalent about the celebration of the Fourth of July, she said Friday. As a public historian, Its always hard to try to reckon with the shortcomings of what our nation professes to be. So this holiday is always a mixed bag for me.

Americas Independence Day has always been a paradox for Black folks attempting to navigate the chasm between the lofty sentiments of our founding documents and our historical and current reality. This contradiction was memorably expressed by abolitionist Frederick Douglass, whose question  What to the slave is the Fourth of July  resonates in the African American psyche more than a century and a half after Emancipation.

I think his words ... have a lot of salience given all that we see happening in our country today, Bates said, citing all the ways in which civil and human rights have been contested and constricted.

But even if your ancestors were not enslaved, our current moment should leave you more deeply interrogating our nations contradictions and our duty to make America live up to its promise.

Living in the U.S.A. nowadays is more about bombshells than fireworks.

Witness the revelations surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, which increasingly suggest that a sitting president, Donald Trump, conspired in an attack on Congress to overturn the results of a presidential election he lost.

There are the disheartening (for many) results of recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings scuttling abortion rights, limiting the ability to enforce Miranda rights and kneecapping efforts to mitigate climate change. Toss in the scourge of mass shootings, resurgent white supremacy, and the bizarre embrace of sedition and autocracy, and its hard to get in a celebratory mood.

For those of us already leery of a holiday steeped in hypocrisy, the new Juneteenth holiday offered potential solace. But even the narrative surrounding Juneteenth  the June 19, 1865, date that Union Gen. Gordon Granger arrived to proclaim the enslaved people in Texas as free  has been challenged. Some historians argue that the message was intended more for recalcitrant enslavers than the enslaved, who were aware that theyd been declared free.

My response to that would be like any other holiday, Juneteenth is an invented cultural tradition. And it was not one that Black people chose to celebrate without thinking it through, said Bates, who is nearing the completion of her Ph.D. in history at Princeton University.

This is a moment that people in Galveston were thinking through all the possible ways that Black folks could celebrate their newfound freedom.

I would argue that Black people, whose forced labor built Americas wealth, and whose constant strivings reset our nations moral compass, long ago earned the right to celebrate this day. But Americas congenital imperfections will be fatal if we dont address them.

Williams: Abortion rights aren't the first the U.S. has curtailed. And they won't be the last. "Today, the Supreme Court is dominated by so-called originalists who ardently view the Constitution as frozen in a time in which women, Indigenous people and Black people were subordinate to the framers," writes columnist Michael Paul Williams.

I would encourage people to really engage with the truth. In order to get out of this moment, we have to have a reckoning with Americas past, including the people who wrote this Constitution, she said, noting that they were largely enslavers and white supremacists deeply invested in expansion of the American empire and capitalism in a way that has not been in the best interest of American citizens.

She says America has always sought to balance the best and worst of what it could be.

That tension increasingly seems unsustainable; our balance, spinning perilously out of control.

Theres no question that were seeing a growing tide of right-wing extremism in this country. Fascism is on the rise. Were in a very dangerous place. This democratic experiment has always been just that  an experiment, Bates said.

Still, she has boundless optimism that America can be fixed.

I think its worth fighting for because there is hope in the ideas of freedom and liberty and democracy as they are expressed in those documents, which have inspired liberation movements across the world, Bates said. It would be a mistake to look uncritically at them, but it would be a mistake to throw them away.

So many Americans seem intent on throwing them away. We need to think about what happens if this experiment fails.
Modern tech drives information at us with dizzying speed. Its so much and happening so fast to keep up with. Humans didnt evolve to handle it. At a time like the past week, social media is more of a hellscape than ever, and the mind begs to shut down.

But now is no time to shut down. Instead, its good to control the scroll, make it slower, try to glean something of value.

Heres a piece of information that emerged after a June 24 court decision that we all know well by now:

According to the National Library of Medicine  online at pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34619735  Homicide is a leading cause of death during pregnancy and the postpartum period in the United States. Pregnancy and the postpartum period are times of elevated risk for homicide among all females of reproductive age.

The publications abstract, citing a National Center for Health Statistics study from 2018 and 2019, assessed the deaths of women ages 10 to 44.

The statistics show more than 3.5 homicides per 100,000 women who were pregnant, or up to a year after giving birth. That is 16% higher than homicide prevalence among nonpregnant and nonpostpartum females of reproductive age  Homicide during pregnancy or within 42 days of the end of pregnancy exceeded all the leading causes of maternal mortality by more than twofold.

Thats more murders than hemorrhage or placental disorders; such disorders as hypertension or preeclampsia-eclampsia; or sepsis and other infections, the documents show.

According to the Centers for Disease Control  via cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/births.htm  there were 3,613,647 births in 2020. Readers can do some rough math from there, to estimate how many pregnant women, or women who had only recently given birth, were murdered.

What does this have to do with music? You ask. Fair enough. Ever heard a murder ballad? If so, chances are that you heard one about a man killing a pregnant woman.

One of the most famous is The Knoxville Girl, descended so to speak from Wexford Girl and The Oxford Girl, ancient ballads that made their way over with European migration.

In Wexford Girl, the narrator sings: I courted many a Wexford girl/With dark and roving eyes/I asked her for to marry me/And yes, was her reply  I asked her for to take a walk/ Our wedding day to appoint 

That was a ruse. Within two more lines, he broke a stake out of the fence/And beat this fair maid down.

The dark and roving eyes are your hint at why. Those singing The Oxford Girl were more to the point: Is it true what you hear, did he do it out of fear? Was the day drawing near when a child would start to show? Was it rage or shame or damage to his name?

Another one from overseas made its way here. In The Gosport Tragedy: or The Perjured Ship-Carpenter, that carpenter seduced Molly, who said she was too young to wed, but soon he had pressed her to make her comply and with his lewd desire he led her away.

But when with child this young woman were  he led her through valleys and groves so deep; At length this maiden began to weep; Saying William, I fancy youve leadst me astray; On purpose my innocent life to betray.

He said that is true, and none you can save, for I all this night have been digging a grave  He stabbed her to death, the ballad goes. Read all about it bit.ly/gosporttragedyprint.

If you know your mountain music, youve heard that songs descendant, Pretty Polly. Dock Boggs and Ralph Stanley both sang incredibly haunting versions, with the Boggs version adding extra chill via frailed banjo.

Other murder ballads in which the victim was pregnant include Omie Wise, Stella Kenney and Mary Thomson. Lizie Wan, also called Lucy Wan, deals with pregnancy by incest, and the resulting murder.

After The Supreme Court, in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, struck down the federal protections for abortion previously held in Roe v. Wade, 13 states so-called trigger laws banning abortion were scheduled to go into effect, according to multiple published reports.

Among them, there are no exceptions for rape or incest in Texas, Tennessee, Missouri, Louisiana, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Arkansas and South Dakota. All of those states laws were enacted in this century, most of them in the past two or three years.

What verses might emerge from this new era of diminished choices?
The red flag firearms laws encouraged by the federal gun control measures that President Joe Biden signed last month were already in force in Virginia.

Red flag laws have long been a part of the nations fraught conversation about gun violence, a debate renewed this year by mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, Uvalde, Texas, and more places. The laws are meant to keep guns away from people who seem on the verge of harming themselves or others.

Virginia is among 19 states and the District of Columbia that had red flag laws on the books before Congress took up the recent gun control package. The new federal legislation does not include a national red flag law but funds grants to prompt states to adopt their own red flag processes.

But in the two years since Virginias General Assembly approved red flag laws, they have been used just five times in the Roanoke and New River valleys, according to recent inquiries to prosecutors and other law enforcement officials.

That may be because in many cases where gun violence seems a threat, other firearms restrictions are in place  such as standard pretrial conditions of bail or when protective orders are issued in domestic violence cases, some observers said.

Little use, no problem

None of the officials talked to for this article said they consider it a problem that the red flag laws are so little used in the region.

There are laws on the books that give us avenues to keep the public safe, Botetourt County Sheriff Matt Ward said. If I can take a weapon from somebody, and take it as evidence because they were using it criminally, then we do that. We take it as evidence, or we do search warrants. Ive been doing it 20 some years. It isnt like all of a sudden all this is new. You can put lipstick on a pig, but its still going to be a pig.

Roanoke County Commonwealths Attorney Brian Holohan said that when someone threatens to harm themselves or others, emergency custody orders and temporary detention orders are often used to prevent casualties.

I think there certainly is room for improvement in those statutes and the way those are handled. But thats one way someone can physically be taken into custody, Holohan said. Youre not just talking about taking their guns and leaving them at their house. Youre literally taking them away to be evaluated for a mental health commitment, an involuntary commitment.

Holohan said that the individuals his office might have flagged are already being prosecuted.

In our situations, if I thought someone had engaged in conduct which would, under the statute, fit a substantial risk order, usually they were involved in some kind of criminal act, and we had moved to arrest them for whatever the criminal act was, Holohan said.

The new Republican majority in Virginias House of Delegates tried to repeal red flag laws earlier this year, an effort led by Del. Marie March, R-Floyd. In a recent text conversation, March said that she plans to renew her opposition in the 2023 legislative session.

March did not like that emergency orders that are the initial step of Virginias red flag process are issued without input from the people who may pose risks. Red flag laws are wrong because they focus on intent, or possible thought crime, rather than an actual criminal act, March wrote.

This has astounding potential for abuse/misuse consequences, she wrote.

More often used elsewhere

Still, prosecutors, police and sheriffs offices elsewhere in Virginia have used red flag laws hundreds of times. According to figures compiled by the Virginia Firearms Transaction Center, 258 Emergency Substantial Risk Orders and 151 Substantial Risk Orders have been issued since 2020.

Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller, who supplied the figures, wrote in an email that the firearms center did not break down its numbers by region or list how many guns were collected as a result of the orders.

Virginias red flag laws dont necessarily lead to firearms seizures. They ban possession and purchase of guns by people who have been determined to be at substantial risk of harming someone, including themselves, in the near future.

The laws lay out how a person who is the subject of a red flag order can relinquish their guns to an adult transferee who meets certain requirements or to a law enforcement agency.

The red flag laws dont grant any automatic right for officers to take anyones guns or to search for them, Montgomery County Commonwealths Attorney Mary Pettitt wrote in an email.

They simply say the person cant possess a firearm. So law enforcement relies on the owner to be honest when they ask if someone has guns, Pettitt wrote.

Officers still may seek search warrants, a separate process, if they have reason to think firearms are improperly present somewhere.

Like for protective orders and mental health detentions and commitments, Virginias red flag laws established a two-step process with a shorter, easier-to-obtain emergency gun ban, and a longer prohibition that can be imposed after a hearing before a judge.

In both instances, anyone subject to a red flag order  more properly called an Emergency Substantial Risk Order or the longer-term Substantial Risk Order  has their name entered in a state database so other agencies know the order is in effect.

Emergency orders can be sought by commonwealths attorneys or law enforcement officers. They ask a judge or magistrate to impose a 14-day gun ban, describing under oath what threats or acts of violence prompt the request. The prosecutor or officer also must cite an independent law enforcement investigation whose findings support that a person poses a significant risk.

After an Emergency Significant Risk Order is issued, a judge can hold a hearing and determine that someone presents a longer-term threat. The judge can impose a Significant Risk Order that can last up to 180 days.

Under either version of the risk order, a person must give up any concealed carry permit as well as their guns, and is not allowed to buy firearms while the order is in effect.

Five cases in region

Of the five red flag cases identified by law enforcement officials in the Roanoke and New River valleys, one was in Salem, one in Botetourt County, two in Franklin County and one in Montgomery County.

Prosecutors in Franklin County and Salem said they were not sure how much information they could share about the significant risk orders in their jurisdictions, though they said all three cases there involved mental health problems.

Im leery on what I can disclose and cant, because its borderline sort of a mental health proceeding, Salem Deputy Commonwealths Attorney Matt Pollard said. Its not a closed courtroom, I just dont know what the judge would, in terms of details because of the mental health component, want me to disclose.

Salems single case opened about a year ago. Pollard said the risk was issued, extended once, and is still in effect.

There was usage of firearm, and it was a case that nobody was injured. So, it would not have had a victim that actually required medical treatment or anything like that, Pollard said. But as always, with any of them, it requires a mental health component, usually, because theres got to be some sort of inherent risk.

Botetourt Countys single case was also connected to an individuals mental health. Sheriff Matt Ward said a man was shooting indiscriminately at perceived, invisible people close to nearby neighbors.

He was indiscriminately, just randomly shooting out, off his front deck at what was perceived to be individuals on his curtilage, Ward said. The proximity to his neighbors was the issue.

Botetourt County Commonwealths Attorney John Alexander said the case was resolved about six months ago.

I think that it sort of was a fail-safe to make sure that everybody was safe at a moment of crisis, Alexander said. When the judge reviewed it, what he said in his ruling was that the statute did exactly what it was designed to do, but he didnt feel that it needed to be extended.

We ended up giving the firearms to his family, Ward said. And thats what we would have done before red flag laws were, anyway.

Hope for common sense

Roanoke Countys Holohan agreed that the turning over of firearms to an at-risk individuals family members may have been facilitated behind the scenes by law enforcement officers before red flag law was enacted.

In the past, its not like everyone was all stupid and didnt have any common sense, Holohan said. All those things were kind of informally done, and are being done kind of right now, out in the world. I think you have to hope that the people involved in it have some common sense, and that whoever is agreeing to take possession of the firearms is doing so with the proper level of concern for not only their loved one, but everyone else.

Being a firearm owner, as I am myself, means that you do have responsibilities to make sure that children dont have access to the firearms in an unsafe way, Holohan continued. That also can apply to family members or relatives who are having mental health crisis. You have a responsibility to try and prevent them from harming themselves or others.

Both Roanoke County and Roanoke  the jurisdiction with the most gun violence incidents in Western Virginia  have yet to flag anyone.

That would be a big zero, Roanoke Commonwealths Attorney Don Caldwell said. Maybe that will grow over time as people become more aware of the situation. But it does require somebody coming forward and saying, This person has a problem, and they dont need to be around guns.

Holohan said there could be a greater effort to educate the public on the purpose of red flag law and how to use it in Virginia.

If your family member has had some mental health issue or is exhibiting some behaviors, youd hope, in many respects, that, family members of folks who exhibit this behavior would report it to the authorities, just so that a tragedy could be averted, Holohan said. But its also important to educate the public in general, because if you have some friend or some acquaintance who is exhibiting some behaviors, or making some comments that grant you concern that they may commit some kind of act of violence, then I would certainly encourage those folks to report that to the authorities, so it could be properly investigated.

But Caldwell said that in a city where people use guns to solve disputes, that education wont matter.

We cant get people to testify in court against somebody on a crime. Im just not sure how many people in general want to get in the middle of something like this, Caldwell said. It does take individual initiative. This is not something that police go out and search for. Its something that comes to them from some other source. People seem reluctant to interact with the police in many situations. Just general unwillingness to get involved might well be a problem.

Find a balance

Ward, the Botetourt sheriff, said discussions about red flag laws and discussions about rights to gun ownership tend to overlap.

We need a system thats going to find a balance, the sheriff said. I understand people have individual liberties, but at some point, youre going to have to balance that. Is this individual a threat to society to where he needs to be extended mentally? Or do you want to just temporarily put a band-aid on it and say, Well, hes alright for this week.

Ward said that in Botetourt County, his deputies often return to the same streets and neighborhoods when they respond to mental health calls. He said formerly flagged individuals who should be in therapy might continue to cause or threaten acts of harm.

People that have mental health issues need to be in an environment where theyre getting assistance. Whatever is practical, reasonable and rational, thats what Im for, to help people, Ward said. But police officers are not psychiatrists.

Holohan said the solution will require a multi-pronged approach.

To have a system that works very well requires resources to be put into it, the commonwealths attorney said. You have to have a mental health component and system that works well. You have to have a criminal justice system that works well. You have to have a police department that is properly funded and has the resources to investigate these kinds of problems.

More resources coming

Lori Haas, advocacy manager for the Center for Gun Violence Solutions at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, said those resources are coming with the U.S. Senates recently approved gun violence prevention bill.

Clearly, more opportunities for education and training should be made available to law enforcement and public safety officials across the Commonwealth, Haas said. In that package is money that can be distributed to law enforcement agencies, local and state, to implement risk laws.

Haas daughter survived the 2007 mass shooting at Virginia Tech that took 32 lives. She said the handful of substantial risk orders being pursued in the Roanoke and New River valleys is disappointing.

This is a tool for law enforcement to intervene when someone who is at risk of harm to self or others. And we would like to think that law enforcement would be availing themselves more often of this tool, Haas said. I think the question needs to be, not necessarily, Are they effective, or are they working? Its more about, These are available, and why isnt law enforcement taking advantage of them? If you have a person who has exhibited violent behavior, and theyre threatening a neighbor, a loved one, a school, why arent you disarming them? Its a temporary measure.

So long as the people have the authority to pursue red flag laws are doing so in a responsible manner, theres nothing wrong with those laws, Holohan said. I just would caution that they arent a solution to mass shootings or school shootings or whatever wrong or harm youre trying to prevent. Theyre not a panacea that can just stop them.

It is not going to be a universal cure for anything, but if it helps in some cases, its better than nothing, Caldwell said. I think the jurys still out on how effective this really is to prevent some things. The red flag law, nationally, its being talked about in the context of a school shooting. Would this have prevented that? I dont know. I have my doubts, but time will tell.

Coming Tuesday: Red flag cases in Montgomery and Franklin counties since the state law was approved in 2020 illustrate the complexities and challenges of implementation.
Eight people are displaced and three cats are dead after a fire consumed two buildings in downtown Vinton early Saturday, causing roofs to collapse.

Roanoke County Fire and Rescue Department crews responded at 1:54 a.m. to a report of a commercial structure fire at the intersection of East Lee Avenue and South Pollard Street.

Crews from the departments Vinton station arrived on scene within four minutes and found heavy smoke and fire showing from the first floor of a two-story building, the department said in a press release. As of 5:15 a.m., the fire was still active.

The roof has collapsed on the main building that is on fire, the press release said. Incident command is concerned that the entire building could collapse and so some units have had to back up away from the building.

Because of officials concerns, and because their equipment and crews are still on scene, most of downtown Vintons streets were closed, the press release said. Residents and motorists were asked to avoid the area.

A second press release from the department at 9 a.m. said the fire was under control but not completely extinguished. While no residents were injured, eight adults from four apartments had been displaced. At least three cats had died.

The fire originated in the building at 101 E. Lee Ave., home to DR Music. That buildings roof collapsed, and it is a total loss, the fire department said. The structure was built in 1930.

The building is not structurally sound, the department said. Crews are awaiting heavy equipment to safely demolish the building and completely extinguish the fire.

Edward Jones Investments at 103 E. Lee Ave. also suffered a roof collapse.

There was an apartment in this building, the fire department said. Those residents are being assisted by The American Red Cross.

Rustic Creations at 107 E. Lee Ave. sustained some smoke damage. At 206 and 208 S. Pollard St., two businesses and about three apartments were affected.

This building has also sustained heavy roof damage as well as smoke and water damage, the department said. Those residents are also being assisted by the American Red Cross.

The countys building inspector is on scene to assess the structural stability of the Pollard Street building and others. The scene is under the investigation of the Roanoke County Fire Marshals Office.

The fire department indicated that damage estimates and the cause of the fire may not be known until Sunday.
BEDFORD  A new Bedford Fire Department chief was appointed by Town Council on a unanimous vote this week, filling the vacancy left by former chief Brad Creasy, who recently left the role to accept a state-level appointment.

Todd Stone is the new chief, stepping in after working as a member of the towns volunteer fire department and life-saving crew since 1990.

Stone served several years in the position, from 2003 to 2006, prior to Creasys tenure.

He obviously knows the job, Town Manager Bart Warner said Thursday.

A firefighter paramedic at the beginning of his career, Stone was hired by Roanoke as a paramedic in 1988. In 1995, he became a firefighter paramedic with the Roanoke Fire-EMS Department, where he worked until he retired in 2018 at the rank of captain, according to a news release from the Town of Bedford.

Retirement did not last long, however; Stone began working more heavily with the Bedford Fire Department.

During his time with the town fire department, the news release said Stone helped Bedford County establish a swift water and heavy tactical rescue team, facilitated the Bedford Regional Fire Training Center on Orange Street and was instrumental in obtaining a ladder truck for the Bedford community.

I think he will continue the high standards of excellence in the department, Warner said.

Stone has plans for the department going forward, particularly to address short staffing; continue fast, professional response with an increasing number of calls per year; and pursue remodeling of the departments 50-year-old building.

My goal is to bring 12 new members in in the first 12 months, and get them trained, Stone said.I was born and raised in the Town of Bedford, and I just want to carry the traditions of the Bedford Fire Department on, and just basically ensure that we continue a high level of service that weve always carried on, Stone said.
RICHMOND  Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued an executive order Thursday tasking the official who was rejected for an environmental Cabinet post with reducing Virginia regulations by 25%.

The move drew a rebuke from one of the states most politically influential environmental groups, the Virginia League of Conservation Voters, whose executive director said Youngkin appeared to be creating a campaign issue for a presidential run.

Democrats who control the state Senate in February rejected the nomination of Andrew Wheeler for state natural resources secretary. Wheeler had worked as U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator in the Trump administration, where he tried to roll back environmental protections, and became a lightning rod in the General Assembly session.

Youngkin kept Wheeler on his team, however, as a senior adviser at the same Cabinet-level salary of $185,567, and Wheeler remains an active part of the administration. Meanwhile, Youngkin hasnt appointed a permanent natural resources secretary; Travis Voyles remains acting secretary.

Youngkins executive order creates a new Office of Regulatory Management within the governors office that will review all regulations and streamline them.

Last year, I pledged to Virginians that we would remove 25% of the regulatory requirements in the Commonwealth, Youngkin said in a statement.

In the spirit of this objective, we have created the Office of Regulatory Management, led by Andrew Wheeler, which will create much needed transparency and efficiency in Virginias regulatory process to ensure that we have a government that works for the citizens of the Commonwealth.

The League of Conservation Voters issued a statement slamming the idea.

In creating a dedicated office to cut regulations, and tapping a career deregulatory zealot to lead this effort, its clear what comes next: a Virginia where polluters benefit and our environment suffers, executive director Mike Town said in the statement.

In an interview, Town said he expects Wheeler to target environmental protections in Virginia.

Whether you care about public health and safety, protecting the environment, addressing climate change, keeping our water clean, our air clean ... the environment has never been at greater threat than it is right now after this executive order, he said.

Six months into his four-year term as governor, Youngkin is considering running for president in 2024.

The League of Conservation Voters worked in 2021 to elect Democrat Terry McAuliffe as governor, whom Youngkin narrowly defeated in November.

Town said the executive order appeared to be something that would help Youngkins national brand.

Youngkin appears to believe that cutting red tape and streamlining government is a campaign issue for president, and it appears they dont care what the impact is on Virginians, he said.

The governors office, however, said the regulatory review would require state agencies to analyze proposed regulations to ensure theyre not overly burdensome on local government or the public.

Youngkin spokesman Rob Damschen said the executive order is built of a bipartisan, 2018 pilot program agreed to by the General Assembly.

The order is a government-wide, good government effort to provide more transparency into the regulations affecting all Virginians, Damschen said in an email for this story.
Whenever the Supreme Court comes down with a particularly momentous decision, its customary to look at the majority opinion. After all, the majority makes the law.

Sometimes, though, its the dissenting opinions that are more interesting, more shocking, more passionate and in a very small number of cases, more influential.

John Marshall Harlan was nicknamed The Great Dissenter because he disagreed with so many of his courts decisions during a storied lifetime on the bench. In some very important instances, his dissenting views became the basis of future majority opinions. The most famous example is the 7-1 majority in Plessy v. Ferguson, upholding the separate but equal standard used to support legal segregation. Harlan was the only holdout, writing in dissent that the Constitution was color blind and that in this country, there is no superior, dominant ruling class of citizens.

Fifty-eight years later, in Brown v. Board of Education, the Warren Court overruled Plessy. Justice Harlan was posthumously vindicated.

Then you have the dissenters who regularly file opinions that run counter to common sense, words that reflect a backward view of the constitution and a very personal animus toward certain groups, certain principles and certain perspectives. Thats why I wanted to focus on the dissents in a case handed down last week, because they carry very little of the wisdom and prescience found in Harlans work.

In Carson v. Makin, a majority composed of Chief Justice Roberts, along with Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett ruled that it was a violation of the Free Exercise Clause to deny public funds to parents who want to send their children to a religiously-affiliated secondary school. The controversy arose out of Maine, which had a program that provided money to parents who lived in school districts that didnt have high schools. The taxpayer money was designed to allow these children to obtain the equivalent of a public education by attending private institutions of their choice. However, private sectarian schools were the only schools specifically excluded from the program.

Enter the dissenters. Justice Stephen Breyer penned a disingenuous opinion  joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor  where he tries to gaslight us into thinking that he wants to honor religion by making sure he starves religious schools. In a particularly ironic passage, Breyer writes that In my view, Maines [law] is also constitutional because it supports rather than undermines the Religion Clauses goal of avoiding religious strife. He then goes on to point out that people from minority faiths will feel annoyed if they think majority religions are being given an unfair advantage.

What Breyer ignores, and what Roberts makes clear, is that the citizens who are barred from using taxpayer money to go to the schools of their choice are the ones being discriminated against. They are equally justified in being upset that the state would penalize them because they choose to go to a religious school as opposed to another sort of private institution. And lets be clear: this is not about public vs. private. This is about secular vs. religious, two very different things.

Justice Sotomayor wasnt satisfied with joining his opinion. She had to weigh in with her own words, and they were choice.

In one particularly revelatory passage, where she sounds like Cassandra warning the Trojans about the Greeks hiding in that annoying horse, Sotomayor warns society at large of the evil lurking within the majority opinion: [I]n just a few years, the Court has upended constitutional doctrine, shifting from a rule that permits States to decline to fund religious organizations to one that requires States in many circumstances to subsidize religious indoctrination with taxpayer dollars.

You can feel the sneer in religious indoctrination. She continues: Today, the Court leads us to a place where separation of church and state becomes a constitutional violation.

Sotomayors is doing what the majority in Plessy did years ago, turn people of faith into second class citizens who dont have a right to the same benefits that secular folk can claim. Its really quite repugnant, but not surprising. Of late, Sonias been increasingly strident in her attacks on a society that doesnt agree with her philosophically or politically.

The good news is that her dissent was joined by one person: her. It will not have the impact that Justice Harlans dissent in Plessy had, and although I cant be sure, I suspect that future generations will look at her words as a desperate attempt to keep religion marginalized, behind a wall that exists only in the minds of the prejudiced and intolerant.
by Xinhua writer Lin Jing

COPENHAGEN, July 2 (Xinhua) -- "Can you imagine that there can be live fish and seafood in a supermarket in Baiyin City, Gansu Province, such an inland Chinese city?"

Carsten Boyer Thogersen, a former Danish diplomat in China, talked to Xinhua about the social and economic development of China that he has personally experienced in recent years.

Thogersen, who has worked with China for over 45 years, has served as the Danish consul general in Guangzhou and Shanghai and has visited nearly all Chinese provinces and even some remote rural areas.

"The first time I went to Gansu was around 1990 when I went to Lanzhou, the capital city of the province, which can be considered very poor. But five years ago, I went to the city of Baiyin, north of Lanzhou city. In the evening, when I walked into a newly established supermarket, I found it well-sorted, no different from those in downtown Copenhagen," said Thogersen.

The sightings mentioned above struck Thogersen, who traveled to Gansu again in 2017.

"It was amazing that that supermarket in Baiyin had haixian (seafood in Chinese), flown in from the coastal area."

Thogersen, in his 70s, is a China expert who adores Chinese culture and has studied the Chinese language since he was young. Since 1980, he has used the Chinese name Cao Boyi.

For Thogersen, this is just one example of how China's economic growth has improved the lives of its people in recent years.

Having lived in China continuously for the last 20 years, he has, in his own words, "had the opportunity to see for myself the changes in China, not least in the rural areas."

Thogersen often explained to his foreign friends that China has invested heavily in infrastructure development over the past five to eight years and has made unprecedented changes. China also declared a "comprehensive victory" in its fight against poverty last year.

In 2015, the Danish Chamber of Commerce awarded Thogersen the Business Person Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his contribution to serving Danish-Chinese trade relations for more than 35 years.

Currently, China is speeding up the construction of a "dual circulation" development paradigm, in which domestic and overseas markets reinforce each other with the domestic market as the mainstay.

According to Thogersen, this is a holistic policy adjustment based on the international environment and the characteristics of China's domestic market.

"China can not rely completely on the international market, must give priority to ensure the strong and healthy development of domestic market," said Thogersen.

The former Danish diplomat called on European nations, including Denmark, to continue and expand their economic and trade cooperation with China, which is truly in Europe's best interests for its prosperity.

"If China has to continue its economic development, China also has to keep on open doors and take part in the international trade. Simultaneously, European countries, Denmark, in order for our consumers to prosper, we have to continue and expand our trade and economic cooperation with China," Thogersen added.

Thogersen voiced his hope that "the important trade relationship between Europe and China will continue as it has for the past 40 years." 
Because the U.S. Supreme Court has accomplished what the majority of voters opposed, it is clearly time for Virginians to get real about our expectations of the court, and of Congress and our General Assembly.

Americans take pride and comfort in the idea that ours is a government of laws, not of men  a concept signifying decisions free of individual whim or preference. The concept is older than our Constitution.

Still older is a doctrine expressed in Latin as stare decisis, meaning that what the court has decided will stand. For most of our history, the two ideas together contributed significantly to stability, peace, and whatever prosperity we enjoyed.

Over time, many Americans somehow also embraced the idea that our countrys highest court was above politics. That never was true, and today has never been more obviously false.

For half a century, filling the court with jurists from the Right has been the holy grail of Republican politics. Mitch McConnell finessed this with his duplicity  breaking Senate precedent by denying President Barack Obamas nominee to the court even a hearing in 2016, then rushing to approve President Trumps nominee late in 2020.

This courts Republican majority last week overruled a 50-year Supreme Court precedent and freed the states to forbid abortion. Justice Clarence Thomas even pointed the way to ending other court-protected rights: to contraception, to privacy in consenting intimate relations, to gay marriage.

The same activist court has blocked government efforts to control COVID-19 and on Thursday issued an industry-wide limit on controlling carbon dioxide emissions from electric power plants. These and other actions could undercut the whole realm of safety rules that keep our food wholesome, our medicines genuinely therapeutic, our automobiles and airplanes safe, and our banks honest.

They would take us back to the bad old days before Upton Sinclair and the muckrakers made Americans aware of how big business, free of regulation, was abusing its workers, crushing small business, and poisoning the people. That is exactly what the Republicans have worked for ever since Lewis Powell Jr. fired up the U.S. Chamber of Commerce with a secret battle plan in 1971. (Two months after Powells memo left his desk in Richmond, President Nixon named him to the Supreme Court; he served for 15 years.)

If a womans right to choose is your issue, you already know that termination of pregnancy is legal in Virginia, under certain restrictions. But our governor has tasked the General Assembly with writing a ban to apply in the 15th week of pregnancy. And Republicans in Congress, emboldened by their success in the Mississippi abortion case last week, already speak of passing a nationwide ban.

Can you think of a time when it mattered more who we elect to serve in Washington or in Richmond? Are we in the 9th District going to keep a congressman who faithfully serves as a mouthpiece for Republican power brokers? Or have we the courage to change?
End of Roe v. Wade wont end abortion

Now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade, abortion could soon become illegal in half of the country. Or so Democrats warn. But its impossible to know how the debate will play out in many states. And a study this month by the Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights, suggests that the practical consequences for abortion could be far less severe.

Many GOP states have increased abortion regulation in recent years, including parental consent and notification requirements for minors and mandated waiting periods. Yet abortions increased 8% nationwide between 2017 and 2020, according to Guttmachers abortion provider survey.

More abortions arent something to celebrate, especially as births simultaneously declined 6% in the same period. But Guttmacher claims it may be a positive development if it means people are getting the health care they want and need. This is a tacit admission that stricter laws in GOP states havent stopped women from obtaining abortions.

One reason is that left-leaning states have expanded access to abortion. Abortions increased by 25% between 2017 and 2020 in Illinois as more pregnant women came from surrounding states with more restrictive laws. Illinois in 2018 also began covering abortions with state Medicaid funds. Abortion providers responded to increasing demand by opening more clinics.

Progressives claim traveling to other states to get an abortion will be a grave hardship for women. But the Guttmacher report suggests that thousands of women already do so. Many employers in recent months have also offered to cover the travel costs of employees in states where abortion is banned to get an abortion elsewhere.

Abortions also have increased as local and national abortion funds increased their capacity and helped even more people pay for their abortions, the report says. Many pro-abortion rights groups have used the potential demise of Roe to boost their fundraising. The Supreme Courts ruling on Friday will be a fundraising boon for Planned Parenthood.

States that are more likely to ban abortion already regulate it more strictly, so the Courts decision may have a smaller effect in those states. The Guttmacher report notes that because restrictions in recent years were adopted in states generally considered hostile to abortion rights already, they may not have played as much of a role as the measures expanding access in other states.

This evidence from an abortion-rights group suggests that abortion will still be widely available in the wake of the Supreme Courts decision on Roe v. Wade. States will respond to the Courts decision in different ways, and thats the beauty of the U.S. federalist system.

 The Wall Street Journal

# # #

GOP support for gun bill offers hope for more reform

Fifteen Republicans in the Senate and 14 in the House joined with congressional Democrats last month to break more than 25 years of inaction on gun safety. That these Republicans, many of whom had ratings of A or A-plus from the National Rifle Association, defied the gun lobby with their support of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act suggests they saw the political peril in doing nothing about the gun violence gripping the country. Indeed, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, who voted for the bill, admitted as much when he said he hoped GOP support for the measure will be viewed favorably by voters as the party seeks to regain the majority next year.

The public sentiment for gun safety that has steadily built with each mass shooting, finally forcing Republicans to drop their ironclad opposition, offers hope that the legislation, signed into law by President Biden on Saturday, will be the first and not last step in bringing some rationality to the nations gun laws.

The 80-page bill, produced by a small group of Republican and Democratic senators in the aftermath of back-to-back mass shootings at a Buffalo grocery store and a Texas school, falls far short of the tough but common-sense measures long sought by gun-control advocates. There are no universal background checks, no ban of large-capacity magazines, no requirements for safe storage of weapons and no action  not even raising the minimum age of purchase  on assault weapons. That, though, does not detract from the significance of what was achieved.

Among the worthwhile reforms: enhanced background checks for younger gun buyers to include juvenile and mental health records; incentives for states to adopt red-flag laws that allow guns to be temporarily confiscated from people deemed dangerous by a judge; tougher penalties on illegal gun purchases; and revision of a federal law intended to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers to close the boyfriend loophole. Those measures  along with billions of new federal dollars to expand mental health programs and improve school safety  will save lives.

Credit for the hard work of fashioning a compromise that both sides could agree to goes to Sens. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and John Cornyn, R-Texas, aided by Kyrsten Sinema, D-Arizona, and Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina. Mr. Murphy had just been elected to the Senate in 2012 when a gunman killed 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in his home state and has been tireless in his pursuit of common-sense gun control despite many setbacks. Mr. Cornyns willingness to negotiate  and his refusal to back down even when faced with withering criticism from former president Donald Trump, Fox News and his state GOP party  is equally praiseworthy. So is his forthrightness in standing up to the NRA. We worked with the NRA, listened to their concerns, but in the end I think they simply  they have a membership and a business model that will not allow them to support any legislation, Mr. Cornyn said.

Passage of the bill came a day after the Supreme Court expanded gun rights by striking down a New York law limiting the carrying of guns in public. That ill-advised and dangerous ruling may have tempered any celebration over the gun bill, but it cant squelch the public sentiment that has risen up in support of rational gun-safety laws.

 The Washington Post
Garrett K. Jones is a local fantasy author. He currently has four books released in his ongoing series, and he produces a vlog on YouTube and the Creator's Corner podcast (available on Spotify, Google, & Apple). www.archivesofthefivekingdoms.com/ IG/Twitter: @gkj_publishing

Feel free to contact him with title suggestions of films youd like him to review.
" " The flying aircraft carrier USS Macon above New York City in 1933. Universal History Archive/Getty Images

When the 20th century was still in its teens, the U.S. Navy began designing a daring new strategy. It built a series of lighter-than-air dirigibles to scout the skies, and carry and deploy biplanes on reconnaissance missions. From nose to tail, these enormous blimps were as long as a 60-story skyscraper is tall.

And by 1931, the USS Akron was aloft. The United States of America's first flying aircraft carrier came equipped with crews that numbered close to 100. The massive blimp included the usual comforts, such as sleeping barracks and restrooms. Individual hangars could stow up to five fixed wing biplanes on board. And because its balustrades were filled with helium to give the ship lift rather the highly flammable hydrogen, the Akron even had fully functional cook stoves with open flames.

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The single-seat Curtiss F9C Sparrowhawk biplanes that "parked" at this blimp were snatched out of the air by a trapeze affixed to the dirigible, and attached to what served as the blimp's landing gear. Take-offs were no less risky; the trapeze dangled the airplanes as they roared into flight.

" " A Curtiss Sparrowhawk biplane docked on the underside of the USS Macon in 1932. US Navy/Interim Archives/Getty Images

The USS Akron was in service for two years, much of that time undergoing repairs and trial flights. In one such demonstration, it traveled from Lakehurst, New Jersey, to Sunnyvale, California. Along the way, a stop at Camp Kearny near San Diego turned tragic when three sailors became tangled in the ship's mooring lines as it lifted unexpectedly. Two of the soldiers fell to their deaths, a sight memorialized on film and shown in newsreels at American theaters.

Later Akron flights included patrols of Cuba and the Panama Canal. Then, on April 4, 1933, the dirigible encountered severe weather and crashed into the ocean off the New Jersey coast. Of the 76 people on board, only three survived  one of whom went on to captain the Navy's next flying aircraft carrier, the USS Macon.

When Akron survivor Lieutenant Commander Herbert Wiley took the helm of the USS Macon, he controlled an airship larger than its predecessor. The Macon also had a singular mission: monitoring what the Navy perceived as an increased threat in the Pacific.

" " An interior shot of the USS Akron during construction. Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone/Getty Images

The US Navy was eyeing Japan, which had been quickly building up its military, and used some its most advanced technology at the time  the dirigible  to increase the distance biplanes could travel on scouting missions. However, on Feb. 12, 1935, the USS Macon also ran into severe weather off the California coast, lost control and slowly sank toward the ocean.

The slow descent gave the Macon's crew enough to time to don lifejackets, although one crew member died by jumping into the ocean from too high a distance, and another drowned after swimming back into the galley of the sinking airship to retrieve some personal belongings.

" " The flying aircraft carrier USS Akron above New York City in 1932. MPI/Getty Images

What's perhaps most remarkable is that, according to Navy historians, had the USS Macon been in service in 1941, it may have sent warning of the Japanese fleet headed to Pearl Harbor. Instead, the USS Macon was the last of its kind. No other rigid, lighter-than-air dirigibles were ever commissioned for use as carriers.

The site of the USS Macon wreck was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010, and in 2015 the third and most recent expedition to map and recover a part of the fragile wreckage took place. At its current home under 1,400 feet (427 meters) of saltwater, scientists fear the USS Macon and its biplane cargo will soon be gone forever. Check out this video of the most recent exploration:

Now That's Interesting At a length of 785 feet (250 meters), both the Akron and the Macon were 20 feet (6.1 meters) shorter than the ill-fated Hindenburg passenger airship.
" " U.S. Black Hawk helicopter pilots are taking part in a joint-training exercise in Germany with soldiers from the Army's 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, in anticipation of working together during future missions. U.S. Army/Spc. Thomas Scaggs

For 27 years Alan Gropman served in the U.S. Air Force, accumulating more than 4,000 flying hours in two tours in Vietnam. He participated in 670 combat missions, including many that delivered the Army's battle-hardened 101st Airborne to the fight. When he returned home, the Lt. Col. Gropman became Professor Gropman and taught military history and strategy at the Air Force Academy, Georgetown University and George Mason University. He's considered the leading authority on African-Americans in the military.

You would think that a man with such a pedigree would be in favor of reinstituting the military draft and creating, what some contend, would be a more muscular army. He's not. In fact, he's dead-set against it. "I don't think the draft would improve the army," he says in an interview.

Why not? Other nations have mandatory conscription laws. Doesn't that put the United States at a disadvantage? Aren't we less safe since we don't force a portion of our population into military service? Doesn't the size of a nation's military directly correlate to its martial prowess?

"You wouldn't have a better army  you'd just have more people," Gropman says.

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Mandatory Service Doesn't Mean Might

Gropman's view that America is better off with an all-volunteer military is one shared by many academics and military leaders. In their view America's all-volunteer force is vastly superior to any conscripted army in the world. Perhaps that is why the Joint Chiefs of Staff have never recommended reviving the draft.

"I believe Israel and South Korea perhaps are the only countries with conscription and top-flight militaries," Michael E. O'Hanlon, a senior fellow in foreign policy at the Brookings Institute said in an email. "We are much better person for person than almost any place else with conscription, though of course, it's hard to measure."

In fact, O'Hanlon says, a conscripted army would make us weaker, especially in the age of high-tech warfare. "In fairness to that idea, it could at least give us a greater sense of collective national engagement in the fight," O'Hanlon says. "Beyond that, I don't see notable advantages in military terms."

President Harry Truman reinstituted a mandatory draft on July 20, 1948, after the massive demobilization following World War II left the U.S. Army with a force of fewer than 550,000 men. Congress halted it in 1973 and established an all-volunteer military force as the Vietnam War was winding down. Although the draft had been a fact of life for American males for decades, Vietnam had taken its toll. Critics called it a "poor man's war," in which the well-heeled, educated, and politically connected escaped service or served in rear areas, while the poor, especially those who were African American, did the bulk of the fighting. "We've never had an equitable draft," Gropman says.

Bringing back the draft would need an act of Congress and the signature of the president, although the government requires all males ages 18 through 25, who are living in the United States and have a social security number, to register with the Selective Service System. Registration creates a pool of would-be soldiers if Congress reinstated conscription. In 2016, lawmakers nixed a proposal that would have allowed women to register for the draft. The issue came up after then-Defense Secretary Ash Carter decided that women could fight in combat for the first time. A consortium of military leaders and women's rights groups supported the idea of female registration.

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Volunteer Military Superior

Since Vietnam, the America's all-volunteer military has been engaged in a number of conflicts, from the invasion of Grenada in 1983, to the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Today, 1.4 million people are on active duty and another 850,000 are in the reserves. They are deployed around the world, including facing down North Korea and fighting terrorists in Syria, Iraq and other conflict zones.

From all accounts, the all-volunteer force has worked out well. For one thing, less than 0.5 percent of the population serves in the U.S. armed forces as opposed to 12 percent in World War II. It has also saved taxpayers money. The Pentagon's budget accounts for 20 percent of the government's budget, down from 45 percent during height of Vietnam. Moreover, everybody in the armed services wants to be there. No one is forced to serve.

The result, Gropman and others say, is a quality army with no rival on the world stage. A 2015 report by Credit Suisse, a multi-national financial firm, bears that out. The company's research institute ranked the United States military as the best in the world, despite the reduction in size and budget. Researchers ranked each nation on six variables, including the number of active personal, aircraft, tanks, attack helicopters, aircraft carriers and submarines. The U.S. far outdistanced the conscripted armies of Russia, Israel, South Korea, Egypt, among others.

" " Soldiers of the 200th Military Police Command conduct physical fitness training at Fort Meade, Maryland, in July 2017. U.S. Army/Sgt. Audrey Hayes

Moreover, while an army of conscripts tend to fall on the edge of the socio-economic spectrum, America's all-volunteer force now reflects a broad spectrum of society. Volunteers with different cultural and economic backgrounds stay in the military longer, allowing for more complex training and creating consistency and cohesion for units. The armed services also have high standards for intelligence, health and behavior, which an army of draftees lacks.

But there are problems. Under the standards set by the military, only 20 percent of Americans are qualified to serve, which makes recruiting hard. During times of conflict there might not be enough soldiers to fight. We saw this during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, when the military had to dip into its reserve and National Guard units to do the bulk of the fighting. Many units did multiple tours.

That's one reason of why some still believe the U.S. would be better off without a volunteer army. Joseph Epstein, a former draftee who served in the Army from 1958 to 1960 told The Atlantic that "a reinstated draft, or compulsory military service, would redistribute the burden of the responsibility for fighting wars, and engage the nation in military conflicts in a more immediate and democratic way. A truly American military, inclusive of all social classes, might cause politicians and voters to be more selective in choosing which battles are worth fighting and at what expense."

Now That's Interesting A 2007 Gallup Poll found that 80 percent of Americans did not think Congress should reinstitute the draft. A 2013 Rasmussen Reports poll yielded the same results. At that time, only 29 percent of all American voters thought the draft should be reinstated.
FLORENCE, S.C.  Florence Countys Democratic Party urged all Democrats to register to vote, go to the polls and pull together to make Florence County a better place to live and work at a press conference in downtown Florence Thursday evening.

The partys strength doesnt come from a single person, Florence County Democratic Party Chairman Isaac Gin Wilson said. Every Democrat must talk to their neighbors, empower their communities and change South Carolina and the United States.

Florence Democrats champion big, bold ideas, Wilson said. We fight for strong neighborhoods, better education, high incomes, womens rights, equality and an economy that works for everyone, not just the wealthy few. We believe in a fair shot for all.

Ensuring everyone had a fair shot drove Democrats to build a great country. It still drives the party. Everybody can be a success. Your heritage, skin color or significant other shouldnt keep people from finding success if they work hard, Wilson said.

We are united by shared values of fairness, integrity and opportunity for all. The diversity of our backgrounds, viewpoints and skills makes us strong, he said.

The Democratic Party had hotly contested races in the primaries, at-large Florence City Council member Chaquez T. McCall said. The candidates have set aside their differences to unite to build a better city of Florence and Florence County.

We have a lot of issues on the ballot this November, McCall said. The Republican Party, of course, is trying to take power away from the Democratic Party. We want to be united in making sure we keep our voices heard and we keep all of our collective efforts together.

Every Democrat needs to be united to make sure Democratic Party candidates are elected and Democratic values continue in Florence, Florence County, South Carolina and the United States, he said.

Florence County Mayor Pro Tem George Jebaily also stepped up to the podium. He focused on the power of voting.

Jebaily called the opportunity to vote precious  as are the right to vote and responsibility to vote.

We are a people of one voice and a community of one voice, he said, that has an echo chamber. Its like a choir that hasnt different tones, but you sing together. That is what is represented here and thats what is represented going forward.

Democrats must answer the call to action to make a difference in the community, state and nation, Jebaily said.

The Florence County Democratic Party extends beyond the city of Florence. It wants the best for residents of Lake City, Johnsonville, Timmonsville, Olanta, Coward and everybody in the county, Wilson said. Every Democrat must get involved to deliver solutions for the issues facing the working people and their families, Wilson said.

We are challenging all of you to join the Democratic Party if you are of the Democratic persuasion. We care about each individual around this county. These elected officials are committed from their seat to change the tide for our communities and move us forward by everybody working together, Wilson said.
Felicia Frazar is the managing editor of the Seguin Gazette. You can e-mail her at felicia.frazar@seguingazette.com .
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Dairy, meats and eggs can get risky when left in warm conditions. Westend61 via Getty Images

Every year, almost 1 in 6 Americans gets a foodborne illness, and about 3,000 people die from it, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates. Picnics and parties where food sits out for hours are a common source, but heat waves and power outages are another silently growing threat.

As global temperatures rise, the risk of foods going bad during blackouts in homes or stores or during transit in hot weather rises with them. Elena Naumova, an epidemiologist and data scientist at Tufts University, explains the risk and what you need to know to stay safe.

What does climate change have to do with foodborne illness?

The link between foodborne illness and climate change is quite straightforward: The pathogens that cause many foodborne infections are sensitive to temperature. Thats because warm, wet weather conditions stimulate bacterial growth.

Three main factors govern the spread of foodborne illness: 1) the abundance, growth, range and survival of pathogens in crops, livestock and the environment; 2) the transfer of these pathogens to food; and 3) human exposure to the pathogens.

Safety measures like warning labels and product recalls can help slow the spread of harmful bacteria and parasites, but these measures dont always evolve rapidly enough to keep pace with the changing risk.

One growing problem is that heat waves, wildfires and severe storms are increasingly triggering power outages, which in turn affect food storage and food handling practices in stores, production and distribution sites and homes. A review of federal data in 2022 found that major U.S. power outages linked to severe weather had doubled over the previous two decades. California often experiences smaller-scale outages during heat waves and periods of high wildfire risk.

This can happen on the hottest and, in some areas, most humid days, creating ideal conditions for bacteria to grow.

Salmonella bacteria, in pink, a common cause of foodborne disease, invade a human epithelial cell. NIAID

Which causes of foodborne illness are increasing with the heat?

Nationwide, many types of foodborne infection peak in warm summer months.

Cyclospora, a tiny parasite that causes intestinal infections and is transmitted through food or water contaminated with feces, often on imported vegetables and fruits, peaks in early June.

The bacteria Campylobacter, a common cause of diarrhea thats often linked to undercooked meat; Vibrio, linked to eating raw or undercooked shellfish; Salmonella, which causes diarrhea and is linked to animal feces; and STEC, a common type of E. coli, peak in mid-July. And the parasite Cyptosporidium, germ Listeria and bacteria Shigella peak in mid-August.

Many of these infections cause upset stomach, but they can also lead to severe diarrhea, dehydration, vomiting and even longer-term illnesses, such as meningitis and multiple organ failures.

When refrigerators lose power, they can keep foods cool for only so long. This store owner in New York during the 2006 blackout said, Ill have to throw all this out. Chris Hondros/Getty Images, Author provided

In our studies, my colleagues and I have also found that food recalls increase during summer months.

Typically, the U.S. sees about 70 foodborne outbreaks per month, with about two of them resulting in a food recall. In summer, the number of outbreaks can exceed 100 per month, and the number of recall-related outbreaks goes up to six per month, increasing from 3% to 6% of all reported and investigated outbreaks nationwide.

The rate of individual infections can also easily double or triple the annual average during summer months.

Precisely estimating infection numbers is very challenging because the vast majority of foodborne illness outbreaks  an estimated 80% of illnesses and 56% of hospitalizations  are not attributed to known pathogens due to insufficient testing, and many foodborne illnesses are not even reported to the health authorities.

What types of food should people worry about?

Watch out for perishable products, including meat, poultry, fish, dairy and eggs, along with anything labeled as requiring refrigeration. How warm a food item can get before becoming risky varies, so the simplest rule for keeping food safe is to follow food labels and instructions.

The CDC website emphasizes four basic rules to prevent food poisoning at home: clean, separate, cook and chill.

It also offers some guidelines for when the power goes out, starting with keeping refrigerator and freezer doors closed. A full freezer will keep food safe for 48 hours (24 hours if half-full) without power if you dont open the door. Your refrigerator will keep food safe for up to four hours without power if you dont open the door, it says.

Food safety tips. CDC

After four hours without power or a cooling source, the CDC recommends that most meat, dairy, leftovers and cut fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator be thrown out.

Unfortunately, you cannot see, smell or taste many harmful pathogens that cause foodborne illness, so its better to be safe than sorry. Rule of thumb: When in doubt, throw it out.

Whats the best response if a person gets sick from food?

If you do get sick, it can be hard to pinpoint the culprit. Harmful bacteria can take anywhere from a few hours to several days to make you sick. And people respond in different ways, so the same food might not make everyone ill.

Check with your doctor if you think you have food poisoning. Get tested so your case will be reported. That helps public health authorities get a better sense of the extent of infections. The full extent of infections is typically vastly underreported.

I recommend checking health department websites, like Washington states, for more advice, and check on food recalls during the hot months.

Elena N. Naumova receives funding from the National Science Foundation. She is affiliated with Tufts University.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.
CAIRO (AP)  Egyptian authorities on Saturday closed off a stretch of the country's Red Sea coastline, a day after a shark attack killed an Austrian woman swimming near the resort of Hurghada.

The 68-year-old woman, who lost a leg and an arm in the shark attack, died shortly after she was brought to the private Nile Hospital in Hurghada, an Egyptian health official said.

She was barely alive when she was brought in on Friday, the official said, adding that attempts by medical staff to resuscitate her failed. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters.

According to an internal document from the office of the governor of the Red Sea province, shared with The Associated Press, authorities were to close off the area for three days, banning all sea activities, including diving, snorkeling, wind surfing and kite sailing. Fishing boats were also banned from the waters off Hurghada. The governor ordered the closure.

A video circulated online purported to show the attack on the woman by a Mako shark relatively close to the shore, seen from a nearby pier. In the video, the water around the woman turns red from blood as bystanders on the pier throw a flotation device toward her. It remained unclear how she was able to get to the shore.

Shark attacks have been relatively rare in Egypt's Red Sea coastal region in recent years. In 2020, a young Ukrainian boy lost an arm and an Egyptian tour guide a leg in a shark attack. In 2010, a spate of shark attacks killed one European tourist and maimed several others off Sharm el-Sheikh on the Sinai Peninsula, across the Red Sea from Hurghada.

Egypt's Red Sea resorts, including Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh, are some of the country's major beach destinations and are popular with European tourists. Divers are drawn by the steep drop-offs of coral reefs just offshore that offer a rich and colorful sea life.

Authorities have in recent years sought to revive the vital tourism sector, battered by years of instability and, more recently, the coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine.
KIEV, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with visiting Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store on Friday to discuss further support for Kiev, the presidential press service said.

During the talks, Zelensky thanked Store for the defense, political and humanitarian support and for the decision to allocate 1 billion euros for Ukraine.

For his part, Store said Norway will continue supporting Ukraine amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

At their talks, the parties also discussed further defense support for Kiev and Ukraine's post-conflict recovery.

Store arrived in Kiev earlier in the day. 
PHOENIX (AP)  A judge ruled Arizona has been violating the constitutional rights of incarcerated people in state-run prisons by providing them with inadequate medical and mental health care, saying the state has known about the problem for years but refused to correct its failures.

In a blistering verdict Thursday, U.S. District Judge Roslyn Silver concluded the states inaction showed it is acting with deliberate indifference to the risks of inadequate care and said the state has adopted a health care system for prisoners that has led to preventable deaths.

She said there arent enough health employees to care for the roughly 25,000 incarcerated people housed in state-run prisons and that corrections officials have made no significant attempts to fix the understaffing problem.

The judge criticized Corrections Director David Shinn for pressing the states prison health care contractor hard enough to better staff its operations and for testifying that prisoners often have greater access to health service than people who arent locked up.

Shinns claim that access to care is greater in state prisons is completely detached from reality, Silver wrote. Given the overwhelming evidence and repeated instances of insufficient care leading to suffering and death, Defendant Shinn could not possibly believe prisoners have the same access to care as people in the community.

The ruling said prisoners arent getting timely access to emergency treatment, medications, treatment for chronic diseases and specialty care. Under the current system, nurses are the first  and often the only -- medical professionals available to see prisoners. Sometimes the nurses, who may be insufficiently trained to diagnose and treat a given condition, miss obvious signs that should lead to a referral to a higher level provider, Silver wrote.

The judge is expected to order remedies in response to the constitutional violations. Lawyers representing prisoners have previously asked Silver to set up a receivership where the court would take over health care operations in state prisons and appoint an official to run those services there.

The Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Re-entry, which has denied allegations that it provided inadequate care, issued a statement Friday saying: We remain committed to working collaboratively with the Court, Plaintiffs counsel, and appointed experts to meet the healthcare needs of those in our custody and care. We will continue to actively look for opportunities to enhance healthcare delivery methods and protocols, and to upgrade the electronic medical record system.

C.J Karamargin, a spokesman for Gov. Doug Ducey, who hired Shinn, said the state didnt yet have any plans for an appeal. Its a lengthy ruling, and we are analyzing it closely now, Karamargin said.

Corene Kendrick, an American Civil Liberties Union attorney who represented prisoners in the case, said Silver affirmed the bedrock principle that prisoners are entitled to basic health care under the Eighth Amendment.

The department has abdicated its responsibility under the Constitution to provide minimal protections to the people it locks up, Kendrick said.

The case was tried late last year after Silver threw a 6-year-old settlement over prison health care, saying the state showed little interest in making many of the improvements it promised under the deal. Silver also said that $2.5 million in contempt of court fines against the state didnt motivate authorities to comply with the settlement.

After Silver threatened yet another round of contempt fines, Shinn wrote a February 2020 letter to the states prison health care contractor to say the state expected the company to provide enough resources to meet the settlements requirements for care. The corrections director also wrote that the company would be on the hook for costs associated with noncompliance.

In Thursdays ruling, Silver chided Shinn for not knowing whether the contractor had reallocated staff within Arizona.

The only possible conclusion to draw is that Defendant Shinn had little interest in changing the underlying reality, Silver wrote. Rather, his letter appears to have been nothing more than a half-hearted effort to generate a piece of paper he could cite to avoid contempt. Obviously, the Court expected Defendant Shinn to take more direct action than signing a letter.

In the past, receiverships similar to the one being proposed by the Arizona prisoners have been ordered for prisons in other states, including California.

In 2005, a federal judge seized control of Californias prison medical system after finding that an average of one inmate a week was dying of medical neglect or malpractice. He appointed a receiver, who retains control of the medical system, although operations at individual prisons are gradually being returned to the states responsibility.

The lawsuit that prompted the change in California and a similar suit over poor mental health treatment of inmates led a panel of judges to declare that record prison crowding was making it impossible to improve conditions to constitutional standards.

The judges put a cap on Californias prison population that forced a dramatic drop in the number of people in prison as the state eased criminal penalties, kept lower-level offenders in county jails and increased opportunities for parole.
Authorities warn local residents to be extremely cautious using fireworks, citing Red Flag notices for dry conditions.

Residents are asked to be cautious around tall grasses and call 911 early if a fire starts.

The National Weather Service announced a red flag fire notice on Wednesday ahead of the Fourth of July weekend. This notice means warm temperatures; low humidity and stronger winds are expected to combine to produce an increased risk of fire danger.

The South Sioux City Fire Department and the Sioux City Fire Rescue are warning residents that any small ember can create a fire during these types of conditions, and any sign of a fire should be immediately reported.

Any small ember that leaves a fire can spread quickly, Sioux City Fire Rescue Captain Ryan Collins said.

Collins said the fire departments would rather respond to a fire call and have it already put out when they arrive, than for a resident to call after it has burned out of control.

The difference between an average grass fire and one started by fireworks is often the location, Collins said. An average grass fire will start beside a roadway, train track or home. Fireworks can land in remote areas, difficult for fire departments to reach.

The dry and windy conditions also alter how fire departments respond to reports. Collins said they will call for additional resources very early, sometimes before the first team arrives on scene.

We dont want to be behind the ball, he said. We want to make sure there are plenty of resources.

The fire departments respond to fires caused by fireworks every year, but the last time it was this dry was in 2013, he said.

In Sioux City, fireworks can be set off from 1 to 11 p.m. on July 3 and 4. In South Sioux City, fireworks can be discharged from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. on July 2, 3 and 4. In North Sioux City, fireworks are OK through July 10.
Calling all citizen scientists.

Partners of Scott County Watersheds is looking for volunteers to participate in the annual Summer Snapshot water-quality monitoring event from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, July 16.

Volunteers of all ages and backgrounds are welcome with no experience necessary.

Volunteers will begin the day at the Eldridge Fire Department for a brief training on water quality testing while enjoying complimentary coffee and doughnuts. After training, groups of 3-4 people will take off to collect data from 5-7 sites around Scott County. The data will include pH, nitrogen, chloride and more. After collecting the information from each site, groups will meet back at Public Works for free pizza and T-shirts.

The data collected goes to one of the largest water-quality databases in Iowa. Data is then analyzed for patterns and trends to identify any areas of impairment. With this information, PSCW can take the next steps to continue to protect and improve the county's water quality.
For now, wary US treads water with transformed COVID-19

The fast-changing coronavirus has kicked off summer in the U.S. with lots of infections but relatively few deaths compared to its prior incarnations.

COVID-19 is still killing hundreds of Americans each day, but is not nearly as dangerous as it was last fall and winter.

Its going to be a good summer and we deserve this break, said Ali Mokdad, a professor of health metrics sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle.

With more Americans shielded from severe illness through vaccination and infection, COVID-19 has transformed  for now at least  into an unpleasant, inconvenient nuisance for many.

It feels cautiously good right now, said Dr. Dan Kaul, an infectious diseases specialist at the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor. For the first time that I can remember, pretty much since it started, we dont have any (COVID-19) patients in the ICU.

'Revolutionary' high court term on abortion, guns and more

WASHINGTON (AP)  Abortion, guns and religion  a major change in the law in any one of these areas would have made for a fateful Supreme Court term. In its first full term together, the court's conservative majority ruled in all three and issued other significant decisions limiting the government's regulatory powers.

And it has signaled no plans to slow down.

With former President Donald Trump's appointees in their 50s, the six-justice conservative majority seems poised to keep control of the court for years to come, if not decades.

This has been a revolutionary term in so many respects, said Tara Leigh Grove, a law professor at the University of Texas. The court has massively changed constitutional law in really big ways.

Its remaining opinions issued, the court began its summer recess Thursday, and the justices will next return to the courtroom in October.

From AM to PM, the fickle force of government is with you

WASHINGTON (AP)  When you groggily roll out of bed and make breakfast, the government edges up to your kitchen table, too. Unlike you, it's perky.

It's an unseen force in your morning. The government makes sure you can see the nutrients in your cereal. It fusses over your toast, insisting that the flour it comes from has no more than 75 insect fragments and one rodent hair per 50 grams.

The government also tends to your coffee, mandating that no more than 10% of your beans be moldy. Its satellites inform the weather forecast on your phone for the day ahead. The government weighs in on the water consumption in your bathroom and controls the fluoride in your toothpaste.

Thats all before you leave home. The government is going to be hanging with you on and off, mostly on, until you turn off the lamp last thing at night  no new incandescent bulbs, please, under a new rule.

The world of federal regulation seems both boundless and microscopic. It touches what you touch. It lends a helping hand at every turn or sticks its clumsy fingers in everything, depending on your viewpoint.

Russia's messages with missiles tell West to back off

KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  The latest in a litany of horrors in Ukraine came this week as Russian firepower rained down on civilians in a busy shopping mall far from the front lines of a war in its fifth month.

The timing was not likely a coincidence.

While much of the attritional war in Ukraines east is hidden from sight, the brutality of Russian missile strikes on a mall in the central city of Kremenchuk and on residential buildings in the capital, Kyiv, unfolded in full view of the world and especially of Western leaders gathered for a trio of summits in Europe.

Were the attacks a message from Russian President Vladimir Putin as the West sought to arm Ukraine with more effective weapons to bolster its resistance, and to set Ukraine on the path to joining the European Union?

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko suggested as much when missiles struck the capital on June 26, three days after EU leaders unanimously agreed to make Ukraine a candidate for membership.

Texas clinics halt abortions after state high court ruling

AUSTIN, Texas (AP)  Clinics were shutting down abortion services in the nation's second-largest state Saturday after the Texas Supreme Court blocked an order briefly allowing the procedure to resume in some cases, the latest in legal scrambles taking place across the U.S. following the reversal of Roe v. Wade.

The Friday night ruling stopped a three-day-old order by a Houston judge who said clinics could resume abortions up to six weeks into pregnancy. The following day, the American Civil Liberties Union said it doubted that any abortions were now being provided in a state of nearly 30 million people.

Amy Hagstrom Miller, president of Whole Womans Health, said the ruling forced an end to abortions in its four Texas clinics, and workers there were winding down abortion operations and having heartbreaking conversations with women whose appointments were canceled.

I ache for us and for the people we have dedicated our lives to serve with the fabulous abortion care we provide, many who will be denied that right in the months and possibly years to come, Hagstrom Miller said in a statement.

Planned Parenthood's multiple affiliates in Texas had not resumed abortion services even after the restraining order was put in place Tuesday.

Bodies of 3 missing kids, woman found in Minnesota lake

VADNAIS HEIGHTS, Minn. (AP)  The bodies of three young children and a woman believed to be their mother have been recovered from a Minnesota lake, and authorities say the deaths are being investigated as a triple murder-suicide.

Meanwhile, the body of the children's father was found at a different location hours earlier. Names had not been released as of Saturday afternoon. The children, all under the age of 5, were two boys and a girl.

The chain of events began Friday morning when the man's body was found at a mobile home park in the town of Maplewood, near Minneapolis. Police determined that the woman had left with the children, and a search began.

Maplewood Police Lt. Joe Steiner said the woman's car was found near Vadnais Lake around 4 p.m. Friday. The shoes of the children were found on the shore.

The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office said the body of the first child was recovered from the lake around 7:30 p.m. Friday. The second child's body was found just after midnight. The woman's body was found around 10:40 a.m. Saturday, and the body of the third child was found around 11 a.m.

Uvalde schools' police chief resigns from City Council

The Uvalde school districts police chief has stepped down from his position in the City Council just weeks after being sworn in following allegations that he erred in his response to the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School that left 19 students and two teachers dead.

Chief Pete Arredondo said in a letter dated Friday that he has decided to step down for the good of the city and to minimize further distractions. He was elected to the council on May 7 and was sworn in on May 31, just a week after the massacre, in a closed-door ceremony.

The mayor, the city council, and the city staff must continue to move forward to unite our community once again, Arredondo said in his resignation, first reported by the Uvalde Leader-News.

Arredondo, who has been on administrative leave from his school district position since June 22, has declined repeated requests for comment from The Associated Press. His attorney, George Hyde, did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment Saturday.

On June 21, the City Council voted unanimously to deny Arredondo a leave of absence from appearing at public meetings. Relatives of the shooting victims had pleaded with city leaders to fire him.

Palestinians give bullet that killed journalist to US team

JERUSALEM (AP)  The Palestinian Authority on Saturday said it has given the bullet that killed Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh to American forensic experts, taking a step toward resolving a standoff with Israel over the investigation into her death.

The announcement came just over a week before President Joe Biden is to visit Israel and the occupied West Bank for meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. It signaled that both sides may be working to find a solution to the deadlock.

Abu Akleh, a veteran correspondent who was well known throughout the Arab world, was fatally shot while covering an Israeli military raid on May 11 in the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.

The Palestinians, along with Abu Akleh's colleagues who were with her at the time, say she was killed by Israeli fire. The Israeli army says that she was caught in the crossfire of a battle with Palestinian gunmen, and that it is impossible to determine which side killed her without analyzing the bullet.

Israel says it has identified the rifle that may have shot her, but that it cannot draw any conclusions unless it is compared to the bullet. The Palestinians have refused to turn over the bullet, saying they don't trust Israel. Rights groups say Israel has a poor record investigating shootings of Palestinians by its troops, with probes languishing for months or years before they are quietly closed.

Google to erase more location info as abortion bans expand

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (AP)  Google will automatically purge information about users who visit abortion clinics or other places that could trigger legal problems now that the U.S. Supreme Court has opened the door for states to ban the termination of pregnancies.

The company behind the internet's dominant internet search engine and the Android software that powers most of the world's smartphones outlined the new privacy protections in a Friday blog post.

Besides automatically deleting visits to abortion clinics, Google also cited counseling centers, fertility centers, addiction treatment facilities, weight loss clinics, and cosmetic surgery clinics as other destinations that will be erased from users' location histories. Users have always had the option edit their location histories on their own, but Google will proactively do it for them as an added level of protection.

Were committed to delivering robust privacy protections for people who use our products, and we will continue to look for new ways to strengthen and improve these protections," Jen Fitzpatrick, a Google senior vice president, wrote in the blog post.

The pledge comes amid escalating pressure on Google and other Big Tech companies to do more to shield the troves of sensitive personal information through their digital services and products from government authorities and other outsiders.

High court marshal seeks enforcement of anti-picketing laws

RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  The marshal of the U.S. Supreme Court has asked Maryland and Virginia officials to enforce laws she says prohibit picketing outside the homes of the justices who live in the two states.

For weeks on end, large groups of protesters chanting slogans, using bullhorns, and banging drums have picketed Justices' homes, Marshal Gail Curley wrote in the Friday letters to Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and two local elected officials.

Curley wrote that Virginia and Maryland laws and a Montgomery County, Maryland, ordinance prohibit picketing at justices' homes, and she asked the officials to direct police to enforce those provisions.

Justices' homes have been the target of abortion rights protests since May, when a leaked draft opinion suggested the court was poised to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion nationwide.

The protests and threatening activities have increased since May," Curley wrote in a letter, and have continued since the court's ruling overturning Roe v. Wade was issued last week.
Digital technology turns century-old Chinese grottoes vibrant

09:38, July 02, 2022 By Liu Xinyan ( People's Daily

In a cave at the Yungang Grottoes, an ancient Chinese Buddhist site in Datong city, north China's Shanxi Province, several technicians were taking close-up photogrammetry and collecting image data with instruments such as HD cameras, station scanners and 3D laser scanners.

"We are collecting digital information about the Yungang Grottoes, which will provide important data support for the long-term conservation of the historical site," said Zhang Zhuo, secretary of the Party committee of the Yungang Grottoes Academy.

Excavated in the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), the Yungang Grottoes have a history of over 1,500 years. The cave relics are prone to weathering as the historical site is located in an open environment.

"The ongoing digital program is a basic project for the site to obtain accurate data for permanent preservation and perpetual use," Zhang said.

During information collection, subtle damage and potential risks could be discovered and then been timely fixed and eliminated, Zhang said, adding that the high-precision data and information collected would be digitalized to restore the grottoes in a database, providing data and image support for the protection, repairing and even reconstruction of the caves.

A number of projects have been launched at the Yungang Grottoes in recent years, including cave maintenance and investigation, construction of monitoring systems, waterproofing projects, digital collections of cultural relics, and 3D printing. The application of digital technology has made the protection work more precise, which helps realize the coordinated development of relics reservation and cultural research.

Digital technology is also bringing more people closer to the splendid Yungang Grottoes.

The Cave No. 12 of the grottoes, known as a "music cave", contains dozens of carvings of ancient musicians and musical instruments

In collaboration with Zhejiang University, the academy collected high-fidelity digital information with 3D laser scanning technology and made a 1:1 replica of the "music cave" by 3D printing. All the clone parts are assembled like building blocks, so as to make transportation easier.

More projects have been implemented based on cave digitalization, including digital modeling, construction of the 3D information system and digital sampling. The academy also replicated Caves No. 3, No. 12 and No.18 of the same size in cooperation with institutes such as Zhejiang University and Wuhan University.

The Cave No.3 and Cave No.18 replicas are now respectively placed in Qingdao, east China's Shandong province and Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, as promotion landmarks of the grottoes. The Cave No.12 replica, which can be disassembled, has been exhibited at Zhejiang University and Shanghai Powerlong Museum, and will start its tour to Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong province for display this year.

Ning Bo, director of the digital protection center of the Yungang Grottoes Academy, introduced that the grottoes were the first in the world to make 1:1 replicas for super large cultural relics using 3D printing and block-style assembly technologies.

Remarkable progress has been achieved in enabling the movable display of immovable cultural relics, which marks a solid step of the Yungang Grottoes going global, Ning remarked.

Besides, the Yungang Grottoes have also made the cultural relics online using virtual reality and other cutting-edge technologies, which helps present the century-old Chinese grotto art to more people around the world and makes the cultural relics vibrant in the digital era.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Bianji)
DAMASCUS, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Two civilians were wounded at dawn Saturday by an Israeli strike targeting areas in the northwestern province of Tartous, a military statement said.

The Israelis carried out their attack from the Mediterranean west of the Lebanese city of Tripoli, targeting poultry farms in the vicinity of Hamidiya town, south of Tartous, the statement read.

The attack caused material damage too, it added.

The attack is the latest in a series of Israeli military strikes on Syrian sites, which Israel usually claims as Iranian-linked targets.

The Syrian government has repeatedly condemned the attacks, accusing Israel of supporting terrorist-designated groups in Syria. 
PHOENIX (AP)  FBI agents looking into events surrounding former President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss have subpoenaed Arizona Senate President Karen Fann, who orchestrated a discredited review of the election.

A second Republican senator who has aggressively promoted the lie that Trump lost because of fraud, Kelly Townsend, also received a subpoena last week, Senate spokeswoman Kin Quintero confirmed.

The FBI actions are part of a flurry of recent activity by the Department of Justice as it seeks information from people involved in efforts to discredit the 2020 election results. It is separate from the congressional inquiry into the Capitol insurrection.

Fann said on Friday that virtually all her email and text message communications are already public. That's because of records requests and lawsuits by news media groups and American Oversight, a watchdog group that has sought records related to the Senate's audit of election results in the state's most populous county.

Im pretty sure every single thing that theyre requesting is stuff thats already out there, Fann said in a Friday interview. I told him, 'You know what, I have been FOIA-ed almost every week for 18 months. And so I dont think theres anything left there that everybody hasnt seen yet.

FOIA is an acronym for freedom of information request.

Fann said an FBI agent called her last week seeking to interview her about her contacts with more than a dozen people, but she told him he would need to put the request in writing.

The subpoena was served on June 22 and accepted by a Senate lawyer, Fann said. That was the day after Republican House Speaker Rusty Bowers testified before the congressional committee investigating the attack on the Capitol about Trump's efforts to get him to replace Arizona electors committed to Joe Biden.

Fann declined to identify the people listed on the subpoena or provide other details, saying the subpoena instructed her not to discuss its contents.

The same day Fann was served, federal agents searched the home of a former top Justice Department official, Jeffrey Clark, who was known for championing Trump's false claims of election fraud. Party leaders in Nevada and Georgia, states that went for President Joe Biden and where Trump allies created slates of alternate electors intended to subvert the vote, also got subpoenas. And Republicans in two other states  Michigan and Pennsylvania  disclosed they had been interviewed by the FBI.

Arizona Republicans also submitted a slate of fake electors, and the Jan. 6 committee has sought information from state Republican Party Chair Kelli Ward and state Rep. Mark Finchem, who is seeking the GOP nomination for Secretary of State, Arizona's top election official.

Fann said she will cooperate fully and believes the Justice Department is trying to get information from anyone at all connected to Trump's effort, no matter how innocuous. She has consistently said the Senate's audit was not part of any effort to overturn the election, just a way to determine if questions about the election raised by Republicans were justified.

So anybody and everybody," she said. "And the mere fact that Im the Senate President and our Senate caucus ordered the audit to answer our constituents' questions, therefore, Im part of the mix at this point because I dared to ask for an audit to see if our laws were being followed or not.

Fann hired inexperienced consultants to run what she characterized as a forensic audit of the 2020 election in Maricopa County, which includes the Phoenix area. The review was led by Trump supporters who promoted his false narrative about election fraud and produced a report that supported President Joe Biden's victory in the county but raised discredited allegations of wrongdoing.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)  The first lawsuits have been filed only days after an Amtrak train collision and derailment in rural Missouri that left four people dead and injured up to 150 others.

In a federal lawsuit filed Friday, surviving passenger Janet Williams of Dubuque, Iowa, named Amtrak, BNSF Railway Co. and MS Contracting LLC, the employer of the dump truck driver whose vehicle was struck by the train. The complaint alleges negligent design of the railroad crossing near the town of Mendon, and says the train was packed with too many riders, creating cattle car conditions.

On Thursday, Amtrak and BNSF Railway filed a federal lawsuit against MS Contracting, the Kansas City Star reported. That lawsuit said the train was clearly visible and that the truck driver was careless in crossing the tracks.

Phone calls to MS Contracting rang unanswered on Friday.

The crossing where the collision occurred has no lights, signals or gates to warn of an approaching train. Area residents had previously expressed concerns about the safety of the crossing, described by locals and a federal transportation safety official as very steep. Chariton County leaders have been pushing for a safety upgrade at the railroad crossing for nearly three years, presiding county commissioner Evan Emmerich said this week.

The truck driver, Billy Barton II, 54, of Brookfield, died in the collision, along with three passengers on the train. His widow, Erin Barton, on Thursday filed a wrongful-death lawsuit in state court against Chariton County and a BNSF official who cited the crossing as unsafe.

Chariton County Attorney Brandon Shelton did not immediately return a phone message left Friday.

Two train passengers  Rochelle Cook, 58, and Kim Holsapple, 56, both of DeSoto, Kansas  died at the scene. A third passenger, 82-year-old Binh Phan, of Kansas City, Missouri, died Tuesday at a hospital. The Missouri State Highway Patrol said up to 150 people also were injured.

Williams lawsuit said she sustained significant and life-altering injuries when she was suddenly thrown from her seat, struck by luggage and crushed by other passengers as her train car flipped onto its side. One of her attorneys, Robert J. Mongeluzzi, said in a statement that Amtrak and BNSF failed to use basic railroad crossing safety devices such as warning lights and crossing gates.

A BNSF spokeswoman said the company doesn't comment on pending litigation. A message left with Amtrak wasn't immediately returned.

The Southwest Chief was traveling from Los Angeles to Chicago when it hit the truck. Two locomotives and eight cars derailed. Amtrak officials said about 275 passengers and 12 crew members were aboard. The National Transportation Safety Board said Wednesday that the train was going about 87 mph (140 kph), under the 90 mph (145 kph) speed limit, when the collision happened.
School officials were stationed at school bus stops to let families know summer programming is canceled this week if they showed up, a teacher said. "It's very short notice."
ATHENS, GREECE -- Greetings from the land where democracy began 2,500 years ago.

I came seeking shelter under the Aegean sun from American democracy running ragged.

Our own government is the oldest extant democracy in the world. But America is reeling from the revelations of the House select committee hearings on the Jan. 6 mob attack on the Capitol. I witnessed the siege from inside the walls and covered two somber committee hearings.

So far, it's clear our worst fears about former President Donald Trump's ruthless scheme to steal his lost election are true, and then some.

So, I have some helpful hints from here to send home.

The most important takeaway from Athens is how precious, rare and fragile democracy is. Its backstory is a timely cautionary tale. My urgent message on the winds Odysseus sailed is simple: We must cherish what Americans take for granted.

Trump's violent conspiracy to hold onto power was indeed like a Greek drama. The Proud Boys were the tragic chorus, along with calls to hang Vice President Mike Pence -- the hero who saved the day. Believe me, the mob would have done it. They had a list of who they wanted.

We who witnessed the un-American, murderous sound and fury knew who sent the mob of 30,000 that winter afternoon. And we knew without committee hearings. Only one man had the hubris and the power to dare to do that.

The majesty of the gleaming Parthenon towering over the city is so much more than an art history book can say. We walked up high to behold the place where the greatest philosophers met in dialogue, leaders gave orations and where Greeks worshiped their gods.

Even more crucial, this is where democracy was first practiced. The radical idea was that each citizen of Athens was the equal of any other. Fancy that.

The citizen was the essence of governing the "city-state" in the 5th century B.C. This period was the Athenian golden age. American revolutionaries had much the same idea in 1776, inspired by Athens. One man, one vote.

America and Athens shared a tragic flaw: each excluded women and enslaved people from being citizens. In our case, the slave-owning South pressured the nation's founders and won greater representation in Congress. While denied all rights, people who were enslaved still counted as 3/5 of a person.

Confederate state Texas also forgot to tell some emancipated people they were free until a Union general rode to proclaim their freedom on June 19, 1865. Texas was two and a half years late for President Abraham Lincoln's chosen date of Jan. 1, 1863.

In ancient Athens, the principle of majority representation and rule was established. In our Constitution, strangely, the minority wins more often than you might think. Take this: all three recent Supreme Court appointments were made by a president (Trump) who lost the popular vote.

If a political leader was turning into a tyrant, Athenians invented a way to get rid of him. He was ostracized by the people of the city. The results of "ostraka" were likely more direct and swifter than Trump's two impeachment trials.

Athens is a fabulous place to be glad you're alive, bubbling over with beautiful everything: literal layers of the past, sculptural art, architecture, ideas and Homeric poetry even older than the city's heyday.

At the peak of its power, Athens was the envy and glory of the world. Her warships rode the waves, feared by allies and rivals alike.

Sound familiar?

But that did not last long, about a half-century. The long Peloponnesian War with Sparta depleted its treasury and a generation of young men. Athenian dominance and democracy ebbed in the ancient world, and the city was conquered more than once.

The leading light went out of the classical world, though Rome and other conquerors treated Athens with respect for its cultural place.

Our democracy is under threat, under siege, right now. The most public expression of that festering "war within" waged by extremists took place on Jan. 6, 2021. The November 2022 midterms are the next showdown.

The forces opposing democracy could crush our fondest hopes and dreams for the future. The proud Greek past is telling us that.
The world has another rapidly spreading virus on its hands. The first case of monkeypox in a global outbreak was confirmed in the United Kingdom in early May. The individual, who had come back from Nigeria, where monkeypox is endemic, had developed a rash a few days prior.

Since then, there have been over 5,700 confirmed cases worldwide, and 395 in the U.S. (as of Friday afternoon). This outbreak marks the first time monkeypox has circulated widely outside of areas where its endemic, such as Central and West Africa. The World Health Organization has classified the outbreak as a public health threat, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has activated its Emergency Operations Center to try to slow its spread.

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Now, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has plans to increase distribution of vaccine doses to help curb the virus, which is related to smallpox. You might be wondering if youll need this latest jab, and what you can expect next from the virus. Here, we break it down.

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Monkeypox seems so unexpected! The U.S. just had this vaccine on hand?

The U.S. has reserved enough smallpox vaccine doses in the Strategic National Stockpile to vaccinate the entire U.S. population. This is partially in response to elevated fears of bioterrorism after the events of 9/11 and the 2001 anthrax attacks.

Of the vaccines in that stockpile, one called Jynneos is licensed for protection against exposure to monkeypox specifically, according to a Johns Hopkins fact sheet. This vaccine doesnt make up much of the stockpile, so the government is ordering more. Jynneos was approved by the EU in 2013, and licensed in the U.S. in 2019.

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Some of the stockpile is an older smallpox vaccine, ACAM2000, which can be given after exposure to monkeypox. It has more side effects than Jynneos and is not recommended for immunocompromised individuals. And some of the stockpile is a third vaccine, the Aventis Pasteur Smallpox Vaccine, but its unclear if it protects against monkeypox specifically.

How effective is the Jynneos vaccine?

Jynneos is at least 85 percent effective in preventing monkeypox infection, based on data from animal studies, as well as the immune response to the vaccine in humans (theres no data on how effective it is against the current outbreak, though). The FDA approval of Jynneos included 22 clinical trials on almost 8,000 people.

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Who can get the monkeypox vaccine?

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Right now, its pretty limited. (Though, remember, there are only a few hundred cases in the U.S., and monkeypox does not spread like COVID does.) The CDC recommends the vaccine to individuals with confirmed or presumed exposures, as the shot reduces the risk of contraction and can potentially reduce symptoms. Jynneos is currently approved for protection against smallpox and monkeypox in individuals 18 years and older who are at high risk for those infections. Vaccines are going to states with outbreaks; you can see which states have cases at all here.

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Some cities that are distributing the vaccine have strict eligibility requirements. For example, in D.C., those eligible for vaccines are: transgender women or nonbinary persons assigned male at birth who have sex with men, sex workers (of any sexual orientation/gender), and staff (of any sexual orientation/gender) at establishments where sexual activity occurs (e.g., bathhouses, saunas, sex clubs). New Yorks vaccines were at first available just to gay, bisexual, and other men (ages 18 and older) who have sex with men and have had multiple or anonymous sex partners in the last 14 days. The state has since changed eligibility to be more inclusive.

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So far, it doesnt seem like there is any sort of specific priority for the immunocompromised, as there was for the COVID-19 vaccine.

How long does it take to be effective?

Jynneos is a two-dose vaccine, spaced 28 days apart. As with the Pfizer and Moderna COVID vaccines, full immunity in your body isnt reached until two weeks after the second dose.

However, even one shot can prevent monkeypox entirely if taken within four days of exposure. If you suspect you have already come into contact with the virus, its important to get the vaccine as soon as possible. Even if you cant get the vaccine within four days, it can still lessen the symptoms mentioned above if the first dose is taken within two weeks of exposure.

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Is there a monkeypox vaccine for kids?

The CDC is currently considering a protocol for the Jynneos vaccine in kids, according to a report from Bloomberg.

Remind me how monkeypox spreads?

A common misconception is that monkeypox is a sexually transmitted infection. Cases can be spread through sexual encounters, but thats mostly because thats a form of skin-to-skin contact. According to the CDC website, monkeypox spreads through direct contact with the rash of someone who is infected, as well as respiratory secretions during prolonged face to face contact (or intimate physical contact). It can also spread through people touching items that previously touched infectious rash or body fluids. According to a fact sheet from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, prolonged face to face contact means more than three hours, and monkeypox is not easily transmitted person to person.

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If I already received the smallpox vaccine as a kid, am I protected?

The short answer is no. The CDC recommends that anyone exposed to monkeypox should get vaccinated if they havent received the smallpox vaccine within the last three years. Since routine smallpox vaccination stopped in 1972 in the U.S., chances are not very many people are still protected. Plus, vaccines wane over time. Furthermore, older versions of the smallpox vaccine may not have been as effective against monkeypox as the newer Jynneos vaccine, which was designed with both smallpox and monkeypox in mind.

Where can I get tested if I think I have monkeypox?

There are no at-home tests available for monkeypox. If you think youve been exposed to monkeypox, the best next step is to go to your nearest sexual health clinic. Monkeypox blisters can be swabbed and sent to be tested. Plus, the medical professionals at the clinic can help you access the vaccine.

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As the Washington Post reported last week, there is a lack of access, for both patients and doctors, to monkeypox tests. And skin lesions can easily be misdiagnosed with a different infection. This failure to test early on has led to a failure to contain the outbreak; the longer it takes an infected person to get diagnosed, the longer they can spread the virus.

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What are the symptoms of monkeypox?

They include intense flu-like symptoms: a fever, full-body chills, night sweats, a cough, a sore throat, and swollen lymph nodes, according to a recent BuzzFeed article by freelance video producer Matt Ford, who came down with the virus himself. He also describes lesions in the underwear zone that filled with pus and became itchy.

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Its worth noting that the severity of the symptoms can vary. A study published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases Journal reports that the symptoms found in patients of this outbreak have some important differences from previous outbreaks around the world. More lesions are showing up in the genital area (remember, it spreads from skin-to-skin contact), appearing similar to common STIs, which could make diagnosis difficult.

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On a happier note, though, fewer patients reported feeling tired or having a fever, which suggests this outbreak could be milder than previous outbreaks.

Has anyone died of monkeypox?

So far during the worldwide outbreak, there have been few hospitalizations, but only one reported death. (This count does not include areas where the virus is endemic, and was circulating previously.) And luckily, the strain currently circulating is far less deadly than other strains. The CDC states that over 99 percent of people who get this strain are likely to survive (though they caution that immunocompromised individuals and children under 8 are at higher risk).

According to WHO, the fatality rate has historically ranged from 0 to 11 percent (and higher among children), but in recent times, its somewhere between 36 percent.

Should I be worried about monkeypox, generally?

Slightly. As infectious disease expert Celine Gounder writes, Monkeypox could become endemic in the U.S. and around the world if it continues to spread unchecked. Many agree that the Biden administrations response is too slow. Youd think that after two and a half years of dealing with a virus, wed know how to mitigate this better.
Village unknown to many, but a good point to start trips.

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Three pools containing salty water and now a new pool for children is attracting visitors to the recreational compound in the eastern-Slovak village of Velaty.

The reconstruction of the compound was divided into three phases. In the first, a relaxing 25-metre pool with a depth of 130 centimetres, where the whole family can swim, as well as a round children's pool, was renovated.

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The family compound has been operating since the 1960s, first as a caravan park and in recent decades as a recreational compound connected to the historical spring of Slana studna (Salty Well) in Velaty. In addition to the renovated salt pools, it includes accommodation and bicycle rental. The compound is managed by the fourth generation of the Rusnak family.

We have currently completed the second stage and, thanks to subsidies from the region, we are opening another third swimming pool, which is also suitable for very young children, said Slavomir Rusnak, owner of the Aqua Maria Velaty compound, as quoted by the TASR newswire.

The pool's depth gradually increases from zero to 45 centimetres.

The history of the local salt spring is a phenomenon for which this place deserves to be on the map of summer holiday destinations," said chairman of Kosice Region, Rastislav Trnka, as quoted by TASR. He believes that the swimming pool in the area will provide a good foundation for multi-day holidays not only for Slovak, but also for foreign tourists.

You can take trips in any direction from here. Interesting features include the Slanske Hills with Slanec Castle and the Izra mountain lake, the entire Tokaj region with its vineyards, or the Vihorlat Forest included in the UNESCO World Heritage List," Lenka Jurkova Vargova, from the Kosice Region Tourism organization, offers tips for trips as quoted by TASR.

Spectacular Slovakia travel guides
Czech PM Petr Fiala (left) and Slovak PM Eduard Heger. The Czech Republic has taken over the rotating presidency of the European Council. Slovakia has assumed the rotating presidency of the Visegrad Group. (Source: Twitter/Eduard Heger)

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This story was produced in partnership with Reporting Democracy, a cross-border journalism platform run by the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network.

Slovakia is aiming to lower the voice of the Visegrad Group (V4) in the EU during its year-long presidency of the bloc, which began on July 1, due to diverging views within the grouping on the rule of law and the war in Ukraine.

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In an interview posted on Facebook in May, Slovak Foreign Minister Ivan Korcok said he wants to significantly mute the foreign policy dimension of the Visegrad Group, and bring the groups shared goals to the fore while pushing the sharp differences into the background.

The four countries of the bloc  Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia  have never developed a common foreign policy in the 31 years of the existence of the bloc, which emerged in 1991 to help facilitate the regions accession to NATO and the EU. Instead, especially at the EU level, they have tried to coordinate their positions on various EU-related matters. Yet the Slovak foreign minister said he feels that Hungary, whose presidency of the group has just come to an end, often made it sound like there was such a policy in place.

Hungary, Slovakias southern neighbour, is becoming increasingly isolated in the EU for its autocratic rule and anti-EU politics pushed by the ruling Fidesz party, as well as for Orbans continued close relationship with President Vladimir Putin during Russias invasion of Ukraine. At times, the Hungarian prime minister has seemed to regard the regional grouping as a way to amplify his vision of Europe.

Attempts to ideologically use the V4 brand harm mutual trust and dont contribute to building a strong Central Europe in the EU, argues Mateusz Gniazdowski, an analyst at the Centre for Eastern Studies.

The war has also made Hungary an outcast within the V4. Before the invasion, it could rely on Polands support in its various battles with Brussels. In both countries, the European Commission remains concerned over the state of the rule of law and democracy. In 2020, Poland and Hungary even attempted to block the EUs budget because it linked the disbursement of funds to the adherence to the rule of law.

These dividing lines not only tarnish the name of the V4 but also work against the interests of Slovakia and the Czech Republic, Korcok said in mid-June. Its time to focus on specific projects that people in the Visegrad region will benefit from, he said, highlighting regional initiatives that appear in Slovakias programme in areas such as energy security, defence, the single market, climate change, culture, as well as infrastructure  all of which should at the same time make the EU and NATO stronger.

Slovakia's Foreign Minister Ivan Korcok. (Source: Marko Erd for the Sme daily)

No ambition to replace the EU

Yet in 2014, Korcok, who was then serving as Slovakias permanent representative to the EU, saw the V4 rather differently. After the V4 and EU compromised on climate goals in that year, he praised the Central European blocs ability to speak with one voice.

It was like when a small child learns how to first ride a bicycle, he boasted about the V4s achievement to the Financial Times, stressing the hope of seeing more such wins in the future.

A year later, when the EU was facing a migrant crisis, the V4  in particular the prime ministers of the four countries  were united once again in their opposition to the EUs mandatory redistribution of migrants, instead proposing a flexible solidarity approach to the crisis. By then, Korcok was working at the Foreign Ministry and for the government of populist and Eurosceptic leader Robert Fico.

The Central European grouping quickly stopped being regarded as a respected brand, as described by former Slovak foreigner minister Miroslav Lajcak in 2014, and was beginning to earn a reputation of a club that blocks EU decisions with the ambition to become an alternative power centre to Brussels.

Thats not, however, supported by facts, points out the Centre for Eastern Studies Gniazdowski.

Indeed, the V4 has never declared any such plan, though Orban wrote an opinion piece last year in which he said Christianity and traditional values are under attack and the V4s responsibility is to defend Europe against external attacks and internal empire-building attempts.

Around the same time, when the bloc was marking the 30th anniversary of its existence  Korcok published his own opinion piece that claimed the opposite of what Orban was proposing. Three presidents did not start the Visegrad cooperation in 1991 in order to make it a bulwark to protect Central Europe from the West and the EU, the Slovak minister wrote, They wanted the Visegrad Group to be a firm part thereof.

Just like Orban, Korcok also stressed that the four countries do not necessarily agree on everything, whether it is Russias Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, the presence of US troops in the region, or support for Ukraine. Hungary refuses to send arms or allow the transit of weapons to Ukraine. Moreover, Slovakia remains the only country of the four that has introduced the euro currency.

Insisting on the V4 acting as one political bloc within the EU is not a good idea, continued Korcok.

During its presidency, Slovakia and its pro-European government, led by Eduard Heger, have pledged to take a pragmatic approach and return the V4 to the roots of its cooperation based on the respect for democracy and a commitment to European integration. This will also include support for Ukraine and Moldova, which have been granted EU candidate status, Georgia, and the Western Balkans that are on their way to the EU, for example through the groups only institutionalised body, the International Visegrad Fund.

From left: Slovak PM Igor Matovic, EU Council President Charles Michel, Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki, Hungarian PM Viktor Orban, Czech PM Andrej Babis met in Krakow, Poland, on February 17, 2021, to mark 30 years since the establishment of the Visegrad Group. (Source: Jaroslav Novak for TASR)

Czech EU presidency priorities

The Czech Republic, which from July 1 has assumed the six-month rotating presidency of the EU Council, has publicly welcomed this approach.

We fully support Slovakia in its ambition to resolve the role and priorities of V4 cooperation in the new geopolitical situation, the Czech Foreign Ministry said. It added that the country will use the regional platform only in the areas where it is of benefit to Czech people, who expressed the least enthusiasm for the bloc in a 2019 poll by the Association for International Affairs.

Both countries, which enjoy extraordinarily close relations and share a common history through the former Czechoslovakia, have said they will closely communicate during their respective presidencies. But Pavlina Janebova, an analyst with the Association for International Affairs, thinks mention of the V4 in this context would have to stay in the background given its divisions over the war in Ukraine.

The significance of the Visegrad Group in regard to the war has declined, she said, arguing that relations within the group are at their coolest since the 1990s.

In an interview with public broadcaster Czech Radio, Czech Minister for European Affairs Mikulas Bek said the group is definitely not dead, but that it is taking a pause because of Hungarys position over the war.

Unlike the current conservative-led five-party coalition, Janebova notes, the previous Czech government, led by the technocratic populist Andrej Babis who was ousted in October 2021, used to emphasise the political importance of the bloc.

A mural celebrating 30 years of the Visegrad Group's existence was painted in 2021 in Bratislava (in the picture), Prague, Budapest and Warsaw. (Source: Martin Baumann for TASR)

V4 will never die

Observers also believe that cooperation within the V4 should focus on sectoral policies, not high politics. That cooperation has always existed, but its resonance gradually faded after the migration crisis in 2015.

Attention was starting to be paid to the political positions of Visegrad Group representatives, Slovak Foreign Policy Association expert Tomas Strazay says, adding that Orban, as the most experienced prime minister in the region, has moulded the image of the V4 the most.

Still, in Strazays opinion, the groups flexibility and lack of institutional structure are attributes that should ensure the survival of the bloc. And this period of weakening cooperation in the region is nothing new, having occurred in the nineties, when autocrat Vladimir Meciar was in power in Slovakia, and in the early noughties, when Orban called for the cancellation of the Benes Decrees  laws passed at the end of World War II that saw millions of ethnic Germans and Hungarians in Czechoslovakia stripped of property and expelled.

During its presidency that starts July 1, Slovakia wants to fight surging energy prices with its partners, reduce the regions dependence on Russian energy, support the use of nuclear energy, continue connecting the north and the south of Europe by road and improving railway infrastructure, and work more closely on the V4s joint approach to defence, in addition to other areas.

Id like to know whether the group will have an ambition to come up with a response to Frances idea of the European political community, Milan Nic of the German Council on Foreign Relations says, noting the bloc has not found a strong unifying agenda since the migrant crisis.

That might change next year if Law and Justice (PiS), Polands conservative ruling party, is voted out of office and if Hungary re-evaluates its stance towards Ukraine. If the [Polish] election brings about a change in rebuilding the position of Poland in the EU, the Visegrad Group may gain traction because of that, says Wojciech Przybylski of the Visegrad Insight media platform.

Gniazdowski of the Centre for Eastern Studies says that, ultimately, the bloc can only work if all four countries are on the same page. If the Visegrad Group is to remain an effective instrument of Central European cooperation, it cannot be liberal or illiberal, right-wing or left-wing, he stresses.
COPENHAGEN, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Belgium's Yves Lampaert and Wout van Aert finished one-two at the opening stage of Tour de France as the most northerly Tour start in history took place through the wet streets and boulevards of the Danish capital city of Copenhagen on Friday afternoon.

Denmark, the tenth country to host the Grand Depart, saw its capital city divided by makeshift barriers as racers navigated the first stage of 13.2 kilometers long single start.

Jeremy Lecroq of France was the first of 175 riders, including 10 Danes, to roll down the starting ramp and begin racing on the city's wet roads.

The slippery conditions caused three crashes, including two pre-race favorites, Stefan Bissegger and Christophe Laporte, as well as the Australian Jack Bauer.

Despite the occasionally treacherous conditions, Lampaert and Van Aert won the first and second places of the opening stage, with times of 15 minutes and 17 seconds and 15 minutes and 23 seconds respectively.

Defending champion Tadej Pogacar from Slovenia finished third, while the single-start world champion from Italy, Filippo Ganna, placed fourth.

Mads Pedersen and Jonas Vingegaard were the fastest Danes but both came in 15 seconds behind Lampaert, whose victory lays a solid foundation for Saturday's second stage in Denmark.

The second stage of the Tour moves 30 kilometers west of Copenhagen to the city of Roskilde, where riders will compete for the yellow jersey in a 202.2-kilometer race with modest climbs between Roskilde and Nyborg.

In 2022, four countries, Denmark, Belgium, Switzerland and France, will be represented on the Tour de France map, the most since 2017.

It is the second time Denmark has hosted a Grand Tour start. The inaugural Giro d'Italia began in the Danish city of Herning, 310.3km northwest of Copenhagen, in 2012. 
BEIRUT, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib said on Saturday Lebanon will be compelled to act in accordance with its own national interests for sending the Syrian refugees to their homeland in the absence of a clear international plan.

He made the remarks during a consultative ministerial meeting of the Arab League (AL) in Lebanon's capital Beirut, the National News Agency reported.

"The international community does not have a roadmap for the return of the displaced Syrians, which will force Lebanon to act according to its own national interests in this matter," Bou Habib said.

"The Lebanese government sees the need for the return of the displaced to be financed by the international community, instead of financing their stay in Lebanon," he added.

Lebanon will not accept the establishment of camps for displaced Syrians in Lebanon on the Lebanese-Syrian border, Bou Habib said at a joint conference with AL Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, according to Elnashra news website.

Meanwhile, Aboul-Gheit said the international community is keen to end the pressure caused by the displaced Syrians, but certain conditions must be met to decide on the return of the refugees, given that Syria's reconstruction will cost at least 500 billion U.S. dollars.

A significant number of Syrian refugees have been living in Lebanon, adding to the nation's already severe financial situation and straining its infrastructure and economy. 
A number of Ontario pacers have their hooves planted on P.E.I. and will face off with some top local flavour in an incredible Saturday evening (July 2) Preferred Pace at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.

The capital oval has 11 dashes slated for a 6:30 p.m. start time with Beachin Lindy the morning line favourite in the $3,500 Preferred Pace from post three after a second-place finish in his Cecil Ladner division last week when making his Charlottetown debut. Stephen Charlton owns, trains and drives the seven-year-old son of Somebeachsomewhere who has banked more than $40,000 this season while racing in Ontario.

His main competition is expected to come from newcomer No Plan Intended, owned by Carl Jamieson of Ontario and Brian Paquet of Quebec. Colin Johnson now trains the four-year-old son of Up The Credit who will start from post five with David Dowling listed to drive. The pacer is a six-time winner so far in 2022 with more than $81,000 in seasonal purse earnings after winning his last four starts at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Racemup, who also recently raced in Ontario, will start from post eight for trainer Victor Puddy with Brodie MacPhee back in the drivers seat after steering the 30-time winner to a fourth-place finish in the 2021 Gold Cup and Saucer.

The Saturday Post Time Picks have No Plan Intended selected on top of the Super Hi-5 ticket: No Plan Intended rides a four-race win streak into this one and just beat top contender Beachin Lindy the last time they faced each other at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Dowling will put him in play early and barring anything unexpected we should see him grinning for his photo.

The field also includes Legendary Ron (to be driven by Dale Spence), Burn Out Hanover (Brady Sweet), The Rev (Gilles Barrieau), Blue Monk (Marc Campbell) and Rose Run Quest (Adam Merner).

Island Beach Boy is the favourite in the $2,900 back-up pace in Race 7 as the winner of nine races and more than $100,000 leaves from post four for trainer/driver Barrieau and owners Ian Smith of Stratford, P.E.I., and Arnold Hagen of Bible Hill, N.S. He has five opponents Saturday including Cowboy Logic (Steven Shepherd) and Ashes To Ashes (Ken Murphy).

To view Saturday's harness racing entries, click on the following link: Saturday Entries - Charlottetown Driving Park.

(With files from Red Shores)
For the second straight year, owner/breeder Fiddler's Creek Stables, trainer Travis Alexander, and driver Matt Kakaley won the $261,730 MGM Grand Messenger Stakes final at Yonkers Raceway to begin the Triple Crown of Pacing for three-year-old colts and geldings, with Pleaseletmeknow prevailing from first-up in 1:51.3.

It would be favourite Gulf Shores (Yannick Gingras) who set the pace in the event, carving out fractions of 27, 55.4, and 1:24 after going to the front from post four. Pleaseletmeknow and Kakaley grabbed a seat in fourth from post seven, went first-over after the half, and advanced into second on the way to three-quarters.

Gulf Shores managed to keep Pleaseletmeknow at bay on the last turn, but Pleaseletmeknow surged by the tempo-setter in mid-stretch and went on to tally by a length. Gulf Shores had to settle for second over Captain Cowboy (Dexter Dunn), who tipped out in the lane after a pocket trip and closed well.

"My gameplan was just to push and hope for a spot. If Yannick was getting around Dexter too easy, maybe we were going to have to push the pace a little bit, but it went the way I thought it would," remarked Kakaley. "Dexter protected the two-hole and we found a spot in fourth. I was pretty confident once we could be first-over. This colt, he doesn't give up. He's just a little fella, but he gets around a half so good. The half-mile track is probably a little bit to his advantage."

Pleaseletmeknow is an American Ideal gelding, and he has eight victories from 13 career starts. He pushed his bankroll to $362,324 and paid $9.40 to win.

"He's come along in a big way. Last year, he was awful training down, and we didn't stake him very much," said Alexander, who conditioned American Courage to victory in the 2021 edition of the MGM Grand Messenger. "Once he saw the starting gate he took off.

"He's got the ( New York ) sire stakes, he's got the race at Pocono (Max Hempt), and we might talk about taking him to the Little Brown Jug. We'll see."

Gotthegreenlight (Jason Bartlett) and Wine N Dine Me (Tim Tetrick) shared top honours in the companion $104,790 Park MGM Pace for three-year-old fillies, dead-heating in a 1:52.1 mile.

The 4-5 favourite Wickedly Innocent (Todd McCarthy) came out of the pocket and took over the lead from Madeira Hanover (Gingras) after the :26.4 opening quarter and kept the tempo hot from there, hitting the half in :54.3 and the three-quarters in 1:23. Gotthegreenlight, who tucked into third from post seven, got going first-over heading to the latter marker, with Wine N Dine Me on her cover second-over.

On the final bend Wickedly Innocent managed to stave off Gotthegreenlight, but Gotthegreenlight was able to forge her way into the lead in the upper part of the stretch. However, Wine N Dine Me angled out and was able to chase down Gotthegreenlight at the wire, with the photo finish camera unable to separate them. Wickedly Innocent had to settle for third.

A daughter of American Ideal bred by Stephen Dey, Gotthegreenlight is trained by Richard Nifty Norman for Patricia Stable and Kovach Stables LLC. An earner of over $300,000 lifetime, she has won 11 times from 17 career starts, and she paid $9.30 to win as a 7-1 shot.

Scott Di Domenico trains Wine N Dine Me, a Huntsville filly bred by Steve Jones and Jonathan Kurnit, for owners Triple D Stables Inc., Donald Robinson, Michael Robinson, and Howard Taylor. She has compiled a record of 3-1-3 from 13 lifetime attempts, and scored by far her most significant victory to date. Dispatched at 18-1, she returned $18.40 to win.
A familiar last name will appear in the Sunday (July 3) program at Clinton Raceway, with a new generation of the Austin family harnessing Hasty Bid in one of three $22,200 Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots divisions for freshman trotters.

Paige Austin, the daughter of late trainer Mark Austin, is making her training debut with the My MVP son in Race 5. The other Grassroots divisions are Races 3 and 8.

Were feeling good, said Austin. Hes qualified twice. He was loaded [with trot] both times and just went around and followed, so hopefully he is ready for Sunday.

Austin and her boyfriend James MacDonald co-own the $35,000 yearling purchase, and MacDonald will be in the race bike Sunday. He has already piloted horses to more than $3.4 million in winnings in 2022.

Im definitely less nervous with James driving, said Austin. Hes the leading driver in Canada right now, and hes done a great job with Hasty so far. So, I think we will be good for Sunday.

Hasty Bid is out of Sunshinenlollipops, a Garland Lobell mare who has produced nine starters with average career earnings of $156,060. He's a half-brother to 2011 Hambletonian Oaks runner-up Lady Rainbow, who earned over $800,616 from 21 career starts and compiled a record of 5-6-1.

OSS fans are familiar with another half sibling in Resolving, winner of a Gold division by 11 lengths last season at Grand River Raceway.

He qualified great both times, and hes a pretty nice horse, said MacDonald of Hasty Bid. Its a good stepping stone for him. Hes a big, strong horse but he trots a half-mile really well. He trains on a small half-mile track. I expect him to be good.

MacDonald has more than 900 starts in 2022, but this one will be extra-special.

I know Paige is really excited for her first start, said MacDonald. Her dad trained a lot of good horses, so I know it means a lot to her. Hopefully she got the training gene from him, and we can get him to the winners circle first start out.

For Austin, shes looking forward to following in her fathers footsteps with someone special by her side.

It means so much to me, said Austin. I know (my dad) will be watching down over us. Hopefully he can push us across the wire, and we can get a win.

To view Sunday's entries, click the following link: Sunday Entries - Clinton Raceway.

(OSS)
The Nebraska Supreme Court on Friday rejected a convicted killer's latest attempt to challenge the sentence that landed him on death row.

John Lotter's attorney had presented a two-pronged argument to the Supreme Court last year, arguing that a district court judge had ruled improperly in denying the 51-year-old an evidentiary hearing to consider whether his intellectual level should keep him from being executed.

"An evidentiary hearing is required in this case," attorney Rebecca Woodman argued in February 2021, railing against a district court's ruling that Lotter's relief claim of intellectual incompetency could not be considered because of time and procedural issues.

Lotter was sentenced to death for his role in the 1993 killings of Brandon Teena and two witnesses, Lisa Lambert and Philip DeVine. He has maintained his innocence in the killings at a Humboldt farmhouse. His co-defendant, Thomas Nissen, is serving life sentences for the part he played in the crimes.

In a 41-page ruling issued Friday, the state's Supreme Court affirmed the lower court's decision on each of Woodman's arguments.

One portion of Lotter's latest motion revolved around what the court termed his "LB268" claim, referring to the 2015 bill passed by the Legislature ending the death penalty in Nebraska. That law was later repealed by a statewide ballot referendum in which more than 60% of voters opted to reinstate the death penalty.

Lotter's attorney posited that when the Legislature passed LB268, it effectively vacated his death sentence, so the subsequent repeal of the law amounted to a re-imposition of the sentences and violated his due process rights.

Relying on previous Nebraska Supreme Court cases that examined nearly identical arguments, the district court judge dispatched that claim as "meritless," a decision the Supreme Court again upheld Friday.

At the heart of Lotter's latest motion, though, was his attorney's argument that he was diagnosed as intellectually disabled in 2018 and therefore is ineligible for imposition of the death penalty under U.S. Supreme Court precedent.

Woodman, a lawyer at the Missouri-based nonprofit law firm Center For Death Penalty Litigation, argued that an expert who evaluated Lotter determined his full-scale IQ was 67 in 2018, which the expert said was consistent with mild intellectual disability.

But neither the district court nor Supreme Court vetted the actual merits of that claim when the courts ruled on Lotter's motion, instead finding that "the claim was both procedurally barred and time barred under Nebraska postconviction law," according to Friday's order.

The law referenced in the ruling requires defendants to make postconviction relief claims within a year from any of five triggering events.

Lotter's attorney pointed to the 2018 evaluation as a triggering event for the appeal, originally filed in March of that year, arguing that Lotter could not have possibly sought relief before that point since "the factual predicate for his claim did not exist until he was diagnosed."

But, in its denial of that argument, the justices noted that evidence of Lotter's intellectual disability was mentioned during his trial more than 20 years ago.

The high court also pointed to Woodman's own admission that one of Lotter's prior attorneys had made an effort to raise an intellectual disability claim in the early 2000s but abandoned the effort.

"As such, we agree with the district court that Lotter could have discovered, through the exercise of due diligence, the factual predicate to support a constitutional claim of intellectual disability ... long before March 2018," the court said.

The ruling clears the latest legal challenge to Lotter's death sentence, though his execution is far from guaranteed. The state has only executed one death row inmate in the last 25 years and, like other states, has faced challenges in acquiring the combination of drugs required for lethal injections.

In 2018, the state executed Carey Dean Moore using a four-drug combination that until then hadnt been used for that purpose. After public documents released after a court battle revealed Community Pharmacy Services in Gretna had obtained the drugs and sold them to the state, the companys owner issued a statement saying it regretted the decision.

The Department of Correctional Services said last year it was still pursuing execution drugs.
LINCOLN  Like thousands of students across the country, Abby Steffen was unsure of how she was going to pay for a college education.

The sophomore-to-be at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln said she didnt qualify for a Pell Grant when she first submitted her Free Application for Financial Student Aid, known as FAFSA, the document used to determine how much help she would be eligible to receive.

The oldest of eight children from a farm family that lives near Crofton, Steffen was assigned a high expected family contribution, meaning shed have to find other ways to pay tuition and other costs.

I was really considering dropping out for a year and working because I wasnt sure how I would be able to afford everything, said Steffen, who worked a second job during the school year, and took on a handful of others this summer.

But when she asked the Office of Federal Student Aid at the U.S. Education Department to reconsider, citing special circumstances, Steffen learned that she would, in fact, be eligible to receive a Pell Grant.

The Pell Grant, which celebrated its 50th anniversary earlier this month, offers up to $6,895 in financial aid to students who demonstrate need, in order for them to pursue a college degree. The money does not have to be paid back.

Steffen said learning she was eligible for a Pell Grant altered her future: College is very stressful as it is, and I know a lot of students are very grateful for the Pell Grant.

According to data collected by the Education Department and published through the College Scorecard, roughly 36% of students attending Nebraskas public and private colleges and universities received a Pell Grant in the 2019-20 school year.

At UNL, the number of recipients increased from 4,046 in 2010-11 to a high of 4,757 in 2017-18, before leveling off at 4,481 in 2020-21, the office of Institutional Effectiveness and Analytics reported.

For first-time, full-time students, the number of Pell Grant recipients jumped from 966 to 1,208 in the decade from 2010 to 2020.

As the number of students who receive Pell Grants has increased, so too has the average amount awarded, by a little more than $500, according to UNL.

In 2010-11, undergraduate students at UNL received an average grant of $3,813; the average rose to $4,489, while the average Pell Grant to first-time, full-time students increased from $3,728 to $4,489 over the same time period.

Other schools, including other campuses across the NU system, the Nebraska State College System, and community colleges across the state, as well as private colleges and universities, have also seen success among students who qualify for federal assistance.

At the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the University of Nebraska at Kearney, for example, roughly 34% and 36% of the student body received a Pell Grant in the 2019-20 school year, according to the College Scorecard.

NU President Ted Carter, who knew Sen. Claiborne Pell of Rhode Island for whom the grant is named  Pell wrote Carters nomination letter to the U.S. Naval Academy in 1977  said the award, when combined with a competitive tuition rate and support from private donors, adds up to a story of unbeatable success.

About one-third of students who attend state college campuses in Peru, Wayne and Chadron used a Pell Grant to pay part of their way, most of whom are first-generation college students, Chancellor Paul Turman said. Thats up slightly over the numbers from a decade ago.

The current funding of the Pell Grant  about $5,600 per semester  pays the full tuition rate for state colleges, and would cover additional costs of those students.

The vision for those Pell Grants, when that program was first put in place, is how do we find opportunities for the students to continue their education? he said. If you look at all of our aid collectively, Pell is probably the biggest bucket our families draw from.

UNL Chancellor Ronnie Green said the support offered by the Pell Grant has played an important role for the 1 out of every 5 students who receive financial help from the federal government to go to college.

The Pell Grant is often first-dollar aid, reducing the $25,000 cost of attendance at UNL by $4,500 on average before other aid is applied.

When you look at the level of support those students need in order to not go to school with a lot of debt, thats significant, Green said. Pell becomes the foundation on which we stack all of the other aid to try and minimize the cost for these students.

That has helped UNL keep the average debt students graduate with at roughly $24,500, according to the Institute for College Access and Success, which is below both the state average of $30,500 and the national average of $32,700.

Green is a direct beneficiary of the Pell Grant program. As a first-generation student at Virginia Tech University in 1979 who would have qualified for Nebraska Promise, Green received federal assistance.

Stacked with other scholarships, the grant helped Green graduate with no college debt  he acknowledges the difference in cost some four decades later  but says Pell helped him in ways similar to how it helps students now.

I didnt work a lot when I was in college  I worked some as a student worker  but I was able to go full-time as a student and not have to worry about 20-30 hours of workload a week, he said. I was able to finish in 3 years instead of 5 or 6 years.

Reducing the need to work several jobs in addition to taking a full slate of classes is something more recent college students have experienced as well.

For Sadid Carrillo, who graduated from UNL in 2013 with a degree in finance and accounting, the Pell Grant allowed him to not only attend UNL, but also to take part in opportunities he otherwise wouldnt have been able to pursue.

The core of it, in my opinion, is that it just helped me focus on school, said Carrillo. For me, I wouldnt have had the confidence or the overall ability to stay in school if not for the Pell Grant.

The oldest of five children, Carrillo said his parents couldnt cover the full cost of attendance at UNL. Under the Pell Grant program, however, the Schuyler native qualified for the maximum amount, roughly $5,000 a semester at the time.

When he considered dropping out and following his parents to work at Cargill  it was for school reasons and not financial, he said  Carrillo said he surveyed the wide assortment of help he had been offered and decided to stay.

That led to a college degree and, eventually, a job as a bank examiner at the Omaha office of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.

If it wasnt for the Pell Grant, I dont think I would have stayed in school, he said. All of those resources definitely made the picture of going to college much more realistic and more possible.
This past week marked the end of the term for the Supreme Court, which handed down its final rulings on several high-profile cases including abortion, gun rights and freedom of religion.

It also marked the end for retiring justice Stephen Breyer and the beginning for his replacement, Ketanji Brown Jackson.

We begin this episode by looking at the final rulings of the term, the transition, public opinion of the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and fallout from that case.

The House committee investigating the events of Jan. 6 was supposed to be on a recess until after a break for the July 4 holiday. However, the committee called a surprise hearing featuring details from a former aide.

The economy remains a concern and a focus of daily headlines. Its been a tough first six months of the year on Wall Street and most Americans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction.

It was another week of primary elections in the U.S. We have highlights from Tuesday, concerns for Democrats ahead of Novembers midterm elections and an altercation at a grocery store with former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who was campaigning for his son.

And in other national news, dozens of migrants were found dead in Texas inside of a tractor-trailer, Ghislaine Maxwell was sentenced and John Hinckley Jr. apologized.

In health news, the World Health Organization says coronavirus cases are on the rise globally. This comes as vaccine makers look at tweaking their formulas to address variants. Also, officials are dealing with the ongoing Monkeypox outbreak.

It was a busy week for President Joe Biden, who was in Europe for G-7 and NATO meetings. The focus of both gatherings was the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

In other news, the European Union is working to address climate concerns, a Ukraine mall was hit by a rocket attack and political change in both Israel and Philippines.

 Compiled and narrated by Terry Lipshetz from Associated Press reports
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.

Gun  Cowlitz County deputies Wednesday arrested Devon Reece Welker, 25, of an unknown location on suspicion of possession of an unlawful firearm, attempting to elude, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, making a false statement and obstructing a public servant.

Assault  Cowlitz County deputies Thursday arrested Donald James Ferrell, 48, of Cougar on suspicion of second-degree assault.

Harassment  Longview officers Thursday arrested Richard Eugene Varner, 54, of Longview on suspicion of malicious harassment, fourth-degree assault and disorderly conduct.

Malicious mischief  Cowlitz County deputies Thursday arrested Danny Odell Wells, Jr. of Kelso on suspicion of second-degree malicious mischief and fourth-degree assault.

Editors note: A software switch at Cowlitz County dispatch has prevented the agency from temporarily supplying 911 call logs and officer notes past June 6. The agency is working to create new reports to supply media outlets.
Elementary and high schools across Longview are getting upgraded security this summer in a half-million-dollar project the school board approved amidst rising concerns of safety in schools.

A voter-approved levy will fund the construction of security vestibules at the entrance of seven of the Longview districts 15 schools, adding cameras, a buzz-in feature and a second locked entryway for all visitors.

The entryways will remain locked throughout the school day, with front-office employees unlocking them before and after classes when students enter and exit buildings.

Cost

The project costs $560,333 total, with each school ranging in price, and is an attempt by district officials to address what they say has been mounting worries from parents and staff about school protection.

Its a very custom thing that requires engineering and architectural design, Rick Parrish, Longview schools communications and operations director, told the school board in April. It involves the building of walls, the building of doors, electronic systems into doors, to make to sure they have that capability to be locked and unlocked.

Most schools today have unlocked front doors but require visitors to check in at the front desks.

Some schools, like Kessler and Mint Valley elementary schools, already have cameras and/or security fencing installed and will now also get the entryway installed.

Mark Morris High School, which has a unique layout where this type of locked room will not work, will get fencing to encircle the school. At $38,245, Mark Morris security upgrades cost the least.

Olympic Elementary School, which has a complicated building structure and needs more restructuring, has the highest cost at $89,290.

Safety

Christine Kelly, front-office secretary at Kessler Elementary School, said secretaries will have more on their plates once construction is done, as the ones responsible for buzzing in visitors.

If its going to protect students then that takes priority ... It is another inconvenience, but it is safer, Kelly said.

Kelly, who spends many afternoons alone in the front office, said shes glad the district prioritized security and sought feedback from the front office employees.

It is a little unnerving knowing all over the whole country theres been that rise in school shootings, so you have to be prepared and think of what might happen, Kelly said.

So far in 2022 there have been 27 shootings in schools that have ended in wounding or death, according to data from Education Week, a nonpartisan education publication. The most recent shooting in Washington state happened March 15 in Yakima and resulted in one person dead and another injured.

Longview Police Capt. Branden McNew said credible school threats in the city are infrequent.

It would be difficult or somewhat impossible to narrow down what was an actual security threat and what was maybe just a disagreement at school between students, McNew said. When it comes to calls about potential weapons, we get those occasionally throughout the year. Sometimes theyre credible, sometimes theyre not.

School shootings are so infrequent, McNew said, that I dont think weve ever had a school shooting.

Its common for police to see an uptick in these types of calls after an event like the May 24 massacre of elementary school children in Uvalde, Texas committed by an 18-year-old Uvalde resident, McNew said.

In the last month, schools across the county in Longview, Castle Rock and Kalama have gone into lockdown after police were called about possible threats or weapons near campus.

Though all were investigated by local police and no one was hurt in any of these calls, one 15-year-old Kalama High School student on June 14 was arrested after making threats against participants of a school walkout.

On the afternoon of June 6, R.A. Long High School went into lockdown after a Longview community member called police to say they thought an armed man was near campus.

Police got on-scene and saw the mans weapon was a Nerf gun, McNew said.

On June 16, Castle Rock School District shut down its schools after a potential threat, which officers investigated and found no credible danger.

Were not locking out parents, this is just more secure to know who is coming in, Kelly said. We know most of the people who come to the front. But you have to consider a lot of the violence that happens, it has been people who (they) know.

Two Longview school resource officers are stationed in the district and help guide school officials in how to handle any kind of emergency, Parrish said, from active shooter threats to natural disasters.

Theres multiple levels to this, Parrish said in an interview last month. Earlier this year we did active threat planning ... Our students and staff are well-versed in what to do.

While these seven mostly elementary schools are slated for the security project this year, officials are hoping a recently passed capital projects levy will fund phase two so eventually every school has a locked entryway or security fencing.

Its about one of our very top priorities, which is keeping our employees and students safe and providing them a learning environment where they can feel safe and comfortable, Parrish told the school board before the unanimous project approval.
State health officials are reminding residents to take safety precautions as COVID-19 hospitalizations tick up and emergency rooms remain busy with other patients.

The COVID pandemic disease rates are still impacting hospitals, but so is the delayed care for people who havent been going to hospitals even though they might have had something thats going on, said Nate Weed, state acting deputy secretary for emergency preparedness, during a press briefing Wednesday. As were moving into this time of year of course, often we see more injuries, this bumps up the use of hospitals.

On average, 91% of acute-care staffed beds in the state were filled from June 18 to 24, which is similar to the amount occupied throughout the last several months. About 10% of those beds were occupied by COVID-19 patients. Acute-care staffed beds differ from intensive care unit beds.

The state recorded 8.3 new COVID-19 hospitalizations per 100,000 people from June 16 to 22, up from about 7.4 per 100,000 the prior week.

Cowlitz Countys rate remains above the state average, with 15.4 new hospitalizations per 100,000 from June 16 to 22.

COVID-19 hospitalizations up in state, Cowlitz County Following an increase in cases, COVID-19 hospitalizations have risen statewide  not as dramatically as in the past but enough for hospital of

The countys case rate is also increasing, with about 186 new cases per 100,000 from June 16 to 22, up from 142 per 100,000 at the beginning of the month.

Statewide, case rates remain flat. However, because most people are testing at home or not testing, the cases reported to the state likely represent about 10% of infections, said Tao Sheng Kwan-Gett, the states chief science officer, Wednesday.

Residents are encouraged to take precautions to prevent disease and injury that would further strain hospitals, Weed said. Those who need emergency care should still go to the hospital, he said.

Pediatric vaccines

COVID-19 vaccines for children 6 months to 4-years-old are now available in the state and Cowlitz County, following federal emergency authorization in late June.

As of Wednesday, nearly 9,800 Washington children 6 months to 4 years old received their first dose, according to the state Department of Health.

COVID-19 boosters now available to Cowlitz County children Cowlitz County children who received a COVID-19 vaccine late last fall are now eligible for a booster dose, after federal and state health off

The Pfizer vaccine for this age group is three doses, with the second dose six to eight weeks after the first and the third dose eight weeks after the second. Immunocompromised children should receive the second dose three weeks after the first.

The Moderna vaccine is a two-dose series, administered four to eight weeks apart. Immunocompromised children should receive the second dose four weeks after the first.

Both types are available at Child and Adolescent Clinic in Longview. Parents with questions should call their pediatrician, according to the clinic.

PeaceHealth Medical Group is currently scheduling for appointments that will start Tuesday. Those interested do not need to be a PeaceHealth patient to get an appointment and can call 360-414-2385 to schedule.

Kaiser Permanente is also offering the vaccines at its Longview clinic, according to vaccinelocator.doh.wa.gov.

The Washington Department of Health recommends the vaccines for those 6 months and older.

State health officials said while children are less likely to get severely ill, the disease is not always mild. More than 1,700 Washington children have been hospitalized for COVID-19 and 17 have died, Kwan-Gett said.
People welcome the berthing of the first ship at the Lekki Deep Seaport under construction in Lagos, Nigeria, on July 1, 2022. The vessel, ZHEN HUA 28 departing from China's Hong Kong, delivered on Friday three ship-to-shore cranes and 10 rubber-tired gantry cranes that will help in the evacuation of cargoes from vessels to the shore. The Lekki Deep Seaport, constructed by the China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd (CHEC), is the largest seaport in Nigeria, and one of the biggest in West Africa. It is designed to have the capacity to handle a significant volume of liquid and dry bulk un-containerized cargoes. (CHEC/Handout via Xinhua)

ABUJA, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday welcomed the successful berthing of the first ship at the Lekki Deep Seaport, the country's first deep seaport under construction in Lagos, the country's economic hub.

The vessel, ZHEN HUA 28 departing from China's Hong Kong, delivered on Friday three ship-to-shore cranes and 10 rubber-tired gantry cranes that will help in the evacuation of cargoes from vessels to the shore, Buhari said in a statement by his media advisor Femi Adesina.

The Nigerian leader congratulated all stakeholders in the maritime sector on the feat, saying that his approval of four new seaports in the country, including the Lekki Deep Seaport, was hinged on growing the economy.

According to the statement, the decision is also aimed at creating massive job opportunities, foreign investment inflows, and trade facilitation.

The Lekki Deep Seaport, constructed by the China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd, is the largest seaport in Nigeria, and one of the biggest in West Africa. It is designed to have the capacity to handle a significant volume of liquid and dry bulk un-containerized cargoes.

The current state of the seaport's construction which is nearing full completion will make the operationalization of the facility a reality before the end of the year, Buhari said, reassuring Nigerians of his commitment to sustain investments in these new assets.

The nation's maritime and aquatic resources are critical to the livelihoods of Nigerians and the government will spare no effort in successfully harnessing the potential of the sector, the Nigerian leader added. 

Photo taken on July 1, 2022 shows the berthing of the first ship at the Lekki Deep Seaport under construction in Lagos, Nigeria. The vessel, ZHEN HUA 28 departing from China's Hong Kong, delivered on Friday three ship-to-shore cranes and 10 rubber-tired gantry cranes that will help in the evacuation of cargoes from vessels to the shore. The Lekki Deep Seaport, constructed by the China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd (CHEC), is the largest seaport in Nigeria, and one of the biggest in West Africa. It is designed to have the capacity to handle a significant volume of liquid and dry bulk un-containerized cargoes. (CHEC/Handout via Xinhua)
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife officials are investigating multiple unconfirmed cougar sightings reported in the last month by Southwest Washington residents.

Becky Elder, WDFW police communications specialist, said the recent sightings have not yet caused any public safety concerns and are unusual for this time of year.

Sometimes people state they saw a cougar, and sometimes it ends up that it was a tabby cat they saw, Elder said. Ive seen reports of a golden retriever being mistaken as a bobcat.

A citizen on June 11 reported seeing a cougar on the border of Lewis and Cowlitz counties near Vader, though the department has not confirmed this, according to WDFWs public incident report map.

The map also shows on June 13 a confirmed cougar killed a Lewis County residents goats off US Highway 12 near Riffe Lake.

A string of animal sightings were reported between Toledo and Onalaska in June, with two reported incidents from the same day.

One report included a citizen who on June 19 said they saw a cougar just outside of Onalaska that WDFW later confirmed was a bobcat.

Kalama resident Amber Johncox owns about 25 chickens at her home. In the last week, shes noticed several of them have been killed.

Johncox said she will probably buy a game camera to set up around her coop and hopes to identify the animal killing the chickens.

Sportsmans Warehouse in Kelso sells trail cameras priced from $39.99 to $149.99. Game cameras go for about $100 in the online stores for Bass Pro Shops, Scheels and Dicks Sporting Goods.

Johncox plans to report her sighting to WDFW.

Theres something back there, I just cannot confirm if its a cougar or a bobcat, Johncox said.

Once an incident is reported to WDFW, Elder said the response varies depending on location and the animals behavior. If someone is out on a hike and sees a cougar passing by, Elder said WDFW will follow up via phone or email with the person and provide education resources.

If an animal escalates to digging through trash or  like in Johncoxs case  killing livestock, the next step is for WDFW to set up game cameras and traps for the animal, Elder said. They also give tips to the owner on how to protect their animals in the meantime.

WDFW says relatively few people will ever see a cougar face-to-face. Since Washington states first fatal cougar attack in 1924, 19 other cougar-human confrontations that caused injuries have been reported. The second, and most recent, fatal attack happened in 2018.

If one does encounter a cougar, WDFW advises not to run or look away from it, but face the animal, speak firmly and slowly back away.
Officials say the Lewis and Clark Bridge has to fully close for up to six days in 2023 to repair joints at both ends of the structure that spans the Columbia River between Longview and Rainier. A date to close the bridge has not been set.

In addition to completely closing for six days, only one lane of the two-lane bridge is expected to be open for several weeks, the department says.

The Lewis and Clark Bridge is the only major crossing of the Columbia River in the 90-mile stretch between the Interstate 5 bridge that spans from Vancouver to Portland and the Astoria Megler Bridge near the coast. An average of 21,400 vehicles crossed the Lewis and Clark Bridge on a daily basis in 2021, according to state traffic count data.

Meeting

The Washington State Department of Transportation plans to meet with public officials and the general public over the next few months to discuss the timing and impacts of the closure.

Organizations impacted by the closure, like businesses and city and county leaders, plan to meet with Washington State Department of Transportation officials on July 12. Other people invited to the meeting include emergency responders, school districts and any other group that serves the community, according to WSDOT.

WSDOT reports staff will release a survey about how local residents use the bridge soon after the meeting and hold a public meeting about the closure by the end of summer.

We are proactively planning for impacts to business, commuters, and freight haulers and holding broad community conversations to help make this project as successful and smooth as possible, WSDOT wrote in an email earlier this week.

Bridge expansion joints connect the bridge surface to the main road and allow the bridges concrete to slightly expand and contract without cracking. The joints on the Lewis and Clark Bridge have become rigid over years of use, though WSDOT says the bridge remains safe to cross.

The bridge will need to fully close for up to six days to allow the concrete covering the joints to dry, WSDOT says. The bridge will be reduced to a single lane for construction work before and after the full closure, leading to nearly a month of total travel delays.

A WSDOT spokeswoman said they will announce the dates for the bridge closure and other work once a contractor has been hired.
Samsung Galaxy Note line is now officially confirmed to be dead. The Galaxy S Ultra phones will keep the spirit alive.

Long live the Galaxy Note, or, err the Galaxy S Ultra! Samsungs Galaxy Note series has been an iconic lineup for over a decade now but it couldnt survive post 2020. We all know how Samsung ignored the Note lineup and quietly integrated all its features into the maxed out Galaxy S Ultra since 2021s Galaxy S21 Ultra. Samsung never spoke on what happens to the Note lineup in the last two years and with the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra pulled off the shelves, it was time Samsung gave answers.

In a media statement, Samsungs TM Roh has said, starting this year, Galaxy Note will appear in the form of S Ultra every year, as shared by tipster IceUniverse. Thats nothing new, considering this years Galaxy S22 Ultra is essentially a spiritual successor to the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra from 2020. But what gets confirmed that there wont be any new Galaxy Note devices in the future, unless Samsung decided to revive it.

Long live the Galaxy Note, or, err the Galaxy S Ultra! Samsungs Galaxy Note series has been an iconic lineup for over a decade now but it couldnt survive post 2020. We all know how Samsung ignored the Note lineup and quietly integrated all its features into the maxed out Galaxy S Ultra since 2021s Galaxy S21 Ultra. Samsung never spoke on what happens to the Note lineup in the last two years and with the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra pulled off the shelves, it was time Samsung gave answers.

In a media statement, Samsungs TM Roh has said, starting this year, Galaxy Note will appear in the form of S Ultra every year, as shared by tipster IceUniverse. Thats nothing new, considering this years Galaxy S22 Ultra is essentially a spiritual successor to the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra from 2020. But what gets confirmed that there wont be any new Galaxy Note devices in the future, unless Samsung decided to revive it.|#+|

Samsung Galaxy Note is laid to rest

The cancellation of the Galaxy Note series was necessary though, given how similar the flagship Note and flagship S devices were becoming. In fact, in 2020, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra was largely similar to the Galaxy S20 Ultra, except for a different shape, the S Pen stylus, and less capable cameras. It was only logical for Samsung to merge the two and make a super flagship. This eventually happened in the Galaxy S22 Ultra and the sales figures have proved it.

In Counterpoint Research's top 10 selling smartphone list, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra topped the charts for Android phones, beating the entry-level Galaxy A series devices, and only being beaten by the four iPhone models.

We had tested the Galaxy S22 Ultra earlier and found it to offer currently one of the best user experiences you can get on a smartphone. The Galaxy S22 Ultra comes with the S Pen and a productive large display, which is currently the best you can get on any smartphone. Accompanying that combo is the highly capable camera system that impressed us with its still photos, especially its zoom camera system.
Samsung has announced great deals for students under the Student Advantage Program 2022. Students to get 10 percent off on Galaxy Books and wearables, 5 percent off on Samsung Galaxy smartphones, tabs and smart monitors.

Samsung is offering special prices exclusively for Indian students under the Student Advantage Program on Samsungs official online store Samsung Shop and Samsung Exclusive Stores. As per the information provided by the company, "the program is designed to empower students by offering cutting edge technology for their everyday use, making digital learning more affordable and accessible to the youth of India."

Under the program, Samsungs flagship smartphones including Galaxy S20 FE and Galaxy S21 FE, Galaxy A Series smartphones above Rs. 10,000 and Galaxy Tab A series and Galaxy Tab S series will be available at 5 percent off. Students will get 10 percent off on Samsung wearables and laptops while Samsung Monitors will be available at 5 percent off.

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy A Fold? Yes, cheaper foldables with cut-down specs coming soon

On purchasing Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, students can also get Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 for Rs. 2,999 in addition to an upgrade bonus of up to Rs. 8,000 or a cashback of Rs. 5,000 (on HDFC Bank cards or Samsung Finance+) or a 24 month no cost EMI with zero down payment in addition to the 5 percent off.

While, on purchase of Samsung Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22+, the students can also get Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 for Rs. 2,999 along with an upgrade bonus of up to Rs. 8,000 or a cashback of Rs. 5,000 (on HDFC Bank cards or Samsung Finance+) or a 24 month no cost EMI with zero down payment in addition to the 5 percent off. Students will also get an instant discount of Rs. 3,000 on Samsung Galaxy A53 5G and Galaxy A33 5G.

Also Read: Sharing photos from Apple iPhone? Beware! Remove location before doing so

Students can avail the offers through the Samsung Student Advantage microsite (https://www.samsung.com/in/microsite/student-advantage/) or by visiting a nearby Samsung Exclusive Store. Students will also have the option to pay through easy no-cost EMIs along with easy exchange benefits too.

Samsung Student Advantage Program Offers

1. On smartphones, students will get 5 percent off on Flagship smartphones and Galaxy A series above Rs. 10,000. The models with this offer are flagship smartphones including Galaxy S22 Ultra, S22+, and S22, Galaxy S20 FE and Galaxy S21 FE, A series phones including A73 5G, A53 5G , A33 5G, A23, and A13.

2. On laptops students will get 10 percent off on models like Galaxy Book Go, Galaxy Book2, Galaxy Book2 360, Galaxy Book2 Pro, Galaxy Book2 Pro 360.

3. On tablets 5 percent off is being provided. The models include Galaxy Tab S8, Galaxy Tab A8.

4. On monitors 5 percent off is being offered. The models include Odyssey Gaming Monitor  G5 Series, G7 Series, G9 Series, Curved FHD Monitor- CF39 Series.

5. On wearables 10 percent off is being given. The models include Watch4, Buds Pro.
Samsung Pakistan has issued an apology statement over alleged blasphemous comments played inside a mall in Karachi that led to violent protests and arrest of 27 Samsung employees. Read the full text now.

On Friday, July 1, protests broke out in Pakistans Karachi after WiFi devices installed in the Star City mall allegedly played blasphemous comments. During the protests, Samsung billboards were vandalized after the company was accused of blasphemy. Reportedly, police have also detained as many as 27 Samsung employees. Now, Samsung Pakistan has issued a statement regarding the incident and said, The company has utmost respect for all religious sentiments and beliefs and holds the religion of Islam in utmost respect. Read the full text below.

The source of the protests is still not confirmed as two different versions of the incident have come to light. In the other version, protests began after a mobile QR code introduced by the company allegedly insulted Prophet Muhammed. Pakistani journalist Naila Inayat, however, reported that the first version of the incident with the WiFi device playing messages of blasphemy was the main reason behind the protest.

Samsung issues statement regarding the incident

On July 1, Samsung Pakistan posted a statement on Twitter where the company clarified its stance of religious neutrality. Read the full text from the statement below.

Samsung Pakistan maintains neutrality on religious sentiments.

Samsung Pakistan reiterates its objectivity on all matters of religious significance and aims to ensure that the company's vision and operations are known to be unbiased and respectful towards religion.

Lahore, 1st July, 2022 - Samsung Electronics has reiterated its firm stance that it endeavours to maintain objectivity on all matters of religious significance. Samsung holds itself to a strict code of ethics and values which are adhered to across its global presence.

In matters of religious significance, Samsung prides itself on a consistently neutral and unbiased approach and always maintains its impartiality towards religions. With reference to the recent developments in Karachi, Samsung Electronics stands firm on its stance that the company has utmost respect for all religious sentiments and beliefs and holds the religion of Islam in utmost respect. As a multinational company, Samsung believes that it has a part to play in societal matters, which is why the company has immediately started internal investigations into the matter.
Solar flares erupting from the sun are impacting satellites and causing them to fall back to Earth. Check details.

There have been frequent reports of the Sun ejecting numerous solar flares as it goes through its 11-year active cycle. These solar flares are proving to be dangerous for technological infrastructure in the skies. The situation has become so bad that scientists are now concerned that the recent solar activity is even causing satellites to fall back to Earth from the skies. For the uninitiated, according to NASA, a solar flare is an intense burst of radiation coming from the release of magnetic energy associated with sunspots. Flares are our solar systems largest explosive events and they can last from minutes to hours.

According to the report by The Sun, we are currently seeing more frequent solar flares mainly because the sun is at the start of its 11-year solar cycle and in a very active phase. The Sun's magnetic field goes through a cycle, called the solar cycle and every 11 years or so, the Sun's magnetic field completely flips. This means that the Sun's north and south poles switch places. Then it takes about another 11 years for the Suns north and south poles to flip back again, as per NASA.

Also Read: HIDE WhatsApp online status soon! Here is what you will get

The Earth's magnetic field protects us from the damaging impact of most solar flares, but the really powerful ones can have tragic consequences. According to NASA, solar flares and eruptions can cause radio blackouts, impact electric power grids, Internet, mobile phones, navigation signals, pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts, and satellites.

The impact of solar flares on satellite communication is currently causing concern. The Sun says the European Space Agency (ESA) is worried about its Swarm constellation, which measures Earth's magnetic field. ESA's Swarm mission manager, Anja Stromme, told Space.com, "In the last five, six years, the satellites were sinking about two and a half kilometers [1.5 miles] a year. But since December last year, they have been virtually diving. The sink rate between December and April has been 20 kilometers [12 miles] per year."

The sinking has coincided with the Sun's extreme activity and it is generally accepted that fighting the harsh space conditions satellites will eventually fall back to Earth and burn up. And the current rate at which the satellites are dropping is a matter of concern, but there is little that can be done about it.
ADDIS ABABA, July 2 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopian government and its partners have launched a new multi-sectoral nutrition initiative that envisages reducing maternal malnutrition, child wasting and stunting in the country.

The newly launched program, dubbed "Addressing Maternal Malnutrition, Child Wasting and Stunting in Ethiopia," will be implemented through a partnership agreement between the Ethiopian Ministry of Health, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and Action Against Hunger.

The UN Children's Fund, in a statement issued late Friday, said the 30 million U.S. dollars program will reach at least one million pregnant women and three million children with vital health and nutrition services during its five years period.

The initiative is also expected to promote long-term improvements to the population's nutrition as well as socio-economic indicators by making Ethiopia's health and food systems more resilient and encouraging healthier, more productive communities.

Meseret Zelalem, Director of Maternal, Child Health and Nutrition at the Ethiopian Ministry of Health, said the program is in line with the Ethiopian government's commitment to reducing stunting and ending child malnutrition in the East African country.

"The government of Ethiopia has a strong commitment to accelerate the reduction of stunting and ending child malnutrition by 2030 as a key strategy for human capital development and inclusive economic development," a UNICEF statement quoted Zelalem as saying.

Ethiopia has experienced a steady reduction in the prevalence of stunting over the past two decades from 58 percent in 2000 to 37 percent in 2019, according to UNICEF.

However, despite the progress, more than 5.8 million children under five years are affected by stunting and 1.2 million are affected by wasting, it said.

The UN Children's Fund said improving maternal nutrition is important to ensure women's health and achieve better pregnancy and birth outcomes in Ethiopia.

UNICEF stressed that given the scale of malnutrition in the country, there is an urgent need to accelerate the provision of vital nutrition services for vulnerable people. 
WASHINGTON  The scenes witnessed by journalists and humanitarian workers in recent months have been striking: In Sudan, swollen-bellied babies are looking for anything to eat. In Yemen, where warring parties have blocked humanitarian aid, hollow-eyed children and their mothers languish on the brink of death from starvation. In Ukraine, the elderly are collecting rancid rain runoff for drinking water.

Malnourishment and hunger were big problems even before Russia invaded Ukraine in February and cut off Europes breadbasket from its markets, sparking a flurry of dire warnings about the worlds food supplies. Dozens of countries across the globe are already suffering from devastating food shortages, so much so that the number of people facing starvation more than doubled in just the last two years, to 345 million, according to United Nations figures.

The causes are myriad: drought and flooding, and the interruption of supply chains triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in China. An estimated 20 wars or conflicts  the latest in Ukraine  also have seriously disrupted access to food and water.

The current food security challenge that were facing [is] due to these three Cs: climate, COVID and conflict, said Ramin Toloui, assistant secretary of State for economic affairs, one of several Biden administration officials tasked to food-security issues.

The bleak situation drew the attention of powerful diplomats Friday when U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the foreign ministers of six other of the worlds largest economies met in Germany to map out plans for easing global food shortages. Few observers expect real solutions to emerge but hope the summit will highlight the crisis and boost funding for antihunger efforts.

The Biden administration has committed about $8.5 billion to emergency food assistance and related programs, focusing initially on the Horn of Africa, Yemen, Lebanon and Haiti, Blinken said.

We hear all these numbers; weve all cited numbers of this growing food insecurity, Blinken said in Berlin. But what we know is this: We know that those numbers are people, real people, real lives, real livelihoods, mothers, fathers, children. ... As human beings, all of us have to be seized with this.

The U.N.s World Food Program calculates that eight of the 10 largest food crises worldwide are being primarily driven by conflict  in Yemen, Ethiopia, Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Such wars force people from their homes into long desperate treks for safety. They devastate farms and wreak havoc on food distribution systems.

In Latin America, food scarcity is also driving tens of thousands of people to abandon parched or hurricane-leveled farms and migrate to the United States.

These were the disasters already in motion when Russia invaded Ukraine. Now, the U.N. says the Russian blockade of Ukraines Black Sea ports could lead 40 million more people to go hungry.

We have to realize that this crisis that were experiencing now is not one that is going to go away in the next few weeks, months, said Cary Fowler, the administrations special envoy for global food security and the founder of the Norway-based seed vault that is preserving thousands of food species. We have to  begin to think about this as an acute crisis that will last for a couple of years, unfortunately.

The worlds confrontation with starvation intensified in February when Russia invaded its western neighbor, Ukraine, and blockaded the countrys Black Sea ports. Ukraine exports much of its grain, wheat and other foodstuffs from those ports, which are now menaced by Russias fleet. The blockade is no small matter  Ukraine is the worlds fifth largest exporter of wheat and corn, and a leading supplier of vegetable oil and fertilizer. By one estimate, nearly 25 million tons of grain is sitting in Ukrainian silos and warehouses, likely to rot.

Attempts to reroute the supplies overland would be expensive and extremely difficult, in part, because Ukrainian railway carriages would have to be refitted to work in other parts of Europe.

Third-party naval escorts also have been largely ruled out because it could lead to direct conflict with Russia, which is unlikely to let up its quarantine of Ukraines ports. Parts of the Black Sea have been mined by Ukraine, adding another layer of danger.

Some experts contend the best solution is to arm Ukraine with longer-range artillery and aircraft, such as unmanned MQ-9 Reaper vehicles equipped with precision-guided missiles, so that it can take out Russian ships.

You dont have to have the most sophisticated weaponry, but they need the reach so they can push the Russians back without risking combat at sea, said Bryan Clark, a former Navy official and submariner at the Hudson Institute, a Washington-based think tank.

Getting the grain and wheat out of Ukraine is only part of the problem. The war is ravaging fertile fields, disrupting harvests, destroying storage silos and killing farmers. When Russian bombs ruin a farm in eastern Ukraine, for example, there is a strong chance that a family in Lebanon, which receives 80% of its grain from Ukraine, wont have bread, aid workers say.

U.S. officials also say they have credible reports that Russia is stealing Ukrainian grain and selling it as its own.

The Kremlin contends that the food shortages are to be blamed on economic sanctions that the U.S. and most of the West have imposed on Russia. U.S. officials are quick to deny that, saying food and fertilizer are exempt from the sanctions.

Higher fuel costs also are hampering efforts to get food where it is needed, said Martin Frick, who heads the U.N.s World Food Program office in Berlin. His agencys operating costs have risen by $71 million per month; the shipping price of a single container of food or other aid has gone from $1,000 to $4,000 in recent months, he said.

The number of people who need our help is skyrocketing, Frick said in a telephone interview from Berlin, where he is attending the food crisis summit. The funding is not. We basically have to take food from hungry people to give it to starving people.

To feed their populations, he said, countries facing food shortages should return to growing traditional crops  such as lentils in India, millet and sorghum in Africa and quinoa in Latin America  rather than focusing on producing more profitable agricultural commodities like coffee beans and cotton, both of which are resource intensive.

Caitlin Welsh, a veteran expert in global food security who heads that program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said hunger and famine have consequences for both health and politics.

Hungry people can be angry people, and the rising price of food or fuel have led to coups throughout history. The health effects of going hungry can be far-reaching and insidious, Welsh said.

The sudden elevation in prices [of foodstuffs like bread] can make people shift from more nutritious food to items of lower nutrition, she said. And for pregnant women and young children, that can cause lifelong disabilities, Welsh said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday that Brazos County was elevated to a high-risk COVID-19 community level, after seeing a spike in cases.

Other high-risk areas in the Brazos Valley include Burleson, Robertson, Grimes and Washington County, according to the CDC COVID data tracker; Leon and Madison County are currently deemed low risk.

There were 119 new COVID cases reported Thursday in Brazos County and another 96 on Friday, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. The county reported its most recent of 418 total deaths during the course of the pandemic on June 3.

Mary Parrish, workforce development coordinator for the Brazos County Health District, said the county was deemed high risk because there are 333 positive cases per 100,000 people in the county.

We havent been high risk since the winter time around January, and as of [Thursday] we were considered high risk, she said. The current [Omicron] strain of COVID is much more contagious and because of that we do encourage the public to mask up while they are indoors or in any sort of transportation where they have to share a vehicle with members that are outside of their home.

In addition to the Omicron variant, Parrish said sub-variants of Omicron are adding to the spike in cases. There are several lineages of Omicron: B.1.1.529, BA.1, BA.2, BA.3, BA.4 and BA.5, and each one has multiple sub-lineages, according to the CDC. Parrish said BA.2 and BA.5 have been the most prevalent.

First and foremost, we do want to push COVID vaccines. They are the most effective way to not only prevent COVID, but even if you do get it, you are far less likely to have any severe symptoms or be hospitalized, she said. Even if you are already vaccinated, I would suggest [wearing a mask] because it is an added layer of protection. The thing is that while you may not get sick, somebody else very well could; and social distancing is always a good idea, but now we especially want to practice it with the high COVID numbers.

Parrish said the county has not reported any COVID deaths recently, though the current strain of the virus is much more transmissible than previous strains that we have seen.

We are barely hovering above 50% of our population being fully vaccinated, and so we want to make sure that everybody who is eligible gets vaccinated, she said. Especially now that children 6 months and older are able to get vaccinated.

According to the CDC as of Friday, there are 119,694 people in Brazos County who are fully vaccinated; while 64.4% of the countys population of children 5 years and older have received at least one dose.

The Brazos County Health District and a majority of pharmacies and health care providers can provide all three types of vaccine, she said.

Something that we are really trying to push right now is for parents who have school-age children to just come in and now when it is early and take care of their vaccines for back to school and COVID all at once, Parrish said. [For example] if you have a 6-year-old and a 2-year-old, bring them in all at the same time to get vaccinated for COVID and their back-to-school shots. All three vaccines [Moderna, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson] are offered but call ahead to make sure we have everything available.

The Brazos County Health District offers vaccines 8:30-11 a.m. and 1:30-4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 8:30-11 a.m. Fridays.

In addition, there have been 12 cases of monkeypox reported statewide, according to the CDC. Parrish said there are no active cases of monkeypox in Brazos County.

In a Thursday press release, the Texas DSHS stated it has identified multiple cases of monkeypox in Texas in people who did not travel outside the state; while the first cases involved international travel, three patients report they did not travel in the three weeks before becoming sick, meaning they were exposed in Texas.

With the sharp increase in monkeypox cases worldwide, its not surprising to see the virus spread in Texas, Jennifer Shuford, chief state epidemiologist, said in the release. We want people to know what the symptoms are, and if they have symptoms, to avoid the types of close contact with other people that can spread the disease.

Monkeypox is a viral illness that starts with symptoms of fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion; later, a rash that can look like pimples or blisters may appear, according to the release.

The rash often appears first on the face and inside the mouth and then spreads to other parts of the body. People who develop a rash should avoid direct contact with other people and contact their health care provider as soon as possible for next steps, the release stated. Clinicians should consider monkeypox when they see patients with compatible symptoms and promptly report all suspected cases to their local public health department.

The Texas DSHS stated that notifying the health department about suspected cases will help in testing and allow public health to determine whether anyone who had close contact with the patient should received the monkeypox vaccine.

If given within four days of exposure, the vaccine can prevent people from getting sick with the disease. Health departments can work through DSHS to request doses of the vaccine from the strategic national stockpile, the release stated. Monkeypox can spread from person to person through direct contact with the rash, scabs or bodily fluids like saliva. It can also be transmitted with prolonged face-to-fact contact via respiratory droplets. Many of the monkeypox cases in the current outbreak have been among men who have sex with men, but anyone who has direct skin contact with or kisses someone who is infectious could contract the virus.

For more information on monkeypox, visit dshs.texas.gov/IDCU/disease/monkeypox/monkeypox/.
Costco Wholesale is putting the finishing touches on its College Station location along Texas 6 in Midtown and is now hiring employees before the stores opening on Aug. 4.

Its really exciting to see how excited the community is to have us and were just as excited to be part of it, said Kiley Fitzpatrick, general manager of the College Station Costco. Its just a really nice little town and I know we have a lot of managers that are excited to move here.

Construction of the stores building began in March, Fitzpatrick said. She added Costco hopes to start receiving merchandise at the beginning of July.

The store goes up really fast, Fitzpatrick said. They have a really fast construction schedule.

Costco has started hiring for the College Station store, Fitzpatrick said, and a sign near the Texas 6 feeder road says starting pay is $17.50 per hour. Fitzpatrick said the College Station Costco will have approximately 210 employees, including over 100 new hires. Interested applicants can apply online on Costcos website.

We try to offer a wide-variety of products, different name brands, Fitzpatrick said. We have all the different fresh departments, whether it be a gas station, bakery, produce, deli. All of our stores kind of follow the same model.

This will be Costcos 36th store in Texas, the state with the second-most Costco locations behind California (132), but just the fourth store location not in the metro area of Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston or San Antonio. The closest Costco locations to College Station are over 60 miles away in Cypress and The Woodlands.

Natalie Ruiz, the city of College Stations chief development officer, said the city started working on a retail recruitment program in 2016 to form a strategic plan to fill retail gaps in the College Station market. She said city officials looked at which retailers and restaurants residents went out of town and bought from online to recruit them to College Station. Ruiz said Costco was always at the top of the list based on its impact on a community.

Costco is one of those major international retailers that is a regional draw, Ruiz said. They dont just draw from College Station or Bryan or even Hearne or Navasota. They really pull from a much larger range, so being able to have that draw here in College Station, to service folks within really an hours drive of here. When we were first visiting with Costco, the new store that they opened up in the Cypress area off of [Highway] 290, they were pulling a lot of folks from this area that went down there and shopped on a regular basis.

So having them here locally and being able to service that large of a region, it brings folks in that may not be shopping here on a regular basis to not only shop at Costco, but eat at our restaurants, shop at some of our other locations. Its a regional draw unlike some of the other retailers that we have.

Costco wanted to build a location on Texas 6 when city officials first met with them, Ruiz said. She added that providing demographics that showed new developments south of town pulled Costco a little further south than where the store originally looked.

Costco filed a site plan with the City of College Station in April 2021 to build a 160,534-square-foot facility. Just over two weeks later, the College Station City Council approved Costcos economic development and property purchase agreements for about 19 acres.

When we first met with them, they had their own proprietary software where they look at, OK, where is the population density? Where are the businesses located in your community because they do a lot of business-to-business work? What makes sense in terms of where are the folks that have the most disposable income and the highest-valued homes? Where is their customer really coming from? Ruiz said. College Station being a smaller community, we really had to help tell that story in terms of, look, we not only have a university of more than 60,000 students, but we also have large families, we have a lot of development going on south of town, so part of it was they knew where College Station was.

Some retailers and restaurants that weve talked to, they dont know where College Station is, so thats the first conversation is have you considered College Station? And if you havent, heres why you should be here. Heres the amount of disposable income we have. Heres the amount of buying power that we as a community, including our students, have.

The store is slated to open in less than eight weeks and Fitzpatrick said shes heard excitement from community members about Costcos upcoming opening.

Every single manager has said every time theyve talked to somebody that everybodys really excited about us being here, Fitzpatrick said. Its pretty fun that everybody is welcoming us so good.
DALLAS  On the day the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the Austin Urology Institute fielded 400 calls, double its usual volume.

Not every call was a patient inquiry about a vasectomy, but many were. The office added extra appointment slots to accommodate the increased requests for consultations for the sometimes-reversible contraceptive procedure, urologist Dr. Koushik Shaw said.

Reproductive health specialists across the state are seeing increased interest in long-term and permanent contraceptive options, including vasectomies, tubal ligations and intrauterine devices, known as IUDs, in response to Texas abortions being outlawed in most cases.

People are revisiting their contraception, life planning, family planning, and theyre fast-forwarding the decision process, he said.

The apparent rush for long-term contraceptive options began as Texas near-complete abortion ban took effect in September, with interest climbing since the Supreme Courts draft decision on abortions constitutionality was leaked in May. The overturning of Roe v. Wade a week ago Friday appears to have only accelerated the demand for birth control.

Google searches in Texas related to vasectomies and tubal ligations  or getting your tubes tied  jumped in the days following the decision.

Patients span all ages, genders and income brackets, although the ruling will likely impact low-income people most. They include people who are already parents and people who dont ever plan to have children. The common denominator is their desperation for more reliable birth control options, even if they come with potentially negative side effects.

A swift change in plans

Dr. John Thoppil, president of the Texas Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said his private practice in Austin has had a 50% increase in requests for long-term contraceptives since the Supreme Court decision, especially tubal ligation.

The sterilization procedure, which can be reversed in some cases, is performed under anesthesia by a surgeon who blocks or cuts the fallopian tubes to prevent pregnancy.

Jessica Moore, 36, from Austin, scheduled a consultation with Thoppil immediately after the Supreme Court ruling, saying her sense of security if she were to become pregnant was now gone.

In the past, she had been on the pill and had an IUD, but suffered negative side effects. She decided shell try the arm implant Nexplanon, which releases hormones that prevent pregnancy.

Its really unfortunate we have to either choose, Ill risk getting pregnant, despite my best efforts not to, or Im putting these hormones in my body that negatively affect me and give me side effects, she said.

Hormonal birth control methods such as the daily pill, hormonal IUDs and Nexplanon can result in numerous side effects such as weight gain, nausea and mood changes.

Trust Her, a Dallas-based initiative that partners with eight community health clinics in the area to financially assist patients seeking same-day birth control services, has seen a steady increase in patients seeking contraceptives since the passage of Senate Bill 8.

Organization director Kate McCollum reported a 54% increase in the number of patients they covered in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the same quarter a year prior.

These would be women who are uninsured and not enrolled in any kind of payer program like Medicaid or Healthy Texas Women, who likely couldnt afford their method out of pocket, she said.

McCollum also reported an increase in the number of teens visiting clinics for birth control and an increase in the number of women choosing highly effective methods like IUDs that often have the most barriers to access. IUDs can have high out-of-pocket costs and can require someone to take time off work to recover from the short procedure.

One of Trust Hers partner clinics, Womens Health Care Center in Dallas, saw a 10-15% increase in women seeking long-term birth control methods in all forms, since September, said the nonprofit clinics founder Dr. Sherry Tenison.

Its our low-income women, low-insured women, with all ages and all races, she said.

Dr. Shanna Combs, a pediatric and adolescent gynecologist based out of Fort Worth, saw not only an uptick in young women seeking long-term reliable birth control, but also a significant spike in the number of parents inquiring after female birth control for their children. Both groups cite the legal developments of Texas abortion law and the recent Supreme Court decision.

In September, I saw a lot of parents saying, Well in light of recent news or recent law changes, I want to make sure that shes protected because if she got pregnant, theres nothing she could do, Combs said.

Other patients are more concerned that the Supreme Court decision could open the way for a ban on contraceptives in the future. In a concurring opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas said the court should reconsider other past rulings, including one codifying the right to contraception access.

Dallas podcast producer Kelly Kolff, 25, learned of the monumental court decision one hour before her previously scheduled gynecologist appointment. She wasnt planning on talking to the doctor about birth control, but her plans quickly changed, she said. Kolff had been on the birth control pill since 2019.

She told her doctor she wanted to get an IUD, a long-term birth control option that can last anywhere from three to 10 years. Kolff had been previously hesitant to get the device because of pain during and after the procedure.

But there was no hesitation in my mind that day. I felt, and still feel, like I have no choice but to get an IUD for my own survival, she said. I dont know whats going to happen next, and I wanted something that was long-term enough to know Id be protected if Texas starts banning contraceptives.

Kolff is scheduled to have the IUD procedure next week.

People are also rushing to stock up on emergency contraceptives. CVS announced Tuesday it is limiting the sale of morning after pills, such as the well-known brand name Plan-B, after a surge in consumer stocking. Emergency contraceptives can be purchased over the counter without a prescription.

Male contraception post-Roe

Austin Urology Institutes Dr. Shaw regularly performs vasectomies for men who dont want to have children. During the procedure, which he performs at his clinic using local anesthetic, Shaw goes into the scrotum through a tiny incision and severs the vas deferens, or the tube that carries sperm from the testes to the penis.

Recovery takes about a week and, after around 90 days, the procedure is more than 99% effective, Shaw said.

His patients typically range from age 25 to 55, although hes recently noticed a sizable jump in patients under 30.

The sub-30 population, [theyre] saying, We dont want kids, its not in our life plan, he said.

Vasectomies can be reversed through another outpatient operation that has an up-to-95% success rate, depending on how much time has passed since the original procedure and what type of reversal is required. Shaw said he advises patients to consider a vasectomy as permanent because theres always a chance a reversal wont work.

While the Affordable Care Act requires insurance companies to cover womens contraceptives, it does not require all companies to cover vasectomies. The procedure can cost up to $1,000 out-of-pocket, Shaw said.

Many of Shaws patients said theyre getting a vasectomy because they dont want their partner to have to take birth control pills or get an IUD. Other patients cited worries about condoms failing. Its a noticeable shift in thinking, Shaw said, as the responsibility of contraception has historically fallen on women.

Were changing a little bit of that machismo factor in that women are responsible for all of the family care planning. Whats happening is that men are starting to speak about it more, he said. Were getting the word out that this is not a big deal. Its easy to do, no long-term repercussions, its affordable. If the timing is right, I think its a safer alternative.
An injured man receives treatment at a local hospital in Nangarhar Province, eastern Afghanistan, July 2, 2022. Eight people were injured after unknown elements threw a hand grenade into a religious school in Nangarhar province on Saturday, a local television channel reported. (Photo by Aimal Zahir/Xinhua)

KABUL, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Eight people were injured after unknown elements threw a hand grenade into a religious school in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province on Saturday, a local television channel reported.

The grenade attack on Usman Zonurain seminary in Rodat district took place early Saturday, and all the injured have been taken to a hospital, the Tolonews quoted police spokesman Abdul Basir Zabuli as saying.

The attack came amid a three-day gathering of religious scholars and elders in the capital Kabul which will conclude on Saturday.

Participants of the jirga, or grand assembly, are expected to announce their decisions on a series of issues including reopening schools for girls from grade 7 to grade 12, the type of government, the national flag and the national anthem. 
Grand Islands Voice for Companion Animals needs your help.

The nonprofit is low on food for the many cats and dogs being sheltered as they wait to find their forever homes.

A pet food pantry drive is being held today, Saturday, July 2, at 3532 W. Capital Ave., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

We are accepting cat food, dog food, canned, dry, treats for cats and dogs, cat litter, all to support our pet food pantry, said Tracie Pfeifle, VCA volunteer. Its for our pet food pantry for low-income homes, veterans, and people who have fallen on hard times and need some help with food for their pets.

Several circumstances caused a depletion of VCAs resources, including supply chain problems and the COVID-19 pandemic, and helping other local nonprofit groups. But mainly it was a loss of donors.

A couple of our resources dried up for donated food, so we were getting pretty low, said Pfeifle.

The event Saturday will be joined by VCA mascot Rictor and perhaps also by some of the pets now available for adoption, said Pfeifle.

At their 524 S. Webb Road location, VCA has roughly 25 cats for adoption and no dogs currently, though these numbers fluctuate on a daily basis, noted Pfeifle. The shelter can handle as many as 40 pets.

VCAs AniMeals program benefits roughly 50 people regularly, in addition to people who find themselves suddenly in trouble, said Pfeifle.

VCA also serves as a pet rescue for surrendered pets.

Pfeifle told The Independent she enjoys her time volunteering with VCA.

Its a passion Ive had for many years, she said. I think I get more back than I give, because I get to help save small lives, and I get to help people who have a passion and love their pets.

Pfeifle is optimistic that people will come out to help the nonprofit in its time of need.

We have an awesome community that has supported us for years, she said, and were very grateful for that.

For more information about VCA, go to voiceforcompanionanimals.com.
YORK  Jason Hudson, 35, of Belvidere, was charged with a felony after methamphetamine was discovered during a traffic stop and this week he was sentenced to probation in York County District Court.

This case began when a deputy with the York County Sheriffs Department was on regular patrol on Highway 81 near Road 4. He said he saw a vehicle without a license plate and a traffic stop was initiated. During that stop, the deputy asked Hudson if he had permission to search the vehicle and it was denied. According to court documents, the deputy explained his suspicions about narcotics being in the vehicle.

The countys drug dog alerted to the presence of narcotics and a probable cause search was done. The deputy said Hudson admitted to smoking methamphetamine earlier that day and he was placed in the cruiser.

During the search of the vehicle, deputies found a Ziploc bag containing 2.7 grams of methamphetamine; a pocket mirror with meth across the top of it; a bong used for ingesting methamphetamine; baggies with various amounts of methamphetamine weighing 1.5 grams; a tooter straw; two credit cards with methamphetamine residue; and two glass pipes with methamphetamine residue.

Hudson pleaded no contest to possession of a controlled substance, a Class 4 felony. This week he was sentenced to three years of probation with one 27-day and two 30-day stints in jail, to be served in the future which can be waived if he is found to be compliant with the terms of his probation.
When the Supreme Court of the United States overturned its Roe v. Wade decision last week, some states had trigger laws that banned abortion or will in the near future. Others fell back on old law to ban abortion that pre-dated the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.

As of Friday, the Guttmacher Institute said Arkansas, Missouri and Tennessee had laws on the books ban abortion. Kentucky has a law to strictly limit abortion, but it was temporarily enjoined by the court. Michigan has a pre-Roe v. Wade law that has been temporarily enjoined by the court. Wisconsin will revert back to a law that bans abortion from 1849.

Illinois Department of Public Health showed 9,686 abortion were done on women who did not live in Illinois. That includes 74 from Arkansas, 1879 from Indiana, 71 from Iowa, 142 from Kentucky, 56 from Michigan, 6578 from Missouri, 109 from Tennessee, and 533 from Wisconsin.

Six of those eight states already have laws that could ban or strictly limit abortion. What does that mean for abortion providers in Illinois?

Providers can expect the number of women from other states seeking abortion in Illinois to rise. In fact, the number have already increased. In 2015, Illinois provider performed 3,210 abortion on women living out of state. That number jumped to nearly 10,000 in 2020.

Supporters of anti-abortion laws want to reduce the number of women who seek the procedure and discourage them from going to other states. At least 276,000 women terminated their pregnancies outside their home state between 2012 and 2017, according to a 2019 Associated Press analysis of data collected from state reports and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This is particularly true in pockets of the Midwest, South and Mountain West, where the number of women terminating a pregnancy in another state has increased because of a lack of nearby clinics or a desire to travel to a state with less restrictive abortion laws.

When Texas enacted a ban that prohibited the procedure after about six weeks of pregnancy, the Oklahoma State Department of Health began reporting a dramatic increase in women crossing the border to get an abortion. Before the Texas ban took effect last year, about 40 women from Texas had abortions performed in Oklahoma each month. That number jumped to 222 Texas women in September and 243 in October, the agency reported.

Oklahoma has since banned abortion at conception which effectively ended availability of the procedure before the Supreme Court justices overturned Roe.

The influx of out-of-state women seeking abortion is concerning for Southern Illinois because of this part of the state lies close to states with recently-enacted abortion bans and limits.

Choices Memphis Center for Reproductive Health is scheduled to open in August in Carbondale.

Were working hard to make sure that the new CHOICES clinic in Carbondale will be open in August of this year, a press release sent by Holly Calvasina, development director of Choices, read.

It also said they are more committed than ever to the work we do in their Memphis clinic.

The location of the Choices Carbondale clinic has not been announced.

Jennifer Pepper, CEOI of Choices, told The Southern in May that Carbondale was chosen as its location because it is only a three-hour drive from both Memphis and Nashville. The clinic will only offer hormone replacement therapy and medication abortions in its beginning, with plans to be running at full-capacity with all of services being offered in five years.
Independence Day observations often on built on traditions, and for many in our region, one tradition is an out-of-state trip to purchase fireworks unavailable in Illinois.

Since 1942, most fireworks have been illegal in Illinois, but that has not stopped residents from taking their business and tax dollars to other states.

Weve been making a trip to Missouri for as long as I can remember, recalled Murphysboro resident Rick Stapel. I remember going with my dad and my uncle. Fireworks have always been a part of our family gatherings for the Fourth of July.

This year is no different. Stapel said his family spent a couple hundred bucks on consumer pyrotechnics in the Missouri bootheel, but that was not all of the economic outlays.

Sure, we bought gas while we were in Missouri, we spent the day shopping and we ate there, too. We made a day of it, he said.

Stapel is not alone.

Illinoisans flock to other states to buy fireworks.

Illinois is one of just four states nationally that prohibits the use or purchase of any fireworks other than novelty items including smoke bombs, sparklers and small noisemakers. Technically, the possession, purchase or transportation of fireworks is a Class A misdemeanor. Its a federal offense to transport fireworks across state lines.

Still, people take the risk and Illinois loses out on revenue.

Susan Odum, extension specialist with community development for the University of Illinois Extension Service, has extensively studied the impact of Illinoisans spending their money in nearby states. She said fireworks are a perfect example.

It is one of those cases that when something is not available locally, so people go across the border and spend dollars in a neighboring state. The thing is, unfortunately, when they do that, they often purchase other things that are available here and so the economic impact is more than just the fireworks alone.

The Illinois Policy Institute reports that nationally Americans spend $1.9 billion on consumer fireworks each year.

For example, more than $2.5 million is spent each year in Indiana alone  including purchases by Illinoisans  and the state imposes a 5% tax on the pyrotechnics.

According to stacker.com, per capita spending on fireworks is just 41 cents in Illinois compared to $3.36 in Indiana and $13.36 in Missouri  thanks in part to families like Stapels who make their firework purchases in the Show Me State.

The head of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce said firework sales are an economic boost to his region.

One of the things that our businesses and vendors try to do is to serve the entire region and that includes a lot of business that comes over from Southern Illinois, explained Rob Gilliand, president and CEO of the chamber. Certainly during the Fourth of July season, that includes fireworks.

Gilliand said many visitors from Illinois will do other shopping, purchase gasoline and meals while in the area.

Even though the owner of Smokin Joes Fireworks in Sturgis, Kentucky said he doesnt track where purchasers are from, he is sure that many buyers come from Southern Illinois. In fact, he advertises his business on an Illinois-based television station to attract them.

Some states which used to take a similar stance to Illinois have made fireworks legal. Illinois Policy reports eight states have legalized fireworks over the last decade and a 2019 U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission indicated there is not a statistically significant trend in estimated emergency department-treated, fireworks-related injuries from 2003 to 2019.

Stapel said his family keeps safety in mind as they look forward to their backyard booms and blasts and he questions the states restrictions.

I dont really know what the objections are from the state. Obviously, we want to have ten fingers on July 5th, but I think Illinois is missing out on a sizeable piece of taxable spending. I dont think you can understate the economic impact of fireworks, he said.
Candace Berry-Vaughn is a caring person with a commitment to youth and community development that she hopes to demonstrate in her new position as executive director of the Orangeburg County Community of Character initiative.

Berry-Vaughn is replacing Evelyn Disher, who has joined the OCCOC board of directors.

A Leesburg, Florida, native, Berry-Vaughn says she will work to engage more businesses and youth in the initiative, which is based on a similar program developed in the City of Aiken. Orangeburg County took the program county-wide with a focus on developing positive character traits in citizens.

She said her goal is to continue the work the program has been doing for more than a decade.

I think weve made great strides towards making Orangeburg County known for character. For me, I think theres a little more we can do with engaging businesses. Id like to do more work with youth development, Berry-Vaughn said.

Theres 17 municipalities that make up Orangeburg County. I think we can do a better job of reaching out and expanding and being more inclusive of all of the cities. So thats one of my top priorities and goals -- to learn and understand and get to know the other cities see how we can all bring this into one unified operation, she said. I think theres a lot of opportunity there to do that.

The initiative, with family at its core, brings together people from the fields of education, business, industry, faith, government and media to help develop ways to strengthen character.

OCCOCs fifth-grade essay program and monthly highlight of individuals who display good character within the community are initiatives she plans to continue.

Youth development is something Ive been doing for the last 20-plus years in other communities that Ive lived in. Ive been heavily and actively involved in Jack and Jill, which is about developing youth. I was a national officer for the organization. I planned a lot of their national and local programming for the organization, Berry-Vaughn said.

She said her experience in organizational leadership, youth development, event planning and fundraising will come in handy in her new role.

She worked in retail for several years, including as a buyer for Macys Inc., but has also devoted much of her time to community outreach and charitable giving.

She has served on the Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and currently serves as vice president of the Orangeburg County School District Foundation Board.

She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.; the Orangeburg Chapter of The Links Inc.; Jack and Jill of America Inc.; and the Association of Junior Leagues International Inc.

I think youth are our future, they are out stewards of tomorrow. So I enjoy helping them develop leadership skills, helping them understand self and helping them to understand to love yourself. Ive done that 20-plus years, Berry-Vaughn said.

A graduate of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, she is married Reginald Vaughn, and they are the parents of one son, Nygel.

Before we moved here, Ive also been heavily and actively involved in the Junior League, which was about developing leaders and volunteerism amongst community and women. That probably motivated me and taught me a lot on how you look at things and not be afraid to step out and try to make a change, she said.

Berry-Vaughn continued, That organization taught me a lot, gave me a lot of my foundational skills. It only takes a little bit to do (something). Weve taken ideas and made them into massive projects that were just a huge success in the community. Its all about just where you live and how you make a difference in it.

She recalled her parents impact on her and her three siblings lives, including teaching them how to make positive impacts in society through hard work and discipline.

I watched my parents do that for years. My mom is 96, and shes still an actively involved citizen in the community I grew up in, which is very much like Orangeburg. Its very similar to Orangeburg in many ways, Berry-Vaughn said.

In watching my parents, they got us involved and showed us how you have to be a part of where you live. You cant just sit back and complain. You have to try to make a difference. If you see something you can do to make a difference, then you have a responsibility to do that, she said.

She continued, My parents were educators. So they instilled in us giving back, thinking of others first. Sometimes I question and go, Wow, that could be to a detriment, and here I am still doing it, still putting others first. So its really not.

She said she enjoys being able to volunteer and give back to the communities in which she's lived, including Orangeburg, where she has been a resident for more than a decade.

Her background in retail helped to drive her creative juices, giving her the freedom and flexibility she needed to complete volunteer and other charitable work.

Thats when I realized I dont like being pigeon-holed into one thing. I like flexibility to use my skills and talents to learn and grow in lots of different areas, she said.

Berry-Vaughn, for example, had spent a lot of time assisting her husband, the former owner of the local Toyota dealership in Orangeburg, with marketing, community development and outreach activities.

We had different projects I kind of spearheaded. I oversaw the Community of Caring that the dealership did. It takes a village for everything. ... Its important to me to, where I can, try to give back and help make a difference, she said.

She continued, Thats the only way communities are going to survive. Theres this book that Ive been reading called, Vanishing Neighbors. Its just so true. Now we live in a world where we just dont want to care about each other. We dont want to know our neighbors, we dont want to reach out and help and move people along.

I just think thats critical and crucial. If youre going to live in a community, you need to engage and figure out how to help and give back."

Volunteering, she said, is one way.

Thats another one of the areas I really want to try to boost through this organization. I want to help everyone understand: Use your presence. We need a body to give. That helps make a difference. Moneys tight everywhere, and it looks like were going to be heading into a recession. So we have to be creative in how we do things, Berry-Vaughn said.

She would like to put together an event bringing together the communitys nonprofit organizations.

Everybodys struggling, especially coming out of COVID. It just depleted so much funding and everything else. So everybodys really scrambling trying to figure out how to stay afloat. So thats still a big challenge, but I think theres still a way we can come together and help each other out because were all trying to do something to make our community better.

Every nonprofit exists because theres a need thats been identified that theyre trying to address. Sometimes we tend to think we have to do it by ourselves, but I think more is better, Berry-Vaughn said.
ISLAMABAD, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said that his government will set up special cells under an innovation project for talented youth in all ministries to encourage them to work on their innovative ideas for national policy-making.

Addressing the launching event of the Innovation Hub on Friday, the prime minister said the initiative aimed to encourage the youth to involve in national development.

The Innovation Hub will play an important role in connecting policy-making with the needs of the country by incorporating the views of all stakeholders, particularly the country's talented youth and manpower, Pakistan's state media reported.

Sharif said that modern education and technology had immense significance in the contemporary world and urged experts, intellectuals, and youth to connect with the government through their suggestions.

The prime minister said that brilliant ideas of the youth will be incorporated into policy-making in order to develop them in a more practical manner. 
SIOUX CENTER, Iowa  Stunning new revelations about former President Donald Trump's fight to overturn the 2020 election have exposed growing political vulnerabilities just as he eyes another presidential bid.

A former White House aide this week described Trump as an unhinged leader with no regard for the safety of elected officials in either party as he clung to power on Jan. 6, 2021. The testimony from the congressional panel investigating the Capitol attack provided a roadmap for prosecutors to potentially charge Trump with a crime, some legal experts say.

Republican voters  and Trump's would-be rivals in the 2024 presidential race  took notice.

In Iowa, the state expected to host the first presidential nominating contest in roughly 18 months, several voters signaled Thursday that they were open to another presidential candidate even if Trump were to run again. At the same time, some conservative media outlets issued scathing rebukes of the former president. Aides for multiple GOP presidential prospects also indicated, publicly and privately, that they felt increasingly emboldened to challenge Trump in 2024 following the explosive new testimony.

Nikki Haley, Trump's ambassador to the United Nations, drew roughly 350 conservative activists to a congressional fundraising barbecue on Thursday in Sioux County, where Trump won 82% of the vote in 2020.

Haley, who has said she would not seek the 2024 GOP nomination if Trump ran, declined to say Thursday whether the testimony has given her reason to rethink that plan. Instead, she sounded an upbeat note.

If it looks like theres a place for me next year, Ive never lost a race, Im not going to start now, the Bamberg, S.C., native told reporters. Ill put 1,000% in and Ill finish it. And if theres not a place for me, I will fight for this country until my last breath.

And there was ample evidence of Trump fatigue. Interviews with a dozen attendees revealed strong interest in a 2024 alternative, even if Trump is on the ballot.

"You'd be hard-pressed to find people in this area who support the idea that people aren't looking for someone else," said Dave Van Wyk, a transportation company owner. "To presume that conservative America is 100% behind Donald Trump is simply not the case."

For some Republican voters, that was the feeling even before this week's stunning new testimony.

Former White House staffer Cassidy Hutchinson on Tuesday offered previously unknown details about the extent of Trump's rage in his final weeks of office, his awareness that some supporters had brought weapons to the city on Jan. 6 and his ambivalence as rioters later laid siege to the Capitol.

Upset at the size of the crowd at his "Stop the Steal" rally  many supporters avoided entering because they were armed and didn't want to go through metal detectors  Trump said words to the effect of, "I don't care that they have weapons. They're not here to hurt me," according to Hutchinson. She recalled hearing about a separate incident after the rally in which Trump tried to grab at the steering wheel of the presidential vehicle to go to the Capitol to join his supporters.

That detail has caused some pushback. The agent who was driving the vehicle and another official were reportedly prepared to testify under oath that Trump never lunged for the wheel.

But the renewed concern was evident.

The conservative Washington Examiner's editorial board said Hutchinson's testimony "ought to ring the death knell" for Trump's political career. "Trump is unfit to be anywhere near power ever again."

The often Trump-friendly New York Post blasted the headline: "Tyrant Trump." And the conservative editorial page of the Wall Street Journal wrote, "Just when it seems as if Donald Trump's behavior after his 2020 loss couldn't possibly look worse, a new piece of wild testimony arrives."

To be sure, conservatives have shared serious concerns about Trump repeatedly in recent years. And in every case, the former president has emerged largely unscathed, sometimes stronger. He has been caught on video bragging about sexual assault; he instigated a violent attack on the Capitol; and he has been twice impeached.

Yet Trump is sitting on campaign funds that exceed $101 million and remains deeply popular with many Republican voters. Lest there be any question, Republican candidates from Arizona to Pennsylvania to Georgia have been battling one another this midterm season for his support.

"The American people remain hungry for his leadership," Trump spokesperson Taylor Budowich said, citing Trump's strong endorsement record and fundraising success. "And as another witch hunt is blowing up in the faces of Democrats, President Trump is in a stronger position now than at anytime before."

But even before this week's revelations, a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 48% of U.S. adults say Trump should be charged with a crime for his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

Views on Trump's criminal liability break down predictably along party lines, with 86% of Democrats and 10% of Republicans saying Trump should be charged. Still, the fact that nearly half the country believes he should be prosecuted is a remarkable position for the former president, pointing to the difficulties he could face if he makes another run at the White House.

Trump reported raising nearly $9 million in March and April combined. Figures for May and June were not yet available, but aides to the former president say his fundraising has remained strong.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, eyeing a presidential bid in 2024, says he was hearing concerns about Trump from donors and voters alike before this week's testimony.

"People are concerned that we could lose the election in '24 and want to make sure that we don't nominate someone who would be seriously flawed," Christie said.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who is also considering a 2024 run, said he considers Trump beatable in a GOP primary even if Republican voters aren't paying close attention to the congressional hearings, as he suspects.

"His approval among Republican primary voters has already been somewhat diminished," Hogan said in an interview. "Trump was the least popular president in American history until Joe Biden."
Exclusive Anonymous Complainant Targeting Zubair Tweet Linked to Tek Fog App, BJYM Leader in Gujarat The Wire's investigation into a network of 757 Twitter accounts used to mount attacks against AltNews found that the recovery email ID for the anonymous Twitter handle that sparked the original FIR was 'contact@vikashahir.in' Ayushman Kaul, Naomi Barton and Devesh Kumar /

New Delhi: The arrest of Mohammed Zubair, journalist and co-founder of AltNews, is the culmination of a years-long campaign by a network of anonymous and inauthentic accounts linked to Vikash Ahir, state president of the Hindu Yuva Vahini (HYV) and co-convenor of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) in Gujarat, an investigation by The Wire has established. Mohammed Zubair was arrested on June 27 under section 153A (giving provocation with intent to cause riot) and 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code. The arrest was made following a complaint tweet by an anonymous account going by the handle @balajikijaiin, which flagged a 2018 tweet by Zubair that included a photograph of a hotel sign board on which the word honeymoon  written in Hindi  had been changed to Hanuman. The complainant, who said the photo hurt his religious sentiments, may or may not have known that it was a screenshot of a scene from a four decade-old film, Kissi Se Na Kehna, made in 1983. When Zubairs counsel, Vrinda Grover, pointed out in court during Zubairs bail hearing on June 29 that the complaint had been made by an anonymous account which could have been made to create mischief in the country, the prosecution responded by saying, He is not an anonymous complainant. His details are here. Without details, no one can get a Twitter account. The prosecution failed to reveal the account holders identity in court, but the Indian Express reported that the police later sent Twitter a notice under Section 91 of Criminal Procedure Code on the evening of June 29, asking them to provide details of the account @balajikijaiin that goes by the name Hanuman Bhakt. The Wire has reached out to DCP KPS Malhotra regarding the identity of the complainant, and will update this story if we receive a response. A network of linked accounts

Investigations by The Wire have uncovered a network of 757 accounts linked to Ahir that have attempted  since 2018  to incriminate the fact-checker alongside Pratik Sinha, co-founder at AltNews, by highlighting and misconstruing old tweets uploaded by the two journalists to portray them as Hinduphobic and then tagging the local authorities in order to have the two journalists arrested for supposedly hurting religious sentiments. In particular, this network also included eight replica accounts of @balajikijaiin  the anonymous account whose complaint formed the basis of Zubairs arrest by the Delhi police. Each of these eight accounts exhibited similar properties  profile picture, tweets and usernames  and employed the same modus operandi to target the AltNews co-founders on Twitter. While five of these eight replica accounts have been deleted, two other accounts - @balajikijain and @HanumanBhakt101 - remain active at the time of analysis. A closer scrutiny of this network of 757 accounts reveals a subset of 283 accounts which exhibited multiple characteristics associated with bot-like and inauthentic behaviour. In addition to maintaining functional anonymity, these accounts also posted more than 500 times a day over the last month at all hours of the day with little down time for organic human processes. They also used third-party tools like Cheap Bots, Done Quick to automate and spam targeted hashtags related to Zubairs arrest. Complementing this activity was a larger network of 18,364 accounts which were also used to trend other hashtags  #ArrestZubair, #ArrestMohamedZubair and #ArrestBlasphemerMdZubair  that targeted the journalist. The use of inauthentic accounts to trend the hashtags targeting the journalist was further corroborated by analysis by Logically, a tech company which aims to combat the harms associated with mis-and-disinformation. Logically also analysed these three hashtags between June 1 and June 30, 2022. This analysis found they went on to trend after being promoted by right-wing ideologues and politicians associated with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with large followings on the platform. This activity was complemented by secondary accounts with smaller followings that exhibited multiple characteristics associated with bot-like and inauthentic behaviour who spammed the hashtag thousands of times on the platform. Clear footprints of Tek Fog

Significantly, around 62% (11,380 accounts) of this larger network that sought to manipulate public perception around the arrest were also part of the original Tek Fog network, revealed by The Wire in January this year. In June 2021, the Tek Fog network had 77,800 users, many of which became inactive following the publication of our three part investigation. The activation of this cluster to manipulate public perception around the Zubair case is the first time in the last six months that the use of this network has been detected.

Unmasking the network

targeting the co-founders of AltNews The original @balajikijaiin was the complainant cited in the Delhi Polices case against Mohammed Zubair. The account was temporarily disabled after the public outcry generated by the case; when it returned, it proceeded to make a similar tweet against the co-founder of AltNews, Pratik Sinha, targeting out a tweet of his from seven years ago and asking for police action to be taken against him. What would you call it? This person openly hurting the religious freedom of Hindus. @DelhiPolice @DCP_CCC_Delhi Kindly take action https://t.co/UBgQ5YlN8W  Hanuman Bhakt (@balajikijaiin) June 27, 2022 Curiously, this was the same tweet that had formed the basis of a police complaint by Vikash Ahir registered against Sinha last year, in 2021.        #ArrestPratikSinha #ArrestPratikSinha@YogiDevnath2 @ROMESHSHAH2 @beingarun28 @rakesh_bstpyp @Rajput_Ramesh @mvikashahir pic.twitter.com/qEOssO3W9d  Vikash ahir office (@mvikashahir) September 23, 2021 We analysed the tweet on which a complaint was registered against Zubair, along with Pratik Sinhas tweet, to search for other accounts who have retweeted these tweets in the past four years and tagged the verified accounts of the Delhi police and other local authorities. This analysis gave us a list of 3,699 accounts, out of which 1,257 accounts had shared those two tweets tagging Delhi police before Zubairs arrest. Majority of these 1,257 accounts had shared the tweets in 2021. This suggests these accounts have been part of the network since well before Zubair called Nupur Sharma a hate monger and became a target of coordinated attack. By extracting data from the Twitter API, the social connections of these accounts were made visible. Out of these 1257 accounts, 757 accounts showed a unique pattern - each one of them were part of at least one Twitter List where Vikas Ahir was the only common member. A Twitter list is a group of people collected by a single account in order to view tweets on a curated timeline. This allows the curator to have easier access to tweets made by a pre-organised group of people, as against the larger volume of tweets provided by a more diversely populated timeline. There wasnt one single list featuring these 757 accounts  each account featured on an individual list, making it 757 lists, with the only common factor between them being the presence of Vikash Ahir on each of these lists. It was in this list that we found the 8 replica accounts of @balajikijaiin with variations in the username, but with identical profile pictures and Twitter biographies. The last of these accounts was made in January 2022  proving that these were not copycat accounts following the public attention paid to the complainant against Zubair. For the reader not familiar with the patterns of how Twitter works, it is necessary to note how unlikely it is to find a list featuring a single person so unilaterally. As such, it led our team to suspect that Vikash Ahir was involved in the accounts personally  given that the accounts themselves had no distinguishing characteristics indicating that they were run by real people. To that end, we attempted an unorthodox attempt to confirm this hypothesis. Vikash Ahir has a personal website  vikashahir.in. When purchasing a domain name, one is commonly given an email id for free associated with the domain name. The free email ids generally tend towards the format of contact@domainname.com (or admin@domain.com/support@domain.com). We decided to use the email id contact@vikashahir.in to ask Twitter to reassign a password  the goal not being to get access to the account, but to move to the second step in the verification process  where Twitter reiterates the accurate email id associated with the account, in order to send the password change email. In case you input the wrong email, Twitter shows a screen saying that the attempt was Incorrect, asking you to try again. We did not have to try again  the email id affiliated with the @balajikijaiin account responsible for the complaint against Mohammed Zubair belonged to a domain associated with the personal website of Vikash Ahir. The email of the recovery email has since been changed, likely because they received the reset password email. We however retain a video of the same before the change.

Who is

Vikash Ahir? Vikash Ahir is from Gujarat, and according to his website, the state president of the Hindu Yuva Vahini, a militant organisation founded by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and city coordinator of the student wing of the Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha, the youth front of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). His digital footprint connecting to the BJP goes back at least four years, during which his loyalty to the party was matched by consistently anti-Muslim sentiments put forth on his social media channels, which have huge reach. His Twitter handle, which was the link to the extended network targeting Zubair, measured 107k followers, and is followed by a number of BJP functionaries. He also recently put out a tweet supporting Rambhakt Gopal, the extremist who opened fire on Jamia students in 2020, when he made public a video showing him taking away a man at gunpoint claiming that he was a cow-smuggler. The Jamia shooter also reportedly aimed the gun at women and children. DONT TARGET RAM BHAKT GOPAL IN FAKE WAY#___https://t.co/P3yXZ3jMbZ pic.twitter.com/940xol8snV  Vikash Ahir  (@team_hyv) April 29, 2022 The tweet itself features text that is suspiciously repeated across multiple other accounts with the same hashtag  activity that is indicative of a larger choreographed campaign with bot-support. An outspoken supporter of killer Shambhulal Regar

On his Youtube channel, which has 1.35k subscribers, there are a number of incendiary videos against the Muslim community: In December 2017, he uploaded a video speaking out in sympathy with Shambu Lal Regar, the Hindutva extremist who hacked and burnt alive a Muslim man while videotaping the incident and releasing it on social media. Large protests had erupted following the incident in favour of Regar.) In the video, Vikash Ahir personally pledged (though we dont know if he ever gave) 51,000 rupees to the family of Shambulal Regar, and urged his followers to aid in his fundraising efforts to raise at least 10 lakhs for the family. In the video, Ahir says, Theek hai bhai normal sa murder kiya koi isme kuch bada nahi hai uski galti ye hai ki uska video usne banaya aur usne do shabd galat bol diye ki love jihad. Usne sahi bola hai  love jihad karoge toh ham marenge. Jabh jabh tum log jihad karonge tabh tak Shambhu nikalega, aur tab tak marenge. (This was a normal murder, there wasnt anything majorly bad about it - his mistake was that he took a video and he said two wrong words  Love Jihad. But he was right  if you do love jihad, we will kill you. Whenever you people do jihad, a Shambhu will emerge, and you will be killed.) His Facebook page is also one replete with more recent iterations of similar sentiments. In 2020, he posted a series of photographs of the Hindu Yuva Vahini in Surat conducting a Shastra Pooja at what appears to be a school. The photograph shows a table full of swords, knives, and rifles surrounded by garlands, and his caption reads, Shastra nahi padoge toh rashtra kho doge, Sastra nahi uthaoge toh dharm kho doge. (If you dont read the shastras you will lose your nation, if you dont pick up your weapons you will lose your faith.) The Hindu Yuva Vahini Gujarat Page also as of 5 June posted pictures of Ahir in close proximity to UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The images of him with Yogi Adityanath are unsurprising given his status in the Hindu Yuva Vahini  an organisation created by Adityanath himself in 2002. The HYV cadres wield enormous power in the state of Uttar Pradesh, and are called locally Yogiji ki sena. An inhabitant of Gorakhpur points out that the Vahini is sustained by only one thing: fearfear of public humiliation or of being beaten upwhich is what makes people afraid of the Vahini. More recently, the Hindu Yuva Vahini was in the news when Sudarshan Chavanke addressed one of their meetings in Delhi, calling for the killing of Muslims as part of the making of a Hindu rashtra. BJP leader and Uttar Pradesh minister Rajeshwar Singh was also present at the event. The Gujarat wing of the Hindu Yuva Vahini is relatively new, established in 2014, but staying dormant until 2017, when they decided to expand their base on the subjects of love jihad, cow protection and religious conversion". Incidentally, in 2017, a number of dailies featured a paid advertorial extolling the various positive qualities of Vikash Ahir  a press release presently available on his website, and which was featured on Deccan Herald, DNA India and Mid-Day. As a BJYM leader, of course, Ahir is frequently seen in close contact with a number of senior level BJP functionaries. On March 16, 2022, he posted a photograph with Chandrakant Raghunath Patil, president of the BJP in Gujarat and MP from Navsari. On June 30, 2022, he posted a photograph of himself with Bhupendra Yadav, Union minister of labour and employment, environment, forest and climate change, and the national general secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Connecting the dots The coordinated campaign targeting the two journalists provides an unprecedented and chilling case study into the weaponization of social media accounts by malicious actors to both intimidate and incriminate journalists deemed to be critical of the BJP and whose work undermines attempts to promote a communal-majoritarian agenda in the country. In Zubairs case, not only was he targeted by a network of inauthentic bot accounts calling for his incarceration, the person to whom this network is linked is deeply embedded into the party currently in power in India. This is particularly troubling when viewed in light of the fact that during his appeal in the Delhi high court against his remand today, the person arguing for the prosecution was the solicitor general of India. That the Union government would deploy one of its seniormost counsels  ostensibly for a case about a joke tweet  underlines the political nature of the entire campaign. As mentioned earlier, the network targeting Zubair was also cross-referenced against the database of actors The Wire was in possession of on the Tek Fog network, and produced a 62% overlap between the two groups. This means that almost 2/3rds of the accounts targeting Zubair have previously been noted on the Tek Fog networks as engaging in coordinated attacks against journalists, among other malign activities. The Wire expose which covered Tek Fog also connected the secret app to Devang Dave  a Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha leader, like Ahir  and showcased numerous campaigns run on the app in support of the BJP. Interestingly, on the day of the complaint, the @balajikijaiin account managed by Ahir, had liked only one tweet  that of @signpostindia - a company belonging to Dave. When the account was resurrected after its deletion, this like was removed, presumably because the connection with Dave had been flagged on Twitter.
Compulsory vaccination has been discussed for months, and a new opinion will be delivered to the competent authorities next week by a group of experts.

The new recommendations will be presented on Tuesday morning at 9 am, based on the current situation in the country and the evolution of the virus.

The press conference will be attended by Dr Vic Arendt, Professor Dr Claude Muller, Dr Gerard Schockmel, Dr Therese Staub and Dr Paul Wilmes.

Next Friday, the agenda of the Government Council will also include an additional viewpoint. On the same day, a government statement is expected as well as a debate on the subject in the Chamber of Deputies.
The Luxembourg Business Register (LBR) is a business register that identifies beneficial owners to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. Entities must thus declare their beneficial owners in the LBR.

Over the last three years, this obligation has been recalled several times by the competent authorities, and some ASBLs were notably concerned.

In this context, the police have announced reinforced controls throughout the country in collaboration with the competent judicial authorities.

Possible breaches of the law could result in criminal proceedings.
The 2022 edition of the Agricultural Fair in Ettelbruck celebrates the return of this great event as the public knew it before the pandemic.

The official inauguration took place this Friday afternoon after the Grand Duke had visited in the morning. The organisers are expecting around 40,000 visitors during the three days of Luxembourg's largest open-air fair at the Daichwisen (rue du Deich) in Ettelbruck.

Ministers Paulette Lenert and Claude Haagen also attended the event on Friday evening.

Ettelbruck Agricultural Fair (01.07.2022)  Ketty a Rom Hankes The photos published on this site are subject to copyright and may not be copied, modified, or sold without the prior permission of the owner of the site in question.

The Agricultural Fair has become the essential meeting point for all professionals in the green sector, trade and scientific research in agri-biotechnology. Particular emphasis is placed on the presentation of Luxembourgish products and on raising consumer awareness of regional products.

More than 2,000 pupils from 200 classes have already visited the site in Ettelbruck this Friday, an event that offers numerous workshops for people of all ages.

At the heart of all the debates and workshops is the topic of children's nutrition, especially during their schooling where more than 40,000 dishes are served every day in the school canteens.

The aim is to supply as many organic and regional products as possible to public establishments. A conference on this subject is planned for this weekend, the full programme can be found on fae.lu.

The website of the Agricultural Fair also offers an online version for visitors who prefer to visit the site virtually. The event is also broadcast live by our colleagues at RTL.lu.
Minister of Justice and Culture Sam Tanson was a guest on RTL Radio on Saturday afternoon.

Minister Tanson reacted to recent news stories about violence in schools and prisons, stating that the ministry is taking these events "very seriously". In general, the public prosecutor's office has noticed an uptick in the number of cases it has to process.

However, Tanson pointed out that this could also be seen as positive since the reason for this might be that more cases are reported to the authorities. The minister explained that it is true that violence has always existed, but it is also true that today's society is much less accepting of it.

When asked whether culprits should face more severe punishments, the minister argued that violence still exists in countries that still make use of the death penalty, for instance.

At the same time, Tanson made it clear that she is not saying "that you shouldn't be strict as well". There are punishments for certain crimes and nobody "is going to abolish punishments altogether".

However, the ministry is currently working on defining "clear rules" and punishments will be halved for minors. The reason for this is that minors "have not yet reached the end of their development" and minors who commit crimes often had difficult upbringings.

In fact, Tanson explained that this was the case for the prisoners who attacked the prison guards in Schrassig earlier this week. According to the minister, the prisoners in question are young people who arrived in Luxembourg without their parents. Since they have no documents, medical professionals were consulted who estimated their age on a "spectrum" between 17 and 20 years or 16 and 19 years.

Tanson stressed that "by far not every non-accompanied minor is a criminal". But she also added that new measures are being prepared that will enable prison guards to better defend themselves in the future. They will be granted easier access to tear gas and batons, for instance.

However, the problem is much "broader" and cannot be reduced to simply saying that Luxembourg has a violence problem. Tanson explained that young people must be supported in such a way that they receive all the help they need to not end up in these situations.

According to the minister, this is happening on "many different levels," including prevention and information. Services like Bee Secure are an example of this, Tanson stated, as well as additional psychologists and educators and police campaigns in schools.

Read also: Brutal video: Was this footage filmed at a Luxembourg school?

The minister also spoke about the youth protection reform and the separation of juvenile penal law and youth protection. She stated that regarding juvenile penal law, the Ministry is trying to put the emphasis on "diversionary measures".

Before a young person is sent to the Socio-Educational Centre or even the Security Unit (UniSec) in Dreiborn, they will do community work, therapies, or other alternatives. Prison, Tanson stressed, is an alternative "at the very end of the system".

Video in Luxembourgish:
In Wyoming, most of us fuel our cars with gasoline, heat our homes using natural gas and rely on electricity generated from coal. And we depend on state services paid for, in large part, by taxes imposed on the companies extracting that oil, gas and coal  industries whose contributions to state coffers have also kept our individual taxes low.

The economic importance of energy means price swings often hit Wyoming especially hard. Money drained from the states pockets as oil markets crashed in the early months of the pandemic, then poured back in as markets recovered.

Oil prices have been climbing since the start of 2021. In the months since Russia went to war with Ukraine, the price of oil has skyrocketed. Its continued to surge as tensions mount and settle as they subside, but never to levels as low as before the invasion. More recently, fears of recession have added to its volatility.

The price of gasoline went up along with oil and has remained high. For a number of reasons, natural gas followed, giving a boost to its competitor, coal.

Heres how energy prices changed last week.

Oil

Because oil is traded globally, market disruptions rarely stay where they start. Instead, localized shifts ripple from one market to the next, pushing the worlds prices up or down along with their own.

The price of U.S. oil benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) held relatively steady last week as markets waited for detail on international leaders emerging plan to cap Russian oil prices.

WTI closed at $105.76 per barrel on Thursday, up from $104.27 a week earlier, but down from $114.67 on May 31. Its closing price hit a three-month high of $122.11 per barrel on June 8, just shy of the eight-year peak  $123.70 per barrel  reached exactly three months before.

Wyomings drilling rig count, an indicator of industry activity, rose back to 19  a little over half the pre-pandemic rig count  last week after fluctuating between 18 and 19 for all of June.

The weekly rig count is up compared with the previous six months, when it remained between 14 and 16, according to Baker Hughes. The states oil companies say the high oil prices are incentive enough to drill, but other obstacles, including supply chain issues, have continued to slow them down.

Companies bid last week on about two-thirds of the tracts available for leasing at Wyomings first federal oil and gas auction in a year and a half  a result that was praised by many in the industry but criticized by environmental groups.

Gasoline

Oil prices are the primary driver of gasoline prices. Thats why the rising cost of oil was quickly reflected at the pump, and a big part of why gasoline has remained so pricey.

The national average price of regular gasoline fell to $4.84 per gallon on Friday, down from $4.93 last Friday and $5.00 one week earlier, according to AAA. The national record remains $5.02 per gallon, reached on June 14.

In Wyoming, however, gasoline prices have continued to climb. Regular gasoline set yet another statewide record of $4.90 per gallon on Friday. Thats up from previous record highs of $4.89 last Friday and $4.83 across Wyoming the week before.

Diesel stayed at about $5.70 per gallon in Wyoming for a second week. It cost $5.62 two weeks ago.

Regular gasoline went up 8 cents in Natrona County, averaging $4.67 per gallon on Friday.

Natural gas

Unlike oil, most natural gas stays in the region where its produced. Localized disruptions tend to have significant effects on individual markets, but take much longer to impact others. European natural gas prices went up along with oil prices.

While U.S. natural gas prices didnt change as much at the start of the war, they began to rise in February, partly because of increased exports to Europe but also due to a confluence of unrelated factors like cold weather, reduced storage and low production, and started to drop again in June.

Economists anticipate that if the war continues for an extended period of time  six months, a year  the U.S. will expand its export infrastructure and companies will ship even more natural gas to Europe, potentially further raising prices here.

The estimated weekly Henry Hub spot price averaged $6.33 per million British thermal units, down from $7.11 the week before and the multiyear high of $8.99 set three weeks ago, according to the Energy Information Administration. The daily spot price was lowest on June 24, at $5.89, and highest on June 29, at $6.67.

Coal

Demand for Wyomings coal is influenced by the cost of other fuels  especially natural gas. Price determines whether utilities generate more electricity at coal-fired or gas-fired power plants.

Coal mined in the Powder River Basin becomes competitive when natural gas tops about $3 per million British thermal units. The spot price of natural gas remains more than double that.

The estimated weekly spot price of Powder River Basin coal jumped, the week of June 10, to $16.55 per short ton, after declining slowly from $30.70 to $15.45 over the previous seven months. The Energy Information Administration has not updated the spot price since then due to systems issues.

Coals current spot price remains above any weekly price recorded in the decade before utilities, fearful this fall of the sky-high natural gas prices forecast by energy analysts, scrambled to secure more coal before winter set in.
The Wyoming Department of Family Services in June doled out more pandemic rental relief than any other month in the programs tenure.

The federally funded Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), which opened last April, helps struggling renters stay housed.

Department of Family Services Executive Director Korin Schmidt said the agency administered about $5.6 million of ERAP money last month. The previous record-holder was April, during which it dished out $5.4 million.

ERAP applications spiked suddenly in January and December, Schmidt said. Demand for rental assistance has been steadily increasing since the.

The Department of Family Services received about 160 applications a day in June, Schmidt said. A year prior, it received about 60 a day.

Were starting to see some of the effects of high gas prices and food costs, Schmidt said.

ERAP rental assistance is also easier to get these days, she noted.

The first wave of pandemic relief, passed by Congress in late 2020, gave Wyoming $200 million.

Federal regulations, which set strict limits for who qualified for ERAP, made the initial round difficult to get out the door.

The programs second round, passed last year, loosened those up considerably. Wyoming is expected to receive a total of $152 million from that package, which expires in 2025.

The programs income limits is also higher. Households applying for ERAP money cant make more than 80% of their area median income.

But that value is updated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development every April. This year, the ceiling went up a few thousand in most Wyoming counties, Schmidt said.

As of June 1, the program had given out $42 million total. $33 million of that went to landlords, $6.1 million to renters, $2.6 million to utilities companies and another $5,700 to reimburse moving costs.

Schmidt told the Star-Tribune in March the agency doesnt expect to run out of rental assistance before 2025.

But the money wont last forever, she said. And renters can only get ERAP money for 18 months max, per federal regulations.

This isnt a long term fix for any of the problems, she said.

To apply for the ERAP program, visit the Department of Family Services website at dfs.wyo.gov
The residents of Natrona County once owned their own hospital  the Wyoming Medical Center. It was well-run and staffed with doctors and nurses who lived here in Natrona County. I was born there, as were my parents, children and grandchildren.

The county commissioners sold it, in October of 2020, to Banner, a big out-of-state hospital holding company. Our former hospital is now being run from Phoenix.

Ed Renemans, a former chief financial officer and vice president at Wyoming Medical Center, believes our hospital, land and equipment was greatly undervalued when the selling price was determined. The replacement cost to acquire the land, design, build and equip a new 212 bed hospital in Casper. would be closer to $450 million, than the $200 million selling price. The net proceeds from the sale were much less than the $200 million selling price. A bargain basement deal for this out of state company named Banner, that not only acquired Wyoming Medical Centers assets, but also Wyoming Medical Centers market share and statewide influence of healthcare. So, why did the commissioners sell our hospital so cheap? You should ask them.

How is Banner doing? Our great doctors and nurses are starting to leave. To quote one observer, there is unrest at the hospital.

Research from federal agencies suggest that hospital prices increase after these types of acquisitions with no improvement to the quality of medical care. Are high prices in store for us? Very likely! Even the Biden Administration named hospitals as one business whose consolidation harmed consumers. Natrona County, you are the consumers!

If you google Banner, you will find that they had to pay an $18 million dollar settlement to the federal government for submitting false claims to Medicaid. What kind of an outfit did the current county commissioners allow to buy our hospital? What was the reason to be in such a hurry to sell?

Were the county commissioners acting in the best interests of the people when they sold our hospital? Isnt it time for a change?

I have spent my whole life fighting for the residents of Natrona County and I dont intend to stop!
Visitors are seen at a mango festival in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, on July 1, 2022. The Pakistani Foreign Ministry on Friday organized a mango festival in Islamabad as part of a series of activities to mark the 75th anniversary of Pakistan's independence. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal)

ISLAMABAD, July 2 (Xinhua) -- The Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday organized a mango festival in Islamabad as a part of a series of activities to commemorate 75 years of Pakistan's independence.

Addressing the occasion, Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that mangoes have played an important role in Pakistan's diplomacy and the country is famous for its "mango diplomacy."

The foreign minister underscored the fact that Pakistani mangoes are popular in the world due to their superior quality as well as the huge number of varieties being grown in the country.

"We believe that Pakistani mangoes are the best and sweetest mangoes in the world," Zardari said.

He called on foreign diplomats and envoys to work together to promote the Pakistani mangoes and ensure that all the citizens of their respective countries have access to this treasure.

The foreign minister mentioned that he and his family have their own mango farms in Pakistan's southern Sindh province, adding that he has gifted a pack of mangoes to all the foreign ministers of the countries having diplomatic relations with Pakistan.

The event focused on projecting Pakistan's culinary and agrarian richness linked to the production of more than 200 varieties of mangoes that are exported all over the world, according to the foreign ministry. 

Mangoes are seen at a mango festival in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, on July 1, 2022. The Pakistani Foreign Ministry on Friday organized a mango festival in Islamabad as part of a series of activities to mark the 75th anniversary of Pakistan's independence. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal)

People visit stalls at a mango festival in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, on July 1, 2022. The Pakistani Foreign Ministry on Friday organized a mango festival in Islamabad as part of a series of activities to mark the 75th anniversary of Pakistan's independence. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal)

A chef prepares a dish with mango at a mango festival in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, on July 1, 2022. The Pakistani Foreign Ministry on Friday organized a mango festival in Islamabad as part of a series of activities to mark the 75th anniversary of Pakistan's independence. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal)

People visit stalls at a mango festival in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, on July 1, 2022. The Pakistani Foreign Ministry on Friday organized a mango festival in Islamabad as part of a series of activities to mark the 75th anniversary of Pakistan's independence. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal)

Visitors pose for a photo at a mango festival in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, on July 1, 2022. The Pakistani Foreign Ministry on Friday organized a mango festival in Islamabad as part of a series of activities to mark the 75th anniversary of Pakistan's independence. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal)

People visit stalls at a mango festival in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, on July 1, 2022. The Pakistani Foreign Ministry on Friday organized a mango festival in Islamabad as part of a series of activities to mark the 75th anniversary of Pakistan's independence. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal)
The largest sustained decline in childhood vaccinations in approximately 30 years has been recorded in official data published today by WHO and UNICEF.

The percentage of children who received three doses of the vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP3)  a marker for immunisation coverage within and across countries  fell 5 percentage points between 2019 and 2021 to 81 per cent.

As a result, 25 million children missed out on one or more doses of DTP through routine immunisation services in 2021 alone.
The $.7 million Mercedes Benz which was parked at his business place since 2020 as part of a
In 1978, calypsonian Edwin Ayoung, aka Crazy, burst onto the Carnival scene at the Dimanche Gras show when he exited a giant dustbin to perform his hit, Dustbin Cover.

In 1979, Llewellyn McIntosh, or Short Pants, delivered his classic calypso, The Law is an Ass. After Fridays Law Association vote on Attorney General Reginald Armours matter, these two calypsoes appear strangely intertwined. We might as well throw the symbolic scales of justice into the nearest dustbin and then firmly apply Crazys cover. The vote of confidence in the Attorney General was a pyrrhic victory.
Youre a Grand Old Flag by George M. Cohan is a catchy tune to have in your head.

This spirited march song, written by Cohan, is a tribute to the flag of the United States of America. Cohan wrote it in 1906 for his stage musical, George Washington Jr. The original lyric, he explained, is from his encounter with a Civil War veteran who fought at Gettysburg.

Cohan noticed the veteran holding a carefully folded, ragged old flag. He said to Cohan, Shes a grand old rag. Cohan liked the line and originally named his tune Youre a Grand Old Rag. Because many groups and people objected to calling the flag a rag, he changed the words to Youre a Grand Old Flag, and the rest, as they say, is history.

That story is just one of the many legends surrounding the American Flag. In honor of Independence Day, we uncover some of the truths and myths of our beloved American independence symbol.

Myth: Betsy Ross sewed the first American flag.

We have been taught since grade school that Betsy Ross sewed the first American flag in 1776.

Betsy sewing the first Stars & Stripes is tightly woven into Americas history. After all, the Betsy Ross House is the birthplace of the American flag  or is it?

According to the History Channel, there isnt any official documentation to confirm that Ross was responsible for creating the very first flag.

William Canby, Rosss grandson, recounted a visit she had in late May or early June of 1776 from three men: General George Washington, financier of the Revolutionary War, Robert Morris and Colonel George Ross, a relative.

During this meeting, she was allegedly presented with a sketch of a flag that featured 13 red and white stripes and 13 six-pointed stars. She was asked if she could create a flag to match the proposed design. Ross agreed, but suggested a couple of changes, including arranging the stars in a circle and reducing the points on each star to five instead of six.

As History notes, it is conceivable that George Ross  a signer of the Declaration of Independence and her deceased husbands uncle  recommended her for the job. Betsy may also have been acquainted with both Washington and Morris, who were reported to have worshipped at the same church she attended. It has also been established that Betsy Ross did make flags, as evidenced by a receipt of more than 14 pounds paid to her on May 29, 1777, by the Pennsylvania State Navy Board for making ships colours.

Marla R. Miller, states in her book, Betsy Ross and the Making of America, that there were at least 17 flag makers and upholsterers who worked in Philadelphia during the time early American flags were made. Margaret Manny is thought to have made the first Continental Colors (or Grand Union Flag).

On June 14, 1777, Congress officially adopted the Stars & Stripes as the national flag.

Historic Philadelphia offers a series of informative and entertaining videos about Betsy and the making of reportedly the first flag.

Truth: Red, White & Blue  and Britain.

Charles Thomson, secretary of the Continental Congress, was instrumental in the design of the Great Seal of the United States. He outlined in a report to Congress on June 20, 1782, the day the seal was approved, a description of the colors, the same as those in the flag: White signifies purity and innocence. Red hardiness and valour and Blue  signifies vigilance, perseverance and justice.

Historians believe that the red, white and blue in our flag relates to the colors of the first flag of the American colonies, the Continental Colors. Those colors were derived from the Union Jack of England.

But why stars? The Second Continental Congress adopted a resolution in 1777 creating a flag with the stars representing a new constellation.

Truth: The first American Flag and The Star-Spangled Banner are not the same flag.

The original United States flag, the one Ross is credited to have sewn, has thirteen stars and thirteen stripes per the first Flag Act. The Star-Spangled Banner has fifteen stars and fifteen stripes as provided for in the second Flag Act approved by Congress on Jan. 13, 1794. The additional stars and stripes represent Vermont (1791) and Kentucky (1792) joining the Union. The third Flag Act, passed on April 4, 1818, reduced the number of stripes back to 13 to honor the original 13 colonies and provided for one star for each state  a new star to be added to the flag on the Fourth of July following the admission of each new state. The last star was added in 1960 when Hawaii joined the Union.

The Betsy Ross Flag no longer exists. A replica is at the Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia.

The Star-Spangled Banner is on permanent display at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.

Truth: There is an American Flag Code.

On Flag Day, June 14, 1923, The American Legion and representatives from patriotic, fraternal, civic and military organizations met in Washington, D.C., to draft a code of flag etiquette.

The 77th Congress adopted this codification of rules as public law June 22, 1942. It is Title 4, United States Code Chapter 1. These laws are not actually enforced. They are mostly referred to as a set of guidelines.

Per the code, The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing.

Myth: Burning the American flag is illegal.

Contrary to popular belief, burning the American flag is legal. In 1990 The Supreme Court affirmed its 1968 ruling, stating that any law banning flag burning violated free speech.

Section 8(k) of the Flag Code states: The flag, when it is in such a condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.

Truth: The American flag must be illuminated if flown between sundown and sunrise.

Flag Code section 6(a), states: It is the universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flag staffs in the open. However, when a patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be displayed 24 hours a day if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness.

Myth: Wearing clothing with an American flag is illegal.

As long as the flag itself isnt in the manufacturing of clothing items, there are no violations of the Flag Code. So, if the T-shirt, hat, bandana, swim trunks, or other flag apparel you wear was not made with an actual American flag, you are not violating the Flag Code.

Truth: Using the Stars & Stripes in advertising is illegal.

The U.S. Flag Code frowns on the use of the flag for advertising purposes.

Section 8(i) of the Flag Code states, The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. It should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard.

Advertising signs should not be fastened to a staff or halyard from which the flag is flown. That would mean yard sale signs, too.
Tucson police arrested a man after he reportedly shot and killed his girlfriend following a crash on Tucsons east side Friday afternoon.

Joseph Brandon Gourley, 45, was charged on suspicion of first degree murder and is being held in the Pima County jail, police said.

On July 1, officers arrived at the intersection of East Fifth Street and North Wilmot Road after receiving reports of a two vehicle crash involving a Dodge truck and a Kia Soul. Upon arriving, police found Jessica Garcia, 36, unresponsive in the truck with gunshot trauma.

Witnesses observed Gourley exit the truck and flee the scene, police said. Officers later found Gourley in a nearby yard and detained him.

Detectives learned that Gourley was driving the truck at the time of the collision, police said. He then reportedly exited the vehicle and shot Garcia before leaving the scene.

Garcia was pronounced dead after arriving at St. Josephs Hospital, police said. Two occupants of the Kia were also taken to St. Josephs Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
As concerns mount about dwindling Colorado River water supplies, a series of new water conservation requirements may be imposed on residential and business development in Tucson starting next year.

At the direction of the Tucson City Council, the Tucson Water utility is studying five measures, ranging from a requirement for green infrastructure such as designs friendly for rainwater harvesting for new subdivisions, to requirements for commercial, townhouse, condominium and apartment developers to install meters specifically designed to measure outdoor water use.

Those ideas were first suggested by the utility this spring, and given the go-ahead for further study of costs and benefits in a unanimous council vote in early June. Tucson Water expects to have a report on its findings for the council by October, with a goal to have some or all recommended actions in effect by 2023, the utility told the Star.

One proposal under review would be one of the first if not the first such regulations of its kind nationally: a net zero water use mandate for new development.

Suggested by Councilman Kevin Dahl, it would require a new project to offset its expected water use by paying an existing user or group of users or taking some other steps to reduce use.

Since the June 7 council vote, a water bombshell that could result in major cuts to the citys drinking water supply has been dropped by the U.S Bureau of Reclamation.

On June 14, Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton told a U.S. Senate committee that the seven Colorado River Basin states, including Arizona, must reduce their water use up to 28% next year to counteract a prolonged period of steadily declining water levels at Lake Mead and Lake Powell.

Without such action, both reservoirs could fall to dead pool levels at which virtually no water could be removed, or drop to levels at which the adjoining Hoover and Glen Canyon dams could no longer generate electricity  by 2026 at the latest, the bureau has said.

Its not clear how these cuts will affect Tucson Waters annual Central Arizona Project supply of 144,191 acre-feet of river water. The basin states and the bureau have until mid-August to reach agreement on how future cuts would be apportioned.

Then, water users and officials within Arizona and the other states would have to decide how to share the cuts inside each state. Officials of Arizona, California and Nevada  the three Lower River Basin states  are now holding private negotiations to come up with a plan to divvy up the cuts.

But Tucson Water officials say they dont believe any additional city measures need to be taken beyond the proposals they were already studying before the June 7 council vote, because they had anticipated the bureaus actions in advance.

Two water conservation advocates disagree, saying the city needs to protect itself further against uncertainties in the rivers supply.

Reducing water use

Specific proposals for new development under study by Tucson Water would:

Require new construction projects to install EPA Water Sense-certified plumbing fixtures including toilets, faucets and shower heads. Water Sense equipment typically uses 20% less than standard fixtures.

Create a low impact development ordinance to require new residential development to include green stormwater infrastructure to water outdoor landscaping with rainfall. Typically, green infrastructure includes passive water harvesting systems that design yards to route stormwater directly to trees and shrubs.

The net zero requirement.

Requiring separate irrigation meters to measure outdoor water use for new commercial and multifamily projects over a specified size. Developers would pay the utility to install such a meter. It would be connected to the citys water system.

Requiring developers to monitor outdoor water use could greatly increase the effectiveness of the citys commercial rainwater harvesting ordinance, utility officials said. The ordinance requires all new commercial and apartment developments to insure that half their outdoor water use comes from rainfall.

Requiring irrigation submeters for new townhome and condominium developments. Submeters, unlike irrigation meters that are installed and monitored by the city, are purchased and installed by a project developer or owner. They can monitor a projects total water use or the use of individual townhomes or condos.

Submeters have been proven to significantly reduce water use in multifamily projects, the utility says, and provide residents greater control over their water consumption.

The city also plans measures to reduce existing customers water use, but they will be voluntary, unlike the mandatory proposals for new developments.

First, the utility will look at increasing city rebates for homeowners who buy low-flow toilets, using no more than 1.1 gallons per flush, and who plant landscapes that encourage passive rainwater harvesting.

Tucson Water is also launching what it calls a comprehensive, conservation-centered marketing and outreach campaign. It will include TV, radio, print, outdoor, and social media advertising, plus videos and visuals to increase public engagement. The utility will also work with various other city departments to implement recommendations made from water efficiency audits of 91 city facilities.

The utility will also provide residential customers information on their monthly water bills about how their water use compares to that of average customers. For residents with high uses, the utility will offer free audits, rebates and other conservation-related recommendations.

In a May 5 memo to the council, Tucson Water Director John Kmiec noted, Through decades of planning, investment, and concerted conservation effort by our community, the city of Tucson remains one of the best prepared communities in the Southwest to manage changing conditions on the river.

However, the speed at which drought is deepening necessitates a tangible and meaningful response. This is needed not only to reassure the public, but to provide more ways that citizens can participate in a new chapter for water stewardship in our community, Kmiec said.

Making water-conservation real

At the June 7 council meeting, Mayor Regina Romero said, Absolutely, we have to act as quickly as we possibly can.

She added that the desire to avoid deeper cuts in CAP supplies was one reason Tucson joined the Gila River Indian Community in May in offering to leave a substantial portion of their CAP supplies in Lake Mead next year.

At the time, the city was offering to leave 30,000 to 35,000 acre-feet  a number that could be at least somewhat higher under the reclamation agencys more recent, draconian plan.

Dont get me wrong, this community, the water department, previous councils and this council have done an incredible job in conserving water, Romero said. What we have to do next is continue the conservation effort, do outreach, working with residential customers and look at potential new programs we havent talked about.

Dahl framed his net zero proposal as an equity issue.

We hear complaints of why do we allow a lot of new development when were talking water conservation. If new developments were required to achieve a net zero water gain, by buying offsets, by funding low flow shower heads, that would take away that argument and would help our future, he said.

Councilman Steve Kozachik said he supports staffs push for additional public outreach and education, but added, Lets make the education real. The duck was cute, but were beyond cute, referring to the cartoon character in the citys Beat the Peak water-saving push.

He also said big water users should pay more in the future, adding, We need to take a look at the tiered water rate structure. The point is to provide a disincentive (to use so much water).

Romero also advocated more steps to help low-income families install rainwater harvesting cisterns at their homes.

If we were to even just fund 100 low-income homes per year, that could potentially save us 260,000 gallons a year, if we assumed 2,650 gallons are captured per cistern, the mayor said.

Homebuilders: We want to be a partner

Whlie homebuilders often oppose new land use regulations out of concern theyll boost home prices, Southern Arizona Home Builders Association President David Godlewski said the association isnt closing the door on any proposal raised in Tucson Waters May 5 memo.

Were obviously at a state level looking at some very significant challenges going forward with our water situation as it related to shortages on the river. I fully expect all Arizona cities will be looking at what they can do. Its important for homebuilders to be at the table working with municipalities, Godlewski said.

We want to be a partner, he said. We are in this together.

Asked specifically about the net zero idea, he added, Thats one that we would need to really have a better idea of how something like that would work, at least in concept, before taking a stand.

Attorney Rory Juneman, who chairs the citys Citizens Water Advisory Committee, said the water situation is serious enough that, We need to look at all options and evaluate all options, and I think that is what Tucson Water is starting off with, balancing their effectiveness versus their costs.

Looking at any water conservation measures is a good thing but we also need to make sure theyre balanced with any costs, said Juneman, who also is board chair of the Metropolitan Pima Alliance. The nonprofit group advocates for what it calls balanced residential and commercial land use policies that stimulate economic development and reasonably preserves our natural environment.

What I know is that Tucson Water and their decades of responsible management of the CAP water allotment and our aquifer and their groundwater recharge has put us in a good position where we dont have to rush, where we can carefully evaluate new conservation measures, Juneman said.

Ed Hendel, an environmental advocate who also sits on the water advisory committee, said he likes the city proposals, but that they wont solve the citys water problems.

The main thing we should be doing is stopping uncontrolled development, and in rare cases where we do approve new development we should require rainwater harvesting and water efficient toilets that would reduce the water footprint, Hendel said.

Asked for specifics, Hendel said the city should focus more on building upwards not outwards. When we spread new houses across the desert, were spreading our dwindling water supply. Its just less efficient. You have to build new pipes and infrastructure to go out there and build new roads. And it uses more water that way.

More steps to save water needed

Right after Reclamation Commissioner Toutons announcement, Tucson Waters Kmiec said the utility may now have to take severe cuts in CAP deliveries to meet the goal for a 2 million to 4 million acre-foot cut across the entire river basin.

He noted, however, that the city has more than five years worth of CAP supplies stored underground as a backup, and that it has rights to a large supply of treated sewage effluent that could be treated further for drinking use.

But the city may also reach the point where it has to start pumping groundwater, beyond the CAP water it has been storing underground, he said.

When asked if the utility now wants additional water-use curbs beyond those already discussed, the utility told the Star:

The items for review as decided by Mayor and Council on June 7 are the appropriate policies for review. Tucson retains its leadership position in water management actions, and Mayor and Councils water policies remain at the forefront of wise water stewardship.

Local water conservation advocates Val Little and Eliza Stokes say the city needs to take additional steps to protect drinking water supplies from future uncertainties in river flows.

Little, founder of the nonprofit Water Conservation Alliance of Southern Arizona, is also a member of the citys Citizens Water Advisory Committee. Stokes is communications and campaign manager for the nonprofit Watershed Management Group, which both installs and advocates for rainwater harvesting systems for homes and businesses.

This moment absolutely calls for the city to take additional action to conserve water, our most precious resource, Stokes said. As a city, we can take much better advantage of our annual monsoon rains  which add up to more water than our entire city consumes in a year  by providing more financial support and incentives for homes and businesses to proactively store and harvest rainwater.

Technology is readily available, and increasingly affordable, that allows homes, apartments and businesses to drink safely filtered rainwater from their faucets for many months of the year, and transition back to city water only when needed, Stokes said.

Little called the measures already proposed the easy stuff, the low hanging fruit that produces the least amount of blowback. When you get to the point of retrofitting existing technology or putting new requirements on existing users, it gets a lot harder. But while these crises are right in front of us, it makes it easier. Its kind of a strike when the irons are hot situation.

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The video opens with the sound of a cellphone buzzing and barely audible sirens starting to rise.

A voice leaves a halting message: Mom. Dont worry about me. Im fine. But somethings happened to Gabby. Its bad. I have to go.

That voice belongs to Daniel Hernandez Jr., candidate for the Democratic nomination in the new Congressional District 6. And it describes the situation he is best known for, even after a decade in public office  how he helped then Rep. Gabrielle Giffords after she was shot in the head on Jan. 8, 2011.

Similarly his first campaign ad, released last week, begins with President Barack Obama calling Hernandez a hero for his actions that helped save Giffords life.

The Jan. 8 mass shooting overhangs our politics still, sometimes in ways that survivors find off-putting or triggering. And now, a new documentary on Gabby Giffords is coming out, with the usual political and emotional ramifications.

The movie, Gabby Giffords Wont Back Down, opens in theaters July 15. It documents her transformation from a congresswoman with big potential to the victim of an assassination attempt, through her brutal recovery and conversion into an activist for gun safety.

Its hard to know what the right way is to deal with the tragic attack that shook Tucson 11 years ago.

Whats right for a political campaign may not be right for survivors.

Whats right for Democrats probably isnt right for Republicans.

And the people involved, of course, have the right to their own stories.

Survivors lose favorite

But I know I find the political deployment of the mass shooting increasingly discordant. After watching Hernandezs ad and biographical video, I checked in with a handful of Jan. 8 shooting survivors to hear what they thought.

Theyre an interesting group, because many survivors have stuck together and tried to pivot from the shooting toward their own activism, largely focused on reducing gun violence. But theyre also individuals with their own points of view.

Dr. Randy Friese had been their guy in the race for this new district, which covers much of the Tucson area and most of southeastern Arizona. Friese was the trauma surgeon who treated Giffords and 9-year-old Christina-Taylor Green after the mass shooting. He went on to serve in the Legislature.

But Friese suddenly dropped out of the race. That left them choosing in the Democratic primary between Hernandez, whom many of them worked with when he headed the Everytown for Gun Safety group in Arizona, and former state Sen. Kirsten Engel, a law professor at the UA.

Surprisingly many chose Engel. Among them was Ron Barber, who held Giffords seat after she was forced to resign, although he too was shot on Jan. 8. So did Pam Simon and Pat Maisch, both survivors who have worked with Hernandez.

But he was endorsed by Everytown, which remains one of the countrys biggest anti-gun-violence groups.

Important to remind

Among the four survivors I asked about Hernandezs ad, Barber expressed the most discomfort in how Hernandez used the Tucson mass shooting in his political videos.

Its his right to do that, but I just dont think its a good idea. I think its exploitative, Barber said. A lot of people who were survivors are concerned about any of us promoting ourselves as survivors.

Fellow survivors Simon and Maisch had conflicted feelings about Hernandez using his Jan. 8 experience to introduce himself that way.

We all love and admire Daniel, Simon said. I would think voters would be more interested, or should be more interested, in what his experience has been as an elected official and how he feels hes ready to go to Congress. What hes doing is reminding voters what hes best known for.

Mary Reed, another survivor, told me his ads dont give her any kind of emotional response.

We all can identify ourselves in whatever way we choose, she said. I choose not to introduce that when people meet me.

But of course, none of them is running in a competitive race for office, with the crying need to ensure that voters know who you are. That in essence, is why Hernandez keeps reminding people of his role on Jan. 8, 2011, even though it was 11 years ago now.

I think its important for me to remind people, Hernandez told me Friday. People remember me for that.

The idea, Hernandez said, is lead with what people know because thats how people first met me, then follow up with what Ive done since.

Inspired by tragedy

As a Democrat in a Republican-controlled Legislature, though, he hasnt been able to achieve a lot. Under the administration of Gov. Jan Brewer, he said, he helped push through an improvement in the information the state puts into the federal background-check system for gun purchases, so more ineligible buyers are tagged.

On guns, though, Hernandez said, many of his achievements have been defensive, such as repeatedly stopping bills put forward to allow guns on university campuses.

Weve had a lot of success killing bad legislation, he said.

Hernandez isnt alone in using his Jan. 8 experience in his political introduction. Friese did it, too, when he first ran for Legislature in 2014. They eased off that in subsequent campaigns though, his former campaign manager, Cheryl Cage, told me.

It was part of his story, but it became less and less as he did more in politics, Cage said.

And of course, there is an inevitable tie-in between Giffords experience of being shot and miraculously surviving, and the political career of her husband, Sen. Mark Kelly. Like Hernandez and Friese, Kelly didnt become a candidate until the experience and issue of gun violence inspired them.

I was there in March 2013, at the parking lot outside the Safeway where the mass shooting took place, when Kelly first ventured out from relative political neutrality and into the issue of gun-safety laws, arguing for a bill that would establish universal background checks.

He didnt say My wife was shot in an assassination attempt because he didnt have to. She was there standing next to him.

Similarly, the launch this week of the new documentary doesnt serve directly as a campaign video for Kelly, who is being targeted by Republicans as a vulnerable Democratic senator this year. But the movie inevitably reminds Arizona voters of something most liked about him  his support for his wife after she was shot, and his association with her generally.

The movie itself, and the reminders from campaign ads such as Hernandezs one, can be triggering for some of the survivors here in Tucson. If you experienced it, the reminder can bring back those awful days in traumatic ways.

But politics is not about subtlety. I would love Hernandez to have something else to remind voters of who he is, something that doesnt remind people of that day. But I can grudgingly grasp why he uses the best possible example.
KABUL, July 2 (Xinhua) -- The Jirga, or grand assembly of religious scholars and elders, on Saturday called for national support to the Taliban-run "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan" and international recognition of the administration.

"The establishment of Islamic system in Afghanistan which is the outcome of more than four decades of sacrifices and suffering of our people has ensured justice, peace and security in the country, and deserved support and we not only support but also defend it as our religion and national obligation," said a resolution issued at the end of the three-day meeting.

About 3,500 religious leaders and elders, according to officials, had been invited from across the war-torn country to attend the Jirga or grand assembly, which opened on Thursday and concluded Saturday evening.

The resolution also called on Afghans to renew allegiance to Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, supreme leader of the Taliban-run administration, and implementation of Sharia or Islamic laws in the country.

It also called for mutual respect and coexistence with neighboring countries, and in the regional and the world at large, stressing that "the Afghan soil won't be used against any country and Afghanistan also won't allow anyone to interfere in its internal affairs."

The participants also described Daesh or the rival Islamic State outfit as "insurgent, terrorist", noting cooperation with the group is against Islamic laws. The resolution said any armed opposition against the Islamic establishment is a breach of Islamic laws and regarded as rebellion.

It also supported the administration's ban on poppy plantation and drug production and its smuggling, noting that poppy cultivation, drug production and its trafficking are against Islamic teaching.

The Jirga opened in the absence of women representatives and concluded without hinting at reopening schools for girls above grade six and women's right to work outside home. 
TACOMA, Wash. (AP)  The sheriff of Pierce County, Washington, was ordered to post $100,000 bail while he awaits trial on false-reporting charges related to his controversial confrontation last year with a Black newspaper carrier.

Judge Jeffrey Jahns on Friday imposed the bail  10 times the amount requested by prosecutors  during a hearing in Pierce County District Court in Tacoma, revoking Sheriff Ed Troyers earlier release on personal recognizance.

The Seattle Times reports Jahns initially ordered the sheriff be taken into custody until he posted the cash or bond  telling him, Mr. Troyer, you are not free to leave this courtroom  drawing an angry objection from Troyers attorney, John Sheeran.

Jahns relented after Troyers attorney produced a bail agency representative in the courtroom, who said bail would immediately be posted.

Troyer faces criminal gross misdemeanor charges of false reporting and making a false or misleading statement to a public servant over his Jan. 27, 2021, confrontation with Altheimer, who was delivering newspapers on his regular route.

In his ruling from the bench, Jahns pointed to testimony that Troyer had willfully violated his conditions of pretrial release by repeatedly contacting Sedrick Altheimer, the newspaper carrier, over the past several months, and called Troyers testimony about the incidents as not credible and false or misleading.

Jahns found that Troyer represented a substantial danger to the community, especially Mr. Altheimer.

Jahns pointed to Troyers status as the top law enforcement official in Pierce County, saying Altheimer, as Black man in his 20s, would have every reason to fear for his safety due to Troyers actions.

In an emailed statement Friday evening, Sheeran criticized the bail decision.

Sheriff Troyer did nothing to warrant the court imposing bail today and when compared to a number of heinous crimes charged in Pierce County this week the amount was clearly excessive, Sheeran said.
The following column is the opinion and analysis of the writer:

Ellen and I were crossing the University of British Columbia campus during our Vancouver trip when I was surprised to see a replica of the Goddess of Democracy statue, the statue raised in 1989 by pro-democracy students in Tiananmen Square.

When I shared my awe and respect for the statue with two of the reverent souls meditating at her base I met Mr. Andrew Zhao, a humble, good humored, accomplished businessman and his charming wife, Wei. Andrew informed us it was the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre. Both were freshmen at Beijing Teachers University. Andrew, who was at Tiananmen Square, described watching art students assemble the Goddess of Democracy. And then, on June 4, I saw the army open fire to the east of Tiananmen Square.

According to a 2017 BBC report, the Chinese army killed at least 10,000 people.

I helped carry the wounded to the nearby post hospital. We didnt have stretchers. We used bikes, door planks, and chairs to carry the bodies of wounded students. My hands were covered with blood. I saw a girl shot in her neck, crying and screaming, Mom, mom, help me. She died on the way to the hospital.

At the foot of Lady Libertys twin we talked about history and democracy. Windblown hair frames her resolute face. She grips her torch firmly with both hands.

Andrew, a self-described good student who never failed a test, spoke of two schoolmates. They are heroes who will never be forgotten. I saw their bodies unloaded from a hospital van. Shot in the back, they died instantly. In a place west of Tiananmen Square. One, was an undergraduate student studying political science and law. A volunteer dormitory supervisor, he gave me verbal warnings for playing games in my room after midnight. Andrew recalls being irritated by his fellow students strict attitude, until I saw his heroic sacrifices for the people of China. My other schoolmate was a nice, humble, graduate student. A typical brainiac! I was amazed by his bravery.

Andrew was deeply traumatized by what hed witnessed all those years ago. Wei nodded. That lovely afternoon we old men fretted over the state of democracies everywhere.

After our democracy movement was crushed, we were forced into a month-long Repentance Class to be brainwashed by the Chinese Communist Party. We were taught we did not know the truth.

Accused of treason and counter-revolution, many got long sentences or even worse, the death penalty.

We were lucky.

Howd you come to live in Canada?

I graduated and started teaching. Then I quit my teaching job because I couldnt mislead children by teaching fabricated history. I joined an American company, Colgate Palmolive, as a management trainee and in 1996 I moved to Canada. God blessed me. We have been on our own here, with a few Canadian-born Chinese friends. We bought a home in 2006, radically changing our lives in a very happy way.

Its a lovely home.

In spite of enduring occasional racist taunts about The Chinese Flu, Andrew is a positive soul. We believe in God now. Treat people the same way you wish to be treated. Life today is wonderful. I am a sales account manager. Wei is a home maker. We volunteer in community and social work programs.

Andrew smiled again. Dont just do things right. Do the right things.

Andrew and Wei insisted we should return to Raincouver so we can show you authentic Chinese food.

We encouraged Andrew and Wei to visit us in Arizona on our modest acre of desert. (In Vancouver, one of the most expensive cities in the world, land costs are sky-high) Andrew grinned. You must be wealthy. Do you have horses?

In later exchanges we continued to talk politics. The most exciting change is our right to vote! In 2015, we cast our first ever ballot as new Canadians.

Why is that right so precious?

At every level Communist Party officials are corrupt. The army belongs to the Party not the country. With democracy you can have a separation of powers, freedom of speech and assembly, freedom of religion. Democracy matters in civilized society. In a free country, there is no one-child policy, no forced abortion, no death penalty for political dissidents, no cultural revolutions, no bans on private property ownership. That is why democracy is precious.

Anything youd like to say to my fellow Americans as we celebrate our Independence Day?
A man wanted in Texas was arrested in Tulsa late Friday afternoon.

Tulsa police made a traffic stop near the 3200 block of South 79th East Avenue after seeing suspicious activity and traffic violations.

The driver, later identified as Justin Cordes, presented a Texas drivers license that police say didnt match his appearance. Police say a passenger was also signaling that she was in distress. Officers detained Cordes and began an investigation.

Once Tulsa police identified Cordes, they discovered he was wanted for armed robbery in Grayson County, Texas.

Police say the passenger told them she was kidnapped in Texas and driven to Oklahoma against her will. She said Cordes kidnapped her because he did not want her to testify against him in Texas.

She also said Cordes was not allowing her to seek medical treatment for a broken foot.

Cordes was arrested on the Texas warrant and faces additional charges in Oklahoma for alleged kidnapping, false impersonation to avoid arrest, threatening a violent act and committing a gang offense.
ALLEN, Ky. (AP)  Three law enforcement officers were killed and five wounded in eastern Kentucky when a man with a rifle opened fire on police attempting to serve a warrant, authorities said.

Police took 49-year-old Lance Storz into custody late Thursday night after an hourslong standoff at a home in Allen, a small town in the hills of Appalachia.

An emergency management official was also injured and a police dog was killed, according to the arrest citation.

The responding officers encountered pure hell when they arrived on the scene, Floyd County Sheriff John Hunt told reporters Friday afternoon.

They had no chance, he said.

Hunt said four deputies initially responded, then called for backup when they were shot at. The sheriff said Storz surrendered after negotiations that included his family members. Hunt had told local media the deputies were serving a court-issued warrant Thursday evening related to a domestic violence situation.

Hunt said one of his deputies, William Petry, and Prestonsburg Police Capt. Ralph Frasure were killed in the shooting. Frasure worked for 39 years in law enforcement in Floyd County. Another Prestonsburg officer, Jacob Chaffins, died after being hospitalized, the police department said in a social media post Friday night.

Storz was arraigned Friday morning by a judge in Pike County. He pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder of a police officer and was jailed on a $10 million bond. One of the charges was originally attempted murder of a police officer, but a judge said at the hearing that was upgraded to murder. He is also facing another attempted murder charge and assault on a service animal.

Few details were available Friday. State police had said in a brief statement that they were investigating an officer-involved shooting.

This is a tough morning for our commonwealth, Gov. Andy Beshear said in a social media post Friday morning. Floyd County and our brave first responders suffered a tragic loss last night. I want to ask all of Kentucky to join me in praying for this community.

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron posted on social media that he was heartbroken over news of the officers' deaths.

Our law enforcement exhibited unimaginable heroism and sacrifice last night in the face of evil, he said.
Abortion providers and their backers asked the Oklahoma Supreme Court on Friday to declare two state laws banning the procedure unconstitutional under the Oklahoma Constitution.

The Tulsa and Oklahoma City abortion providers and supporters are seeking both temporary and permanent injunctions to prohibit the state from enforcing the laws, one of which dates to 1910 and the other  Senate Bill 612  was signed into law this year.

Today, were challenging overlapping and contradictory bans on abortion care, including one ban that took effect when William Howard Taft was president and was invalidated before Richard Nixon resigned, said Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains.

The government got out of the business of blocking care 49 years ago, and our hope is that Oklahomas Supreme Court will recognize what the U.S. Supreme Court seems determined to ignore: The state has no place in private medical decisions.

The nonprofit organization provided abortion services in Oklahoma City prior to Gov. Kevin Stitts signing of laws this year that prohibited abortion in the state.

As a result, abortion has been unavailable in Oklahoma since May 25, according to the lawsuit.

The U.S. Supreme Court eliminated the federal constitutional right to an abortion on June 24 in a case known as Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization.

Joining Planned Parenthood Great Plains in bringing the lawsuit Friday were the Center for Reproductive Rights, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Blake Patton on behalf of the Oklahoma Call for Reproductive Justice, Tulsa Womens Reproductive Clinic and its owner Dr. Alan Braid, Planned Parenthood of Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma, and Dechert LLP.

The lawsuit cites Oklahomans constitutional right to due process protections and the right to health as reasons to overturn the laws. The petition also claims that the two challenged laws are unconstitutionally vague due to inconsistent and overlapping provisions with each other.

The lawsuit names in their officials capacities Oklahoma Attorney General John OConnor, Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater, Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler, Lyle Kelsey as executive director of the Oklahoma State Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision, Katie Templeton as president of the Oklahoma State Board of Osteopathic Examiners, and Keith Reed as commissioner of the Oklahoma State Board of Health.

A spokeswoman for OConnor said the Attorney Generals Office would not comment on active litigation.

However, our office will defend current laws and the laws recently passed by the Legislature as we have always done, spokeswoman Rachel Roberts said.

The two most-recently challenged laws provide for different penalties upon conviction

The 1910 law bans all abortions except those to preserve a persons life. The law provides for a prison term of two to five years for those convicted of providing an abortion. The 2022 law, SB 612, provides for a prison term of up to 10 years and/or a $100,000 fine for those convicted of performing the procedure.

As with the 1910 laws, SB 612 provides for abortions only to save the life of the mother.

There are now multiple cases pending before the Oklahoma Supreme Court asking them to restore abortion access in the state, and we hope the court will rule as soon as possible given the tremendous harm that is being inflicted on Oklahomans each day these bans remain in effect, said Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights.

As more and more states ban abortion in the region, it is all the more imperative that this court act swiftly to rule under its own constitution and restore abortion access in the state. The people of Oklahoma have already gone too long without access.

Since abortion became illegal in Oklahoma, thousands of residents have been forced to go out of state to receive abortion care or carry a pregnancy to term, said Alexis McGill Johnson, president and chief executive officer of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

For over a month, Oklahomans have been completely deprived of abortion access, and they cannot wait one moment more, McGill Johnson said. Today, we are asking this court not only to quickly block the states cruel abortion bans, but to do its job and protect the people of Oklahoma.

Featured video: (Graphic language warning) Abortion rights protesters rally in Tulsa
Of the lessons from the Epic Charter Schools scandal is this: Lawmakers need to strengthen the states ethics rules and properly fund the Ethics Commission.

Gary Jones, the former state auditor and inspector and former chairman of the state Republican Party, has said as much. So have some current and former lawmakers.

They all say the same thing: The Legislatures resistance to a robust Ethics Commission helped high-ranking officers at Epic use state money intended for classrooms to fund campaigns of candidates they liked (or oppose those they didnt) and lobby for legislation that would allow less state scrutiny.

Epics two co-founders, David Chaney and Ben Harris, along with Josh Brock, their former chief financial officer, were charged with racketeering, embezzlement, fraud and other misuse of state funds during their operation of Epic, a public virtual charter school, and Epic Youth Services LLC, a for-profit company created to manage the schools.

The charges cover more than $22 million in taxpayer losses. The allegations came to light after investigations by the State Auditors Office, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and media, including the Tulsa World.

Efforts to protect Epic from being investigated were numerous. When Sen. Ron Sharp proposed legislation to rein Epic in, the schools founders helped fund his opponents campaign. Also, Epic used taxpayer money to sue Sharp and lost in court. Sharps legislation was never heard and he lost re-election in 2020.

When state Rep. Sheila Dills proposed reforms aimed at the alleged abuses at Epic, she was told by fellow lawmakers that the bill would only be heard if Harris signed off on it.

And soon after the release of the state auditors damning report on Epic, state Sen. Paul Rosino received a maximum campaign contribution from a donor connected to Epic. Soon after, he authored a bill to limit the state auditors power and control how state audit findings were reported.

The bill failed, but State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd believes that hundreds of thousands of dark money dollars that funded her primary election opponent are connected to Epic.

The idea that taxpayer dollars fueled these efforts is outrageous. Public institutions should not be used as piggy banks for peddling political influence. With Epic, the alleged misuse is of dollars came from accounts intended for student resources.

There are some limitations due to the 2010 Citizens United decision that allowed untraceable dark money. But, more could be done if the Ethics Commission were properly funded and supported by legislators and governors.

Oklahoma needs an Ethics Commission with more power to investigate and regulate campaign finance and lobbying efforts.

A year ago, the Ethics Commission took a 4% budget cut. This year, it received a flat budget. At a time when political dirty tricks are costing taxpayers millions, this is inexcusable.

Lawmakers must make a serious effort to study the weaknesses in state ethics laws and rules to make sure this cannot happen again. They need to give the Ethics Commission the funding and resources required to safeguard the publics interests.

Anything less will lead to someone else trying the same schemes Epics founders are alleged to have perpetrated on Oklahoma taxpayers.

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Non-Muslim nations around the world, including Thailand, South Korea, and Brazil, have been eyeing the potential of the trillion-dollar global Halal market, yet despite the upsides, Vietnam has to take its shot at entering the industry, attendees said at a recent conference in Hanoi.

Halal refers to food products and services that adhere to Muslim law.

The food is processed, manufactured and transported under stringent Islamic rules.

Speaking at the conference held to promote international cooperation in the development of Vietnams Halal industry in Hanoi City on Tuesday, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Quang Hieu said that, in spite of the countrys material and geographical advantages in the market, Vietnam is modestly placed in the global rankings of Halal food producers.

Approximately 60 cities and provinces in Vietnam contribute to the global Halal market, but just 1,000 firms are certificated for export, said the deputy minister.

Due to strict Halal standards on animal food products, Vietnams Halal exports are primarily farm produce and input materials for certain food sectors.

Rigorous Halal standards

Halal certification is regarded as a passport for products to enter Muslim countries, helping simplify several procedures related to transport to storage.

Canned lychee grown in Vietnam's Bac Giang Province awaits Halal certification. The provinces lychee products were on display at the conference on June 28, 2022. Photo: Duy Linh / Tuoi Tre

Enterprises which meet stringent Halal standards are able to reap the benefit of this lucrative industry.

Muslims account for about 24 percent of the worlds population, a number which is expected to increase by 3 percentage points by 2050.

A recent global Islamic economy report showed that spending on Halal food is expected to increase from US$1.4 trillion in 2020 to $1.9 trillion in 2030, and some $5 trillion in 2050.

Not only is the rising Muslim population expected to contribute to market growth, but so is the general belief that Halal food is safer and of higher quality than non-Halal products.

Vietnam has great potential for Halal production and export as the country holds abundant sources of raw material and sits in Asia, which is home to some 62 percent of the worlds Muslims.

Focal point needed in Vietnam

The conference featured discussions from leaders of several embassies of Muslim and non-Muslim countries on their experiences with and knowledge of the Halal industry.

Representatives of South Korea and Brazil noted that the Halal food market has great upsides for non-Muslim countries.

Halal-certified sugar products manufactured by a firm in Thanh Hoa Province, northern Vietnam, on display. The firm plans to produce Halal beverages. Photo: Duy Linh / Tuoi Tre

Vietnamese firms, however, are wary of entering a market with no global standards, whereas each of importers has created its own requirements.

Furthermore, Vietnam has yet to sign any agreements on Halal products with other countries and is yet to form a government-level agency charged with managing the Halal industry.

Tran Thi Minh Thu, head of the Department of Belief and Other Religions under the Government Committee for Religious Affairs, said that only a few Vietnamese firms owned by Muslims and Islamic organizations have been granted Halal certification.

Not having any focal points or management agencies for the Halal industry in Vietnam will make life tougher for Vietnamese firms and their foreign partners.

Therefore, many participating enterprises proposed that State agencies offer guidelines on the procedures to get Halal certifications, provide information about trade barriers and import standards to help them access the Halal market, and support local firms with trade promotions.

Experience from South Korea

Dr. James Noh, president of the Korea Institute of Halal Industry and chairman of the Korea Halal Export Association, told the conference that the South Korean Halal industry had once faced the same challenges as Vietnam.

The East Asian country entered the Halal food industry in 1994.

However, the small number of Muslims in the country (accounting for less than 0.4 percent of its population) and the high demand for prestige made it hard for South Korea to build a solid position among Halal food suppliers.

To overcome these challenges and develop the industry, the non-Muslim nation learned from the worlds leading Halal food providers and cooperated with Muslim countries.

In addition, the government allowed the establishment of the Korea Institute of Halal Industry (KIHI) to conduct in-depth research, train a workforce, and offer advice to firms active in the Halal industry.

Nowadays, the South Korean Halal industry is taking off, with all sorts of products securing Halal certifications including instant noodles, kimchi, functional foods and shampoo.

The country has also expanded its Halal industry to factor in logistics and lodging services.

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Total visitors to Ho Chi Minh City exceeded 11 million in the first six months of this year, the citys deputy chairwoman Phan Thi Thang reported at a seminar held in north-central Nghe An Province on Friday afternoon.

The figure, including nearly 500,000 international arrivals, represented an increase of 43 percent over the same period last year.

The southern metropolis total tourism revenue hit nearly VND50 trillion (US$2.14 billion) during the January-June period, up nearly 30 percent year-on-year.

The connection [between Ho Chi Minh City and other localities] has created a resilience of tourism in each province and city, thereby contributing to improving their tourism competitiveness and Vietnams on an international scale, Thang said.

Fridays seminar marked the introduction of the sixth joint tourism development program linking with Ho Chi Minh City after the first five between the southern city and 13 provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta, the southeast region, the expanded northwest region, and the northeast region.

The administration of Ho Chi Minh City is expected to collaborate with its counterparts in the central region to promote tourism activities under this sixth program.

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Greek Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Christos Stylianides (L) welcomes a Romanian firefighter in Athens, Greece, on July 2, 2022. A group of 28 Romanian firefighters was welcomed by Greek authorities in Athens on Saturday during the launch of a European pilot program for forest protection against fire this summer, Greek national news agency AMNA reported. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

ATHENS, July 2 (Xinhua) -- A group of 28 Romanian firefighters was welcomed by Greek authorities in Athens on Saturday during the launch of a European pilot program for forest protection against fire this summer, Greek national news agency AMNA reported.

Under the program, a total of 200 firefighters from six countries across Europe (Bulgaria, France, Germany, Romania, Norway and Finland) will be positioned in Greece this July and August to assist in fire protection efforts and exchange know-how with their Greek colleagues, according to an e-mailed press release of the Ministry for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection.

The program is implemented through the European Civil Protection Mechanism in the wake of last year's destructive wildfires in Greece, which scorched over 100,000 hectares of forestry and farmland and damaged nearly 2,000 houses and businesses.

Romanian firefighters also participated in fire extinguishing efforts in Greece last year.

Addressing an event held at the Hellenic Fire Academy in Athens on Saturday, Greece's Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Christos Stylianides said: "We thank you for coming to our country in a difficult summer to give a helping hand and demonstrate with actions that European solidarity is not a theoretical idea, but tangible."

Greece suffers from wildfires every summer due to high temperatures and arsonists. In 2018, 102 people died in the coastal resort of Mati, near Athens, in Greece's worst-ever fire disaster. 

Firefighters from Romania are seen around their vehicles in Athens, Greece, on July 2, 2022. A group of 28 Romanian firefighters was welcomed by Greek authorities in Athens on Saturday during the launch of a European pilot program for forest protection against fire this summer, Greek national news agency AMNA reported. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

Firefighters from Romania are seen in front of their vehicles in Athens, Greece, on July 2, 2022. A group of 28 Romanian firefighters was welcomed by Greek authorities in Athens on Saturday during the launch of a European pilot program for forest protection against fire this summer, Greek national news agency AMNA reported. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

Firefighters from Romania attend a welcome ceremony held by Greek government in Athens, Greece, on July 2, 2022. A group of 28 Romanian firefighters was welcomed by Greek authorities in Athens on Saturday during the launch of a European pilot program for forest protection against fire this summer, Greek national news agency AMNA reported. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

A firefighter from Romania attends a welcome ceremony held by Greek government in Athens, Greece, on July 2, 2022. A group of 28 Romanian firefighters was welcomed by Greek authorities in Athens on Saturday during the launch of a European pilot program for forest protection against fire this summer, Greek national news agency AMNA reported. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)
Many Vietnamese airlines have proposed that the ceiling prices of domestic air tickets be further increased or removed as they have suffered heavy losses due to wildly soaring fuel costs.

Even though air tickets have been rising, even higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic, carriers argued that they have to make up for relentlessly rising fuel expenses.

Round-trip airfares of economy class for the Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh City route are fluctuating around VND3-5 million (US$129-214) per ticket and those for business class are VND8-17 million ($343-729), an increase of 20-50 percent compared to periods with passenger shortages due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Airfares to famous tourist destinations, such as Da Nang and Phu Quoc, have even changed hourly, and customers can hardly find cheap tickets even though for early morning or late-night flights.

Many customers commented that many airlines might have taken unfair advantage of higher fuel prices, triggered by rising world oil prices, to push air tickets up to make up for their loss during the COVID-19 hibernation.

Meanwhile, carriers pointed out that the world oil price has surged from $70-80 to $130 per barrel, and even to $162 per barrel on June 28, pushing their fuel costs up by thousands of billions of dong (VND1 billion = $42,890).

With such fuel cost burden, many airlines must raise air ticket prices to make up for their increased expenditure.

In addition to the soared fuel cost, the high travel demand on the market has also contributed to the sharp rise in air tickets, a commercial executive of a domestic airline explained.

A boom of travel in the ongoing summer is being seen, with a high demand for flights from June to mid-August.

As a result, customers who booked tickets two or three months before their summer flights paid about VND1 million ($43) per ticket while those who bought tickets right before the same flights had to pay VND1.7-2 million ($73-86) per seat.

The sooner booking, the cheaper fares, carriers said.

Besides fuel cost, airfare also depends on the supply-demand rule. However, the airfares have yet to reach the cap fixed by the government, the executive stated, without mentioning how much the ceiling rates are.

Among the six domestic airlines, including Vietnam Airlines, Bamboo Airways, Pacific Airlines, Vietravel Airlines, Vasco and Vietjet, only the latter has announced its operating profit, while the others have suffered great losses, despite the strong increases in both airfare rates and passenger numbers.

During the first quarter of this year, Vietjet recorded consolidated revenue of VND4,522 billion ($194 million) and after-tax profit of VND244 billion ($10.47 million), up 12 percent and 98 percent, respectively, over the same period in 2021.

However, Vietjets profit came mainly from its financial investment activities, without which the firm would have suffered a gross loss of nearly VND257 billion ($11.03 million).

According to industry experts, high fuel prices in recent months have worsened the financial situation of many carriers, especially Vietnam Airlines (VNA).

In 2019, fuel costs accounted for 28-29 percent of VNAs total costs, but the ratio has soared to 38-40 percent now, said Trinh Hong Quang, deputy general director of VNA.

If the world oil price remains at $150-156 per barrel until the end of 2022, the company will have to incur an additional cost of about VND8 trillion ($343.1 million).

Therefore, Quang said, VNA and many other airlines want authorities to increase the airfare ceilings, even remove it, so that ticket prices will be market driven and carriers will determine ticket prices flexibly based on their input expenses.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has again proposed competent agencies increasing the ceiling prices of domestic air tickets so that airlines can flexibly adjust airfares to cover costs.

Two months ago, CAAV proposed the rises of VND50,000 ($2.1) and VND250,000 ($10.7) per ticket for short routes (500-850 kilometers) and long flights (from 1,280km upward), respectively.

Dr. Le Dang Doanh, an economic expert, said that the airfare caps should be adjusted to suit fluctuations of the petroleum market.

An increase or even removal of such caps may be made at an appropriate time when there are enough factors of a fair competition, Doanh said.

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Check out the news you should not miss today:

Society

-- Two fishermen have gone missing after they dived into the ocean to catch seafood during their sea voyage off the north-central Vietnamese province of Quang Ngai on Thursday, according to local authorities on Friday.

-- A kindergarten teacher in the south-central province of Phu Yen has gone missing for nearly two months after telling her family that she was going to meet an online boyfriend, according to local police on Friday.

-- A farmer in northern province of Thai Binh were killed after being struck by a lightning bolt while he was working on the field on Friday morning.

-- Two person were killed after a fire broke out at a house in Long Xuyen City in Vietnams Mekong Delta Province of An Giang on Friday, local fire police reported the same day.

-- Serious damage was recorded when a fishing tackle shop in Nha Trang City, south-central province of Khanh Hoa, burst into flames on Friday morning, with no casualties reported.

-- According to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday night, two Vietnamese artists accused of raping a 17-year-old British girl have been released on bail while the case is being investigated by Spanish authorities.

-- A passenger from the northern province of Ha Nam who smoked on a flight from Can Tho to Hanoi in early June has been barred from flying for nine months beginning on July 8 for failing to pay the penalty.

Lifestyle

-- More than 80 paragliding athletes took part in the 'Le hoi du luon Nha Trang' (Nha Trang's paragliding festival) on Friday as part of the 'Nha Trang chao he 2022' (Welcoming Summer in Nha Trang) tourism promotion.

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Police in Ho Chi Minh City, southern Vietnam, have put a 63-year-old Taiwanese man on wanted list for allegedly smuggling.

The wanted man is Lin Yung Hsiang, who was prosecuted on charges of smuggling on June 1 but fled away later, the municipal police said Saturday.

The smuggling was conducted through the legal status of southern Binh Duong Province-based Trang Bach Production and Trading Company, and the smuggled cargo was delivered to the citys Cat Lai Port.

Lin, the companys owner, hired people to carry out customs procedures to intentionally import goods that were not the same as in the customs declaration form submitted, police said.

The customs agency requested that the shipment be returned to the consignor, but Lin continued to hire people to seek ways to import the cargo containing food and consumer goods.

The value of the smuggled goods was estimated at some VND620 million (US$26,600), police said.

Such acts were enough to constitute the crime of smuggling, investigators stated.

After determining that the suspect had fled from his temporary residence, the citys police issued a arrest warrant against him on June 27.

Investigators called for Lin to give himself up to police to enjoy the leniency policy of the laws of Vietnam.

Everyone has the right to arrest the suspect and escort him to any nearest police station, peoples committee or peoples procuracy, investigators said.

The arrest and detention of the suspect should be promptly reported to the citys police, they added.

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Vietnams aviation authorities have imposed a nine-month ban on a Vietnamese man after he failed to pay a fine for smoking on a domestic flight.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) said on Thursday that 72-year-old Le Quoc T., hailing from northern Ha Nam Province, has been banned from domestic and international flights for nine months.

T. smoked on flight VJ 464, operated by low-cost carrier Vietjet Air, on which he occupied the 28D seat, from southern Can Tho City to Hanoi on June 5.

The flight ban against T. will take effect from July 8 to the end of April 7, 2023.

T. was escorted from the plane upon its arrival at Noi Bai International Airport in the Vietnamese capital city at 5:00 pm on June 5 before being handed over to the Northern Airports Authority (NAA), which then issued an administrative fine for him.

Despite several reminders and warnings, he refused to pay the fine.

Smoking cigarettes, even electronic ones, is banned on all inbound and outbound flights in Vietnam.

Administrative fines imposed on violators, which range from VND3-5 million (US$128.7-214.5), must be paid within ten days since the punitive decision is made.

Although passengers are always reminded of the smoking ban, it remains among the most popular violations reported in the country's recent flights.

On Thursday this week, a passenger was caught smoking on flight from Seoul in South Korea to Cam Ranh International Airport in south-central Khanh Hoa Province.

A day before, a flight attendant found a passenger named Duong Van Th. smoking on a flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi at 3:45 pm.

At 8:40 pm on June 24, the security force at Tan Son Nhat International Airport enforced escort on a passenger named Nguyen Van Nh. for smoking on a flight from north-central Thanh Hoa Province to Ho Chi Minh City.

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When four friends opened their coffee shop in Quang Tri Province, their goal wasnt to make their business a success, it was to transform their hometown into Vietnams next big tourist hotspot.

Homi Coffee gets the kind of google reviews youd expect form a big city coffee chain  glowing accounts of visits and consistent 4 and 5 stars.

But Homi Coffee isnt a big city chain, its merely a patio overlooking a stunning valley run by four friends with a big dream.

More guests, more hope

Homi Coffee sits along National Highway 9 between Dong Ha City and the Lao Bao Border Gate in Huong Hoa District.

But despite its rural setting, this cafe never fails to welcome a steady stream of customers.

Nguyen Viet Duy, 26, is a self-taught barista and one of the cafes four founders. The other owners include Nguyen Ngoc Lan, Nguyen Quang Cuong, and Ho Van Lanh, all 29 years old.

We opened our coffee shop as a stop for travelers on their way to Huong Hoa so that they could experience the scenery and try out the local Arabica coffee which was originally brought here by the French, Duy shared.

View from Homi Coffee in Huong Hoa District, Quang Tri Province. Photo: Tran Mai / Tuoi Tre

In the 18 months since it opened, Homi Coffee has served 400 to 1,500 guests each day, 90 percent of whom are from out of town, according to Duy.

The more guests that visit our coffee shop, the more hope we have for our rural district, said Duy.

A crowded day at Homi Coffee in Huong Hoa District, Quang Tri Province. Photo: Tran Mai / Tuoi Tre

Duy and his co-founder launched Homi during COVID-19 after Lan spotted the would-be location while photographing the area using a fly cam.

In awe of the beautiful valley and Ta Du Stream below, Lan gathered the other three founders, shared his idea to open a coffee shop overlooking the area, and went to work launching the business.

The Arabica coffee in Huong Hoa has a very good taste, Lan said, adding that he hopes the buzz the cafe gets on social media will draw more customers to the cafe and, in turn, make the entire town a more popular tourist destination.

Visitors are seen at Homi Coffee in Huong Hoa District, Quang Tri Province. Photo: Tran Mai / Tuoi Tre

Spreading the word about Huong Hoa

Over the past year and a half, the four founders have seen their dream begin to come true as the area becomes more popular amongst travelers from Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Hai Phong.

One of these travelers was Nguyen Tu Trang Tho, a tourist from the northern city of Hai Phong who said she had never been in Huong Hoa, but photos of Homi and the cloud-covered valley below convinced her to add Huong Hoa to her list of stops on a cross-country trip.

When Tho arrived, she realized that photos of Huong Hoa didnt do the area justice and Homi, in particular, was much more stunning than she had expected.

In fact, she found Huong Hoa so peaceful that she chose to spend an extra day in the area.

A visitor poses for a photo at Homi Coffee in Huong Hoa District, Quang Tri Province. Photo: Tran Mai / Tuoi Tre

Trinh Xuan Duc from Hanoi shared a similar opinion to Tho after he made a stop at Homi during a business trip to Quang Tri.

Duc had already been aware of nearby Khe Sanh and Lao Bao, but didnt realize that both were in Houng Hoa.

I hope that the young founders [of Homi] inspire other young people in nearby provinces. I greatly admire them for what they are doing, Duc said.

The coffee shop attracts not only Vietnamese but also foreigners especially from Laos, including Khamtai Khomeai, a Laotian tourist who first heard about the cafe from Vietnamese friends and has visited several times to enjoy the view and take photos.

My friends and I really like the coffee shop. We often visit it on weekends, he said.

Signs introduce local tourist sites displayed at Homi Coffee in Huong Hoa District, Quang Tri Province. Photo: Tran Mai / Tuoi Tre

Little pieces of a bigger puzzle Founders Duy and Lan spend a good chunk of time managing Homi while the two other founds, Cuong and Lanh, spend time exploring Huong Hoa. According to Lan, a typical day at Homi involves finding small ways to contribute to the development of the area. I think no place is limited. Our biggest limitations are our thoughts. When we only think about difficulties, we arent able to dream. Its time for young people in Huong Hoa to turn this land into a better place.

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This week TV is serving up two local dramas with First Nations stories, both produced by Bunya Productions.

Mystery Road: Origin premieres tonight on ABC while True Colours screens across 4 nights as the first drama joint commission from SBS / NITV.

The latter stars Rarriwuy Hick (Wentworth) as detective Toni Alma in Mparntwe (Alice Springs) who is sent to Aboriginal community Perda Theendar when a young girl is the victim of a suspicious car accident in an area kept solely for mens business.

Its also the hometown she left as a child and has nothing to do with since. While Toni is convinced half her family wont speak to her, boss Rhonda insists, At least some of the people will talk to you. No-one will talk to us.

But Toni finds more clues leading up to the crash which raise her suspicions, including bleeding on the brain as a result of head wounds. Aiding her investigation is local copper and uncle Samuel Alma (Warren H. Williams) who delivers much of his dialogue in Arrernte. There are plenty of aunties in the mix too including roles by Trisha Morton-Smith and a number of first-time performers.

Miranda Otto stars as art dealer Isabelle Martin, determined to take the Indigenous art to the galleries of Paris while Luke Arnold arrives as whitefella detective Nick Gawler, who just happens to be Tonis ex.

There are supporting roles by Ben Oxenbould, Brendan Alma and Erroll Shand.

With its Mparntwe (Alice Springs) and Yeperenye (East MacDonnell Ranges) backdrop, the series captures the inhospitable yet beautiful landscape of the red centre. Cinematographer Eric Murray Lui draws upon aerial shots to highlight isolation and survival, guided by directors Erica Glynn (also co-creator) & Steven McGregor (also writer) in slow-burn episodes.

One of the more interesting aspects of the tale is how local community rules and traditions clash with western law. On more than one occasion Toni submits that she cant interview a male relative (indeed some men wont even look her in the eye) and there are places where she is forbidden to enter -yet justice wont be served without her ability to follow up every lead. It falls to Nick as whitefella to carry out some tasks.

The advantage of being white is you can talk to anyone, Toni tells him.

The sense of community, sometime struggling with its own weaknesses such as alcohol dependency, is strong throughout.

When something happens around here we all feel responsible, says Samuel.

There are other cultural touches too, such as being unable to mention the name of a deceased person, tours to secret sites and superstitions around sacred stones. These all add to the tapestry and uniqueness of story.

But it is Rarriwuy Hick who is the glue here, as a modern woman manoevering between two worlds -her past and her present- in one of her strongest screen performances so far.

If NITV has the luxury of commissioning more drama at this level with SBS, were all the richer for it.

True Colours 8.30pm Monday  Thursday on SBS and NITV
Uncle Jack Charles, a proud Bunurong and Wiradjuri man, has been named Male Elder of the Year at the NAIDOC Awards last night.

A member of the Stolen Generations, Uncle Jack is known for his roles in Cleverman, Wolf Creek, Preppers, Black Comedy, Rosehaven, and Mystery Road.

Uncle Jack is widely acknowledged as the grandfather of Indigenous theatre, co-founding Australias first Indigenous theatre group, Nindethana, meaning place of corroboree, or ours, at Melbournes Pram Factory in 1971.

He grew up in the Salvation Army Boys Home at Box Hill, Melbourne, as the only Aboriginal child, not knowing his heritage until the age of 17.

His plays and performances have won many awards over the years, and have toured across Australia and internationally. He is a respected Elder on the Council of the Archie Roach foundation, and a tireless advocate for young men caught up in the prison system.

He made history this year as the first Indigenous Elder to speak at the Victorian Truth-telling Commission. The Yoorrook Commission will establish an official record of Indigenous experiences since colonisation, and Uncle Jack spoke honestly and with raw emotion about his experiences. Uncle Jack is a beloved Elder and, as he describes himself, a survivor.
Lights illuminate a coal mine at twilight in Kemmerer, Wyo., in January. With the nearby coal-fired Naughton Power Plant being decommissioned in 2025, the fate of the coal mine and its workers is uncertain. (Natalie Behring / Associated Press)

More than 500 days into his presidency, Joe Biden's hope for saving the Earth from the most devastating effects of climate change may not quite be dead.

But it's not far from it.

A Supreme Court ruling Thursday not only limited the Environmental Protection Agencys ability to regulate climate pollution by power plants, but also suggests the court is poised to block other efforts by Biden and federal agencies to limit the climate-wrecking fumes emitted by oil, gas and coal.

Its a blow to Bidens commitment to slash emissions in the few years scientists say are left to stave off worse and deadlier levels of global warming. And its a sign, to Democrats at home and allies abroad, of the dwindling options remaining for Biden to reverse the legacy of former President Trump, who mocked the science of climate change. Trumps three Supreme Court appointees provided half of the affirmative votes in Thursdays 6-3 ruling.

After the ruling, a veteran Democratic lawmaker acknowledged he saw little hope of Congress producing any meaningful climate legislation, either. Theres no easy fix from Congress from this mess, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island said. The foreign allies whom Biden once spoke of leading to a global clean-power transformation are wondering if the United States can even lead itself.

The climate decision in some ways may have broader impacts at least on the European populace that this is a country that, a) cant get things done, and b) is going in a really bizarre direction domestically, said Max Bergmann, director of the Europe program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

And in a Houston neighborhood entering hurricane season, a man who had spent four decades advocating for the Black community and other communities of color, as well as for poor communities hit hardest by pollution and the record heat, cold, floods and storms of climate change, reacted to the ruling as many others did  saying salvaging climate efforts depends on Biden now, and his willingness to act and lead.

Story continues

This is real, said Robert Bullard, an academic who became a pioneer in what became the U.S. environmental justice movement, of the multiplying natural disasters  the kind scientists say are influenced by the heating atmosphere  wrecking cities on Americas vulnerable Gulf of Mexico.

Those communities that have been flooded out ... some of those communities still have blue tarps on their houses, Bullard said. So I dont think the Supreme Court and some of our elected officials are speaking about the urgency of where we are when it comes to our climate.

Biden's EPA still has meaningful moves left to make, but it must move quickly, Eric Schaeffer, a former director of civil enforcement at the agency, said in a statement. Among them: speed up a new rule limiting carbon pollution from power plants, make long overdue updates to standards on toxic discharges from the plants and move faster to crack down on leaks of climate-damaging methane in natural gas as the Biden administration has already promised.

After Thursdays ruling, the EPA pledged to propose a new carbon rule for power plants by early next year.

Biden has pledged to cut the nations greenhouse gas emissions in half by the end of the decade and to have an emissions-free power sector by 2035.

"Our fight against climate change must carry forward, and it will," Biden said in a statement after the ruling that offered no guarantees of success.

His team would find ways that we can, under federal law, continue protecting Americans from pollution and climate change, Biden said.

The dismay expressed at the Supreme Court action by many who say they care deeply about climate change reflected this was only the latest setback to Bidens early promises to slash emissions.

A divided Congress already handed Biden what's been the worst climate defeat of his term so far when two Democrats, including Sen. Joe Manchin III of coal-producing West Virginia, joined Senate Republicans in refusing to pass Biden's Build Back Better package.

Climate parts of the legislation were meant to jump-start America's transformation into a land of electric cars, clean industry and energy-efficient buildings. Biden was able to move forward some smaller parts of his proposal, including electric car charging stations.

And this year, in a development as dangerous for Biden's early climate hopes as the Supreme Court ruling, a global oil and gas supply crunch has sent gas prices pinging off record highs. It has fueled inflation and voter anger against Biden, and potentially other Democrats.

The energy shortfall left Biden scrambling for additional oil and gas. It has also left unclear whether he still believes he has the political capital to lead the U.S. move to renewable energy as decisively as he promised as a candidate and in his first months in office.

The ruling left policy experts, lawmakers and ordinary people saying Biden, Democrats and climate-minded Republicans still have some routes left to push through climate efforts.

One is ambitious, shrewd executive action  if Biden dares  to push through carefully targeted emission-cutting steps.

A second is climate action by California and the other blue states that earlier swung into action to challenge Trump's climate rollbacks in court.

A third option is a pitch that Biden and Democrats are throwing to voters more and more  elect enough Democrats in the midterms to allow Congress to pass laws thwarting rollbacks by conservatives, in Congress and on the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court ruling came as Biden was savoring a successful gathering with North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies, which have rallied behind the U.S. in confronting Russias invasion of Ukraine. After Bidens early proclamations in summits at the outset of his term that America is back!, the setback in the Supreme Court underscored to allies how vulnerable the U.S. president remains on the domestic front, including when it comes to fulfilling climate commitments.

As the ruling was released, Biden envoy John Kerry was flying out after an oceans conference in Portugal, still working for global and country-by-country commitments to cut emissions. Kerry's pledges on U.S. climate ambitions have grown more muted as obstacles grow.

The domestic climate setbacks have helped slow early global momentum for climate breakthroughs. Theyve weakened U.S. leverage as Kerry presses countries such as China to swing away from coal and other damaging fossil fuels  something Biden had pledged the U.S. would lead on by example.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Chinese peacekeepers in Lebanon awarded UN medals

Xinhua) 10:13, July 02, 2022

BEIRUT, July 1 (Xinhua) -- A total of 410 peacekeepers of the 20th Chinese peacekeeping contingent to Lebanon were awarded UN medals of peace on Friday.

As part of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), the Chinese peacekeepers were hailed as "great ambassadors" of China and Chinese armed forces by Aroldo Lazaro Saenz, UNIFIL's head of Mission and Force Commander, at a medal parade ceremony.

The commander expressed his sincere gratitude to the Chinese government for its continuous support and contribution to UNIFIL.

The ceremony, held at the Chinese peacekeepers' camp in Hanniyah village in southern Lebanon, was also attended by Chinese Ambassador to Lebanon Qian Minjian, representatives of the Lebanese armed forces, local officials and fellow peacekeepers.

Saenz told the Chinese peacekeepers that "the well-deserved medal is a token of appreciation in recognition of your hard work, as well as the significant contribution and commitment you gave" to this peace mission in southern Lebanon in the past months.

Saenz highly praised the Chinese peacekeepers for their work, including clearing dangerous minefields, developing construction works and providing medical assistance.

The Chinese peacekeepers "have assisted many local communities here, improving their living conditions, providing medical care and strengthening the bonds with them," he said, adding that this is "a symbol of your active role in maintaining peace and stability in southern Lebanon and the people who live here."

The 20th Chinese peacekeeping contingent, which includes a multi-functional engineer detachment, a construction engineer detachment and a medical detachment, has been serving the UN Mission since August 2021.

More than 7,000 Chinese peacekeepers have been dispatched to Lebanon since 2006.

The UN Security Council established the UNIFIL on March 19, 1978 to monitor the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon. Its mandate was expanded following the 2006 Lebanon War.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Bianji)
BELGRADE, July 2 (Xinhua) -- One migrant was killed and several were injured on Saturday in a conflict between two migrant groups at the Serbian-Hungarian border, the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs confirmed in a press release.

The conflict, between groups of migrants coming from unspecified countries, took place in the early morning in a Serbian forest bordering Hungary, near the city of Subotica, the press release said.

"Members of the ministry of internal affairs are working intensively to establish all the circumstances and identify the perpetrators of the conflict between two groups of migrants," it stated.

"Several migrants were brought to the police department in Subotica, with whom interviews will be conducted in order to determine all the circumstances of this incident," the press release added.

For almost a decade, Serbia has been traditionally on the route of migrants coming from conflict zones in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, looking to reach some European Union countries.

According to Serbian public broadcaster RTS, among the seven injured migrants who were treated at the local hospital in Subotica, the life of a 16-year-old girl is in danger.

The ministry confirmed that no Serbian citizens participated nor got injured in the incident. 
A general view of a residential building damaged by a Russian missile strike (REUTERS)

Volodymyr Zelensky has condemned missile strikes in the Odesa region as purposeful Russian terror.

Russian missile attacks on residential areas killed at least 21 people - including a 12-year-old boy - on Friday near the Ukrainian port.

Video of the attack before daybreak showed the charred ruins of buildings in the small town of Serhiivka, about 50km from Odesa.

The Ukrainian Presidents office said three Kh-22 missiles fired by warplanes struck an apartment building and a campsit as he condemned Russia over the attacks in his nightly address.

He said: "In the Odesa region, the dismantling of rubble after the Russian missile attack on Serhiivka is underway.

Three missiles hit an ordinary residential building, a nine-story building in which no one hid any weapons, military equipment, or ammunition, as Russian propagandists and officials always tell about such strikes.

It was a simple house, about 160 people. It was inhabited by ordinary people, civilians. The recreation centre was also destroyed by this strike - an absolutely typical object for the seaside area.

"I emphasize: this is a deliberate, purposeful Russian terror, not some mistakes or an accidental missile strike.

Four people from one family were killed... The murdered boy, 12 years old, whose name was Dmytro... As of now, there are 21 people on the list of the dead, and about 40 are wounded. The numbers have been changing all day, unfortunately, the death toll is increasing."

He added that he was grateful to the US and "personally to Biden" for the new support package for Ukraine announced today, which includes "very powerful NASAMS systems".

Large numbers of civilians died in Russian air strikes and shelling earlier in the war, including at a hospital, a theatre used as a bomb shelter and a train station.

Until this week, mass casualties involving residents appeared to become less frequent as Moscow concentrated on capturing eastern Ukraines Donbas region.

Odesa is Ukraines biggest port and the headquarters of its navy.
Tesla Model S Plaid. Tesla

Ingenext bypassed Tesla software to help the Model S plaid hit 216 miles per hour, Electrek reported.

The CEO of the tech company is the first on record to hit speeds over 200 miles per hour with the car.

When Tesla initially released the EV its top speed was about 163 miles per hour.

A Tesla Model S Plaid hit its fastest speed on record Thursday after a software company hacked into the vehicle's software restrictions.

Guillaume Andre, the CEO of Ingenext, took his Model S Plaid out for a spin at the Trois-Rivieres airport in Quebec, Canada on Thursday morning. Andre was able to get the vehicle up to a top speed of 216 miles per hour, Electrek reported.

A spokesperson from Ingenext did not respond to a request for comment from Insider ahead of publication.

The Ingenext CEO posted a short clip of the run on his personal Facebook account, confirming that the vehicle hit 216 miles per hour.

The nearly $130,000 Tesla model has not previously been reported to have run faster than 200 miles per hour. Though, Ingenext has attempted to hit 200 miles per hour in previous tests, the publication said. Electrek reported that the Quebec track had a longer 1.8 mile runway which helped the car hit the new top speed.

The EV publication posted a video from the track on YouTube that showed the 216 miles per hour run from both inside and outside the four-door sedan. As the vehicle neared 200 miles per hour the speedometer on the car's dashboard turned red.

Electrek reporter Fred Lambert compared the sound of the vehicle racing down the runway to a "jet taking off" and recorded the sound of the Tesla's cooling system attempting to cool off the motors and battery pack after the run.

Andre is not the first company to test the limits of the Model S Plaid. Last summer, Brooks Weisblat, the host of DragTimes, tested the vehicle in a series of videos by racing the Tesla against a Porsche Taycan Turbo S, as well as testing out its top speed at low battery levels.

Story continues

MotorTrend said in 2021 that the Model S Plaid hit the highest 0 to 60 acceleration speed the publication has ever seen from a production car.

When Tesla initially announced the vehicle they said it would be able to hit a top speed of 200 miles per hour, but upon release the vehicle was shown to have a speed limited to about 163 miles per hour. In January, Tesla released Track Mode for the Plaid which allowed the vehicle to go slightly faster.

Read the original article on Business Insider
(AFP via Getty Images)

Richarlison has sent Tottenham fans his first message since signing on the dotted line of a 60million transfer.

Antonio Contes Spurs have sealed the strikers capture from Everton to add to their earlier summer signings of Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster and Yves Bissouma.

After undergoing his medical in Brazil, Richarlison is yet to travel to the capital to pose with his new shirt or visit the training complex.

Therefore, he sent a social media message on Friday night to herald the biggest move of his career.

A message from Brazil 



 Looking forward to welcoming you soon, @richarlison97! pic.twitter.com/3ssS6n3Djx  Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) July 1, 2022

He told fans: Hi, its Richarlison. Im so happy to sign for Tottenham. See you [soon] and come on you Spurs!

Everton are considering a bid for Watford striker Emmanuel Dennis as Richarlisons replacement, Standard Sport understands.

In a fond farewell to the Toffees, the 25-year-old recently posted on his Twitter page: Its very difficult to say goodbye to a place that has become my home; fans who welcomed as if I were one of them; and a club that treated me kindly and helped me develop my sense of community and empathy.

Not all the love I have is enough to thank you. Love you!
LISBON  Vietnamese representatives reaffirmed the countrys commitments to develop blue and sustainable oceans when attending the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) held in Lisbon from June 27 to July 1.

Addressing the UN Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG14): Conserve, sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development, Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Hieu emphasised the need to fully and effectively implement the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)  a comprehensive legal framework for all activities at sea and a prerequisite for ensuring peace, security and prosperity, as well as the effective implementation of SDG14.

Viet Nam supports negotiations to build new legal frameworks in line with the UNCLOS, including a document on biodiversity of areas outside national jurisdiction and a global agreement on ocean plastic waste, Hieu said, highlighting the nations efforts in working with the international community to deal with marine issues.

Ambassador ang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Viet Nam to the UN, said that in recent years, Viet Nam has made efforts to carry out the SDG14, including the implementation of the strategy on the sustainable development of Viet Nams marine economy to 2030.

To respond to marine challenges, it is necessary to promote the implementation of international conventions, take advantage of scientific and technological developments, and conduct new research.

The Vietnamese delegation also called for strengthening international cooperation, technology transfer and expertise sharing, especially for developing countries, and enhancing the scientific content in marine policy planning and implementation.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made four proposals to help tackle the current ocean emergency, including investing in sustainable economy, using the ocean as a model for managing global issues, protecting the oceans and those depending on them, and investing in early warning systems to protect coastal communities.

Countries affirmed that the oceans play an important role in peace, security, health, environment and sustainable development, as well as the prosperity of nations.

As current cross-border challenges cannot be solved by a single country and are exacerbated by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, they called for promoting international cooperation, marine scientific research and building a sustainable blue economy to mitigate and address these challenges.

The UN conference attracts the participation of nearly 20 heads of state, nearly 100 foreign, environment and natural resources ministers, and thousands of representatives from countries, international organisations, and related parties.  VNS
The moment of a toxic gas explosion in Jordans Aqaba port.  AFP/VNA Photo

CAIRO  The Vietnamese Embassy in Saudi Arabia and Jordan said it has asked competent agencies of Jordan, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to coordinate in supporting Vietnamese citizens injured in a toxic gas leak at Jordan's Aqaba port on June 27, and handling relevant issues.

Tran Minh Khoi, first secretary in charge of consular affairs at the ministry, said after learning about the incident, the embassy reported it to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and informed agencies concerned at home to verify the information about the 12 victims and their families.

The embassy also visited the seven Vietnamese crew members who got injured in the gas blast, he added.

For the five Vietnamese killed in the explosion, it has coordinated with the Jordan side to accelerate visa procedures for representatives of Vietnamese companies that sent the crew members to go to Jordan for post-death procedures.

According to Khoi, the seven are staying in a hotel after hospitalisation, and the embassy will continue its coordination with local agencies as well as its support to the companies in citizen protection.

The Jordan News Agency (Petra) cited Prime Minister Bishr Khasawneh as saying that the fact-finding team that was assigned with the investigation of the incident has been working "around the clock to reach full results about the incident."

Khasaeneh extended condolences to the families of the Aqaba port victims and wished a speedy recovery for the injured.

At least 13 people died and 250 were injured in a chlorine gas leak from a storage tank at Aqaba port.

The leak came after a tank filled with over 20 tonnes of chlorine gas being exported to Djibouti fell while being transported. VNS
Major General Nguyen Van Thanh, Deputy Director of the Investigation Police Department for Corruption, Smuggling and Economic Crimes (C03) at the press conference on Thursday. VNA/VNS Photo

HA NOI  Authorities have launched criminal proceedings against 10 individuals for a bribery case involving tens of billions of ong, and hundreds of thousands of US dollars, at the Consular Department under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Investigation Police Agency under the Ministry of Public Security said the case is still under investigation at a press conference on Thursday.

In late January, the Ministry of Public Security prosecuted Nguyen Thi Huong Lan, head of the Consular Department; o Hoang Tung, deputy head of the department; Le Tuan Anh, chief of the departments office; and Luu Tuan Dung, deputy head of the citizen protection desk at the department, for receiving bribery.

On March 25, the ministry arrested and prosecuted Hoang Dieu Mo, General Director of An Binh Commercial, Tourism and Aviation Services Co., Ltd for giving bribery.

To Anh Dung, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs; Pham Trung Kien, a staff member of the Health Ministrys Department of Medical Equipment and Projects; and Vu Anh Tuan, a former officer of the Ministry of Public Security's Department of Immigration, were also arrested and prosecuted on April 14.

At the press conference, Major General Nguyen Van Thanh, Deputy Director of the Investigation Police Department for Corruption, Smuggling and Economic Crimes (C03) under the Ministry of Public Security, confirmed that rumours former Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long and former Director of Bach Mai Hospital Nguyen Quang Tuan had committed suicide in prison were not true.

Long was arrested and prosecuted for "abuse of power and position while on duty in a COVID-19 test kit scam at Viet A Technologies JSC.

Tuan has been detained for further investigation into his role in medical equipment price gouging.

Regarding the case of Tan Hoang Minh group, the ministry said the total amount of money defrauded from the group's customers was VN8.8 trillion. However, only 50 per cent of the victims have made a report to the police.

Tan Hoang Minh has arranged around VN2.1 trillion to refund its customers and is set to raise a total of 50-60 per cent of what investors had bought to pay them back by next month.

The ministry called on any investors in the case to provide information to the investigation. VNS
Jrai people harvesting rice in Gia Lai Province in the Central Highlands.  VNA/VNS Photo Hong iep

AK LAK  Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh celebrated the successes achieved by the Central Highlands region, including the development of the agricultural sector and its contribution to the area's sustained economic growth.

The Prime Minister spoke at a Politburo conference in the region yesterday, saying that developing the Central Highlands in a rapid and sustainable manner is the mission of the entire political system.

The event was a review following 20 years of implementing the Politburos official resolution and conclusion on socio-economic development as well as national defence in the Central Highlands.

The region has achieved comprehensive results over the past two decades, said the Prime Minister.

The economic scale has been expanded to VN287 trillion (US$12.3 billion), equivalent to 14-times the figure when the programme first started in 2002.

The gross regional domestic product (GRDP) in the 2002 - 2022 period grew 7.98 per cent on average, the highest among the regions.

The Central Highlands agricultural sector saw substantial development of a large agricultural production area, with many items accounting for a high percentage of the countrys exports, such as coffee, rubber, pepper, and other fruits.

The regional economic structure is also shifting to rapidly increase the industrial and service sectors.

Delegates at the conference agreed that the Central Highlands needs to focus on strengthening regional and national connections, investments, and the strategic infrastructure system. It is also necessary to promote the solidarity and cultural identity of the highlands ethnic groups.

The areas seeing improvements include cultural life, poverty reduction, and the State administrative management in environmental protection and conservation. Managing and utilising the forest and its resources have also been identified as a factor of utmost importance to the local peoples livelihoods.

National defence and security are also maintained, with a focus put on building the Party and the management capacity of its members, and the effective operation of the Fatherland Front and socio-political organisations, contributing to unity among the people.

However, shortcomings still persist in the slowed and unsustainable development in the region, as well as in its GRDP and the unbalanced local budgets. Poverty reduction is still facing many challenges with a large number of poor and near-poor households that are at risk of falling back into poverty.

The percentage of communes achieving the new rural-style status is still modest, placing 5th among six regions. Regional and inter-regional connections are still limited, with a lack of long-term strategies, while the system of infrastructure is not yet comprehensive to respond to the demands of development.

Multiple disadvantages are still present in the sectors of culture, healthcare, education, development and nature conservation.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh addresses the conference.  VNA/VNS Photo Duong Giang

PM Chinh said that the Central Highlands is not reaching its full potential due to limited policies and frameworks, as well as the insufficient investment and institutions that could not address the regions shortcomings.

The focus must be promoting independence and innovation, and the action-oriented spirit of the local Party, authorities and people in the region, he said.

The PM required that provinces in the Central Highlands effectively implement the resolutions of the Party for the region, and enhance the regional connections with the South Central Coast and the Southeast regions, as well as the major economic centres of the countries, the Mekong sub-region, the development triangle of Viet Nam - Laos - Cambodia, and ASEAN.

According to the PM, the development of the Central Highlands needs to ensure progress, sustainability and harmony, with humans at the core and culture as the foundation.

National defence and security are crucial, he added, as well as building the Party for a strong and transparent political system with highly-capable members while preventing corruption.

PM Chinh also emphasised that the regions growth needs to follow the green, circular development model with a rich national cultural identity, shifting the peoples way of thinking from agricultural production to an agricultural economy. This will in turn attract tourists, ensure resource preservation and safety, and quality of life.

Regarding solutions for the future, the PM put a focus on completing the system of development policies, digital transformation, and a comprehensive understanding from all management levels of the role of the region in socio-economic development, environment, and national defence and security.

Resources should be focused to increase the potential for development and technology application in agricultural production, clean and renewable energy, tourism, environmental protection, and adapting to climate change.

Land resources must be developed to become an important internal force for socio-economic development, responding to the strategic position of the Central Highlands in the country.

PM Chinh also required that other suggestions be made to complete the report and to propose a new Politburo solution on building and developing the Central Highlands by 2030, with a vision to 2045.  VNS
Society Ha Noi, HCM City foster tourism links with north-central region Tourism links would boost activity in each locality, contribute to the promotion of local tourism brands in the domestic market and enhance the competitiveness of Vietnamese tourism in the international market, vice chairwoman of the HCM City People's Committee Phan Thi Thang said at a recent forum on linking tourism development.

Society Signs of the time Ordering coffee at this cafe in Hanoi is very different to many others. Here, customers must use sign language to place their orders. Its part of an initiative to help the deaf community integrate into the workforce. But dont worry, help is on hand if you are struggling to sign.

Society Small satellites system proposed to build capacity for Earth observation A seminar held by the Vietnam National Space Centre (VNSC) on June 30 has discussed the idea of utilising small satellite systems to build a national capacity for Earth observation.

Society Central Highlands achieves comprehensive results over past two decades: PM Developing the Central Highlands in a rapid and sustainable manner is the mission of the entire political system, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at a Politburo conference in the region yesterday.

Society Embassy confirms arrest of two Vietnamese in Spain for alleged sexual assault Police on the Spanish island of Mallorca on June 25 said they had arrested two Vietnamese citizens accused of raping a 17-year-old girl and privacy violation, according to the Vietnamese Embassy in Spain.

Society HCM City to build road to ease traffic at key ports A highway to connect the Cat Lai-Phu Huu ports in Thu uc City with Ring Belt Road No.3 and the HCM City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay expressway is under discussion.

Society 927 new COVID cases reported on Friday The Ministry of Health on Friday announced 927 COVID-19 infections, including four cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 10,747,397.
Dr. Alveda King -- Let Freedom Bells Ring for Independence and Civil Rights: From Womb to Tomb NEWS PROVIDED BY

Alveda King Ministries

July 1, 2022



ATLANTA, July 1, 2022 /Christian Newswire/ -- The following is submitted by Dr. Alveda King, she is available for comment: On July 2, we will celebrate the 58th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act. On July 4 we will celebrate Independence Day in America. A few days ago, the United States Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade. Just a few days before, we celebrated Fathers Day and Juneteenth.







We are in a time in our history, where we have a beautiful opportunity to unite and end the squabbles that are overburdening us now.



Fifty-eight years ago, there was civil unrest in America. During that time, many of us in the Black or African-American community were fighting for equal rights and equal justice.



That 20th century movement was led by my uncle, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who was supported by many valiant American citizens of every ethnicity. My uncle ML, and my father Reverend Alfred Daniel Williams King lost their lives in that struggle in the 20th century.



Here we are years later, living in another century, yet still fighting over skin color. The shadows of racism, crimes against humanity followed us. Here in century 21, we are still plagued with the skin color differences and we are yet faced with injustices to American human beings in the womb.



I have learned during 72 years of life, that these battles must be won in every generation, every decade, and right now it seems every moment. At the forefront of many of today's disputes right now are angry women, frightened women, women who have been lied to, and women who are so frustrated over the issue of protecting their bodies, that they don't have a heart to consider another class of people, the babies in the womb.



Many years ago, I was one of the women who would be so frustrated today if I had not had an enlightening moment in the 1980s. An encounter with Jesus Christ helped me to understand that the babies that I had aborted, and a miscarriage which was a result of damage to my body during their abortions, we're not the ultimate answer to my happiness.



Throughout human history, there have been instances when human beings have been able to turn away from fear, selfish ambition, and injustices and civil unrest. Crimes against humanity, including abortion, are not new at all. I am praying that we are having one of those moments where our hearts can turn towards compassion. Turn away from fear to embrace love, hope and faith.



Tomorrow marks the 58th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; a day that gave equal rights to all Americans regardless of skin color.



This act paved a way for a new nation envisioned by my uncle Dr. Martin Luther King and all of the supporters of the 20th Century Civil Rights Movement.



"I have a dream; it is rooted in the American Dream." MLK



Today as we continue the civil rights journey in America, let's also remember on Monday, Independence Day, that the unborn are front and center in the cry for justice.







Yes, the journey continues. Last week, The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Now It is time for "we the people" in every state, to raise our voices for the voiceless in the womb. As we support the unborn and their parents, freedom will truly ring across the land.



Ring the bell for the 1964 Civil Rights Act tomorrow; and on July 4, not just for skin color, and never as color blind. May we all see and love each other, regardless of ethnicity; as the one blood human race; uniting for all human life and all human dignity.



Please join us now as we work and pray to ensure that the unborn and their mothers and fathers are protected and supported; and that all Americans are given equal rights and the American Dream. From the Womb to the Tomb. Our ministry is funded by generous individuals like yourself. We have many ongoing projects that help us to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a world much in need of His message. Please consider making a tax deductible contribution to Alveda King Ministries.



About Alveda King:

Dr. Alveda C. King is the daughter of the late slain civil rights activist Rev. A. D. King and the niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and a Christian Evangelist. Author of the best seller KING RULES and WERE NOT COLORBLIND, she is also founder of Speak for Life, Chairman of the Center for The American Dream -AFPI, and currently serves as a Fox News Channel contributor and is the host of "Alveda King's House" on Fox Nation and a NEWSMAX opinion contributor; a member of Optimist International; former college professor; and a film and music veteran. Alveda is also a former Georgia State Legislator, college professor, a twice assigned Presidential appointee, and a 2021 recipient of the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award.



SOURCE Alveda King Ministries



CONTACT: Brian Mayes, 615-771-2040, brian@nashvillepublicity.com



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A Gholson man who pleaded guilty in April to shooting his mother almost two years ago was sentenced to 10 years deferred probation at a court hearing Thursday.

Judge Susan Kelly of the 54th State District Court, granted the request of Kenneth Wayne Young, 58, for probation and deferred adjudication of guilt. His mother, Carolyn Young, 77, who reportedly was shot in the hand, shoulder and face on Oct. 16, 2020, asked the court for leniency.

Kenneth Young will be required to wear a GPS ankle monitor at all times during the probation period, perform 300 hours of community service, hold a job and observe a curfew of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The sentencing order prohibits Young from visiting his mother, a Gholson resident, except for supervised visits authorized by his probation officer.

Prosecutor Kristen Duron of the McLennan County District Attorneys Office asked Judge Kelly to reject the probation requested by Young and his attorney, Cody Cleveland, and sentence Young to 20 years.

Under the sentencing order, if Young violates the terms of his probation he could be sent back to court for adjudication and could face a sentence of up to life in prison.

Kenneth Young was scheduled for release from the McLennan County Jail on Friday, after having been in custody since the shooting.
McLennan County public school students rebounded from last years dip in state standardized test scores with broad-based improvements in passing rates in scores released Friday.

Waco Independent School District as a whole saw improved passing rates in reading and math for third through eighth grades, except for seventh grade math. Most Waco ISD schools, however, still fell below the state average in every grade level and subject in the new State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness scores.

Almost all McLennan County school districts improved on last years scores in every subject and surpassed their pre-pandemic 2019 results in eighth grade reading. In Crawford, all 30 eighth graders who took the STAAR reading test passed.

Statewide, STAAR results improved over last year for third through eighth grades in reading and math, fifth grade science and eighth grade science and social studies. The largest gains came on the reading tests. The smallest increase was in seventh grade math, and Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said in a statement accompanying the STAAR scores release there is much work to do to recover from COVID-related learning loss in mathematics.

For Waco ISD, this years test results also show some problem areas. A majority of third graders at eight of 15 Waco ISD elementary schools failed to meet state standards in reading, and a majority of third graders failed to meet state standards in math at 11 of the 15 schools. While most of the districts eighth graders met state standards in reading, only a majority at Cesar Chavez Middle School and Tennyson Middle School passed math, and only a majority at Lake Air Montessori passed social studies.

Some schools showed notable single-year improvements. Hillcrest Elementary School jumped 30 percentage points in its third grade reading passing rate. Kendrick Elementary improved by 19 points, Bells Hill Elementary improved by 18 points, and Cedar Ridge Elementary improved by 17 percentage points in the same category. In third grade math, Hillcrest improved by 37 percentage points, and Bells Hill improved by 16 points. J.H. Hines Elementary fifth graders improved by 29 percentage points, and Alta Vista Elementary fifth graders improved by 19 points on reading pass rates.

At Dean Highland Elementary, fifth graders improved by 21 percentage points on their reading pass rate and by 33 percentage points on math. The Crestview Elementary fifth grade passing rate increased by 16 points in reading and 20 in math.

Many Waco ISD schools showed increases in the percentage of students achieving or mastering grade level material, even where passing rates did not change much from last year.

Waco ISD Superintendent Susan Kincannon was out of town this week and unavailable for comment. She addressed the subject of student academic performance this year in a report projecting campus accountability grades for Waco ISD schools that she shared with trustees at their meeting last week.

STAAR scores are a major component for campus accountability grades, and the Texas Education Agency is scheduled to release finalized grades Aug. 14. Kincannon said she is excited at preliminary results indicating 13 of 16 Waco ISD campuses not a part of the Transformation Waco zone had improved their letter grade, with all but two schools rating a C or above.

Our kids are growing academically and the strength of our instructional program is also growing, she told the board, praising principals and teachers for their hard work.

Board President Stephanie Korteweg cheered the news. Bravo, she told the educators in attendance.

This ship is pointed in the right direction and were starting to gain momentum, Korteweg said.

During an interview last week, Kincannon said she and Denise Bell, the districts director of accountability systems and data analysis, anticipate district improvement after evaluating previous STAAR tests and talking with principals.

We were optimistic wed see a good amount of growth this year in our scores, and we see that came to fruition, Kincannon said.

Still, two years after the COVID-19 pandemic started to shake up school operations across the country, the district is encountering lingering impacts. High school students have not been attending classes as regularly as they did before schools temporarily shifted to online instruction, and some elementary students who missed in-class instruction in their last year of elementary school have found the transition to secondary school rockier than usual.

Imagine going into sixth grade after not having your fifth grade year on campus, Kincannon said. You go from that smaller elementary campus where the teacher is pretty much guiding you all day to a full blown schedule, where youre changing classes and you have more freedom.

The latest round of STAAR scores brought mixed news for the five schools in Transformation Waco, a charter district within Waco ISD formed to address chronically low performing schools through extra resources and different educational approaches. More than half the fifth graders at Brook Avenue Elementary and J.H Hines Elementary failed reading and math, even as both schools nearly doubled the percentage of their students mastering those subjects. At Carver and Indian Spring Middle Schools, which merged last year due to a fire that heavily damaged Carver, most eighth-graders failed math, science and social studies.

Transformation Waco CEO Robin McDurham said she found encouragement in this years testing results while acknowledging the work ahead to boost student learning and achievement.

Overall, were excited about the growth our students are making.  Students are coming back to pre-pandemic levels, McDurham said.

She said the lower passing rates for third graders across the district could be reflecting the impact of the pandemic as those young students began school with instructional disruptions for two of their first three years in school.

In the upcoming school year, Transformation Waco will increase interventions for students struggling with math and will expand student tutoring through state funding for that purpose, she said.

Next years STAAR exams will see changes from this years version, including a move to fully online administration.
A city permit, not a kings proclamation, will allow Chip and Joanna Gaines castle on Austin Avenue to charge for guided tours.

The Waco City Council this week approved on first reading a zoning ordinance defining a house museum and requiring anyone operating such an attraction to secure a permit and meet parking requirements.

Waco Planning Director Clint Peters said the councils action came in response to the Gaineses announced intentions to charge admission for tours at 3300 Austin Ave. Peters said the city did not have an ordinance specifically addressing such an arrangement. The measure the council approved Wednesday defines a house museum as a property designated as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark  with historic or architectural significance which provides house tours to be conducted for compensation to the public for the purpose of offering varied experiences for education, enjoyment, reflection and knowledge sharing.

That is a mouthful, but the castle fits the description.

The ordinance includes a lengthy list of residential, office and commercial zoning designations where house museums are allowed with a city-issued special permit. House museums must provide off-street parking at the rate of one space for each 400 square feet of floor area or one space per three people on a tour if the house museum is limited to tours only.

It goes on to say house museums using attendance to meet parking requirements must verify the maximum number of people allowed on tours.

The castle covers 6,700 square feet over three stories.

Magnolia announced early last month that from July 21 until Oct. 26 it will offer 60-minute walking tours of Cottonland Castle for $50 per person. It said street parking is prohibited, and guests with tickets must park at 161 S. 33rd St., a former car dealership behind the castle. Groups will be limited to 10 people per tour, according to a press release announcing the tours.

Tours will focus on the castles history and design elements included in Magnolias renovation, which will be a subject in a new Fixer Upper series scheduled to start in September. The Gaineses plan to sell the castle, according to the press release on the tours.

My family and I live immediately next door to the castle and are excited to see it fully restored, said Greg Newman, board member and former president of the Austin Avenue Neighborhood Association, quoted in the news release. Given Magnolias approach to the tours, were excited to welcome Wacoans and others to see this historic landmark.

I am confident that with city guidance and planning by Magnolia, these limited tours can operate with minimal impacts to the daily life in our neighborhood and the Austin Avenue traffic situation, Newman continued.

Magnolia will donate 20% of profits from the tours to The Cove, a local drop-in center for teens experiencing homelessness.

Magnolia has been working in conjunction with the neighborhood association and the city of Waco to ensure the tours comply with all city regulations, said Magnolia chief brand officer Kate Barton. Were happy to help preserve this iconic piece of the citys history and we are so excited to welcome guests and locals alike to experience the oldest, most challenging restoration project Chip, Joanna and team have ever completed.

Modeled after a German castle on the Rhine River, the finished residence included a tower, servants quarters, eight fireplaces and interior touches such as Italian Carrara marble, Honduran mahogany paneling and Caen stone from France, according to an account provided by wacohistory.org. Construction began in 1890, and ownership has changed several times.

The Gaineses acquired the property in 2019.

During Wednesdays city council meeting, Peters said city staff determined the homes the Historic Waco Foundation maintains would comply with the new ordinance without modification. He said the Historic Waco Foundation homes also are in areas with commercial or office zoning, meaning they qualify for a permit by right. In other zoning, the city council could use its discretion to deny a house museum permit, even if a property otherwise complies with the ordinances minimum requirements.

The foundation operates the McCulloch House at 407 Columbus Ave., the Earle-Napier-Kinnard House at 814 S. Fourth St. and the East Terrace House at 100 Mill St. as house museums open to the public and as venues for school trips, rotating exhibits and special events. The foundations offices are in another historic home, the Hoffmann House at 810 S. Fourth St.
PRESS RELEASE

EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wisconsin  Military demonstration teams, jetliners, and unique aircraft of all types will be part of the weeklong aerial display lineup at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh on July 25-31. The 69th edition of the Experimental Aircraft Associations fly-in convention will be held at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh.

This year at Oshkosh is unique with the number of special aerial events, ranging from military demo teams to displays from airliners and anniversary formations from homebuilt aircraft, said Rick Larsen, EAAs vice president of communities and member programming. Every day at AirVenture has features during the afternoon air shows that make the week unforgettable, along with the unexpected surprises that create only-at-Oshkosh moments.

Among this years scheduled aerial demonstrations are:

Military participation

U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey demo team (July 30-31)

U.S. Air Force C-17 aerial demo (July 28, 30 and 31)

U.S. Air Force U-2 profile (July 27)

U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command (July 25)

U.S. Air Force Heritage Flight with F-35 and vintage warbirds (July 26-28, 30-31)

U.S. Navy Legacy Flight with E/A-18G Growler and/or F-35C plus vintage warbirds (July 27-31)

U.S. Navy E-2D Hawkeye demo (July 29, 31)





Other aerial demonstrations

Delta Airlines A330-900 (July 26)

United Airlines Boeing 777 demo (July 26)

Flight of the Grumman Cats (July 27, 29)

Vans RV 50th anniversary formations (July 25)

Airbus Perlan II and Grob Egrett (July 26)

Ampaire Electric EEL and Lift Aviation Hexa (July 26)

Additional demonstrations are expected to be added as well. EAA AirVenture afternoon air shows begin at approximately 2:30 p.m. July 25-30 and 1 p.m. on July 31. Night air shows on July 27 and 30 begin at approximately 8 p.m.

About EAA AirVenture Oshkosh

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is The Worlds Greatest Aviation Celebration and EAAs membership convention. Additional information, including advance ticket and camping purchase, is available at www.EAA.org/airventure. For more information on EAA and its programs, call 800-JOIN-EAA (800-564-6322) or visit www.EAA.org. Immediate news is available at www.twitter.com/EAA.
DES MOINES  Joni Ernsts annual summer fundraiser, the Roast and Ride, is back on her campaign calendar in 2022 after a two-year absence.

Ernsts campaign is planning the event for October; an exact date is yet to be determined.

The event, which features a motorcycle ride followed by a hog roast, is getting a new addition this year: a ruck march, which is a military term for walking or hiking with a backpack.

Ernsts campaign said more details, including a precise date and lineup of speakers, for Octobers Ruck, Roast and Ride will be announced later.

Ernsts first Roast and Ride was held in 2015 and featured numerous candidates for president in the 2016 cycle. Donald Trump, then the Republican candidate for president, was guest speaker at the 2016 event.

The event was not held last year, and in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic Ernsts campaign held only the motorcycle ride portion of the event as a charity fundraiser.

Ernst is not up for re-election until 2026.
Gazprom has unexpectedly cancelled dividend payments this year. Russian economy experts are expressing, as experts do, that this could be in preparation for a complete cancellation of gas sales to Europe?

Let us watch and see what happens in reality?

I do see a tendency that Russia is really sick and tired of the EU crap

WtR
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation in Ukraine.

The enemy suffers considerable losses on all fronts.

3 battalions from 10th Mountain Assault and 72nd Mechanised brigades have lost over 50% of personnel near Verkhnekamenka and Zolotaryovka just in the past 24 hours.

Russian Aerospace Forces have launched a high-precision attack at provisional base of 1st Battalion from 30th Mechanised Brigade. The attack has resulted in the elimination of up to 120 Ukrainian servicemen and about 15 units of military equipment.

In addition, Russian aviation has neutralised a provisional armament and military equipment storage base of 10th Mountain Assault Brigade deployed at the territory of a tractor plant in Kharkov. The attack has resulted in the elimination of up to 30 servicemen and 10 units of armoured and motor vehicles.

Russian Federation Armed Forces continue launching attacks at military facilities located in Ukraine.

High-precision attacks launched by Russian Aerospace Forces have resulted in the elimination of 5 command posts of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) near Artyomovsk and Chasov Yar (Donetsk Peoples Republic), Pervomayskoye, Zelyony Gay and Barmashovo (Nikolayev region), 3 munitions depots near Shevchenkovo and Novogrigorovka (Zaporozhye region), as well as AFU manpower and military equipment in 32 areas.

Within the counter-battery warfare, high-precision attacks launched by Russian Aerospace Forces have resulted in the neutralisation of 4 MRLS plattoons near Novoluganskoye, Zhelannoye, Berdychi and Vozdvizhenka from where the AFU had been shelling the settlements of the Donetsk Peoples Republic.

Operational-tactical and army aviation, missile troops and artillery have neutralised: 39 AFU command posts, 2 munitions depots near Nikolayev, as well as manpower and military equipment in 302 areas.

Russian air defence means have shot down 1 MiG-29 of the Ukrainian Air Force near Yavkino (Nikolayev region).

19 Ukrainian UAVs have been shot down near Voskresenovka, Glinskoye, Pitomnik, Zhovtnevoye, Rubezhnoye, Petrovka (Kharkov region), Rabotino, Novodanilovka (Zaporozhye region), Petrovskoye, Popasnaya, Kremennaya (Lugansk Peoples Republic), Snezhnoye, Vysokoye, Yasinovataya, Donetsk, Makeyevka, Dokuchayevsk, Komsomolskoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic).

4 MRLS projectiles have been intercepted near Yasinovataya, Mineralnoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic) and Chernobayevka (Kherson region).

 In total, 227 airplanes and 134 helicopters, 1,430 unmanned aerial vehicles, 353 anti-aircraft missile systems, 3,886 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 702 combat vehicles equipped with multiple rocket-launching systems, 3,073 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 3,954 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.

#MoD #Russia #Ukraine

@mod_russia_enjoy

WtR
Some Hawaii residents, including Native Hawaiians and military families, say an investigation blaming a water contamination crisis on shoddy management and human error doesnt help restore their trust in the U.S. Navy
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

A state district court judge sentenced a California man Friday to 11 years in prison in the 2019 shooting death of Daniel Sias, 34, following a night of heavy drinking at an Albuquerque apartment.

Franklin Robert Gallegos, 40, pleaded guilty in May to second-degree murder and had faced eight to 12 years in prison under the plea agreement.

If there is any love left in your heart, I implore you to cultivate it, Sias mother, Noemi Sias, told Gallegos at his sentencing hearing Friday.

Invest your time in becoming a better person, she said. When you have done your time I can only hope that your life burns brighter.

Gallegos declined to speak prior to sentencing.

Assistant District Attorney Guinevere Ice said Gallegos fatally shot Sias once in the chest after several hours of heavy drinking that began at a bowling alley and continued at an apartment where Gallegos was staying.

A third man present at the gathering said Sias had made a comment, possibly as a joke, that had enraged Gallegos, who drew a pistol and fired four gunshots, Ice said.

He essentially had no motive, Ice said of Gallegos reasons for shooting Sias. He shot this individual for no particular reason.

Gallegos attorney, Robert Aragon, told 2nd Judicial District Judge Bruce Fox that Gallegos first fired two shots into the ceiling, apparently as a warning, after an argument broke out between the three men.

The warning shots showed a good-faith effort to get the other men to back off, Aragon said.

The woman who found Sias body had been letting Gallegos stay at her apartment near Montgomery and Pennsylvania NE in the weeks before the slaying, according to court records.

The day after the killing, officers found Gallegos at a tattoo shop where he worked. A coworker told police he had loaned Gallegos his revolver for protection before the homicide, and a frantic Gallegos returned later saying he had shot someone and buried the revolver in a park afterward, according to an affidavit.

Gallegos previously had been convicted of violent felonies in California, including robbery aggravated assault, and was violating the law by possessing a firearm, Ice said.
In the violent, unforgiving world of MMA, records are like bones and hearts: made to be broken.

In media interviews this week, Edgewoods Donald Cowboy Cerrone said he hopes to set records, before he retires, that never will be equaled or surpassed.

Will he?

Its undeniably true that Cerrone has had, and is having, a career of historic proportions in his chosen sport. He enters Saturdays fight on a UFC card in Las Vegas, Nevada, against fellow greybeard Jim Miller with a chance to break a tie with Miller and Andrei Arlovski for the most wins (23 as of now) in the UFC.

In total UFC fights, he trails Miller by two and Arlovski by one with 37.

If Cerrone wins impressively, he could break a tie with Brazils Charles Oliveira for the most UFC fight bonuses (18).

Should he drop Miller with a punch or a kick, hell add to his own record for knockdowns (20).

Its all fair game. My plan, I want to put records where people cant even touch, Cerrone said.

But to accomplish that, Cerrone, 39, might have to talk the aforementioned Oliveira, the current UFC lightweight champion, into early retirement.

At 32 years, nine months of age, Oliveira has 21 wins and 30 fights in the UFC. At the same age, Cerrone had 15 UFC wins and 19 fights. (One of those wins came against Oliveira, whom Cerrone beat by first-round TKO in 2011.)

Among the under-30 set, theres 24-year-old Chinese bantamweight Yadong Song (nine UFC fights, eight wins). Cerrone was 30 when he fought his ninth UFC fight and earned his eighth victory.

But the closest thing to an untouchable record, should he get there, is Cerrones goal of 50 fights in the organization known as Zuffa  consisting of the UFC and the WEC, a Zuffa-owned circuit for lighter-weight fighters that was absorbed into the UFC in 2011.

Cerrone claims Saturdays fight will be his 49th for that organization; his fight-by-fight list shows him with 47  37 in the UFC, 10 in the WEC  entering the Miller fight.

In any case, Cerrone made it clear this week he intends to get to 50 and might not stop at that point.

If they call me for 51, Im going to say all right, Im there, he said.

Or, maybe not. A loss on Saturday would be Cerrones sixth in a row, and UFC President Dana White has in the past expressed concern for the Cowboys health.

In Cerrones favor is the any-time, any-place, against-anybody attitude that earned him five fights in one calendar year (2011) and four in six other years. In contrast, Albuquerques Diego Sanchez, (32 UFC fights, 19 wins) preceded Cerrone into Zuffa by three years but has never had more than three fights in a year.

Can anyone else get to 50?

Miller is the leader in UFC fights at 39, but he never competed in the WEC. At age 38, 50 seems the remotest of possibilities.

For Arlovski, 43, as durable and as popular as he his, 50 seems out of reach.

Oliveira has never fought more than three times in a calendar year. At that rate, hed need to fight seven more years to reach 50. Hed be 39, as Cerrone is now.

Yadong, the young Chinese bantamweight, also has never fought in UFC competition more than three times in a year. At that rate, hed be at least 38 if and when he were to reach 50.

Is there anyone weve missed? Probably. It seems fair, though, to say Cerrone has fashioned a steep hill for anyone to climb  though not quite comparable to Cal Ripken Jr.s 2,632 consecutive games played in the Major Leagues.

As for Pete Roses all-time MLB record of 4,256 hits, if one counts both hitting and getting hit, Cerrone might already be there.

Cerrone (36-16 overall) and Miller (34-16) each weighed in at 170.5 pounds for Saturdays fight, a half-pound under the welterweight limit for non-title fights.

Miller is a moderate betting favorite, despite having lost to Cerrone by second-round TKO when they fought eight years ago in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Saturday

UFC 276: Israel Asanya vs. Jared Connonier, Donald Cowboy Cerrone vs. Jim Miller, 10 other fights, T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nev. Main card (Asanya-Connonier): 8 p.m., espn+ PPV (streaming). Prelim card (Cerrone-Miller): 6 p.m., ESPN/espn+
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

When John Glynn taps the Liberty Bell replica located on the grounds of Expo New Mexico during a Let Freedom Ring Independence Day ceremony, the sound will reverberate through time  back to his ancestor, Richard Stockton, one of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Those original signers became the first citizens of our country when they declared they were no longer English subjects under King George III, Glynn said, which also made them traitors to England.

Glynn, 77, a retired lieutenant-commander in the U.S. Navy and a former district director with the Department of Homeland Security, has been participating in annual Independence Day bell ringing ceremonies for about 10 years.

He didnt know about his ancestral connection to Stockton until he was 58, when he and his wife, Kathryn, were living in Nashville and he received a book from his then 101-year-old grandmother that traced his family lineage.

He and Kathryn subsequently coauthored a book, His Sacred Honor, Judge Richard Stockton, a Signer of the Declaration of Independence, and became involved with the national organization, Descendents of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence. For a while, Glynn served as the groups president general.

His ancestor, Stockton, was a prominent lawyer and judge in New Jersey. Stocktons 1776 signature on the Declaration of Independence made him a target of British soldiers, who soon arrested and imprisoned him.

The winter was brutal, Glynn said. When he was captured he was in his night clothes, and he was marched to Perth Amboy in New Jersey and then sent to New York.

During his months in prison, his home was occupied by the British, his library burned, his furniture destroyed and his livestock removed. Stocktons health, severely compromised while in prison, never returned. He died in 1781 at age 50.

Glynn fears that the Declaration of Independence is becoming a forgotten document and people have little understanding or appreciation for the personal sacrifices made by the original signers.

Glynns ties to New Mexico go back to 1952 when his family moved to Albuquerque from Arizona.

My dad owned a couple of businesses and we moved down to Los Lunas in about 1959 and I graduated from Los Lunas High School in 1963, he said.

He joined the Navy out of high school and later received a bachelors degree in business from George Washington University in D.C., and a masters degree in business administration from the University of Seattle. After 24 years in the Navy and 25 years working for the federal government, Glynn and his wife moved back to New Mexico in 2019.

The Liberty Bell replica came to New Mexico in 1950, when the U.S. Department of the Treasury held a Save For Your Independence savings bond drive and commissioned the casting of full-size bell replicas  one for each U.S. state and territory.

The New Mexico bell originally traveled around the state in support of the bond drive before winding up in Santa Fe. Then, in 1976, as part of the U.S. Centennial celebrations, it was moved to the State Fairgrounds, where it has remained ever since, said Roger Beimer, the State Fairs unofficial historian.

In 1963, President John F. Kennedy proposed a ceremony to remember the July 4th signing of the Declaration of Independence. As part of that ceremony, which Congress approved, the original Liberty Bell in Philadelphia is tapped 13 times at exactly 2 p.m., in honor of the 13 colonies.

Today, replica Liberty Bells around the country are tapped at the same time, and New Mexicans should feel good knowing that this wasnt just an East Coast war, Glynn said. People living here who came from Spain, and Native people, contributed money toward the American Revolutionary War effort  and ultimately the freedoms we now enjoy.

Freedoms ring

The Let Freedom Ring Independence Day ceremony on Monday at Expo New Mexico starts at 11:30 a.m., with the bell ringing at noon (Mountain Time). It will be followed by a reading of the Declaration of Independence and a calling of the signers names. Visitors should enter the State Fairgrounds through Gate 3 at San Pedro and Copper NE.
With sympathy in their voices, the receptionists at the University of New Mexico Center for Reproductive Health relayed the same news into the phone over and over again Wednesday morning.

Were scheduling about four weeks out.

The people on the other end of the line, mostly women from Texas, were told those four weeks could mean they would become ineligible for abortion medication in lieu of a procedure, or they could have to spend two days at the Albuquerque clinic instead of one.

The universitys clinic is one of three providing abortion procedures in New Mexico, which has become the destination state for many Texans wishing to terminate a pregnancy.

Aside from breaking the news of growing wait times, the front-desk responsibilities of what was once a quiet clinic have grown to include referring out-of-state patients to possible funding sources that could cover the hundreds of dollars they will have to pay out of pocket. The receptionists also help people navigate logistical hurdles so patients can miss as little work or line up as little child care as possible.

Shes under eight weeks, for an appointment at 8 a.m., one clinic employee whispered to her coworker while on the phone with a Texas patient. But the latest flight out (of Albuquerque) is 5:25 p.m., do you think she would make that flight?

Another employee walked in to tell the receptionists not to count one woman who was supposed to be in the clinic about an hour earlier as a no-show. She was on the way, the staffer said, still driving in from Oklahoma.

Before September, the university clinic performed a relatively low number of abortions. With about 2 million residents in the state, the handful of New Mexico abortion clinics and providers performed fewer than 6,000 abortions in 2020, according to the Guttmacher Institute, about a tenth of those performed in Texas.

The clinic was instead able to focus more on its training program for medical students and residents, and it had more availability to provide birth control services and other reproductive health care, according to physicians at the clinic.

But, when Texas banned abortion at about six weeks into a pregnancy last year, their patient load skyrocketed. The demand for abortion care is only expected to grow after the U.S. Supreme Court ended the right to abortion last week, promptly followed by Texas and a growing number of states moving to ban almost all abortions.

Its a different job now, said Dr. Eve Espey on Tuesday evening, sitting in her quiet, stucco-covered home after a long day at the clinic. I would say 75% of our patients have been from Texas for the last several months.

Doctors said more people have recently been coming from Oklahoma, which banned abortions in late May. And others are starting to trickle in from such places as Kansas and Arizona. But the clinic is still bracing for the eventual full impact of the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Theres only so much we can do, said Espey, chair of the universitys OB-GYN department and a founder of the clinic. Were booking out to the end of July, because we cant book more patients in a day.

Beyond an overwhelming increase in out-of-state patients, doctors at the clinic said even more concerning is the increase of patients who are further along in their pregnancies.

Espey said that, since September, local clinics have provided abortions for more than double the number of patients they would have seen before Texas six-week ban. What increased even more was the number of patients more than 14 weeks pregnant, and even more for those between 18 and 20 weeks.

If theyd just been able to go to Dallas, and they live near Dallas, they could go tomorrow, said Dr. Amber Truehart, the clinics medical director. But they have to figure out how to travel here, get child care and funding, and all of that stuff is delaying them.

Thats not ideal for abortions, because it puts you a little further along and things can get a little more complicated, she added.

A mothers decision

Early Wednesday morning, Truehart huddled with nurses, medical assistants, trainees and a newly hired physicians assistant to hear details about the dozen or so abortion patients scheduled for the morning. At least half were from Texas, a point staff made note of since, unlike for New Mexicans, Medicaid and private insurance will not pay for their abortions.

One of the patients was a 23-year-old mother of two children, ages 4 years and 7 months.

The reason why Im deciding to do this is just because financially I cant afford it, she said while waiting for an ultrasound Wednesday, her silky brown hair trailing down her petite frame. Id rather not put myself in a tough situation where I know that I might become homeless because Im trying to provide for three kids.

She is from Las Cruces, so she originally planned to go to El Paso for an abortion, about 30 minutes from the southern New Mexico city. But, with Texas abortion bans, she instead took the day off work and her partner drove her about 3 hours to Albuquerque the night before.

Based on the timing of her most recent period, which she acknowledged was irregular since she was still breastfeeding, the mother and clinic staff estimated she would be more than 10 weeks pregnant. But, after Truehart scanned her uterus and measured the size of the embryo, she determined the patient was less than eight weeks along.

Oh, thats so much better, she sighed in relief on the table.

At eight weeks, she can safely have a medication abortion, Truehart told her, instead of an outpatient procedure. She would take two pills within 48 hours to induce an abortion, with symptoms similar to a miscarriage.

Back in the waiting room with the news from her ultrasound, the Las Cruces woman visibly relaxed. She rested her head on the shoulder of her 7-month-old sons father. They spoke in hushed tones, often interrupted by him kissing the top of her head.

Still, she said she was upset over Texas ban on abortion and the overturning of Roe v. Wade, not only for herself, but also for so many like her.

Theres a lot of women out there that choose to do these things, she said, her arms wrapped protectively around herself in the ultrasound room. Either financially, they cant afford to take care of an infant or, if youre a rape victim  and Im a rape victim  if you get pregnant, it could cause suicide.

An overlooked state

Their priority is their patients, but leading doctors in New Mexico abortion care have other concerns during this time of upheaval in their field.

Theyre worried about staffing shortages, already ever-present in the burnout much of the health care industry struggled with during the crush of the pandemic. And theyre concerned about a chilling effect among health care providers in states with abortion bans, who may not take steps to save a pregnant persons life for fear of criminal prosecution.

In Texas, the states abortion ban will not allow for exceptions in cases of rape or incest, allowing an abortion only if the pregnant persons life is in danger.

Even in cases it would be allowed for exceptions, who wants to put their neck out for that, Espey said. Everybodys afraid of aiding and abetting.

And, in New Mexico, abortion rights advocates and providers are afraid new clinics seeking to provide more care for patients from across the country will bring the wrong kind of attention to a state that typically goes unnoticed by the rest of the country.

When folks come in from out of town, theres the concern that theyre going to upset the political balance and the community relationships, Espey said, noting that local abortion rights groups have worked for decades to cultivate an acceptance of abortion care.

I think these organizations and, frankly, me too, would prefer it was New Mexicans that provide that care, she added. That said, theres a big gap. It would be one thing if we could fill that gap, but, right now, we cant.

New Mexico has no major restrictions in place on abortion access, but it is a poor, largely rural state that often falls short in providing reproductive health care to its own residents.

All three of New Mexicos clinics that provide abortion procedures are in Albuquerque. A handful of other clinics provide abortion medication for early-stage pregnancies, but, as evidenced by the backlog at Espey and Trueharts clinic before Roes reversal, the doctors say the state needs more abortion providers.

But the new spotlight makes them wary of the longevity of the states new role as a haven for abortion care.

Theyre afraid of exactly that, Truehart said, walking around the clinic in purple scrubs and Crocs. That (new providers) are going to bring too much attention to New Mexico as, like, this hub of abortion, and then the tide is going to change and then, bam, New Mexico goes out, too.

Jolie McCullough reports on criminal justice issues and policy for The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans  and engages with them  about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. She came to the Tribune in early 2015 from the Albuquerque Journal. To see the story as it originally appeared in the Tribune, click here.


Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

A man charged in a fatal shooting last month was a confidential informant for the federal Drug Enforcement Administration at the time of the killing, a new court document suggests.

Dakota Cox, 27, exchanged text messages with a DEA agent the day of the killing, threatening to quit the cops and stating his intention to kill a man who had beat and robbed him the day before.

DEA spokesman Carlos Briano declined comment, saying he could not discuss an ongoing investigation.

Cox and Antonio Cordova, 24, each were charged last week with murder in the shooting death of Joshua Beeman, 37, in an alley behind a Central Avenue motel. Arrest warrants were issued for both men on June 23.

A district court judge on Wednesday ordered Cordova held in jail pending trial.

Cox remains at large and is negotiating his surrender through the Law Offices of the Public Defender.

When Mr. Cox learned of the warrant in this case, he came to the Public Defenders Office to qualify for our services and to address the case and the warrant, a public defender wrote in a motion filed Monday. Cox is seeking a first appearance by video. A judge had not ruled on the motion as of Friday.

Mesa Lindren, the attorney who filed the motion, declined additional comment.

Police allege that Cox and Cordova chased Beeman through the alley with guns in the moments before he was fatally shot, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court.

Cox was seeking revenge on Beeman, who beat and robbed Cox the previous day at the Travelodge in the 600 block of Paisano NE, the complaint said.

Cox called 911 on June 14 and told police that a man he knew as Demon had grabbed Coxs pistol out of its holster and struck him over the head, then stole his wallet.

Cox, who had blood on his arms and clothes, told police that Demon held a revolver to the back of his head, said he would kill him, and then took his personal effects, the complaint said.

On June 15  the day of Beemans killing  Cox exchanged a series of text messages with DEA Agent Emmit Fritz, who provided the messages to the Albuquerque Police Department after Beemans death.

Officers included the texts verbatim in an affidavit seeking a warrant for Coxs arrest.

Demon split my head open and stole all my stuff bus they thought I was as I was a snitch, Cox texted the agent. I quit. Working for you they just tried killing me for being a rat.

Fritz first responded to Cox in a text at 8:28 a.m. June 15.

Call me when you wake up and tell me what happened, Fritz wrote. Im sorry I didnt have my phone on me last night.

Cox and Fritz exchanged a series of texts shortly before 3 p.m. June 15 in which the agent encouraged Cox to do your paperwork, apparently in connection with an investigation.

Cox responded that Albuquerque police hadnt helped him press charges or get back his wallet.

He sells dope and everything bro Im going to kill him Im not signing up, Cox replied. When the agent again pressed Cox to complete paperwork, Cox responded, Not until I handle this dude period.

Police alleged that Beeman was fatally shot around 8 p.m. that evening. An autopsy found that Beeman died of multiple gunshots to both legs, his side, hand and buttocks.

After his June 14 confrontation with Cox, Beeman had moved to the Lazy H Motel at 5601 Central NE where he was staying the day he was killed, a witness told police. The witness, an acquaintance of Beemans, said Beeman had asked her for a ride to the Lazy H Motel due to an argument he got into with another male at the Travelodge, the complaint said.

The witness told police she and Beeman exited the Lazy H Motel and were standing next to a furniture store when they were approached by a group of four or five people.

As the group approached, somebody yelled theres Beeman and began shooting. The witness said she could hear Beeman shouting no, no, no, but the gunfire continued.

Another witness who saw the attack from Central Avenue said the victim was yelling no dont please dont Im sorry Im sorry, the complaint said.

Investigators found 13 9mm shell casings at the scene.

Cordova later told police in an interview that on June 15, he met with Cox, who was upset because he had been beaten and robbed the previous day.

Antonio (Cordova) described Dakota (Cox) as being very agitated at the fact he was robbed by Demon, according to a criminal complaint.

Cordova told police that he and Cox began walking through an alley in the 5500 block of Central Avenue NE when they spotted Beeman, and Cox yelled there he is, the complaint said.

The two men began chasing Beeman as Cox fired at Beeman, who collapsed in the alley, it said. Antonio said Dakota had a 9mm compact Taurus handgun that he emptied as he fired shots at Demon, he told police.

Cordova told police he was armed with a shotgun but didnt fire at Beeman. During the pursuit, Beeman grabbed the shotgun from Cordova, he told police. After the shooting, Cordova picked up the shotgun and he and Cox ran north through the alley, got into Coxs white Audi and drove away.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

An Albuquerque Police Department lieutenant who was fired amid an overtime abuse scandal has been reinstated at the same rank.

Jim Edison was terminated in mid-November after internal investigations found he had claimed more overtime hours than he had worked, was untruthful and retaliated against the supervisor who initiated the investigation into him, according to an APD spokesman.

While Edison has returned to the department as a lieutenant, the terms of a settlement agreement he negotiated with the city include that he self-demote in the next several months and undergo an audit of his previous pay records to determine whether he was overpaid.

Edison had led the COVID-19 unit in the departments Special Operations Bureau since spring of 2020. He coordinated APDs response to the pandemic, including contact tracing, testing officers and directing them when to quarantine. When he was transferred to the Homeland Security Division, his new commander raised questions about the hours he was claiming.

The collective bargaining agreement between the city and the police union  which represents officers, lieutenants and sergeants  states that when officers are called into work outside of regular hours they are guaranteed pay for a minimum of two hours, but an internal affairs investigation found Edison was voluntarily working on his off time.

The investigation found Edison, who had been with the department for 14 years, was frequently claiming two hours or more of overtime for any task he did outside of work hours. For instance, he would send a master spreadsheet of COVID-19 numbers to his supervisor every morning around 3 a.m. and claim two hours of overtime when the actual time worked was routinely under half an hour. The investigator concluded that overall, Lt. Edison could have combined work or completed (work) during his shift to cut down on overtime.

It also found that the department failed to adequately re-address and supervise Lt. Edisons behavior in January 2021 and February 2021, which allowed Lt. Edison to continue to violate the same and additional policy violations. Deputy Chief Michael Smathers failed to ensure Edison was correctly coding his overtime hours and failed to identify that what he was claiming was not within department policy. Smathers received an eight-hour suspension and a letter of reprimand.

In March, Chief Harold Medina told the Journal that Edison wasnt exactly breaking the law, he was taking advantage of the CBA.

Edison made $186,944 in 2020 and $173,672 in 2021. In 2020, more than $95,000 appears to be from overtime. Over the course of a year  from April 2020 to April 2021  Edison made about $224,000, according to records APD provided to the Journal.

Edison appealed his termination and reached a settlement agreement with the city in May. His attorney, Tim White, said he was reinstated a couple of weeks ago now and is in the Aviation Department. White declined to comment further but had previously told the Journal that Edison really did work the hours he claimed.

According to the citys transparency portal, Edison is making $43.20 per hour and has earned more than $50,000 so far this year  a figure that includes back pay.

Gilbert Gallegos, an APD spokesman, did not answer questions from the Journal, including about what measures are in place to ensure Edisons overtime is being monitored.

The parties have amicably resolved the litigation and have agreed to the mutual dismissal of all claims against each other, Gallegos wrote in an email.

Excessive overtime billing has been a persistent problem at APD. Since 2014, seven audits or investigations have examined the issue and found deficiencies in the way the city tracks overtime and corrects officers who may be taking advantage of the system.

In March, after Edison had been fired, Medina told the Journal that he thought the case was an example of an instance where the department had held an officer accountable.

Gallegos did not respond to questions about whether Medina still believes Edison was held accountable.

According to the settlement agreement, Edison threatened to file a lawsuit against the city for wrongful discharge and retaliation based on alleged violations of his civil rights and the New Mexico Whistleblower Protection Act. Edison denies he committed any misconduct, and the city denies all allegations he had raised against it.

Under the settlement agreement:

 The city withdrew its decision to terminate Edison and removed that discipline from his record.

 Instead of the 120-hour and 80-hour suspension he was initially handed, Edison will serve a 96-hour suspension with 16 hours held in abeyance for six months as long as he isnt subject to further discipline.

 In addition to the back pay, the city will also pay Edison $20,000.

 No later than Nov. 18, Edison will voluntarily and irrevocably demote to the rank of sergeant or to patrol officer and he will not be eligible for any promotions.

 The city will conduct an independent audit of Edisons pay records from February 2020 through May 21, 2021, and determine whether his claims for overtime were consistent with the law. If the audit determines Edison was overpaid the city will first confer with employee for reimbursement and may thereafter pursue collection of overpaid amounts through appropriate judicial process. If the audit finds that Edison was underpaid he will be paid as required by the CBA.

 Edison retains all rights to deny audit findings and to oppose reimbursement for any reason.
KYIV, Ukraine  Russian forces pounded the city of Lysychansk and its surroundings in an all-out attempt to seize the last stronghold of resistance in eastern Ukraines Luhansk province, the governor said Saturday. A presidential adviser said its fate would be decided within the next two days.

Ukrainian fighters have spent weeks trying to defend the city and to keep it from falling to Russia, as neighboring Sievierodonetsk did a week ago.

Over the last day, the occupiers opened fire from all available kinds of weapons, Luhansk Gov. Serhiy Haidai said Saturday on the Telegram messaging app.

A river separates Lysychansk from Sievierodonetsk, and Oleksiy Arestovych, an adviser to the Ukrainian president, said during an online interview late Saturday that Russian forces had managed for the first time to cross the river from the north, creating a threatening situation. He said they had not reached the center of the city, but control over Lysychansk would be decided by Monday.

Volodymyr Nazarenko, the second in command of the Svoboda battalion who was part of the June 24 retreat from Sievierodonetsk, said the Russians had methodically leveled the city. He described how Russian tanks targeted one building after another, moving on after each one was destroyed.

So they use these tactics where barrages of ammunition are used to destroy the city and turn it into a burnt-down desert, Nazarenko said from the relative safety of Bakhmut, a city to the southwest.

He also said Russian troops obliterated any potential defensive positions with constant artillery and burned down forests to prevent trench warfare.

Luhansk and neighboring Donetsk are the two provinces that make up the Donbas, where Russia has focused its offensive since pulling back from northern Ukraine and the capital, Kyiv, in the spring.

Pro-Russia separatists have held portions of both eastern provinces since 2014, and Moscow recognizes all of Luhansk and Donetsk as sovereign republics. Syrias government said Wednesday that it would also recognize the independence and sovereignty of the two areas and work to establish diplomatic relations with the separatists.

In Slovyansk, a major Donetsk city still under Ukrainian control, four people died when Russian forces fired cluster munitions late Friday, Mayor Vadym Lyakh said on Facebook. He said the neighborhoods that were hit didnt contain any potential military targets.

The leader of neighboring Belarus, a Russian ally, claimed Saturday that Ukraine fired missiles at military targets on Belarusian territory several days ago but all were intercepted by the air defense system. President Alexander Lukashenko described it as a provocation and noted that no Belarusian soldiers are fighting in Ukraine. There was no immediate response from the Ukrainian military.

Belarus hosts Russian military units and was used as a staging ground for Russias invasion. Last week, just hours before Lukashenko was to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian long-range bombers fired missiles on Ukraine from Belarusian airspace for the first time.

Lukashenko has so far resisted efforts to draw his army into the war. But during their meeting, Putin announced that Russia planned to supply Belarus with the Iskander-M missile system and reminded Lukashenko of how dependent his government is on economic support from Russia.

Lukashenko on Saturday also claimed that two Belarusian truck drivers were killed in Ukraine. Ukraine said the truckers were at a gas station when it was hit by a Russian airstrike in March, but Lukashenko claimed the organs were cut out of their bodies to hide evidence that they were shot.

Elsewhere in Ukraine, investigators combed through the wreckage from a Russian airstrike early Friday on residential areas near the Ukrainian port of Odesa that killed 21 people.

Ukrainian Prosecutor-General Iryna Venediktova said the investigators were recovering fragments from missiles that struck an apartment building in the small coastal town of Serhiivka. They also were taking measurements to determine the trajectory of the weapons and the specific people guilty of this terrible war crime, she said.

Larissa Andruchenko said she was in the kitchen making tea at about 1 a.m. when a blast blew the doors open. At first she thought the propane gas tank had exploded, and called her husband to the kitchen.

And right then the lights went off and it was nightmare. The two of us are in the kitchen with glass flying, everything was flying, she said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said three anti-ship missiles struck an ordinary residential building, a nine-story building housing about 160 people. The victims of Fridays attack also included four members of a family staying at a seaside campsite, he said.

I emphasize: This is deliberate direct Russian terror, and not some mistake or an accidental missile strike, Zelenskyy said.

The British Defense Ministry said Saturday that air-launched anti-ship missiles generally dont have precision accuracy against ground targets. It said Russia likely was using such missiles because of a shortage of more accurate weapons.

The Kremlin has repeatedly claimed that the Russian military is targeting fuel storage sites and military facilities, not residential areas, although missiles also recently hit an apartment building in Kyiv and a shopping mall in the central city of Kremenchuk.

On Saturday, Kremenchuk Mayor Vitaliy Maletskyy said the death toll in the mall attack had risen to 21 and one person was still missing.

Ukrainian authorities interpreted the missile attack in Odesa as payback for the withdrawal of Russian troops from a nearby Black Sea island with both symbolic and strategic significance in the war that started with Russias Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine.

Moscow portrayed their departure from Snake Island as a goodwill gesture to help unblock exports of grain.

In other developments:

 The director of a charity helping the family of a British man captured in eastern Ukraine said Dylan Healy was detained on April 25 at a Russian checkpoint in the south of the Zaporizhzhia region. Dominik Byrne, director of operations at Presidium Network, told The Associated Press that Healy is an aid worker and has no connection either to the Ukrainian or the British military.

Healy is among at least five foreigners, including four Britons, being held by separatists, who accuse them of being mercenaries fighting for Ukraine. Three have been sentenced to death. The charges against Healy were announced Friday.

___

Follow APs coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
ROME  Pope Francis urged the people and leaders of Congo and South Sudan on Saturday to turn a page and forge new paths of reconciliation, peace and development.

Francis issued a video message on the day he had planned to begin a weeklong pilgrimage to the two African countries. He canceled the scheduled trip last month because of knee pain that makes walking and standing difficult.

In the message, Francis said he was greatly disappointed to not be able to travel and promised to visit as soon as possible.

He urged the people of both countries not to allow themselves to be robbed of hope despite the violence, political instability, exploitation and poverty that he said had pained them for so long.

You have a great mission, all of you, beginning with your political leaders: It is that of turning a page in order to blaze new trails, new paths of reconciliation and forgiveness, of serene coexistence and of development, Francis said.

He said political leaders owed the pursuit of such goals to young people who dream of peace and deserve to see those dreams come true

For their sake, above all, it is necessary to lay down arms, to overcome all resentment, and to write new pages of fraternity, the pope said.

He was joined in issuing separate video messages by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the moderator of the Church of Scotland, Right Rev. Dr. Iain Greenshields, who were supposed to have accompanied Francis on the South Sudan leg of the trip. In their messages, they expressed disappointment that the visit had to be postponed but urged South Sudanese to nevertheless keep working for peace.

Peace requires much more than not being at war. It must be created together, with your fellow leaders and even with your enemies, Welby said in his message. Greenshields urged the South Sudanese to give expression to Jesus words that Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called the children of God.'

While Francis was unable to travel, he is due to celebrate a special Mass at St. Peters on Sunday for Romes Congolese community. He sent his No. 2, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, to visit both Congo and South Sudan on the days he was supposed to have been there.

The Catholic Church has always played a role in Congo, especially in the establishment of democracy and advocacy for human rights. The church deployed about 40,000 electoral observers in the 2019 election that brought Felix Tshisekedi to the presidency. Tshisekedi, an opposition figure, defeated then President Joseph Kabilas chosen candidate in what was Congos first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since independence from Belgium in 1960.

There were high hopes for peace and stability once South Sudan gained its long-fought independence from Sudan. But it slid into ethnic violence in December 2013. A 2018 peace deal that binds President Salva Kiir and his deputy, Riek Machar, in a unity government encourages authorities to hold elections before February 2023.
Joe Thurston and Louise Kahn walk past solar ovens on display at the June 24 Solar Fiesta and electric vehicle show at UNM. (Chancey Bush/Journal) Becky Salazar is reflected in panels of a solar oven cooking a turkey June 24 during the Solar Fiesta and electric vehicle show at UNM. (Chancey Bush/Journal) Janet Bridgers of the NM Solar Energy Association stands next to an electric car dressed as Wonder Woman during NMSEAs Solar Fiesta on June 24 at UNM. (Chancey Bush/Journal) Jon Verploegh, left, tells Solar Fiesta visitor Wendy Schumann about his homemade heliostat, which uses mirrors that tilt and turn to track the suns movement and reflect light on chosen targets. (Chancey Bush/Journal) Ashok Ghosh, NM Tech mechanical engineering professor and current NM Solar Energy Association president, explains the contents of NMSEAs SunChaser, a trailer-mounted solar classroom that was on display at the June 24 Solar Fiesta at UNM. (Chancey Bush/Journal) Prev 1 of 5 Next

A new mobile solar display will soon visit schools across New Mexico to educate K-12 students about the many ways people can harness the sun to power and heat their homes.

Dubbed the SunChaser, the trailer-mounted display offers a compact, walk-in classroom on wheels for students to learn first hand about everything from solar-electric generation and back-up battery storage to sun-powered heating and cooking systems.

Students from the New Mexico Institute for Mining and Technology in Socorro designed the entire structure. And nearly two dozen seniors from ACE Leadership High School in Albuquerque built it over the past year, creating a miniature model home that runs completely on solar energy, said NM Tech Mechanical Engineering Professor Ashok Ghosh.

Its a mobile learning system for schools and towns around the state, including tribal communities, Ghosh told the Journal. It will go wherever its wanted to teach about solar technology and renewable energy.

In between its travels, the SunChaser will be parked at the Explora Science Center and Childrens Museum in Albuquerque as a permanent exhibition.

Its still a work in progress. NM Tech students expect to complete additional work on the water-heating and electrical-wiring systems over the next year, adding sensors to monitor performance and a computer loaded with learning curriculum for teachers and students to conduct educational projects.

But the basic structure was on display for the first time at this years Solar Fiesta  an annual event organized by the New Mexico Solar Energy Association since 1998. The all-day event took place at the University of New Mexico on June 24. Hundreds of people toured exhibits showcasing solar ovens, a solar-powered boat and an electric racing car  both built by UNM engineering students  and numerous other displays and information booths run by local solar companies and nonprofit organizations.

More than a dozen electric vehicles were also onsite, including an electric-powered motorcycle.

Its the first Solar Fiesta to take place since 2019, following a two-year hiatus caused by the pandemic. And it marked a turning point for the solar association, which launched in 1972 and is now celebrating its 50-year anniversary.

In fact, the Solar Fiesta itself provided a celebratory culmination to the American Solar Energy Societys 51st Annual National Solar Conference, a four-day event that, for the first time in 24 years, was held in Albuquerque at the UNM Student Union Building.

The conference put New Mexico and the solar association, or NMSEA, at the forefront of a robust, national-level discussion about renewable energy development, with industry representatives and professionals from throughout the U.S. and Canada  and from distant countries like Bangladesh, Nepal, Nigeria and South Africa  converging on Albuquerque for a week-long event.

Renewable energy, equitable transition

The Solar Energy Society, or ASES, chose Albuquerque for this years conference to both commemorate the local solar associations 50th anniversary, and to recognize New Mexicos progress in transitioning to renewable energy, said ASES Executive Director Carly Rixham.

The New Mexico association is one of 42 state and regional ASES chapters across the U.S., Rixham told the Journal. This state has great solar potential, and it also has good, strong legislation in place to promote renewable energy.

More than 450 people participated in the conference  about 350 in person and the rest online  including energy experts, university researchers and nonprofit leaders, plus executives from the U.S. Department of Energy and Sandia National Laboratories.

ASES, which originally formed in 1954, saw its membership balloon over the past year, jumping from about 4,600 members in June 2021 to nearly 13,500 this year. The expansion reflects mushrooming interest in national and international efforts to decarbonize the global economy as climate change intensifies, Rixham said

We need to get to 100% renewable energy as soon as possible to avert a climate crisis, which is already upon us, she said.

The conference itself went far beyond solar energy to encompass the overall energy transformation currently underway in the U.S. and elsewhere. It covered everything from clean transportation, energy efficiency, and eliminating the carbon footprint of commercial buildings to public policy and educational programs.

This year, ASES also introduced the theme of energy transition with economic justice as a central focus for discussion. Panel presentations highlighted the environmental damage from fossil fuels that disproportionately affects minority and low-income communities. And participants discussed strategies to help those same communities transition to renewable resources, and to mitigate the economic impact of shutting down coal plants and other carbon-based industrial operations.

This conference really aimed to shine a light on all that, Rixham said. Thats critical, because the transition to renewable energy is inevitable, but an equitable transition is not inevitable.

Education at the forefront

At its core, however, the solar conference and the accompanying Solar Fiesta focused primarily on education. Those annual events are all about enriching the knowledge and experience of people already involved in renewable energy, while inspiring younger generations and the community in general to get involved, Rixham said.

The conference facilitates a real exchange and sharing of ideas, she said. Education and building community is at the foundation.

Many conference presentations focused specifically on strategies to reach out to students at all levels to engage them in the issues of climate change and clean energy through hands-on learning that can potentially motivate them to embrace science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, education.

One program, for example  California-based We Share Solar  offered a unique educational approach at the conference. The program enables middle and high school students across the U.S. to directly build a compact solar system that, once finished, is shipped to developing countries to provide electricity to schools that currently operate without lights or electric appliances.

To date, about 37,000 students have participated in nearly 700 team projects around the nation. Theyve collectively built nearly 900 compact solar systems, or solar suitcases, that are now lighting up hundreds of schools in Central and South America, East Africa, the Caribbean and the Philippines, said program co-founder Hal Aronson.

The program allows kids in the U.S. to actually build systems that get installed in schools overseas, Aronson told conference participants. Its an opportunity for students to work together on projects that can empower and educate them while raising their interest in STEM.

The nonprofit provides all the tools needed to build a 12-volt DC standalone system that fits into a suitcase for shipment to community organizations overseas. Those groups, in turn, work with local students to install the systems at their own schools.

The kit includes a full educational curriculum for students to assemble the solar suitcase, providing real-world experience that in the process teaches them about global energy poverty, basic electricity, solar energy and engineering. In return, solar-suitcase recipients share stories and photos of overseas beneficiaries for students here to see the full impact of their work.

We Share Solars approach engages the heads, hands and hearts of students, said program co-founder Gigi Goldman.

It makes all the difference in the world for students to have a compelling reason to learn and understand why STEM is important, Goldman said. Having a purpose draws in students who might otherwise never engage. Thats especially true for girls and minorities.

And by embracing the issues of climate change and renewable energy through direct action, educators can help offset feelings of anxiety and helplessness about the future that many youngsters experience, Aronson said.

We have a real problem today in education, Aronson said. Students are overwhelmed and anxious about climate change, and yet theyre expected to go to school and sit in classrooms to learn about subjects they believe may only be useful in five or ten years, which makes it irrelevant for them and hard to focus. Kids are wondering if the world is going to end, and that leads to feelings of despair and futility, which tunes them out.

Engaging NM students

NMSEAs new SunChaser mobile classroom integrates all those educational elements and strategies to benefit New Mexico students and local communities, said Brad Humble, the professor at ACE Leadership High School who led the ACE SunChaser construction project that included 22 students.

This was a senior class project, Humble told the Journal. The students spent all year working on it.  They did all the construction  we taught them and supported them  but they did it.

That included classroom learning about solar energy, photovoltaics, solar-based water heating systems and more, Humble said. Then the students put that STEM-based learning directly to work on the SunChaser, gaining direct experience in everything from welding, carpentry and sheet metal work to project management and reading and applying blueprints.

Working as a team and communicating with one another about problems and challenges, such as supply-chain issues created by the pandemic, greatly added to the learning experience.

All the windows we ordered came in damaged, and the students had to physically repair them, Humble said. Apart from construction skills, they learned the deeper stuff, like how to communicate and what to do when something isnt going right.  Those things help build self confidence, and thats tremendously positive for youth.

For Humble, however, the biggest benefit was exposure to real-world issues, technology, and new career options.

It makes them aware that these technologies exist, and that theres a whole world out there with employment possibilities that they never knew existed, Humble said.

Solar evolution

In some ways, the SunChaser project reflects NMSEAs continuing evolution after 50 years of advocacy. The organization has grown from a small grouping of solar enthusiasts and researchers in its early years that focused mostly on passive solar energy  such as water heating systems and solar ovens  to encompass educational programs and outreach that teach about and promote modern systems and renewable technologies in general.

The new mobile classroom, for example, is actually a second-generation version of NMSEAs original SunChaser, which was built by association volunteers in the late 1990s and traveled to schools and community events around the state for about ten years. That old model is now in disrepair, giving rise to the new one, which the student designers at NM Tech have dubbed SunChaser 2k20.

NM Tech doctoral student Gabriel Maestas said the 2k20 version fuses past knowledge about passive solar and early photovoltaics with todays modern capabilities.

Since the 1990s, technological innovation has led to great improvements in renewables, especially in solar energy, Maestas wrote in the latest edition of ASES quarterly publication Solar Today. The new SunChaser has greater capabilities and is more representative of modern renewable technology while still displaying the pertinent heritage methods.

And rather than NMSEA professional volunteers building it, this one was designed and constructed by high school and college students, reflecting the associations efforts to double-down on outreach to younger generations, said NM Tech professor Ghosh, who is also NMSEAs current president.

The whole purpose of everything we do is to make the community more knowledgeable and aware of everything going on, Ghosh told the Journal. Education and outreach is a huge component, with a special focus on youngsters to make sure the next generation is properly trained.

The organization has grown and expanded its activities over the years. Since the mid-2000s, for example, its been instrumental in lobbying for pro-renewable legislation, such as the states ongoing solar and wind tax credits.

It currently has more than 200 active members, with local chapters in most areas of the state.

The Solar Fiesta provides an annual opportunity to directly interact with the local community, said Rose Marie Kern, an NMSEA life time member and past president who in previous years organized and ran the event.

Kern wrote The Solar Chef, a book with more than 400 southwestern recipes for solar cooking, which she teaches about through UNM Continuing Education and through the Bernalillo County Agricultural Extension Service. At this years Fiesta, she ran a booth that displayed small and large solar ovens with onsite cooking demonstrations that included everything from lasagna, muffins and brownies to corn bread and carne adovada.

The organization has changed a lot over the years, but the central purpose remains the same  to teach people about all things solar, Kern told the Journal. At the Fiesta, people can walk through all the exhibits and information booths to see solar being used in dozens of ways and get ideas about how they can use it in their own daily lives.
Dr. Ahmed Bolkhir Christina Andre Margaret Joy Longley Dr. Susan Harte Prev 1 of 4 Next

Lovelace Medical Group has announced several new hires.

Dr. Ahmed Bolkhir has been hired as a gastroenterologist. Bolkhir completed his general gastroenterology fellowship at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and trained in advanced endoscopy at Medical College of Wisconsin. He then joined the faculty at the Oklahoma University Health Science Center, where he was elected president of the Arkansas-Oklahoma Society of Endoscopy. Bolkhir is a member of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and the American College of Gastroenterology. He is located at Lovelace Medical Group at 500 Walter NE, Suite 401.

Christina Andre, FNP-C, has been hired as a certified family medicine nurse practitioner. Andre received her bachelors degree at the University of Phoenix, and earned certifications as a family nurse practitioner from Grand Canyon University and Northern Arizona University. Her clinical experience includes preventive care, treatment of chronic conditions, emergency response and more. Andre is located at Lovelace Medical Group at 6701 Jefferson NE.

Margaret Joy Longley, DNP, ANPC, RN, has been hired as a certified nurse practitioner. Longley earned her bachelors degree at Columbia University in New York City, and completed her masters in health promotion studies at the University of Alberta in Canada. She also completed her doctorate at St. Catherine University in St. Paul. Longley has more than 35 years of experience in assessing and managing general cardiology, heart failure and diabetes for adult patients. She has held certifications both as a diabetes educator for more than 25 years, and as a certified heart failure nurse for more than five years. She focuses on chronic disease management and patient-centered team collaboration. Longley is located at Lovelace Medical Group at 6701 Jefferson NE.

Dr. Susan Harte has been hired as a doctor of osteopathic medicine. Harte attended medical school at Des Moines University and completed her family practice residency at Broadlawns Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa. She is certified by the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners and the American Board of Family Medicine. She is also a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians. Harte sees patients 18 and older. She is located at Lovelace Medical Group at 4420 Irving NW.
Ruby Berge has been promoted to data warehouse manager at New Mexico Mutual.

Berge will lead a team of specialized information technology professionals in the architecture, development, quality assurance testing and production of the companys Enterprise Data Warehouse. She has nearly 30 years of experience in the IT field, and joined the company in 2000 as an entry-level business analyst and worked her way up to database administration manager over a period of 19 years. Before accepting her current position, she was with ProAssurance/Norcal Group, a national provider of medical professional liability insurance. Berge holds a masters in computer information systems from Boston University and a masters from University of Phoenix.

She also completed a specialization in analysis and design at ICESI University in Cali, Columbia, and earned a systems engineering degree from Universidad Autonoma de Colombia in Bogota. New Mexico Mutual is the largest writer of workers compensation insurance in the state.
Molina Healthcare of New Mexico on Thursday announced a new plan president, the highest-ranking position for the states health plan.

Carolyn Ingram will take the reins from former plan president, David Nater, who is now leading Molinas New Mexico operations as chief operating officer.

Im honored to lead the New Mexico health plan and help the people of my home state, in all of our beautiful diversity, access the best possible health care and community services, Ingram said.

Ingram isnt new to Molina Healthcare, having served in a variety of roles for the company over the years since she joined in 2015.

That includes positions as executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Molina Healthcare and as executive director for MolinaCares Accord, a nationwide program that aims to reduce racial disparities in health care.

Outside of Molina Healthcare, Ingram served as the SCHIP director and chair of the New Mexico Medical Insurance Pool  a program established in the late 1980s that helps provide access to health insurance coverage for residents who are denied health insurance in certain circumstances.

Most notably, though, Ingram served as the states Medicaid director from 2003 to 2011, helping lead the charge in the development and implementation of the states first managed long-term services and support program.

Ingram holds a bachelors degree from the University of Puget Sound, and an MBA from New Mexico State University.

Marc Russo, the executive vice president of Molina Healthcare at the national level, said the hiring of Ingram shows the company is demonstrating emphatically that it is all in for New Mexico.

Carolyn (Ingram) has a deep understanding of New Mexicos needs and a proven history of successfully serving New Mexicans, Russo said.
JERUSALEM  The Palestinian Authority on Saturday said it has given the bullet that killed Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh to American forensic experts, taking a step toward resolving a standoff with Israel over the investigation into her death.

The announcement came just over a week before President Joe Biden is to visit Israel and the occupied West Bank for meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. It signaled that both sides may be working to find a solution to the deadlock.

Abu Akleh, a veteran correspondent who was well known throughout the Arab world, was fatally shot while covering an Israeli military raid on May 11 in the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.

The Palestinians, along with Abu Aklehs colleagues who were with her at the time, say she was killed by Israeli fire. The Israeli army says that she was caught in the crossfire of a battle with Palestinian gunmen, and that it is impossible to determine which side killed her without analyzing the bullet.

Israel says it has identified the rifle that may have shot her, but that it cannot draw any conclusions unless it is compared to the bullet. The Palestinians have refused to turn over the bullet, saying they dont trust Israel. Rights groups say Israel has a poor record investigating shootings of Palestinians by its troops, with probes languishing for months or years before they are quietly closed.

The Palestinian attorney general, Akram al-Khateeb, said the bullet was given to U.S. experts for technical work.

He reiterated the Palestinian refusal to share the bullet with the Israelis but said the Palestinians welcome the participation of any international bodies to help us confirm the truth.

We are confident and certain of our investigations and the results we have reached, he said.

It was not immediately clear what the American experts could discover without also studying the Israeli weapon. It also was not clear whether Israel would turn over the rifle to the Americans. The Israeli military declined comment, and U.S. Embassys Office of Palestinian Affairs said it had no new information to offer.

A Palestinian official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was discussing a diplomatic matter, said the issue was raised in a phone call between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Secretary of State Antony Blinken and that both sides hope to resolve the issue before Bidens arrival on July 13.

An AP reconstruction of events has lent support to eyewitnesses who say she was shot by Israeli troops. But a weapons expert interviewed by the AP as part of the reconstruction said that it was impossible to reach a conclusive finding without further forensic analysis. Israeli leaders have repeatedly said that soldiers did not intentionally target her.

Abu Akleh, who was 51, was a widely known and respected on-air correspondent who rose to fame two decades ago during the second Palestinian intifada, or uprising, against Israeli rule. She documented the harsh realities of life under Israeli military rule  now well into its sixth decade with no end in sight  for viewers across the Arab world.

Israeli police drew widespread criticism from around the world when they beat mourners and pallbearers at her funeral in Jerusalem on May 14. An Israeli newspaper last month reported that a police investigation found wrongdoing by some of its officers, but said those who supervised the event will not be seriously punished.

Jenin has long been a bastion of Palestinian militants, and several recent attacks inside Israel have been carried out by young men from in and around the town. Israel frequently carries out military raids in Jenin, which it says are aimed at arresting militants and preventing more attacks.

Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war and has built settlements where nearly 500,000 Israelis live alongside nearly 3 million Palestinians. The Palestinians want the territory to form the main part of a future state. Peace talks broke down more than a decade ago, and with Israel now in a new election campaign, they are unlikely to resume anytime soon. The caretaker prime minister, Yair Lapid, supports a two-state solution with the Palestinians, but right-wing parties that oppose Palestinian statehood appear positioned to dominate the election.

___

Associated Press writer Fares Akram in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, contributed to this report.
LONDON  Hundreds of thousands of people turned out on the streets of London on Saturday to mark the 50th anniversary of the U.K.s first Pride parade, filling the streets of the British capital with color.

A vibrant crowd turned out to either take part in or watch the festivities, forming a spectacle of rainbow flags, glitter and sequins. After two years of cancellations because of the coronavirus pandemic, the parade came a half-century after Britains first march to celebrate Pride in 1972 in London.

Saturdays procession took on a similar route to the original, starting outside Hyde Park and touring the streets towards Westminster. The London mayors office said that more than 1 million revelers attended the celebrations, which also included a concert in Trafalgar Square.

Chris Joell-Deshields, the director of organizers Pride in London, said momentous rights and freedoms had been earned since the inaugural event, but there is more to be done.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan hailed a beautiful day of unity, visibility, equality and solidarity as he joined in the celebrations.

More than 600 LGBTQ groups were expected to take part in the march, which was headed by members of the Gay Liberation Front from the 1972 protest.

Organizations ranging from charities to universities to the emergency services were also represented. But uniformed officers from Londons Metropolitan Police force werent among them, as has been the case in previous years.

The move came in response to LGBTQ campaigners raising concerns over their confidence in policing, in particular the quality of the police forces investigation into murders carried out by serial killer Stephen Port. In 2016, Port was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the murders of four young gay men whom he met online.

Members of the police force were able to join Saturdays march of their own accord.

I think the police have been sensitive to the issues raised by the community, Khan said. And there will be uniformed officers in and around Pride to make sure were all safe, to make sure this parade is a success.

Those taking part had been urged to take a COVID-19 test before the march with virus cases on the rise across Britain. The U.K. Health Security Agency had issued a similar caution for people showing possible symptoms of monkeypox.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

In the small northern New Mexico town of Wagon Mound on Friday night, Irene Romero backed out of a driveway and into the road.

She was taking her 9-year-old niece, Daniella Lopez, home  just up the block  after taking care of the girl while her parents were at work. Romeros 21-year-old daughter, Shantelle Romero, and 4-year-old granddaughter Annalise Romero  who also lived nearby  went along for the ride.

Thats when, police say, a 22-year-old drunken driver speeding down N.M. 120 crashed into their car.

Romero, 42, and the two young girls were killed, according to New Mexico State Police, and her daughter sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

On Saturday, relatives said, Annalises parents had to go to Albuquerque to take their daughter off life support.

In a tearful interview, Irene Romeros younger sister, Debbie Romero, said the whole family and the community are entirely heartbroken. Irene was the fourth of eight tight-knit siblings  one brother and seven sisters.

Were trying to understand and figure out how to move on in life without a good portion of our family   Debbie Romero said. We were planning to go out for the Fourth. I miss her already  we all do.

Contributing factor

Jesse Joel Blanco, also from Wagon Mound, is charged with three counts of vehicular homicide while driving intoxicated, aggravated DWI causing great bodily harm, speeding and reckless driving. He was booked into the San Miguel County Detention Center.

His passenger, 20-year-old Dominic Armijo, is charged with tampering with evidence as police said he tried to hide the alcohol containers after the crash. He was taken to the hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

No court documents on the case were available Saturday and it is unclear who the mens attorneys will be.

Officer Ray Wilson, a State Police spokesman, said shortly before 10:45 p.m. officers were called to the crash on N.M. 120 and Aguilar Street.

Officers determined Blanco was driving a 2022 Toyota car west on N.M. 120 at a high rate of speed when he rear-ended Romeros 2004 Saturn car as she backed out of a driveway.

Ms. Romero and one of the children were pronounced deceased on the scene by the Office of the Medical Investigator, Wilson said. The other child was transported by ambulance to an area hospital, where she later died.

Wilson said alcohol was a contributing factor in the crash and seat belt use is under investigation.

With the July 4th holiday upon us, NMSP urges drivers not to drink and drive, Wilson said. Plan ahead so that you arent in a situation where you will drink and drive. Call a ride service, or designate a driver. Hundreds of lives could be saved every year if drivers would make the decision not to drink and drive.

Blanco does not have a criminal history in New Mexico, according to online court records, but has been cited twice before for speeding.

Whole town reeling

The Romero family grew up in and around Wagon Mound  a small village of about 470 people along Interstate 25 north of Las Vegas  and multiple generations have attended school there.

Me and Irene would take the kids to the school sprinklers, Debbie Romero remembered. Homey kind of stuff  small town stuff  we were always at the park. She loved going for a walk in the park and we would take all the neighborhood kids.

Irene Romero used to be a certified nursing assistant but more recently was working as a cashier. She was excitedly planning her granddaughter Annalises upcoming birthday.

She was funny and honest and always a jokester, Debbie Romero said. Like you wanted someone to laugh you would call her about just about everything. She was a caring person and always put others before her.

Even at the age of 4, Annalise was known for being full of energy and a jokester like her grandmother.

She was really smart and highly independent, Debbie Romero said. She could do it herself, she was a big girl. She liked to prank people  She was just something else.

Nine-year-old Daniella Lopez  a twin named after her father  was quieter, Debbie Romero said.

She was a good responsible kid who liked her dog, Debbie Romero said.

She said the whole town is reeling from the tragedy and coming to terms with the loss.

I think we all feel the same way, our whole entire family  the whole community for crying out loud, Debbie Romero said. (They) knew a lot of people, its a small town.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

Albuquerque police have arrested one of at least three men they believe shot up a car at an East Central convenience store, killing the driver and wounding the passenger, in early May.

Raymond Sedillo, 25, died on May 21  two and a half weeks after he was shot. The Albuquerque Police Departments Gun Violence Reduction Unit was initially tasked with investigating the case but turned it over to homicide detectives after Sedillos death.

Curtis Taylor III, 24, was arrested Friday and charged with murder. None of the other suspects appear to have been charged.

In the early morning hours of May 8, investigators were called to the In and Out Market on Central and Pennsylvania for a shooting.

Officers who had been nearby heard multiple gunshots and saw people running from the parking lot. When they went to investigate, they found a car had crashed into a curb and a man  later identified as Sedillo  was inside it with a gunshot wound.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court, Sedillos friend  who had also been shot  told detectives that they had gone to the store to buy cigarettes and saw several men they knew to be members of local gangs arrive in the parking lot. Sedillos friend said he was a member of a gang and Sedillos girlfriend told detectives that Sedillo used to hang out with a gang when he was younger.

Sedillos friend told detectives the men approached his car and began shooting at them and, while Sedillo had a firearm, he was not able to pull it out and shoot back. Sedillo was able to drive away from the scene and then crashed nearby.

After watching security camera footage of the shooting, investigators were able to identify Taylor by determining the SUV the suspects were driving belonged to a woman identified as his girlfriend in prior incident reports, according to the complaint. Later, when detectives talked to the girlfriend, she confirmed that the security camera footage showed one of the shooters was Taylor.

The motive for the shooting is not clear from the complaint.

One witness told detectives he heard Taylor and Sedillo arguing about money just before the shooting. Sedillos girlfriend told detectives that he and a friend had been buddy talking or talking secretive between each other, possibly planning something before they went to the In and Out Market.

She said she and Sedillo would visit the In and Out Market daily and Sedillo would stop in before work in the morning or in the evening.

(Sedillos girlfriend) denied ever seeing anyone walking around the In and Out with firearms, and stated that she only really sees drug users smoking blues or shooting up at the In and Out, the detective wrote in the complaint.

Blues typically refers to fentanyl.
The exhibition Art Meets History: Technologies of the Spirit challenges the idea of a singular New Mexico story.

Open at 516 ARTS, the exhibition marks a second iteration of the show that opened with Many Worlds Are Born, showcasing that constellation of community and history expressed through art.

Many of us think of technology as being limited to cell phones, algorithms and computers. The show argues that technology can be something as simple as ritual or self-care.

Its similar to the last show, said co-curator Alicia Inez Guzman, to look at New Mexicos many histories and pair them side by side.

Artist Josh T. Franco, an art historian and archivist for the Smithsonian Institution, zeroed in on the legacy of Georgia OKeeffe, even recording a lecture given at the Santa Fe museum. He had already explored the legacy of the artist Donald Judd in southwest Texas. He also referenced Ralph Looneys 1962 black and white photograph of OKeeffe holding a stone.

His piece On Art History (for Georgia OKeeffe) depicts a cloud from the artists famous 1960s series using acrylic, watercolor and projector slides.

Franco recorded a talk by Georgia OKeeffe Museum director Cody Hartley saying some area residents objected to the term OKeeffe Country.

He was saying some people dont like it and the audience responds with uncomfortable laughter, Guzman said.

The installation features clothing from Franco as well as one of OKeeffes suits.

Marcus Zuniga created a chuparosa (hummingbird) from light and mirrors. The artist has a keen interest in cosmology.

The original installation in Mimbres honors his great-great grandmother.

She died at noon, he said in a telephone interview from Pasadena, California. We set it up at the place of her birth, at the time of her death to think about her life as a contribution to the cultural landscape of New Mexico.

Superpredator, Karsten Creightney (Albuquerque), 2022, collage, silkscreen, watercolor, acrylic, oil and wax on canvas, 65.5x79.5 inches. (Courtesy of 516 ARTS) The Hand, Laurie OBrien (San Francisco/Brooklyn), stills from collage animation. (Courtesy of 516 ARTS) Regalia for Holo-it xistz and Son, yaazh, mijo, Eric-Paul Riege (Dine/Navajo, Gallup), 2019, mixed-media and fiber. Worn in performances at ICA Miami and Sanitary Tortilla Factory. (Courtesy of Silvia Rios) Prev 1 of 3 Next

Hexagon-shaped mirrors and video projections reflect and layer in a model of the cosmos. The hexagons could form the apparatus on space telescopes.

Hexagons are one of the most efficient geometrics to measure space with, Zuniga said, explaining that the James Webb Space Telescope features that shape to measure infrared astronomy.

Zuniga grew up in Hatch.

I was doing all this genealogy research, he said. I have this lineage, like a lot of people in rural New Mexico, that goes back 100 years.

He traced his family back to the Hispanics who fled Santa Fe following the 1680 Pueblo Revolt. His parents were teachers.

He also wanted to honor his grandmother and her legacy.

I named the project chuparosa for her, he said. She has the wonderful ability for hummingbirds that fly around her face in the morning.

Zuniga moved to California four years ago to attend graduate school at Pasadenas ArtCenter College of Design.

I like it here because its close to Cal Tech and the Jet Propulsion Lab, he said.

To develop the projects, many of the artists researched the Albuquerque Museums photography archives and participated in 516s educational program Artist Lab: Art Meets History in New Mexico. Co-curated by Ric Kasini Kadour and Guzman, a series of public conversations and activities accompanies the exhibition.
BV Rao, often known as Venkat, has returned to India Today Group (ITG) as Group Consulting Editor-Digital after a stint from 2002 to 2005.

Venkat will be responsible for building ITGs mobile businesses under the Tak brand in his new capacity. In addition to the existing mobile digital channels, he will concentrate on regional and specialty mobile digital channels.

Venkat will report to ITG Vice-Chairman Kalli Purie and will collaborate on the commercial side with Vivek Gaur, COO, Tak Channels, and on the editorial side with Milind Khandekar, Managing Editor, Tak Channels, to capitalise on editorial synergies for the new Taks.

Venkat joins ITG after two and a half years as Group Editor at TV9 Group.

Venkat has worked in print, broadcast, and digital media with companies such as Mid-Day, Sunday Observer, Indian Express, Free Press Journal, Times of India, DNA, Star News, Zee News, Governance Now, Samay News Network, and Firstpost during the course of his 38-year-long career.
OLX Autos, Indias leading player in the pre-owned automobile segment, along with Bollywood director Rohit Shetty and Actor Sharman Joshi have released their third ad film titled Ghoomti Hui Car under the Shetty ke Car-Naame campaign.

The third ad film in the series of 4 films, focuses around the value proposition of OLX Autos, offering the best-price for pre-owned cars and conveys the delightful experience consumers can expect when selling their cars to OLX Autos. The campaign films are a humorous take on the common tropes found across Rohit Shettys movies, where cars are often shown performing a wide array of stunts and often forming the centerpiece of the movies.

The new ad film titled - Ghoomti Hui Car plays on the trope of Rohit Shetty using cars that spin around or drift for an extended period of time often to mark the entry of an superstar actor in key scenes across his movies as demonstrated by Ajay Devgns entry in Singham. Rohit proposes the sale of the stunt car to Sharman Joshi, who portrays the role of an OLX Autos employee, who then delights him by offering the best price for the same.

The campaign conceptualized by Lowe Lintas Delhi once again resonates and showcases OLX Autos commitment to offering the Best Price on any car that a consumer may be keen to sell.

With a low per capita car ownership rate in India, pre-owned cars outpace new cars in terms of cars sold and are often the first set of wheels for many consumers. The supply for pre-owned cars stems from existing car owners. However, given the largely fragmented nature of the pre-owned car market consumers often face difficulties in realizing the right price while selling their cars. The campaign seeks to highlight key offerings by OLX Autos, which aim at removing this information and access asymmetry with transparent evaluation process with no hidden charges, free inspection, seamless RC transfer and more.
Zee News Sudhir Chaudhary set to start his own venture

Sudhir Chaudhary, who has quit as Editor-in-Chief and CEO of Zee News, WION, Zee Business, Zee 24 Taas and host of the prime-time show Daily News & Analysis (DNA), on Zee News, is planning to start his own venture, sources have confirmed to Adgully.

Mukesh Ambani steps down as Reliance Jio Director; Akash Ambani made Chairman

There is a change of guard at Reliance Jio. On Tuesday, the Reliance Jio Board of Directors named Akash Ambani as its new Chairman. The appointment comes a day after Mukesh Ambanis resignation as Director of the company became effective.

Change of guard at Reliance  A lesson in having a successful succession plan

Earlier this week, Mukesh Ambani stepped down as Director of Reliance Jio. His elder son, Akash Ambani, has been named Chairman. At 64, it is not yet retirement time for Mukesh Ambani. But he has started the succession process early enough for his son Akash to emerge as a strong business leader and be mentored by the best.

The evolving face of Social Media  from socialising to the Metaverse

The power of Internet has really transformed the world and today, social media has become a very lively and dynamic platform for engagements. In the earlier days, we had the telephone followed by telex machines and then the fax machines, but today, the Internet has revolutionised the world of communication. Right from individuals to corporates, everyone today is very much present on social media to stay connected.

How social media has become the strongest place for change for good campaigns

With the rapid digitisation, it becomes very difficult to comprehend for GenZ about the mode of communication used by their parents  the time when letters were the prime means of staying in touch with friends and family, which often would take at least a week to be delivered. Compare that with the communication at almost the speed of thought today, thanks to Digital.

TDS for influencers: Experts weigh in on ramifications & challenges of implementation

Starting from July 1, 2022, social media influencers, doctors and other people of a similar calibre, who receive free goods from businesses, would be required to pay 10% tax deducted at source (TDS) for obtaining them. Adgully reached out to a cross-section of leaders from the industry to know about the implications of this new regulation.

Cannes Lions 2022 Winners Speak:

India has some of the best talents when compared to the world: Amit Wadhwa

In an email interaction with Adgully, Amit Wadhwa, CEO, Dentsu Creative India, shares his excitement over the agencys stupendous performance at Cannes Lions 2022, his observation on the creative talent in India, and more.

When you create work, you should not think of accolades: Sukesh Nayak

In an email interaction with Adgully, Sukesh Nayak, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy India, speaks about winning at Cannes Lions 2022, the joy of seeing work from India being celebrated at the world stage, and more.

Mondelezs Cannes Lions win is definitely not a flash in the pan: Anil Viswanathan

Anil Viswanathan, Senior Director  Marketing, Mondelez India, speaks to Adgully about Mondelezs Titanium Lion-winning campaign  Not Just a Cadbury Ad 2.0  at Cannes Lions 2022, what makes him be confident about the creative work from India on global forums, why brands and ads need to create meaningful engagement, and much more.

Cannes Lions 2022: India is the new LatAm when it comes to award shows - Mukund Olety

In an email interaction with Adgully, Mukund Olety, Chief Creative Officer, VMLY&R India, celebrates Indias wins at Cannes Lions 2022 and how the country is turning into a creative powerhouse.

Cannes Lions 2022: The 1983 moment of Indian advertising  Josy Paul

In a brief e-mail interaction with Adgully, Josy Paul, Chairman and CCO of BBDO India, speaks about his agencys win at Cannes Lions 2022, Indias strong show at the advertising festival, how creativity is the return gift of empathy, and more.

How ZEE5 is gaining traction with its bullish push for Telugu content

In conversation with Adgully, Anuradha Gudur, Chief Cluster Officer-Telugu, ZEEL, speaks at length about the new Telugu content slate, how dubbed content is helping increase the viewership base and much more.

One cannot equate skill-based real-money gaming with gambling: Gaurav Mehta

In conversation with Adgully, Gaurav Mehta, CMO, Zupee, speaks about the Real Money Gaming genre, emphasis on classic games that have a high nostalgia quotient, the road ahead for the gaming industry in India and more.

Tiki will be getting into social commerce & explore branded content: Ian Goh

In conversation with Adgully, Ian Goh, Chief Executive Officer, Tiki, elaborates on the business proposition of the short-form video platform, the focus on Creator First proposition, how Tiki is empowering the creator community, and more.

Lines are now blurred for PR, Marketing, Advertising & Talent Management agencies

In conversation with Adgully, Alpa Turakhia and Sharlene Batlivala, Owners of Communique PR, speak at length about managing celebrities, how PR is done when a movie is released, brand ambassadors and much more.

93% of Indians prefer brands with a sense of humour: Deepa Param Singhal

In a free-wheeling chat with Adgully, Deepa Param Singhal, Vice President, Applications, Oracle India, speaks in depth about the findings of The Happiness Report, how consumer perceptions of happiness is changing, why business leaders in India are hesitant to use humour in customer interactions, and more.

Average open rate for emails across industries has diminished to 8.7%: Chris Higgins

In a conversation with Adgully, Chris Higgins, Senior VP - Marketing at Netcore Cloud, said Friday is the best day of the week for getting high engagement on campaigns, while the worst day of the week to send a campaign is Sunday.

How Canesten took the gamified mobile ad route to connect with its TG

In conversation with Adgully for their column Talking insights, Ritu Mittal, Head of Marketing and Digital, Bayer Consumer Health Division in India, speaks about the new campaign, creating a connect with young active women, addressing the problem of skin fungal infections, and more.

How social app Taki aims to empower content creators

In conversation with Adgully, Sakina Arsiwala, Co-founder, Taki, speaks about how Taki aims to empower content creators and its platform users and reward them for their creativity and engagement as well as build an effective crypto journey for India.

BARC Wk 25: India TV leads Hindi News genre in HSM with relative share of 13.5%

In Week 25, India TV lead the Hindi News genre with a relative share of 13.5% as per BARC data [All Days, 06:00-24:00, TG : 15+, Market : HSM, Period : Wk 23'22 to Wk 25'22]. This is the consistent third week in which India TV has topped the Hindi News genre in HSM.

BARC Wk 25: No major churn in Hindi GECs; Star Plus leads in HSM + North India

The markets that comprise of major Hindi speaking masses are HSM (U+R) NCCS All 2+ market, Guj/D&D/DNH 2+ market, Delhi 2+ market, MP/Chhattisgarh 2+ market, UP/Uttrakhand 2+ market, Bihar/Jharkhand 2+ market and Rajasthan 2+ market.

Complaints against influencers constitute 29% of the total grievances: ASCI

The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) released its annual complaints report for the period April 21  March 22, during which it processed 5,532 advertisements across mediums including print, digital, and television. With a sharp focus on the digital domain, ASCI saw an overall compliance rate of 94%.

Native Video Ads Boost Brand Awareness by 26%: Kantar Report

Taboola, a global leader in powering recommendations for the open web, helping people discover things they may like, today announced the results of an independent Multichannel Brand Impact study from Kantar, the worlds leading data, insights and consulting company.

Omdia forecasts global pay TV & online video subscriptions to pass 3 billion in 2027

New research shows that online video subscription numbers continue to grow worldwide at impressive levels. Omdias new Global: Pay TV & Online Video report finds that the global total increased from 1.14 billion at end-2020 to 1.34 billion at end-2021, up 17.7% year-on-year.

CNBCTV18.com forays into video streaming space with CNBCTV18 Binge

In response to this, CNBCTV18.com  Indias premium digital business news platform under Network18 Digital has launched an exclusive, video-only OTT platform for its millennial audience - CNBCTV18 Binge. The service, launched in June, is available for users on CNBCTV18.com and the CNBCTV18 app.

Tatas Harish Bhat features in Forbes Worlds Most Influential CMOs list

Harish Bhat, Brand Custodian, Tata Group, has been recognised by Forbes for being among the worlds most influential CMOs. The 50 CMOs recognised are the worlds most influential, with 21 of them making to the list for the first time. These marketing professionals represent and influence thousands of brands across various categories and industries.

WARC Digital Commerce helps marketers win ecommerce game

WARC, the global authority on marketing effectiveness, has today launched WARC Digital Commerce, a unique one-stop destination bringing together analysis, best practices and insights for brand marketers and ecommerce leaders to build digital platform marketing strategies and plan for success.
A senior Iranian lawmaker has said that they still cannot express "definite optimism" that Washington will remove sanctions against Tehran.

"We had reached a draft agreement in Vienna, but some issues remained to be agreed upon in this draft, and most of them are related to the sanctions that the US wants to maintain," Abolfazl Amouei, spokesman of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, told semi-official Mehr News Agency.

Doha talks, as the continuation of Vienna negotiations, were aimed at resolving the remaining issues and to "lift the sanctions in the interests of the people," he said, expressing hope that "the proposed model would accelerate the talks to resolve the remaining issues".

Amouei did not elaborate on the "proposed model," but reiterated the Iranians' remarks that "if the US is ready to lift sanctions, negotiations will be concluded".

After three months of pause, Iran and the US held indirect talks in Doha, capital of Qatar, earlier this week, but two days of intensive negotiations resulted in no agreement to settle their differences, Xinhua news agency reported.

Iran signed the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with the world powers in July 2015, agreeing to curb its nuclear program in return for the removal of sanctions on the country. However, former US President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the JCPOA in May 2018 and reimposed unilateral sanctions on Iran, prompting the latter to drop some of its commitments under the pact.

The Iranian nuclear talks began in April 2021 in Vienna but were suspended in March this year because of political differences between Tehran and Washington.


I like old white men: Socrates, Abe Lincoln, Moses, even Ronald Reagan. As an old black man once said, we should judge people based upon their character, not their race. The so-called progressive faction of the Democratic Party, known for their Holier Than Thou brand of political rhetoric: Political Correctness, CRT and their signature achievement in Wokeness, and Cancel Culture, never miss an opportunity to tell the world of the sins and imperfections of old white men. By using this collective epithet they have committed three acts of bigotry in one short statement: ageism, racism, and sexism. How ironic that a political party that never tires of espousing the virtues of multiculturism, inclusiveness, diversity, and tolerance, rarely finds anything good to say about old white men.

This is, of course, not by accident. Theirs is a malicious mindset that forgoes serious, objective analysis. They are not interested in taking the time to look at facts or even to fairly consider the opinions of others. For them It is much easier to smear, slander, or libel their opponents. It is far easier to attack another persons unknown motives, call them racists, misogynist, or white supremacist. By using this radical tactic, they get a jump on their opposition. The opposition hesitates to respond and spends valuable time trying to defend their good name. The radical mindset is not interested in a search for truth. People like Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, and Adolf Hitler had no need of other peoples truth. They claimed an omniscience that ordinary people only attribute to God. Who on Americas current political scene seems more certain of his or her personal version of truth than Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren? In the Democratic presidential debates which took place before the 2020 nomination, various Democrat candidates pointed out the cauldron of anger bubbling up in Sanders and Warrens statements. This tendency towards the extreme is intrinsic to the Left, not just something based upon the personal failings of two left-wing politicians. Sanders and Warrens anger are singular only in degree. Attempting to destroy the opposition by using extreme rhetoric has a long and ugly history on both the Left and the Right, but is uniquely systemic to the Left.

Theirs is a totalitarian mindset that refuses to recognize what people call an honest difference of opinion. It is a systemic characteristic of the Lefts analysis, part of their collectivist (Marxist) view of society. For them Individualism is ignored, while economic classes, racial groupings and other types of Identity politics rule supreme. The right wing also produces demagogues, but they are exactly that, evil individuals who abuse power. They are not part of conservative ideology. Edmund Burke in his Reflection on the Revolution in France brilliantly explained the conservative position on life and government. He prophetically explained the reasons why radicalism would fail in France and produce unnecessary human suffering. Inherent in conservatism is a basic recognition of the weakness, corruptibility, and limited wisdom of human beings. Based upon this primary starting point, conservatives value the lessons of history. They are highly suspicious of radical change and when change is needed, they prefer it to be gradual and prudent, not spasmodic, like Maos Great Leap Forward or his Cultural Revolution. The wise men who created our Constitution insisted on checks and balances and a separation of powers, all of which were intended to prevent a convulsive rush to popular judgement. They created a federal government that left most authority and political direction to the states. These old white men were wise enough to create a government that has withstood the test of time and become the envy of the world. As we see from the current protests over the Supreme Court decision on abortion rights, the youthful Left is running wild in the streets. They are calling for radical changes to be immediately implemented. They are calling for packing the Supreme Court and using federal lands as places to exterminate the unborn. These are the same highly emotional, poorly educated mobs who, after George Floyds death, took part in riots and wanted to smash our system of government and create a new society out of whole cloth. These are the same young people who without proof rushed to indict all white Americans as guilty of systemic racism. For these same people anyone who disagrees with abortion on demand is necessarily a hater of women. They arrogantly claim to have a clear window into the souls of other people. To quote Miguel de Cervantes, they believe that Facts are the enemy of truth. Like the bloodthirsty Parisian mobs which supported the radical government of the French Revolution, they dont need facts, only strongly held feelings, of which they clearly have an abundance. The youthful response of progressives to the recent Supreme Court decision reveals just how close we are to the dangers of anarchy and radicalism in America.

William D. Howard is a freelance writer who had a long career as an educator. He holds degrees in philosophy and history and has traveled widely in over 40 countries. His essay have been published in American Thinker, Intellectual Conservative, LifeSiteNews, Narrow Path Ministries and other publications.

Image: Picryl
The adage "be careful of what you wish for, you may just get it" most certainly applies to recent efforts by black political leaders to expand ballot access. Their reasoning seems alluring: voting has been their ticket to progress, and the more blacks who vote, the greater the progress. A corollary is that such expansion would also help their political allies, notably Hispanics and other minorities of color, and thus build a mighty coalition. Moreover, open borders bring more Hispanics, and this will, eventually, swell yet further this alliance which, it is assumed, will be led by blacks.

Reality may be a disaster for blacks. For one, expanding ballot access by easier absentee voting and the like will likely have minimal impact on black turnout, since black non-voters are disproportionately less-educated, disproportionally poor, less interested in politics, and often legally barred from voting due to felony convictions. Banning personal ID requirements and similar measures will have scant impact on this apathetic group.

By contrast, todays low Hispanic turnout is bound to increase without hard political battles. Among Hispanics, growing U.S. citizenships, increased education, moving up economically, population aging, and especially learning English all will promote higher turnout. Thanks to their current low turnout, Hispanics have lots of headroom to expand their political clout and demographic forces will outweigh tweaking voting laws. The future of American minority politics is Hispanic, not African American.

There are other Hispanic electoral advantages. Just observe Hispanic officeholders -- though many have distinctive Spanish origins and names via immigrant parents or grandparents, and speak fluent Spanish, they are often physically almost or entirely European. Examples include Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, plus countless others such as Representative Vicente Gonzalez, who hardly appear to be stereotypical Hispanics. Further add those who define themselves as Hispanic but lack a distinctive Hispanic name. Bill Richardson, who had a distinguished political career, is Hispanic, grew up in Mexico City.

These Hispanics may be minority candidates but they generally appear American and have more conventional backgrounds such as business owner, lawyer, or educator, and often are military veterans. These traits are a huge advantage in American coalition-based politics with heterogeneous electorates. Hispanic candidates can thus win in districts with few Hispanic voters while blacks usually depend on mobilizing large black populations.

This wider appeal is especially valuable if running against black candidates who often must emphasize their blackness to attract black voters in primaries against rival black candidates. Being a good race man, however, may alienate non-black voters. Its hard to imagine Hispanic candidates trying to out-Hispanic Hispanic opponents by appealing to narrow group interests and invoking racially inflammatory language.

Consider, for example, Alex Mooney (R-W.VA) who was born and raised in Fidel Castros Cuba. Hes an Army vet (Bronze Star), an outspoken conservative and a bona fide Hispanic who represents the whitist state in America. And Alex looks as if hes a good old boy who believes in the American values of hard work, faith, and freedom that have made our country great. On the other side of the partisan aisle is Salud Carbajal (D-CA) who appears more "Hispanic than Congressman Mooney, but despite ample Spanish on his website, is basically a conventional liberal Californian Democrat. Hes a former Marine and focuses on the environment, social services, the military, the budgetary process and public safety. Yes, fiery black elected officials like Maxine Waters or Cori Bush may enjoy job security in heavily black districts, but the future belongs to the people like first-generation American Mike Garcia, a highly decorated United States Naval officer and businessman recently elected to the House as a Republican from California.

A perfect example of how Hispanic candidates can defeat black officeholders in areas long dominated by African Americans occurred in New Yorks Citys 13th Congressional District. This is Harlem, a district emblematic of black political power, and between 1971 and 2017, it was represented by an African American, Charles Rangel, Unfortunately for Rangel, personal scandals and recent Hispanic immigration spelled his doom. He was replaced by Adriano Espaillat, a Dominican Republic immigrant who slowly climbed up the political ladder by diligently helping constituents. Who would ever believe that a House seat once held by Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. is now occupied by a once-illegal Spanish-speaking immigrant? So much for open borders.

A black/brown coalition led by blacks is pure fantasy. It is hard to imagine two more antagonistic groups who often live in proximity. This conflict is frequently physical, as reflected in gang battles over turf, schoolyard and particularly violent prison battles plus acrimonious minor encounters in stores and restaurants. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, Latino Gang Members in Southern California are Terrorizing and Killing Blacks. The academically-crafted message that all racial and ethnic minorities, including the Latinx, must unite against white oppression is totally foreign in Californian cities like Compton where an influx of Hispanics are pushing out blacks from a city they long dominated.

There are also deep differences over bread-and-butter issues. Many of the small businesses destroyed during the post-George Floyd riots were Hispanic-owned, a disaster exacerbated by the lack of sympathy among blacks who framed the destruction as a legitimate outrage over historic injustice. Many Hispanics also personally see that an open southern border brings economic competition that will invariably lower their own wages. Especially for those near the border, the influx of drug, gang violence, sex trafficking, and other criminal behavior is a personal matter, not an ideological abstraction. Meanwhile, while black leaders call for defunding the police, Hispanics are increasingly joining the force. Hispanics no doubt take the defund movement personally -- they have family serving as police officers.

Nor does the current Democratic Party agenda seem relevant to Hispanics. How many Latinos embrace the woke agenda of LGBTQ+ rights, reparations for slavery, renaming buildings, subsidizing black home ownership, and, perhaps most of all, government mandated Diversity, Inclusion and Equity? Its hardly surprising, since many of todays Hispanics were not educated here and thus are immune to the siren song of guilt-heavy identity politics. Pandering to blacks is a losing strategy in Hispanic neighborhoods. It is hardly surprising then that when affirmation action was on the ballot in California, Hispanics generally refused to support it.

Moreover, unlike white liberals, Hispanics are not easily cowed by accusations of racism. It helps to be a minority of color when, for example, black activists demand that you step aside in dividing up the spoils or occupying positions of power. In fact, given the macho nature of Hispanic culture, blacks will think twice about trying to push them around. As such, Hispanics are great allies in resisting black demands.

Predictably, poll after poll reports a mass exodus from the Democratic Party to the GOP. A political party dominated by blacks and influenced by ideas promoted by rich whites, especially academics, hardly offers Latinos a comfortable home. They want a booming economy, business-friendly law, and could care less about promoting Critical Race Theory. Todays Hispanics may resemble the Irish of the 19th century who flocked to the Democrats when that party offered a better life, not an agenda to transform America. Today the GOP may be that political home, and this is not a happy outcome for blacks.

Image: GPA Photo Archive
If the polls and the mood of the nation are any indicators, Democrats seem on track to receive an emphatic drubbing in the midterms come November.

Biden has presided over myriad unmitigated disasters that have caused great hardship for citizens. Yet the Democrats are not even uttering perfunctory words of acknowledgment of the people's suffering, nor are they making obligatory promises to fix problems.

They are instead resorting to petty ploys.

A recent audio clip released by Project Veritas Action revealed that South Carolina candidate for U.S. Senate Krystle Matthews had a plan to get Democrats run as Republicans so they could implement the left's agenda upon being elected.

The Democrats are also meddling in other Republican primaries.

Both NPR and Politico reported that Democrats are generously funding ads supporting Republican candidates across states.

The first stop was Colorado.

The Democratic Colorado Super PAC spent at least $2.5 million on ads promoting GOP primary candidate Ron Hanks's conservative credentials. Hanks ran against a moderate Republican, Joe O'Dea, who, experts believed, had a chance at winning the midterms because he could persuade disillusioned Democratic voters to take a second look at Republicans. Despite their spending, when primary day came, the Democrats failed, and O'Dea won that contest.

In Colorado's 8th District House GOP primary race, speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi had a PAC that ran $46,000's worth of TV ads highlighting former state rep. Lori Saine's anti-abortion and progun rights stances. Once again, despite the splurging, state sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer won that contest, with Saine receiving only received 19.6% of the votes.

The Democrats also meddled in the GOP gubernatorial primary in Colorado. The Democratic Governors Association ran paid ads highlighting the fact that GOP primary candidate Greg Lopez opposes gay "marriage" and abortion. The Democrats spent around $1.5 million on Lopez, yet he lost the nomination to Heidi Ganahl.

Townhall.com reported that Democrats sent fake mailers masquerading as sent by the Colorado Republican Party containing bogus GOP primary endorsements, hoping to mislead voters. It is a violation of state law to deceive voters about the sender of mailers. Hopefully, the GOP seek legal action.

Colorado was far from the only place where these dirty tricks went on. The next stop for the Democrats was Illinois.

Illinois Democrat Gov. Pritzker spent $33 million to rig the Illinois GOP primary. Pritzker promoted "far-right" GOP gubernatorial primary candidate Darren Bailey, who he thinks is easily beatable in the main contest. The Democratic Governors Association also spent over $19 million running ads claiming that Bailey is "too conservative for Illinois."

Yet Bailey won the Republican nomination  by receiving a huge boost from Trump's endorsement.

The next stop was Pennsylvania.

The Democrat gubernatorial nominee, Josh Shapiro, spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on TV ads highlighting GOP primary candidate Doug Mastriano's skepticism about the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential elections. The hope behind these ads is that Mastriano will appeal to Trump-supporting voters and will win the primary contest. Shapiro presumes he can beat Mastriano in the main contest.

Then there was California.

Pelosi's PAC meddled again, paying to promote conservative GOP primary candidate Chris Mathys over his moderate rival, GOP Rep. David Valadao in the state's 22nd Congressional District. Valadao was a tough local farmer from the artificially drought-stricken Central Valley in a swing district who won his office back narrowly after an interval out of office, and had voted to impeach President Trump back in January 2021. Despite Pelosi's efforts and money, Mathys lost to Valadao.

This isn't the first time maneuvers such as these have been applied.

Back in 2012, Democrat Sen. Claire McCaskill's re-election campaign spent $1.7 million in adverts promoting the conservative credentials of GOP primary candidate Todd Akin. This was more money than Akin himself had spent on his primary campaign.

For most of the primary season, Akin was trailing in the polls. But McCaskill's ads turned his fortune around, and he ended up winning the primary. McCaskill's gamble paid off, and Akin lost to her in the general election.

The gamble doesn't always pay off.

Among the hacked Democrat documents released by WikiLeaks was a memo that Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook sent to campaign chairman John Podesta in April of 2015 about an upcoming campaign strategy call.

The memo stated, "We need to be elevating the Pied Piper candidates so that they are leaders of the pack and tell the press to take them seriously," and he named Donald Trump as among Hillary's preferred opponents in the general election.

The Democrats and particularly the Clinton campaign erroneously presumed that Trump's lack of political experience would go against him during the general election campaign. However, Trump turned it around and made it his biggest asset. Trump convinced voters that since he was not a member of the D.C. swamp, he was the only one who could drain it. He also persuaded voters he was a free-thinking outsider whose vast experience and fresh ideas in the private sector could be applied to Make America Great Again.

In the end, Trump became president, and Clinton continues to be a bitter loser.

Back to Democrat meddling in the GOP primaries.

In addition to running against a "beatable" candidate, the Democrats probably think they are spending their money wisely. If they can prop up a "far-right" candidate by spending a few million during the primary, they can save a lot more during the main electoral contest.

As always, the self-righteous Democrats assume that their opinion is the consensus among the public  i.e., their hubris causes them to be convinced that the people will automatically reject the "far-right" candidate during the main contest, much as they were certain the public would choose Hillary over Trump.

However, this could easily backfire.

For instance, Doug Mastriano and Darren Bailey may win their respective gubernatorial races in Pennsylvania and Illinois. Both states currently have Democrat governors. Pennsylvania is a key swing state, while Illinois is a blue state. Having a GOP governor could begin the turning of the tide toward the right. Having a GOP governor could make rigging the 2024 elections much more difficult for the Democrats.

The Democrats may have inadvertently funded victories for "far right" candidates during the midterms who ordinarily would not have a chance. This is because the vote during the midterms is against the Democrats, perhaps much more than it is for Republicans.

We always knew the Democrats were a disruptive force. They support "protests" that are actually riots, blockades, property damage, and citizen harm. They also want to render the citizen defenseless by defunding the police and confiscating guns.

The Democrats are exposing themselves as a party of fraudsters, impostors, charlatans, petty crooks, and election meddlers.

Image: Donkey Hotey via Flickr, CC BY 2.0.
It was 1964, many years ago today, that my dad, my mom, and the three kids woke up in Cuba knowing that things would never be the same. A few hours later, we caught a flight to Mexico City and then Jamaica. We waited in Kingston for a couple of months until our papers were ready to fly to the U.S. All five of us slept in a small room, my parents on the bed, our little sister to their side, and my brother and I got the floor duty. We rented the room from a Jamaican fellow who worked in Cuba and now helped other families as well. He worked in the sugarcane fields as a guest worker, something many Jamaicans used to do in pre-Castro Cuba. They'd cut sugar, earn a few Cuban pesos, and send something to their families. The Cuban peso was worth something back then.

Nobody said a lot that morning of July 2, 1964. My parents had decided to leave after the Cuban Missile Crisis and the "communist radicalization" of Cuba. They did not want us to attend government schools, where kids were taught communist ideas, and history was rewritten to justify "la revolucion." Does some of that sound familiar if you have kids in school today? Rewriting of history? Fidel's version of CRT, or something like that.

My parents knew that this day would come, but it was still a bit hard for them to take. Cuba was all they knew. They were born there and never expected to leave their country to pursue a better life anywhere else. Cubans did not leave the island back then. Instead, they moved to the island from other countries.

My friend, author Carlos Eire, wrote about this a few years ago:

Between 1900 and 1930, the first three decades of Cuban independence, about one million immigrants flooded into the island, mostly European, and mostly northern Spaniards. This population tsunami also included Asians, Levantines, and Jews. These immigrants doubled the population of the island and changed its complexion, literally. Tens of thousands of immigrants continued to flow into Cuba every year after that, up to 1958. Immigration from the U.S. was comparatively slight, but in 1958 there were more Americans living in Cuba than Cubans in the U.S.A. Emigration from Cuba was minimal during this half century. Rates of immigration as high as this and of emigration as low require a robust and growing economy, and a considerable degree of political stability.

By the way, one of those Spaniards who moved to Cuba was my mother's father, who settled on the island looking for a better life. He found it, along with his brothers who came with him. They became successful entrepreneurs, but everything was "nationalized" or stolen by the communists.

My father and mother are now gone, and my brother and sister have their own lives and families. I used to call my parents on this day and joke with them about the family anniversary. I would always say in Spanish something like, "Do you know what day this is?" Of course, they knew, and they usually remembered something about that day.

It just does not seem possible that it happened so long ago. I will always be grateful to my late parents for bringing me here. It was very hard on them, but they did it for the three of us. They did not want us to grow up under communism, and I thank them every day for that.

PS: Check out my videos and posts.

Image: PxHere.
In overturning the appalling judicial activism of the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS), which, in its infamous Roe v. Wade decision, legalized abortion at any stage of pregnancy throughout the U.S., the current SCOTUS writes:

The Constitution makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional provision, including the one on which the defenders of Roe and Casey now chiefly rely  the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

In other words, whatever one thinks of killing the unborn, the Roe decision of 1973 invented a Constitutional "right" and robbed Americans of the freedom to govern themselves. The result of Dobbs was to reverse this egregious legal error. As soon as it's given the opportunity, today's SCOTUS should do the same with the awful Obergefell ruling that forcefully legalized same-sex "marriage" throughout the U.S.

Like Roe, the majority in Obergefell largely relied on the Fourteenth Amendment to justify nullifying marriage laws in dozens of U.S. states. The majority in Obergefell concluded:

Under the Constitution, same-sex couples seek in marriage the same legal treatment as opposite-sex couples, and it would disparage their choices and diminish their personhood to deny them this right. The right of same-sex couples to marry that is part of the liberty promised by the Fourteenth Amendment is derived, too, from that Amendment's guarantee of the equal protection of the laws. The Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause are connected in a profound way, though they set forth independent principles.

As in Roe, the Obergefell majority discovered a "right" that heretofore had escaped U.S. citizens, legislatures, and courts for well over two centuries. And again the SCOTUS mistook itself for a legislative body. As John Roberts noted in his dissent:

But this Court is not a legislature. ... Although the policy arguments for extending marriage to same-sex couples may be compelling, the legal arguments for requiring such an extension are not. The fundamental right to marry does not include a right to make a State change its definition of marriage[.] ... Five lawyers have closed the debate and enacted their own vision of marriage as a matter of constitutional law.

Additionally, in his concurring dissent, the late, great Justice Scalia rightly concluded:

[I]t is not of special importance to me what the law says about marriage. It is of overwhelming importance, however, who it is that rules me. Today's decree says that my Ruler, and the Ruler of 320 million Americans coast-to-coast, is a majority of the nine lawyers on the Supreme Court. This practice of constitutional revision by an unelected committee of nine, always accompanied (as it is today) by extravagant praise of liberty, robs the People of the most important liberty they asserted in the Declaration of Independence and won in the Revolution of 1776: the freedom to govern themselves.

As I noted at the time, and as did The New York Times, as recently as 2009, 31 U.S. states had put same-sex "marriage" before its electorate, and by an overwhelming majority (an average of 67.5%), U.S. citizens rejected same-sex "marriage" in every case. This included very liberal states such as Maine, California, Oregon, and Hawaii. Going even farther, 29 states amended their constitutions in order to reinforce the definition of marriage (as between a man and a woman), which naturally cannot apply to same-sex couples.

Furthermore, many states also banned any sort of civil unions and refused to recognize same-sex "marriages" legalized by other states. All of this was rendered moot by a mere five-to-four majority in Obergefell.

Again, there's no other institution in the history of humanity with more "precedent" than marriage as the union of one man and one woman. As they did with abortion, the U.S. Supreme Court should put this grave matter back into the hands of U.S. citizens and their legislators.

Trevor Grant Thomas: At the Intersection of Politics, Science, Faith, and Reason.

www.trevorgrantthomas.com

Trevor is the author of the The Miracle and Magnificence of America.

tthomas@trevorgrantthomas.com

Image via Pixnio.
The hapless Cassidy Hutchinson "testified" before the moonbat panel of Trump-haters. Her "testimony" was fraught with "I was in the vicinity of a conversation," "I heard something to the effect of," "I overheard"...the girl could testify only to hearsay.

Her performance was pathetic. She was used and abused, most probably by Liz Cheney. The other members of the committee seemed to know not a thing about what this "emergency witness" was going to say. She was Liz's surprise witness, and, comically, no one thought to check her story, which was chock-full of lies  lies that were exposed within hours of that "emergency testimony."



YouTube screen grab (cropped).

So who is this pitiful young woman? She was an aide to Mark Meadows, about whom she lied as well; neither he nor Giuliani sought pardons from President Trump. The Secret Service agents she cited have both denied her claims that Trump "grabbed the steering wheel" or assaulted one of them in an attempt to go to the Capitol that day. She even identified a note as one she had written that day when even Cheney knew that was a lie; it was written by Eric Herschmann. She was apparently hoping for a job with President Trump at Mar-a-Lago but then was not hired for a position there. Could she be mad?

As Greg Gutfeld commented, her appearance "made the Hindenburg look like a fender-bender." Keep in mind that she had testified five times before this committee previously but then changed lawyers and suddenly came up with an entirely different story. Was she threatened? Paid a large amount of money? Promised fame and fortune? Maybe she just wanted her fifteen minutes of fame. She got less than that before her tall tale was exposed as a tissue of lies.

Does Ms. Hutchinson have parents? Of course she does, assuming they are still among the living. Did she consult them before submitting to being used by Cheney in such a public forum? Did they advise her against being a tool for a political witch hunt, or are they proud of her prevarications? Who knows? She clearly does not adhere to a value system of truth over politics. She perhaps sought fame and fortune but she was, in the end, used and abused, by Cheney, the committee at large and by the media who blindly accepted every word she uttered as truth even though it was risibly unbelievable.

Pundits at Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC all swallowed her story as if it were gospel, without even attempting to ask the Secret Service men she cited for confirmation. The Trump-haters are such willing dupes. Hutchinson is clearly a willing dupe as well. She will either be forgotten by next week or offered a job at MSNBC; that channel, like CNN and increasingly Fox News as well, traffics in falsity every minute of every day, and those who run it are proud of their deceitful guile. For inexplicable reasons, our culture has brought people like Joy Reid, Joe Scarborough and his hapless wife Mika, Don Lemon, Nicolle Wallace, etc. into our homes to spew their hatred for all things conservative.

These people, Liz Cheney and the media, believe they are far superior to those of us who see the world in a different light. They mock our respect for life, for religious faith of any variety; they mock the traditional family. We deplorables are, as Wanda Sykes recently opined:

The problem is that middle stuff. It is those states in the middle, that red stuff. Why do they get to tell us what to do, where the majority of us live out, New York, California, and we are paying for all this crap, really.

Sykes asserted this to Stephen Colbert, seemingly clueless to the fact that the food on her table comes from that "middle [redneck] stuff." Obviously Sykes, like every woman on The View, has zero understanding of the Constitution, democracy, or our representative republic. None. She, like her ignorant counterparts, will hear and read all that Cassidy Hutchinson had to say and think she spoke the truth when in fact she is just another pawn of the left, paraded out to destroy Trump, the best President since Reagan. There are the old and oft-cited, possibly apocryphal, words of Mark Twain: "A lie can travel half way around the world before the truth puts on its shoes." This time, a young tool of the left got caught. Her lies were demolished by the truth within hours of her appearance before the committee. Liz Cheney should be very, very ashamed of herself, but she is not. She is very likely proud of her despicable deception.

The J6 "select committee" has been a show trial from the outset. Pelosi banned any Republicans from sitting on the panel except for the two Trump-hating RINOs, Cheney and crybaby Kinzinger. At that moment, Kevin McCarthy should have blown it up, quashed the whole thing, rendered it neutered. He should have advised any person called before this sham "investigative group" to ignore its phony subpoenas and made it clear that this was a witch hunt, which of course it is. But he didn't; he's a squish.

Benny Thompson may be its titular "head," but it is being run by the abhorrent, Trump-deranged Liz Cheney. Along with the resident fabulist Adam Schiff, who is willing to fabricate any text, email, or conversation for his nefarious ends, Cheney's obsession has done nothing but ensure her defeat in Wyoming and a permanent legacy of lunacy.

The events of January 6, 2020 were a set-up meant to give the left a reason to do exactly what it has done: blame Trump for the actions of others. It all began with the refusal to accept the ten thousand National Guard troops Trump had offered. Pelosi ordered the Capitol Police to effectively stand down. Despite all the weeks of warnings she, the FBI and the CIA had about "professional agitators" showing up that day, they did nothing. They and the operatives who were embedded among the peaceful Trump supporters that day needed a skeleton law enforcement presence that day for their plan to work. And it did.

Since then, the thoroughly corrupt DOJ has persecuted anyone they could find who was present at the Capitol that day, whether they entered the building or not. Hundreds of these people have been imprisoned unjustly and wholly without due process for nearly two years. The American system of justice has been frighteningly corrupted since Obama weaponized the IRS, FBI, CIA, and DOJ. Trump's presidency interrupted their agenda, but then Biden took office in an election marked by illegal changes to voting procedures and charges of corruption.

Now there is no more equality of justice under the law. We are living in the age of political arrests and show trials. Criminals are invited to practice their evil deeds on innocent citizens without fear of consequences while law-abiding Americans are condemned to be perpetual victims without recourse. Such is the plight of this once great nation since the Biden regime came to power and set out to destroy the country as founded.
The post-Dobbs rhetoric of both progressives and far too many Patriots reveals the total collapse of American civics education in our high schools and colleges. Far too many think the Dobbs decision means that the Supreme Court imposed on the nation Christian religion and morality  loathed by the progressives and loved by the Patriots. In the definite minority are those progressives and Patriots who recognize the Alito opinion as one based squarely on constitutional principle and not involving religion or morals, but instead, at long last, restoring validity to the Supreme Court's constitutional jurisprudence.

In the same vein, every year, as we approach July 4, the progressive narrative is propagated that the American Revolution was a rebellion by the colonists against English law. In fact, nothing could be farther from the truth, and it is depressing that so many believe it.

To understand this, please bear with me as I quickly (and succinctly) review how the revolution came about.

The American colonists considered themselves Englishmen subject to both the duties and the liberties of the common law of England under the authority of which, in 1775, both England and the colonies enjoyed the rule of law. But financial pressure on the royal treasury due to the enormous costs of defending the colonies in the French and Indian War (17561763) motivated the king to attempt to raise revenue in the colonies by direct taxation implemented via the Revenue Act of 1763 (the Sugar Act) and the Stamp Act of 1765.

However, the colonies had no representation in Parliament, and the common law via Article 12 of the Magna Carta of 1215 forbade taxation without representation. Recognizing the reasonableness of the British request for reimbursement, the colonies offered to tax themselves to raise an agreed sum. Both king and Parliament rejected this offer, preferring to establish the precedent of taxing the colonies. Hence the impasse, leading to diverse frictions; novel taxation adventures; and, finally, the Boston Tea Party, British martial law over Boston, and the British expedition to Lexington and Concord to seize a colonial arms cache  yes, the first battle of the Revolutionary War was provoked by a government gun-grab.



Image: The Old Court House in Philadelphia, a place of English common law, built circa 17071710.

Hence, the American Revolution was a conservative revolution. The whole purpose of the colonies was to preserve the rule of law under the common law. The British, not the American revolutionaries, were the rebels against the common law. The colonies had taken up arms to suppress a British insurrection.

The colonial resolution of the Crisis of July 5, 1776 provides a unique confirmatory perspective on this entire scenario. Some 15 months after Lexington/Concord, the Continental Congress issued the Declaration of Independence. On July 3, 1776, the Continental Congress declared that the 13 erstwhile English colonies were "free and independent states."

On July 4, this declaration was announced to the world, and on July 5, the 13 new sovereign states all faced the crisis of determining what would henceforth be their law now that they were no longer English colonies. Each and every one of them resolved that crisis by selecting the common law of England as their law, confirming that the entire purpose of the revolution had been to continue English common law as their law!

And this is still the case today in 49 of our 50 states (all except Louisiana, which is French in origin rather than English). The law in all these 49 states is the common law of England (as of a specified time approximating the revolution) as revised or modified by state statute, state constitution, or state supreme court decision.

I am aware that many (most?) people today think the common law of England is an interesting ancient relic not applicable to our current issues. They are mistaken. English common law remains our fundamental law. Although the U.S. Constitution declares itself the supreme law of the land, English common law is the fundamental law of the land. The principles for interpreting statutes, constitutions, contracts, and other writings are all principles of common law. Only a handful of legal cases in court involve issues of federal constitutional law, but every case involves issues of common law.

The failure to understand this core principle is just one reason that America is so desperately in need of a resurgence of American civics education.
Following the Supreme Court's recent rulings about guns, abortion, public prayer, and limits on the administrative state's ability to craft legislation, most Democrats have turned to hysteria, threats, and revolting racism. They blame conservatives entirely for what's happening in America. More thoughtful leftists, however, have looked inward and discovered what really happened: they went too far.

A gay man who goes by the name of "TinFoil" explicitly articulated this sense that the left pushed too hard and far. He understands why Clarence Thomas used Dobbs's rejection of "substantive due process" to suggest that Obergefell (gay "marriage") is also on the chopping block. (Because the text is a bit hard to read, I've transcribed it, and you can find it at the end of this post.)

A message to the Left,

From a gay man

It wasn't enough. pic.twitter.com/IwD5KCvExb  TinFoil   (@TinFoil1701) June 27, 2022

The gist is that most gays and lesbians just wanted the right to get married and to live normal lives. However, the activists kept pushing and pushing. They tried to destroy bakers who didn't cater to them, they aggressively pushed Pride month, they silenced people in workplaces, and then they went after the children with transgenderism, drag queens, and teachers pushing porn.

As far as TinFoil is concerned, these pedophiles (his word for them) have tarred all lesbians and gays, leading to the pushback we're seeing now. He announces that he and those who feel as he does aren't going to take it anymore. They're going to be part of the pushback so that they, like everyone else in America, can embrace quiet, adult (not pedophilic) normalcy.

The tweet resonated with people, garnering almost 24,000 likes and almost 8,700 retweets. Twitchy rounded up some of the positive responses, which came from both gays and straights.



Image: Self-reflection by drobotdean.

Naomi Wolf, the one-time Al Gore adviser, has the same message. In 1995, Naomi admitted that abortion is the death of a child but rationalized that, in terms of women's needs, it was still for the greater good. She also warned that the abortion movement would be harmed if it persisted in the lie that the fetus is "a clump of cells" and insisted on pushing abortion later and later into a pregnancy.

So, while Naomi is still a pro-choice leftist, she's smart and intellectually honest. For that reason, she sees the Dobbs decision that reversed Roe v. Wade as an inevitable response to the overreach in which the pro-choice movement engaged:

I believe that the Dobbs decision was an almost inevitable reaction to devastating overreach by the organized pro-choice movement, especially in the last twenty years.

After reviewing her stance in 1995, Naomi continued:

I also warned that such mechanistic, amoral language and such increasingly monstrous policies would eventually also create a political scenario that in time was certain to lose: these policies would eventually lose us the reasonable middle: the majority of the country that supports abortion rights in the first trimester but that withdraws its support progressively as pregnancies progress. [snip] Pro-choice activists were not content to defend the right to terminate a pregnancy in the first trimester, which are the limits on readily available abortion throughout Western Europe (where, notably, there is almost no anti-choice activism). The organized feminist left were not content to use the language or policies that polls supported, of seeking a country in which abortion would be "safe, legal and rare." Rather, they pushed, in state after state, to enshrine that "right" up until very the day of a baby's birth. At what point does a "right" become a murder?

It's a very long essay, but the point is simple: if the hardcore left had accepted the first-trimester system originally set up in Roe v. Wade, the issue might well have died out. I don't know if she's right about that because, for those who oppose abortion, an abortion in the first minute of a pregnancy is as bad as an abortion in the last minute. She is correct, though, that by turning itself into a death cult, the abortion movement pulled the pendulum so hard to the left that a swing back in the other direction was inevitable.

The left would do well to heed both TinFoil and Naomi Wolf, both of whom recognize that if a party lets its activist base take over the party, ordinary people will be repulsed. It's one thing to believe in live and let live when it comes to gays or first-trimester abortions (again, not defending; just saying). It's another thing entirely for people to find themselves unwittingly allied with pedophiles and Moloch-worshipers.

These extreme behaviors are the kind of things that drive cultural change  including voting for Trump, who promised conservative Supreme Court justices who would return to originalism, ending a decades-long trend of rewriting the Constitution to meet the leftist base's increasingly disturbing demands.

TinFoil's message:
Carlton Tavern in Kilburn, London, was the heart of the community for nearly a hundred years until it ceased to exist one spring morning in 2015. Its owners had it demolished to make way for a block of flats. The demolition had taken place without permit. The developers thought they could get away with the infraction with a slap on the wrist and a fine, but not this time. The city council ordered the developers to rebuild the pub brick by brick. Six years later, when the Carlton Tavern reopened, it became simultaneously brand-new and a hundred years old.

The Carlton Tavern before it was demolished. Photo: Ewan Munro/Flickr

The Carlton Tavern was built in 1921 for Charrington Brewery to a design by the reputed architect Frank J. Potter. It was the only building in the street to survive the German bombing during World War II. The building was noted for its unaltered 1920s interiors and faience tiled exterior, and was on the verge of being awarded the protected Grade II status from Historic England.

A spokesman for Historic England said: The site was remarkably well-preserved externally and internally. It displayed the hierarchy of rooms in their fixtures, fittings and decorative treatment and retained all its external signage. Few pubs were built at this date and fewer survive unaltered.

The overzealous property developer, however, wanted to turn Carlton Tavern into luxury apartments. This application was rightfully turned down by the city council. During Easter, the owners asked Patsy Lord, the then-manager of the Carlton Tavern, to vacate the pub for a few days because they needed to take an inventory. But when she returned two days later, she found a pile of bricks and broken glass where the building used to be.

The demolished Carlton Tavern. Photo: MyLondonNews

"It was a shock. I have never seen anything like it in my entire life," said Westminster City Councillor Rita Begum. "I went past just the other day and there were people drinking inside the pubthere was no warning whatsoever. They were going to confirm it as a listed building on Wednesday. I think the developers found out it was going to be a listed building and that's why they destroyed it. The whole community is in shock. How can they do this without approval?"

The very next month, the Westminster City Council ordered the Tel Aviv-based developer CLTX Ltd, to "recreate in facsimile the building as it stood immediately prior to its demolition."

Thankfully, the preservation society English Heritage had surveyed the pub, making records of the layout, tiles and other original details so that full architectural information was available.

Many people were skeptical that the pub could be rebuilt exactly as it was before demolition.

Dozens of local residents and regulars gather outside the much loved, partially demolished Carlton Tavern in Maida Vale to protest against its sudden, illegal demolition by property developers, April 26th 2015. Photo: Paul Davey/Alamy Stock Photo

People said it was impossible, said Polly Robertson, a leading member of the Rebuild the Carlton Tavern campaign. Many people said, Polly, its not worth it, nothings going to happen. And I just thought, no  Im not going to let it lie.

And six years later, the pub reopened to celebrate its 100 years anniversary, and it is identical to the one that was razed to the ground.

From the ocher red letters spelling out Charrington Sparkling Ales and Famous Stout on its brick and tile facade to the swooping brass door handles to the elaborate plasterwork inside, the pubs original charm and character has been recreated, wrote The New York Times.

The Carlton Tavern after it was rebuilt. Photo: Frank Langfitt/NPR

"They've done an amazing job at rebuilding it as it was. A lot of people have come in and said what a beautiful old building and they don't believe us when we say it's brand new, said Tom Rees, the new owners of Carlton Tavern. We feel we're getting the best of both worlds. We're getting a brand new pub with brand new electrics and wiring; and plumbing, but we're getting the charm and beauty of this heritage pub.

Maida Vale councillor Geoff Barraclough said: Its great to see the Carlton Tavern reborn and its remarkable what can be achieved through strong community action when a council is prepared to use all its powers. Ill certainly be along for a pint on opening day.

References:

# Their London Pub Was Reduced to Rubble. They Fought to Bring It Back, The New York Times

# Rising from the rubble: London pub rebuilt brick by brick after illegal bulldozing, The Guardian

# Six years ago today, it was knocked down - next week the Carlton reopens, Kilburn Times

# This Historic London Pub Was Illegally Demolished6 Years Later It's About to Reopen, Food and Wine
The 50th anniversary of the UKs first Pride parade has been marked as the colourful procession returned to the streets of London.

Due to Covid restrictions, the annual event has not been held for the past two years.

Pride decorations in a Routemaster bus ahead of the parade (James Manning/PA)

Pride volunteers add rainbow face paint to each others faces (James Manning/PA)

Md Nabir Uddim (left) and Mohammed Nazir (right) from London ahead of the parade (James Manning/PA)

Floats lined Park Lane ahead of the main march through the capital, which was led by Gay Liberation Front (GLF) activists.

More than a million people are expected to descend on the city for the parade and associated celebrations.

Valkyrie from Gloucester attaches Pride decorations to a motorbike (James Manning/PA)

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan speaking to the media (James Manning/PA)

Crowds on Park Lane ahead of the parade (James Manning/PA)

More than 600 LGBT+ community groups are joining the march, which will pass significant sites from the UKs first LGBT+ movement.

As part of what organisers are calling the biggest and most inclusive event in history, there is a line-up of artists performing across four stages around central London.

A man waves a Pride flag on Park Lane (James Manning/PA)

This years parade pays homage to the original 1972 march (Matt Alexander/PA)

People in Trafalgar Square take part in the celebrations (James Manning/PA)
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 04: Rupert Murdoch and Jerry Hall seen leaving Spencer House after getting married on March 4, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Neil Mockford/GC Images)

Neil Mockford/GC Images

Jerry Hall has officially filed for divorce from Rupert Murdoch.

Hall, 65, filed in the Superior Court of California in L.A. County per court documents obtained by PEOPLE on Friday. She cited irreconcilable differences and is asking for spousal support.

She also does not want the court to be able to award support to her estranged husband. Hall is requesting Murdoch, 91, to pay her attorney's fees.

In her filing, she says she is "unaware of the full nature and extent of all assets and debts, and will amend this Petition when the information has been ascertained." The same holds true for community and quasi-community property.

Murdoch has 30 days to file a response.

RELATED: Rupert Murdoch and Jerry Hall Are Reportedly Divorcing After 6 Years of Marriage

A lawyer for Hall did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. It is not clear who represents Murdoch to comment on his behalf.

Related video: Anna Faris talks about the toll of her first divorce

Hall's filing comes after two sources familiar with the situation told TheNew York Times last month that Hall and Murdoch were divorcing. Those close to them were reportedly shocked about the breakup.

The now-exes first wed in a civil ceremony at Spencer House in London on March 4, 2016, a rep for the venue confirmed with PEOPLE at the time. They hosted their main wedding service for up to 200 friends and relatives at the historic Fleet Street's St. Brides Church the next day.

RELATED VIDEO: Anna Faris Says She 'Turned Into Somebody That I Didn't Recognize' After Her First Divorce

They began dating in the summer of 2015 after being introduced by one of Murdoch's sisters and his niece in Australia. They announced their engagement the following January and kept much of their romance private.

Their divorce isn't expected to impact his stakes in businesses like Fox News and The Wall Street Journal as his family's shares for the companies he launched are in a secure trust, according to the Times.

RELATED: Kristin Cavallari Says Jay Cutler Split 'Jump-Started' Her Life: 'I'm No Longer Afraid of Getting Hurt'

While married to Hall, Murdoch brokered a $71.3 billion deal that sold a majority of 21st Century Fox to The Walt Disney Company in 2019, per Variety. He is the chairman of Fox Corporation and oversees outlets The Wall Street Journal and The Sun, along with the book publisher HarperCollins. Hall has appeared in films like Batman and played the role of Ms. Robinson in The Graduate on Broadway.

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.

This marks Murdoch's fourth divorce. The media mogul married his first wife Patricia Booker in 1956 before they divorced in 1967. That same year he married Anna Maria Torv. They divorced in 1999, the same year Murdoch married his third wife Wendi Deng; they split in 2013. His marriages resulted in six children.

This was Hall's first marriage. She was in a relationship with rocker Mick Jagger for more than two decades and they share four children together.
James Corden has lent a helping hand at the White House, discussing Boris Johnsons hair and the kidnapping of boy band One Direction.

The comedian and talk show host also visited the kitchen at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, helping out with food security, and opened a press briefing with US news reporters.

The humorous sketches came as part of a special edition of the Take A Break segment of Cordens The Late Late Show.

Boris Johnson is President Biden's hair idol??https://t.co/monudfelSz pic.twitter.com/5fSHGsnvqp  The Late Late Show is in London! (@latelateshow) July 1, 2022

Posing as Bidens personal assistant for the day, Corden offered to get the president a snack before redecorating the Oval Office with a picture of himself with Harry Styles.

Which of the world leaders have you got on that phone on speed dial? he later asked Biden.

We could call Boris Johnson.

Boris talks to me all the time, I wish I had his hair, I could have got elected sooner, Biden replies.

James wants to know where President Biden stand ons on the most important issues, like: should One Direction be kidnapped and forced to make a new record Full piece: https://t.co/monudeWKtZ pic.twitter.com/JLRSA1ooUU  The Late Late Show is in London! (@latelateshow) July 1, 2022

You wish you had Boris Johnsons hair? Nobody has ever said that in the history of talking about hair, Corden says.

Later while talking to ex-White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki about the briefing schedule, Corden asked her: Where does the president stand on One Direction getting back together?

Should they be kidnapped, placed together as a band, and pushed out one more time?

Psaki responds: The kidnapping place feels a little dark for us.
Idaho Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin deferred most of her June 24 paycheck to balance her offices budget, leaving the budget with less than $1 left before the 2022 fiscal year closed Thursday.

McGeachin faced a shortfall after using her taxpayer-funded operating budget to pay for $29,000 in legal fees. Most of the expenses covered attorney fees for the Idaho Press Club, which successfully sued McGeachin last year when she declined to hand over public records.

By June 24, the final payroll date of the fiscal year, the office was projected to have $724.42, according to a June 13 email from Chief Deputy Controller Joshua Whitworth, obtained by the Idaho Statesman.

Whitworth recommended that McGeachin defer $1,713.26 of her June 24 wages until the next fiscal year. That left $148.50 in her wages and $575.20 in benefits, which was able to be covered by the remaining office budget.

This would close the fiscal year with an estimated $0.72 remaining in the appropriation budget for the office, Whitworth wrote, although he noted that final amounts may vary based on tax and workers compensation rate adjustments.

McGeachin followed through with Whitworths recommendations, Alex Adams, administrator of the Idaho Division of Financial Management, told the Statesman by email. McGeachin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

McGeachin will still receive the deferred pay, but not until the third payroll date of the 2023 fiscal year, which started Friday.

This will ensure sufficient salary savings have been accrued to keep the office personnel budget whole through the fiscal year, and it will keep the office in compliance with the annual pay for the elected position, Whitworth wrote.

McGeachin this spring cut staff as her office racked up at least $33,000 in operating expenses beyond what was budgeted.

Public records fight leads to Mcgeachins office shortfall

The Idaho Press Club last year won a lawsuit that sought the release of public records regarding McGeachins education task force, which was looking for indoctrination in Idaho schools. Reporters had requested responses to a Google Forms survey that McGeachin circulated earlier in the year soliciting public feedback, as well as additional records.

A judge mandated that McGeachin release the records and pay the Idaho Press Clubs legal costs. McGeachin eventually asked that taxpayers fund what her office was forced to pay, due to unforeseen legal bills related to a lawsuit from the Idaho Press Club after the attorney generals office failed to properly represent her.

The lieutenant governor previously dismissed reports of her offices shortfall as fake news.

Honestly, who cares about $2,000  in the lieutenant governors budget? McGeachin said on April 21 while she was campaigning for governor. McGeachin lost in the Republican primary against Gov. Brad Little, whos running for reelection.

The Idaho Legislatures budget-setting Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee declined to consider McGeachins $29,000 supplemental budget request to cover attorney fees.

McGeachins lieutenant governor term ends in the middle of the 2023 fiscal year. The winner in the November general election will take over the office in January.
This is a MedPage Today story.

In the wake of the Supreme Courts ruling on Roe v. Wade, doctors across the country are facing an array of legal questions and concerns that are so new and uncertain they once seemed out of the realm of possibility, according to experts.

From determining whether they can provide care when the life of the mother is at risk and whether they must report a patient for a self-induced abortion, to considering how to code certain medical treatments and how to avoid allegations of aiding and abetting, doctors  and other healthcare providers and staff  are finding themselves caught in a precarious legal framework that is still in flux.

"It is a horrible situation to put doctors in, who really just want to help patients," Jessie Hill, of Case Western Reserve University School of Law in Cleveland, Ohio, told MedPage Today. "But at the same time, they have to abide by the law."

The state-by-state complexities of trigger bans that went into effect once Roe was overturned have made matters exceedingly difficult for doctors, Hill and other experts said. Some trigger bans are being challenged, putting several states in legal limbo, while new laws that ban abortions in other states could pop up. Additionally, state legislatures could move immediately or in the coming months to make anti-abortion laws even stricter, threatening access to contraception and in vitro fertilization.

MORE: How 3 states are moving to protect abortion rights after the fall of Roe v. Wade

All the while, the laws have been and continue to be written by politicians, not physicians, experts noted. And because enactment and enforcement of the laws are unprecedented, there isnt an existing branch of law dedicated to helping doctors and other healthcare professionals navigate them.

What is certain, however, is that the stakes are incredibly high for physicians, who can face losing their licenses, as well as felony charges and substantial prison time for a variety of newly minted, rapidly changing, and often vague laws.

"Healthcare has so many rules and so many regulations," Hill said. "But most healthcare rules and regulations dont carry criminal penalty."

From state to state, potential penalties can be levied for anything from directly providing an abortion, to simply providing a phone number to a woman seeking medical care. As physicians grapple with this new scrutiny, experts are certain their patients will suffer greatly as well.

"I think it's really going to chill the provision of care," Hill noted.

Navigating patient care, and so much more

Experts detailed a handful of areas that doctors will need to seek legal guidance or counsel for in the days and months ahead. There will undoubtedly be more to come, as well as many intricacies under each category.

"This is such a shift in the law and the framework that we've all been grounded in for such a long time," Katie Keith, of Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C., told MedPage Today. "People could always practice medicine in the way that they needed to."

Now, doctors are going to be looking over their shoulders and second-guessing what they're doing, she said.

PHOTO: A doctor updates files between performing abortions at the Trust Women clinic in Wichita, Kan., on June 24, 2022. (Roxana Hegeman/AP)

One critical question involves saving the life of the mother  how is that being defined, and how broadly or narrowly can physicians interpret it in states that ban abortions but allow for such an exception?

"How ill does someone have to be?" Keith questioned. Conditions can range from preeclampsia to ectopic pregnancies.

One potential loophole may be the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), a federal law enacted in 1986, Keith noted. EMTALA requires emergency departments that receive Medicare or Medicaid funding to stabilize patients.

At the same time, due to uncertainties surrounding the new laws, doctors may have to question whether to help a pregnant woman who is losing massive amounts of blood, and whether to treat a woman who has been diagnosed with cancer and needs to terminate her pregnancy in order to start chemotherapy, she explained.

"My concern is that doctors will feel constrained, and that it will have a chilling effect and that women who should qualify will not be getting care," she added.

Another area of concern is miscarriage management, experts said, such as the treatment of patients experiencing incomplete miscarriages with medication or a procedure.

Keith wondered if doctors will feel uncomfortable providing that care, pushing women to travel to another state.

Physicians and other providers will also be faced with situations in which a pregnant womans fetus has been found to have a fatal defect, experts noted.

"This is just so devastating," Miranda Yaver, an assistant professor of political science at Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts, told MedPage Today. "Imagine a patient having to carry a fetus to term that is not going to be able to survive."

Furthermore, healthcare providers may be unsure of whether they must report patients who are experiencing abortion complications or who have attempted to induce their own abortions, Hill said.

MORE: What you need to know about medication abortion after the overturning of Roe v. Wade

Oftentimes, a provider may think theyre required to report something when theyre not, she added, which can become a real problem for patients.

"Is this going to hinder patients' ability to have healthy communication with providers?" Yaver wondered.

Perhaps one of the most vague aspects of some state laws is aiding and abetting, experts noted.

"There's often a very hazy line between what is First Amendment-protected counseling  and what is aiding and abetting," said Hill.

Causes for concern could be as simple as making a referral, Keith pointed out. "We're in uncharted waters."

Another looming question is whether states can restrict access to or ban the FDA-approved drug for medication abortion, she added, noting that medication abortion will be an important area to watch from a legal perspective.

Keith further said that doctors will face questions regarding how reproductive care gets coded in medical records, as well as whether certain restrictions are placed on out-of-state telemedicine providers.

PHOTO: A sign welcoming patients from East Texas is displayed in the waiting area of the Women's Reproductive Clinic, which provides legal medication abortion services, in Santa Teresa, N.M., on June 15, 2022. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)

And if states move to include language in their laws that specifies that life begins at the moment of fertilization, there could be an additional range of legal concerns for physicians and other providers, experts said.

Dr. Thomas Burwinkel, a reproductive endocrinologist in Cincinnati, Ohio, noted that he posed the following question to the legislative committee in the Ohio House: If a lab's liquid nitrogen storage tank breaks, and all the embryos that are stored there are lost, will physicians and staff be criminally prosecuted?

"It's a very slippery slope," he said of proposed legislation in Ohio. "I'm having a hard enough time recruiting embryologists into the field."

There will be many infertile patients who will not be able to get the services they need, he pointed out.

Ultimately, "abortion is the beginning, not the end," Yaver said. "This is really foreshadowing broader concerns about contraceptive access. Some people on the right characterize Plan B and IUDs as abortive."

Millions of patients rely on those contraceptive methods, she noted. "These gray areas are going to hurt providers, and they're going to hurt patients."

Seeking guidance when it really counts

Making matters all the more complicated, many doctors and clinicians may not have a ready Rolodex of legal advisors available on demand. However, answers as to what care physicians can provide are needed at a moments notice, and the network of new state laws is evolving just as fast.

Its not clear that there is an obvious answer to who doctors and other healthcare providers can turn to, Hill said.

If they are employed by a relatively large institution, such as a hospital or health system, providers will look to their hospital policy or legal counsel.

"This is the twin danger of laws like this," Hill noted. "They make doctors worry about liability, so if they cant readily access legal advice, they are probably going to take the conservative approach. They also encourage hospital legal departments to put guidance in place to protect themselves."

MORE: Is the 'abortion pill' restricted by state bans?

The people who have the expertise here are criminal defense lawyers, who are likely to be called upon for help before and after the fact, she said.

"We have to be honest with ourselves," Leila Jade Levi, senior counsel for reproductive rights and health at the National Women's Law Center in Washington, D.C., told MedPage Today of the legal and medical community. "There are things we can't know and don't know."

However, there are many lawyers, pro bono and otherwise, who would be available for a physician or other provider to "defend a medical decision that they have made in consultation with the patient," she said.

Though it is not a unique problem, it is certainly exacerbated post-Roe, she noted. Physicians have long operated with medical malpractice insurance, but what the field is dealing with now is criminalization, and that landscape is changing minute by minute.

Levi said that the National Women's Law Center and other organizations would likely take some cases on a case-by-case basis, noting that she is most concerned about the effects that the ruling and resulting state trigger laws will have on the provision of care.

Fearing the fallout and further limitations

Levi emphasized that it's not just physicians who will be affected by the new laws  the impact will extend to nurses and administrative staff at healthcare facilities.

Think about the person who answers the phone at a clinic who has to tell the patient that it is not providing care, she said. That same person may also have to question whether they can provide a phone number to another facility for fear of legal ramifications.

Burwinkel also noted that in addition to OB-GYN and fertility providers, emergency medicine physicians will be on the front lines, as will psychiatrists and psychologists handling trauma from unwanted pregnancies and other factors.

PHOTO: A staff member works at the reception desk at the Hope Clinic For Women in Granite City, Ill., on June 27, 2022. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)

When it comes to how enforcement of new state laws may play out, Hill described an example of a woman's partner or family member being unhappy about abortion-related care she received, and reporting it.

It's also possible that healthcare professionals may be reported by their colleagues for providing certain care or services, experts said.

Overall, Hill noted that she thinks enforcement is going to be "uneven, capricious and arbitrary."

Yaver said she believes the Supreme Court's decision is "going to have far-reaching effects on relationships between patients and their providers and relationships between providers and states," all to "the detriment of people's lives."

Where physicians select to establish their practices is going to deepen the health disparities between red states and blue states, she added.

Levi pointed out that when a patient is sick or in a precarious medical state, having to include politicians or lawyers in deciding what the best course of care is, is not only dangerous, but insulting.

It's an "attack on both the dignity of the patient and the provider," she said.

Doctors face unprecedented legal risks after Roe overturn originally appeared on abcnews.go.com